Greetings again, dear readers. I hope the wait was worth it. This chapter might be one of the longest I've written. I hope you enjoy. :D

Chaddmychal: Glad you enjoyed the chapter!

Dragonlord Ryukizoku: Chaos Spirits do that kinda thing. I'm not gonna go all DBZ with multiple transformations though. Since they all embody a 'concept', that aspect of their personality is stronger than any physical or magical construct.

Fern of the Clouds: Well said. However... Tyr doesn't have fangs... yet. ;) And I'm pretty sure more heads will roll soon enough.

0. King Nothing.0: I have to admit, writing the part when Tyr leaps on the back of the EXO made me think of Titanfall too.

Yannick: Soon my friend. Soon.

theflammablefiredragon: Now you get me. :D And any wolf is tired after a stressful hunt you know. Nanna and Tyr have essentially placed themselves on opposite sides, but maybe the bond between them will be repaired with time? Who knows...

PBJ: You haven't seen anything yet, my friend.

And that does it! Thanks as usual for reading, and I won't delay you any longer! Except just to say I was really hoping to hit 100 reviews before this post. I wanted to do a shoutout. :D

Chapter 45: Hope

"How is he doing?"

"He's doing much better."

"Will he wake soon?"

"He exerted himself quite a bit the other day. We need to let him rest, darling."

"I reckon he's welcome ta sleep as long as he wants, after he went all hero like."

"I agree with you. Although I want him to wake up because this is too reminiscent of that other time…"

"I agree with you there."

"Well, at least this time he's not wounded, right?"

"Too seriously is the operative word, darling…"

"I suppose that's fair."

Tyr scrunched up his nose. "I don't think I'd be able to sleep that well with all of you standing over me talking."

"Tyr!" The man snapped his eyes open as almost a dozen voices all cried out his name, and a veritable rainbow collapsed on him. As he finally regained all of his sight, he saw the arms of his friends wrapped around him tightly. The worry seemed to melt off of them, and he could feel the happiness there.

"Hey guys," He replied quietly, smiling and stroking someone's pink hair. Judging from the feel of it and the sudden happy thoughts from the girl in question, he figured it was Fluttershy. He noticed a particular shock of red hair was absent, and looked up to see Grace standing against the wall. "Grace?"

"Sorry I'm not all leaping on you," She said with a weary smile. "I've been working all day and I'm exhausted."

Tyr simply grinned. "It's alright. Go get some sleep."

"Yes sir." She left the room then, yawning as she did so. Tyr was then assaulted by a pair of lips and a feeling of worry mixed with relief that could belong to no one but Luna. The dark feathers that drifted in front of his vision gave it away too.

"Ah, Princess!" Rarity's voice protested.

"Save it," Luna said, pulling back a bit. Her eyes fixed on Tyr's. "Beloved… I am so glad you are alright."

"I apologize for overdoing it," Tyr replied with a chuckle. All his friends finally let go of him and backed up a bit, only Luna remaining seated by his side.

Rainbow scoffed. "Overdoing it? Dude, that was AWESOME!" She exclaimed with a wide grin.

"Yeah, RD's right," Applejack agreed. There was pride in her eyes. "You sure did show those guys what for the other night."

"I have to admit," Twilight said with a weak smile. "I'm not an expert on fighting, but you made it look easy against those Angels."

"Yeah!" Pinkie bounced up. "Tyr was all awesome and heroic and super scary all at the same time! Well, more scary to the other side, you know with the wolves and stuff. I'm not good with big doggies like that though, but with Tyr they aren't that scary! He really—"

"I think that's good enough, Pinkie-winkle," Rarity said, hand snapping out and covering her girlfriend's mouth. She smiled apologetically at Tyr. "Sorry darling. But Pinkie is right—you did cut quite the dashing figure out there."

"I kinda just… acted," Tyr admitted, shrugging. "For some parts I think Fenrir was guiding me."

"I did not give you that much guidance, Alpha," A soft, yet sultry voice said. Everyone in the room paused and looked to the source of the voice. Tyr hadn't been paying attention when he looked around, plus his friends were blocking his view. But he now saw the owner of the voice. A tall, slender woman with tanned skin and wild silver hair was seated in a nearby chair, a smile on her face. Well-built and obviously strong, she looked almost masculine. She looked out of place, as if she would look much better in a dimly lit feasting hall than the stone walls of a castle infirmary. Tyr didn't have to think too hard to know that it was Fenrir.

"You look different," He told her with a grin. He was amused to see her ears—still atop her head—twitch. "Growth spurt?"

"You spoke my Concept Name and invoked my power," Fenrir said, crossing her legs. "At that point, my full power became yours. At the same time, I fully woke up. This is my awakened form."

"I reckon I would a been way more impressed if y'all had looked like this from the start," Applejack teased. Fenrir shot her a dark look.

"…I suppose so."

"So what does it mean now that Tyr can use all your powers?" Twilight asked. Tyr had to laugh inwardly—the librarian would never pass up an opportunity to learn something new.

"I do not need to be his blade any longer," Fenrir pointed out. She held out her hands, and the frost sword Tyr had been using materialized. "His weapons will come to him whenever he needs them. My assistance will only be required for more powerful spells."

The blade vanished. Tyr frowned. "I see."

"However, now that our contract is complete, you now must incur the downside to our partnership."

