Parents' Night Out

When your eyes open, you can't help but shiver through the warm hooves that hold you. Was that a dream? Was that really Princess Celestia speaking to you? Why would Celestia come to you and ask you questions about your parents? Should you tell Cadance? You feel a light shake in your hooves at the thought. It's just a dream, right? It wouldn’t have been bad to talk to Celestia. Is she going to be mad? There should be no reason for her to be mad.

You raise your head to Cadance, who looks down at you with a smile, brushing your mane with a hoof.

"Good Morning, Sunshine," she says gently. "Did you sleep well?"

A feeling like a jabbing knife shoots through your throat at the question. You know you can't hide the dream from her. You can’t hide anything from her. She feels the shudder of your reaction, and her eyes move to concern. Now you definitely can't hide.

"I..." you say, unsure of how to answer. "I had a weird dream."

Cadance's expression calms, as she brings her hoof from your mane to slide it along your jawline. She lifts your chin to make eye contact with you. Cadance stares into your blank expression, as if she were reading your mind. A part of you isn’t sure if she really is or not.

"Oh?" she says gently. "Why don't you tell me about it, Nonny?"

Your breath leaves your nose in an unsteady quiver.

"Uhm, I was in this really strange room..." you say.

The words hold themselves down tightly in your throat, and you can't help but turn your gaze away.

"T-there was this big orb in the middle of the room, and Princess Celestia was there."

Cadance's smile fades, but her stare doesn't move. She opens her mouth, but this time her voice is not kind or gentle. Her words are flat, and there was a menacing edge to each of of her syllables.

"What happened then?"

Her question does nothing to calm your unease, you look back to her gaze, once gentle is now accusatory.

"What happened next, Anon?" she repeats herself. "What did Celestia ask?"

"Um, she just asked a bunch of questions about me and my parents," you stutter.

"Like what?" Her grip around you tightens. "What did she ask you?"

"I-I don't remember," you say, your mind turning to a haze.

Cadance rolls you over firmly, easing you back in the dirt. She looms over you, her hair hanging down around her face as she stares. She holds down your hooves with her own. She presses you against the ground with a building pressure.

"What did she say, Anon?" she growls. "It's very important that you remember."

You try to move your right hoof, but a bolt of pain arcs it's way up to your spine.

"C-cadance," you grunt. "Y-you're hurting me."

Cadance leaps off of you, her eyes opening wide as she gasps.

"Oh my goodness. Nonny. I'm so sorry," she says, her gentle words returning.

She paces around the wooded opening. Cadance scans the clearing and your surroundings as you look down to the light redness on your shoulders from where she held you down. You rub the bruise and the pain gradually dissipates.

"I-it was just a dream, right?" you ask, looking around the clearing.

You watch her as she continues to move around the clearing quietly. Why is she so on edge? Wouldn't Princess Celestia support what she was doing? She's taking good care of you. She didn’t mean to leave a bruises on you.

Why isn’t Celestia okay to talk to?

Cadance turns back to you, but there's something unfamiliar in her eyes. You feel like you've seen that look before, but you can't help but feel that it's out of character for the gentle, loving Cadance that you know.

You unconsciously edge away as those eyes jog something in the back of your mind. Your breath catches. The sounds of the forest dissipate around you. This reminds you of the mare in the alley, holding a stallion aloft in the air, as he gasps for air and whines in pain.

"Cadance?" you ask, needing some sort of reminder that she's really still here.

"I don't think we’re safe here, Anon," she murmurs.

Her words fail to ease your concerns.

"I-is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?" you ask.

She sighs and shakes her head.

"No, Anon. You didn't do anything wrong," she says, but you can tell she's lying. Or at least, you feel like she's lying. It reminds you of the way your mother would talk when she was angry at your Dad.

"We need to leave," Cadance says. "Now."

"But-" you say, trying to interject, but she dominates over your words.

"We already wasted too much time here, Anon. Now get on my back and let's go!"

