A Mercenary's Ending

It had been one week since Celestia and Luna had heard about the tragic death of Gear Turner at the hooves of the now comatose Silver Bolt and Amber Song, a pegasi and unicorn respectively. Truthfully, the news had been a massive shock all across the nation. His last words now became the rallying cry of the True Harmonists: Please don’t fight. It became a symbol of the hope for change. The news that Majesty wouldn’t be coming back to lay down her own punishment was welcome, of course, but the message delivered to Celestia herself about a meeting was troubling to the ancient monarchs.

All during that week, Celestia noticed that the former Elements had been apparently attempting to rekindle their own friendships. She had caught them reminiscing about old times, holding each other and crying while they apologized for old wrongs, and more. As for Gregory and his group of companions, which still included Chrysalis and Thorax, they seemed to be finding time to deepen their own bonds of, if not friendship, companionship.

The Williams siblings jumped from one group to another, seeming to try and be a bridge between both groups. Megan especially seemed to be involved more than most, leaving the other two to explore the city and interact with ponies. It was worrisome to Celestia that Shadow Dawn didn’t seem to want to interact with the ponies of Canterlot, but she could sympathize. She didn’t want to push them to do so, but at the very least it was encouraging to see that the mercenary group was staying in the city.

Celestia had begun to plan for a diplomatic envoy to go to the former Badlands to visit and speak with Majesty. She planned on going alone, but Luna was not having it. Neither were the Williams siblings or the former Elements of Harmony, to her surprise. Shadow Dawn hadn’t said anything, and that was alright. She would never force Gregory to travel to see his foalnapper.

Which was why it surprised her when Gregory and the rest of the group offered their services as an escort for a price. Celestia stared down at the human clad in all black with incredulity, and not for the first time wondered how hot he must have been in those clothes. It was July already, and the sun was still high in the sky. Despite the magically cooled interior of the safe house, Celestia could feel the heat from her sun pouring in through the various windows that faced south. She kept her expression placid, not allowing her shock to show, but Luna had not the same years of experience. She spoke first. “Truly? Why wouldst thou wish to traverse to see the very same mare who took thee against thy will?”

Celestia had to hide her lips from twitching. Luna always fell back onto her olden speech when she was startled or alarmed by something. “I have to agree with my sister here,” she said with a nod. “It’s not that we wouldn’t welcome your escort, but are you absolutely sure?”

“We are,” Gregory said. “We’ve discussed this at length for the past few days, and as long as you’re willing to hire us, we’ll be a part of your escort.”

“The Mercenary Guild in Thornfall might be gone,” Tobias added, “but we still need to earn our keep somehow. This is what Gregory and I know. We’re mercenaries, at least until we can become adventurers in Panthera.”

“We need capital to get us settled in when we finally get there,” Sunset concluded, “and a royal escort mission? That seems very profitable.”

It stung to hear Sunset of all ponies saying that, not because Celestia thought that Sunset was in this for the money, but because Sunset would be moving away and she wouldn’t be able to see her former student as often as she liked. Celestia hoped that this journey would allow her to rekindle her relationship with the young mare. “I understand, and I’ll gladly offer you any payment you wish for your services. Although,” and here she turned to Chrysalis and Thorax with confusion, “why are you joining them? You two have no stake in this fight, and if Majesty spots you, then she might punish you.”

Chrysalis shuddered, a hint of fear appearing on her face, but to Celestia’s shock, she relaxed when Gregory of all creatures put a gloved hand on her back. She glared at him briefly, but sighed and stood tall, her newly regenerated mane flowing in the same ethereal wind that Celestia’s and Luna’s manes flowed in, something that was new, Celestia noted. “My actions against Equestria, while born out of necessity, are not something I’m proud of now.” She looked Celestia squarely in the eyes. “At the very least, I should have sent a plea for aid first. Although I doubt it would have gotten past other ponies who read whatever letters you get.” She muttered that last part in frustration.

Celestia sighed softly. “That might have been the case then,” she said, “and while I agree that you should have sent a message asking for help, I understand that hunger mixed with desperation can cause someone to act…as you did.” She had almost said ‘irrationally’, but chose against it. “Still, I question why you would want to join in this escort mission, especially with all of the changelings arriving.”

