Chapters “Do I remember where I was when the queen fell… of course I do, I don’t think I’ll ever forget,” the aging guard said as he answered the interviewer. “I was there when the Queen fell, alongside Princess Twilight and Princess Cadence, I delivered the fatal blow the changeling queen..”
“Mr. Latenighter, do you ever regret any of your decisions throughout your military career?” the interviewer, known as Featherweight asked as he scribbled the guards last answer in his notebook.
“... Regrets…” he mumbled, “... I have too many… but my biggest one was possibly not acting quick enough when Princess Luna and Celestia were… taken from us…” Late said as his mind began to project memories of the changeling wars in his head. He shook his head to try and clear his mind of the torture.
“I see, how so? Would you have been able to save the princesses?” Featherweight asked, curiosity blooming in his mind.
“... Would I have been able to save them… we all have that dream, that we could play hero and save the world from the changeling hives… No… I still couldn’t save them… but I faltered at the call… instead of charging our armies into battle, we waited for our Princesses to be laid to rest…” he answered, trying to hold back the tears that came with that time… grieving over one of his best friends… his mentor from younger years, when he spent his days writing stories.
Featherweight nodded slowly as he jotted down the story before him, the story of a broken pegasus. He took a deep breath as he closed his notebook and shook the guards hoof before walking out of the small room in the news building used for non televised interviews.
Latenighter took a few breaths as he exited the room, swarmed by some of the younger anchors, eager to make a name for themselves by getting an interview with the lieutenant commander of the Equestrian armed forces. He passed them by with a blank look, trying his hardest from running out of the building. Once he cleared the doorway, he took a deep breath of fillydelphia air. Though it wasn’t the high mountain air of Canterlot he was used to, it cleared his mind and allowed him to take flight, at least the flight he could still take.
The war had spared none on injury, both mentally and physically, and Late was no different, losing his right wing during a battle, he had it replaced with a prosthetic one, and limited his flight capabilities to short range. It didn’t stop him from flying when he had the chance. Though he wasn’t able to feel the wind on his wing anymore, he still had to be in the air… it was apart of him, ever since he had joined the forces as apart of the Equestrian Air Force, after he had been denied the Royal Guard.
He landed clumsily on the platform for the train and waited for what seemed to be an eternity, before the train slowly chugged over the hill, coming to a stop with a hiss and a cloud of smoke. Memories of one of the first times he rode the train wedged it’s way in his mind.
~ he looked over at the unicorn beside him, holding his hoof, which was bent at an awkward angle, broken and waiting to be set… he looked to his other side, and seen an earth pony with a bloody eye… he then glanced at himself, as he felt weird… he was cold. His hooves were all there, all good, his body looked righ… his wing… it was.. gone…. he then saw the doctor as he finished sealing up his wing, or what was left of it…
“Do you remember what happened?” The Doctor asked as he walked around him.
Late slowly shook his head… he didn’t even remember how he got on the train…
“Let’s see your tags,” He asked as he used his magic to levitate Late’s dog tags where he could read them. “.. Latenighter Dirt… 105th air Bourne… Canterlot company…”
Late’s tags hit his chest as the doctor gasped, then giving him a quick pat on the shoulder.
“... D-Doc… What’s wrong?” Late asked as he tried to look him in the eye.
“... the 105th air Bourne was completely wiped out by a hive strike… there were no reported survivors… until you came along…”
“Soarin… Quick Wing… Feather Drift…” Late mumbled
“All confirmed at the sight… I’m so sorry son…” the doctor said before moving on to his next patient. ~
Late looked out the window as the train puffed along through the Elysian Field, when Late called for the train to stop. As the train came to a halt, he walked up to the front of the car and took a cautious step onto the platform. When he walked off the platform onto the holy ground, the train slowly began to move as the steam engine began to roll.
As he looked at the graveyard, there were ponies dotting the land here and there, paying respects to those they loved… and then there was the wall, full of names of those who made it home. He walked off of the platform with a slight limp on his right side, another effect from the war, a broken hind leg put him out for nearly two years.
He began to walk out towards the graves when a shy voice interrupted him.
“Y-You… are Comander…”
“Lieutenant commander, and the names Late, what's yours miss?”
“My name’s Loveydove, Sir! I am apart of the war design branch you made… b-back in the war!”
Latenighter nodded as he looked over at the now excited young unicorn. “How long have you been in the service?” he asked, hoping she was a new recruit as he looked at row after row.
“I’ve been the chief weapons designer for exactly three weeks, but I’ve been in her majesty’s service for nearly four years!” she said, almost over eagerly.
“Where are you from?” He asked, stopping at the row that held his friends.
“I’m from Canterlot sir, i served under lieutenant plum,”
Plum… he knew that name.. she was one of his best recruits when he had been first promoted to lieutenant commander. The violet unicorn was a force to be reckoned with, having taken half a hive by herself before backup arrived.
He walked slower as he approached the gravestones that held the names of his friends, Soarin.. Feather Drift.. Quick Wing… they all laid there, resting in peace, free from the pain of the living. As he stopped, he heard the gasp of the unicorn beside him.
“...Soarin… he was a legend… was the rumors about him true.. could he really fly super sonic!?! Was he really as vicious as they say!?!” Loveydove exclaimed as she tried to hold back her excitement.
Latenighter smiled a bit as he replied, “he was something alright, though his flying was something to behold..” he said as he remembered a few moments to tell the young unicorn.
‘... he flew through the air with a swift flap of his wings, and then he began to loop de loop around one of our mare comrades, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow and no amusement.
“..and who do you think you are?” She asked as he righted himself and faced her.
“..well my name’s Soarin, one fifth of the wonderbolts, and I also like pie!” He answered with optimism.
The mare simply shook her head and flew off to some of the other mares.
He landed beside me and cocked a smile over at me, then belched and spoke, “..so I guess we’re bunking together Late, if you don’t mind,”
“Well, I guess we could, if’n you could show me to Spitfire..” I played as I puffed up a little.
“.. Sure thing, as long you show me that unicorn you hang around with a lot..” he played before both of us laughed…’
He stared at the grave, tears welling up in his eyes, “..he was gonna be married when we got home that day.. had the ring and everything…” he said before a sniffle rocked him. “We were going to have a double wedding.. him and Spitfire, and me and Diamond… but after that day… everything folded, when I woke up in the hospital, I couldn’t go through with my promise to Diamond, and our relationship fell apart…” he said as he felt another tear making its way down his face to meet the others that had fallen.