You rise to your hooves and trot over to her, feeling as if red hot pokers would brand you if you slowed down for even a moment. Cadance kneels down, and you raise a hoof onto her back.

Suddenly, a deafening crack rings out. You freeze, looking to the source of the sound. Birds rise from the trees and caw loudly as the shockwave rushes through the forest. The trees rustle loudly as a bright white orb appears in the sky and slowly descends toward the ground.

"No, No, NO!" Cadance growls. "NOW, ANON!"

You leap onto her back and Cadance takes to the sky in three hard flaps of her wings. The wind rushes past your face as she continues to fight against gravity. You turn your head to the large bright orb, as radiant as the sun. Rather than descending to the ground, it changes course and takes to the sky. It follows you, keeping pace with Cadance's speed.

"Darn it," Cadance growls under her breath.

She turns her head, her horn glowing a bright blue. A burst of energy erupts from the tip of her horn and directly connects with the orb. The orb slows, as if wounded, and slowly falls from the sky.

"You hit it!" you say in equal parts shock and surprise. "Why did you shoot at it?"

"We're almost there, Anon," she says. "If we just keep flying, we can reach the Fountain before sundown."

"Fountain?" you yell against the wind as Cadance picks up speed. "What fountain?!"

"There's no time to explain," she says. "Just hold tight."

You pull your hooves tighter around Cadance's neck as she flies faster, bringing her flight path into a different altitude. An upstream current of wind pushes against Cadance's wings, giving her additional thrust. She smiles, holding her wings flat to glide for a moment.

The icy wind blows past your ears, and you feel them growing number by the second. You look down to the forest floor below you, now farther away than ever. With a gasp, you pull even closer in fear of falling.

"I think we lost them," Cadance says.

"Who was that?" you ask.

"I'm not sure," she says nervously. "But I have a hunch. I just hope I'm not right."

You remain silent, staring down at the forest below you.

"Cadance?"

"Yeah?" she asks, her eyes still darting below.

"What's 'The Fountain?'"

Cadance sighs to herself.

"I'll explain when we get there, Anon. Everything will make sense soon, I promise."

You open your mouth to speak, but close it tightly. A question sits on the tip of your tongue, but you can't let the words come out. You feel a knife sitting in your throat for even thinking the question that you have. But, you have to take a moment to think.

Even if your parents don't love or want you anymore... Cadance is taking you away from school. She's taking you away from the city. She’s taking you away from everything you’ve known.

Celestia came and visited you in a dream, asking you about what she's done to you. If the Princess of the Sun came to you personally in a dream... and a strange bright orb is now following you... could that mean that orb is Celestia?

What does that mean if Princess Celestia is chasing you two?

"Is... is that Princess Celestia, Cadance?" you ask.

"I don't know, Anon," she says with a pause for consideration. "And I can't think if you keep asking questions."

You open your mouth to speak again, looking back down to the forest floor. A frozen feeling holds your limbs in place as you cling to her, but feel completely alone. Your lips purse one last time, a question hanging in your chest that you can't hold back anymore.

"Cadance?" you say weakly.

"What?" she barks.

"Are we doing something wrong?" you ask.

Cadance goes silent, flapping her wings with the wind current.

"Of course we’re not, Anon," she says wearily. "Why would we?"

A feeling of ease fills you, but you still feel a pang of doubt gnaw on back.

"I-I was just making sure."

You scan the forest below you, which flies by at amazing speed.

Then, all at once, the orb shoots out of the trees. You feel yourself jump as it lifts into the air behind you. It begins to chase after you and Cadance, gaining speed faster than ever. Your hooves tremble as the sphere quickly closes the distance.

"Cadance!" you yell into the wind, but she already sees the attacker.

"I got it!" she calls out.

Her horn glows a bright blue and shoots a beam of light at the orb. The sphere whizzes to the side, deftly dodging the attack. It zooms ahead to you and Cadance, keeping pace directly to the right of you. A voice booms from the sphere, a familiar voice that fills your soul with dread.

"Ground yourself now, Cadance. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

You recognize the voice immediately.

