Chapter 38

Smiling faces were all Draco saw as the Prometheus and its fleet sailed back to Canterlot. The liberation of Fillydelphia went off without a hitch. The enemy were completely overwhelmed, the prisoners and former brainwashed were rescued, and Draco couldn’t help but feel extremely proud of all that he and the resistance had done.

“I’ve gotten more reports from the radio link, Draco!” Soarin said proudly. “The major cities are liberated and the towns have been abandoned!”

“We did it…” Spitfire said and hugged Flash and kissed him. “We did it, babe!”

“Did…did we actually do it?” Flash said.

Draco was thinking the same thing. Did they finally liberate Equestria? He wanted to continue feeling proud about it, but he knew better. No, this was just the first of many battles left to fight. But for the moment at least, they had freed the pony nation.

“Draco?” Draco turned to see his marefriend and the rest of Alpha Squad. “We just wanted to say thank you. If it weren’t you and Lock, wherever he is, none of this would’ve been possible.”

Draco smiled as he turned to face his squad. “Don’t go selling yourselves short,” he said with a proud tone as he looked at each of them and the devil fruit users. “Each of you are just as responsible for all this.” He gestured to the crowds of ponies waving at them. “This victory is all of ours.”

“So what’s next on the list? Griffins? Yaks? Maybe go straight to the Dragon Lands?” Maud asked in a monotone voice, with a hint of assertiveness.

“Next is a simple task.” He smiled as he placed a hand on Maud’s shoulder. “We celebrate our victory.”

“Now?”

“But we have them on the run! Let’s keep hitting them where it hurts!” Rainbow Dash said, pounding her fists together.

“Dash, maybe you can keep flying until the sun burns out, us included if we wanted to, but I don’t think the rest of the crew shares your enthusiasm,” Zephyr said.

“In other words, I think it best if we take a breather,” Berry said.

“That’s correct,” Draco added as he walked around smiling at the ponies. “The future is still going to be filled with battles and losses. We will rarely be granted these brief moments of peace, so I think we should enjoy them while we can.”

“Can’t we kick a little bit of-?”

“CREATURES ON THE LOOSE!”

All heads turned to a stallion running after the group of baby raptors as they zigzagged around the deck, causing a panic.

“What the buck?! What’re these things?!”

“They’re so creepy! Get away, get away!”

“Look at those fangs! They deadly!”

“What the hay are these creatures?!” Ace yelped.

Draco sighed before cupping his hands over his mouth and making a call in the voice of a raptor. All the baby raptors perked up and immediately approached Draco and gazed up at him, chirping up at him. Draco made a few squawk-like growls and chattering chirps at the little raptors who seemed to under this as a means for them to behave.

“Uh…babe? What are these things?” Shadow asked.

“They kinda look like your Dino forms, except smaller,” Cloud said.

“They are baby raptors,” Draco said proudly as he knelt down to stroke some of their heads, getting chirps of happiness as he did.

“Baby raptors?” Swift tilted her head.

“Yes. They are baby raptors that have been reincarnated from war beasts.” Draco stood up and began to explain what had happened while most of his team were away when he went to Fillydelphia .

“So…these things are our new war pets?” Rainbow asked, causing Draco to facepalm.

“No they aren’t. At least not in the way the War Beasts were used by the Caribou.” Draco went back to petting the raptors to make sure they were given enough affection, to help solidify their bond as he mimicked his raptors voice. “These guys are gonna help us, sure, but I want them to be part of our team and not just some weapons.”

“Aw, look at this one!” Shadow cooed as the one with red scales chirped at her and rubbed against her legs. “It likes me!”

Draco chuckled a bit as he watched. “Probably because he thinks you’re his new mom.” He watched as Shadow looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. “Well if they see me as their father, then obviously the female with my scent attached would be…?” He grinned, waiting for everyone to make the connection.

“Ah, so your sent is all over me?” Shadow stuck her tongue out. “Gee thanks…daddy~.”

“Pfft!” The others chortled.

Draco laughed as he turned to the rest of the crew. “Everypony, these little guys are safe, they are new allies in our battle with the caribou.”

The crew all seemed to relax and went back to their duties. One raptor cooed up at Draco, it’s scales were blue and light blue.

Draco leaned down to examine this particular raptor. “Well you seem to be the boldest of the bunch.” He moved a hand to stroke along its chin. “I will do my best to see you guys grow up big and strong.”

“Have you thought of names for these little ones?” Flash asked.

“Yeah I have, but we can worry about that later. For now I need to find these guys a place to live till I can start their training.” Draco stood back up as the ship was just about to dock.

All the ships soon docked with the Prometheus at the Canterlot port. As the gangplanks were lowered, the rest of the main six and Princesses were there to greet them.

“Welcome back everypony,” Celestia said with a proud smile. “I trust your endeavors were successful?”

“And then some.” Draco smiled before turning his head back making another raptor call, and watched as the eight baby raptors scurried carefully along the gangpanks, before gathering around his legs. The little raptors staring up at the new mares, jerking their heads side to side.

“What…are these things?” Twilight asked.

“Rather peculiar-looking creatures,” Luna said.

“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy squealed and rushed over to them. “What are these little cuties?!”

Draco chuckled as he had anticipated that this would be Fluttershy’s reaction. And to no surprise the little raptors had no issues with her gently stroking and petting them. “These are baby raptors, and they are the newest addition to our team. I’m gonna need to find a place to keep them until I can train them.”

“Raptors? Aw, they look more like baby dragons! Yes you are, yes you are~!” Fluttershy cooed at the little raptors.

“How is this possible? According to you, these creatures existed billions of years ago on your world, right?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, well about that.”

Once again Draco went on to explain what had happened during his mission. There were a few mixed feelings about the War Beasts being reincarnated into the now new baby raptors. But most of the ponies Fluttershy included, saw this as a good thing.

“Such power to perform a miracle, and Phillip’s superiors just left without a word?” Moon asked.

“Basically. I get the feeling they can’t stay for too long in this world. Otherwise I would have asked them questions,” Draco added before shrugging his shoulders.

Draco then noticed that a couple servant maids were holding bouquets of roses he’d not seen before. One of them had roses that had golden pedals that reminded him of the sun itself. The other had dark blue pedals and looked like little pieces of the night sky all bunched up together.

“What are those for?” He asked, nodding his head towards the flowers.

“Oh, a pony gave these beautiful flowers to us just recently.” Celestia pointed to the golden roses. “These are called Day Roses.”

“And these are called Night Roses,” Luna said pointing at the other bouquet.

“We used seeds to grow more and they have become quite popular. Also…we were on our way to the cemetery to pay our respects,” Twilight said sadly.

A cold silence filled the air as everyone looked down in either sadness or bowing their heads in respect. “Could I join you?” Draco asked, breaking the silence.

“Of course,” Luna said.

Draco gave Soarin and the rest of the crew from the fleet an order to report to the medical wing of the castle and unwind after all the fighting they did. The Princesses led Draco, the main six, Alpha Squad, and the DF users to the back of the castle where they found themselves in a wide area full of tombstones. It was a heavy atmosphere amongst them, but it only became heavier when they reached the center. Standing on a pedestal was a large statue of Shining Armor. He wore his traditional Captain’s guard armor and held a spear in one hand as he looked like he was standing at attention with a stern gaze. At the bottom of the pedestal was a plaque that made Draco’s breath hitch a bit.

In loving memory of Captain Shining Armor.
Father, husband, brother, soldier, friend.
May he continue to stand tall for those who cannot on their own.

“Hello, Captain Armor…” Flash said sadly as he sniffled. “I made you proud, just like I said I would…”

Draco made his way to stand before the statue before dropping down to one knee. One hand on his bent knee, while the other was in a fist on the ground as he bowed. “I hope that you are watching us from above sir. We are doing our best to not waste your efforts.”

“H-Hello…BBBFF,” Twilight whimpered as tears began to spill from her eyes. “I wish you were here…Dimitri and Draco have done so much for us. You…y-you would’ve loved him as much as I do.” As Twilight set her bouquet of flowers down near the pedestal, she sat on her knees and covered her face and cried.

