Life is Beautiful

Hooves thundered on the cobble paving stones of Canterlot’s main street as a black streak shot past ponies going about their daily life and business, weaving around the larger obstructions, and causing other ponies to dive out of his way. Black coated ponies were not a common sight, most of them belonged to Luna’s Night Guard, so it was a startling sight to see to see a unicorn charging so recklessly towards the palace.

A pair of guards on patrol were almost bowled over as Shadow dashed past them, causing one of them to stumble, and the other one to start giving chase, “HALT! IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA STOP!” Shadow just ignored them, panting hard as lather flecked his coat, charging head long towards the palace.

The guard that stumbled spread his wings and took flight, a pegasus, winging after the sprinting black unicorn, diving down in an attempt to take him down. Shadow heard the noise at the last moment and turned his head to fire a blast of telekinetic power, sending the guard flying through the air before he caught himself again.

Approaching the gates of the palace with an earth pony on foot chasing, and the pegasus catching his breath, and dashing after the unicorn, the pegasus darted ahead, calling, “CLOSE AND LOCK THE GATES!” Shadow just put on another burst of speed, easily in competition for the fastest pony runner in Equestria right then.

The massive double doors of the palace entry started to slowly swing close, but they were too slow. Spear wielding guards took position right inside the door, bracing the spears on the ground to catch the charging unicorn as he closed in, while civilian and noble ponies scrambled and scattered in the panic, trying to get out of the way.

Just as Shadow was about to hit the wall of spears he took a powerful flying leap without breaking stride, launching himself up and over the squad just a bare moment before the doors slammed closed, but he did not get past unscathed; one enterprising guard in front jabbed his spear up, catching the unprotected chest of the black unicorn, and deflecting to slice out along his side.

Shadow landed, stumbling hard, but he picked himself up as the guards wheeled, and took after him. The hallway before him was lined with guards however, who closed into his path quickly, a number of pegasus taking to the air to create a wall as Shadow charged into them, fighting to try and get past them, yelling, “I HAVE TO SEE THE PRINCESS!”

***

Celestia was sitting in her throne room, handling affairs as usual, though there seemed to be a bit of sadness about her. As long as she lived, there were many she had cared for, seen grow, rise in power, prestige, and eventually pass, but as long lived as she was, she mourned slowly, and a bit of light seemed to have faded with her with the loss of Twilight.

Luna had been supportive, and had been just as upset, Twilight Sparkle had been important to both of them, having saved Luna from the grip of the Nightmare Moon years before, and having proven to be one of Luna’s first, and truest friends. Despite the searches, no sign of their beloved niece-in-law, student, and friend had been found. Even Cadance had been deeply affected, losing her sister-in-law so soon after losing her husband. Things in the castle were only slowly starting to get back to normal, but Celestia had been slower than the others to recover.

Celestia was only paying partial attention to what the noble before her was speaking of when a disturbance in the vestibule caught her attention. All of the guards in the room were suddenly at attention, weapons drawn as they turned towards the entrance, and a wall of guards were forming before them. Through the doors she spotted a mass of her royal guards swarming around a black pony that she couldn’t see, though it did not take them long before they had the pony in question down, and restrained with the magic of several unicorns.

“What is the meaning of this?” Celestia asked, her voice rising loudly over the murmurings sweeping the crowd, “Bring the intruder here.” At Celestia’s command, the crowd parted, and a dozen armored earth ponies started marching through the doors, followed by two dozen armored unicorns, with even more pegasus hovering in the air above. In the middle of this ground was a single wounded black unicorn, restraints of multicolored magic, maintained by the unicorns bound him, pulling him through the air as he struggled.

“What is the meaning of this intrusion? State your purpose!” Celestia demanded as she lifted her head, reclining on her throne.

“I recognize this pony,” spoke up the captain of the guard as he stepped forwards from Celsetia’s side, “He’s a traitorous worm, wanted for assassination, mutiny, treason, and deserting his post! He cannot be here for anything less than trying to kill you! Allow me to-“

“Wait! Please!” Shadow began, struggling against his bonds, before looking up to Celestia with fear and hope in his gaze, “I bring word of Twilight Sparkle, she is in danger!”

Silence had been reigning throughout the chamber as this spectacle took place, but it broke at the metion of Twlight Sparkle, rising into a roar as noble ponies started talking amongst each other. Celestia sat on her throne, her eyes widening in shock, before she rose sharply from her throne, her voice booming out, “SILENCE! Release the prisoner immediately!”