One day after the death of Gear Turner, a large group of changeling refugees had appeared in the valley below Canterlot, near where the ruins of the castle now lay. They had also been affected by whatever metamorphosis had affected the queen and Thorax, and after their throne and hive had been destroyed thanks to the terraforming (as Gregory called it) of the Badlands, they had nowhere else to go, so they came to Chrysalis’ location. A massive refugee camp had been set up in the valley below and the changelings had been provided with what food and water could be spared on Celestia’s direct orders. Since their transformation, the changelings didn’t require the need to consume love to sustain themselves, but that had been replaced by the need to consume normal food.

Chrysalis sighed. “I’m leaving them in good hooves, and Thorax has been a great help to them.” She looked at the younger and smaller changeling with what Celestia thought was a hint of pride.

Thorax nodded. “They’re all scared and confused,” he said, “and a lot of their natural hostility is gone. I was always an outcast even among my own kind because I wanted a friend, and now that all of our hive has similar feelings, I need to try and help them.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “I see.”

“Your assistance will be greatly appreciated, of course,” Luna said, “but I cannot help but think you have ulterior motives.”

Chrysalis tensed up again, and when Dengal joined Gregory in putting a hand on her back, Celestia hid a smile. Those two seemed to enjoy teasing the changeling queen, but she could tell it was not malicious, and the way Chrysalis reacted to the raunchy jokes at her expense told her that the queen secretly liked them. “I am a queen,” she said, “and if I were to run when I have something I need to say to that self-righteous mare, I would never be able to look at my subjects again. And will you stop scratching me behind the ears!?” She glared at Gregory and Dengal. “I am not a cat!”

“You’re seriously missing out,” Tobias said with a grin. “Gregory’s headpats are the best.”

With a small smirk, Gregory reached his free hand out to give the grown abyssinian head pats, causing the catlike being to relax and purr. “Ah, the advantages of opposable digits and fingernails,” Gregory said before he turned back to Celestia and Luna. “So, do we have a deal?”

Celestia looked at her sister, who nodded imperceptibly. Nodding back, she turned. “What are you asking for in terms of payment?”

Once the agreement had been set, the group left the safehouse, which had become the temporary throne room for the princesses. Celestia leaned back in her chair and sighed. Luna noticed and gave her sister a concerned look. “Are you well, sister? Shall I call for an early recess so you may rest?”

“I’m alright,” she said softly. “Majesty may have given us a reprieve when she promised not to make a move, but that just means we need to move faster to fix what’s broken.” She sat up and hit the side of her chair angrily. “I hate feeling like a hostage in my own kingdom, damn it all!”

“Her stringent methods aside,” Luna said, “she has good points about our subjects, especially our ponies. Even with the Rainbow of Light having done whatever it did to the citizens of Canterlot, tensions are still high. The darkness buried deep within our ponies may have been cleansed, but it left scars that we need to work on healing.”

Celestia nodded. Upon further discussions with the Williams siblings, Shadow Dawn, and the former Elements, who Gregory called the Mane Six, a hypothesis was reached regarding why the Rainbow of Light had affected ponies in the capital. Whatever the demons had attempted to do to ponies in the distant past with the Tartarus War, it may have worked, if only slightly. It preyed on the negativity present in any race and amped it up very slightly. This was just conjecture, of course, but it fit the established facts.

Of course, just because the darkness within was lifted didn’t mean that ponies were changed. Much like the Elements of Harmony, the Rainbow of Light would not fundamentally change a pony or creature it touched. This didn’t excuse anything that ponies had done against other races. It didn’t excuse Jason’s death. That had been all the fault of the ponies, not the fault of some two thousand year old curse on ponykind. Even now, Celestia could feel the effects of the curse like a scar on her soul. It would take years of healing, and she suspected that during the next estrus cycle, the foals conceived would be the voice of a generation untouched by darkness, but one which saw the effects of said darkness. She planned on seeing that generation become the best of her little ponies alongside Luna.

“She has never killed anypony,” Celestia said, “and has given those she punished a means of redemption, but not without a permanent reminder of their crimes to ensure they never do anything again. Still, we have a brand new race among us to take care of. A brand new set of humans. What should we do?”

