Two Unicorns

~^~Two Years After the End of the War~^~

The recruits were whispering amongst themselves as their drill instructor came towards them. The pony was a mare, obviously crippled. She was missing her left eye and wing as well as using her remaining wing to steady herself as she lacked her right rear leg. Most of the recruits couldn't help but think it was a joke, even as the mare called them to attention. They didn't take her seriously until Princess Twilight and Princess Aon also came around the corner.

"Oh, so your Princess require a proper attention stance, but your Drill Instructor doesn't?!" Scootaloo barked. Due to her better hearing in her left she heard one recruit mouth off.

"That's beacause they aren't cripples."

Scootaloo snapped her head around to face the recruit that dared call her out.

"You, step out front, NOW! Staff Sergeant Pie, Gunnery Sergeant Pie, MCMAP gloves now!"

Two other Drill Instructors ran forward, one to hoof Scootaloo a pair of gloves, the second pair to the recruit. Then Scoots dropped into a fight stance.

"Come on, son!"

The recruit didn't do a thing, looking at Scootaloo incredulously.

"Reall-*CRACK**"

The recruit didn't get a single word word, but instead fell back with a bleeding nose.

At this Twilight stepped up.

"Marine Corps rule eighty-eight, never underestimate your opponent."

Then Aon stepped up, giving Twilight quick nuzzle.

"And rule number one, don't fuck with the commandant of the Canterlot Marine Corps."

~^~^~^~

Aon was smiling widely. Scootaloo managed to get free of her recruits in time to attend the ball, and Luna, her and Twilight were enjoying themselves as they mingled amongst the ponies present. Aon specifically was trailing after one pony who she knew wasn't who she claimed to be.

Once able to corner the mare, Aon did so.

"Enjoying the party?"

The mare jumped slightly before turning to face Aon.

"Err, hello Princess."

"Stow it , changeling. I respect that you fought against Nightmare with us, but I wish to know why you are here." Aon ordered.

The mare froze before looking about. Once seeing she was clear, the changeling transformed to her true self, revealing the a alicorn-esque figure.

"So, you figured out that Cadence was not the one to lead the northern assault."

Aon just shrugged.

"Cadence was far too sick when the battle started, and we only just got the Crystal Empire free of Sombra, so logically it wouldn't have made sense in any way. Finally this," Aon pointed to her makeshift horn, "some how lets me see you changelings for who you are. You have'nt caused any trouble, but you're the first I've ever seen at a fancy formal event."

The large changeling appraised Aon shrewdly.

"I am Queen Chrysalis...as for why I am here...I wished to see Luna again."

Rather than get suspicious, the silvery mare gave Chrysalis the benefit of the doubt.

"I heard there was a threat to her well being...and I'd missed her...."

Aon nodded, noting a spark in Chrysalis' eyes, one that she had for Twilight.

"Then go see her."

The changeling queen kicked nervously at the ground and averted her eyes.

"Let me guess, its been a while? I know for a fact as long as she knows you care, it should be enough." Aon assured with a kind smile.

"I...but changelings are not well liked...."

"I am." laughed Aon. "Come, I'll walk you up there. You can go say hi, and if anypony raises a hoof against you, I'll take care of it."

Nodding slowly, Chrysalis went out on a limb, hoping Luna still felt the same way she had all those years ago.

"Okay..."

~^~^~^~

Twilight and Luna were taking the time to talk amongst themselves when not bothered by some noble or another. Luna was dressed in an obsidian dress, Twilight in one coloured like byzantine. Twilight also had a amethyst jewelled patch over her right eye which she'd lost defeating Sombra.

"Your dress is nice tonight but where is Aon?"

Twilight laughed loudly.

"Amongst the crowds, dressless. She can't stand formal attire and such."

The two continued their chatting for a while longer when the crowds began to part and gasps arose. As Twilight stood to see what was happening, she was shocked to see her wife leading none other than Chrysalis up towards her and Luna. Aon was also making a point to glare at anypony who dared start to mouth off.

Just as Twilight made to ask what was happening Luna stood and rushed forward, drawing Chrysalis into a hug.

"Kit Kat!" shouted the alicorn joyously as she hugged the changleing. Chrysalis seemed to be in shock.

"You...you missed me?"

"Of course I did! Every night I missed the warmth of you against my side!" Luna smiled.

Chrysalis just smiled uncertainly.

"Does this mean..."

"Mean what Kit Kat?"