Loveydove put a hoof on his shoulder, trying to comfort the old stallion. “I’m so sorry sir, I shouldn’t have brought him up,” she said as she tried to apologize.
Late lifted his head and brought a hoof to her chin. “Now, don’t go thinking like that, it’s good to talk about him and remember the stories he had… that sounds like the old me,” he said as memories he had before the war began to wiggle their way into his head, Memories of writing stories and living life to the fullest.
“Believe it not ms. Dove, I used to be an author, I actually have a few books on the castle library,” Late said as he began to walk back from the grave towards the train station, and the next part of his journey, home to Canterlot.
When the train finally let out a long whistle and a short burst of steam at the Canterlot station, it’s occupants began to leave and walk into the station, some finding friends or family, and others making the journey to work. Latenighter slowly limped off the train as he got the first few whiffs of the high mountain air, calming him a bit. As he walked through the crowd, the young designer Loveydove trotted by, giving him a small wave and a nod before exiting, making her way to the Royal Equestrian forces on the other side of the city. He nodded back as he made his way towards the front door, home on his mind.
As he opened the door however, a smell caught his nose.. a smell he hadn’t smelled for a long time. The scent in question.. Pie.. but not just any pie, but the apple pie made by one pony, though he couldn’t remember her name, he did remember another… Diamond. He let his nose guide him as he weaved around ponies, who gave him indifferent looks as they made their own way through the city.
He glanced at each of the street posts he past, already knowing them by heart, first street, Sugar Cube lane, sapphire avenue, lunar street. As he past the last, a small diner began to come into view, and with it, a brown pony in front of it, her pink mane falling around her shoulders. He stopped, beginning to curse himself at the thought of following his nose, knowing that there was a chance of running into… her.
She hadn’t changed a look for nearly six years, still looking as beautiful as the day he met her, right there in that diner.
“Well, this isn’t gonna be easy, but I can’t do anything standing here.” He thought to himself as he took the first steps toward her, who was still unaware of him being there.
As he got closer, he felt his heart begin to beat faster, his breath began to quicken, enough so that at first, he thought he had had a heart attack. When he concluded that he was only nervous, he closed the remaining distance between the two, stopping a few feet away from his former lover. He could smell the scent of daylily on her, and could see the radiance shine off of her.
He seen her eyes glance over at his reflection, before looking back at her own in the window again.
“H-hello Diamond..” Late said softly, his cheeks beginning to burn the slightest shade of red.
“Hello… Commander Latenighter,” she answered, her words coming out hateful and judging.
The words bit deep, cutting open old wounds he thought had healed. He did his best to stay strong, but a tear still managed to make its way out and travel down his muzzle, before falling in a solo act before splashing upon the ground in front of him.
“I thought you would have a meeting or something at the castle, you always seemed too busy to come back here… even if you had some pony waiting for you..” she said again, her words tearing old scars out and revealing unhealed wounds.
“... I’m.. I’m sorry… but I know that won’t fix this…” he answered, his voice cracking.
For the first time since he had arrived, she looked at him, where he seen tear filled eyes, and a halfway cocked smile.
“No… but it’s a start,” she said as closed the distance between them and pulled Late into a tight hug.
He hugged her back, as tight as he could, feeling tear after tear falling off his face. As he pulled away, he found the same expression on her face as she wiped away her own tears. He raised his glasses as he wiped his own before smiling at the unicorn.
“It’s been too long Diamond… it’s been too long,” he said as he looked into the shop, now setting empty. He looked back into the eyes of Diamond and was… lost. He was lost in the universe of her bright aqua eyes… lost in good memories… lost in the years of his youth, chasing after love and other things.
“You have any plans for lunch?” He asked, hoping that the mare was free.
She looked back at him with confusion… his heart sank, she was married.. she had to be, there was no way that she stayed single for the nearly six years he had been gone. She then smiled as she used her horn to pull some of the hair from her eyes.
“Are you asking me out for lunch?” She asked playfully.
Late then nodded slow, smiling. “I guess I am… are you free then?” He asked.
She giggled a giggle that could have come from a younger mare as she opened the door of the diner and walked in as Latenighter followed.
As they walked into the diner, the old mare that ran the diner walked out and nearly fainted.
“Well I’ll be..” she began, “I thought I was never gonna see you two in here again,” the old mare finished as she then pulled out an Apple pie from the oven and carried over to the first table by the door, where the two ponies had sat.
As Diamond looked at her lunch date, she could see all the things that had changed. His right wing.. was gone, and his chest bore what looked to be burns. His youthful and loving face, had been molded into straight and unyielding lines, stress wrinkles, and a look of constant sorrow. His playful chin had been chiseled straight, and his eyes… that once held the spark of life and imagination… were now darkened by reality. How had he changed so much…
Late was the first to speak, after a small grunt.
“I… how have you been Diamond?” He said, wanting to say more, wanting to tell her how much he had missed her, loved her and loved her still… but the words never formed.
“Well.. my shop began to boom, so I decided to buy a few more… and now I have shops all over the place,” she said, trying to keep the awkwardness to a minimum.
Latenighter nodded as he took a small bite from the pie… his eyes lit up, the flavors melting in his mouth, and on a fluke, the words Came out. “Diamond, I love you,” he nearly yelped.
“What?” She asked, bewildered by the statement.
“I still love you… I always have.. I always will,” he said, the words spewing out like word vomit.
“I uhh…” she answered, her mind reeling from the statement. He still loved her.. after all that time, he still loved her.
Hearing nothing from her, Late began to lose hope, she was right to hate him… he left her in the rain six years ago. He lowered his head in defeat, waiting for her to get up and leave, but instead felt a sensation on his chin. He felt the magic lift his chin up until he looked Diamond in the eyes, her eyes piercing his very soul.
“Do you mean it?” She asked as she looked him through his dark blue eyes, looking for some sign that her Night had come back. It was then she seen it, a small spark… a spark of the old Latenighter.
“...yes, I truly mean it,” he said as he began to melt away his outer barrier.
She closed the distance and brought her lips against his, relighting a fire that had been long extinguished. As they parted from the passion, the door opened as a violet unicorn walked in with a grim look upon her face.
“General… there’s been an attack..” Plum said slowly.
“General, But I’m the… no..” Late said as the realization hit him like the train. “..How bad was the attack?” He asked slowly, not really wanting to know the answer.