The entire room dropped to a deathly silence as Shadow was placed down, where he rose slowly, speaking up before waiting, “Please there is no time! She is going to be killed!”

A dark frowned tainted Celestia’s lips, “How do you-“ but she was cut off suddenly.

“There is no time your majesty! You must hurry! She is in the abandoned factory at the outskirts of the city near the western edge of the city! You must hurry or she and her daughter will die!” Desperation dripped from Shadow’s voice, trying to make her understand, “I’ve been running for half an hour! There is no time left!”

The captain of the guard stepped forwards, “Please your Majesty, a cur like thi-“

“ENOUGH! Call the pegasus guard! We fly now! Get all the squadrons that you can get air born in the next thirty seconds!” Celestia shouted, fixing the unicorn with a deadly glare, “If you are lying to me... Captain, get that unicorn treated and then take him to the dungeon.” Celestia stretched her wings, spreading them as the pegasus scattered from the air as the captain of the guard, and earth pony, shouted orders. Celestia leapt over the crowed, eliciting a collective gasp as her wings carried her across the hall, hitting the ground running.

***

Shadow’s body sagged as he saw Celestia heading out of the castle, panting heavily, and gasping for breath as he finally let the effects of the run catch up to him. Earth ponies and unicorns closed in around the black unicorn, moving to pull him to his feet.

It took a few moments for Shadow to get his breath back, looking around at the grim faces of the guards around him. A grin started to slide onto Shadow’s face as he realized exactly what he had done, turning into a giggle, and then finally a full out laugh, almost collapsing as he laughed madly.

The earth ponies and unicorns drew back, uncertain while the captain of the guard stepped forwards, “Is something funny, cur? You know that you are going to hang for your crimes against the crown.”

Shadow managed to control his laughter for a moment, and nodded, “Yes, I know, I just threw my life away for a strung out, broken mare and a runt of a filly that no one even cares about,” flashing white teeth as he grinned at the captain. “And you know something? I think I would do it again,” he laughed, before he staggered, coughing heavily.

The captain frowned a moment, before he slowly smiled, “I knew Twilight Sparkle as a filly, and I served under her brother before he died. They were two of the most spectacular and wonderful ponies to walk the palace, besides the princesses. If what you told is the truth, you may be able to avoid the hangponies noose.”

Shadow nodded, straightening again, “It’s the truth… I just hope that I was fast enough…” his smile fading as he started to walk, the ring of guards moving with him. He knew the way to the infirmary, and started making his way slowly there.

***

Celestia’s wings beat powerfully, leading five squads of ten pegasus each as they winged at breakneck speeds towards the factory. It was only a few minutes flight for the princess and the pegasus, but fear clutched at Celestia’s heart. Her beloved student had been in the city the whole time? And she couldn’t find her? Oh how she had failed her student… no, her niece, Twilight Sparkle was family now.

The flight was closing in on the building, only a few hundred yards away when a massive surge of pink and magenta power erupted from the building, blowing out the windows and rippling outwards, blowing even Celestia back, causing them to pause. Celestia’s heart skipped a beat as she recognized the taste of Twilight’s magic, a smile slipping to her face.

“Move move!” Celestia yelled, “Squads one and two and three, ring the building, let no one escape! Squads four and five with me!” as the princess began to wing towards the building.

The power began to twist, and several heavy pieces of machinery crashed through the walls, leaving bloody smears on the nearby buildings and streets as they impacted, but suddenly the power paused, and flickered out just as suddenly as it had come. Celestia’s heart skipped another beat, filling with dread as it felt like it stopped in her chest, but she dove quickly for one of the holes that had been smashed out by flying machinery.

Celestia could feel where the dying wisps of magic came from, speeding towards the center of the complex, trailed by two squads of pegasus fanning out behind her. What waited for Celestia in the center was a thing out of her nightmares. Standing there was the figure of a powerful, older gryphon, his claws bloody as Twilight slipped out from beneath him, the barbed and blood covered shaft dragging slowly from beneath the lavender male’s tail, a victorious smirk upon his lips as Twilight’s lifeblood sprayed in the air, and a keening wail filled Celestia’s senses.

A roar of raged filled Celestia as she dived into the gryphon, who looked up with startled and shocked fear for a moment just before Celestia’s gold clad hooves slammed into his side, throwing him hard to the ground where he slid, with the sound of breaking bones and a squawk of pain. Celestia landed nimbly where she was as the guards with her dove after the gryphon, slamming into him and pinning him.

