An Echo of What Once Was

“Celestia Damn it my head” Twilight groaned as she slowly awoke to discover herself in a large soft bed with napkins up her nostrils. “What the hay?” She asked as she sat up and stretched, causing several small clicks and pops in her joints to sound off and the Alicorn to sigh in relief.

Looking around the room as she rekoved thr napkins, Twilight noticed that it wasn't her bedroom but in fact one of the spare beds at Celestia’s mate’s home. This revelation caused Twilight to groan in annoyance as she placed her hoof on her muzzle. “How can anypony stand to be around him?” She asked herself remembering the way he was acting before she passed out and all the other times she had been around him. “He is so annoying and rude” She sighed before shaking her head just as the door opened causing the mare to look up to see Elise enter the room in a jacket, white top and jeans.

“You are up, good” Elise said with a soft smile.

“Yea I am… Thanks for looking after me” Twilight responded only for Elise to shrug as she walked over and checkrd Twilight’s nose.

“I did barely anything, Tony was thr one to look after you… after he tossed Cadance at Chrys” Elise said with a giggle while Twilight crossed her hindlegs and looked away. “What?”

“Did he do anything while I was…” Twilight asked sheepishly.

“What? No why do you think that he did?” Elise asked slightly annoyed.

Recoiling slightly Twilight sighed and continued to look at her hooves. “Because of the way he was acting and such and the fact he said that he couldn't sleep with me” Teilight said as she rubbed her hoof against her leg.

“Okay a few things, one, That was simply Tony teasing or being sarcastic. .. or both. .. I can't tell half the time, Two if Tony was into that thrn he would have never fought Daine and lastly… can you feel you hindlegs?” Elise asked as Twilight nodded. “See, if you couldn't then there may have been a chamce as I doubt you cpuld take his endurance… and size” Elise said eith a smirk and blush. “Also I belive Celestia said you were still… innocent” Elise added with a wink while Twilight blushed.

“How do you put up with him being so childish?” Twilight asked gaining a sigh from the sorceress making Twilight look up at her.

“In reality, it took us forever to get him like that when we started this relationship and we are just glad that it stuck after what has happened” Elize sighed once again.

“What… What was he like before and why would you try and do that to him?” Twilight asked confused and slightly curious.

“Tony was a soldier since his early teenage years, he skipped a normal teenage life that you and I probably dreaded, he has suffered great lose and most likely killed many… when we first met him he was a hardass and distant… when we broke therough that… all his grief sort of caught up with him and he broke down in fromt of us and could barely function but we managed to help him back together and well tweak him to be more open, loving and playful” Elise explained as the two frowned.

“Ah… I should apologize to him” Twilight said as Elise nodded.

“Alright, well lets go see him now and probably explain about teaching him magic” Elise explained before the two got off the bed and exited the room before walking downstairs only to discover Tony asleep on the couch in what appeared to be one of Moon’s black tops, inside the top also was a sleeping Cadance with her head poking out the top and lying on his. Luna was lying on his legs as she read a book with a blanket over herself, Moon was currently topless and cuddling Cadance and Tony from the side and Lucy was sitting on Tony’s lap as she also read.

“How are he handle two Alicorns on his body at once… and your sister?” Twilight asked, gaining Lucy’s attention.

“Simple really, when Luna, Chrysalis and Celestia first pumped magic into him to save him, it caused increases in strength, speed, stamina. .. sort of to just below the level of an Alicorn” Lucy explained moments before Tony awoke with a start, unfortunately causing both Luna and Lucy to fall off of him and for Moon to roll off the couch revealing her big bra to Elise and Twilight.

“Fuck sake” Tomy growled as he panted, this exchange had somehow not aeokrn Cadance, who had slid doen into the top more. “Fucking xeno bastards” Tony said with a sogh before noticing the three mares and two elves looking at him with concern and annoyance. “Um hi” He said as Moon sat on yhe couch behind him and wrapped her arms and legs around Candy and Tony and kissed his neck softly.

“Sorry I should have sensed your nightmare” She said to him as she nuzzled him while Luna climbed back onto his legs and kissed him softly.

“It's cool… nothing I haven't had before” He said with a weak smile as he leant back into Nightmare’s embrace. “Oh Twilight your up” He said noticing the Alicorn before she approached.

“Yes… um I jist wanted to apologize for…” Twilight started only to be cut off by Tony.

“For what? You haven't done anything to make you want to say your sorry” Tony said with a soft smile only to go wide eyed when Luna disappesred under the top. “Luna you are gonna rip Moon’d top!” Tony shouted, waking up Cadance as he felt the Night Princess curl up on his lap under the top while he sighed.

“Okay that is really uncomfortable” Cadance said as she exited the pile and stretched.

“Um is this normal?” Twilight asked.

“No… they are trying out new things seeing they are older now” He explained while he placed a had on Luna’s side. “and yet still act like this” He said with a smile before he started to remove the top he had on and offered it back to Moon, much to Luna’s disapproval.

“Hey I wanted to stay like that” Luna grumbled as Moon took her shirt back and hopped off the couch as Tony wrapped his arms around Luna and got off the couch before he gave Luna to Moon.

“I'm just heading to the study” He said to the group before leaving the room. Tony didn't notice the pink mare walking beside him nor Twilight and Elise following him as he climbed the stairs and headed down to the end of the hallway, there he entered with Cadance before closing and locking the door. Once it was closed he leaned his hands and forehead against the door and sighed loudly. “What am I gonna do?” he asked himself before feeling something rub against his abs causing look down at Cadance who was looking at him worried.