“The castle in Ponyville was hit hard… General Rainbow Dash was fighting back a small hoard of changelings, when we saw… her,” Plum said as the violet unicorn cringed.
“Her?” Late answered, his mind already racing with possible answers, but nowhere near prepared for the answer he was about to receive.
“The Queen…” she finished, her body now quivering with fear and disgust. “We saw the Changeling Queen…”
“But… t-that’s impossible, I watched the queen die with my own eyes,” Late answered, his world feeling tore upside down. He remembered that day well, watched the queen take her final breaths, watched her eyes glaze over, her heart stop… it was not possible. “who’s all left?” He asked, hoping that the casualties were low, as any loss from the Ponyville division was major.
“Sir…” she began slowly, her voice stumbling.
“No… no no no…” he reacted, they couldn’t be, they couldn’t be all gone...
“I’m so sorry sir, but we’ve lost the Elements… all of them… Princess Cadence is the only pony left, only because she was in the Crystal empire today, and was spared,” Plum said slowly, a small tear falling down the rigid pony’s cheeks, falling to the ground like a single shot, piercing the ground with its splash.
Latenighter clenched his jaw, trying to keep himself from screaming.. they were all gone. The most powerful defense in the kingdom.. gone, now they were more vulnerable than ever to the Changeling Queen and her army. His eyes watered, spitting out a couple tears for the six ponies he had come to admire, a couple of them having the honor and pleasure of calling friends.
He looked from the now lieutenant commander Plum back to his love, Diamond, in which he gave a sorrowful look. He had come here to patch things up with the unicorn, hoping to start their relationship anew, but now was going to have to say goodbye, again.
“Diamond… I… I’m so..” but his words were stopped by a hoof as she pressed it gently onto his lips. She looked at him like she used to, lovingly and playfully, though her aqua eyes pierced his very soul, but in her eyes he saw something new.. fear.
“Night, you’re the General now.. I think I can deal with you leaving this time, so go save the world, I’ll still be here when you come home. I won’t leave, I promise you that, as long as you promise that you won’t die on me,” she said, giving him a small nuzzle up his neck.
“For you Diamond, I would promise you the stars above,” he said as he returned the nuzzle, before pulling back. “ but I promise you I will come home, and will try my best to not die..”
“Fair enough,” she said as she blinked a couple tears from the corners of her eyes and nodded. “Now go kick that pony’s Swiss cheese flank across Equestria!” She finished before walking out of the diner, making her way to the train station, where she would travel home to neighgrafalls.
Latenighter watched her walk away, taking in every moment, every small detail in the unicorn, the way she moved, her mane lightly moving to the small gusts through the street. He knew that this could very well be the last time he saw her, the threat from the queen of the Changelings being dire. After she had disappeared behind a couple buildings, Late turned back to his lieutenant, who was waiting patiently for his instruction.
“Alright lieutenant, Let’s get to it,” Late said as he and the unicorn started to make their way to the castle, ready to call the guard to arms against their old enemy.
She looked through the wreckage of the castle balcony as she searched, stepping over pony bodies strung everywhere, forever frozen in the final moment of battle, their faces still tensed and bearing a snarl. Her piercing eyes searched for the pony who thought he could out wit her, stabbing her through her heart.. or so he had thought. She could see the bodies of the vile element bearers, laying in a group, where they tried to hold off her army, but failed to the superior might of her Changelings. The body of the commander wasn’t here, which enraged her, causing her to shriek out in anger!
“Jackyl!!” The Queen called out, referring to her General, the half changeling/ half Zebra. A newer General after her last one, pharynx was slain by the very commander she despised. She looked to the balcony as she seen the dark pony walking out, bowing his head in respect and fear of his queen. “Where is the commander!?! That vile pony that thought he could kill me was supposed to be here!!! I want his head on a stick! That Pegasus has thwarted me, destroyed my plans and ruined my life for the last time!! I will have my revenge..” Came her bug like voice, echoing around the balcony, making her already frightening voice all the more erie.
“Of course my queen, your bidding will be done, I will see him suffer for all that he has done..” he answered, his deep abyss like voice sending shivers down the spine of all who heard it, with the exception of his queen. He turned around, before giving off a quick high pitched screech. Five other Changelings walked out of the wall, leaving their camouflaged positions as part of the very crystal that made the wall.
“Find the commander, and when you do, eliminate him with extreme pain and bring his head to the queen!” He nearly roared, the five others nodding before turning and running through the castle, ridding the Ponyville castle of all life. Jackyl then opened his wings and flew off of the balcony, starting his own search for his queen’s quarry.
“If you haven’t heard by now, we have been attacked..” Latenighter said as he paced in front of a large squad of ponies, varying in size and stature. “We lost ponies dear to us, including our beloved princess, Twilight Sparkle!!” He paused hearing the many gasps and cries. After a few moments, he continued, “we are not going to let her get away with this!! We are going to take her out!!” He yelled, raising a hoof high to bring hope to the soldiers, they were going to need it, all of us were.
As Latenighter entered his tent on the base of the mountain that Canterlot was built on, his mind drifted to the unicorn in his heart. She was probably in her hometown, making a signature broach or magnificent necklace. He thought about the promise he had made her, telling her that he would come home. If Chrysalis had been able to get rid of the elements, how was he going to be different. The very thought of it sent chills down his spine… he wasn’t the young springly Stallion he used to be, and it scared him, his mortality slowly creeping up his back, lightly caressing his injured wing, before running a hoof up his neck, touching a nasty scar on the back of his head, where he had been thrown into the barn as a foal from one of the bulls his family raised. The feelings hurt, reminded him that he was only one pony… and a very lucky one at that, and at some point, that luck would run out.
He walked over to the large wooden desk that sat in the middle of the tent and pulled out a drawer, where he brought out a paper and quill. As he sat down, he began writing a note.. if anything ever went ill, and he wasn’t able to come back home.
“Diamond,
A single tear hit the parchment as he finished the note, hoping that he would never have to give her the parchment, hoping that he could burn the parchment, destroy the only hard evidence that he was worried about coming back. He folded the note one way, then folded it again before placing in a pocket on his armor, which shown a brilliant silver, stating his allegiance to Princess Luna.. to the end. He sighed as he picked up his helmet, placing the cold metal over his head, blocking his mind from everything except for the sights before him.
