Infernus Astartes: Child of Ruin

Where… where am I?

Everything’s so dark…

Where’s the light?

What… What is that sound?

Crying. That was the sound of crying. Cadence realized as her eyes started to flutter open. Al Aaround her she saw fillies and foals, every last one of them crying out into the world and she found herself crying out with them. Why where they crying? Better question, why was no one trying to stop them from crying? Where were their parents? Where were their mothers comforting embrace? Where were their fathers warm presence?

Why were these infants left alone? Her gaze shifts from size to side, her attention turning from one collection of infants to the next.

That was before her attention turned to the sight of stallions and mares walking into the room. They couldn’t have been the parents, no, their eyes were to cold, too calculated. They lifted infants and seemed to check them over in the same way that one might examine a jewel. They said few things before collecting a few and sending them off. They checked her over, and cared little for her frantic thrashing in the wind.

She was grateful that they put her down…

She was grateful that they didn’t take her away from her brood.

Cadence woke with what felt a bit like a start. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she stared at her ceiling. “What was that?” She asked, sitting up and pressed a hand against her forehead. “A dream?”

No that couldn’t be a dream… it felt to real to be a dream.

“What was it then?” She didn’t know. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to know. Regardless the mare leaned back in bed, her hand brushing against something as she looked to the side. Her gaze found Shining Armor still sleeping next to her.

She smiled at his sleeping face, and poked his cheek before caressing it.

He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping.

‘I should wake him up soon.’ She really should, he had a job to do after all, And he couldn’t set a bad example for the guards under him by being late. “He looks so adorable when he’s sleeping though…” She muttered as she leaned down and kissed his cheek. “Shing, it’s time to wake up love.” The mare whispers but her boyfriend doesn’t budge. “If you don’t I’m going to have to resort to more drastic measures~” She giggled as she continued kissing his cheek before working her way down. She adjusted herself, putting her legs next to his head and let her naked folds rest above him as her face disappeared under the sheets as her lips wrapped around his shaft.

Beast as he was called snapped awake, his hand lashing out as he grabbed hold of someone’s throat and hoisted them up into the air. The noise he heard was something along the lines of an uncharacteristic ‘eep’ and a panicked yelp. He glanced to the side, his attention focusing on the mare that was now in his grip and how utterly and kicking frantically as she tried getting her feet back on the ground.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” The mare squeaked as her legs fell limp and she just sort of hung in the air like a suspended banner or something along those lines. The Beast looked her over, realizing that she wasn’t a threat and chose to just put her down without a word. He released her, giving her a look as gasped for air.

Seems he grabbed her a bit to tight, he could see his fingers had already left indents on her fur.

‘Why did I enjoy that?’ The mare flourished as she looked up at him and seemed to just stare for a moment. “I uh… wow your taller than I’d thought you’d be.” She muttered before shaking her head. “I uh… I um…Cleaning - yes.” She stated gesturing to the feather duster in her hand. “I have to clean here so um.” The Beast just nodded before walking away, leaving her to handle the spot that he had occupied not that long ago.

Walking through the halls of Canterlot, the ghost of a lost age just made a noise as he looked around. ‘Where the hell am I going?’

Luna woke up feeling better than she had in a long time. Pulling herself from bed and yawning as she did, the mare just glanced around, the haze in her mind still lingering as she tried making sense of where she was. Her sisters room… that was easy to recognize. Celestia had a certain taste in aesthetics, and Luna had her own. Still, as it stood Luna didn’t have one for herself that didn’t really surprise her. The mare had been nothing but a fairytale for the past 1000 years after all. She needed time to have her personal chambers put together, till then she’d be allowed to rest her head in her sister’s chambers.

And she couldn’t really find a reason to complain either.

As fillies she and Celestia used to sleep together all the time. She found nothing strange about doing so now. Still, now that she was awake she had best start her day. Not that she had a real reason to, it wasn’t like she had any duties to perform right now.