"Downside?" Fluttershy asked timidly. Fenrir nodded.

"For every contract made, there are both benefits and downsides. In Alpha's case, the benefit is the loyalty and obedience of the Pack. The downside is that you will derive no taste from meat."

Tyr smirked. "From that feeling of irritation, I believe you figured it doesn't affect me since I don't eat meat."

Fenrir scowled, but then her face softened and she shrugged. "Not everyone has to suffer their curse. Most simply embrace it, like the Arbiter and his family."

Rainbow frowned. "Arbiter? Who the heck is that?"

"You all do not know? It is Jehu Striate. He is the Arbiter of Chaos."

"That sounds frightening," Fluttershy murmured.

Celestia entered the room then, a soft smile on her face. "Do not worry. From what I know of the man, he means us no harm."

"Sister…" Luna looked over at the Princess of the Sun.

"It's alright, Lulu. I have simply come to check up on our heroic knight. How are you feeling, Tyr?"

"I'm… alright I guess," Tyr offered. In truth, he still felt exhausted. The exertion of his magic had left him drained. "Tired though. Is it always like that when you use a lot of magic?"

"I don't know about Princess Celestia or Luna," Twilight offered, casting a glance at her former mentor, "But whenever I use a lot of magic in a short span of time, it leaves me tired out."

Tyr nodded. "I feel like I just ran several miles. On top of getting knocked around by a professional boxer."

"They did knock you around pretty badly," Applejack agreed. She poked at the numerous bandages that covered the man's body. "I'm just surprised y'all are still in one piece, sugarcube."

"A tie to Chaos leaves the body quite… resilient," Fenrir offered.

"Should Chrys or I give you some of our magic?" Luna asked softly.

Fenrir shook her head. "That would be unwise. He will recover faster and more naturally if he simply waits for his own magical energy to regenerate."

"…Very well." Luna pouted a little, and Tyr rubbed her hand comfortingly.

"So we got Papa Wolf Tyr in our corner," Rainbow said with an appreciative nod. "Those humans out there won't be getting in here to us any time soon!"

"That's a bit of a problem," Celestia said. Everyone turned expectant eyes to the older princess. "There are more of them now."

Tyr felt a chill run down his spine. He sat up. "…How many?"

"…We lost count after three hundred."

"Three hundred soldiers?" Fluttershy covered her mouth. "Oh my…"

"At least," Rainbow clarified. "I couldn't keep count, especially after they started shooting at me."

"And our own numbers continue to drop," Luna said. She bit her lip. "Can we truly hold this castle now…?"

"We have to!" Pinkie protested. "There's a lot of people here that are counting on us!"

"We're already spread thin as it is, darling," Rarity offered. As they began to discuss without him, Tyr noticed something that didn't seem to make sense to him. For one, Rarity's usually elegantly styled hair and tail were a bit more ragged than he remembered, and she didn't have any make up on. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had bags under their eyes, and even Twilight looked like she hadn't had sleep in days. Only Pinkie and Fluttershy looked normal. And… their numbers were dropping?

"Hey… girls? How long was I out?" He asked softly.

They didn't seem to want to answer right away, but Fenrir quickly supplied the answer for her Alpha. "You were unconscious for two days, Alpha."

"Two days…?" He trailed off, looking around at his friends. "What happened while I was out?"

"Bastille has called up reinforcements," Celestia said. "From what I have been told, he has a lot more heavy weapons and armor. And more men, as I said earlier. Our wounded are being treated by Grace and her team, but there is only so much they can do. Ah, Cadance and Shining Armor are holding the defense together, however. Armor's barrier spell has kept us safe for right now."

"And our strength?"

Luna immediately began to protest. "Beloved, you're still weak. You don't need to do this right now…"

Tyr silenced her with one gentle hand against her cheek. "Moon. Of course I have to do this. I can't simply sit around and do nothing."

"But Tyr…!"

"What if they have another generator like the other day?" Tyr asked pointedly.

"Tyr is the only one who can fight if that's the case," Twilight pointed out. "He was the only one unaffected by that Anti-magic device."

"So we do need him on the front lines, as it were," Rarity agreed.

Luna sighed. "I know, I just… I don't want him to go charging off still weak."

"And we still don't have any way of actually winning," Rainbow pointed out quietly.

There was a knock at the door. Everyone turned to see Sherry and Hope standing there, the former with a frown on her face. "Um… everyone? I think I may have a solution to our problem."

"You do?" Twilight frowned. "What is it?"

Sherry was silent for a moment, looking into the eyes of everyone present. They all waited for her to speak, and when she did they all felt their jaws fall open in shock. "I think… I think I may be able to send us home."

-x-

They had returned to one of the castle's more secluded rooms in order to have this discussion. Everyone was present, from the Elements of Harmony, the Princesses, to the four Royal Knights. Sherry was at the front of the group, nervousness on her face. Hope gently touched her shoulder. She gave her a short nod, as if to reassure her friend that what she was about to say was good. Sherry let out a deep breath, but before she could speak, Rainbow did. "Are you gonna tell us or what?" She demanded.

"Hold your peace, Rainbow Dash," Luna warned. "Obviously, what young Sherry wishes to tell us is troubling for her as well."

"Well… I guess…" The rainbow haired girl huffed. "But we're wasting time. We don't know when they're going to attack again!"

"Come on Dashie," Ace said comfortingly, rubbing his hand along her back. "Just give her a minute."