"Leave us alone!" Cadance screams back, before shooting another beam.

The orb deflects the blast with it's own ray of golden yellow energy and stays even with the two of you. Cadance tries to fly harder, just barely pulling ahead of the ball of light which stalks you.

Then, it moves in front of you, as if it wasn’t even a challenge. You and Cadance stop in the air and the orb hovers.

"This is the end of the line, Cadance," the voice commands once more. "Return the colt."

Cadance growls, looking between the forest floor and the orb. You continue to focus on the sphere, so bright, so radiant. The one speaking is now unmistakable.

“Last chance,” rings out the hard, assertive, regal voice of Princess Celestia.

"Hang on, Anon," Cadance says in a whisper.

You can't even register her words before you feel yourself enveloped in a pocket of shadow. Your features are pulled at the edges and feel as if you're being torn apart, and with a loud crack, you feel yourself tumbling onto grass. Then, your body abruptly halts when it collides with something hard and rough.

You open your eyes, pushing away the aching pain inflicted to your side, and scan your surroundings. Densely packed trees shroud you, and Cadance lies on the ground, not too far off. The entire sky is hidden by the thick tree tops, only small patches of light pushing through to the leaf strewn floor.

Then your eyes focus on Cadance, a new series of questions springing into your mind.

Where did Cadance just teleport you to?

Why is Princess Celestia here?

Is this connected to your dream?

You lie on the ground, frozen, watching Cadance slowly rise to her hooves and take in her surroundings. She turns, and locks her gaze onto you. Then another question enters your mind.

Why does Princess Celestia want you to be taken away from Cadance?

She knows that Princess Cadance is your special somepony, right? She knows that Princess Cadance was going to take care of you, right? It was Cadance who said you weren't loved by your parents anymore. Doesn't Celestia understand?

"Anon, we have to go. Right now," Cadance hisses, galloping her way towards you. "There isn't much time."

Instead of responding to her, you find yourself locked in indecision

Cadance isn't a bad pony, right? But Celestia can't be a bad pony either. Why would two good Princesses fight? Why is Cadance attacking Princess Celestia rather than just talking to her?

"Cadance?" you say, unsure how to begin to express your thoughts.

"Anon, there's no time right now," Cadance says, ignoring your call. "We have to go."

She pauses beside you, looking around the grove.

"Which way... Ugh. I don't know what direction we're facing now. I can't see the sun..." she mutters to herself.

You refuse to move, looking up at her. She glares back down at you.

"Anon. Come on. Now!" she commands.

Then you feel those eyes upon you, not ones of love, but of anger, fear, and force. You roll onto your stomach and back away from her.

"Cadance... this doesn't feel right."

"Anon, you're just imagining things," she says impatiently.

She closes the distance in three quick steps and grabs you by the hoof.

"Come on, we need to go!"

You feel her tug against you, but you remain rooted in place.

"Why do we need to run away from Princess Celestia?" you ask. "This doesn't make any sense."

Cadance's grip tightens, sending tingles of pain up your hoof.

"Anon," she barks. "NOW!"

You remain in place, cowering in fear of her, but unmoving. Her stare burns into your flesh as you close your eyes.

"Cadance... it hurts," you whimper.

She drops your hoof and takes a step away from you. Cadance looks around at the forest floor, then cranes her neck down. She pauses, and the world seems to stop. The leaves stop rustling. Silence falls upon the forest as you watch her. Then, she sniffles.

"Why, Anon?" she says gently.

You feel a part of yourself grow weak.

"We need to go. We have to. Don't you believe me?"

You open your mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.

"Don't you love me anymore?" she whimpers.

You rise to your hooves.

"Of course I love you, Cadance."

Taking a step forward, you pause. Just because you love her, doesn't mean she's right. She attacked Princess Celestia. Something's not right. Something is very, very wrong.

"I think we should talk to Princess Celestia," you say. "I want to know what's going on."

