The old world

“What was it that you wanted to ask me, Your Majesty?” Whitehooves addressed Luna formally, due to the presence of her famous “Night Guard” and Shining Armour. The Town hall had been changed into a temporary command post during their stay on Marilus, and thus, it had been outfitted with a large desk, from which Luna attended to logistical affairs. If she wanted to seek Audience with the mayor, she had to go to the Council Chambers on the other side of town.

“I would like for the two of you to accompany me to the brig of “The Explorer” this afternoon. This is where the only two survivors of the battle of Marilus, are being kept. It seems that Captain Longfeathers ‘failed’ to follow orders, given that the initial number of survivors was estimated to be at least twenty.

“What shall be done?” Shining knew that the soldiers had disliked the idea of helping any of the creatures, but to disobey a direct order from the Princess no less. That was too much.

“He will be stripped of his rank and dishonourably discharged from the REN. Any further questions?” With the silence that ensured, Luna got up from her seat and marched down to the wharf with her guards, Shining and Whitehooves. The massive ships had scaffolding around their hulls and sails, allowing for easier access by repair crews. The trio boarded the ship via the main ramp and headed immediately below deck, leaving her guards stationed on the wharf. They found a dark hallway, which was the main section of the brig. Behind each door was a room. Each room consisted of a small pile of hay and bucket in one half of the cell, separated from the other half by a set of steel bars. The one at the very end contained prisoner 1. Retrieving a key from the wall, Luna slowly opened the door. Once inside, Shining created an artificial light using his horn and then rapped the bars noisily.

As the creatures eyes started to open from its slumber, Luna addressed it directly. “Wake up, creature of the dark, so that we may talk about your fate.” The creature stirred, letting out a coo, like that of pidgeon. However, once it was aware of its surroundings, its muzzle turned a bright red and the blue feathers on its back flared upwards. It screeched and threw itself against the bars. The first thought that went through the ponies’ minds, was that this creature must have been nothing more than an uncaring beast, incapable of love. Luna’s horn flashed and the terrible squawking was replaced by intelligible screams.

“WHERE IS MY SISTER YOU MONSTERS? What have you done with her? You took everything from me! My home, my family, damn well everything!” This response from the now clearly male creature was, especially for Shining Armour, unexpected. He silently cursed himself for being so foolish. Of course they had feelings, how could they not. Even as the creature screamed, he pulled out the doll and picture he found on the dead creature, out of his saddle bags. At the sight of the items, silence befell the room, the creature silently staring at the items. Shining pushed them under the bars. The creature grabbed the picture first and then the doll, grasping them in his claws, tears now streaming silently down his face. “Why are you giving me this, have you no respect? You raid my parent’s corpses and then taunt me with their belongings. You ponies truly are evil.”

“I suggest that you don’t judge us so quickly, foul…” Before the Admiral could say anything more, Shining held up a hoof to his mouth, stopping him from talking.

“I brought these to you in an attempt to show you that I care.” The creature looked at the ponies quizzically, Then finally sat and sighed.

“What are you?” Luna asked. It was not exactly a great question but she was determined to address the creature in a formal fashion.

“I am a Praetorian. My name is Marcus and my sister is Andromeda, whom I know is a captive of yours, if you have anything else to say, it will be ignored until I know she is safe.” Shining could see that, beyond any doubt, the Praetorian's eyes filled with only one emotion; love. It was the same sort of love Shining had felt when he banished Chrysalis, freeing his wife and his home from their coup. He also felt the determination that Marcus displayed in his body language. He would never give up until his sister was safe.

“Your majesty, I think it would be wise to allow his wish.” Shining could not help but relate to the Praetorian. After a short discussion, the three ponies left the room, leaving Marcus alone with his thoughts.

After the door closed, Marcus took the picture and doll and placed them in his bags. At the bottom of his bag, he found a few strips of dried meat. He decided to save them for later. He knew that ponies were herbivores, but he was not sure if they would provide for a carnivorous prisoner. Just as he was about to re-read his sisters poem, the door re-opened. The white pony with the blue mane trotted in. Of the three, He was the one Marcus trusted the most. He wasn’t sure why. If it was the hint of kindness in his eyes, the way he talked, or just Marcus’ natural instinct, he couldn’t tell. All of these questions disappeared, as he saw what walked in behind him.

“Andromeda! You’re ok! Thank you mister, she is all I have left, as I am for her. I love her too much to live without her.” Marcus was still angry at anything equine, on account of his parent’s death, but the sight of his sister allowed him to let go of his hate. “Tell me, why is it that you were so ready to allow me to see my sister?” He embraced his sister, tightly as he could through the bars, but so as not to hurt her.