Draco stood slowly back up and gently patted her back as he looked at the statue. “He’s in a better place now.” He looked out at all of the gravestones that lined the graveyard. “They all are.”

The group looked on to the tombstones with sad expressions. The cold winter wind blew against them. Shadow shivered a little and rubbed her arms together.

“I used to like the winter,” Shadow sighed. “The cold felt nice, but now I’m starting to have second thoughts.”

Draco stood there for a while not saying anything, not until he walked to the princesses. “Could I help pass these out.” He gestured to the flowers they held.

“Please,” Celestia said.

As Draco passed out the flowers, he noticed Cadence arriving with a few crewmen following her.

“Lieutenant Draco, sir, Princess Cadence is here from Ponyville after hearing your return,” a stallion saluted.

“At ease, soldier,” Draco nodded his head before looking to Cadance. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, I heard you returned, and I came here.” She looked at the statue and her crying sister-in-law and frowned. “I suppose I’ll never get used to the fact that my husband is…gone.” She looked down at her daughter she was carrying, sleeping and all wrapped up in blankets. “Her last gift to him was saying her first word.”

Draco’s eyes had a saddened look as a few tears streaked down his cheek. “I wish I could have come sooner. If I had just gotten here before Lock, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Draco…” Cadence tried to say, but Draco shook his head.

“I know, I know. That doesn’t mean I don’t wish it could have happened.” He said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“I wonder…if it was too soon for me,” Cadence said.

“What was that princess?” Draco asked, barely catching what Cadance said.

“It’s just…Dimitri is a lot like Shining Armor. Strong, passionate, and a genuine soul. Over time, the more I thought of him, the more I felt happy and content.” Cadence’s ears drooped. “Before I knew it…I developed feelings for him the same way Twilight did.”

Draco said nothing at first, but moved a hand to gently stroke her back. “It’s okay Cadence, I don’t think anypony here would fault you for that. The loss of somepony as precious and loved as Shining Armor, can cause a lot of problems in the form of grief and other negative emotions.”

“But that’s not the worst part.” She looked up at Draco with tears in her eyes. “When I told Dimitri, he…rejected me.”

“He didn’t do that because he hated you or anything.” Draco was quick to answer, having already been told by Lock about this. “He did it because he felt guilty or that he was betraying Shinning's memory.”

“But…what about me? I was ready to move on, but did I act too quickly? He said he didn’t want to betray Shining, does that mean I did?” Draco then wrapped his arm around the mare and held her close. “Am I…a bad mare?”

“No you’re not. You were just in shock and depressed. You wanted someone strong and brave like your husband, because you were used to having him around,” Draco said in a soothing tone. “You need someone who is like Shining, not because you are betraying him, but because you miss him so much.”

Cadence then broke down whimpering as Draco continued to console her. In the corner of his eye, Draco looked to see Phill fly down from the clouds and land beside them. After looking around, he could already tell everyone was in mourning.

“Evenin’,” he greeted with a curt nod.

“Evening,” Draco said back while still holding onto Cadence, hoping he could help her calm down by stroking her back.

“That him?” Phill asked, gesturing to the statue with the ponies all laying the flowers and consoling Twilight.

“Yes,” Draco said as he could hear Cadence’s whimpering slowly dying down. “That is Shining Armor.”

“Were he a good man?” Phill asked.

“Only the best,” Draco said proudly without hesitation.

Phill walked over to the statue with Draco and brought his hands together for a prayer.

“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest In Peace.
Amen.”

Draco nodded his head as he said. “Amen.”

“Come, everypony,” Celestia said to the group. “Let us continue this inside the throne room.”

The group nodded and went to follow Celestia. As they left, Draco looked over his shoulder and took one last look at the statue of Shining Armor.

“I promise with my life that your wife and daughter will be kept safe.”

“Come on, lad,” Phill called out.

Draco nodded and followed after him and the rest. They made their way to the throne room and there was a gloomy silence amongst them all.

“So,” Phill said, lighting a cigarette and taking a puff. “Equestria’s done and free, eh?”

“Just this country,” Draco said as he moved out of the way of the smoke that Phill puffed. “The rest of the world still needs us.”

“Aye, ya got me support,” Phill nodded. “I just hope I can show the light to those willing enough to accept it.”

“It would definitely put some ease on my conscience if you did. I won’t lie and say I don’t feel a tinge of pity for those I killed, even the Caribou,” Draco admitted.

“Aye, that brings up an interesting topic Lock once told me.” Phill took another puff of his cigarette. “Apparently there was a coup d’état against Dainn before the lot even started with Equestria.”

“I figured as much. No matter what species, there has to be a few good ones,” Draco said.

“I’d imagine the ones who wanted to repent were a part of the lot who rebelled. I’ll ask them once I return to Sanctuary,” Phill nodded. “Anyway, how’re your new little Jurassic friends be?”

“Pretty good, actually.” Draco’s mood suddenly improved thanks to the change in topic. “At first I was worried this could be like Jurassic World. But since I can at the very least speak their language and transform into one of them, this could end up working better than I had expected.”

“You talking about them movies back home?” Phill asked and Draco nodded. “Heh, Lock mentioned ya got an eye for this sorta thing.”

“Yeah, well, I loved the Jurassic Park franchise, despite its inaccuracy. The raptors I have aren’t Velociraptors, they’re Utahraptors, but people say the first one instead because it sounds cooler.”

Phill glanced over his shoulder to see the pack of baby raptors following close behind Draco.

“Well ya sure got your work cut out for ya,” Phill said. “I wasn’t sure Saint Michael and Saint Ariel and I would pull off something such as this.”

Draco chuckled as he watched some of the raptors play along the way. “Yeah, me neither. I’m hoping to train them as soon as possible, they already have imprinted on me as their parents. So they will hopefully listen to me even as they grow up.”

The group arrived at the throne room and Celestia and Luna directed them to a window that was covered in drapes.

“We had this made after the Crystal Empire was freed, we hope you like it,” Luna said as she and Celestia used their magic to show a mural.

The window showed Lock battling Lust. Lock wore his street clothes and was armed with his spear and held Lust by his neck as he looked like he was about to deliver the finishing blow with his crimson red wings spread wide. There were embers that looked like they were flickering along the wings and Lock’s body. In the background was the Crystal Palace and the now pure white Crystal Heart. Below Lock and Lust were two opposing armies, one pony and one Caribou. Leading the pony army was Draco, Alpha Squad, and the DF users. Draco wore Lock’s armor and looked like he was pointing towards the enemy with his claws and a fierce look in his eye. Above all the fighting were the fleet and Prometheus, all at the ready to take back the Crystal Empire.

“Woah…that’s us!” Zephyr said.

“Cool,” Maud said.

“Never thought I’d be on one of the windows in the throne room,” Flash said.

Draco was in awe as he stared up at the stained glass window. He had always seen these made to commemorate great moments in history and ponies, but never did he think he would be on one.

“Ya look fierce, lad,” Phill chuckled as he pointed at him in the window. “It suits ya.”

Draco’s cheeks flushed a bit as he looked away. “It was Lock who did all the hard work, honestly. I’m honored to be recognized by this.”

“As you deserve it, Draco,” Celestia said. “This country would be a shadow of its former self, if not for you and Dimitri, wherever he may be. This will serve as a reminder of what you and the rest of the resistance have succeeded.”

Draco smiled happily, he looked to his squad who were also wearing bright faces, with the exception of Maud of course. “Thank you, your majesties.”

“Now I believe you all deserve a celebration for your victories. For the first time since this war began, we shall hold the Grand Galloping Gala,” Celestia said.

“The Gala? But it’s not the right day,” Twilight said.

“Does it matter? It’s still the Gala,” Swift said. “I always wanted to go since I was a foal.”

“Meh, fancy parties weren’t really my style,” Berry said.

Draco smiled over at Princess Celestia, with a knowing look. “Something tells me this isn’t gonna be like the Galas of the past. Am I right, Celestia?”