Cadance pauses, raising her head. Then, she turns to look at you. Her horn glows a bright blue. A small book comes out of her saddlebag. It falls to the ground, opened to a page.

"Alright, Anon. If that's what you want," she says. "That's fine. Just... could you kiss me? One more time, before we call her down?"

A small shiver runs down your spine. You stay frozen in place. Cadance holds a hoof out to you and smiles gently.

"Please, Anon? Just do this one little thing for me?" she asks sweetly.

You take a step forward.

She's your marefriend. It's just one kiss. Then Princess Celestia will be able to explain everything, and you and Cadance can be happy again.

You take a few more steps, seeing the only path to finally understanding everything that's happening. You feel a warmth in your heart as you see the caring gaze of Cadance. She's done so much for you now, and even though she doesn't want to talk to Celestia for some reason, she's willing to do this for you.

You owe her at least one kiss.

You take one step closer to her, only a foot between the two of you. Then another step, then another. And you stand just inches away from her, looking up into her gentle gaze.

"You know I love you, right Anon?" she asks.

"Of course, Cadance. I love you too.”

You move your mouth closer to hers. She leans down towards you.

"I'm sorry,” you feel her whisper against your lips.

Her horn radiates a bright blue light as she pushes herself into your lips to lock her embrace. You feel the magic of her horn envelop you and your skin burns. You stand rooted in place, feeling her mouth press against yours, unable to pull away. Lightning shoots through your senses, crawling up your spine to your brain. You feel the urge to scream, but your body refuses.

Then a throbbing ache in your head, and...

Everything goes...

White.

Your lips remain locked onto the convulsing colt as you scan your eyes across the pages below you.

You feel a part of yourself shatter as you recite the spell in your mind. You had to do something. He was going to run away. You needed to stop him but… you didn’t want it to come to this. You promised you’d never force anything on him. But, this had to be done for the two of you to be alone. It’s his fault you had to go this far. This is what’s right for him. This is what’s right for both of you. Now the two of you have a shot at getting away. They call it tough love for a reason.

The Mother spell is outlawed magic, and thus kept to the restricted sections of the library. Long ago, when a pony was adopted, the spell was used to make a foal feel more at home. It would change their memories so that their adoptive parents had always been there. In a time when medicine wasn’t as available, and the Elements of Harmony didn’t provide watch over the citizens of Equestria, it was a valuable tool to keep ponies happy. But as conditions improved, its persuasive effects were abused by unicorns with dubious intentions. Unlike your intentions today.

You'll be a much better parent to Anon than either of... them. And now he wants to hand both of you over to Celestia?

He'd have to go back. You'd be reprimanded. It would take months, years of planning to get this stage once more.

That cannot happen.

Reciting in your head the final verse of the spell, the beam of energy from your head ceases, and a wave of magic bursts through the forest, rustling the leaves. Anon falls to the ground. His eyes are closed, and he lays motionless for a moment. Moving beside him, you kneel down and place a hoof on his cheek. You smile at him.

Once your special somepony. Now, your son.

"Wake up, Anon," you say gently. "We have to go.”

Anon's eyes move behind their lids and his eyelashes flutter. His limbs move slowly, as if he were a machine springing back to life. With a twitch, he brings a hoof to his head.

"Ugh... my head," he groans.

"How are you feeling?"

He looks up at you, his gaze empty. Then, as he examines your face, something clicks.

"I've got a headache, Mom. What happened?" he asks.

You smile to yourself.

"Nothing, sweetie. Now then, we have to go to the Fountain. Climb on Mommy's back and we can get going."

Anon looks at you curiously, then nods.

"Okay, sure Mom."

He rises to his hooves and climbs up onto your back. After he finds himself secure, you take off at a gallop. Your hooves push deep into the ground, breaking sticks and rustling leaves as you rush through the woods.

The forest feels oppressively quiet.You strain your ears, trying to find any sort of sign of Celestia. Strafing to the left, you dodge between the trees and avoid the rays of spotlight that penetrate the thick foliage above. Anon clutches himself tightly around your neck, and you feel the warmth of his breath against your ear.