"Fine…"

Fluttershy gave Sherry a comforting smile. "Just take your time."

Sherry nodded. "Right. Thank you, Fluttershy. So as I said earlier, I think I figured out a way to send us home."

"And how is that?" Twilight asked. "I've searched through every book I could find, and anything I see is just myth or speculation. Only that one book gave me any answers, but I can't open a way for us to get home."

"What did you have in mind?" Cadance asked, looking at the newly declared princess.

"The Rubrik," Sherry replied, holding up the object in question. "I don't remember how much everyone knows about it—"

"Nothing at all," Shining offered. Cadance elbowed him in the side so he'd be quiet. Sherry smiled and continued.

"But the Rubrik is essentially the remains of the spell Mr. Jehu and his family created to bring Aunt Celestia here. So… it's like a record of that spell."

"And how, pray tell, does that help us?" Rarity asked.

"I went into the Rubrik, remember? I know this thing almost inside and out. So that means, since the spell Mr. Jehu and his family made was to bring Equestrians to this world…"

"You found a way to reverse the spell," Tyr said, coming to the conclusion just as most of the others in the room did. Sherry nodded.

"Yes! I can reverse the spell, but I need the magical power of the other Alicorns."

"What would you need us for" Cadance asked.

"I know I've got magical power now, but I don't know how to use it. And the spell we need to cast requires a lot of power. We'd have to channel it for quite some time."

"There goes our heavy support," Ace murmured with a sigh. "Without the Princesses, we're at a serious disadvantage."

"How long would this spell take?" Celestia asked. Like her knight, she too was worried. Before the Anti-magic device had been used, it was the timely intervention of her sister and herself that prevented their enemies from taking the walls.

Sherry bit her lip. "I… I'm not completely sure. I know it'll take some time, but other than that…"

"So all we need to do is provide the power?" Luna asked. When Sherry nodded, she sighed. "Well, I suppose with Tyr's magic and Shining Armor's barrier, we can delay for a while…"

"I reckon we can handle it," Applejack asserted. "Plus… It'll be nice to get home after all of this."

"We get to go home!" Pinkie squealed happily. She bounced around the room. "We're going home! We're going home! Oh, I have to get started planning the return home party! It'll be kinda weird getting back used to a pony body though, but I'm sure it'll come back easily! And then we can have all fun once we're not fighting for our lives!"

"You're awfully excited," Grace pointed out with a chuckle.

"Of course! Oh! Although I have to plan two parties!"

"Two?" Twilight frowned. "Pinkie, why on earth would we need two parties?"

"Because I got to throw Tyr a 'Welcome to Equestria' party!" The room fell silent. Pinkie kept bouncing happily for a moment until she realized that no one else was sharing in her excitement. She slowed to a stop, whipping her head about to look at everyone. "Um… did I say something bad?"

"The spell…" Sherry swallowed hard. She couldn't meet her father's eyes. "The spell only works on Equestrians. Dad would… dad would be left behind."

There was silence. It was finally broken by Luna, who spoke one word. "…Unacceptable."

Her denial sparked the room into noise. "We can't leave Tyr behind!" Fluttershy protested quietly.

"I ain't too fond of leaving friends behind, partner!" Applejack snapped.

"How absurd! How could we just abandon him after all he's done for us?" Rarity frowned. "I couldn't bear to think of it!"

"But isn't this the only way to get out of this?" Twilight asked softly. "Believe me, I don't want to abandon Tyr either. But we'll all die if we stay."

Her friends fell silent again. "Buck this, I'm outta here," Rainbow said suddenly, getting up and walking to the door. She left without anyone else trying to stop her. Ace simply shook his head and walked out as well.

"I agree with Rainbow Dash," Luna said. "I would rather die here beside my beloved than leave him behind."

"I'm not going to let that happen."

All eyes turned to the quiet man as he stated that simple sentence. Luna turned to him, fear in her eyes. "But beloved!"

"No buts, Luna." It had been a while since he actually called her by name. It felt a little weird, and even the look on Luna's face showed how strange it was to her as well. "I said once before that if it would make you all safer, I'd rather you left. As much as it pains me to say it… I want you to do this spell."

"No! I refuse!" Luna rubbed at her eyes. She was beginning to cry. "I will not leave you here! Not after everything we've been through!"

"Don't you think I could say the same to you?"

Luna paused, eyes wide. "I… but… Beloved…"

"I know this is hard," Tyr continued, letting his eyes scan the room. "But believe me, I meant it when I said it. I'd rather you all went home to Equestria if it meant you'd be away from… this." He swept his arm towards the direction of where the waiting human force was. He didn't have to clarify—they all knew full well what waited for them on the other side of the walls. No one could speak. Luna curled up against Tyr, trying hard to keep her tears back.

Celestia finally spoke up. "Tyr… if we do this… there is a chance you will not see us or your children ever again."

The man was silent for just a moment. His eyes fell to his lap, and he spoke in a voice just shy of a whisper. "…I know."

"Tyr, you can't be considering this!" Rarity protested.

"Look Rarity, I don't want any of you to die just for me!" He turned to her. "Please, just… don't make this difficult."

"In the end, it comes down to us to do this," Cadance pointed out, gesturing to herself and the other Princesses. "…Should we vote on it?"