“Quite, I personally was never a fan of the overly fancy party. Everypony from your fleet shall also be attending, regardless of their status.”

“The nobles won’t be happy,” Ace said.

“Who gives a buck? They’re just snobby nobles,” Cloud said.

“Do I have to wear a dress?” Shadow complained.

“You could wear nothing, but then I’d have to kill any stallion who would gaze at your beauty,” Draco said, moving in to kiss his mare on the neck playfully.

“Draco…not here~,” Shadow moaned.

“Oh? When did you become the shy one?” Draco teased give her ear a nip and holding her from behind in a hug.

“Oh my…” Fluttershy said, blushing behind her mane.

“How bold,” Rarity giggled.

“Ahem, if you don’t mind?” Luna arched her brow

Draco was in mid lick of Shadow’s neck before looking up at Luna. He pulled his tongue back in blushing before letting out a soft cough. “Sorry about that.”

“I’m so gonna get you for that,” Shadow smirked as she bumped his hip with her flank.

“Please do.” Draco smirked back, quickly spanking her flank when no pony was watching.

“My sister and I will see to the arrangements for the Gala. It shall commence in three days time, so take this moment to rest and enjoy yourselves,” Celestia said.

Draco along with the rest of the ponies all bowed their head and said in unison. “Yes, your majesties.”

Two Days Later

Ever since Dimitri liberated Ponyville and pony’s moved back in, the once small town had now doubled in size thanks to all the new buildings that were built. Some of the buildings stretched up to at least three to four stories. It was a thriving community with old and new faces alike, some say that Ponyville might grow to become a city if it kept up its growth rate. In the shopping district, Draco was with Shadow and both were dressed in casual clothing as they walked side-by-side. Shadow had a cheery and content look on her face, but Draco looked a little fatigued and groaned every so often.

“I told you I’d get you back,” Shadow said, sticking her tongue out.

“Ugh, I know, but I think you got me back more than you should.” She smiled weakly at her. “So what did you wanna do today?”

“Since the Gala is tomorrow, I figured I should get a new dress for the occasion,” Shadow shrugged. “I was thinking a one piece dress that shows off my girls and firm flank, what do you think?”

Draco smiled at this and leaned in to kiss his mare’s cheek. “Shadow, there is nothing you couldn’t wear, your beauty would make anything look like art.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet!” Shadow giggled as she pecked his cheek. “Y’know, I was wondering, have you ever thought about a herd?”

Draco stopped dead in his tracks with a look of surprise on his face. “A herd? Where did that come from?”

“I don’t know, you just seem like the kind of guy any mare would be lucky to have,” Shadow shrugged. “I love you, don’t get me wrong, but my mare’s intuition tells me you got something you’re trying to keep buried in your heart.”

Draco, trying to keep himself calm, walked back alongside his mare. “I won’t say you’re wrong, but there are matters of the heart that sometimes will always be out of reach. I love you, and I hope you never doubt that.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Shadow said, nuzzling him. “But you also shouldn’t keep these feelings of yours bottled up, it’s not healthy.”

“I know but I have other priorities right now besides trying to find another mare.” Draco sighed. “What with Lock being…” He looked around to see if anypony was listening in. “Off on a special mission.” He muttered the last part. “I need to step up my game and focus on this war.”

“Suit yourself,” Shadow shrugged.

Thump!

Draco stopped walking when he felt something his his leg and looked down. A little pegasus filly rubbed her head and looked up at the Lieutenant.

“Oh…sorry, mister,” the filly apologized. Draco could’ve sworn he knew this filly somewhere, but couldn’t place it.

“It’s quite alright, little one, are you okay?” Draco asked as he knelt down to make sure she wasn’t hurt, and to figure out why she looked so familiar.

“I’m okay,” the filly nodded.

“Sandy!”

Draco looked up to see more ponies approach them. A unicorn stallion, an earth pony mare, and another pegasus filly. It was then that it came to Draco who these ponies were. They were the family he saved a while back at the Highland Reservoir.

“Are you alright, Sandy?” The mare asked.

“I’m okay, mommy,” Sandy said.

“I’m so terribly sorry she ran into you, sir, she has a knack for running off when she’s not supposed to,” the stallion apologized.

Draco stood back up and smiled as he waved it off. “Please, there’s no need to worry, I’m glad to see you guys are well since we last met.”

“Last met?” the mare asked, confused.

Draco looked down to see a photo on the ground and reached to pick it up. When he looked at the photo, he saw that it was him in his aquatic Dino form.

“Um, can I please have that back, mister? It’s my most treasured possession,” Sandy said.

“Oh, but of course.” Draco handed it back and smiled. “That’s an interesting creature on there. Did you make that up all on your own?” Draco already knew the answer but wanted to have some fun.

“Nope! This nice creature saved us!” Sandy said.

“Still hard to believe that it would do such a thing like for us. I’m Rocky Shores, by the way,” the stallion said.

“My name is Ocean Breeze,” the mare said. “And these two are our daughters, Sandy Shores and Misty Breeze.”

Draco nodded as he shook the parent’s hands and gently petted the two fillies heads. He glanced back at Sandy and smiled. “So tell me more about this nice creature, I’m rather interested to hear about it.”

“Well, a while back, my family and I were almost taken prisoner by the caribou. We tried to escape with our own ship on the reservoir, but were about to be overrun,” Rocky said.

“But then out of nowhere, this creature showed up from the depths of the water and wiped out the whole group of ships chasing us,” Ocean said.

“Oh, that creature,” Draco said in a tone like he just made the connection. “I remember him, you know I can tell you where you can meet him if you want?”

“Really?!” Misty chirped.

“Oh, please please please take us to him!” Sandy chirped as she jumped up and down around Draco.

“How do you know this creature?” Ocean asked.

“It’s better if I were to show you, rather than tell you.” Draco smiled as he led the family and Shadow to the lake.

The trip only took ten minutes of walking to arrive.

“Okay, you guys stay on the side of the lake and just wait.” That was all Draco said before running along the lake till he reached the other side. He waved his hands to the ponies on the other side before calling out. “You ready?!”

“Yeah!” The fillies cheered.

Draco slowly backed up before going into a full sprint towards the lake. The moment he reached the edge he jumped high up and dived into the water. The ponies watched as they waited for him to resurfacing, and how this would show them the mysterious creature that saved them.

“Where’d he go?” Ocean asked. “Why’d he jump in the water?”

“Give it a minute,” Shadow smirked.

Both parents wondered what Shadow had meant, before something slowly broke the water’s surface. The head of a creature slowly popped out of the water, before rising up and up, revealing a rather long neck attached to the small head.

The creature’s neck was well over 23 feet long as it stared down at the ponies who were in awe.

“What the hay?!” Ocean yelped.

“Where did that come from?!” Rocky shouted.

“IT’S THE FRIENDLY CREATURE!” The fillies cheered.

The creature. also known as a plesiosaur, craned its neck down towards the fillies, carefully nudging them with its head.

“Hehehe! He remembers us!” Misty chirped as she pet its snout.

“Hi there! We’re so happy to see you again!” Sandy said as she also petted its snout.

The plesiosaur let out a humming-like growl as it pulled its head back up. Using its flippers, it turned its body around so the hump of its back was now next to the fillies. It nudged its head to indicate for the fillies to hop on.

The fillies giggled as they flapped their little wings and flew up on its belly and landed.

“He’s so silky smooth!” Sandy said as she rubbed its back.

“Mommy! Daddy! Look at us!” Misty called out.

“This is…incredible,” Rocky said.

“How is it so docile? I’ve never heard of a creature like this,” Ocean said.

“He’s a special case,” Shadow smirked as they watched the fillies play with their new friend.

The plesiosaur gently pushed off from the shore before slowly swimming in circles around the lake with the little fillies riding on its back.

“Whee! This is so fun!” Sandy cheered.

“Go faster!” Misty said.

In response to Misty’s call, Draco sped up and began to tread water. The wind blew through the fillies’ hair as Draco did figure eights in the water before slowly pulling back up along the shore where Shadow and the fillies’ parents stood.