“What's wrong sweetie?” she asked, her voice filled with concern as Tony sighed and walked over to the smaller couch in the room and sat on it.

“it's nothing Candy” He said to her with a sad smile while the mare trotted over and climbed onto the man’s lap before looking into his mismatched eyes with her teal ones.

“Bullshit” She replied gaining a raised eyebrow from Tony. “Tell me” She demanded as she placed her fore hooves on his chest.

Tony was about to argue against it but he simply sighed and nodded, not wanting to upset his concerned spouse. “I… I just have no idea what to do with my life now… I don't really have any skills apart from fighting… I don't know how to cook or to do all the basic shit… I… what can I possibly do that won't make me some leach to you lot?” he asked her as she sighed and wrapped her fore hooves around his neck.

“You're not a leach baby and you never will be in any of our eyes, you are our precious treasure that if Amber or Celestia or Molly had her way then I doubt you would be able to leave the bedroom and for the fact you aren't skilled… we have so long to teach you our skills and it will strengthen our relationship with you… so please just let us take care of you like you did so long ago, let us guide you and protect you like when you did when you met us… please just be our husband and stay the same playful self” Cadance said causing Tony to look down at the hooves on his chest and think for a bit.

After several minutes of waiting, Candy was growing more and more concerned until she felt Tony’s hands grasp her flank causing her to jump and moan softly before Tony kissed her passionately, drawing out another moan from the mare as he pushed her tongue against his lip, which soon parted and let her broad tongue enter his mouth to attempt to dominate his own. After a few moments, Tony pulled away to catch his breath while Cadance attempted to continue kissing him before he gently wrapped his hand around her muzzle “Okay… I'll follow your lead and be a good husband… even though I have no idea what to do” He stated with a chuckle as Candy ground her hips into his crotch and whined before Tony released her muzzle.

“All it entails is knocking us up and loving us with all your heart” She explained while panting as she rubbed her marehood against Tony’s growing arousal while moaning. The man smiled as he reached down to undo his jeans until a loud pop was heard followed briefly by a flash of light behind Cadance.

“Cadance help me!” a Voice asked causing the two to look to see a badly wounded Alabaster Alicorn with a electric blue mane that was clumped with blood and dirt.

“Glimmer?” Cadance asked as she got off Tony’s lap a few moments before the window detonated and three black armoured assailants entered wielding swords and axes, one was a short Griffon wielding a jagged dagger while the other two appeared to be anthro pegasi, the stallion wielding dual axes while the Mare had a slim sword and dagger.

“Help me!” Glimmer cried as the Griffon launched forward, it aiming to cut down the terrified Alicorns only to discover an arm wrap around his throat before his own dagger was buried in his exposed eye socket making him cry out for a moment before the blade was twist and plunged deeper causing him to shudder before going still.

“You dare come into my home and try and hurt my wife?” Tony asked in a dark tone as he removed the blade from the corpse and dropped it before stepping over it while aiming the blood coated blade at the remaining invaders, who took a step back as they processed what just happened. “Answer me!” Tony shouted in anger as the sword wielding Mare launched an attack only for Tony to dodge the attack and plunge the blade into her exposed armpit, making her cry out and drop her dagger.

Seeing his companion in danger, the Stallion charged but didn't get far as Tony seized the Mare’s throat and tossed her at the Stallion, stunning the pair.

“You have five seconds to answer” Tony warned as he picked up the Mare’s dropped weapon just as the Stallion got up and attacked again, but was quickly disabled as Tony drove his new weapon into the side of the Stallion’s belly before slamming his fist into the Stallion’s throat, sending him down to the ground gasping for air while bleeding heavily.

“We were ordered to eliminate Glimmer Shield!” The Mare cried as she tried to get to her feet while dropping her sword before she raised her arms as best she could with the dagger still in her.

“Why?” Tony asked as he stepped over the dying Stallion and wrapped his hand around the dagger and yanked it free, causing her to cry out and grip the bleeding wound.

“She… she is a threat to the Collective so our boss ordered us to end her” She whimpered as Tony looked back at Glimmer who was visibly shaking as Cadance comforted her.

“Right, well it was smart of you to tell me” Tony said.

“So you will let us go….” She started only for Tony to plunge the blade into her throat before grasping her by her chest plate.

“No” Tony said before he tossed her out the hole in the wall before he walked over to the barely breathing and extremely pale Stallion before the door exploded inward and several armoured Armonia Marines stormed the room and pointed their weapons at Tony.

“Drop it!” the officer ordered as Tony casually dropped the bloodied dagger moments before a more senior Marine grabbed the officer’s weapon and forced it down.

“You stupid idiot, do you even know who that is?” The Marine shouted in annoyance.

“Get off Sergeant” The Officer replied “He is covered in blood and wielding a knife in Captain’s home” The officer replied.

“You just got out of Officer training and you are already fucking up, you can't tell me you don't know who he is?” The Sergeant replied as the Officer gave him a blank stare. “The man who is the reason Armonia exists. .. the one who trained majority of us… the man who lead us against the Caribou?” He asked.

“That man is Dead” The Officer replied.

“Don't you read the paper? He has returned… the Captain explained all of this to us also” He explained as the Officer looked back at Tony and put two and two together.

“Well fuck” He said before he ordered his men to lower their weapons. “Um can we not tell the Captain about this?” He asked before he heard someone clear their throat behind him “She is behind me isn't she?” He asked as Tony nodded as he used removed his top and cleaned the blood off his hands. “Shit” He groaned.