“They were once ponies, sister,” Luna said. “They may be humans now, but that does not make them any less citizens of the nation we need to reform. They will be given all manner of courtesy, but also be judged for their crimes, as will all ponies who have committed crimes against other ponies or against nonponies. Perhaps we can hire Mr. Graystone to help instruct the new humans in their new manner of life.”

“Perhaps,” Celestia pondered. “Still, would that be wise? The majority of the citizens of that town are still in denial from the reports I have gotten. Only about twenty or thirty have repented and gained their pony abilities back. They may be persecuted by those still in denial. And if a human comes to instruct them, they may feel more resentful.”

“Gregory has shown himself to be resourceful and capable,” Luna said, “so if we offer him and his mercenary party enough money, they may be able to help the humans of Maretime Bay. It could also become a symbol of future hope for our nation. Sure, these new humans were once ponies, but they have differing needs now. Clothing is mandatory, for example. So is eating meat products in order to keep healthy. They can no longer eat hay or grass. Their locomotion is new, too. There is so much they need to learn, and nocreature but perhaps Gregory can help. Perhaps even the Williams siblings, too.”

Celestia nodded somberly. “While I agree, I am concerned not just for the safety of the citizens of that town, but for Gregory and the rest of Shadow Dawn. Placing them in the same location is like mixing lamp oil and water.”

“It would behoove us to at least ask,” Luna argued.

“Of course,” Celestia replied. “Back to Majesty, though. The reports on what she did directly after Gear’s death are troubling. The way she punished those responsible does not fit her M.O. as much. Normally, she gives out punishments that are rather ironic and she rhymes, but whatever she did to the two responsible for his death has made them comatose for the moment.”

“Do you not trust her word that they will recover?” Luna asked.

“That’s not it,” Celestia said. “I have the distinct impression that Majesty is not a liar in this case. She has never once brought death to one of our little ponies, after all. She may be taking on the role of a stern teacher meting out punishment, but I truly believe that she does not wish that kind of harm on ponies.”

“That brings up a question that has been bothering me for some time, sister,” Luna said.

“What is that?” Celestia asked.

“I have not heard of any instance where a non-pony was punished for something,” Luna observed. “At least, a non-pony who lives in Equestria.”

“I did think of that,” Celestia said, “and I think that she is trying to focus on our little ponies for the moment. Many of the new reports from other towns show that crime rates have been significantly reduced.”

“That is…concerning,” Luna said. When Celestia gave her sister a shocked expression, Luna explained. “It begs the question of whether crimes have dropped out of some sort of conscience epidemic or out of fear of retribution. Doing something out of fear is not quite the same as doing something because it’s the right thing to do.”

“A good point,” Celestia said. “That could be what the True Harmonist’s goal has been. Spreading a conscience through Equestria.” She looked down at the papers at her desk and raised her stamp. “At the very least, I should thank her for taking care of the House of Lords for us. Their interference would have made things much more difficult.”

“Unless we had declared a state of emergency and activated our Emergency Powers,” Luna reminded her.

Celestia nodded somberly. She had not wanted to use those powers, ever. They had only once been activated in the entire history of Equestria, and that had resulted in the destruction that led to the creation of the Badlands. “I am just glad I didn't have to force my hoof on the matter,” she said as she lifted up one of the papers. “The remaining nobles are at the very least on our side and are expediting the implementation of these new laws.”

“At least the nobles who have been a thorn in your side received their comeuppance, do you not agree?” Luna asked, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Despite one of said nobles being her nephew, Celestia had to agree. It had hurt to see him back as a newborn foal, but she understood why Majesty had targeted him. Blueblood was undoubtedly one of the more corrupt nobility, abusing the power of his station to profit only himself and nopony else. Celestia had acted to liquidate the assets of those ponies who had been punished once evidence of their misdeeds and crimes had been found. It didn’t escape her that the evidence had been found in a pure white box in each home. She guessed that this was Majesty’s doing.

“At least there’s that,” Celestia agreed. “We have to be cautious, though. This may very well be a trap.”

“Mayhaps so, sister,” Luna said, “but I am of the opinion that she is sincere in her offer to meet us.”

