Game of Thrones: Equestria

There had still been no word from the battle in the forest and everyone was restless. No one had any clue as to how the enemy could have known they would be out here in the first place. Only the royals’ most trusted inner circle and soldiers knew about their trip, yet this terrible day happened. Celestia and Luna were giving out orders left and right as Applejack, Rainbow, and Antoinette stayed together with the children. Apple Jewel was clinging to her brother’s arm, fearful of what could be happening and Beorn could not stop thinking about his father who stayed behind. He kept fiddling with the necklace that hung over his neck and prayed to Odin or whomever was listening that things were to be okay.

“It’s been too long,” Rainbow said.

“And it’s gotten quiet out there, what the hay is taking them so long?!”

“Calm down Rainbow.” Said Applejack while holding Beorn close.

“I should go back!”

“Absolutely not young man.”

“But ma-”

“No buts! You stay here where it’s safe.”

“THEY’VE RETURNED!”

The moment they heard that call, everyone rushed to see the return of their respective mates as all gathered at the edge of the camp. First came the surviving soldiers, but each and every one of them were frowning and some had tears in their eyes. Then came Shining who kept his head low and to the ground as Flash hung over his shoulder, then came Marshall, whose fists were still clenched and silently cursing to himself, lastly…came the human Dimitri, with his hood over his head, and in his arms was Wulfric and had his hands over his chest. The sight of their husband in Lock’s arms, made their souls turn cold as he slowly walked up to the group. Everyone, the Princesses included, were at a loss for words at what they were seeing. Dimitri stood in the middle of everyone, carrying his friend until he stopped and lowered him to the ground on his knees and laid his friend down.

“Dimitri…?” Antoinette called out.

Lock did not look up, for his face was hidden in the shadow of his hood as he shook his head.

“We…we tried…” Lock spoked slowly.

“He…he’s gone.”

“Dad?” Beorn called out after finally breaking through the crowd.

“No...NO DAD!! Dad please, open your eyes!!” Beorn shouted as he shook his father, trying to fight back tears.

“Dad please!!”

“DADDY!” Apple Jewel cried, joining her brother.

“WAKE UP DADDY! PLEASE WAKE UP!”

Applejack and Rainbow soon joined in as well as tears streamed down both mare’s faces. They lowered to the ground on their knees and took each of Wulfric’s hands.

“Wul…fric?” Applejack whimpered.

“I…did all I could…” Lock spoke again.

“He was outnumbered…none of us could get to him in time.”

“He fought with honor.” Said Shining as he looked at the peaceful expression on Wulfrics face.

“I’m sorry old friend, I wasn’t quick enough…”

“None of us are to blame.” Celestia said as she cleaned his body with magic.

“We must inform the citizens...it will be difficult.”

“I will tell them.” Marshall said sternly.

The Princesses nodded as the shield maids carried Wulfric’s body away with his weeping family and everyone else following. Lock, however, sat on the ground, making Antoinette turn over her shoulder for a moment but continued on to give him space. Soon it was just Shining and Lock, until Lock finally stood up and clenched his fists, igniting them in flames.

“Do you know where their nearest hideout is?” Lock asked the captain.

“I might,” Shining said.

“Care to come with me?” Lock said as he glanced over his shoulder, a bright amber eye of anger flaring under the shadow of his hood.

“For a little hunting trip of our own.”

“Gladly.” Shining hissed as a guard handed him his halberd.

A ways away from the forest, sat a small fort filled with bandits as the survivors had just returned. They were celebrating, despite their losses, as two individuals approached, both armed and glaring death stares at the building.

“No mercy…” the hooded one snarled as he gripped both his swords.

“No quarter, no survivors, slay them all and bathe these wretched lands with their blood.”

What happened next, if one could hear from a distance, was the sounds of screaming and flesh being torn apart. Fire blazed throughout the fort as some bandits tried to escape, only for them to be cut down in the most gruesome way possible. Soon the fort was enveloped in flames and the stench of death reeked the area. Within the small courtyard stood only two individuals, both drenched in blood gore as their weapons were both red and dripping.

“…This is only the beginning,” the one armed with two swords hissed.

“They will know true hell…by the time we’re done with them.”

“It wasn’t here…” Shining Armor huffed after removing his helmet.

“It’s gone! Wulfrics sword….STOLEN!!”

“I know, it’s probably halfway to that fucking bastard by now,” Lock sneered.

No longer able to contain his frustration, Shining began kicking around every piece of weaponry and armor before flipping a nearby table.

“AAAARRRGGGH!!!” He shouted and fell to his knees in defeat.

Lock could only stand there as his comrade mourned. He then raised his hand to cough in his mouth, only to see more blood stain his palm.

“We should go,” Lock said as he wiped his hand.

“There’s nothing left for us here, we need to be there for him.”

The prince nodded and collected himself before heading back to camp to join the others on their long trek back to Canterlot. The trip was quiet and uneventful, the smiling faces that once filled the wagons were now replaced with tears and heartbreak. By the time they returned to Canterlot, the citizens were all shocked to see the king dead. Which broke the hearts of the northerners as they all began to weep and mourn their king.

“King Wulfric?!”

“No…it can’t be.”

“No! He can’t be gone! Not him!”

“Who could’ve done this?!”

The carriages soon stopped in front of the castle as a large crowd followed them to know what happened. Celestia stood in front of the crowd, wiping her tears, so she could address them all properly.

“Earlier this day… a tragedy had befallen us. King Wulfric was murdered.” She began as the crowd gasped in shock.

“Killed by assassins sent by Prince Blueblood…”

“That bastard! How could he do this?!”

“What will we do now? We have no king!”

“YES YOU DO!”

All heads turned to see Dimitri and Shining who were still covered in blood and a few entrails. Both men approached the pedestal where Wulfric was laid and frowned at their fallen friend.

“I had not known him for as long as any of you had, but he was one of the most honorable men I’ve ever known,” Lock said. “But if there’s anyone who’s more than worthy to take up the mantle of king, it’s his son!”

“Wait!” An elderly voice shouted as the crowd made way for two robed individuals. All recognized them shouted Thorodd and Froni; the wisest elders in all the four clans and the king’s council. One of them was holding up a scroll after he paid his respects to the late king.

“What’s that?” Shining asked.

“I hold in my hand the last will of our king!” Thorodd said aloud while handing the scroll to Celestia to confirm its authenticity.

The parchment was sealed with a ribbon bearing the Warborn crest proving it was genuine and as the princess of the sun unrolled the scroll, all stayed quiet to hear what was written.