“Woohoo! That was so much fun!” Misty said as she and her sister got off.

“Did you see us?!” Sandy asked her parents.

“We certainly did,” Rocky smiled and looked up at Draco. “Thank you, kind creature.”

“Hold on a moment, where is Mr. Draco?” Ocean asked, looking around.

“He’s right here,” Shadow said, confusing the group.

“Huh?” They all asked, and Shadow pointed to the aquatic dinosaur.

Seeing that as his cue, Draco slowly pulled himself onto the shore before beginning his transformation back. His flippers back his arms and legs, the round smooth body became his torso, finally his long neck shrank back to its normal size along with his head.

“What the?!” Rocky shouted.

“Mr. Draco?!” Ocean yelped.

Draco smiled as he waved his hand. “You asked when we had met before. I’m pretty sure you now know what I meant, right?”

“You were the nice creature?!” Misty asked.

“But how is this possible?” Ocean asked and Draco pointed to the gem in his chest.

“This gemstone allows me to change into any prehistoric creatures from my world. That goes for those of the land and the sea.”

“I’m astonished, I never would’ve expected you to be that creature who saved us,” Ocean said.

“Yep, this stallion of mine is full of surprises,” Shadow said as she kissed his cheek.

Draco kissed her cheek back before smiling at the family of ponies. “I’m just glad you guys are safe, and have been doing well since I last saw you.”

Rocky stepped up to Draco and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I always wanted to thank the creature who saved my family, and this just makes things better now that I know you and it are one in the same. Thank you so much for saving my family and I. If not for you, I shudder to think what would’ve happened.”

Draco smiled and patted the stallion's shoulder. “You’re very welcome. I’m glad I could help you all.”

“By the way, Mr. Draco, have you seen Sir Dimitri? His fleet and ship are here, but no pony has seen him for days,” Rocky asked.

Draco smiled nervously but did his best to keep himself from looking nervous. “He’s been out on a special assignment. With this country now liberated, he wants to see which country we should liberate next.”

“I see, well we best be heading back now,” Rocky said.

“Thanks for playing with us, Mr. Draco!” Misty said as they left and Draco and Shadow waved goodbye. Once they were gone, the two visibly relaxed as Shadow looked at Draco with concern.

“I know you can put on his armor any time you want in battle, but how long do you expect the special assignment excuse to work whenever we’re not fighting?” Shadow questioned.

“If I have to, I’ll say he’s resting or training in secret. We can’t afford for any creature to know the truth,” Draco whispered.

“It’s a shame you can’t be in two places at once,” Shadow shrugged.

“Unfortunately, I can’t,” Draco shrugged.

“Well I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” Shadow shrugged. “So long as we keep anypony from digging too much.” Shadow then grabbed Draco’s arm and pulled him back towards Ponyville. “Now come on! Rarity’s gotta have our outfits for the Gala done by now.”

“Oh right, I almost forgot, hope she’s doing okay.” Draco followed behind Shadow as she led him towards the boutique.

The couple returned to Ponyville and approached the Carousel Boutique. Draco opened the door and let Shadow in first and walked inside.

“Be right with you,” Rarity called out. About a minute later, the fashionista appeared and smiled at the two. “Oh, hello Draco, Shadow.” Draco could tell that behind her smile, she seemed down for some reason.

“Rarity, what’s wrong?” Draco asked as he closed the door behind them.

“Oh, nothing darling!” Rarity said with a fake smile. “I’m as chipper as Pinkie Pie!”

Both Draco and Shadow gave Rarity a look that plainly told them they weren't convinced. “Rarity, come on. What's up?”

As much as Rarity tried to deny it, she couldn’t keep her fake smile up for long and it broke to a frown and her ears droop.

“Sweetie Belle has been out and about more often lately with her friends,” Rarity began as she looked around her empty boutique. “I believed that once we came back to Ponyville after Sir Dimitri liberated it, things would return to some normalcy. But…something is missing.” Rarity’s frown deepened as she glanced at a pin cushion on one of her sewing tables. “Or rather…somepony.”

Being an avid fan of the show, Draco knew exactly what Rarity meant, and just exactly who it was she was referring to. Taking a step closer to the fashion pony, Draco gently patted her back. “We’ll find him Rarity, I know we will.”

“But…what about the reports I heard from the scouts?!” Rarity cried.

Draco sighed before guiding Rarity and Shadow over to the living room to sit down. “Rarity, I don’t know how, but I have a feeling that Spike is still alive and well.”

“They found his scales…littered in the snow when they discovered that crevice,” Rarity whimpered. “Which can only mean Spikey is hurt!”

“Dragon scales are incredibly strong, and they didn’t find a lot of blood. Meaning worst case scenario is that he got a cut, but not killed,” Draco reasoned with her.

“But my poor little Spikey Wikey is alone and afraid. Can’t you go out and find him yourself?”

Draco sighed as he tried to think of what to say. “I wish it was that simple, but Equestria isn’t how it used to be. Every kingdom, every town, and city are under the rule of the Caribou. We can’t go in search of him without risking a fight with the Caribou anywhere we go.”

“I may be distraught about Spike, Draco, but the one mare who is taking it the worst out of all of us is poor Twilight. What with her brother’s passing, her stallion’s disappearance, and her other little brother missing? Twilight is a strong mare and princess, but not invincible. She needs some form of closure during these dark times.” Rarity looked at Draco with pleading eyes. “All I request is that you have the scouts expand their search for the poor dear. There just has to be some kind of clue for his whereabouts.”

Draco sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry Rarity, but I can't have the scouts do that.” He could see she looked sad, but Draco held a hand up to stop her from crying. “But I can.”

“How?” Rarity wondered.

“Once we have our defenses fortified, and I know I can leave the country without having to worry about the caribou trying to take it back, I can track Spike down. With my abilities, doing so won’t be too hard, I’ll do my best to find out what I can.”

“How will you fortify the country?” Rarity asked.

“There’s plenty of stolen weaponry we confiscated from the Caribou from the liberated towns and cities, not to mention we just got a major increase in troops we’re training and assigning to the rest of the airships to the fleet. Plus, I think Phill can use his holy power to put up barriers on the liberated cities,” Shadow explained.

“And I’ll work on having battle stations ready around the border, and in the center of Equestria. Even if those pricks get even an inch too close, they’ll have a fleet ready to blast them to Hell. Plus, I will leave the devil fruit users behind, I plan to search for Spike on my own.”

“Then I suppose I’ll leave you to it,” Rarity sighed. “I just hope he’s found soon.”

Gently taking Rarity’s hand in his own, Draco gave her a determined look. “I promise I’ll find him, this I swear.”

Rarity smiled up at Draco and hugged him, nuzzling the crook of his neck. “Thank you Draco, I truly appreciate your concern.”

Draco’s cheeks flushed and he glanced at Shadow thinking she’d be jealous. Much to his surprise, she smiled warmly and gestured for him to hug back. Which he did while gently patting Rarity’s back.

“Now then, I believe you two are here for your outfits for the Gala?” Rarity asked as she stepped away.

“Yeah, we wanted to see how they came out.” Draco nodded. “But given that you are the one making them, I know full well that they will be the best any pony at the Gala will ever see.”

“But of course,” Rarity winked and approached a large closet and opened the doors. “Now, where did I put those outfits?” Rarity leaned in and unintentionally made her skirt hike up, giving Draco an involuntary glimpse of her flank.

Draco’s cheeks turned red as he quickly averted his gaze looking very intently at the ceiling, as though it was the most interesting thing in the world.

“Nice view, huh?” Shadow teased, elbowing his side.

“Shut up…!” Draco growled. “Shouldn’t you be advising against this anyway?” He whispered.

“Why? As a mare who swings both ways, I can admit that I find her hot,” Shadow shrugged, making Draco stare at Shadow like she had a third head. “Oh? Did I not tell you I’m bi?”

“No you didn’t!” He said in shock and surprise.

“Is everything alright?” Rarity asked as she walked back towards the two.