He took a deep breath before walking out of the tent and towards a small group of ponies in similar dress, lieutenants and squad leaders, sub commanders and even a high commander… all awaiting the instructions of their general. As he took each step, his thoughts began to rattle in his helmet, thoughts of never coming home, facing the queen again… seeing Diamond one more time, all of which nearly threw off the rhythm of his walking, stumbling a bit. As he stopped in front of the other leaders, their conversations stopped as they looked to him with full attention, eager to know the extent of his strategy to take down the changeling queen.
“First off, thank you all for coming here on such short notice,” Late started, knowing that each one had come from every corner from Equestria to hear from the general, rather than receive a letter. “And now onto business… taking down Chrysalis. I would like to take a simple approach to the matter to begin with, trying to come at her from the north from the Everfree, while another division comes from the west, from Appaloosa, while the crystal soldiers take on what’s left of her army..”
“Sir, do you think she’ll go down that easy?” came the voice of Plum, his lieutenant.
“No, no i do not, but we can always hope. My second plan of action is a two line force from the cover of the Everfree, while another attacks from the north, dividing her army onto the two armies, and that’s where the Canterlot company comes in through the middle and”
“Why the Canterlot company, can’t the Cloudsdale division make the final strike!?!” came the enraged voice of Spitfire.
“Why not Ponyville?” came the voice of Comet tail, the unicorn enraged about it as well.
“If everyone goes in the middle, then who will take the sides? Keeping her army at bay?” Late asked, trying to bring logic back into the argument. “With Ponyville to one side of her army, and Cloudsdale on the other, we would have to move to make it work, in which time she would take notice and make a move,” he said, it seeming to make sense to the other two as they stopped the argument.
“Then it is settled, we have our attack route, now let us focus on other important matters,” he said, not knowing that he was beginning to tear up before the others, who looked at him with a bit of pity. They all knew what they were getting into, but they had agreed on the fact that Latenighter was… not as good as he used to be. “Alright mares, gentle colts, I dismiss this meeting, till all are one,” he said as he placed his hoof in between the group, which followed one after the other.
“Till all are one!!” They shouted as they released the grip on each other and began to head their separate ways, towards the different sections of the Equestrian Armed Forces.
As Latenighter walked back to his own tent, he was distracted by a small object shining by his tent. His mind moved quickly, thinking it explosive, but his eyes told him different. He picked up the small gem to find it was a necklace… with a heart shaped gem at its point. He softly touched the heart with his hoof… impressed by the quality of the Stone.. whoever’s necklace was going to be looking for it. As his hoof grazed the stone, it opened slowly to reveal a photo.. one all too familiar to him.
The photo was taken at a small fair in Ponyville, after a harvest one year, before the Changeling war. The Stallion’s bright yellow and red mane was sticking out like a sore thumb against the dull green background of the photo booth, though his blue eyes shined with the fire of a younger pony. Next to him was a unicorn mare, her pink mane falling behind her brown coat, her aqua eyes locked on the pony next to her as she sealed the picture with a kiss to the other pony.
He smiled as he closed it back, opening the tent flap to see the unicorn from the photo, setting by his chair inside. The mare stood up quickly as he walked in, as if she had been waiting for a while for him. She flashed him a big smile, though he could see through her mask to see the worry she had… the very same worry that he was dealing with. He walked up to her with a couple big steps and hugged the mare tightly, feeling her do the same as the feelings started to flow.
“D-Diamond… I need to talk to you for a moment,” he asked, hoping that she had indeed come to talk.
She froze up as he said those words.. they were nearly the same as the time before, when he had left her for nearly ten years… he wasn’t going to do it again.
“Night.. please don’t do this again..” she said, though she felt like she was practically begging. “Please don’t leave me alone again..”
“Diamond.. I would never leave you, not for all the stars in the sky,” he said, separating himself from her grasp, to look the mare in the eye. “I know that you’re worried.. and that’s what I wanted to talk about.. because I’ve been having the same worry myself,” he answered, seeing the mares attitude and body language relax. “My mind has been racing as I do nothing but worry, that if something happens to me and i can’t come home..” he said, stopping to catch a breath, but to also take a hoof and place it on Diamond’s chin, and gave her a faint smile. “I worry that if i don’t come home, you’ll never forgive me.. That history is only repeating itself, and i left you again..” but he was cut off by soft lips against his.
“Night, you did something that surprised me.. You came back, even when you didn’t have too.. It made me realize how much I missed you… and how I don’t want you to go..” she answered, her heart in her hooves. She hoped that he would take her in his hooves like he used to, which usually led to other things, but nonetheless, to prove that he loved her still.
That kiss had blew Lare away, it had been unexpected, but it was also a reminder of something else.. she normally only booped him, leaving her tender sweet kisses for important occasions.. or as gateways that led to other things. Not really knowing which one she was going for, he went for the one that seemed most obvious, returning her embrace as he led her across the room..
“Sir… the armies are moving, should we mobilize?” One of the Changeling spy’s said to Jackyl as he looked over a massive army of unicorn as they marched the fields of Ponyville.
“Negative.. we wait for the commander to show himself before we move,” Jackyl said as he blended back in to his cover behind a patch of bushes at the edge of the Everfree Forest…
Spitfire led her squadron with utmost precision as they soared above the plains of the north, scouting for signs of Changeling activity before they went to move in for the misdirection. She banked to the left as her Pegasi followed, ready to lay their lives down for the good of Equestria. A shiny figure caught her eagle eye vision from the field.. a Changeling scout. She made a quick motion, pointing down with a hoof as she aimed at her target, the others doing the same, only awaiting instruction to charge the scout. She began a wide circle around the Changeling below, allowing it to see the might of Cloudsdale, 300 strong. The scout didn’t run, didn’t panic, in fact it didn’t even move.
She didn’t like this.. Changelings were terrified of more numbers than their own, so either they were vastly outnumbered, or this was a new breed of Changeling.
“Blue skies, make a pass by!” Spitfire shot out as the blue Pegasus she commanded broke away from the group, diving quickly before opening her wings just enough to catch the wind and slow herself down before opening them all the way.
She made her pass, coming with a few hundred yards of the object, making a quick estimate of it’s size and stature. Her glance revealed a large looking Changeling, with what appeared to be zebra stripes on its buggy hide. She didn’t see any sign of others, and so she swooped back up a few hundred feet, turning sharply and letting gravity pull he towards her target. She stanced herself so that her hind legs were facing the creature, and opened her wings to push herself through as she closed the distance between herself and the Changeling. The Changeling only looked upon her as she brought all her might into the kick on it’s head, but to her surprise, the Changeling became a carved statue of wood. She crashed through the wood with ease, breaking the head into nothing but splinters, which covered her as she landed in the tall grass.