Just remember: This is everything you've been working for. This is why you hired the man in the alley. This is why you built up so much discord in his family. This is for love. This is about doing what's best for Anon. For us. And helping him find his place in life. And soon? After you reach the fountain? He’ll be yours in mind… and body.

Then, the leaves rustle about ten meters to the right of you, and you freeze. Pressing against a tree, you hold your breath and you signal for Anon to remain silent on your back.

"Stay quiet, Anon. We'll be out of this soon."

You feel him nod against your neck. You watch a light against the trees shift and form long shadows in the forest. Creeping around the tree, you peek past the edge and eye the miniature sun descending through the leaves and branches of the forest.Then, the light gradually dissipates. Standing in the center of where the orb rested is the Princess of the Sun and ruler of Equestria. But... who are those ponies beside her?

They aren't guards, they aren't wearing any armor. But they look so... familiar.

"Anon!" calls a feminine voice to the forest. "Anon, where are you?"

You push yourself back against the tree, gritting your teeth.

Shit. His parents.

"Where are you, son?" calls out Cypress.

"Mom?" Anon whispers. "Why are they calling out my name?"

You nuzzle your head against his, not letting him see your expression.

"It's okay, Anon. They aren't calling for you. It's for somepony else."

Anon listens as the ponies continue to call out to the forest. Do you dare to peek around the tree now? If you run now, you'd surely be spotted, or they'd hear a twig break. You take a deep breath and remain rooted to the spot.

"I think... I've heard their voices somewhere, Mom," Anon says. "But I'm not sure where..."

"I've never met them before, and neither have you. They're strangers."

Anon remains silent as you try to stop your shaking hoof.

"And what don’t we do with strangers?" you ask.

Anon takes a moment to think before saying anything.

"Never talk to them?"

"That's right," you say approvingly. "That's my colt. Now, those strangers are bad ponies. We can't let them find us. Stay quiet and I'll reward you once we get to the fountain."

The sound of hoofsteps begin to grow louder, and a beam of light sweeps the forest, scanning through the trees. Their voices become stronger as the three approach. Looking behind you, you find a rock on the ground. With a deep breath, you let your horn glow with light blue energy and lift the rock into the air. Then, with a twist of your neck, you toss the stone as far as you can away from your position. The sound of rustling leaves and a knock against a tree comes from about a ways behind you as the rock finds a target.

"What was that?" Cypress says.

"I think it came from over that way..." says Willow.

"Hmmm," you hear Princess Celestia answer the two. "Go check it out. I'll stay here and keep searching."

Two sets of hoofsteps then trot off in the direction of the rock, but Princess Celestia remains resolute.

You can feel your heartbeat in your ears as you listen intently for any hint of the Princess. Celestia takes two steps forward.

"It's over, Cadance," Celestia says directly towards the tree.

You remain silent and refuse to make a move.

"I saw that you hid behind that tree. It’s just you and me now. Come out now and we can settle this peacefully."

You close your eyes and gulp. A bead of sweat runs down your forehead.

She could be bluffing. Just stay silent. Everything's going to be okay.

"You can't keep him forever, Cadance," Celestia says. "That isn't how the fountain works. It doesn't grant immortality. It's at a cost."

Your eyes shoot open. She knows about the fountain! She'll just follow you all the way there, or even head you off. Which means... you can't dodge her forever. Which, if you can't run from her...

You take one step forward, and raise your head high.

“What are you doing?” Anon asks, clutching you tightly.

“It’s okay, Sweetie. Mommy’s got this under control.”

Moving away from the tree, you keep your eyes locked directly on the Princess. You keep your hooves set apart, ready to light your horn at any second.

"I'm not going to let you take him from me," you say.

Celestia frowns, taking a step towards you.

"He isn't yours to have," Celestia says.

"He chose me. He made a choice,” you say firmly.

"Cadance, he doesn't know the weight of his decision. He isn't old enough to make his own decisions yet."