“We’re cool, Draco didn’t know I’m bi so I just told him,” Shadow said nonchalantly.

“I see, I’m surprised he didn’t know until now,” Rarity said.

Draco’s jaw dropped as he stared back from Shadow to Rarity pointing his finger at the two. “You knew Rarity?”

“Of course, the signs were all there after all. What with her constant staring at my flank,” Rarity huffed at Shadow. “Like just now, I could feel her eyes on me.”

“Oh, that wasn’t me, that was-mmf!”

Draco had covered his mare’s mouth. “Shush, Shadow, you’ve been caught and you can’t deny it,” Draco said with a smile of revenge.

“Honestly, is my flank that eye-catching?” She turned around and pointed her flank at Draco while looking down at it. “Draco, darling, what do you think?”

THUD!

Rarity turned to see Draco on his back, face red, eyes wide open and his nose slightly bleeding.

“Oh geez…” Shadow sighed.

“Draco?!” Rarity yelped.

“These mares are going to be the death of me…” Draco groaned before passing out.

The Next Day
Night Of The Gala

The city of Canterlot was bustling with noble ponies and city residents as a crowd made their way to Canterlot Castle. This was an event most did not anticipate would be happening again, due to the war, but it would seem that Princess Celestia and Luna had insisted on it. As the group filed into the castle, a large air ship docked at the castle ports. The Prometheus’ gangplank lowered and out walked a group of ponies some recognized as the Grand Officers and the Night of Chaos.

The stallions of Alpha Squad were all dressed in sharp tuxedos that matched similarly to their fur and had their manes conbed and trimmed. Zephyr used his mane therapy skills to fix not only his mane but everypony else’s manes as well. Swift Snow and Maud wore presentable dresses, each showing off their fit, yet somewhat curvaceous bodies. Maud had insisted that she wear a dress that didn’t hide her arms, since Rarity was concerned about the brands, but Maud didn’t mind it and was rather proud they were on display.

Hooked to Draco’s arm was Shadow Star and she wore a beautiful black one piece dress. The dress had straps that went over her shoulders and had a wide opening in the back that showed off her whole back. On the side of the dress was an opening that went up above her knee for her leg to poke through and she had her makeup done by Rarity. To some of the other stallions, she was arguably one of the most beautiful mares they’d seen.

Draco wore a black tuxedo with a maroon red tie. Underneath his jacket was a dark grey vest and white dress shirt that hugged his body nicely. His slacks were hemmed and fit his legs snugly and he wore her black dress shoes. His hair was combed back with a few strands hanging over his forehead, making his appearance a little more dashing. Any mare who saw him couldn’t help but gaze at Draco longer than they expected. Some mares even had lidded eyes and giggled as Draco and his mare walked by.

“Somepony’s popular,” Zephyr teased as he walked beside Draco.

Draco gently elbowed Zephyr. “Don’t be hating,” Draco said in a teasing tone. “Just because of my good looks.”

“I’ll say,” Shadow cooed. “My stallion makes this tux look good.”

“And my lovely mare is making heads turn.” Draco smiled as he moved in to kiss her lips, in both an act of affection, but to all let others know that the two were together.

In response, the noble stallions huffed in irritation and the mares all groaned in disappointment. The group arrived in the throne room where the rest of the ponies were and Draco spotted the main six, all dressed in their signature Gala dresses.

“Well don’t you all look stunning.” Draco smiled as he glanced at each of the mares.

“You’re not so bad yerself, partner,” Applejack smirked.

“Indeed, you look dashing, darlings! Some of my best work!” Rarity beamed.

“Still feels weird to wear a dress,” Spitfire said.

“You look great, babe,” Flash said, earning a kiss from his mare.

“Thanks, sweetie.”

“Well lookie who got all dressed up and fancy!” The Angel’s Saint approached the group and he was dressed in a pure white tuxedo with a golden yellow tie tied around his neck. “Ya look a sharp as the sword on yer back.”

“Not bad yourself bro, nice outfit. I didn’t realize they made clothes for old fossils though,” Draco teased.

“Oi, like me Da always used to says, the older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune,” Phill pointed at Draco as he sipped his drink.

“Then you must be sweet enough to give diabetes the moment they see you.” Draco grinned.

Phill chortled and all heads turned to see the Princesses appear before the crowd as they applauded them, even Nightmare Moon was standing with them and Twilight went to stand by with them as well.

“Well look at that, Nightmare’s finally being recognized to the public with the Princesses,” Berry said.

“She’s come a long way, huh Draco?” Ace asked, but received no response. “Draco?”

Draco’s attention was on a different princess. His eyes were focused on Princess Cadence. Her dress was a beautifully made red wine dress that hugged her very curvaceous form. There was a deep V-cut that split down her chest and her fur seemed to be polished that made it shine. Her lips had ruby red lipstick and she had dark pink eyeshadow. Her mane and tail were more curly and she wore white gloves that went up to her elbows. To Draco, it felt like he was gazing at an angel.

“Draco?” Cloud called out, but still received no response.

Draco was snapped out of his daze as he glanced around the ponies around him. “Huh, what?” He asked, barely realizing he had zoned out.

“You were kinda out of it, dude,” Berry said.

“Everything alright, sir?” Swift asked.

Draco shook his head for a moment trying to collect himself. “Y-yeah, I just zoned out for someone.”

“Oh really?” Shadow teased. “Anypony I know?”

Draco tensed up before looking at Shadow. “Uh…well umm-you see uh...oh look! They’ve got snacks!” Draco quickly speed walked over to a long table with different kinds of hors d’oeuvres.

“Greetings everypony, and welcome to the return of the Grand Galloping Gala,” Celestia announced to the crowd. “Many moons ago, our country, nay, our very planet was under turmoil as the Caribou invaded our lands and threatened our way of life. However, thanks to the combined efforts of three individuals, we now have the fighting chance we hadn’t expected to have. So please allow me to introduce two of our saviors, Draco Saurian and Saint Phillip McHaggard.”

Phill heard a loud gulp as Draco swallowed, and caught his breath. “Sorry, just a tad nervous is all, what about you?”

“I’m fit as a fiddle,” Phill shrugged.

“These brave warriors faced the Caribou with great courage,” Luna said. “We owe them a tremendous debt, including those who fight alongside them. This Gala is dedicated to them, so please join us in giving them a round of applause.”

The room filled with both applause and cheers as Phill and Draco faced the crowd of ponies. “One hell of a reception, huh bro?”

“Pardon me,” a noble pony called out. “But there should be three of you…humans. Where is the red winged demon?”

The crowd began to speak among themselves, and the princess looked visibly concerned. “That is a rather simple question to answer.”

All eyes turned to Draco as he stepped forward and addressed the crowd. “Our fearless leader, Lock, is currently investigating the other Sins. He came to the conclusion that now that one Sin had been killed, the others would take note and act. Being the brilliant warrior he is, Lock wanted to act while the iron is hot.”

He looked at the crowd with a smile on his face. “He wanted to keep our winning streak going till every last caribou was purged from this beautiful world, so that all of you may sleep easier.” He picked up a glass of wine from a passing server and held it up. “To Lock and the future of Equestria.”

The ponies accepted this response and they too raised their glasses in honor of Lock.

“Sláinte!” Phill cheered and drank.

“Sláinte!” Some ponies said back.

The tension has all but faded and the Gala had finally started. Draco let out a sigh of relief as he glanced over to the princess and walked closer to them. “That should buy us a bit of time for the moment.”

“Well said with those choice words, Sir Draco,” Luna said.

“I’m sure Lock would be proud of you,” Moon smiled.

Draco’s smile faulted a bit as he sighed. “I sure hope so, I’m doing all I can to live up to his reputation.”

“Draco, you’ve more than lived up to Dimitri’s reputation,” Cadence said. “You were able to finish what he started by taking the first step to ending the Caribou regime by liberating our home. We may not know when Dimitri will return, but the only thing you can do now is just continue on with your efforts.”