Spitfire made a lap around the area before making a slow descent, landing with a quick touchdown before slowly walking to help blue skies up. “Come on soldier, this is no time for napping,” she said with a stern smile.
“Yes ma’am!” Came her response as she took Spitfire’s hoof and stood up.
“What happened?” Spitfire asked as she pointed towards the pile of splinters.
“I seen a Changeling, when I got closer, I saw a zebra Changeling hybrid, then when I went for a takedown, it turned into a piece of wood,” Blue Skies said as she scratched her head with a hoof.
“Mistakes happen, let’s spread out and search the area, make sure this isn’t a plant…” but she was interrupted by a blood curdling scream. “Changelings!!!” She shouted, jumping to the air with speeds near sonic levels, but quickly slowed herself. “Wait, that’s not a Changeling war cry, that was.. fleet foot..”
“Spitfire!!!... Spitfire!!!...” Came the curdling screams of FleetFoot as she pointed to what appeared to be an empty field.
“FleetFoot, what is it!?” Spitfire said as she stopped and hovered beside the blue Pegasus.
“Look…” she said shakily as she pointed to the field, now able to see the countless unicorn that laid lifeless upon it..
“Sweet Celestia…” Spitfire whispered as a queasy feeling Came about her, nearly making her faint and throw up at the same time. The ponies that laid there were what remained of the Ponyville force. “I… I .. I knew there was a reason we didn’t run into Comet.. s-search the area, look for any survivors,” Spitfire said calmly as she ordered her friend.
Spitfire flew back to the splintered decoy where Blue Skies waited. “Blue Skies.. I need you to make a flight to Canterlot, inform our ‘general’ that the Ponyville forces are.. gone”
“Gone!!! But ma’am!”
“But nothing soldier, and when you’re there, seek out Tree Branch, she works as Latenighter’s ears and mouth outside of Canterlot, and tell her we have to usurp the General before he gets us all killed,” Spitfire finished as Blue Skies saluted and took to the air, flying high and fast toward the Canterlot base.
As FleetFoot searched the lifeless field, a small movement caught her eye at the edge of a small forest. She motioned with a hoof as three pegasi silently rushed the movement in the tall grass, nearly invisible to all.
The three pegasi moved quickly on the target before moving back, a single unicorn now hastily running between them.
As FleetFoot watched them approached, she called out the Ponyville Changeling trick.
“Ponyville, Home of the-“
“Chilli Peppers,” the unicorn answered, shooken up from his recent ordeal.
Fleetfoot nodded as the two Pegasi left, flying back to their spots in the squadron. She walked up to the unicorn and placed a hoof on his shoulder, speaking softly and clearly. “What happened here soldier?” She asked, waiting patiently for an answer.
“T-they came from the trees… right out of the trees.. Only 15 of them.. They walked through our forces..”
“Wait, you said 15? 15 drones did this?” She asked, hoping he meant fifteen thousand.
“D-drones… these weren't drones ma'am… they were a hybrid.. A zebra changeling cross… deadly and effective… only fifteen walked through us, and when they were done, they were mad about something, saying it wasn't the right commander before they disappeared..” the unicorn said in a solemn voice, shaking as memories of the battle clouded his eyes.
“Very well, see the medic soldier, and we'll see about getting you home,” FleetFoot said as she took off the ground and made her way to Spitfire, who was watching her pegasi beginning to move the pony bodies. She stopped in front of her, saluting before Speaking.
“So what's the situation Fleet?” Spitfire asked.
“He was delusional but coherent enough to know what happened… a new hybrid, zebra mixed… says 15 ran through this force, looking for the commander,” FleetFoot responded.
Spitfire took in a deep breath, knowing that the next words out of her mouth would seem to be treason. “FleetFoot, bring me Blue Skies, I need a message delivered to Canterlot, and to our marvelous general,” she said with disgust.
“Yes ma'am!” FleetFoot said as she sped after the blue Pegasus, who arrived at Spitfire’s hooves quickly.
“Blue Skies, I need you for an important mission, do you accept?” She asked Blue Skies with her usual military formality.
“Yes ma'am!” Came Blue Skies answer.
“I need you to fly to Canterlot and report this to command, but I also need you to find a pony and relay a message,” she said as she motioned for Blue Skies to follow. She walked slowly away from the field that was now beginning to be cleared of the bodies, now being buried and accounted for. “Find the pony known as Tree Branch, she is the right ear to the general, and simply tell her that the sparrow has left the nest, she'll know what to do, I'll be arriving in Canterlot in a couple days to finish the protocol,” she said as she issued her command.
Blue Skies nodded and Saluted as she turned and few to the northwest, where Canterlot waited. Spitfire watched her fly off until the Pegasus became nothing more than a blue dot in the distance. She then turned her attention back to her duties as acting commander and saw to her troops.
At the edge of the Everfree Forest, a regal Changeling walked out of the darkness to meet a pony walking towards her.
“How goes my enemy?” Queen Chrysalis asked the stranger as she smiled back.
“Just as you predicted my queen, they have begun to fall apart at the ranks, they blame the General, and plan to strip him before casting him out,” the stranger said in a feminine voice.
“Good.. Good, and once he is cast out, we will finish off their pathetic armies and deal with him… oh my spy, none of this would have been possible without you,” Chrysalis said as she began to laugh and return to the forest, while the stranger began to walk back towards the now abandoned town of Ponyville.
He shrank back as the blast erupted a few feet beside him, hurling him a few hundred yards before falling on his muzzle. He rolled over just in time to miss a Changeling spear as it struck the ground right by his head. Instinct kicked in as he latched a hoof on the spear before jumping back to his hooves and sending the spear back to its owner, impaling the changeling before it fell over, becoming no more than another littered body on the battlefield. As he went to move, a large shadow stopped him. As he looked up, a massive changeling stood before him.
As he went to flank it, the changeling bought a hoof forth, grabbing him before shaking him around like a rag doll before throwing him to the ground. The changeling began to shriek before making what sounded like a cackle. Late brought a hoof up and gouged the changeling's eye. The beast, now partially blind, reared up in pain and anger, his screams adding to the thousands of others in the fight.