“She only mentioned me, Luna,” Celestia reminded her. “Besides, can the capital afford both rulers to meet with Majesty when there is much chaos here? You’re a remarkable princess and leader, Luna, but I am much older than you are now regardless of you being technically three years younger than you. I have a thousand years more experience. You are more than capable of running things in my absence.”

“That will not be happening,” Luna argued again. “We will both be going, and that is not up for discussion.”

Celestia sighed somberly. Her sister was as stubborn as she was. It was an annoying trait they’d gotten from their mother. “I know when I’m beaten,” she said. “Very well. Let’s discuss the specifics.”

No matter how hard she tried to understand him, and perhaps because she was unable to sense the emotions of the man, Chrysalis found Gregory Eugene Graystone a vast mystery. He seemed to possess a serious mind and knew his priorities to those he cared about, but despite that, and despite him telling her about her fate in this television show of his, he never once treated her like the ponies had. In fact, he had the annoying ability to get under her chitin, teasing her in a way that made her feel things that left her confused.

She was ancient by changeling standards. She wasn’t as old as the princesses, only having reached her nine hundred and ninety sixth birthday three months prior, but being born into the changeling queen class, she was granted a life of near immortality. At least, as far as she knew. Changeling queens ascended by only one means: assassination of the former queens which normally meant their mothers. Chrysalis, however, was born to a brood mother, a rare mutation among their kind. The brood mother had hidden Chrysalis away from former Queen Eltrya, out of fear that she would be killed.

The young nymph had been taught everything about the hive from her mother, and that had formed her opinions on the way the changelings did things. The brood mother who had laid her egg was something of a changeling extremist. Eltrya was a moderate, and most of Chrysalis’ ideas came from her mother.

Now, though, the change that had come over her physically came with a change in her thinking, at least marginally. A lot of the negativity that she had to regularly purge from her system no longer seemed to apply. It was the only explanation as to why Gregory’s teasing affected her so. The moment she thought that, however, she knew that was a lie. She had been affected by his teasing beforehoof.

She was standing on the balcony of a room in one of the city’s best inns. In fact, she had been given one of the luxury suites courtesy of the crown. They all had, something that irked her to no end. It felt insulting, but she had to admit that sleeping in a soft bed was something of a new experience to her. An enjoyable one. I will need to procure a bed such as this for the new hive, she said.

“It’s a nice day, isn’t it?” Chrysalis scowled. The only downside was that her room was right next to Gregory’s own.

Chrysalis looked over and saw the bemused expression on Gregory’s face as he held a glass of water in his hand. He was wearing his normal pants, but was also wearing a black t-shirt that had a logo over the shirt that read In-N-Out Burger. She sighed and looked up at the summer sun. “Yes, yes it is,” she admitted.

“A good time to sunbathe,” he said as he took the t-shirt off, revealing his bare upper body.

Chrysalis almost turned away, but paused when she saw the scarring on his body. She wasn’t sure why, but curiosity took over and she flew over to his balcony. “Those scars…a couple of them are from changelings, aren’t they?” She pointed to a zigzag pattern on his left pectoral muscle. “I can feel the remnants of changeling magic on that one.”

Gregory, who was now sitting on a chair and leaning back, looked down. “A changeling thought it would be funny to slash at me with a knife he created using his magic.”

“I can probably find out which of my subjects did this to you,” Chrysalis said, unsure why she was offering him this concession.

“No need,” Gregory said, “considering that I killed him.”

Chrysalis was shocked by this, and turned to face him. “You…managed to kill a changeling? I thought you had no magic?”

“Just because I have no magic doesn’t mean I can’t fight,” Gregory said, taking a sip of the water.

Chrysalis pulled her own chair from her balcony, setting it down next to Gregory and sitting down, looking at him. With his chest exposed, she saw how fit he was. She looked away when she realized she was staring. “I suppose that makes sense,” she said. There was silence between them for a while, and then she spoke again. “You confound me, Gregory Graystone.”

“I get that a lot from Tobias,” Gregory said as he leaned back and closed his eyes. “How so?”

“You have gone through two years of tartarus, but you can still find the energy to do this,” she said, gesturing to him. “And you find the energy to tease…tease me.” She felt embarrassment creep into her.