“She be right, lad,” Phill nodded. “Besides, if I known Lock for as long as I have, he’s a tough bastard. Wherever he is, he’s probably kicking arse and taking names. You’re doing the same with your mates and that lady friend of yours.”

This amount of praise seemed to have eased Draco’s nerves as he took a sip of his wine. “Thanks, you guys.” He smiled before downing the entire glass in one go.

“If you will excuse us, my sister and I must now greet the nobles,” Celestia said.

“Joy…” Luna groaned and followed her sister away.

“Shall we rejoin your friends, Twilight?” Moon asked.

“Of course, see you later, Draco,” Twilight waved as they went in the other direction.

“I’m gonna go hit the bar, I’m in need of a topper,” Phill said, leaving Cadence and Draco. It was then that Draco realized it was just them standing together.

Oh, you sons of bitches!! Draco screamed internally as he began to sweat a little more than usual. He pulled the collar of his suit as he cleared his throat. “So…nice night?”

“Indeed it is, though I was never one to mingle at the Gala,” Candace said. “Too many nobles asking for permission to form a herd from Shiny just to be with me. Being an alicorn and a Princess always has its pros and cons.”

“Well, if you want I can stand guard for anypony like that. Maybe take them around the corner, threaten to eat them, you know small ways to get the message,” Draco smirked.

“Oh, you wouldn’t dare!” Cadence giggled. “They might threaten to sue you for attempted assault!”

“Psh, I’ll just roll into court as a T-Rex. Love to see them try and sue a 40ft dinosaur,” Draco wiggled his eyebrows.

Cadence covered her muzzle and tried her best not to laugh out loud. “Oh my, you’re just too much!” She took a breath to compose herself. “I haven’t laughed like that in some time.”

“You have such a cute laugh,” Draco smiled, seeing Cadence laughing again.

“Hm? Did you say something?” Cadence asked.

Draco’s head turned to point at a couple of ponies nearby. “I said, don’t those two look cute? Seems like a lot of ponies are at ease now.”

“Hmm, yes,” Cadence nodded and her eyes trailed to Twilight and Moon, laughing with the rest of the main six. “It still baffles me how Nightmare Moon, of all mares, is in a herd with my sister-in-law. Just how was Dimitri able to convince her to change her ways and reach out to her heart?”

Draco could only shrug his shoulders. “Who can say? The heart is a mysterious thing. One can spend decades studying it and its complicated nature, and never fully understand its ways. Yet that’s what makes it strong. It has the power to reach out to other hearts and form a connection, one that’s even more powerful than when it is alone. Maybe Lock’s heart is just that strong, or maybe Moon’s heart yearned for love.” Draco smiled as he watched the two mares smiling.

Cadence looked up at Draco as he spoke with admiration from the tone of his voice. She placed a hand on her chest and felt her heart skip a beat somewhat, which confused her, but also made her feel warm inside. “Yes, you’re right, you speak as if you truly know what the heart wants.” Cadence smiled at Draco, which made him scratch his cheek sheepishly.

“N-not really. I’m just saying random nonsense is all. Hell, I barely understand what I was saying just now, honestly.” He chuckled nervously.

“Draco,” Cadence said as she took hold of his hand with hers. “It is not nonsense, every word made perfect sense to me.”

With a face burning brighter than Rudolph’s nose, steam escaped Draco’s ears as he tried his best to look around for any support to help.

“Are you feeling well?” Cadence asked, concerned. “Your face seems to be bright red.”

“Y-yeah fine!” Draco said, a little louder than expected of him. “I-uh, wow you're gorgeous-eh! I mean! Your dress is nice!”

“Oh, why thank you,” Cadence said with a smile and slightly red cheeks. “And you look very handsome in that tuxedo. Miss Rarity knows just how to dress a stallion properly.”

“Yep!” Draco said again louder than needed as he sweated bullets. “So! So, uh, how is your week!?” Draco facepalmed as he could have thought of nothing better to say.

“Draco, do as I do, breathe in,” Cadence said, taking a deep breath. Feeling like he couldn’t do anything else to make himself look stupid, Draco did as instructed and took a deep breath. “And out,” Cadence exhaled. He breathed out and seemed to be a bit more at ease. “Once more, in and out,” Cadence instructed and Draco repeated the process. “Feel better?”

“Y-yeah. A lot actually…thanks.” He glanced down at Cadance’s hand still holding his own. “Um, princess?”

“Hm? Oh, excuse me,” Cadence said as she pulled her hand away. “Twilight always had a habit of hyperventilating whenever she felt her reports or homework for Auntie Celestia wasn’t good enough, so I helped her calm down by practicing breathing techniques. If you want, you can tell me whatever is bothering you. I’m a good listener after all.”

Draco smiled and nodded his head. “Thank you Princess, I really do appreciate it. And the same goes doe you. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here whenever you need me." He said honestly and sincerely.

“Of course, one more thing.” She reached up and lightly booped Draco’s nose. “I recall telling you that you may call me Cadence instead of Princess. Make sure to remember that next time, hm?” With that, she left to tend to the guests and involuntarily added a slight sway in her hips with each step.

Draco’s cheeks flushed once more as his eyes became mesmerized by the subtle sway of her hips as she walked. “Fuck, I need another drink,” Draco said, quickly averting his gaze and walking over to the table with food and drinks.

“Bit for your thoughts?” Zephyr asked as he came up to Draco as he filled his glass almost all the way.

“The heart is truly a mystery,” Draco sighed before downing his glass in one go, without showing any signs of effects.

“No, I’d rather not say,” he said as he looked around too. “Aren’t you gonna go out and enjoy yourself?”

“I always wondered what the Gala was like whenever my sis went, now I’m not sure why she always made a big deal about it. How far do you think these nobles got sticks up their keisters?”

“Hahaha, probably till they all have them coming out of their mouths.” Draco chortled.

“Haha! Then why can’t we see them yet?” Zephyr questioned.

Draco laughed before nudging Zephyr. “Because they haven’t gone all the way, clearly.”

Both boys laughed out loud, causing some nobles to stare at them.

“Hey, maybe we should have a doctor check down their throats and pull the stick out!” Zephyr said as Draco sipped his drink.

“Or at the very least put them in a puppet show. Dumbass nobles on a stick.” Draco smiled, feeling at ease from before.

“Ppfpfff, HAHAHAHA!” Zephyr laughed out loud as he slapped his knee. “Dude! They’d probably argue who’s got the fancier mustache or most money.”

Draco sensing that Zephyr may go overboard, pulls the stallion’s drink away and gives him water. “Yeah things that don’t honestly matter.”

“So…ya feel better from whatever funk you were in?” Zephyr asked.

Draco nodded and looked around, before spotting a familiar rainbow maned mare. He smiles and nudged his head towards her. “So, you still have a thing for Dash?”

“Oh yeah,” Zephyr nodded. “And I ain’t gonna act like I did before, let me tell ya, I was a total douche to her and my sis.”

“Glad to see you understand your mistake.” Draco smiled before pointing to her again. “Why don’t you go hang out with her? Just to get things rolling.”

Zephyr stared at Draco for a moment. “Right…right now?”

“Well this is a celebration, she’s on her own. Now is as good a time as any to try and start over,” Draco added.

Zephyr paused for a moment and looked at Rainbow Dash as she was talking with Spitfire and Fleetfoot. “Draco, slap me,” he said, leaning his face towards Draco.

Without hesitation, Draco backhanded Zephyr across the face, causing the stallion to fall back. “I’m a good friend.”

“Ugh! Thanks…” Zephyr groaned, rubbing his cheek. He cleared his throat and fixed his mane. “Welp, wish me luck.” He took a deep breath and approached Rainbow Dash.

“Good luck dude!” Draco called out.

He picked up another glass of wine, before walking around to mingle with the others. The rest of the night seemed to be going well. The ponies were content and everyone was having a nice time. Draco had later found himself talking with Princess Luna and they were discussing Draco’s home world.

“I beg your pardon? Humans have traveled to the moon?” Luna asked in shock.