“Still, it would be wise to see what has changed since my absence.”

“Well getting acquainted with Canterlot would be a good start.” Looking at her elder sister, Luna found Celestia was still in bed, not really sleeping but just lazing about.

"Still in bed, I see." Luna sounded humored. "Don't you rise with the sun?"

"Don't you rise with the moon?"

"Don't you have a ponydom to rule over?" Celestia gave this shrug that might seem unbecoming of a Princess.

"Equestria can survive a day without my guidance." She stated as Luna felt her cuddle up to her. "All I do is sit on a throne anyway."

"So you'd rather just laze around in bed, I take it." Luna whispered, humor crossing her lips. "when did you become so lazy, dear sister?"

"You were always the busy body." Celestia admitted. "You couldn't stand still for anything, you always had to be doing something."

"Ah yes, I liked to move about and you liked to have your nose buried between the pages of a book." Celestia smiled at the words as she nuzzled up to her younger sister.

"I missed you Luna." She said after a while. "I really did."

"I know." Luna countered as she laid in bed with her sister and just stared off into space. After a minute she got up and pulled herself out of bed.

"Leaving?"

"The washroom calls to me." Luna admitted. "Where-" Celestia just pointed to a door at one of the ends of her quarters. "Ah yes, personal washrooms. Thank you." With what grace she could muster Luna hurried off towards the washroom as her sister watched her leave before returning her attention to the ceiling.

It truly was nice to have her younger sister back. When she had been forced to banish her sister so many moons ago it felt like a part of left as well; and having her back it felt as though that piece had returned as well.

Celestia smiled. "We should do something to celebrate." She told herself. "If not celebrate that we should at least do something together. " She wasn't wrong. "What though?" She asked no one in particular. "Luna does want to see how much Equestria has changed." She made a noise. "Well a walk around Canterlot would be good. I can show her around, take her to a few places she might like." She made another noise. Yes that would be nice, just a walk around Canterlot, just the two of them… and the royal guard. They were royalty, they couldn't go anywhere without the guard present…

Regardless she seemed to have an idea of what they could do for Luna's first day back. She'd run it by her to see what she thought and then they'd just move on from there.

He swore to the Goddess, one of these days Cadence was going to suck him dry. If she didn’t then she sure as Tartrus was going to break his pelvis.

Not that he’d mind either way.

“We all gotta go someway, and if that’s how I gotta go, I’m not going to complain.” Shining Armor muttered as he walked on in this sort of daze, his face trying in vain to keep that stupid grin off his face.

A grin that a lot of ponies understood.

He didn’t really pay attention to the few whispers that were breaking though the silence.

Most of them along the lines of either ‘somepony got lucky last night’. and ‘lucky bastard’.

Yes… he really was lucky. Dating one of the most beautiful mares in Equestria, not to mention a princess of Equestria. Yeah he counted himself considerably lucky.

Smiling, the stallion just continued walking as he made his rounds.

Despite what had happened not even a whole day ago, Equestria seemed to be at peace. He was happy about that fact, however that still didn’t mean that ever was going back to normal. In one night the lost princess of Equestria had returned and then the royal garden had been ruined.

The princess was obviously the more important matter but still… he found himself worrying more about the garden. Yes, whatever caused the issue was apparently taken care of, but he was more worried about the ‘growth’ that had been left behind.

“I’ve never felt something so vile in my life.” He grumbled his smile having long faded as he crossed his arms. “Exactly what was it that caused it? The stallion muttered as he felt himself bumping into somepony and snapped out of his thoughts. “Oh sorry about that.” The stallion muttered as he looked head, first looking down as he expected somepony to be smaller than him, but the next moment he looked up, his attention turning to face a stallion in strange armor staring down at him. ‘Holy shit…’ The stallion thought. ‘He tall.’ The stallion added before seeming to think. “You must be Beast.”