"That...even after all this time...are we still... together? It has been so long, and I...well I feared to come find you due to....After one jet black alicorn caused so much trouble, I feared I wouldn't be welcomed, and...that maybe you had moved on." the changeling admitted.

Turning to Twilight and Aon, Luna  looked from them to Chrysalis meaningfully, and the two unicorns nodded encouragingly.

"It is okay Luna, Twilight and I can hold down the fort here."

The alicorn smiled gratefully as she headed out to the gardens with the changeling queen.

"So...what do you think of that?" Twilight asked giving Aon and questioning grin.

"That...that was Luna finally getting something to go her way."

~^~^~^~

The assassin smiled slyly. Not only would he be killing the the mare that had caused the catastrophe of Nightmare Moon, but he would be getting the changeling queen too! As he watched eagerly as Chrysalis supped from the drink he noticed with some shock that the changeling retched and spat out the liquid. The assassin gave a gasp of surprise as the changeling first knocked the pitcher away, then turned to face him, hearing his gasp.

Her horn lit up, and all the assassin knew was pain.

~^~^~^~

Talking amiably with each other, Scootaloo, flanked by Inky and Blinky, was relaying to Aon and Twilight how well the latest batch of recruits were fairing.

"So aside from that first incident, they've shut up and done well. That first colt that challenged me has bucked up too. Turns out I'm his personal hero, so that's why he wouldn't take a swing at me. He just didn't recognize me because I have that fake leg and glass eye. Hate wearing them, but the pictures look great." Scoots laughed.

Twilight nodded understandingly.

"You'd be surprised how many ponies don't recognize me now due to my monocular vision. Or the stares I get..."

"Only because you are beautiful." cooed Aon as she gave Twilight a quick kiss.

As Scoots rolled her eyes and began to head out towards the crowd, Twilight turned to Aon, pain and regret in her dampening eye.

"You still....I know you've told me to forget it, but two years ago, when you needed me the most...I...I wasn't there for you...why? Why are you always trying to help? Why when I left you to face Nightmare alone?"

Throwing up a quick façade via magic, Aon turned to her wife and held her tight.

"I told you it wasn't your fault."

"I know...but ...I sent Applejack and Shining on that mission when they were caught...then Rarity...I should have kept a closer eye on her...I failed to properly check your ring...then Rainbow...Spike and Sweetie after that, followed by Pinkie and I...I never even saw the signs with her until...I couldn't save Bloom, or Shy, or Cadence...then I just hid while you got hurt..." Twilight began to shake from suppressed sobs as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I should have done something...but I just..."

Aon wanted to roll her eyes, as it wasn't the first time this had come up, but she understood it. Instead she bopped Twilight on the nose and stood her up.

"Come on, I know what fixes this. We're headed upstairs, and I'm going to rut the living daylights out of you. Once I'm done, I'm going to remind you that every single one of your friends is in a better place now and that they would be proud that you, Twilight Celestia-damned-mother-fucking Sparkle, held the cluster fuck that was Equestria together, then became its ruler. Once that's done, I'm going to rut you again because I know you'll want it, and then we're going to wake up, and I'm making waffles!"

Despite her previous sombre mood, not even Twilight could keep her face straight as Aon exuberantly laid out her plans.

"Fine, but only if you pull out the crop...I'm...curious."

The blush forming on the lavender mare's cheeks could only be rivalled by the blood of the burst blood vessels in the eyes of the would be assassin as he was thrown through Aon's façade spell.

Aon yelped, her baser instincts causing her to leap behind Twilight with a yelp whilst Twilight just stared coldly down at the stallion before casting her gaze up to find Chrysalis leaning heavily on Luna and Luna looking absolutely livid.

"Assassin. Tried to poison me, instead Kit Kat drank first. Luckily it acts as a partial sedative for her, but the bastard poisoned my wine!"

There are a few things that one pony should know when dealing with Luna, Twilight, and Aon. First is that Luna considers the latter two sisters, and they her. Next is that after what they had all lost, they were quick to anger when somepony threatened one of the three. Third is that Twilight and Aon can be downright cruel in their retribution, seen best as they had had Blueblood drawn until he broke in half and bled out.

That being said, the assassin was now looking up into the eyes of two very angry mares. Realizing he was not likely to survive this encounter, and that his execution would be for all the ball to see, the assassin resorted to his final plan. He blew up. Setting off a unique charge that had been implanted into the pony, the assassin exploded, sending debris and shrapnel everywhere. Anypony close to him was thrown back and the room fell into chaos.

