Tour of The Kingdom

The day's duties would take a few hours, but eventually the two, along with all of the other volunteers, would have the whole lot of them fed and bedded. Of course, Nuria had to be pried away from the fledglings a couple of times, finding them in her own words. "Absolutely precious!" But they were all asleep now, the light sound of children peacefully slumbering filling their ears as they could finally get a moment's rest.

Nuria let out an exhausted breath and smiled, happy with a day's good work. "We did it." She says quietly, making sure not to wake any of the little ones."

Rosy cheeks colored Sugary's face, having long since conjured away the armor for an apron while caring for the fluffy little ones during the day. Nuria might notice him looking her over, lightly chuckling to himself given the newfound knowledge. "We did... And you're all such cute little fuzzballs! This was very much worth it...!" And yet, he'd still spend some of his time looking around for seemingly no reason. As if he kept expecting more. He couldn't quite shake it off.

Nuria smiles and readjusts her mane, looking at the cradles and nest-beds full of fledglings, all huddled up together for warmth. "Heheh. They'll grow into their scales in a few years." She says, looking at Market once again and noting the look on his face. "I wouldn't worry too much, Sugary. I'm sure they're out there somewhere." She gives him an encouraging pat on the shoulder and stands, stretching her muscles out. "Why don't we head back to the castle and see what silliness we've missed?"

Sugary sighed briefly, trying to do away with the nagging feeling as he held Nuria's paw with his hoof and stroked it lightly, more in an effort to comfort himself further as he looked to her with a smile. "... I guess... And we may as well; Can't turn our backs on the council for a day without someone barking at the other over trivial issues." He let go, and would trade in the apron he borrowed to then don his armor again once they were far enough from the nursery...

Nuria happily leads Sugary back to the castle after their long morning. There was still a lot to be done, but thankfully nothing at required as much effort as putting to bed a bunch of baby kirin. Nuria was a bit concerned for the unicorn, as he seemed... Off. She assumed that he was worried about whether or not he had spurred offspring, and if he had, whether or not he would be able to find them. But perhaps Sugary's concerns would be met with less difficulty than he would expect.

A couple of weeks later, Sugary would be met by a runner, telling him to meet Nuria in one of the rooms on the ground floor of the castle. A smaller room that was being used to care for the children of castle staff. There he would find her, speaking cheerfully with another mare. She was Nuria's height with maroon scales and a black mane. A black hollow diamond pattern ran from the tip of her snout, down her back and to the tip of her tail.

(("Echo of horns throughout the castle."))

The days having gone by somehow never quite got rid of the nagging feeling, but then the lack of closure was the main cause of it to say the least. Still, he performed dutifully.

In one of his free moments bearing no armor for a break came the message, and so he moved about to see what the sudden summoning was about in his natural Unicorn self. He saw Nuria in a good mood, so he quickly discarded there was trouble, but then he set his sights upon the other mare. Slowly, he approached them, remembering the mare with each step taken. A little light blush formed on his cheeks as he finally recalled her being especially lively and vigorous with him during that particularly unforgettable night many shared. He cleared his throat and tried to ease his way into the conversation. "Pardon me for a moment, Lady Nuria, and Miss... I was told just now I had to come meet you here?"

The other kirin was the first to notice Sugary's approach, her fierce blue eyes meeting his with a smile. From the looks of her, she was clearly some kind of fighter. Nuria turned to look at Sugary as well. "Oh, there you are!" She stifles a laugh and clears her throat. "Sugary, I'm sure you remember Lateia." She gestures towards the other with a knowing look.

"A pleasure to finally meet again." The maroon kirin says with a slight bow. "I came here because of... Well, that night."

Nuria pats Sugary on the back and nudges him a little closer. "I think you'll want to see what Lateia has to show you." She says, putting on her most reassuring smile. The other mare turned around, her gaze lingering on Sugary for a moment before she stops short of a nest-crib. She looks down into it, reaching a paw inside lovingly and letting it linger there while Sugary would approach.

Sugary lightly bowed in return, taking a moment to really process the name Lateia for the first time... And then extremely so every second afterwards as soon as she, instead of Nuria, had something for him about the night specifically. His heart began to race, his legs weakened, his mind began to fill with all sorts of questions as his mouth began to try up. "I-Is that so...? I'll see what it is... I m-must..." The more they moved, the more he also began to detect something familiar nearby. Lifeforce became easier to pick up over the years for the trained Unicorn, but all of a sudden there were 5 small presences that reminded him a little of... himself.

"Ooh... Oh please... If this is it, just let it happen... I can't keep ignoring this longing..." Every step felt like an eternity, and the sight of Lateia by the crib made his throat tighten up after he felt her lingering gaze. He made it, eventually, still coherent but tense. He looked up to Lateia and Nuria with a weak but sincere smile and then began to look down, right into the crib for the first time...