Applejack snorted. She obviously was upset about the whole thing, but didn't show it. "I reckon y'all should. Better than all a us arguing about it."

"I'm against it," Luna said immediately.

Sherry sighed. "I mean… I came up with it, so…"

"I agree with Aunt Luna," Cadance said softly. "Even if it's pointless… I can't really agree with leaving Tyr here."

"I believe we should use the spell," Twilight said. She avoided Luna's pointed glare. "I… Sorry."

"So I suppose it comes down to me, hm?" Celestia said thoughtfully as all the eyes in the room went to her. She took in the looks from everyone in the room. There were a few hopeful looks, and some forlorn ones. After a long minute of thought, she finally sighed. "…We shall do the spell."

"Sister!" Luna exclaimed, jumping up. Celestia held up a hand to silence her. The older princess's eyes were hard. Luna's protest died on her lips.

"We do this for our people, Lulu. As much as I would like for there to be a way to bring Tyr with us, there is none. I apologize, but this is what must be done."

Luna sat back hard in her seat. She leaned forward and rested her face in her hands. "I… I cannot believe this…"

"We should prepare for the spell," Sherry said softly. "Hope will be contributing as well."

"Hope help," Hope said softly, a bit oblivious to the emotions in the room.

Celestia nodded. "Very well. We should get started right away. "Everyone else, prepare for… anything."

There were a few nods and everyone but the six Alicorns left the room. Tyr gave Luna one last glance as he left, finding the cerulean eyes remorseful. The Princess of Dreams mouthed one last thing before he left.

I love you.

Tyr let a deep sigh escape his lips. His friends had already moved away, off to do whatever other tasks they had. As it may be the last time he'd get the chance, he decided to go find them and at least get one last conversation. Rainbow Dash might as well be first, as she had stormed out of the room. As he walked through the castle, he spotted the rainbow haired girl sitting out in the yard, looking out at the sky. She looked… pensive. For someone as brash and impulsive as her, it was a strange expression. He approached her quietly, the girl turning slightly to acknowledge him. "…Hey."

"Yo," He said, moving up beside her. "You alright?"

"No," She said bluntly. Tyr chuckled. "What?"

"I'd expect that sort of honesty from Applejack."

"Hardy har. But You can't tell me this doesn't bother you too."

Tyr let out a sigh and sat down beside her, looking up at the sky. He felt Rainbow's eyes on him as he prepared to speak. "…No, I can't say it doesn't. This is probably the most difficult situation I've ever been put in."

"Then why—"

"But you have to remember, Dash, that I'm one man. One man put into a situation way outside of my expertise."

Rainbow frowned and looked away. "…So you're fine with being left behind? You're okay with us abandoning you?"

"I don't think of it as you girls abandoning me," Tyr pointed out. "I don't want those men outside to kill or hurt any of you. And sending you all back to Equestria is the only way to do it."

"I know," Rainbow said quietly. "We don't have much of a chance to win. But… I really don't want to leave you behind, Tyr."

To her surprise, the man chuckled. "I know, Dash. Loyalty, right? It makes you feel like you're betraying me to leave me behind."

"Of course! And now Sherry—your own daughter, no less—is saying she wants to cast a spell to save everyone but you!"

"…Hey Dash. Mind answering a question for me?"

"What is it?" She asked warily.

"If you were forced to pick between saving Ace's life over Scootaloo's, who would you choose?"

Rainbow stared at him in horror. The life of her husband, or her adoptive daughter? That sort of choice was just like… the one Discord had given her. Unwinnable. "I… I wouldn't know how to choose… But that's something different!"

"Is it? It'll break your heart either way, so you have to make a tough decision. And this decision is one I've considered for a long time."

"…Really?"

"Yeah. Ever since the Scarecrows first attacked. That if there was any way to send you all home, I would do it in a heartbeat. And now that opportunity has come, and I'm not passing it up."

Rainbow sighed. "I… I guess you're right. I just…"

To the woman's surprise, the man pulled her into a hug. "I know I promised you a ride on my bike, and it seems I won't be keeping that promise. But one day, you'll look back on this time as just one big adventure."

"…Yeah. I guess you're right." She hugged him back. "Thanks Tyr."

"You gonna be alright?"

"Once I get back to kicking those Agency guys butts again, I will be." She gave him a wide grin.

"I can understand that!" Tyr laughed.

"Alright. Thanks Tyr. I really needed this talk."

"No problem."

"You probably should go talk to the others too y'know."

"Got stuff to do?"

"Course!" Rainbow pulled herself free and lifted off the ground, hovering a few feet above him. "And so do you, Papa Wolf!"

She flew off, leaving Tyr to chuckle softly to himself. "Papa Wolf, huh…?" He shook his head and was about to go searching for one of his other friends, only to be intercepted by Pinkie Pie. "Gah! Pinkie!" He exclaimed as she hugged him tightly around the waist. She didn't speak for a moment, simply keeping her pink head firmly buried in his chest. Tyr stared at her for a moment, before simply smiling and hugging her back.

"…Am I bothering you?" Pinkie asked quietly.

Tyr shook his head. "Not at all, Pinkie."

"I had so much fun meeting you, Tyr," Pinkie said. "You will always be one of my bestest friends."

"Bestest isn't a word, Pinkie."

"I know."