“Chryssi, I haven’t had a proper vacation in two long years,” Gregory said without looking at her. “That serious side of me you see a lot of the time? That’s one side of me. It’s a part of me that’s been on the surface for the past two years. I have time where I don’t have to be a merc. I get to breathe more easily, at least for a little while.” He looked at her with a lopsided grin. “As for teasing you, let’s just say I enjoy it. You’re too hot not to tease.”

She grew flustered and sputtered out some nonsensical words before catching herself, taking a deep breath, and looking at him as calmly as she could. “You have that unusual goblin girl, though,” she said.

“She joins in, you know?” Gregory replied, that grin still on his lips.

“N-Not the point!” Chrysalis stammered before recomposing herself. “Why me?”

His expression turned serious a bit. “When was the last time you did something fun? Something to relieve the stress of being a queen?”

Chrysalis’ immediate instinct was to say that those types of pleasures couldn’t be reserved for a queen, but despite not being able to sense his emotions, she caught on quickly to the fact that he wasn’t looking for that as a response. She shook her head slowly. “Never.”

“I know that the situation here is dangerous,” Gregory said, “but you should try and relax for a bit. Your changelings are safe, they have all undergone a change that only requires them to eat normal food, and Celestia and Luna are far too distracted to deal with you.”

Chrysalis shook her head. “I don’t have the time to just lounge around. As the queen of one of the last hives in the world, my subjects take precedence over my own happiness.”

“And therein lies the problem,” Gregory said. “Your refusal to take mental breaks is causing you to crack.” He scooted over and patted the large lounge chair. “Join me.”

Chrysalis was about to protest, when she suddenly felt a pair of new hands on her. Turning back, she saw Dengal looking down at her with an amused smile. Tobias was also behind her, leaning against the door frame with his own amused expression. “Go on, join him,” Dengal said. “He doesn’t bite. Not unless that’s what you’re into.”

Chrysalis glared at her, but there was no malice behind it. Still, she resisted only for a moment before she relented and walked over. As she did, she underwent a transformation, changing from her normal form to that of a goblin woman who matched her new coloration. A completely naked goblin woman with a similar…mutation…to Dengal. She hoped to get back at Gregory with this move as she lay down next to him. But one look at his now hungry eyes as he looked her over soon dispelled her of that. “Damn, solid ten out of ten. Dengal?”

Chrysalis was even more confused when Dengal removed her tunic, revealing something that the goblins called a bra underneath as she slid onto the lounge chair beside Chrysalis, looking over the naked body of the now goblinoid changeling queen. “Twenty points out of ten,” she said with a grin, and Chrysalis could feel inexplicable pleasure emanating from the goblin woman.

“She’s no abyssinian queen,” Tobias said, “but when compared to the human women I’ve seen in your TV shows, she’s hot.”

Chrysalis groaned, and covered herself as best as she could with her new arms. “You three…” she said with embarrassment. Tobias tossed her a small blanket, which she caught with her new hands. As she covered herself, she looked over at Gregory. “I thought you and Dengal were lovers. Why do you two tease me so much? It’s as if you’re courting me.”

“Would that be so bad?” Dengal asked. “Goblin culture allows for multiple wives that each goblin man can have. We are polygamous.”

Chrysalis paused and looked at Dengal in alarm. “You…you’re mocking me, aren’t you?” she asked.

“No, she isn’t,” Gregory said. When Chrysalis looked over at him, she saw what looked like a genuine smile on his face. “I told you about the television show that depicted this world, and about certain…art…made of you.”

“I still cannot believe anyhuman would want to make explicit art of me,” she muttered.

“That’s a rather…unfortunate aspect of the internet, I suppose,” he said with a sigh, “but that’s beside the point. What I haven’t told you is that out of all of the villains I saw in the show, I found you to be my favorite. Don’t ask me why that is, and I know how insulting that sounds, but I always suspected there was more to you than just pure evil. There’s an episode of the show that hasn’t happened in this world and probably won’t happen now where you team up with Tirek and a villainous pegasus filly. There’s a moment where you almost accept friendship. Actually, I saw two moments where you almost accepted it, but in the show, you were so blinded by the need for revenge that you didn’t act on it. From what I’ve seen of you recently, however, I’m noticing a side of you that was never shown to us. You’re not just a queen, but a mother. I’ve seen you look at Thorax with a sort of motherly pride even if you deny it yourself. You’ve made sure that the changeling fugitives are safe here. You go down there more often than you’re up here.”