In the untimely event of my death, I Wulfric of the Warborn Clan, king in the north and lord of the four clans hereby pass the crown to both my children.

They have been a blessing in my life and the greatest treasure I could have ever had and I know in my heart that together they will lead this kingdom to greatness.

My eldest; Apple Jewel is as honest, wise and hard working as her mother and she will be great in guiding our peoples future.

My youngest; Beorn is as loyal, brave and strong as my Rainbow Dash and will be steadfast in his duty to defend his kingdom.

Should any oppose this rule, the elders have the right to invoke trial by combat and may choose a champion to fight on the crown’s behalf.

The scroll was handed back to the elders as Celestia returned her gaze to the crowd.

“Are they any who wish to challenge the king’s will?” She asked but all stayed silent.

Seeing that this was a traditional affair, Lock took the opportunity to slightly quell his already seething anger but only temporarily. None said a word, many wanted to, but they felt as though they would be dishonoring Wulfirc’s last request.

“I shall step forward!” A deep gruff voice called out.

All turned to see a large Caribou warrior, with many scars donned along his face, arms, and legs, dressed in heavy Viking armor, and armed with a large battle axe stepped forward. He was easily a head and a half taller than all who he passed by and he bowed respectfully to the elders and Wulfirc’s family, even Lock.

“And who might you be, sir?” Lock asked in a somewhat calm tone.

“I am Gregor. I served with King Wulfric during the great war and believe I will be a more suitable successor.” The warrior boasted thumping his plate armor.

“Tell us, Sir Gregor, why do you object to the royal children taking the throne together?” Elder Froni asked.

“They are too young to ascend the throne. I will gladly stand in until they come of age.”

“And are proposing that you be the one to take the throne?” Elder Forni added.

“I am! Now tell me…who will fight on their behalf?” He shouted to the crowd but none would accept his challenge. Save for one.

“I will.” Called Shining Armor much to the crowds astonishment.

“Wulfric was my friend and I will see his last wish fulfilled.”

“You sure, Shining, we had just come from a slaughterhouse,” Lock muttered to Shining.

“I’ve been on countless battlefields, Lock, this is nothing.” The prince said while readying his halberd. Gregor nodded as both warriors prepared for battle.

“This shall be a battle to the death, if necessary.” Elder Forni announced. “Are the combatants ready?” Both warriors nodded. “The battle shall commence, BEGIN!”

Shining was quick to act as he dashed forward with his halberd raised to deliver a downward stroke as he prepared to strike the large Viking. Gregor stood his ground as he prepared to deliver a crushing blow with his axe but was caught off guard when the prince dashed to the side at the last second and smashed his chest with the blunt half of his weapon.

“AAGH!!” He shouted in pain and looked down to see that his armor had been dented.

“Had enough?” Shining asked coldly while taking his stance again.

“NEVER!” Gregor snapped as he swung his axe again.

Shining dodged but Gregor seized the opportunity to grab his leg before he leapt out of reach and swung Shining over his head, slamming his body into the ground knocking the wind out of the stallion, making him drop his halberd. Gregor then released his leg and raised his boot over Shining and prepared to crush him, but the prince barely managed to roll out of the way before Gregor brought his boot down with an earth shattering stomp. Shining grabbed his halberd and stood back to his hooves, but grunted in pain since that slam cracked a few ribs and his vision was slightly blurry. The crowd watched in anticipation as they prepared to clash once more but things began to look grim for the crystal prince.

“…let it be finished.” Gregor said in a hushed voice as he brought his axe down once more when to his surprise, it was parried away and he was struck once more by Shinings halberd but this time on the jaw.

CRUNCH!!

All cringed at the sound of Gregor’s bones snapping while Shining stood there stiff as a statue. Many of the soldiers had seen this before but were still amazed at his technique. This stance came to be known as the iron wall in the great war for none were capable of piercing its defense. Blow after blow, Shining parried Gregors attacks and slowly began to wear down his opponent to the point where he could barely stand, let alone lift his axe.

As Gregor knelt there exhausted, Images of his service with Wulfric played back in his mind, how proud he was to stand by his king. He loved his country, his people, and even respected Wulfric’s decision to welcome the human into his family. With a mighty roar, Gregor stood up straight and pounded his chest and glared daggers at Shining.

“I DO THIS FOR THE NORTH! AND FOR MY FALLEN KING!” Gregor shouted as he charged at Shining. Shining held his stance, he knew Gregor was acting on impulse Gregor lifted his axe and brought it down for another swing but Shining dodged and went to deliver another blow to the jaw…big mistake. Gregor, being the seasoned warrior that he is, twisted his head so that Shining’s weapon met his large antler.

CLANG!

The halberd struck Gregor’s antler, but was sent flying in the air, completely catching everyone off guard. Before Shining could react, Gregor’s fist impacted across his muzzle, causing a loud crunch and sent him tumbling in the dirt. The crowd gasped as it looked like this was the end of the duel. Both warriors were pushed to the brink with barely any strength left until finally one stood tall. It was Shining.

THUMP!

Gregor fell to the ground, exhausted and unable to move as he looked up at the prince who had retrieved his weapon and prepared to deliver the final blow.

“You fought valiantly Sir Gregor but the duel is mine. Please yield.” Shining pleaded while raising his weapon.

Gregor looked up at Shining and then to the royal family. He wanted to keep fighting, but his body said otherwise. He knew Shining was skilled but underestimated how resilient he was. With a heavy sigh, he nodded in defeat.

“Sir Shining is the winner!” The elder announced, earning a roar of applause.

Shining leaned on his halberd as Wulfric’s family approached him. He gave a tired thumbs up as he wiped the blood from his mouth.

“You fought well, Sir Shining,” Gregor said as he picked himself up.

“Never have I seen such ferocity and skill, other than my now late king. I only wish he were still alive to see your display in skill.”

“So do I, Gregor, so do I…” Shining said as Gregor was escorted to the infirmary.

“You sure know how to dish it out, Shining,” Dimitri commented.

“Wulfric would be proud.”

“Indeed, as am I,” Celestia said.

“You have honored his last request and have retained his legacy.”

“I just hope his kids can live up to his name,” Marshall sighed, looking at the still weeping buck and filly.

“We’ll just have to see how it goes,” Lock said as he pulled off his hood.

“Only now we should focus on-”

BA-BUMP!

Lock grunted as a steering pain shot through his heart. His vision became blurry and a ringing in his ear made everything spin. With a trembling hand, he reached down to pull up his shirt and see that his infection had now spread exponentially as the green veins crawled up to his chest.