Tyr couldn't help but chuckle. "You were always tons of fun, Pinkie. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you more," She told him, leaning up to gently place a kiss on his cheek. As he let her go to touch his cheek in surprise, Pinkie gave him a huge grin before bouncing away. He could sense an odd feeling of love coming off of her. As he watched her pink tail vanish around a corner, Tyr realized he would probably never understand that pink haired girl. But at the same time, he didn't really mind. He liked Pinkie as she was—silly and unpredictable. And on that note, he spotted a familiar head of purple hair. It was Rarity, and the seamstress was surprisingly surrounded by a small group of Equestrian kids. They were watching her do something, and Tyr moved closer to see what it was. To his surprise, the elegant woman was fixing a teddy bear for a worried looking girl. Tyr watched in silence as Rarity deftly sewed the arm back onto the toy, easily repairing it. She handed the toy back to the little girl with a small smile on her face.

"Here you go, Amaranth," Rarity said. "Now you'll take good care of that bear, won't you darling?"

"Yes miss Rarity!" The little orange haired girl nodded quickly, a wide smile on her face. She and the other kids ran off, laughing and talking as they went. Rarity stood up from her spot on the grass, dusting off her skirt. She turned slightly and saw him. To her credit, she kept the small smile on her face as she got up to speak to him.

"Oh, hello darling. Did you need something?"

"Not really," Tyr answered honestly, coming over to her. "What were you doing?"

"Oh, just a little repair work," Rarity smiled. "Like yourself."

Tyr chuckled. "Right. Didn't realize you did toys."

"It's just a bit of needlework, really. I don't mind at all. Plus…" She sent a gentle gaze at the backs of the retreating children. "…Putting a smile on their faces is worth it."

"Yeah, you're right about that."

Rarity was silent for a moment. "Darling, I want to know… will you miss us?"

"Miss you? Of course I will."

"…That's good then." She turned away, looking off into the distance. Tyr reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hm?"

"Rarity. This might surprise you, but I consider you one of my closest friends."

"Me? But why me, darling?"

"Rarity, you replaced mine, Sherry's, and Luna's clothes without asking for anything in return. You helped Chrys just because I asked, and never once asked for a favor in return. You never let me leave your boutique without paying me for the work I did."

"Well, I always considered what I did repayment for all that you've done for me…"

Tyr felt the small smile on his face grow even more. "You have a beautiful heart, Rarity. That's what attracted me to you in the first place."

"…Attracted?"

"As a friend, obviously," Tyr relied quickly, noticing the blush on the other woman's cheeks. He felt a bit of heat rise to his own cheeks. A blushing Rarity was quite cute.

"Ahem! Yes, of course. I value your friendship as well, Tyr."

"Great."

"Well, I should get back to work," Rarity said, smiling at him. "I-I have to help Vanna after all!"

"Right," Tyr agreed, still not completely sure what to say as the woman left. But as he glanced away in slight embarrassment, he felt a gentle touch against his cheek—a kiss. "…Rarity?"

"For luck, darling."

She was gone quickly. Tyr thought to catch her and ask why she thought to do that, but instead, he let her leave and found his eyes drawn to another person he needed to speak to, a blonde in particular. Perhaps talking to her would get his mind off the odd behavior of Rarity. Pinkie was Pinkie, and random behavior was her calling card. "Yo, Applejack!"

"Huh?" The farm-girl turned slightly, a box of something on her shoulder. "Oh, hey Tyr! Mind helping me out with this?"

"Sure," Tyr offered. His friend was standing beside a small stack of boxes, and he came over and picked up one. They were much heavier than he expected. "The hell…? What are in these things?"

"Fruit. Too heavy for ya?"

"Don't even tease, AJ."

The farm girl watched as the taller man lifted up a second box with relative ease. She gave a soft whistle. "Well, I reckon I don't have ta worry too much about ya, huh?"

"I can handle myself. What about you, cowgirl?"

He came up beside her as they walked, only to have the woman bump into him with her hips. He barely managed to catch the boxes before they fell. "Better watch that mouth a yours, Tyr. You don't wanna get shown up by this cowgirl."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tyr replied with a chuckle. They carried the boxes over to a spot where Big Mac was sorting them. He gave them a short nod before going back for the other containers, leaving them alone. The two of them spent some time in silence, simply getting food out and organized. It was a while before Tyr finally decided to breach the subject. "Hey… AJ?"

"I'm alright," She said, preempting him. She smirked. "As much as I don't want ta leave y'all behind, the princesses said it's the only way. So I'm gonna suck it up and just keep working."

Tyr blinked, honestly surprised. But his good humor returned quickly. "That's just like you, huh? Faithful and strong."

"You better believe it!" Her smile was wide, but it lessened a bit after a moment. "Say… Tyr. I know it may not be the best time, but… could ya maybe spare a bit of time for Fluttershy? She's been quieter than… well, quieter than she normally is."

Tyr gave her a gentle smile back. "I wouldn't mind at all, cowgirl."

Applejack gave him one last smile before going back to help her brother. "I kinda like that nickname, Tyr!" She called back.

"Then I'll make sure Fluttershy starts calling you that!" His smile grew as he heard her laugh. Applejack had one of those full laughs, and it never failed to bring a smile to his face. So with his honest friend off to do her job, he went looking for Fluttershy. He didn't have to look far. She was under a tree, humming a song to a group of birds. She looked so peaceful and serene… he decided to simply sit and not interrupt. It was a few minutes later before Fluttershy finally turned and saw him. Her eyes widened in shock.