Two more pegasus leapt onto the back of a much smaller gryphon, eliciting a high pitched squeak and squeal, though they were far more gentle with him than they were with the older gryphon. The elder gryphon roared in pain and anger, “Let go of me! Unhand me you filthy curs! I have diplomatic immunity! You cannot touch me without starting a war with the mighty Gryphon Kingdom!”

Celestia pointedly ignored him, all of her attention on Twlight as she moved around before the bleeding pony. She lowered her head, tears dripping down her muzzle, “Mother help me…” she prayed, her horn lighting with brilliant white light as she drew and gathered her power. White light started to swirl around Celestia, and all of those gathered had to avert their eyes, lest they be struck blind on the spot.

Celestia lowered her horn to Twilight’s throat, and suddenly that light flowed into the wound, lighting it with the sun’s glorious power of life, slowly starting to heal it, the wound beginning to close as the bleeding stopped. But Twilight’s body was weakened, nearly dead, drained of resources, and the process was slow, painstakingly slow.

Minutes slowly crawled by like eons before Celestia’s eyes as she watched the wound close, and the glow fade from the wound at long last, but still the fallen pony did not stir. “Breathe,” Celestia said, whispered, pleaded of Twilight, touching her horn to the mare’s chest, and releasing a shockwave of power into her, one that rippled the mare’s body in convulsions before it laid still again.

Tears started to cascade down Celestia’s muzzle, dropping onto the fallen pony, as she drew power again, “Please, breathe, my beautiful little pony…” touching her horn to Twilight’s chest again, over her heart, and releasing the energy shockwave to pulse into her. The convulsion caused blood to spray from Twilight’s mouth, and her body to rock before falling still again.

A pink and golden streak suddenly broke free of a knot of pegasus, freed from the ropes that had bound her, she ran right to her mother, and wrapping her hooves around the lavender mare’s neck, crying and wailing, “Mommymommymommy! Wake up Mommy! Get up mommy! Please mommy! Please please! Get up!” she begged, tears rolling down her cheeks in great big sobs of fear.

Celestia could only lift her head to stare at the child, and marvel at her beauty for a moment, before her attention turned back to Twlight, “If not for me, my beloved student… then for her,” power focusing into the tip of her horn again, “please…”

Celestia touched her horn again to Twilight’s breast, over her heart, focusing and releasing the pulse of magic into her again. Twilight’s body arched again, rippling as the magic pulsed through her, taking a sudden gasp, before coughing heavily, coughing up blood, before she lay still again, still but for the gurgling sound of breath as she slowly breathed.

Celestia let out a sigh of relief, before she brought her muzzle to touch the sobbing little filly, “She’s alive little one… your mother is going to live, calm yourself… this is all over now, be brave, be strong, your mother will need you soon, more than ever.”

The little pegasus looked up at Celestia with wide, fearful eyes, her mother’s blood staining her coat a deep burgundy as she clutched her mother’s neck, but she sniffled, scrubbing the back of a hoof across her face to wipe away her tears, but that only succeeded in smearing blood across her face. Nodding with a brave little smile as she sniffled, the little filly hugged Twlight’s head and muzzle.

Celestia was lying in a pool of Twilight’s blood she realized, and she slowly picked herself up from it, looking to a nearby pegasus. “Fly to the castle, swift as you can, alert medical teams, bring back a stretcher and prepare Twilight for transport back to the castle,” her voice shaking, unsteady, but she schooled herself, stabilizing it.

“UNHAND me you wretch!” roared a voice nearby her, towards which Celestia spun quickly, fury in her eyes.

“SILENCE!” she roared, in a voice dwarfing even the gryphon’s voice, “I am more than aware of the privileges of diplomatic immunity, but you are now accused of rape and attempted murder!” Celestia snarled as she closed in on the gryphon, power swirling around her, her entire form gleaming with brilliant light.

The male gryphon cringed back, looking terrified of the avatar of the sun, “if… if you harm me! It will start a war! You will lose many more of your precious little ponies! I promise you!”

Celestia stepped back, “This transgression will not go unpunished,” she looked to her guard, “Take this miserable drake and his whelp of a son, bind them, and take them to the castle dungeon until a day I am less likely to turn both of them into a pile of ash.”

A number of guards nodded and saluted smartly, before producing the required rope, binding the two captives quickly and efficiently, and started dragging them away to the continued threats of violence from the elder drake.

Celestia stood still a moment, slowly rebuilding her calm, her attention turning worriedly to the fallen body of her student… her niece, moving to her, and lowering her head as she waited.