“Lock?” Rainbow said.

“I-urf! BBLLLAAAAARRRGHHH!”

Lock suddenly hurled over and vomited a large quantity of blood, startling everyone around him. Before he could catch his breath, he fell to his knees clutching his chest.

“It’s the venom…” Shining said as he helped him up.

“Come on, we need to get him to a doctor now!”

“I…where…” Lock mumbled as they all hurried to the medical wing..

“Stay with me, Lock!” Shining said as he burst through the door with the others following.

“WE NEED A DOCTOR! MY FRIEND IS DYING!”

The doctor rushed towards the group and gave a quick examination, and saw how much the venom had spread.

“How long has he been like this?” The doctor asked as they entered a nearby room and set him on the bed.

“He said he was stabbed a little over a month ago, but the effects only became known this week!” Marshall explained.

“And has he done anything highly strenuous lately?”

“We just got back from a fight, and we fought an army of bandits and stormed a fort,” Shining said.

“That explains it, the venom was able to spread at an alarming rate because of all that fighting. Before he had a few months, now it looks like he only has days.”

“DON’T SAY THAT!”

From the door, Antoinette stood with a familiar unicorn wizard with a staff in his hand.

“Starswirl?” Luna said.

“I have been briefed of the human’s situation,” the wizard said as he approached Lock’s bedside.

“I cannot cure him, but I can stall his demise.”

Starswirl’s horn lit up, along with his staff, and Lock’s body shined along with it. There was a bright flash and the human was now enveloped in a shimmering light as he lay there unconscious.

“That should do it, for now,” Starswirl sighed.

“What did you do?” Rainbow asked.

“Stasis Spell, very powerful, and only I can break it. His body will remain frozen so long as my spell is active so that the venom won’t be able to claim his life,” Starswirl explained then turned to Antoinette.

“You were extremely fortunate to come to me, had I arrived a moment later the venom would have reached his heart. If that were to happen, not even the cure would have been able to save him.”

“First Wulfric…now Dimitri?!” Applejack cried.

“What kind of sick nightmare am I living in?! Somepony please wake me up!”

“We need that herb…Send me!” Beorn shouted, shocking everyone.

“We don’t know if the scouts found the herb yet or if they’re even alive! Send me!!”

“Sweetie no!” Rainbow objected.

“Your majesties!” A soldier called out as he opened the door.

“The scouting party has returned from Everhoof!”

“What?! Bring them here at once!” Celestia ordered.

The soldier hesitated but nodded as he left for a moment, only for one lone stag covered in snow and ice walked in. He was shivering and looked like he had seen the face of death.

“Where is the rest of the scouting party?” Marshall asked.

“They’re…gone…” he shuddered.

“Gone?”

“THAT MOUNTAIN IS DEATHTRAP!” He shouted.

“THOSE WINDS ARE CURSED! THEY BLEW THEM ALL TO THEIR DEATHS! WE DIDN’T EVEN MAKE IT TO THE SUMMIT, LET ALONE THE BUCKING HALFWAY POINT!”

A few nurses helped him to sit down and give him a drink to calm his nerves as they removed the cloak around his body.

“And to make things worse, there was something hunting us.”

“What?” Marshall looked at him confused.

“Something was in the blizzard-underground! It picked us off one by one!”

“I’m still going!!” Beorn protested as he made for the door.

“Beorn stop!” Rainbow snapped.

“No mom! We already lost dad, I won’t lose my godfather too!”

“But Beorn, it’s much too dangerous!” Antoinette pleaded.

“And very perplexing,” Starswirl added, stroking his beard.

“Gusty the Great only surrounded that mountain with her enchanted winds after she banished Grogar and stole his bell. There shouldn’t be any creature residing up there, let alone go as far as to hunt anypony who attempts to scale it.”

The prince would hear no more as he stormed out of the room to prepare himself.

“Ugh! He’s so stubborn!” Rainbow groaned.

“Just like…like his dad.”

Everyone frowned as they looked back to the frozen human, unsure what to do next. As if things wouldn’t get more out of hand, a knock on the door was heard and there stood Hreidar in his disguised form.

“Um…hello.” Hreidar waved.

“Snow? What’re you doing here?” Marshall asked.

“Well…my mother and I heard the commotion so I thought I’d come see what’s been going on,” Hreidar said as he closed the door behind him.

“When I heard…I could hardly believe it. But seeing you all here, and Prince Beorn looking as agitated as he was when he stormed passed me, I can only assume that it’s true. Wulfric Warborn has lost his life, hasn’t he?”

“Yes…” Celestia sighed.

“I see, I also had overheard a little before I came in here. If you need somepony to scale Mt. Everhoof, I…can.”

“No, it’s far too dangerous.” Luna objected.

“Actually…I came close to reaching the peak.”

“HUH?!?” Everyone yelped.

“W-Well it’s just, I don’t know anything about something hunting climbers, but before I used to mountain climb as a sort of hobby over the years. One day my mother and I came across Everhoof on our travels and I attempted to climb it. I was very close to reaching the peak, but those winds seem to get more intense the further you climb. I had to give up and thought to go back one day once I was stronger,” Hreidar explained.

“...alright but you boys better come back!” Rainbow stated, pointing a finger.

“May I ask who this young colt is?” Starswirl asked.

Hreidar looked to Marshall for confirmation and the lord regent nodded, seeing as Starswirl and even Antoinette could be trusted with his secret. Hreidar then proceeded to take off his ring, dropping the disguise, and showed his true form to the shocked wizard and Queen.

“Starswirl, Queen Antoinette, this is Hreidar Snow,” Marshall introduced.

“Bastard of Dainn Stonehoof.”

At first they were shocked but quickly understood why this secret was kept until now. Only Antoinette stayed by Lock’s side as she placed her hand on his chest but his body was cold to the touch.

“Hang on my love...please…”

While Lock was in stasis, Beorn was in the armory grabbing a sword and axe as well as a few arrows when he noticed Applejack standing at the door with something in her hands.

“Forget it ma. You can’t stop me.” He huffed in annoyance while packing some rations.

“I didn’t come here too, sugarcube.” She smiled holding up a fur cloak.

“I came to give you this. It was your daddy’s.”

Beorn recognized this cloak all too well as it was the same one his father always wore and would often use as a blanket for him and his sister on cold nights.

“It’s mighty cold up there.”

Beorn took the cloak and held it close as tears began welling up in his eyes. He hunched over a bit as he weeped and Applejack wrapped him in a comforting hug.