"T-T-T-Tyr!" She stuttered, blush turning her cheeks a rosy red. Her voice came out in squeaks. Tyr couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Hope I didn't frighten you too much," He said apologetically. He glanced up at the birds in the trees. "Especially if you've got a captive audience."

"Captive? Oh no, they're free to go whenever they want," Fluttershy said softly, glancing up at the birds. Tyr looked as well, and he could have sworn most of the birds began chirping irritably at the suggestion. Seems they were really enjoying her singing. Tyr moved up beside her.

"Are… are you doing alright, Fluttershy?" He asked quietly.

"Am I…?" The pink haired girl frowned. "I think I'm okay. Is… is something wrong?"

"Applejack said you've been quieter than normal."

"Oh." She looked down at her hands. She twisted the simple silver ring on her ring finger. It was the one of the rings Vanna had made after the triple wedding, not wanting the others to have to run out and buy their own. They hadn't been as elegant as the ones Luna and Tyr wore, but the happy couples didn't mind much. After a moment of silence, Fluttershy continued. "Is it weird if you're the only man I'm really comfortable around?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I'm alright with Big Mac and Twilight's big brother Shining Armor, but…" She paused for a moment, twisting her fingers in her long hair. "…You're the only one I'd call a friend."

"I… Thanks Fluttershy. I mean, I know I've not spent as much time with you as the others, but that means a lot to me. You've never hesitated to share kindness with me."

She blushed, hiding her face behind her hair. "…If… if it was possible…" She began, but trailed off back into silence.

"Hm? If what was possible?"

"I mean… if you ever ended up in Equestria… would you like come over for tea?"

Tyr blinked, but then smiled warmly. "Of course, Fluttershy. I'd enjoy that."

She smiled. It was a pretty smile, small but earnest. She opened her mouth to say something else, but another voice interrupted her. "Tyr!" It was Twilight, coming towards them from the castle keep. She seemed a bit surprised to see Fluttershy. "Oh, Fluttershy! I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"We were just talking," Fluttershy said before Tyr could reply. He personally wanted to continue talking to her, but she quickly made way for their other friend. "I actually need to go help Applejack."

"Oh alright." Twilight turned her head to Tyr. "Do you mind walking with me?"

"Sure, Twilight." He spared Fluttershy one last glance as she hurried away, a small cloud of birds following. He chuckled.

"I still don't know how she does it," Twilight said, following his gaze. "I guess they are just attracted to her kindness."

"Not that surprising, I guess. So what did you want, Twilight?"

They began walking. It didn't seem like there was much of a destination in his librarian friend's mind, so Tyr simply waited for her to speak. He contented himself for the moment simply watching the oncoming sunset. It caught him off guard how late it was, but he had been wandering around for the majority of the day. They ended up coming to a section of the castle grounds where the children were playing. Tyr spotted Sweetie Bell, Applebloom, and Scootaloo playing with his two children. Aurora was apparently playing tag with the older girls, while Sweetie Bell was helping Aleron read a book. Unseen by the kids, Twilight and Tyr stood off to one side, watching. After a few minutes, she finally spoke. "Aurora and Aleron are cute kids."

That brought a smile to the man's face. "Yeah, they are aren't they?"

"From what I've seen, Al takes more after you."

"And Aurora is like a more energetic version of Luna," Tyr added.

"Aurora was born an Alicorn, right? It stands to reason she'd take after her mother. And Aleron was born with latent magic?"

"Mmhm. I'm counting on you to teach him once he gets older."

"I doubt I'll be able to teach him anything Luna or Celestia couldn't…"

"You're the Princess of Friendship, right?" Tyr smiled. "The magic you carry made your group of friends complete. Who better than you to teach him how to pick good friends?"

Twilight smiled. "You… You sure know how to flatter a girl, don't you?"

"I've had some decent practice."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah." Tyr grinned. "My darling wife is unused to praise."

"I suppose that is true." Twilight's smile suddenly faded, and she turned to him with a serious look. "…You know they'll be taken along with us, right?"

He knew. He didn't want to say it out loud or even want to think about it. But Twilight had finally brought it up, and the grim realization finally hit him. Aleron and Aurora were born with Equestrian traits—magic, tails, wings—and would no doubt be taken from him when the spell was completed. He let out a deep sigh. "…I know."

"I'm sorry to bring it up, but I just wanted to make sure you're completely—"

"I know what I'm giving up," Tyr said, cutting her off. "But I promised to protect you all, and that's what I'm going to do. If that means staying behind, then I'll do it."

"Are you sure?" She turned to him.

"Absolutely."

She sighed. "Then I won't say anything that might sway your decision. Just… watch out for yourself, alright?"

"I will."

Twilight bit her lip. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she couldn't. Instead, she simply moved close to him and hugged him. "Thanks, Tyr. Thanks for everything."

Tyr blinked a couple times. "…You're welcome, Twilight."

"Call me Professor," Twilight told him with a smile. "Cause I think next time you see me I will be one."

"Alright then," Tyr said, and they broke apart. She had said next time, he realized. She was expecting to see him again. He grinned. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

"I'll see you later, Tyr!" She said, turning away and running back to the keep. "I gotta get ready for the spell!"

He waved after her, unable to see the tears on her face as she ducked through the door. She didn't want his last image of her to be of her crying.