“Let’s just say, I have my own fair share of loved ones.” Shining then lent over and spoke more softly. “Most of my kind thinks you are nothing but monsters. I, on the other hand, can tell that we are not so different.” He sighed heavily before continuing. “Please believe me when I say, that I am truly sorry for your parent’s deaths. They obviously loved you very much.”

“As you do for your sister.” Marcus smiled as he saw the surprise on the pony’s face. “It was not difficult to figure out, pony. It was clear by the look on your face and the way you took sympathy on my sister”. He then grew more sombre. “Thank you stranger.”

Shining smiled at the moment of affection that the two Praetorians shared. He opened the bars to let Andromeda into the cell. “You’re welcome, my name is Shining Armour. I shall give you some privacy.”

Once he left the room, Andromeda asked Marcus the question he feared the most. “Where is Mummy and Daddy?” Her eyes were watering and her muzzle had faded into a dull pink.

“They’re gone sweetie, I’m so sorry, they’re gone.” He could barely believe his own words as they both started to cry. They curled up in the corner, slowly drifting into sleep, sobbing the whole time.

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Shining walked back out onto the deck slowly, thoughts racing through his mind. What if he had killed civilians? How were they to know that the ponies on Marilus were not somehow responsible for the attack? He needed answers and resolved to confront the Mayor later. In the meantime he wanted to give the young Praetorians a more comfortable place to sleep and eat. They were very young after all, and he doubted that they physically capable let alone willing, to have fought during the battle of Marilus. These were innocents, and it made him feel all the more guilty for the fate of their parents. As he stepped down onto the deck, Shining noticed the Princess talking to Admiral Whitehooves. As he approached they immediately stopped talking, Luna blushing slightly. Shining rolled his eyes; he knew they were talking about this morning’s ‘discovery’.

“Your majesty, may I have a word?” Shining made sure to keep his mouth straight, not wishing to reveal that he knew what the couple’s conversation had pertained to.

“Of course, follow me to the command centre, Captain. Admiral, please relieve Captain Longfeathers, he will continue to serve as my personal assistant.” A slight smile tugged at Luna’s lips, this would ensure he did not disobey orders again.

“By your leave, your majesty.” Admiral Whitehooves left to find the Pony in order, whilst Shining and Luna made their way to the town hall. Once inside, Luna had drinks brought to the pair, before being seated. Once comfortable, Luna nodded to Shining.

“What seems to be on your mind, Captain?”

“Well, the two Praetorians, Marcus and Andromeda…” Luna quickly interrupted him.

“Names; evidence of sentience. Did you know that the majority of the ponies I have spoken with believe they can’t even think?” Shining shook his head, waiting respectfully for her to finish, despite having been interrupted. “I’m sorry Captain, please continue.”

“Yes, they are indeed siblings, their parents killed during the battle of Marilus. I would like to ask your permission to allow them the freedom to stay in my quarters. They are, from what I have been able to discern, very young. If compared to ponies; Andromeda, the younger sister would be younger than, say, Sparkling Sea and Marcus, only a couple of years older.” The more Shining thought about it, the more he was certain it was the right thing to do. Luna sighed heavily, a hint of regret showing on her face. It was quickly hidden as she made her decision.

“Very well, I warn you however, Cadence may not be so agreeable. If she consents, you may allow them to stay in your quarters, however if they wish to go outside, I will be forced to assign two guards to accompany you.” Luna smiled, realising that Shining was beyond doubt the best pony for the job.

“Thank you Your Majesty. I must also inquire as to rations for the two, they are carnivores after all.” It was a touchy subject which nopony really felt comfortable around predators of any sort.

“Yes well… There is a spell I can use to fix that. Did Marcus have any meat in his bag?” Shining squinted slightly, his curiosity growing.

“Yes”

“I can cause the cells within the meat to replicate, forming an identical copy of the food. No suffering will be involved and the two Praetorians will not die of starvation.” Luna laughed at the gobsmacked pony in front of her. Shining had no idea that was possible.

“Uh-thank y-you your majesty, for your time” Shining shook his head, breaking his stupor.

“You are relieved, Captain.”

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“Mummy!” Sparkling crash tackled her mother to the ground, stunning Twilight as she hit the deck of the Ship.

“Hey kiddo, you have fun with Clear Sky?” Twilight got up off the deck and ruffled her daughter’s mane.

“Yeah! It was awesome, Auntie Cadence was really nice. She showed us how to play chess.” Twilight laughed out loud, enjoying the knowledge that her foal was happy.

“Hi Twilight, how was your night with Cavalier?” The Princess gave a wink, causing Twilight to roll her eyes.