“Why…why him?”

“I know hon. I know.” She kissed his forehead and wiped away his tears with a reassuring smile.

“You go do what you need to do, but promise you’ll come back.”

Beorn hugged her tight while she draped the cloak over his shoulders and saw he was a spitting image of his father.

“I’ll come back, I promise.” He said as she gave him one last kiss to the forehead.

Beorn left the room to set off on his quest as Applejack held a hand over her heart.

“Please watch over him, Wulfric.”

Beorn stood in the courtyard with Celestia as the rest of the royals, minus Antoinette, stood by. Hreidar soon showed up, wearing his disguise ring, and stood along with Beorn.

“Who’re you?” Beorn asked.

“I’m Hreidar, Prince-er, I mean, King Beorn. I was tasked to guide you up Everhoof since I’ve climbed it almost to the peak,” Hreidar said nervously.

“Save the formalities. You said you can guide us to the summit?” Beorn asked as the portal was opened.

“Oh yes, I know how to navigate through the winds and where to rest.”

“Good.”

“Beorn!”

Both young men turned to see Crysta run up to the young king with tears streaming down her face. She jumped into Beorn’s arms and cried her eyes out on his shoulder.

“Oh Beorn! I’m so sorry!” Crysta cried.

“He was such an honorable man! I should’ve had mother send Crafty with you!”

“You are not to blame Crysta.” He spoke gently with a kiss.

“We’ll be back. I promise.”

Crysta sniffled and stepped back as Beorn and Hreidar faced the portal once again. The both stepped through and found themselves at the foot of the mountain as the portal closed behind them. Already, they could feel the drop in temperature as the winds that blew around the mountain surrounded every corner.

“Let’s get going,” Beorn said as he made his way forward.

“Erm, hold on a moment, King Beorn,” Hreidar said, holding out a rope with a latch on it.

“What’s that for?”

“The blizzards up here are notoriously thick with snow and ice flying around. We need to stay connected through this lifeline so we don’t separate and get lost.”

“Got it. And stop with the king business. It feels weird!” Beorn protested as they began their trek up the mountain.

As soon as their hike began, the winds were already picking up as they trudged through the snow. Hreidar used a technique that allowed him to use a grappling hook and used it to wrap it on anything sturdy in the ground and pulled it for leverage. Their trek went on for about another hour until they were about to reach the halfway point. The winds, however, were blowing exponentially as both boys shielded their faces with their arms.

“There’s a small cave a little over that way!” Hreidar called out, pointing to his right.

“We can take refuge in there to catch our breath!”

“Sounds good! I can feel my eyelids freezing up!”

The two then trudged over to the small cave, being mindful of where they stepped. Hreidar, all of a sudden, lost his footing and tripped in the snow. Only once he did, Beorn could swear he looked different for a moment before he quickly pulled over his hood.

“My ring! I dropped my ring! It slipped off my finger!”
Hreidar panicked, digging into the snow.

“We have to get to the cave!” Beorn called out.

“I have to find my ring! Please!”

“There’s no time!” Beorn said, grabbing Hreidar and dragging him to the cave. Once they found it, they managed to enter the cave and out of the winds. As Beorn caught his breath, Hreidar crawled to the far end of the cave and desperately hid his face.

“Hey what gives? You smash your face on a rock?” Beorn asked while shaking off the snow.

“P-Please don’t look at me…” Hreidar muttered.

“You would only wish to kill me if you saw my face.”

“No I wouldn’t.”

“Yes…yes you would” Hreidar snapped.

“Everyone has, whenever they saw me, and so would you if you learned the truth! Especially after what happened to your father!”

“What do you have to do with that? Just show me your face!” Beorn argued as he tried to wrestle him out of the shadows.

“No! No please! I-”

Beorn cut him off when he pinned his arms apart and pulled off his hood. The young stag’s eyes widened as he got a good look at Hreidar’s face. Hreidar could only keep his eyes shut tight, unable to look at Beorn in the eye.

“Now you see…” Hreidar admitted with shame.

Beorn blinked at Hreidars face and saw he was no different than he was.

“This is it? This is what you were trying to hide?” He asked, finally letting him up.

“Don’t I look familiar?” Hreidar asked.

“Not really, I think? Why?”

“…I’m Dainn Stonehoof’s bastard son.”

Beorn’s ears perked up at the mention of that name and started to get why Hreidar wanted to stay hidden. He heard his entire story as they shared rations and waited for the blizzard to die down a little more.

“So these past fifteen years, not ONCE did your old man look for you? That’s cold.” The young king said while biting on some cheese.

“More like he had no reason to,” Hreidar sighed as he sipped some water.

“My mother told me that he told his followers he’d go and make all four of the Princesses sire him more worthy heirs since they’re Alicorns. Keeping the bloodline pure was one thing for him, but the chance to have a kid with both his and an Alicorn’s blood? Guess he thought he’d make the perfect successor to his diabolical rein.”

The wind slowly began to die down as the sun shined through and the boys were soon able to journey up the mountain. In the snow, Beorn spotted Hreidar’s ring and tossed it back with a friendly smirk as they kept going.

“You know, it just occurred to me. Why didn’t Blueblood get that crazy filly Cozy Glow on his side? I heard she gave my mom and her friends a run for their money back in the day.” Beorn asked as they trudged through the snow.

“I guess he was too busy gathering his own forces and preparing for war,” Hreidar shrugged.

“Not that it matters anyway, since I’ll be dead as soon as we get the herb.”

“Why do you think that?” Beorn wondered.

“Isn’t it obvious? You’ve seen my face so you’ll probably tell the other clans about me. I can see myself and my mother running for the hills right now, it’ll never end, my father’s sins will be forever imprinted in history.”

"Hey. I would never do that!" Beorn objected while pointing his finger at him.

“What happened between our dads is not our business. Our job right now is to get that herb, go home and get a cup of hot chocolate with giant marshmallows and whip cream!”

“Beorn,” Heirdar said, stopping in his tracks.

“How are you not mad at me? How, after all you’ve heard what Dainn did during the war, are you not sending me away or trying to end his bloodline by killing me?”

“Why would I do that? I got no beef with you.” Beorn replied while sitting on a rock.

“My mom’s taught me to never judge someone by their past. What matters is who that someone is.”

“But what about the other clans?” Hreidar countered.

“Your father said that they’d rather kill me instead of hearing me out.”

“Well now they have to answer to me and my sister. If any of them has a problem then they can tell it to my axe.”

“You…would defend me against the clans?” Hreidar asked in disbelief.