“You'll pay for that!!? The changeling shrieked as it held its eye, watching its quarry get up.
“I already am, changeling blood stains my coat,” Late said as he tried to look ready enough to fight.
As the changeling prepared to attack, it stopped at the sound of a whistle, only to turn and see a white hoof collide with its face at the speed of sound.
“You know I had this, right?” Late said to the other pony that had just saved him.
“Yea, that look of bout to be killed just screamed it,” Soarin laughed. “Let's get moving, branch said something about a stri..” He said before being cut off by a large explosion.
The explosion rocked the land around them, the epicenter showing a large mushroom cloud as a vile substance known as ponex was released from a dropped vile, deadly to any it touched, Changeling and pony alike.
“Time to move!! Talk to you back at the barracks!” Soarin said as he nearly laughed before flying to the east.
Latenighter took a turn to the south and began to fly as fast as he could, before looking up to see a tank of a changeling, being tossed by the blast. He tried to miss the falling body, but was ultimately pinned to the ground by his right wing.
He fought, trying to free himself before reality sank in… he could either cut off his wing and free himself, or die there, burned alive by the acidic blood of the changeling above him. He looked one last time at his wing before pulling his only blade from his rear leg and made a quick swipe… the pain quick and hot, he watched his wing fall limp to the ground as his new stump quieted and bled steadily.
Now grounded, he ran helplessly away from the ever growing radius of the hive strike. As he turned and looked back, a rock seemed to jump out of nowhere and trip him, where through his peripheral vision he could see a larger rock waiting for him.
Boom!
The noise made him open his eyes, startled to see his tent. He looked over to see Diamond resting happily beside him, looking as if they had had a good time the night before.
The noise as it turned out was the last knock before his communications officer, Tree Branch walked in. Late quickly rose to his hooves, disturbing the mare on the bed, who grumpily growled out a groan before curling up and falling back asleep.
“Morning Tree, you're early this morning,” late said, trying to act as if he knew the time.
“Sir, the sun's been up for nearly two hours,” Tree Branch said as she opened a pamphlet with her magic.
“Oh, my mistake,” he answered as he brought a hoof behind his head. “So what's the news for today?”
“Sir… we've lost ponyville… all but one..” She answered solemnly.
Lates mouth dropped as he heard the news, but couldn't believe it. “S-surely there was a miscommunication, a mistake in the writing,” late said, trying to make sense of the news.
“No sir… there was no mistake, but there's more…”
“How could there be more?” Late asked, feeling worse than he ever had.
“A protocol to usurp you has been issued, on the evaluation of you physc the last few days… everyone feels you've gone mad with grief,” Tree Branch said slowly, her eyes finding a spot on the floor.
“And do you, my most loyal officer… do you believe me mad?” He asked
“I… I don't want to… but, but my husband was in the ponyville forces… and they moved on your orders..”
“My orders?” Late said, feeling nearly betrayed by his officer. “My orders were to hold tight and under no circumstances attack the queen or her forces… comet must have either had good reason or no reason to move..” He said with a grimace in his voice.
“Sir.. The orders were given out by you, said by princess cadence,” she followed as she met his eyes.
“They were… hmm, say, have you visited the princess yet?” Late asked as an idea popped in his head.
“No sir, she's my next stop,” Branch said as she began to leave.
“Can you give this to her, I thought I heard her complaining of pain in her back, and I found that this tea helped… it tastes awful, but does its job..” He said as he gave her a small tea bag, which the unicorn took in her magic before walking out.
Late quickly set his letter by the stand by diamond's head before quickly assembling his armor and exiting out to the barracks.
As he entered the barracks area, the Canterlot soldiers quickly fell in line and stood with their hooves in a saluting position. He slowly walked passed a few before stopping and facing the soldiers.
“If many of you haven't heard by now, we've lost the entire Ponyville force, and now there are calls for my court marshal. I stand before you today though as your general, asking for one final push!” Late said as He raised his voice. “If the queen makes it into Canterlot, all hope will be lost… so what I ask will more than likely be a suicide mission, and I only ask for volunteers, and though I can't promise a ride home.. The world needs you now.”
One by one he watched the hooves go up, and after all the ponies had raised their hooves, he dismissed then to gear up.
As she opened her eyes, she was met with a little note on the stand beside her. She levitated the letter and opened it, reading its contents, tears coming out as she seen Late's signature. She heard a knock at the door, and hurriedly composed herself for the guest, whoever it may be.
“General, oh, why hello there,” came the voice of Princess cadence as she opened the door and walked in.
Diamond bowed her head quickly as she rose to her feet. “G-good morning your highness,” she said quickly.
“Well, at least one of the ponies he brings in here have some respect” she said calmly, though diamonds eyes opened back wide open.
“W-what did you say… ponies..” Diamond asked, nearly in tears.
“Yes dear, he brings in a different one every other night, though you are by far the prettiest mare I've seen in here,” the princess answered back calmly.
Diamond was breaking inside… he had lied to her.. used her till he got what he wanted. She looked away from cadence, not wanting the royal to see her cry. “I.. I thought I was his only… not a one night pony…”
“Oh deary, don't take it too hard, after all, he won't come looking if you don't struggle..” She said as Diamond turned back.
“Huh..” She started, but was cut off by a club, effectively knocking her unconscious.
“The queen will want you for sure…” cadence said as she levitated the unicorn up and teleported away. As she vanished, a furious Spitfire flew in.
“LATENIGHTER!! Where are you you sorry excuse for a general!” She screamed as she looked furiously around the tent.
Her eyes quickly caught the letter, laying on the bed, as if it had just landed. She walked over and quickly looked through it. As she finished, her face began to soften…
‘he's planning on not coming back… he's going to attack the queen in a suicide formation.. Not something a mad pony would do, he knows something..’ Spitfire thought to herself as she placed the letter down, now looking for the unicorn he had mentioned. As she glanced around the room, she found the empty mug that had held a tea of sorts. After a bit of looking, she knew the mug to belong to the last princess, but the tea that been in there had a peculiar smell, not like any tea she knew to exist, then she spotted the bag, cleverly hid just under a small stack of papers… love toxin. The one weapon that had been created for the simple purpose of finding and killing Changelings in the most torturous way.
The reality began to quickly sink in as Spitfire put the pieces together in her mind. Her bottom lip began to quiver as she looked back at the mug, then to the note.
