Light of the Storm

“What makes a hero? Is it a pony’s resolve to do good? Or is it the actions they take to achieve a goal? Is what makes a hero the caliber of a pony’s followers, or an ability to lead?” Celestia stood before the remains of the Equestrian people in the last bastion of Equestria, Canterlot City. Celestia was replaced by her sister Luna, dressed in her blue and silver generals outfit with appropriate cap atop her head.

“What happens to a hero when they leave too early? Does a hero ever truly leave us, or do they carry on through our own actions and heroics? Do our heroes expect us to give up in the face of adversity or do they expect to rise up where they’ve fallen, pick up the mantle and continue the fight for the sake of our lives?” Luna declared, looking out at the crowd of mourners in the ballroom before her.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts. Colonel Shimmer told me of a saying often said in the human militaries and I feel it fits now, regardless of it's origins. Though the winds may blow, though the flames may consume. Our friends may be gone, but they will never, ever, be forgotten!

“Captain Soren Mercer will continue to live on in all of us! Do not let his sacrifice be in vain! We will drive back the Griffons who enslave us, who consume us! We will not go quickly into the night, we will rise up for Captain Mercer who fought to protect us though he has fallen!” Luna stamped her hoof on the stage as she felt necessary, her voice rising up gradually as the crowd began to grow more and more rowdy and eager to get back to the fight. “We will rise up to fight for our brethren who have fallen alongside Captain Mercer, those who have fallen in the line of duty! We will not let their sacrifices be in vain! We will rise up!”

The entire auditorium rose up in voices and stomping of applause, with Luna grinning at her ability to instill fresh breaths in her troops. Celestia and Luna both turned from the stage and Celestia was the first to give the seventeenth consolatory hug to the now alicorn’d Sunset Shimmer.

“We will always remember Captain Soren’s memory.” Celestia announced softly as Sunset sucked back another sniffle amidst flowing tears. “As soon as we’re able, we will have a monument constructed to him in the Castle Courtyard.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia.” Sunset forced a thin smile, wiping a tear off on the back of her hoof. Pressing a hoof to her womb, Sunset’s smile drifted off into oblivion. “I’m sure that Soren would have made a great father.”

“I know he would have.” Luna offered with a smile as she magically removed her cap and held it under her wing. “Do you know anything about the baby yet?”

“Yeah. It’s going to be a girl so i’ve decided to call her Saren after her father. The biggest difference is that Saren will be taking my last name since I wasn’t able to properly marry Soren and take his name.” Sunset sighed, sitting back on her rump to watch her stomach and slowly rub it with her hooves.

“If you’d like, I can have your last name formally changed to Mercer.” Celestia laid down before Sunset, as did Luna in support. “That way Saren can have her father’s last name properly.”

“Thanks; but for as much as I want to, I couldn’t stand being married after Soren’s already died.” Sunset lowered herself into a laying position as well, her mane acting almost as a curtain to hide her sorrows.

“Of course. Then what will you do? Will you go back to your world with your child?” Celestia inquired, teetering on the edge between hopeful and dreadful. The elder princess had come to enjoy Sunset’s presence in Equestria, as well as Luna greatly appreciated all the advancements in human technology that Sunset had gotten from the Sergeant.

“Maybe. If we can end this fucking war before I have to go into labour then i’ll spend the rest of my pregnancy in the human realm so that it ends sooner. After that…” Sunset drifted off to the side for a moment, trying to come up with a game plan. “I dunno… If you’ll excuse me, i’d like to head back to my room to rest.”

“Of course, Sunset Shimmer. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” Celestia replied with a nod, standing with the other two alicorns before heading off to do her own thing.

~~~

In a dark corridor, a quad of guards stood posted outside a gated room in stone. A lone figure, no taller than a teenage pony and clad in black, click click clicked down the stone hallway towards the nearest Guards.

“Halt! Who goes there!” a guard demanded, his horn lighting up with a tiny spotlight of white light.

“Princess Weiss Schatten, de facto leader of the dragon nation. I’m here to see him.” The little dragonling announced, stepping into the light to let her white and gold scales glow in the magic light.

“Oh, of course, Princess. We can only allow you in there for ten minutes.” another Guard replied as he pulled the key out and put it into the lock, turned it and once the large tumblers thunked open, swung the door open.

“I only need five.” Weiss mumbled, scurrying into the room to step up onto the solid stone coffin. “Hey. How’re you doing? Are you comfortable in there?” Weiss asked with a small smile as she laid down on the coffin. “I bet your scales are really starting to cramp up, huh? Can’t really do any kind of proper scale maintenance when you’re like that, can you?” Weiss looked up at the Guards watching her in confusion before they quickly turned away and resumed their posts.

Hopping down off the tomb, Weiss pressed a claw to the stone surface and traced the name in silence. “Don’t worry. You won’t be in there much longer.”