~^~^~^~

The ringing, oh Celestia the ringing. It was the worst thing for Aon. Not the spots that flickered in her vision, not the steadily rising headache, but the actual ringing in her ears. As she hefted herself up from the wreckage of one of the thrones she found that Twilight and Chrysalis were helping up Luna. Thank the stars for the wards on royalty, eh? Just then she realized that the wards were depleted to an obscene level. It was then that she looked around.

The ringing no longer mattered. What she now saw was the worst part.

The roof had partially collapsed and there were screaming ponies everywhere. Amongst the injured were many that didn't move at all. Aon had seen enough death to know that most of the still ponies would not be rising again. With a heavy heart, Aon moved to Twilight, Luna and Chrysalis before they began picking their way through the chaos, aiding everywhere they could.

~^~^~^~

It was supposed to be a good night. Her mum had never been happier, and her dad hadn't stopped smiling all night. They kept saying that it was 'her big day' and that even if the Princesses didn't know it, the ball was like a giant birthday present for her.

It was supposed to be a good night, and she got to see Luna smiling as she had talked with the changeling. The filly admired Luna as she had brushed a wing against her, albeit by accident.

Now though? Now it was all wrong, and the filly was sobbing fitfully while clinging to her mother. Her entire body hurt so so bad, but her mom wasn't moving, and she was so scared. Suddenly part of the roof shifted and nearly fell on her, and she let out a strangled yelp as it caught one of her hooves.

Just as the second beam shifted and fell towards her a bright light filled her vision. When it cleared there before her stood Princess Aon. The Princess looked once to her mom, then to her, giving her a sad smile. Then the princess did something special. She reached out and hugged her, and then it felt like everything would be okay. Then she closed her eyes.

~^~^~^~

The Canterlot Marines were sifting through the wreckage, pulling out the bodies of the ponies that hadn't made it. A team of highly trained unicorns were working on finding evidence and Luna was standing with Chrysalis and Twilight as well as a diplomat of the dragons stood discussing matters.

"-I understand that, but anger merely stirs fear Luna, and somepony obviously wants to call you out as Nightmare. Respond with sorrow and pain at the needless loss of life, and the ponies will always side with you, as you appear to care more for them than you do yourself." the draconian ambassador advised.

Luna just rubbed a hoof on her temple as Chrysalis hugged her.

"I get it, and your right. I'll make and announcement as soon as we get all th-"

"Has anypony seen Aon? I haven't seen her since right after the explosion." Twilight asked suddenly.

Everypony present began to look about, and it was only just as Luna was about to alert the guards did Aon finally come trotting out of the rubble, a motionless filly laying across her back.

"Oh please....don't...don't tell me that the filly...please no..." stammered Twilight.

"The filly is fine Twilight. I put her under so she wouldn't see anything more than what she'd already seen." Aon answered. "But her parents are dead."

It was a blow to everyponys' gut. Despite surviving there were still things you never wanted to see.

"I'm going to take her to our room, love, and let her sleep. I'll call in the royal physician as well."

Twilight nodded and continued business. It was going to be a long, hard day.

~^~^~^~

Rosebud shivered slightly as she felt whatever was warm against her disappear. She was about to open her eyes drowsily and protest, but was quickly placated when she felt herself placed on something soft and comfy. She was just about to doze off again when she remembered a red flash and a bang and her mommy laying still and not waking up. Letting out a whimper, Rosebud felt tears begin to build up in her eyes.

"There there, come now. I'm here, and you're okay, I promise."

Opening her eyes, Rosebud found herself on a fancy bed, Princess Aon smiling sadly at her again. Knowing she was supposed to, Rosebud tried to bow, but remembered her mommy and daddy telling her what to do, and that mommy and daddy had been hurt, and she started to cry again. She felt Princess Aon hug her again and then climb up onto the bed. The Princess began to rock her gently and crooned a soft lullaby. Before she knew it, Rosebud had fallen asleep again.

~^~^~^~

Twilight had just entered her room and was about to crawl into bed next to her wife when she noticed that Aon was holding the filly from before protectively in her sleep. It reminded the lavender mare of a time that felt so, so long ago when her birth mother had done that, or all the times Celestia had done that same thing when she had nightmares.

In that moment, Twilight couldn't help but think of what Celestia would do at that moment, and her answer struck her like a lightning bolt.

Laying down next to Aon, Twilight resolved to speak to the mare about the filly in the morning.