"For the first time..."


Within the crib, stirring lightly as they slumbered, five little fluffy figures lay together. Sleeping peacefully as their mother caressed their newborn forms. Yes, these were indeed Sugary's children. Two of them shared the white pattern on their hooves and muzzles. And all of them shared a single trait that made the connection distinguishable from all the others. The tiniest pair of horns poking from their fur on the top of their heads. Lateia looked at Sugary with a smile, looking at the unicorn's face as he saw his offspring for the very first time. Nuria even leaned in and gave him a hug. "Congratulations." She says, looking at the cuddle puddle in the crib.

There was a brief moment of doubt, he admitted. Thinking maybe they were still someone else's, but he knew the facts well enough after all this time. There were never many outsiders that joined in the war a year ago, and even from those who did and survived, fewer continued to remain since once their work was done. He also hardly remembered any of them being a part of that most passionate of nights, dwindling the options even more.

Looking at the newborn foals, his weak smile grew and grew. He felt right being near them, the longing he had for weeks finally fading away. He looked at the unique little ivory horns like his own, and the ones who shared his mixed color pattern got a light chuckle out of him. And it was then, as he chuckled, as Nuria congratulated him, that he looked up again to both mares and leaned an awful lot more to the Queen, grasping onto her since he couldn't quite hold himself up any more. He began to cry softly and quietly, tears falling over the arm Nuria wrapped around him, looking at Lateia from time to time as if to say something, anything, but nothing clear came out just yet.

Neither Nuria not Lateia say anything for a while, simply relishing the moment while it lasted. Even the tough looking fighter shed a tear or two from the display, very much happy that her visit was so well recieved. After a while she spoke up, talking to Sugary with an only slightly shaky voice. "I'm so happy to have found you." She says. "They're very lucky to have someone as kindhearted as you as their father."

Nuria rubs the unicorn's shoulder and smiles at him. "I was speaking to Lateia earlier and... Well, being the paranoid sort I am, I had her appointed to my personal security detail. You two will be working closely together." She gives Sugary a wink, knowing he would want to spend as much time as he could with his fledglings and their mother.

It'd take more time, but during that time Sugary never once missed a word he was told, looking between the mares and his offspring. When he was composed enough to stand on his own fully again, he grabbed Nuria's head gently and kissed her on the lips out of deep affection and gratitude with a broad smile, tears still flowing. "... Okay, we made this happen. And I'm really glad for it!" He finally openly admitted his part in what he and the Queen sparked among her kin.

He then let go, and began to move somewhat hesitantly to Lateia, the Kirin mare he Sired, for a heartfelt hug and a nuzzling. He liked the idea of them working closer from now on, but he'd still need to try and actually meet her properly as soon as possible. "... Mis-... Lateia... Thank you for this. Thank you so much! But so many at once; I regret not being there along the way..."

Nuria giggles at the kiss and nuzzles Sugary as he walks over to the other mare, she distracts herself by lookong at the adorable little horned kirin. Lateia returns Sugary's affection, hugging him back with a small chuckle. "There's no way wither of us would have known for sure." She says. "Honestly, I hadn't even planned on trying to find you until their horns started to form. I figured it would have been pointless to pin a father without definitive proof."

Sugary lightly stroked Lateia's mane, staying close to her and further considering what may come ahead. He figured he knew why he wanted to meet with them, so he moved away a little to talk face to face with her quietly, leaving Nuria be for now. "... Fair enough... But, working together and seeing... Heh... Our foals up close aside, why did you want to seek me out? Or rather... Was there something else in mind for you once we met again like this?"

Lateia shook her head and sat down. "I simply thought that you should know." She says. "I have no idea what to do now, but I'm sure you'll be able to help me decide. In any case, I plan to raise them dutifully." She smiled and nodded at him. It seemed that no matter what decision Sugary made, she would understand. After all, it was entirely unplanned, but she knew he would do right by his children.

"Well... I'd very much like to be involved in raising them too. If you'll let me... Um..." He knew it was odd, the way he turned out to be a father. It wasn't like he could just marry the mare out of the blue either, unless Nuria had a plan, but he was happy nonetheless for the arrangements so far. He smiled a bit more and kept on. "... I'm hoping that working together helps us settle things better over time. That said, if you have any requests of me, do not hesitate to ask."

Nuria had managed to slip away, having spotted a particular coal colored guard in the hall. Lateia looked to her children as one of them stirred and made a cute squeak. She ran a gentle claw through its mane and chuckled. "It would be my honor." She says. "I wouldn't know what to ask of you... But, I don't think it will be a problem."