It only took ten minutes for the pegasus she had sent to return with a handful of other pegasus from the castle infirmiry, carrying a stretcher between them. Normally they had a unicorn to help them move bodies, but they laid down the stretcher besides Twilight, moving around the lavender mare, preparing to move her.

Celestia held up a hoof though, motioning for them to wait, drawing her own power, and wrapping it gently around Twilight, slowly and very gingerly lifting her up, and placing her on the stretcher. The team nodded, moving carefully to lift the stretcher up, and hooking it into the harness, while another started taking vitals from the mare.

Little Glorious Dawn looked on with a trembling lip, looking like she was about to burst into tears again as her mother was slowly taken away, scrambling to her little hooves to chase after when she suddenly found a bit white muzzle in her way.

Celestia spoke in a soft, gentle voice, “Come little one, why don’t you come with me? I am an old friend of your mother’s, how about I take you to the palace, and introduce you to the rest of your family? Would you like that?”

Dawn’s big purple eyes looked up at Celestia with a mix of wonder and fear, her mouth opened a bit, but she couldn’t find words, overwhelmed by everything, so she just nodded dumbly. Celestia smiled, slipping her nose beneath the foal’s belly, and turning and placing the tiny filly on her back, between her wings. Shifting her wings a bit, Celestia settled them gently around the foal, before turning, and trotting after the medical team transporting Twilight.

The tiny foal didn’t even make it outside before she was sleeping, very cutely curled up between Celsetia’s great wings. Celestia smiled sadly back towards the tiny filly, before looking around.

Only about a quarter of the squads she had sent to ring the building were in the air, the rest on the ground wrestling with, and securing the gang members who had tried to flee the abandoned factory. The thunder of hooves trotting down the street announced that a battalion of earth ponies and unicorns were approaching to help wrap things up, and secure the factory.

A pegasus swooped down to land near the princess, “Your Majesty, would you like me to summon a chariot to take you back to the castle?”

Celestia considered the stallion, before shaking her head, “I will walk today, return to securing everything here.” Princess Celestia, her pristine white fur drenched in the blood of Twilight Sparkle, turned and moved to walk after the stretcher carrying Twilight Sparkle again, catching up quickly, and joining it in a small procession that wound its way through the city, keeping a careful eye on the condition of the lavender pony, and of the tiny package sleeping nestled between her wings.

***

Two days passed, leaving Grasson and Gerald to stew in the dungeon cells before Celestia called to have them brought. The two gryphons were escorted by eight well armed unicorn guards into the throne room where Celestia sat on her throne, a grim expression on her face.

To Celestia’s right sat Luna, looking just as majestic and beautiful as her elder sister, but just as grim of an expression on her face. The princess of the moon gave a worried glance to her sister of the sun, having never seen Celestia’s cool demeanor crack, not in all the years since she had returned, and she was here partly at Celestia’s request to keep her from doing something she might regret.

The Front of the square of unicorns parted and Grasson strode forwards, managing all the haughty airs and pure arrogance that he could muster while he had one paw bound to his chest, and his wings wrapped in bandages bound to his ribs.

Behind Grasson came Gerald, hanging back, trying to hide behind one of the unicorns before he was pushed rudely forwards where he tumbled to graceless sit, looking up at the two sisters with absolute terror on his young face.

“THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!” Grasson squawked as he hobbled forwards, “When my liege hears of how I have been treated this will mean-“

“SILENCE!” Celestia roared, her voice booming thunderously, and echoing off the walls, making even the arrogant ambassador cringe. Rising slowly from her throne, Celestia spread her wings slowly, striking an intimidating figure as she glared down at the wounded drake, “You stand accused of violating our most sacred laws. You were witnessed by me, in the very act of raping a member of the royal family, and attempted murder of said member! You also stand accused of conspiring to commit rape and murder of a yearling foal, also of the royal family!”

Grasson blanched, color draining from his white feathered face, “That… that mare was… She was just a whore in the-“

Celestia stomped a hoof, threatening to shatter the marble steps as the sound reverberated throughout the room. “Choose your words -very carefully- ambassador, that is my niece you speak of,” though Celestia didn’t raise her voice, the anger in it was enough to melt bones.

Grasson swallowed, but slowly rebuilt his confidence, “You can do nothing to me, I have diplomatic protection under the treaty YOU signed with the Gryphon Kingdom! Breaking that treaty would mean war! Are you willing to throw away the lives of your precious ponies over one filly?”