“Even against the rest of Equestria?”

“My clan values justice above all else and I see no justice in persecuting an innocent boy for the past crimes of his father.”

“Wait but, we’re about the same age.”

“You get my point! Now let’s quit yammering and move it.”

“Hold on,” Hreidar said. He looked down at his ring, and gripped it in his hand. He smiled as he turned around, reeled back, and threw it as far as he could in the distance.

“I’ve been running long enough. I may be a bastard, but I won’t let what my father did define me. And maybe…maybe I can reshape what he twisted.”

“What’s that mean?” Beorn wondered.

“It means that…the clan, my clan, the Stonehoof Clan, I wanna reshape it. Make it better than it once was.”

“Well good luck. You’ll need it.”

As they neared the summit, the wind finally died down to a small gust but the freezing temperatures still nipped at their bodies to the point where not even their cloaks could warm them.

“That herb should be here.” Beorn shuddered as the winds chilled him to the bone.

“Wait…” Hreidar paused, looking around cautiously.

“What’s wrong?”

“The winds, we’re near the summit but, they should be blowing an endless and powerful gust. Yet…they’re not as strong as they are at the base of the mountain. Something’s wrong, very wrong.”

As Beorn took another step, the snow beneath his feet suddenly felt like slush and he heard a loud squish sound.

“What the…” he lifted his boot to see blood in the snow and the half eaten torso of a caribou.

“GEEZE!!” He yelped, taking a step back and saw patches of red snow and gorn clothes around them.

“Guess we found the scouting party…what’s left of them anyway.”

“We need to get to the peak, now!”

Suddenly, the snow began to shake, making the boys almost lose their balance and fall. The snow rumbled until something big came digging towards them and shot up from the snow. A large, pale white, worm like creature towered over them and roared an ear splitting roar.

“HOLY BUCK! WHAT’S THAT?!” Beorn cried.

“A Tatzlwurm! A BIG ONE!! Hreidar shouted before tackling Beorn out of the way as the beast lunged at them before disappearing under the snow.

“Uhh this is bad. How do you fight something that digs?!?” Beorn panicked when he spotted a patch of plants under a rock.

“The herbs!”

BOOM! SCREEE!!

“Oh crap…”

The worm opened it’s maw to reveal several rows of teeth accompanied by dozens of tendrils that began lashing out at the boys as they tried to drag them towards its mouth.

“We’re gonna get eaten alive!” Hreidar cried.

SHUNK!!

Out of nowhere, a lone arrow struck the eye of the worm, making it rear back and dig into the ground.

“What the, did you shoot it?!” Beorn asked.

“No, I thought you did!” Hreidar replied when they saw a hooded figure in the distance. It lowered its bow and ran the other way and out of sight.

“Who’s that?!”

“Who cares? I’ll grab the herbs, make a run for it!”

Beorn nodded and hoisted the rock up and saw the herbs. Only they weren’t herbs, but a bunch of flowers with pretty blue and white pedals.

“Grab what you can!” He shouted to Hreidar while keeping an eye out for the worm. As Hreidar plucked the flowers, he noticed two peculiar stones nestled among them and realized they weren’t stones at all.

“Uh oh…”

“Uh oh? What uh oh?”

“This is her nest!”

“HER WHAT?!?”

Suddenly the worm appeared again looking more enraged than ever as it loomed over them with its drooling maw.

“Hreidar…give me the eggs and back off.” Beorn whispered.

“Are you crazy?! You’ll get gobbled up in a second!”

“Just do it!”

Hreidar handed the eggs to Beorn as the beast grew more agitated. The prince tossed his weapons aside and knelt down before the creature as he gently laid her eggs before her.

Hisssss…

The worm looked at her eggs to see if any damage was done before gently taking them into her mouth and slithering off to find a different nesting site much to their relief. The boys took this time to catch their breath before heading back down the mountain with the herbs, smiling proudly at their accomplishment.

“Not to sound harsh but, that beast would’ve made a fine trophy.” Beorn said while carefully stepping down the slope.

“Yeah, I thought I was gonna have a-OOF!”

Hreidar was cut off when something wrapped around his legs and pulled him forward, making him fall. Beorn whipped his head around, only to be met with a fist in his face and fell backwards.

“What the hell?! Who?!”

“Stay down…” A Voice warned.

When Beorn collected himself, he was met with the hooded figure from before and had its bow and arrow pressed against the back of Hreidar’s head.

“Move, and he dies.”

“Wait! We don’t mean any harm!” The prince yelled with his hands raised.

“Then why take the Silent Princess?” The figure demanded.

“The what?” He asked before the arrow pointed at him.

“The sacred flower of the mountain, you dare pluck it and desecrate its resting place? Let alone anger the creature of the peak, you are either foolish, cold hearted, or both.”

Beorn then saw the figure take the bag from Hreidar before tucking it away under his cloak.

“No please! We need that for medicine, my uncle is dying!!”

“What business is that of mine? Death is apparent to all creatures, if your uncle is dying then he was either careless or unlucky,” the stranger dismissed.

This statement made Beorn’s blood boil, already he had lost his father and now this stranger was willing to let another of his family die for some twisted law of nature. He would not stand for it.

“Give…that…BACK!!” Without warning, he tackled the hooded stranger and began wrestling him in the snow with his eyes slowly glowing red until he finally grabbed hold of his throat.

“DON’T YOU DARE INSULT MY FAMILY! I JUST LOST MY FATHER, AND YOU THINK YOU KNOW ANY BETTER JUST BECAUSE YOU PROTECT A BUNCH OF DUMB FLOWERS?! I’M TAKING THESE BACK WITH ME, AND NOT YOU OR ANYONE WILL STOP ME!”

“Beorn no!!” Hreidar shouted as he tried to pull him off. Beorn shoved Hreidar off with his arm, but the hooded stranger seized the opportunity to try and shake Beorn off. The two tumbled on the ground until the stranger was on top of Beorn and he tried to choke him. Beorn shoved his hands forward to push him off, until…

GROPE

“Ah~!”

“Wait…you’re a girl?!?” He shrieked before getting socked in the face.

“How dare you?!” The stranger scrambled away. Beorn shook his head and looked to see her hood was off. To his surprise, she was a female Diamond Dog with ash grey fur and yellow eyes. She had the head of a wolf as she bared her fangs at the young prince. To make matters more confusing, she looked to be Beorn’s age.

“I knew you were a beast the moment I saw you!” She shrieked, her voice sounding a bit higher which could only mean she had some kind of voice modification tool.