Sugary was a bit too focused on Lateia to notice Nuria wandering off after her main squeeze, and much too endeared by the sound of one of their foals to even bother looking anywhere else. Her touch wouldn't bother him at all, knowing they were well past the point of awkward meetings, but her words did give him something to think on; A very plain and simple thing as he lightly held and stroked her arm. "Heh... Then how's this? Would it be okay if we started having lunch together? Though I'd more than likely have to come visit you. To talk more, at least."

Lateia smiles and nods. "I would love that." She says, standing and looking over towards Nuria who reenters the room.

"I'm going to be going out, Sugary. You and Lateia should stay here and catch up." She says, glancing back at the door where the crimson maned coal colored kirin stood in wait. "I'll see you two later." She gives Sugary a wink before trotting of and joining the guard, her tail swishing closely to him as they walked out.

Sugary looked Nuria's way this time, waving her farewell, lightly chuckling as he spoke softly to Lateia afterwards. "... She's been going after Hawke a lot lately. Wonder if the baby boom is making her wanna tie the knot with him already?" He then shook his head. "Ah, nevermind me, just gossiping. They got their history, I'm sure... Um... Lateia?" He wiped the tears from his eyes, looked at the foals, and then back at her. "... Uh... I suppose since we'll be working together, we should also start discussing guard styles and responsibilities...?" Maybe it wasn't the most romantic thing to say to the mystery mother of his foals, but work was still work. Had to set a foundation somewhere.

2 Years Later

The sun shone down on the lush green surroundings of Dracotalon. The citizens hard at work, or not, doing their daily chores. The lovely epidemic of children had made itself known as the small little fuzzballs began to venture around the and begin exploring their homes. Trips to the parks and public spaces were becoming popular and special playgrounds were even built. Ultimately it brought everyone closer together, with all of the interaction between parents and children making new friends. Sugary himself would have his own little posse following him around intently, with his four young girls and single boy.

"Papa, how com- How come you don't have scales?" One of them asked, already having proved herself to be the most curious about his mama and papa and the strange appearance of her father.

Nearby, Nuria was sitting and watching her own three children still struggling to walk under the close supervision of the large coal colored guardskirin.

Things have mellowed out in general for Sugary as the years went by. Though he got around to traveling at times, it was more as a Delegate and Chauffeur for Nuria and Hawke when the need for it arose, and of course Lateia as well. Over time, the two couples became as close as could be as well, since they all spent a lot of time together given their roles and their schedules; Even their foals were often being raised together for that very same reason.

He also had much more pride in himself and a bigger smile lately, especially as he was followed by his own little herd of Kirin foals and got to be called 'Papa'. He looked to her with sparkly eyes, quite pleased with having so many adorable daughters, and a son he loved just as much of course. "I figured one of you would ask someday! Listen carefully..." He posed for them, chest held out, and head held high. "I, am a Unicorn, not a Kirin like your mother and most everyone else you know here. I wasn't born here either of course; I came during a time things got very rough, and once that rough issue was settled, well... I remained, liking it a lot here and the work I was given." He posed a bit less now, looking at his offspring with endearing eyes. "That was when your mother and I met. We fell for each other..." He had a slight pause, knowing he couldn't go into details but knowing he wasn't lying since they DID keep falling on top of each other that night. "... Annnd then you were born! And yes, the reason you have your horns is because you're all part Unicorn as well. Though to be honest, even I'm not entirely sure why you have two each..." He briefly looked over to Nuria and Hawke, wondering if it had something to do with the dragon heritage as they had no horns themselves.

The little kirin looks curiously as her papa posed, not really sure what to make of it. "Soo, 'cuz you have a horn?" She asks, reaching up and grabbing the two little stubs that were starting to curl backwards on her head. They had began to grow in about the same on each of the little kirin, with small differences here and there. They might each grow in differently.

Meanwhile, one of the little one's siblings tackles the other with a cute "Rawr!" And gnaws on them with tiny baby teeth.

"Well, yes." He said plainly to the little darling, looking at each ad every one of their horns. Then he spotted the most lovable thing he'd seen all day; Watching his foals start to play with one another and making cute sounds. The next cute sound would be his own as he squeed like a rubber ducky, looking over to Nuria and Hawke and urging them to look at his little darlings, placing his hooves on his cheeks and smiling brightly. "Aint' they just the cutest~!"

Nuria looks and just snickers at Sugary's enthusiasm. Hawke doesn't seem to pay much attention as he tends to his own young, encouraging one of them in particular to walk over to him on wobbly legs. Lateia comes from behind and places her paws over Sugary's eyes, letting him guess who it was, at least, before the adorably sqeaky voices of small children called out. "Mama! Mama!"

Yes, these were good times to be sure. A peace had fallen over the kingdom with no conflict in sight for a good while. The kirin would be free to raise their young as they wished. Happily, and lovingly.