“I’ll tell you later, I have to go talk to him first, about some, issues.” Twilights face suddenly lost colour and she felt weak in the legs.

“You’re not going to tell him about, uhh, him are you?” Cadence was extremely worried that revealing her story to Cavalier was the worst thing to do. But then again, she had to be honest.

“Yes, I am, and it’s why I need your help. Can you get a couple of ponies to sit for Sparkling? I believe that Shining wants to discuss something important with you.” Twilight regained her composure, steadying herself on the railing with a hoof.

“Sure thing Twilight, what was it that Shining wanted to talk about?”

“He didn’t give much away, only that it would need to be in private.” Twilight gave Sparkling a hug and told her daughter to go down to the cabin until Cadence came and got her. “Have you got anypony in mind?”

“Yes, I think Swift and Sorrin will be perfect for the job.”

“Good, I had best be going then, bye” Before Cadence could respond, Twilight teleported herself out of sight.

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Sparkling waited patiently on a chair in her cabin, silently flicking through past events in her mind. Her cutie mark spectacle. The time when Auntie Cadence got attacked. Meeting Clear Sky. They had become fast friends, despite having very different personalities. While Sparkling was brash and outgoing, Clear was shy and didn’t talk a lot. A knock resounded on the door.

“Sparkling? Are you in there?” It was Auntie Cadence. Sparkling jumped off the chair and ran to the door, opening it with her hooves.

“Hi Auntie Cadence.” Sparkling gasped in delight. “HI CLEAR!”

“Hello Sparkling, Shining and I must spend some time alone together, and your mother is on important business. So I brought, Clear Sky along for you to play with for a few hours, Is that ok?” Cadence knew she would say yes, but she liked giving the filly a sense of authority every now and then.

“Yeah, It’s gonna be fun. Mummy brought us a chess board from town.”

“And I brought over cards, to play games with.” Clear joined in.

“Excellent, now, Sorrin and Swift will look after you while I’m gone, I don’t want either of you misbehaving while they are here. Is that understood?” Cadence gave the pair a stern look.

“Yes Auntie Cadence” Sparkling, always the bolder one answered first.

“Yes Mummy” Cadence flinched at the use of the title. She had still been unable to get used to the concept. She then turned to address the two pegasi.

“Thanks for doing this, Are you sure you know what you’re in for?” Cadence had plenty of experience with the challenges which came with foal sitting, thanks to her adventures with Twilight.

“After what happened on Marilus? It would be an honour, I think I speak for both of us when I say; we are in your debt.” Sorrin smiled before both pegasi bowed low to Cadence.

“Your kindness is payment enough, oh and please, no colt-cuddling in front of the foals, they are still quite young.” Cadence gave the pair a wink to show that she meant no harm by the statement. The pair both laughed freely.

“Good day to you, Your Majesty.” Both stallions bade Cadence farewell in unison, demonstrating the strength of their bond.

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Twilight slowly approached the café. The location of which, she had agreed to meet Cavalier. The earth pony was dressed in casual clothing, a waistcoat and bowtie. He was drinking a cup of tea, looking around nervously. Every now and then he would check his pocket watch. Twilight was curious as to why the stallion chose to almost always wear clothes. She guessed it was because he had been born into a family of the nobility. Still, Cavalier was not one of them. He was independent, was willing to go against conventional wisdom and most importantly, never let pressure from others dictate his decisions. That was part of the reason Twilight was so fond of Cav, he was an individual. The more she thought about him, the more Twilight was certain she wanted to be with this pony, but it would mean reliving her worst nightmares. He had to know.

“Hi Cav.” Breaking out in a warm smile, Twilight trotted up to the pony, who quickly got up and paid his bill.

“Twilight, how are you?” Cavalier straightened his bow tie before awkwardly grinning towards the purple unicorn.

“I’m fine, thank you; you look kind of tired, are you ok?” Twilight suddenly panicked, she had heard about a new disease which caused chills and sweats. It would also make you really tired. Cavalier saw the look of worry and chuckled to himself.

“Don’t worry Twilight, I haven’t got malaria, I just spent too much on drinks last night.” This put Twilight somewhat at ease, although she flinched at the mention of the previous night. “Listen, you don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to.” Cavalier looked directly at Twilight, concern etched in his face.

“No, I really like you Cav, and, if we are going to be together, you need to know the truth.” Twilight grimaced slightly, before taking one of his hooves on hers. “It is something would like to talk about in private though. Do you have someplace in mind?”