“Yeah honestly not sure why though? I mean now we are trying to create colonies on other planets, but before I guess they wanted to do it for shits and giggles.” Draco shrugged and drank down his 40th glass of wine. “History that didn’t involve animals wasn’t something I cared about honestly.”

“Erm…how many glasses of wine have you had?” Luna wondered. “I swear I must’ve seen you with the same glass throughout the whole night.”

“Oh, maybe forty or fifty, not sure.” Draco downed the glass before placing it down on a table.

“How is your liver still functioning?!” Luna gasped and poked Draco’s gut. “Does it have some kind of mechanism that helps you dilute alcohol?”

Draco chuckled as he gently pushed her hand away. “No idea, honestly. Truth be told, nothing I’ve tried really affects me. Not sure if that’s because of my powers or not.” Draco smirked before gently poking Luna’s side a few times. “Poke poke.”

“S-Stop that!” Luna jumped away, stifling a laugh. “You shouldn’t touch a mare without permission, mister!”

Draco smirked as hw turned to Celestia who was having a conversation just a foot away. “Hey Tia, mind if I tickle your sister silly?!” He called out to her.

“By all means! She’s especially sensitive behind her ears!” Celestia replied with a smile

“Sister, you traitor!” Luna snapped and started backing away from Draco. “Draco Saurian, by order of the Princess of the moon and co-ruler of Equestria, I forbid you from tickling me!”

“Sorry but you started this war.” Draco smirked before rushing in and poking his fingers on both sides of Luna’s side.

“Ah! Hehehehehe! S-Stop! Cease this! Thou shalt pay for-hehehehehehahaha!” Luna laughed as Draco tickled her.

“What does that ingrate think he’s doing?! He’s assaulting the Princess!” A noble snapped.

“Should we call the guard? He should be thrown in prison!”

“Tickle tickle!” Draco laughed as he quickly moved his hands to tickle behind Luna’s ear next.

“AH! HAHAHAHA-SNORT!”

Luna gasped as she shoved Draco away and covered her mouth. Her eyes were the size of dinner plates and her cheeks burned bright red.

Draco’s mouth hung wide open before he eventually burst out laughing, clutching his sides as he laughed. “Oh my God, that was adorable!”

“Silence! How dare thee do this to us!” Luna barked, stomping her hoof.

Draco wiped his tears away. “Don’t be like that Luna, I thought it was really cute.” Draco smiled at her to show he was sincere.

Luna’s cheeks burned even more red as she turned away with a pouty face, ignoring the stares. “Thou is mean for teasing us…”

“No, I’m serious. I think when a girl snorts it cute as hell, it means that you’re having a really good time.” His smile never wavered as he looked at the lunar princess.

Luna glanced over her shoulder, her pouty face still apparent. “Thou words are sincere…?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Draco said while doing the gesture that went along with the most powerful of promises in Equestria.

Luna then turned to face Draco all the way. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around Draco and hugged him close while burying her face into his chest.

“Thank you…” she mumbled.

Draco was caught off guard for a moment but slowly returned the gesture and hugged her back. “You’re very welcome Luna.”

SMASH!

“What do you mean I’m coeht ahff?! I can drenk as moehch as I damn well please!”

“Oh, sweet raptor babies no,” Draco whispered, breaking the hug with Luna as he looked around. “Oh, of all the stereotypes, please don’t,” Draco said as he followed the directions he had heard the crashing sound.

Draco made it to the bar and saw Phill standing on the bar table with a bottle of hard whiskey in his hand. The man was completely shirtless and his hair was messy and unkempt. There were a few stallions sprawled on the floor, red faced and unconscious. Probably Phill’s victims from trying to out drink the Saint.

“Comb ahn, lads! All tahgether now!”

A lahng time ago, way back in ‘istahry~.
When all dere was to drenk was nahthin boeht coehps o’ tea~.
Alahng came a man by de name o’ Charlie Mahps~.
And ‘e invented a wahnderfoehl drenk and ‘e made it ooeht o’ ‘ahps~!

Phill danced and sang along the bar table.

‘e moehst ‘ave been an admiral a soehltan ahr a king~.
And to ‘is praises we shall always sing~.
Look what ‘e ‘as dahne fahr oehs ‘e’s felled oehs oehp wit cheer~!
Lahrd bless Charlie Mahps, de man who invented beer beer beer~.
Teddly beer beer beer~.

“Oh for the love of…” Draco walked over to the bar and stared up at Phill with his arms crossed. “Phill, I think you’ve had too much to drink tonight.”

Phill ignored Draco as he took another swig and spun around, smashing the glasses on the bar. Phill began doing some form of river stomp on the bar and was hopping around like a fool, much to the noble’s distaste but the Princesses’ amusement.

De Coehrtis bar, de James’ Poehb, de ‘ahle in de Wall as well~.
One din you can be sure o’, its Charlie’s beer dey sell~.
So all ye lads a lasses at eleven O’clahck ye stahp~.
Fahr five shahrt secahnds, remember Charlie Mahps 1 2 3 4 5~.

Some guards tried to intervene, but ended up getting kicked in the face or Phill managed to evade their grabs as he danced and sang back and forth on the bar while taking another few shots of liquor.

‘e moehst ‘ave been an admiral a soehltan ahr a king~.
And to ‘is praises we shall always sing~.
Look what ‘e ‘as dahne fahr oehs ‘e’s felled oehs oehp wit cheer~!
Lahrd bless Charlie Mahps, de man who invented beer beer beer~.
Teddly beer beer beer~.

“Somepony stop that ingrate!” A noble shouted.

“This is a Gala, not a rodeo!” Another noble barked.

“WOOHOO! GO PHILLY!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Take another shot!” Berry called out.

“Keep singing, bro!” Flash shouted with laughter. Phill spun around in circles, making alcohol fly around the area and the bartender was in a fetal position on the floor.

A barrel o’ malt, a boehshel o’ ‘ahps, you ster it arooehnd wit a steck~.
De kend o’ loehbrication to make yooehr engine teck~.
40 pents o’ wallahp a day’ll keep away de quacks~.
Its ahnly eight pence ‘apenny and one and sex in tax, 1 2 3 4 5~.

‘e moehst ‘ave been an admiral a soehltan ahr a king~.
And to ‘is praises we shall always sing~.
Look what ‘e ‘as dahne fahr oehs ‘e’s felled oehs oehp wit cheer~!
Lahrd bless Charlie Mahps, de man who invented beer beer beer~.
Teddly beer beer beer~.

De lahrd bless Charlie Mahps~!

Dragging his hand down his face, Draco knew he had no other choice but to deal with his brother. He pulled Phill down from atop the table and took his drink away before replacing it with water. “You’re supposed to be the responsible one.” Draco groaned as he pulled Phill along by the back of his collar.

“Foehck ahff, ya git!” Phill slurred as he shoved Draco towards the crowd.

Draco lost his footing and tripped over his feet and crashed into someone. When he collected his senses, he felt something soft on his lips, oddly, and opened his eyes to reveal a very shocking sight. Draco had found himself tackled on Rarity and his lips were pressed on hers. The mare in question had her eyes bulging out of her skull and wasn’t moving due to shock.

“Ha! Look at de yooehng lettle birds gettin’ it ahn!”

Draco’s eyes rolled back into his skull as he slowly pulled away, cheeks burning bright. He quickly turned towards Phill. In a swift motion he delivered a chop to the back of the drunk Saint’s neck, knocking him out. As Phill’s body collapsed to the ground, Draco got Big B and Flash to carry him away to be put to bed.

He slowly turned to look at Rarity before bowing his head. “I-I’m really sorry about that Rarity.”

“My…first kiss…” Rarity muttered as she sat there and touched her lips.

Draco had heard this and felt an overwhelming sense of dread dawn over him. “I-I’m s-sorry, I swear it was an accident!”

“I am willing to forgive you, darling,” Rarity said as she stood up and dusted herself off. “But you must now take responsibility.”

“Responsibility?” Draco asked, slightly confused. I kissed her, not to get her pregnant. He thought to himself.

