Quashed

Jericho awoke to the shaking of his shoulder. He looked up to see one of his messengers standing over him, a sealed scroll in his hand. He accepted the scroll, rolling out of bed. As his cock dislodged from Cadance's arse, the sleeping princess let out a small moan of pleasure. She was absolutely loving this arrangement now.

The scroll was from Princess Luna. It had only three words written on it, but they carried with them great meaning. It is time. It meant that Celestia had gone into labour. She was the last of the three to be impregnated, and thus was the last to give birth.

Wiping his cock clean on Shining Armor's shirt, Jericho dressed himself in a rush and hurried out of the room. He'd taken the responsibility of disposing of the children from Celestia, though his methods of doing so were Luna's instructions. Telling Celestia that he'd take them all out at once allowed him to keep the children in Canterlot for a short time, having three female zebra warriors watching them at all times.

Over the past few weeks, Luna had grown attached to the infants, despite multiple warnings that doing so would only make the separation that much more painful. Even knowing the risks, she kept dropping in to make sure they were alright. If they could stay, she'd end up as a magnificent mother.

Jericho stepped into the carriage with Jaxton and Malak. They would all be making the trip back home tomorrow, spending two days with the minotaur babies as they went. It was beyond the Equestrian border, as Jericho had promised Celestia, and it was safe, as he had promised Luna. Twilight hadn't really taken a strong stance one way or the other, just wanting to be rid of them.

They arrived in Canterlot at dawn. As they entered the keep, they saw the midwife making her way out. They were just in time. Making their way to the room that had been designated as the nursery, they found Luna, softly cooing as she breastfed the newborn. She looked up as they entered. "You're here. I must admit, I was hoping you'd take your time in appearing. I wanted to spend a bit more time with them before they disappeared."

Jericho placed a hand on Luna's shoulder. "You can come see them whenever you wish. Of all I can offer, it's the most palatable dish."

Malak nodded. "We'll make sure they are given the very best care. They'll grow up healthy, you needn't despair."

Luna wiped a tear from her eye. "I know. I really appreciate your integrity with this, Prince Jericho. I shall be in contact with you as soon as I can."

The other two minotaur babies were sleeping calmly, as they had been through the night. Luna's son had been given a jet-black coat with midnight blue highlights. Though his eyes were closed right now, when opened they were a deep sapphire that, even now, were piercing through the hearts of those around him. He would be a very charismatic being when fully grown. Strong, too. The nubs that would one day be his horns were a bright white, and were already beginning to bud. That was a good sign this early in life.

Twilight had given birth to a daughter. She has a pastel lilac coat and emerald eyes full of wonder. Female minotaurs were not blessed with horns. This didn't mean they couldn't grow to be warriors, far from it. There were plenty of female minotaur soldiers. It was simply less common. They typically chose support positions.

Celelestia's son looked almost exactly like his father, with brown fur and dark eyes. His horn nubs had a mild blue shimmer to them, like polished steel. He was a fair bit smaller than his siblings, and the midwife who'd delivered him had noted his lungs being a bit weak. She'd made a statement saying he would need some physical therapy early in life if he wanted to breathe properly growing up, but Celestia had reminded her that the child was to be executed soon, and it wouldn't matter.

As the youngest fell asleep, Luna separated from him and gently handed him off to a female zebra soldier. As soon as she was sure it would be alright, she turned back to Jericho. "If anything goes wrong with them, tell me directly. I want to know the very instant they need me."

Jericho chuckled. "I understand the source of your fears, but worry not for your little dears. I promise, they will be safe from harm. I shall give you no cause for alarm."

Luna returned to her bedroom as the zebras returned to their carriage. From her balcony, she watched as her precious children disappeared down the mountain. As soon as they were out of sight, she dragged herself to her bed and lay down. as she placed her hand on the pillow where Steelhorn used to sleep, she could no longer hold back her tears. They continued to flow until all energy had been sapped from her body, and she fell into a restless sleep.

Over the next few years, the children had grown into shining beacons, pillars of their community. Even at age six, Midnight Raid had a strong grasp on military-grade tactics. The efficiency with which he disposed of building block castles was unmatched. If that weren't enough, his own structures were powerfully built and very rarely toppled. Even when they did, it was to multiple foes at once.

His sister, Soothing Belle, had taken quite the interest in potions. She wasn't all that bad at it, either. Sure, her formulas were simple, but she was also the youngest student in her class by a very wide margin. Her crowning achievement thus far had been her anti-bacterial paste, a simple mixture that all medical professionals could make in their sleep. That's not to say that it wasn't effective. She was always the first one her brothers came to whenever they were hurt. With her standing behind them, they could rest easy.

Finally, there was Steelhorn Junior. While not as handsome or likeable as his older brother, and not as learned as his sister, he was still a force to be reckoned with. He usually kept to himself, not speaking much. He was more content to watch anyway. His silence faded when he saw any form of bullying, though. He didn't have that many friends, but when they were being picked on, he was the first to stand up. Even if he was facing a being more than twice his age, and more than twice his size. He'd even once driven off an adult gryphon who'd been forcing himself on one of the maids. He was small, but he packed quite a powerful headbutt. It was almost as if his horns really were made of steel.

Luna came to visit at the beginning of every month. Every night, she'd watch over their dreams personally, but she absolutely loved seeing them in person. All three of them were precious to her, and she wouldn't ever stop loving them.