He looked at her, giving her his full attention, or at least, that’s what Chrysalis thought was happening. She tried not to look at his fit physique, instead looking at his sapphire eyes. Those handsome, alluring, sapphire eyes…No! Snap out of it! “I acted to protect my subjects. I admit that my methods were extreme, but back then I saw no other way.”

“You act like a mother and a ruler at the same time, now,” Gregory said.

“Isn’t that what you accused the sun princess of?” the changeling queen asked.

“She acted more like a forgiving mother than a ruler,” Gregory said, “and you acted more like a cruel dictator before your change, but with your recent physical change, I can tell just how you’ve changed. You’re a lot more mellow, but that sternness in your green eyes hasn’t abated. At least, not that much. You are capable of much more change than before.”

In that moment, Chrysalis didn’t even understand why, but it was like she needed to hear those words. Her own mother had never once praised her, instead pushing her to her breaking point to be better, but had never once praised her. Instead, she had been talked down to. Chrysalis’ memories, which she had tried to repress, came flooding back. All of the times her cruel mother had beaten her, had called her worthless when she didn’t live up to the expectations of being a changeling queen, everything. She made a valiant effort to hide her tears, but that failed. She fell into Gregory’s arms, feeling humiliated that she was baring her soul to somehuman she’d barely known.

At the same time, it felt extremely freeing, and that was more important.

Gregory stared up at the brilliant night sky. The stars he saw were identical to the summer constellations from Earth, something he had expected since he’d heard the show version of Twilight mention the Orion constellation in a certain first season episode. The cool summer night air felt nice on his face. The breeze brushed against his face, sending an involuntarily shiver down his spine. He took in a deep breath and exhaled, tracing the familiar constellations of Sagittarius, Hercules, Ursa Major, and more. He’d always wondered just how the constellations here got their names and the history behind them, but it was not important for two years. Now, though, perhaps in an effort not to think about what was going to happen tomorrow, it was all he could think about. Not to mention why goblins were distinguished by the monikers MAN and WOMAN, a completely human distinction.

After the surprising talk with Chrysalis which had left him with a chest soaked with changeling queen tears, he had spoken with the members of his fellow party about the precautions they would take during the trip south back to the Badlands, then he’d had a late dinner before Tobias and Sunset had both turned in. Now, it was just him and Dengal, who insisted on sleeping with him. Currently, she was in the suite’s bath, washing up before bed.

He picked up one of his lightsabers from the table just inside the door, walking back out to the balcony. He ignited it, discovering that he’d grabbed the green blade this time. The glow fell all around the balcony, and he carefully swung it, making sure not to damage anything. Despite the seriousness of handling such a deadly instrument, just holding this weapon made him feel like a kid again, holding one of those white plastic tubes and swinging it around, making the humming and whooshing sound of a lightsaber and spending hours using colored markers to color in the paper tubes. He’d even taped two of those tubes together to create a double bladed ‘lightsaber’ after seeing The Phantom Menace. He would hum Duel of the Fates whenever he played with that particular lightsaber.

Of course, his parents had inevitably thrown out those plastic tubes, telling him to just grow up. He’d had to better hide his next tubes in the crawlspace of their house and he brought them out whenever they left him home alone, which they had at least done when he was ‘old enough’.

He was so entrenched in slowly swinging the blade around that he was caught off guard when he heard the ignition of a second lightsaber from behind him. He turned to see Dengal’s form illuminated by the blue blade she held. “An elegant weapon,” she said in a faux British accent, “from a more civilized age.” She came up to him, then slowly reached the blade out, touching his own. He heard the sound of the blades interlocked for a few seconds, a white light emanating from where the two blades were touching. A few seconds later, she pulled away and de-ignited it.

Gregory de-ignited his blade as well, then walked over to her, hand outstretched. “These aren’t toys,” he said.

“I saw the smile on your face when you were swinging yours around just now,” Dengal said in a teasing tone as she placed the hilt in his hand.