-x-

"Sherry?" Hope called softly, entering the silent room. She looked around, her eyes finally coming to rest on the pink haired girl. She was seated on the window sill, looking out over the castle interior. The Rubrik was in her hands, and she was aimlessly turning it over and over in her hands. She hadn't noticed Hope enter. The white haired girl spoke again. "…Sherry."

Sherry turned slightly. "Oh, hey Hope. Is something the matter?"

"You sad, Sherry?"

"I… Yes. Yes I am."

"Why?"

"Because when we cast this spell to send us all home… I may never see my dad again." There were tears in the young girl's eyes, and Hope frowned in consternation. In the time she had spent with the Hymir family, Hope had gone through her fair share of small hurts and injuries. Each time, she had bawled like a baby. But what else was she supposed to do? She was a child in everything but body. But whenever she was hurt, or sad, or upset, Sherry was there for her with a comforting word and a hug. This time, however, it was her adoptive sister that was in distress. Unable to think of anything else to do, she walked over and hugged the smaller girl from behind. "H-Hope? What is it…?"

"Don't cry," Hope said weakly. It was times like these she hated her inability to speak well. "Tyr… would be sad."

"Dad…?"

"Mm! He… not like you sad. Should be happy!"

"But how am I supposed to be happy when I may never see him again?" She buried her face in her hands. She was furious with herself. She was the newly titled Princess of Creativity, and she couldn't think of any way to save them all and let her father remain with them. And it was tearing her up inside.

"Sometimes sacrifice is necessary. Sometimes we have to let go of the things we love."

Sherry's head snapped back up. "Mom!?" She knew that voice anywhere. Her mother had always spoken to her with that calm and knowledgeable tone. But when she turned around, she found a confused Hope staring back at her. The girl scrunched up her face for a moment before pointing at herself.

"Hope. Not Mom."

"I… I thought…" Sherry shook her head. She wasn't hearing voices again, was she? "…It's alright Hope. Thanks for coming to see me."

"…Happy?"

"Not quite, but I'll get there eventually." She stood up, Hope moving slightly away to give her room. Just as they did so, the door opened up and Rainbow Dash burst in. "Rainbow Dash?"

"Come on outside, Sherry!" The rainbow haired girl rushed into the room and grabbed the wrists of the two girls. "You too Hope!"

"What's going on?"

"Just come on!" Unable to get any answers, they were forced to follow the Element of Loyalty downstairs and outside. They were finally led to a small open area which to their surprise was full of all their friends, from the knights and the Princesses to all of the Elements of Harmony except Pinkie. "I brought them!"

"Great!" Twilight said, a small smile on her face.

"What's going on?" Celestia asked while frowning slightly. Apparently no one had bothered to tell her what was going on. But before she could get any answers, Pinkie Pie arrived, pushing a quite confused Tyr in front of her.

"I brought him!" She sang out, bouncing over to the others. Tyr looked just as confused as the rest of them.

"Anyone want to tell me why Pinkie just suddenly grabbed me and brought me here?" The man asked.

"Twilight will explain," Rainbow muttered quickly, flying over to him and taking his cell phone from his pocket. "Borrowing this."

"Hey!"

"Sorry about how short notice this is," Twilight said, finally making an effort to explain. "I had an idea, and I wanted to work it out before we were… you know. Unable to."

"And what idea was that?" Luna asked. She was honestly curious.

"A group photo!"

There were a few surprised looks from the gathered Equestrians. "A group photo?" Ace asked, confused. "Why take one of those?"

"Think about it," Twilight explained, "Once we're all gone… I wanted to at least leave something for Tyr to remember us by."

"Oh…"

"I mean…"

"Thank you, Twilight," Tyr said with a smile. "That's a great idea."

"Well, I suppose we should get in some kind of formation," Celestia chuckled. Taking the Princess of the Sun's instruction, the somewhat large group began to shuffle around. Tyr was stuck in the middle, with Luna and Chrys being placed at either side of him and Sherry put in front of him. The pink haired girl looked up at her father, only finding a warm smile staring back at her.

"You alright?" He asked softly, reaching up and resting his hand on her head. She shook it slightly.

"I'm fine, dad."

"Everyone stay still!" Twilight admonished. Rainbow deposited Tyr's phone with Cheerilee, who had apparently been drafted into taking the picture. After a bit of fiddling, she figured out how to work his camera. Rainbow flew back to the group, settling in behind Twilight and next to Ace.

"Sorry!" She said, accidentally bumping Beat's wheelchair.

"It's alright," Beat replied. She chuckled. "At least I'm not on a hill."

"Okay, that sounds terrifying."

"It was actually kinda fun once Ace rescued me."

"Okay, everyone ready?" Cheerilee asked. A chorus of affirmatives responded just as the CMC finally settled down in front. "Alright! Everyone smile!"

She took the picture. Tyr heard the soft click of his phone imitating the shutter noise before Cheerilee lowered his phone. "Thanks, Cheerilee," He began, starting to move over to get it. Before he could a hand grabbed his shoulder. He looked up to see Twilight looking at him. "Uh… something up?"

"Just one more picture," She said. "With… just the six of us."

Tyr turned around to see the other five Elements of Harmony looking at him, all with expectant looks. "Go ahead, beloved," Luna said, nudging him slightly. "Chrysalis and I will be waiting for you inside." The two women shared a secretive look.