“Oh Celestia…” she whispered. “That's how the queen knew… always knew where we were going… who was where, knew when we were weakest, and where to strike…” She slowly whispered. “But she didn't count on Latenighter becoming unpredictable… or the mare known as Diamond coming back, and so the queen slipped up..” She finished as she turned and flew out of the room.
“Tree Branch!!!” She screamed as she nearly tackled the bright green mare.
“Yes ma'am..” Tree Branch answered after a loud squeal.
“Send word to the pegasi in my faction, tell them to move on the queen to reinforce the general!” She nearly roared as she sprung back to her hooves.
“But aren't you here to..”
“I rescind my allegation, Latenighter was right, we need to get to him,” Spitfire said as she got off the ground. “And have all the guards checked, we've been infiltrated!!” She yelled as she reached the end of the hallway, breaking out of a window and flying south towards the Everfree.
Diamond opened her eyes to see a bright room, colored some sort of green with a large fire burning from the center. As she looked it over with her eyes, a tall figure caught her attention, one who she recognized… Princess Cadence. The princess looked right at diamond before bringing forth a cocky grin before bowing to a patch of wall. She thought the princess loony until the patch became the figure of a tall changeling, Queen Chrysalis. She began to squirm, trying to use her magic, anything to hurt the being that had taken so much from pony kind.. From her..
“It seems our prisoner has woke up,” came the nasal buggy voice of the changeling Queen as she walked slowly, teasing her victim ever so slightly.
“You monster! You, you!”
“Yes? Does the cat got your tongue?” Chrysalis said as she grabbed Diamond with a hoof and lifted her up by the throat, holding her a few inches above the ground. “I'm no monster, I'm the queen of the Changelings! I'm the one being everypony fears… even you..”
Diamond gulped as she tried to breath, bringing her hooves up to break the unbreakable hold that Chrysalis had on her. As she tried to loosen the grip, Chrysalis only smirked and held her just a bit higher. “You… you will… never break… me..”
“What makes you think I wanna break you,” Chrysalis said as she began to laugh and dropped her, diamond hitting the floor before Chrysalis kicked her and walked away. “She is pathetic, even for that vile Pegasus… take what you want, I've no use for her..”
Cadence turned her attention from the disappearing Chrysalis to the helpless diamond, still laying on the ground, trying to catch her breath. “When I'm finished with you… you'll only wish I killed you…”
As Latenighter stood at the edge of a field overlooking the Everfree, he could see swarms of Changelings waiting for him and his forces to move. He took a deep breath, pushing back the fear in his throat, before turning back to his army. They were ready to fight to the death, to every means necessary to end this war before it got out of hoof again. Most of them hadn't seen true warfare long, coming to service at the end of the war, when the queen was on the retreat.
“Brothers.. Sisters… beyond this field awaits scores of Changelings, all willing to eradicate us from our homes, our lives, our world. They are led by a merciless queen who would see Equestria burn before surrendering… and so our only hope is to get to the queen and take out the Changelings by removing their head! I have fought by many of you for years, and today may be our last day here… our final charge! But know this, if we are to die today, then we go out with a bang! And take as many Changelings as we can with us!!!” He roared, listening then to the singular sound of the soldiers shouting and cheering. “If we are to die, then we will feast in the elysian fields tonight! Along with our fallen brothers as we tell our tale to our princesses!!! Now my friends… CHARGE!!!! TILL ALL ARE ONE!!!!” Late screamed as he turned and ran, quickly joined by the others as they began to cross the field to meet the Changeling horde as they erupted from the trees.
The world seemed to slow down as they crossed the field and finally met their changeling adversaries, as if the world held its breath before a long dive into the changeling war once more. As they collided, pony and changeling bodies began to fly, lifeless and propelled by their final hit. The ponies charged forward and began using their blades and whatever weapons accessible to strike the changelings, who used their own magic and strength to try and out power their pony adversaries.
Late dodged a few blows while taking a few, all while dishing out slash after jab, taking out as many enemies as he could, only focused on making it to a large oak, that beamed with a greenish light, where he knew the queen to be. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught what looked to be a changeling with zebra stripes running through a group of ponies. He turned his attention to the hybrid looking changeling and went to flank when another hybrid struck him from behind…
Spitfire joined with her forces over Canterlot as they were en-route to the now ongoing battle. She urged them on with unprecedented speed, nearly breaking the sound barrier as they rushed to the aid of their general.
“Come on pegasi!! Faster!! We have to get to the Everfree, Canterlot needs our support!!” She screamed as they rushed, speeding faster and faster towards the battlefield.
As they reached the field, of seemed as if they had come just in time, become a beacon of hope for a failing Canterlot force. As they took their places in the air, Spitfire only said one sentence…
“For Equestria!!!”
She and her pegasi legions began to divebomb on the changelings, taking out a lot of the first line of scouts before drones and and larger tanking changelings came from the woods. Spitfire looked onwards to the changelings coming out with a feeling of doubt, knowing that the chances of their victory were getting slimmer by the second.
She called her pegasi back and once again prepared them for dives, now focusing them on the monstrous tank changelings, knowing fully well that those beasts could easily take a ground force by storm. As she began to dive herself onto one of the oversized beasts, she caught sight of a line behind the changelings, a line of ponies… at first she feared the worst, until she made out the vague outline of a bright unicorn… Comet Tail.
The line of ponies then began to charge, flanking the now exposed changelings, who began to make mistake after mistake, leaving them now in the hooves of their zebra hybrids, who tried to take any pony near them, by any means necessary, becoming more like animals than pony.
Latenighter opened his eyes to see the queen…
"Bow down and worship me.. I'm your new queen.. It's all over.." She says to the Pegasus as she takes a hoof and holds his chin up, though late tried to resist.
Late struggled up to a sitting position, glaring the whole time, finally setting straight up, looking the queen in the eye. "I'll never bow to you, and neither will they..” He said, looking to the outside.
"Can you not see that I have won?! You're commanding nothing, your forces are gone!!" She said, trying to break him.
"I'll never believe that, not while I still draw breath, if I was the last, you would've killed me already," he returned, trying to stand, but was beat back into submission by the two guards holding him.
"And here shortly, it'll all be over.." Late said as he struggled back up.
Chrysalis began to laugh and even wiped a tear of joy from her eye as she came back to eye level. "You actually think you can beat me? You? A old cast out who somehow got into a high place.. Celestia herself couldn't stand against me, so who are you and a few elements? But I must admit, my spy did help a little... Giving you a fake weapon... Faking my death.. Even now, she fools you still.."