You feel Anon's hooves dig into your neck.

"I know. So I’m helping him make the right decision," you say. "I love him. And he loves me. We performed the adoption spell already, so I'm his parent now. There's no going back from that. You know it."

Celestia opens her mouth a crack, then closes it. Her mane flows in the breeze as she looks to Anon's ex-parents, just a short distance away.

"If this is what your definition of love is, then either you've failed to learn your lessons... or I've failed you as a teacher."

You bite your lip, feeling your muscles flex.

"I make him happy. I make him feel safe."

"Anypony can make a child feel happy or safe, but that is not the job of a parent. You can't raise him, Cadance. This isn’t how a healthy parent-child relationship works. What you’re doing with Anon is wrong."

With a growl, you light your horn with a growing attack.

"I'll show you just how wrong I am!"

With a burst of light, you shoot a beam of energy at the Princess and take off running.

Princess Celestia deftly teleports directly in front of you, forcing you to freeze in your tracks. You growl, and you feel a burning energy on your back. Anon clutches harder to your neck and lets out a cry for help.

Turning your head, you find your son enveloped in a bright golden energy, being lifted off your back.

"Mom! Make it stop!" he cries.

You light your horn and try to cancel out her magic with your own. A beam of blue light pushes against the aura around Anon, but it refuses to break through. You feel his hooves slip and pull off of you as he’s lifted into the air.

"Put him down, now!" you shout, turning back to the Princess.

Feeling a molten rage flowing through your body, you charge at the Princess, horn at the ready. Celestia motions Anon to the ground before turning her attention to you. She shoots a beam of golden energy at you, and you jump to the side, just dodging the shot before shooting your own burst of energy. With a flourish of sparks and magic, Celestia manifests a glowing barrier that absorbs the attack just before it strikes her.

You pant for breath. You move your eyes to Anon, who stands deathly still, watching you face against your mentor. Focusing back on Celestia, you feel another drip of sweat move down your cheek. Celestia takes a calm, measured step forward, completely unphased by your attack.

You grit your teeth. This can't be the end. It won't end this way.

It just can't.

"It’s not my way to attack ponies, Cadance," Celestia says. "Please don’t do this."

You still brace yourself for an attack.

"I would do anything for my son, Celestia," you say. "Would you have done the same for your sister?"

Celestia's eyes grow wide as she takes a step back. You light your horn with energy and push everything you have into your magic. A strong focused beam of blue shoots from your horn and flies toward Celestia. Celestia's horn shines and she fires her own golden glow of light in defence again.

The two beams of light collide in midair and send a shockwave through the forest. An invisible force pushes both you and Celestia back as you collide with a tree, collapsing to the ground. Anon watches with a hoof to his mouth. You weakly give him a reassuring smile. Then, as his parents gallop toward the scene, your smile fades.

You can’t let them get to him. He’s not their son anymore. He’s yours. They will not take him.

"Come here, Anon!" you call to him, trying to conceal the desperation in your tone.

He moves closer to you, and you already feel your confidence swelling within you once more. He's yours. And nopony is going to take him away from you.

Pushing your hoof into the dirt, you force your aching body upward. You turn back to Celestia and watch her try to rise to her hooves. This is it. This is our chance! You prepare your next attack, before she can regain her footing. You feel the power rise within you, stronger than before.

You can feel it. This is the true power of love! With a love strong enough, you can overpower anything, anypony. With Anon at your side, the two of you can shut the world out and live together forever, or die here and now, trying. Either way, the two of you will be together. And that’s all that matters.

You let loose a torrent of blazing magic towards the Princess. Arcs of electricity break off and connect with the trees, leaving trails of fire where they strike.

"He's!" you scream, pushing yourself forward. "My... Son!"

Celestia gasps, closes her eyes, and raises a barrier once more. A loud crash echoes in your ears, nearly deafening you, but you keep up the attack. She’s strong, but you have to break through. You grit your teeth and lean into the attack. Your eyes close, feeling the magic rush out of your body. Yet, still her shield holds firm.