“ME A BEAST?!? You attacked us!” Beorn argued, pointing a finger at her.

“Who are you anyway?!?”

“Why should I tell you?!”

“Because I said so, that’s why!”

“Well screw you! I’m not saying shit!”

“Well neither am I!”

“SHUT IT!!!” Hreidar roared.

“We don’t have time for this, we need to get those flowers back to Canterlot or your uncle won’t make it! And as for you, I’m sorry we intruded on your home but rest assured we have good intentions and if it helps, that beast is alive and well along with her eggs.”

“Hmph! Well you may have quelled her anger, but those flowers are still sacred!” The wolf girl huffed.

“Oh for crying out loud!” Beorn groaned.

“But since you two insist on using them for a good cause, then I’ll just have to confirm it for myself!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m coming back with you!” She stated, walking back over to her bow and picking it up.

“Name first.” Hreidar said with his arms crossed.

“Ugh! Fine! It’s Azurys, happy?!”

“Very. I’m Hreidar and my friend who groped you is Beorn.”

“More like molested me,” Azurys spat.

The group made their way back to the portal where their friends and family were eagerly awaiting their return.

“Brother!!” Apple Jewel sighed as she hugged Beorn, not caring for the snow covering his body.

“Sis, we got the herbs!” He said, showing her the bag.

“Give it here, I’ll go make the cure,” the doctor said as he took the flowers out and headed off to work.

Hreidar then stepped through, only to receive gasps from those who had not seen his face yet. The guards drew their swords as they went in to charge at the boy.

“DAINN?!? HOW DO YOU STILL LIVE?!?” One guard roared.

“Hold!!” Marshall shouted with a raised hand.

“This boy is our guest. Any who lays so much as a finger on him will answer to me.” After giving the guards a stern look, he noticed the boys were frozen to their bones and had the servants help them out of their gear.

“So…this is the big city?”

All heads then turned to Azurys as she glanced around the hospital room.

“Who’re you?” Apple Jewel asked.

“This is Azurys, we ran into her on the mountain,” Hreidar said after managing to calm down from the guards still glaring at him.

“Yeah, I had no choice but to come after you stole the flowers and molested me,” Azurys said, pointing at Beorn.

“Whoa whoa whoa! I had NO idea she was a girl, even before I strangled her.”

“You did what?!?” Applejack said in shock.

“I said before I knew!”

“YOU MOLESTED AN INNOCENT GIRL?!?” Rainbow seethed with fire in her eyes as she yanked Beorn’s ear.

“Mom I didn’t know!!” Beorn whined.

“You never touch a girl on her chest! Not without permission!”

“Okay ladies, that’s enough.” Said Twilight, finally intervening.

“These boys have been through enough today. Let’s get them something warm to drink and dry them off, we have a lot to do today…” She frowned at the last bit before leaving with her friends.

“I believe we’ve done it.” The doctor said, coming in with a syringe filled with light blue liquid. The group nodded and followed him to Lock’s room. There they found Antoinette still by his side and him still in stasis.

“Will that cure him?” Antoinette asked.

“I believe it will, stand back please.”

The doctor moved to the other side of the bed and reached for Lock’s arm. He injected the serum into his vein as Starswirl undid the stasis. All were silent as they waited for something to happen. Then they noticed the green veins covering the side of his body begin to fade away until there was only the scar he had first received. To make matters more beneficial, Lock’s breathing stabilized as his face no longer had a pained expression.

“Thank the gods, it worked,” the doctor sighed.

In another part of the hospital wing, Beorn was sitting in front of a fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa in his hands and wrapped in a blanket yet he had barely taken a sip and was still thinking of all that happened today.

“Room for one more?” Asked Crysta who had just walked in.

Beorn looked to see his marefriend walk in with a sad smile. Beorn sighed as he opened the blanket for her and she came and sat next to him as they cuddled up.

“How are you feeling?”

“I…I don’t know.” He sighed before she dipped her finger into his cocoa.

“Still warm, you should drink it.”

“I poured it, but I don’t really want it now,” Beorn frowned.

“It’s just…so much has happened. My dad died, my uncle almost died, and I also almost got killed. Does death have some kind of grudge against my family?”

“You know it’s not like that.” Crysta said while taking his drink and snuggling up to him.

“Don’t try to think about it too much, just focus on recovering and snuggling with me!” She chirped, sticking her tongue out at her buck.

“Why are you so cute, it makes me smile all the time?” Beorn chuckled as he nuzzled her.

“I know~.” She teased, nuzzling him back as they giggled. Crysta took a sip of cocoa before leaning back into his soft chest fur.

In his room, the now sleeping human lay with a painless expression as he slept by himself. From the door, the young Princess peeked in and walked up to his side and gazed at his sleeping form and smiled, knowing he was okay.

“Oh Lock, I’m so glad you’re cured,” Selene smiled as she reached over to stroke his hair.

As she did, she noticed that she was a tad close to his face which made her blush. His face was so clean now and as handsome as she had always fawned over. Her blush deepened as she found herself leaning in and pursing her lips and closed her eyes.

“Selene?”

Selene froze in her tracks as she opened her eyes to see Lock peeking up at her.

“What are you doing?”

The princess screamed as she threw herself back and crashed into a nearby chair, causing a ruckus that alerted some of the nurses.

“What is going on?! Princess Selene?!”

“What happened?! Are you hurt?!”

“I’m fine, just saw a roach.” She stammered a bit while collecting herself. The nurses decided to check on Lock’s wound, while Selene waited outside to collect herself, to see how far the serum had progressed and were pleased with the results.

“It appears the serum was a success,” one of the nurses said, checking his pulse.

“Indeed, your body is back in top physical shape,” the other nurse said, checking his wings to examine his feathers.

“Well that’s good to hear, can’t say I’m a fan of vomiting blood,” Lock joked, earning some giggles.

As his examination continued, both nurses couldn’t help but admire the human’s muscular form and wingspan. They soon found themselves blushing when he raised his arms for them, giving them a full view of his bare torso. Both nurses glanced at each other, smirked and nodded, and hatched a little plan that hopefully he wouldn’t catch on to.

“So, there anything else you two need to check? There’s somewhere I need to be at the moment,” Lock said.

“Oh yes. We’ll need to do a full body examination to make sure you’re physically fit.” One of the nurses huffed while feeling out his muscles.

“Oh my you’re so beefy. You must work out a lot~.”

“Those scars look pretty neat too~” the second nurse said while trailing a finger across his chest.

“Well thanks, they each tell a story, each one more interesting than the last,” Lock said.