"Waiting for me…?" He didn't get much time to question what she meant before his princess and Changeling left him, headed back into the keep. He was left with his six friends who crowded back around him.

"Too bad I can't take my phone with me when we go back," Pinkie complained. "Otherwise I'd want a picture too!"

"Let's just get this show on the road," Applejack said, glancing at the sky. "Don't look like we got much light left."

Tyr smirked. He figured he could do something for his friends here. With a wave of his hand, his magic came to life and suddenly the small area was lit up with silver light. "That better?"

"Oh my goodness darling," Rarity murmured, looking around them. Silver sparkles drifted from the air around them, layering them in a soft, yet bright illumination akin to stars. "How did you…?"

"I've gotten pretty good," Tyr admitted. "Although to be honest, I'd rather do this than use it to fight."

"Come on, let's do this thing!" Rainbow complained.

Rarity huffed. "Always in a rush!"

"No, Rainbow's got a point," Tyr said. "There's still our guests outside, remember?"

"Can't we just forget about them and they'll go away?" Pinkie whined.

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh, Pinkie. They aren't the boogeyman. But I see your point, Tyr. Let us take the picture."

Cheerilee giggled softly. "Alright now. Get closer together." They assembled back together then, and Cheerilee readied herself to take the picture. Before she took it, suddenly Tyr felt arms encircling his neck and warm cheeks pressed up to either side of his face. Something rested on his head, and both arms were suddenly wrapped as well. The camera snapped, and everything pulled away just as he tried to move.

"Okay, what the heck?" He murmured, looking around at his friends. They all looked quite pleased with themselves.

"Before you get all upset," Cheerilee giggled again, coming over. She handed him his phone back. She pointed to the screen. "You might want to look at that."

Tyr looked down at his phone, feeling his friends crowd around him. With one button press, the screen came on. Tyr was greeted with a picture that even he couldn't be mad at. Applejack and Twilight had been the ones to throw their arms around him and had pushed their smiling faces up against his. Rarity and Fluttershy had taken either arm, the shy girl with a thick blush and the fashionista with a small, refined smile on her face. Rainbow Dash had flown up just enough so that she could rest her head on top of his, and Pinkie was in front of him, grinning a smile only she could. Tyr smiled softly. "Girls… this is… this is perfect."

"That way you don't forget us, no matter how long it is," Rainbow said.

Rarity placed a hand on his shoulder. "And to remind you that no matter what, you are our friend and we care about you, darling."

"Just don't ever forget us, sugar," Applejack said, patting him on the back. Tyr simply grinned back.

"I would never."

"Um… not to interrupt," Fluttershy said, speaking up. Her blush was still there, but a little lessened. "But didn't Princess Luna and Chrysalis say they were waiting on you?"

"That's right," Tyr said, nodding. He glanced up at the keep. Chrys's thoughts hadn't been coming to him since they had left, so he was completely in the dark at what they could possibly want. "I should probably go…"

"Just go already!" Rainbow snapped. She grinned to show her comment was not antagonizing. "I mean, we all got last minute things to do, right?"

Tyr didn't reply, but shook his head as he left them, six laughing girls at his back. He didn't want to leave them, but he couldn't simply leave probably the two most important women in his life.

He came into a darkened room, eyes narrowed and trying to adjust. Before he could the door was swiftly closed and he was left in complete darkness. He felt his way across the room, somehow managing to miss everything he thought was in here. Only the singular bed—wait, there was a bed in here? A soft chill ran up his spine. Unable to contain his nervousness, he spoke up. "Uh… girls? You two in here?"

"Of course we are, Master," Chrys purred from the darkness. He couldn't place it, but he felt like he had heard this sort of tone from her before.

Luna's voice filled his senses then, as if she was right next to his ear. "We were waiting for my Prince to arrive."

"And now he is here."

Something brushed up against his arm, and he reached out, finally gripping something… soft. A wave of pleasure ran through him, obviously transmitted by Chrys. As if to confirm his thoughts, a hand closed around his and he felt breath on his other ear. "…It seems my Master wishes to get started… right away."

Tyr coughed, almost tempted to summon a construct to light the room. But at the same time, he really didn't want to lose focus or he'd be squeezing whatever it was he had taken hold of. And judging by Chrys's reaction, she was almost begging for him to do just that. Luna spoke up again, at the same time hands ran along his back. Her hands were cool, no doubt courtesy of her magic. "Eager, beloved?"

"I just want to know what's going on," Tyr managed.

"Oh? That is a simple enough answer. Consider this… a special gift."

Chrys spoke up again, releasing his hand so that she could press up against him. "A gift from both of us to the man we love."

Luna pressed up to his other side. "You won't refuse us, will you, beloved?"

Tyr took a deep breath. "…It would be quite rude of me to refuse, wouldn't it?" He said finally, only to hear two quite happy women giggle softly at his reply. As he was gently—yet firmly—led to the bed, he felt like he was in for a long night.

Up next, a final showdown with Bastille and his gathered army. There's a solution to our issues, but will the Princesses manage to cast their spell in time? Will Jehu intervene, or will he stay on the sidelines? Will any one die?

Well, yeah, someone will die. I mean, that's a given.

But who?

Until next time, my dear readers. Read, Review, and Return for the conclusion to this stressful siege.

"May the Odds ever be in your favor."