The white alicorn rises to her hooves, eyes focused on you. The barrier pushes slightly forward against your attack. You groan under your breath as you feel your hooves slide backward a step against the grass.You bite your lip, feeling yourself grow light-headed from the effort. Trying to pull some scrap of energy left inside, you take a step forward. Celestia watches you for a moment, then sadly shakes her head.

Suddenly, the barrier rushes towards you, as if there was no resistance. Your eyes grow wide as you see your own attack turn back against you. There’s no time to react, no time to defend yourself.

The blast connects, and you fall. You feel your head collide with a hard surface before you hit the ground. The world spins and your eyes won’t focus.

“Stop hurting my Mom!” screams Anon.

His voice breaks, his sobs the only sound penetrating the silence of the woods. Even though you can’t see him, you can hear him move towards you.

“Celestia, please stop!” he cries. “She hasn’t done anything bad!”

“Move out of the way, Anon,” you hear Celestia murmur.

"Anon!" Willow calls.

Your eyes begin to focus. Your heart freezes. She’s trotting towards him. And he’s looking at her. Before you can say anything, Willow envelops him in a large hug, Cypress following suit.

Tears flow down the ponies faces, as Anon tries to struggle against their grasp.

"Let me go! I don’t know you!” he cries.

The two ponies pull a few inches away and look down at him in shock.

"Don't you remember us, son?" Cypress asks. "We're your Mom and Dad."

Anon turns to you as you try to steady yourself.

"You aren't my Mom and Dad!" he screams in panic, raising a hoof to you. "That's my Mom. A-and she said you two were strangers."

He tries to force himself away from the two, but his ex-parents cling tighter to him.

"Let me go!" he shouts. "Mom! Help me!"

"Stay away from him!" you grunt weakly, turning your attention to them.

You groan as you move your hooves, trying to get even more strength from your already tired body. You have to do something. They're going to take him away. Your son, your lover, your Anon.

A growl rises in your throat, which turns to a shout, then grows into a blood-curtling scream. The three ponies turn their gaze to you as you struggle to your hooves. Everything except Anon and his ex-parents goes dark in your vision.

Do you go for the throat? Or perhaps their heart? First the mother, then the father? You try to bring any last remnants of magic to your horn, but you can barely even light the world around you. With nothing left to do, you charge. Time seems to slow down as you leap in the air towards the two clutching your son tightly.

Then, you feel a strong, burning blow to the side, and you fall to the ground. Celestia’s attack sends you tumbling. Stabs of pain wrack your body as you try to extend a hoof towards Anon.

"MOM!" Anon screams, thrashing against his ex-parents.

Digging your extended hoof into the ground, you feel a rib inside of you move a direction it wasn't designed to. Fighting through the pain, you pull yourself closer to him as you see the white hooves approach.

"Enough, Cadance," you hear her say. "I don’t want to hurt you."

But your eyes remain focused on your son as you watch Celestia move closer to him. Her horn glows, and you watch Anon begin to ease, his struggling stops, then his eyes close. Cypress pulls him close before he falls limply into his lap.

Extending another hoof, you drag the useless lower half of your body across the ground.

"Leave him alone," you hiss. "That's... That's my son."

Celestia turns her gaze to your broken form, crawling towards your prize. She looks down at you as you grind your teeth.

“I never wanted it to come to this. I thought you could be redeemed,” she says.

The Princess sighs before taking a few steps closer. She rests a hoof on your shoulder, and you pull away, as if branded.

"I just hope there may still be a way to save you. You need to learn the difference between love, lust, and obsession. This is not love. It was never love."

You chuckle a little at her words.

"He’s mine. No matter what you do, he’s still mine. You’ll never know what love really is."

Balling the spit in your mouth, you push it out against the Princess. Rolling onto your back, you feel your body finally give out. Your eyes close as you cough.

At least, you’ve had him. He was yours, and always will be in your own little way. No matter what happens, she can’t erase that you had him. He’ll remember your love for the rest of his life.