The nurses continued to examine him until one of them got down in her knees and started feeling up his legs.

“Uh, there’s nothing wrong with my legs, so why are you in between them?”

“Oh just being thorough...eh heh…” The nurse huffed with a bit of drool on her mouth as she eyed the zipper of his pants.

“Now...let’s get these off!~”

“HOOLD IT!!” Shouted Rainbow Dash who bursted through the door with both hands on her hips.

“Uh. hey Skittles,” Lock said with an innocent wave.

“Sorry girls, but this stud is mine and AJ’s.” She scolded as she threw herself on him and stuck her tongue out at the nurses.

“Aw! Come on miss Dash! Can’t you please share him?” One nurse pleaded.

“How come you and miss Applejack get to hog this hunk to yourselves? Isn’t northern relationships supposed to be open?” The other asked.

“Now hold on a minute-”

“Nnope. Sorry girls but this beefcake belongs to us!” Rainbow replied before turning around to rub her back against Lock's chest.

“Pony feathers! We’ll just leave then…”

As the nurses left, Rainbow smiled as she turned to face Lock and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. Lock sighed and hugged her back, but felt her trembling in his grasp, even heard her sniffling.

“Rainbow?”

“I’m...so glad you’re okay…” she cried as she squeezed him close.

“Sorry about the scare,” Lock whispered as he hugged her tighter.

“Came close, too close to biting it.”

Rainbow allowed herself to cry onto his shoulder while Lock could only stroke her mane as he held her.

“This isn’t fair!! We finally got the chance to be parents again! We made so many plans and...and…THEY TOOK HIM FROM ME!!”

“I know…I did all I could,” Lock frowned.

“If only my damn soul wasn’t damaged, if only I was at full strength. I swore to him, before he died, that I’d look after his family. I plan to keep that promise, along with helping get justice for his death. So I make this promise to you as well, I’ll never let myself end up in this situation again. I’ll always stand by yours and everyone else’s side, remember that.”

“Thank you Lock. I love you…” Rainbow said as they kissed. A guard came into the room with a somber expression on his face and stood at attention.

“Forgive me but…it’s time.”

Lock nodded as he went to stand up, but Rainbow clung to him and looked at him with pleading eyes. The man smiled as he nodded and put his clothes back on. Once he was clothed, he scooped Rainbow up from the bed, carrying her bridal style as they followed the guard out of the room.

“It’ll be okay, Dash,” Lock whispered.

“Just remember, I am here.”

Rainbow nodded as they made their way towards the main hall where an honor guard assembled for Wulfrics funeral procession along with the royal family who dressed themselves for the occasion. Lock set Rainbow down and snapped his fingers and in a puff of flames he was dressed in a black tuxedo with a black tie as was the appropriate attire for the funeral. The group made their way to the cemetery where many Vikings and ponies all gathered, dressed in black or traditional Viking funeral attire. The group made their way to the front of the audience where the rest of the royals, Twilight and her friends, and even Cadence and Flurry Heart awaited them. A large pyre was built in the center of the main square and atop rested the body of Wulfric. All of Canterlot had come to pay their respects in honor of the fallen king with many weeping for the loss

As the torch bearers moved into position, Shining Armor stepped forward to begin the ceremony.

“We are here today to honor one man. A hero, a friend, a king…and a father. Wulfric of the Warborn Clan, son of Hjalmar, King in the North! It was he who helped lead the counterattack against the Stonehoove’s in the great war, he redeemed the honor of his people and brought our nations together!”

The audience cheered as he stepped down and Applejack and Rainbow were next to speak.

"Before we met our husband, Rainbow and I lived hard lives and knew only suffering…then we met Wulfric and our lives changed for the better." Said Applejack as Rainbow took her turn.

“During the war, he did so many great things. We saw how caring he and his clan were, unlike Dainn and his thugs. He took care of us and...well before you knew it, we got married and had kids. Two wonderful kids who loved their dad very much.” Rainbow sobbed before stepping back.

“And wouldn’t you know it…more are on the way,” Applejack cried, stroking her slightly bloated belly.

“But now they won’t get to meet their daddy. We’ll never forget what he did for us, and we’ll always keep his memory deep in our hearts.”

Both mares stepped down from the stand and next to speak was Celestia.

“I was the one who placed the crown on Wulfric’s head the day he took lordship over the clans. Never was there a more worthy man to be called king…and friend. May his legacy inspire us all to hold our unity for all time.”

Soon Dimitri stepped forward to say a few words. He glanced back at the burning pyre and smiled as he began his speech.

“Back in my world, I too was a soldier like Wulfric Warborn.” Lock said, earning everyone’s attention as he faced them.

“My comrades and I would always have each other’s backs, even if the world around us was nothing but conflict. We fought to protect our home from the enemy and trained ourselves for the betterment of others. There were times in our lives of battle when we thought we wouldn’t make it out alive and the enemy would end us without a second thought.” Lock said and looked back at Wulfric and smiled.

“But Wulfric reminds me of an old friend, a comrade in arms I used to know during my days as a soldier.” Lock said.

“As soldiers of war, our lives were discipline, duty, battle, and death. Life during those times of conflict and war was grim, and we greeted it grimly. But my Commanding Officer was unlike the rest of us, his name was Joshua Clay, and he wore a smile even in the worst of times. He was…happy.” Lock said sadly as his scars started to throb.

“Joshua inspired us to hope, that though we were soldiers of war…yet there was still humanity in us, goodness.” Lock said as a lone tear escaped his eye.

“When the day came for him to lay down his life in battle, his sacrifice saved countless others and turned the tide in our favor. My fellow soldiers and I personally carried him to his home and we made sure he was buried with all the honors and praise he deserved for all he had done for us and his country. His memory was a comfort in dark times…” Lock said. All the ponies and Vikings were too in awe of his story to say anything. Lock smiled and took a breath to compose himself so he could finish his thoughts.

“Wulfric Warborn gave his life to protect his family and those he loved because it was not only his duty, but his right. He was a dear friend to most, a loving father and husband, but he was probably one of the most honorable Caribou I’ll have ever met. So do not feel sad that he is gone, be proud and happy that he was alive and continued to protect you all to the end. Like my friend Joshua, let his memory be a ray of light in these dark times.” Lock said as he looked back to Wulfric one last time.

“Rest well, King Wulfric Warborn, your actions shall inspire many to rise above just as you had.” Lock finished.

The torch bearers took their place by the kings side, among whom were Shining Armor and Beorn who held his fathers hand one last time.