“Yes, I’m staying in one of the rooms at the town hall. I need a few nights rest on dry land. It will just be us two.” With that, Twilight pulled the red maned pony along to the town square. Once they reached the town hall, they quickly bowed to Luna before trotting up the stairs to Cavaliers room. Walking slowly inside, Cavalier offered his guest a seat on the bed, before sitting next to her. Before he could ask any questions, Twilight launched straight into her story.

“It was six years ago. I had gone to Manehatten for the week around the start of winter, with all of my friends. One night, we all went out to a local bar and my friends, understandably got quite drunk. I did not have any as I didn’t wish to say or do anything… that I would have regretted. I left early, around eleven. Unfortunately I had little sense of direction. I remember walking down an alley way. Once about half way, I heard hoof steps behind me. There was a brief moment of pain, and then darkness.” Twilight was simply staring into space, not moving, not flinching. All that changed was the tears that rolled down her expressionless face. The sight of this, the sight of the pony he loved, in such trauma, broke Cavaliers heart. Still she continued to tell her story. “When I woke up, there was an orange unicorn sitting, this hideous smile on his face. He laughed before saying something about ‘having fun’, and then, he raped me. He had drugged me so I couldn’t fight back.” She was now starting to sob, and much to Cavalier’s surprise, was nuzzling up against him. He had assumed Twilight would want a good deal of personal space. Holding her close he did her best to comfort the distraught mare.

“Shhhhh, It’s all in the past now.” He could not fathom the contempt he now felt for the pony responsible.

“I… I didn’t k-know what to do, or, or how long I was there for. It wasn’t until the effects of the drug wore off that I could escape.” She started to regain composure, if only slightly. Twilights eyes were extremely puffy and red. “A few weeks later, I found out I was pregnant with Sparkling.”

“I swear, if I ever find the pony that did that to you, not even Celestia will be able to stop me.” Cavalier was terrible at any form of combat, but he was so angry, that he doubted it would have mattered.

“No, please… I love you, the non-violent you.” Twilight turned Cavalier’s head to face hers. “I just want you to stay true to yourself. You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

“I’m sorry. I beseech thee to understand that it would have all been for you. I just want you to be happy.” Twilight finally smiled, despite the horror of her experiences.

“I’m happy with you.” She then laid her head on his shoulder. Cavalier sighed, taking in the lavender scent of Twilights mane.

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The pair met on the wharf, embraced and then walked back up the ramp of the ship. The sun was just about to reach the horizon; gulls could be heard fishing in the evening light. Cadence could tell that Shining was nervous, but what could it have possibly been about? She was certain that everything was fine. Once inside their cabin, they both sat down on the chairs surrounding the solitary, round, wooden table.

“What’s wrong? You haven’t looked this worried since the day you asked me to marry you.” Cadence took one of his hooves and held it across the table. Her comment elicited a laugh from Shining.

“I was so nervous… I must have looked pretty ridiculous, hands shaking, breaking out in a cold sweat.” Shining chuckled quietly before becoming more serious. “I wanted to talk to you about the fate of the two captured Praetorians.” Cadence nodded slowly, as anger started to swell inside her at the thought of the vile beasts. “Their names are Marcus and Andromeda, brother and sister, their parents were killed on the beaches. The picture and doll that I found belonged to the younger of the two, the sister.” Despite the touching words, Cadence could still not fathom these creatures harbouring any emotions other than anger and hate. Possibly fear. “Cadence, with your permission, I would like to allow them to stay in our cabin.”

“WHAT! Is there something wrong with you!? They are MONSTERS!” Cadence was absolutely stunned by the suggestion. Her anger was frightening, but she felt it was justified. “Think of Clear Sky, his entire family was killed by those, those things! They barely deserve life, much less freedom.”

“And their family was killed by ponies! You would cast their entire species into the void? Commit genocide?” It was Shining’s turn to get angry this time. He had never known his wife to look down with scorn on other species, not even the Changelings. Her outburst had frightened Shining, more than any monster or creature of the dark ever could. “They are orphans, just like Clear. They did not ask for violence, nor did they participate in any. They are no older than foals and in no way deserve to live in a dungeon. If you captured a pony colt and his little sister, innocents of a war, would you throw them in the brig, never to see daylight again?”

“I-I… I don’t know.” Cadence could do nothing but stare at the table, the gravity of his argument dawning on her. “I just don’t want anypony under my care to get hurt.”

“Then go and talk to them, get to know the pair. Beneath the skin, our species are not so different. While I was talking to Marcus, he told me about how much he cared for his sister. These creatures feel, Cadence; they feel fear, happiness, depression… love.” He trailed on the last word before adding, “Believe me when I say, it’s as real as my love for you.”

Despite now starting to become ridden with guilt, Cadence still refused to look at her husband, simply whispering. “Alright, I will meet with them.”