A deep frown crossed Celestia’s visage as the considered the drake, before she turned her head to the steward standing beside her, “Steward, pen a letter to the Gryphon King, explaining to him in detail the charges Grasson Razorbeak stands accused of. Tell him I have no wish for this transgression to disturb the peace between our people, and we do not hold the gryphon people responsible. We would however take it as a show of favor for him to make a gift to us the punishment of this wayward drake who tried to incite a war between us.” Diplomacy had always been one of Celestia’s strong points, so she left the punishment to the gryphons in hopes of furthering relationships.

“Then I want this miserable drake and his whelp caged, and transported to the gryphon capital city, and have our ambassador there hand deli-“ Celestia was suddenly cut off by a high pitched squeak, turning her head sharply towards the audience chamber.

The little gryphon, maybe only five years old was on his feet, looking terrified between the sisters on the throne, and the larger gryphon besides him, trying to rush forwards suddenly towards the throne, only to be stopped in the teal grip of one of the unicorn guard’s telekinesis, “Please! Please your majesty have mercy!”

Celestia was about to open her mouth and strike down the whelp verbally, but what he said next stunned her into silence.

“I don’t want to go back with him! He wants me to hurt ponies and be like him! Please! I don’t care if you lock me up forever! Just don’t make me-“ The words were cut off in a pained screech suddenly as claws slashed across the whelp’s head.

Gerald fall over, screeching in pain and desperately trying to crawl away as Grasson stood over him, “INSOLENT LITTLE WRETCH! How dare you turn your back on-“ A blast of searing light cut the elder drake off suddenly, catching him in the chest and searing off the feathers, sending him flying back a good ten feet where he landed hard, rolling in agony, smoke pouring off the wound on his chest.

Celestia stood halfway down the stairs, her horn glowing brilliantly. Luna moved quickly down the steps, touching her sister’s shoulder and speaking softly as she shook her head, “Sister…”

Celestia looked to her sister, her body shaking, but slowly the light died from her horn as she turned her attention back to the elder drake, “How DARE you spill the blood of an innocent in my throne room! Guards, take him away, in chains, have him tended in the infirmary before carrying out my instructions!”

The guards nodded her heads and saluted smartly, grabbing the injured drake in their magic, and lifting him up, turning as one as they closed around him, and trotting off in lockstep towards the infirmary once more.

Celestia’s expression softened as she looked to the wounded fledgling, stepping down from the dais as she approached, Luna staying at her sisters side. Celestia lowered her head to the sobbing gryphon, “What is your name little one?”

“G-Gerald, Gerald Razorbeak,” he sniffled, looking up in fear at the two princesses standing over him, his paws clutching the wide of his face where he had been injured.

“And you don’t want to return home?”

“No… No your majesty, please, throw me in the dungeon! Anything so I don’t need to go home! I don’t want to hurt ponies! He’ll make me hurt others, I just know it,” the little gryphon begged, groveling on the floor before the two princesses.

Celestia smiled gently, trying to ease the child’s heart, “I do not think a dungeon cell is the proper place for a good, young gryphon like yourself. Steward, have this child taken to the infirmary and have his injuries cleaned, stitched, and bandaged, then see him to a guest room, and make sure his needs are taken care of. We will have you looked after until we can find a family that will be willing to take you in. Oh, and steward, keep his father away from him.”

The little fledgling’s eyes widened a bit as all of that registered, “Oooh thank you thank you your Majesty!”

Celestia smiled, before turning away, climbing the stairs to her throne again an retaking her seat as two servants came to help the gryphon to his feet, and start escorting him from the hall. “Oh, and Gerald,” Celestia started, “please don’t wander around the palace, stay in your room for a few days until things have calmed down.”

***

After a brief recess after the stressful meeting, giving servants time to clean the blood off the marble, and pegasus to blow the stench of burned feathers and seared flesh from the room, and after some tea for Luna and Celestia, it was time to deal with the other matter at hand. “Captain, bring out the other prisoner.”

The guard captain saluted smartly to the princess, “Yes Your Majesty!” he said, before he turned and trotted off, returning a minute later with a black unicorn whose hooves were chained in hobbles, and he had a heavy metal collar around his neck, as well as a sheath of cold iron around his horn.

Shadow did not fight those leading him, and strangely enough, held his head up, though with a concerned look on his face, stopping and kneeling down at the foot of the dais.

“Shadow Hoof, former sergeant of the eleventh division, sixth tactical recon and strike squad,” the captain read off of a scroll, “You stand accused of committing an act of mutiny, murder of a superior officer, high treason, and deserting your post, how do you plead?”