“Goodbye father…” the prince whispered in a hushed voice as they prepared to light the fire.

“You have earned your warriors death old friend. Enter the halls of Valhalla with honor.” Shining said as they set the pyre ablaze before giving one last salute to the fallen king. The rest of the evening was quiet, as no one said a word as they watched the body of Wulfric Warborn burn.

Later That Night

In the council room, Marshall stood at the table with his best captains and was fuming as he demanded answers.

“Today’s hunt was supposed to only be known by the royal family so someone better tell me-HOW THE ENEMY KNEW WHERE WE WERE?!?” He roared slamming the table.

“W-we checked everywhere!” One captain said. “None of the guards said a word to anypony!”

“If that were the case then WULFRIC WOULD STILL BE ALIVE!” Marshall snapped.

“They were waiting for us, all of them. WE WALKED RIGHT INTO THEIR TRAP AND WERE COMPLETELY IN THE BLIND! SO SOMEPONY BETTER GIVE ME ANSWERS OR SO HELP ME, I’LL SEE THE LOT OF YOU COURT-MARTIALED!”

The soldiers began to sweat not only because of the amount of pressure they were now feeling but also because of their lord’s unbridled rage.

“There is a spy amongst us and I want him or her found! Check every staff member in the castle if you have to!!”

“E-even the recruits?” A captain offered.

“EVEN YOUR OWN DAMN MOTHER! NOW GET THE BUCK OUT THERE AND FIND ME THAT BUCKING TRAITOR!” Marshall roared with another heavy slam of his fist on the table.

As the captains scrambled out of the room, Luna came in with a cup of tea knowing her husband would need it for the long night ahead.

“Darling please rest. You look terrible.” She said while giving his shoulders a massage.

“How can I rest, knowing that there’s a traitor amongst us?” Marshall grumbled.

“Whoever they are, they’ll taste my blade for what they caused to happen.”

“Don’t speak such things.” Said Luna as she wrapped her arms around him.

“Please Marshall, rest for my sake."

“…Very well, for you,” Marshall sighed, giving his wife a small kiss on the lips. As they were about to leave, Selene peeked her head through the door with a nervous expression.

“Um…mother, father? Can I speak with you both about something?”

“Of course my sweet, come in.” Luna smiled.

Selene nodded and approached her parents. She stood in front of them, fidgeting in place before taking a deep breath to speak properly.

“Is there something the matter?” Marshall wonderedz

“No, but I wanted to tell you both that…I now have feelings for somepony,” Selene said with a small blush.

“How wonderful to hear!” Luna cheered.

“So who is the lucky stallion who had caught my daughter’s heart?”

“It’s…um, Dimitri. I’m in love with Dimitri Lockdrom.”

Both parents were astonished at their daughter’s confession as they listened in for details.

“Well that’s quite a confession. You know he’s with your aunts though.” Said Marshall.

“I know but…I can’t help myself!” Selene said with a smile.

“He’s sweet, strong, brave, he always fights for a just cause, and he even danced with me the night of the announcement. At first I had only admired him from afar, but after seeing him almost dying, maybe even before when he saved me from those intruders, he’s all I can ever think about. Every time I see him my heart beats so fast, I can barely breathe, and my horn sometimes goes into a bit of a magic spasm. I just…never expected that to fall for him this much, I don’t know what to do.”

Both her parents laughed not because it was amusing but because of how it reminded them of their romance.

“Oh you sound just like your father when we dated.” Luna sighed.

“Remember your jousting practice?”

“How could I not? Soon as I saw you, I dropped my lance and was sent flying into the observatory.”

“But I managed to heal you and that’s when you proposed to me, not exactly the ideal place for a marriage proposal.”

“It worked, didn’t it?”

“Mother, Father, please tell me what I should do! I want to tell Dimitri how I feel, but I’m afraid he’ll reject me!” Selene cried.

“Now dear, don’t be so flustered. Be up front about it.” Luna advised.

“And maybe cook him something. Men love a gal who can cook.” Marshall added while giving Luna a kiss to the cheek.

“And you think he’ll like that?” Selene asked.

“I’m sure he will. Now run along off to bed, it’s late.”

Selene smiled and hugged her parents before skipping off to bed. Luna then glanced behind Marshall’s back and saw his hand still curled into a tight fist.

“Dear, you can drop the act now,” Luna sighed.

Marshall groaned in relief as he caught his breath and began to rub his temples in frustration.

“There’s only one thing to cure this much frustration.” The lord regent sighed before gulping down his tea.

“Luna? How much time before sunrise?” He asked while tidying up his workspace.

“I’d say about six to seven hours, why?”

Marshall walked over to the door and locked it and then sat in one of the chairs.

“You and I have some much needed stress relief to work out, care to oblige~?”

The princess smirked and slowly disrobed without using magic to reveal her surprising choice of undergarments as well as her small pudge forming, but not enough for him to question it just yet.

“Thong underwear. Luna, you surprise me.” Marshall grinned as she sauntered over.

“No rest for the wicked, handsome~” Luna purred as she straddled him.

Meanwhile

On the balcony of Rainbow and Applejack’s room

Dimitri leaned on the balcony edge as he smiled a cigarette and gazed up at the moon. In his right hand was the necklace carrying his military tags as he flipped them around in his palm. As he puffed, he began thinking about what could’ve happened differently had he been at full strength. Maybe he could’ve saved his friend from demise, but he wasn’t fast or strong enough to do so.

“Wulfric…why you of all people?” Lock sighed as he continued to flip his tags and took another puff from his cigarette. The man then felt two pairs of arms hugging his back, making him smile as he continued to gaze up at the moon.

“Aren’t you two supposed to be in bed?”

“We can’t sleep…” said Rainbow.

“Can you…stay with us tonight hon?” Asked Applejack.

Lock took one last puff from his cigarette before incinerating it in flames and turned to face his herd mates. They both looked up at him with puffy eyes as he wrapped his arms and wings around them.

“I’ll stay with you tonight and the nights to come, I promise.”

They smiled as they hugged him back and pulled him into the room. Lock watched as they disrobed and were now naked and they helped Lock out of his clothes. It wasn’t sexual, just them taking off his jacket and pants until he was wearing only his boxers. The mares then guided him to the bed as they laid down and they rested their heads on his chest.

“Sleep well, girls, I love you both,” Lock whispered as he kissed both their foreheads.

“We love you too, Lock.”

“Thank you, for everything.”

Both mares clinged to their lover and slowly drifted off to sleep under a moonlit sky as they prepared for the days ahead.

End.