The fourth and final princess walked out and stood before him, Princess Cadence... "Why so surprised Latenighter?" She asked in a high pitched buggy voice.
Latenighter began to laugh however, beginning to enrage the Changelings.
"Why do you laugh? Do you not see that you were doomed from the start?" Chrysalis said in a fuming rage.
"I laugh, because I've been on to you for a while," he said to the changeling impersonating cadence a s he laughed some more. "I saw the way you looked at Tree Branch, those eyes of lust gave you away... She never gave those eyes out to no one but her husband..." He said as the Changelings holding him began to lay into him again. "And that's how I was able to get her to slip some poison into your tea this morning… But not just any poison.." He said as a wide grin came across his face, before saying the words as Cadence whispered them "...love Toxin.."
Chrysalis’' eyes grew wide as she began to back away from her spy.
Love toxin was the worst death i£maginable for a changeling, the toxin turning one's insides to dust. But it didn't stop there, the toxin spread from Changeling to changeling as they suffered. Already cadence was beginning to cough, it would happen any moment now
Chrysalis turned to Latenighter as her own throat began to dry. "You won't... You won't walk out of here... Alive," she said through wheezes
Late smiled as he groggily stood up. "Who said I was walking out?" He said weakly.
Chrysalis went for a final lunge when she caught sight of something hidden in his right hoof, but it was too late to stop herself. She watched as Late withdrew a concealed blade from his hoof and very quickly stuck it into her chest.
As she could feel her life draining from her, she felt herself falling before being caught, and laid on her back
She looked through fading eyes to see her enemy holding her in his hooves. "Why.. Why are you doing.."
"Rest now chrysalis... Rest in the long sleep.. Even a villian deserves to be laid to rest with respect," he said as she faded more.
She looked to her destroyer for the first time as an equal. "P-please take care of my children.."
After the queen passed, late held her in his hooves, silently grieving for her loss and the countless that had lost their lives against her. He was so endowed that he didn't recognize Plum beside him.
"Sir... Is she?"
"Dead, yes... How many, Plum?"
“Sir?”
“How many changelings are left?”
“At least a thousand sir, why?”
“Bring them in,”
"But.."
"No backtalk, bring them in," he says softly.
As the Changelings begin entering, they could see their queen laying on a large board, at peace. They glared at the pony whom they were told to hate, with every fabric of their being. To their surprise though, the
“Comet! I, I thought you were killed in action, along with the rest of Ponyville?” Late asked, more than pleasantly surprised to see the unicorn.
“Sir, me and a small band were able to escape from the massacre, and stayed on course until we found other forces say battle, and decided to give some much needed aid,” Comet said as he stopped with jackyl in a hoof.
“And Spitfire, I'm glad to see you here,” late said, giving a nod to the Pegasus.
“Glad to be here sir, sorry I doubted you!” Spitfire answered.
“And this must be her great general, a hybrid… I give you two choices… one, you surrender with terms… or two, you leave this land forever..” Late said to the changeling hybrid, who looked at him with the hatred of a thousand changelings.
“What about option three?” He snarled.
“Option three is we eradicate what's left of you and burn your carcasses before nightfall,” late said, pulling out his small knife.
Jackyl looked around, eying his allies, looking at him with fear, fear that he would get them all killed. He looked back into the eyes of the general, he slowly gave in, “what are your demands?”
“You and the other changelings must return to the changeling lands until such a time that Equestria can reorganize our leadership and send a delegate to your lands to begin a peace treaty.” Latenighter said as he drew his knife back and sheathed it.
“On one condition.. We also get to send a delegate..” Jackyl said, trying to bargain.
“That delegate will remain as a changeling throughout their stay in Canterlot, and under no circumstances assume the shape of another..”
“It's a deal..” Jackyl said as they agreed on their surrender, “changelings, we head for the home lands…” He said as he aided another changeling in lifting the dead queen and carried her out.
Late looked from the exiting changelings to his comrades, who patiently awaited his command. “First, ask a couple Changelings to stay long enough to help name and collect and bury their dead, and get a team to do the same with ours…” Late said before he heard a small noise in another chamber of the tree.
He quickly raised a hoof and slowly made his way to the chamber, each step he took lighter and lighter until he entered the chamber. There laid diamond, her face bruised along with a couple bruises on her neck and hooves. Late ran to her, hoping, praying she was ok, while a voice wondered how she had got there.
As he touched her side, Diamond flinched and nearly jumped away from him. Her eyes opened long enough to see him before she started to go limp. As he tried to lift her however, she brought a hoof and slapped him, nearly throwing him off balance.
“You.. Scum,” she said, beginning to cry, “how, how could you lie to me like that!” She tried to scream.
“What… what are you talking about?” He answered, hoping she was only delirious.
“You know exactly why… or am I the only one to find out… Latenighter, layer of many mares..”
Now he knew either she was delirious or something else.
“Diamond, I've never had a pony besides you… you're my one and only..”
“Then what about what cadence said to me, having a new mare in your tent every other night?!” She said as she fought him back again.
“She was a changeling in disguise, trying to get you distracted diamond… if I had many mares, then one wouldn't matter to me would it?” Be asked, bringing reason into the argument.
Diamond thought on it for a moment before silently agreeing and let herself be lifted by late. Her mind shifted from being a second from death to being saved by the one she loved, and the euphoria she felt she thought couldn't get any better, but it would…
A few days later, while a couple of ponies searched through records, they came across a small bit of information to the crowning of their next leader.
Late was enjoying a quiet moment with Diamond before the door knocked and three ponies walked in, one holding a large scroll which they had rolled up. Both late and Diamond jumped at the door before hearing what the ponies had to say.
“Sir, we've found one..”
“One, one what?” Late asked, perplexed.
“An heir sir, we've found an heir to the throne!” They said happily.
“Where are they then, lets meet them,” Late said optimistically.
“Sir, you already have..” They said as they pointed and bowed to Diamond, “may we present Princess Diamond Radiance Sparkle..”
Diamond looked at the group with amusement at first, but then turned to Late. “This is a joke, right night?”
“If it was, I didn't know about it,” he answered as he himself began to bow. He looked back up to see the unicorn frightened, and rightfully so, and so he rose up and caressed her. “You always wanted to be a princess, and we'll all be here for you along the way,” he said as some of the fright came away from her face.
The
End...