Shadow glanced to the captain a moment, before he looked to the seated sisters on their throne, “Please, your Majesties, before all of this, I beg you, did Twilight Sparkle make it? Is she alive?”

Celestia blinked, considering the stallion, which was facing a quick execution for these charges, and he was more concerned about Twilight Sparkle. After a moment’s pose, she responded softly, “Twilight Sparkle is alive, as is her daughter, all thanks to you. How do you plead sergeant?”

Tears sprang suddenly to Shadow’s eyes at the news, and a smile spread over his features, “Guilty… guilty, every word of it… at least I didn’t throw my life away for nothing,” he said as he lowered his head, relief washing over him, relief and acceptance.

The guard captain frowned, “The penalty for such crimes is death, you are aware of this?”

Shadow nodded, “yes, I am well aware.”

Celestia looked between the two for a moment, before focusing on Shadow again, “all of this, would you do it again?” she asked softly.

Shadow blinked away tears, looking up at Celestia with some confusion as he considered the answer, before he finally replied, “Yes, in a heartbeat.”

“Why?” Celestia asked.

Shadow lowered his head, “Because Twilight is a special sort of pony, she knew what I was, she knew what I had done, and even then she accepted me, she was my friend. She is my friend. All I regret is that I waited so long before getting her help… I could have saved her so much pain and suffering.” Tears fell from the stallion’s muzzle as he spoke.

“Justify your actions for murdering your superior officer and abandoning your post, you do not strike me as the sort to just commit an act of cold blooded murder,” Celestia asked of the stallion.

Shadow looked up, a bit surprised, before his expression darkened, “The bastard got my squad killed. We got some intel that there was going to be a gryphon force moving through an area, we were sent to investigate, report back numbers, movement, organization… but the intel was bad, we stumbled into an ursa den. My squad was wiped out trying to escape; I was the only one who made it out alive.”

“I found out later that he knew, no one could screw up intel that bad anyways. Those were my friends, my brothers in arms. They were my responsibility. Other squads were getting wiped out because of that bastard; I had to take him out.”

The guard captain frowned at all of this, “If you had any proof, you should have reported it.”

“I didn’t have any proof, he hid it well, and that’s why he was able to get away with it for so long. But I knew, I paid attention after that.”

The guard captain mused, “Squads did stop going missing after that, but who can say as to the truth?” The captain looked to Celestia for guidance on this.

Celestia frowned as she considered the stallion, silent for a few minutes while she weighed the arguments and facts. Finally she spoke, “Very well, I will give you one chance. For now, I am giving you to the custody of the guard captain.”

Celestia looked to the guard captain, “release him from his chains, get him some armor, and get him to work. I want him training all day, put him through his paces, put him through the exercises, put him through everything. Put him through hell, and then return him to his cell at night. I will call on him when I am ready, make sure he is ready for anything I may ask of him.

The guard captain saluted smartly, motioning the unicorns to unchain him, “right away Your Majesty.”

As Shadow started shaking off his chains, he rose, but before he turned, something occurred to him, and he turned back to the dais, “Your Majesty, may I ask how Twilight’s daughter is doing?”

Celestia frowned a moment, “She is… understandably upset. Everything has changed for her, and very quickly, she is adapting, but she misses her mother.”

Shadow nodded, “I… I spent a great deal of time with her, I was practically her…” he paused, and shook his head a moment, “Her babysitter. May I be allowed to visit her?”

Celestia blinked again, but a slow smile slipped onto her face, and she nodded after a moment, “Yes, you may, one hour a night before her bed time, I think she would like that.”

Shadow bowed his head, “You are most beneficent Your Majesty, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.” He lifted his head after a moment, drawing back and turning, trotting away under escort, almost prancing, his head held high.

Author’s Notes

I really feel like I am hitting WAY too many clichés in this chapter. What do I have going? Diplomatic immunity, check. Tear jerking death scene with emotional barely reviving after several attempts to save her life, check. The bad black guy is really an outstanding hero, he just has a shady past, check. The power of love/friendship drives someone to a stupid, selfless act that should cost them their own life, check. Said act DOESN’T cost them their life, check! I’m not sure what else I’m doing that’s cliché… but I’m sure its something!

I’m sure I might have more to say, but I’m hungry right now. I might go back in and twiddle with the death scene of Twilight, but normally after I write something I leave stuff alone for the most part.

I think there is only one more chapter left, and then the epilogue, I hope that is not cutting it too short… but we will see.

Also, i hope everyone is noticing the music references in the titles!