“Oh Shadow!” Rarity called out to his girlfriend. Shadow approached Rarity and the two mares whispered to each other for a moment and both nodded. “Draco, after you have returned from Sir Phillip’s Sanctuary visit, you shall be taking me out.”

“.......wot?”

“That’s right, babe,” Shadow smirked. “You’re gonna take miss fashionista here on a date!”

“..............” Draco placed his hands together, took a deep breath before looking back at the two. “WHAT!?”

“I believe that concludes tonight’s Gala, everypony!” Celestia announced, trying her best not to laugh out loud. “Thank you all for coming, and my sister and I hope to see you at the next one!”

The throne room was soon later emptied and the main six, Alpha Squad, and DF users made their way back to the Prometheus with Cadence following them.

“Uh…Draco?” Flash said to the dazed human. “We dropped Phill off in a guest room.”

Draco groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose, before sighing. “Thanks guys, I’ll deal with him later.” They nodded to him in response.

He turned his attention to Rarity and again tugged on the collar of his shirt before speaking. “S-so Rarity, when would you like me to take you out?”

“As I said, darling, after we all return from Sir Phill’s Sanctuary in the Appaloosan Mountains,” Rarity smiled.

“And you said you weren’t a fan of herds,” Shadow teased.

“It…was…an…accident,” Draco growled through gritted teeth as he sighed. “Anyway, you’re gonna have to go back home without me, babe. Thanks to Phill being drunk, I can’t trust him to be on his own. I’d rather not risk him using his powers while still drunk.”

“Well not technically, I’ll be with Phill. I’m gonna head to bed in a room next to him and kick his ass when he wakes up.”

“Want some company?” Shadow wiggled her eyebrows and patted Rarity’s shoulder.

“Down girl.” Draco patted Shadow's head. “I need to be focused in case Phill does something stupid. Having a drop dead gorgeous mare wouldn’t help me.”

“D-Drop dead gorgeous?” Rarity sputtered. “Oh, you flatter me, darling!”

“Nice one, partner,” Applejack chuckled.

“I-I” Draco facepalmed and groaned. “Just be safe getting back home, girls.”

Draco saw everyone off before asking a servant pony to show him which room Phill was in before taking the room closest to it. He could already hear Phill’s snoring from his room, making Draco roll his eyes before he entered his guest room. He kicked off his shoes, threw off his tux, and plopped in the bed with an exasperated sigh. This night was one to remember for years to come, but at least he could sleep with a clear conscience. He was able to liberate an entire country, and he’d do the same for the rest of the world.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Oi, Draco, get yooehr arse oehp…”

Draco’s eyes opened and he growled as he got off the bed and marched to the door and pulled the door open, glaring at Phill.

Phill we still shirtless but had his pants on. “Comb wit me, I need you fahr sahmethin’.”

Draco groaned before following Phill.

The two walked through the halls and tried to find the stairs but there wasn’t any for some reason in their path. They soon came across a pair of double doors that automatically slid open for them like an elevator. Shrugging, they both entered the elevator and looked up to see some kind of crystal. When they looked for some kind of buttons on the walls, there were none.

“Where’s de boehttahns?” Phill slurred.

“‘Ow de foehck wooehld I know?” Draco scoffed.

“Could you please repeat that?” The crystal announced.

“De ‘ell?! It spahke!” Phill said.

Draco clapped a hand over his mouth and looked at Phill. “Da foehck? Why do I sooehnd like dis?”

“Who bloody cares?!” Phill barked and looked up at the crystal. “I wanna know what dis is.”

Draco looked over at the crystal before considering it. “Hmm, it seems to be sahme kend o’ voice-recahgnition crystal.”

“Voice-recahgnition crystal? In a lift?”

“Aye,” Draco nodded.

“You ever tried voice-recahgnition?” Phill asked and Draco shook his head. “It dahn’t do Iresh accents.”

Draco glanced over at the crystal and said in an accent. “Eleven.”

“Could you please repeat that?” The crystal said.

“Eleven,” Phill said.

“Eleven!”

“Eleven!”

“Could you please repeat that?”

“EL-EV-EN!” Draco annunciated.

“‘ooze idea was dis?” Phill scoffed. “You need to try an American accent.” Phill cleared his throat. “E-leven. E-leven!”

“Dat stell sooehnds Iresh, naht American, I shooehld know.” Draco rolled his eyes.

“No it doesn’t,” Phill retorted. “E-leven.”

“Where in America is dat-Doehblin?” Draco questioned, sarcastically.

“I’m sorry. Could you please repeat that?”

“I’ll try an Englesh accent, ahem.” Draco cleared his throat. “Eelvin. Eelvin.”

“You frahm de same part o’ England as Deck van Dyke?” Phill deadpanned.

“Let’s ‘ear yooehrs den, smartass,” Draco sneered at Phill.

“Please speak slowly and clearly.”

“SMARTASS!”

“Ee-le-ven!”

“I’m sorry, could you please repeat that?”

“Eleven, if you dahn’t oehnderstand de lengo, away back ‘ahme to yooehr own cooehntry!” Phill barked at the crystal.

“Ooh, is dat de talk now, is it, away back to yooehr own cooehntry?” Draco arched a brow at Phill, crossing his arms.

“Oh, dahn’t start Mr. bleedin ‘eart, ‘ow can you be racest to a left?” Phill said, sourly.

“Please speak slowly and clearly.”

“Eleven. Eleven. Eleven. Eleven!” Draco repeated at the crystal.

“You’re joehst sayin it de same way!” Phill snapped.

“I’m goin’ to keep sayin’ it oehntil it oehnderstands Iresh, alright?” Draco said, agitated. “Eleven. Eleven. Eleven. Eleven!”

“Ahh, joehst take oehs anywhere, ya cow! Joehst ahpen de doors!” Phill shouted, completely fed up with the whole situation.

“This is a voice-activated elevator. Please state which floor you would like to go to in a clear and calm manner.”

“Calm? Calm? Where’s dat combing frahm? Why is it tellin’ to be calm?” Phill wondered, still agitated.

“Because dey knew dey’d be sellin’ dis to Iresh people who’d be goin’-AHFF DEIR NOEHTS AT IT!!” Draco shouted, throwing his arms up in anger.

“You have not selected a floor.”

“Aye, we ‘ave! ELEVEN!” Draco barked at the crystal.

“If you would like to get out of the elevator without selecting a floor, simply say, ‘Open the doors, please’.”

“Please? Please? Soehck me wully…” Phill hissed.

“Maybe we shooehld joehst say please,” Draco groaned, feeling fed up.

“I’m naht beggin’ dat fahr nahthin’,” Phill shook his head.

“Ahpen de doors…please,” Draco whined.

“Please,” Phill mocked. “Pathetic.”

“Please, remain calm.”

“AHH! MAH! GAHD! You wait ‘til I get oehp dere!” Draco facepalmed then started climbing on top of Phill’s back to stare at the crystal up close. “Joehst wait fahr it to speak!”

…

“You have not selected a floor.”

“Oehp yooehrs, ya cow! If you dahn’t let oehs throoehgh dese doors, I’m goin’ to search Equestria, I’m gahnna fend whatever desperate actress gave you a voice, and I’m goin’ to de electric chair fahr ye!”

“Ireland, you bastard!” Phill added.

“Ireland!” Draco cheered.

“Ireland!” Phill cheered as well.

“IIIIIIIIRRRRREEEELLLAAAAAND!!” Draco roared.

“Freedahm!” Phill chanted.

“Freedahm!” Draco shouted.

“FRRREEEEEEEEEEEDDDAAAAAAAAAHHHHHMMM!!!”

They both shouted at the top of their lungs, until the doors finally opened to reveal Cadence and Twilight. Both mares were red faced and trying their damndest not to laugh as Cadence held a microphone in her hand, indicating she was the voice from the crystal.

“…fock me.”

Author's Note

One country now free from tyranny, the rest surely to follow. To the victor go the spoils of celebration of drinking and dancing!

Hope you enjoyed!

~WurkyWilk has left the building…