He blushed a bit, then sighed. “Yeah, I guess I was. Chalk it up to a missed out childhood, I suppose.”

“You ready for bed?” Dengal asked.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he said as he headed back inside, running a hand through his slightly damp hair.

As he sat on the edge of the bed, Dengal was about to get in when she paused. “You okay, Gregory?” she asked.

“Just thinking about the events of today,” he said absently.

“You mean about our decision to be an escort, or about Chrysalis?” Dengal asked.

“That, and what you said about goblins being polygamous,” he said as he turned back to her.

Dengal gave him a warm smile and crawled over to sit next to him, reaching down to take his hand. It was warm and soft despite her occupation. She apparently took great care of her hands so they didn’t become calloused. “If you’re still worried about us going on this escort mission, there’s nothing that says we have to go,” she said. “I may be a new member of Shadow Dawn, but even I know any decision we make needs to be unanimous and not pressured. I’ve known you and Tobias long enough to know you work like that.”

“This is too good of a payday to pass up,” Gregory said as he gave her hand a squeeze. “High risk, high reward. That’s the Mercenary Creed.”

Dengal nodded. “Just tell us if you’re having second thoughts and we’ll back out.”

He slowly shook his head. “I admit I am…nervous…but no more nervous than when I went out on my first job, or my second, or my fifth, or…you get the picture.”

She nodded in understanding, then scooted closer to him. “What about the stuff you mentioned with Chrysalis?”

“I just never expected her to break down like that,” he admitted. Having her cry so heavily was not something he had anticipated happening. He wasn’t sure, but it felt like she was trying to unleash a lifetime of pain in that one crying session. Thorax had appeared after several minutes, himself crying. He explained, when Chrysalis wasn’t screaming into Gregory’s chest, that the hive felt her emotional distress and were trying to relieve said stress by taking some of her hurt onto themselves, but she was denying the connection. His newfound respect for Chrysalis grew in that moment. “The changeling I saw in the show is a lot more complicated than I expected.”

“And that last part?” she pressed gently.

Gregory took a deep breath. He had to say it now or regret it forever. Turning to Dengal, he held her hand between both of his, squeezing tightly. “Dengal, I’ve known you for two years. You’ve been nothing but kind and had helped me maintain some of my weapons. I know that you’ve had feelings for me, but I guess I was just too afraid to let anyone in after my experiences. I thought I had gotten over some aspects of my past, but I guess that wasn’t the case.”

Dengal’s eyes were wide in anticipation. “Gregory…are you saying…what I think you’re saying?”

“I love you, too, Dengal,” he said, and it felt so freeing to say that. Deep down, he had probably known about his feelings for her, but he had hidden it so deep down that he had almost convinced himself he only saw her as a friend. He had friendzoned her and himself, he realized. But when she had voluntarily stayed with him while Majesty had him kidnapped, the feelings he had tried so hard to bury out of fear came roaring to the surface. “I really do.”

The beaming smile on Dengal’s face made Gregory’s own skip a beat. Without any warning, she tackled him to the bed, her naturally ruby red lips crashing into his. Gregory, having not experienced this sort of kiss even from his cheating ex, was taken off guard, his eyes widening, but when he saw the happy tears forming in her closed eyes, his heart swelled, and he closed his eyes, returning the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her.

When she broke the kiss several seconds later, seconds that had felt like blissful hours to Gregory, her red eyes were glowing with pure joy. They were also literally glowing. “Gregory…I’ve never been so happy…” she said, the ears of pure joy streaming down her cheeks.

“Me too,” Gregory said.

“And…we can talk about what I said another time,” she said, a glint in her eyes as she sat up, straddling him with another type of glint in her eyes. “I’ve waited two years, but it feels like a lifetime.”

Despite the tough exterior that he put up in public, Gregory gulped nervously. “We just bathed,” he said lamely.

“I want you right now,” she said in a now husky tone.

Gregory’s nervousness vanished as she began removing her clothes. Tomorrow they left to go into the lion’s den, so he was going to live in the present and enjoy everything he could. He grinned up at her. “Ditto.” He began hastily removing his own clothes.

For them, the night lasted forever.