//------------------------------// // One Last Breath: A second chance... // Story: One Last Breath // by SilverSilence167 //------------------------------// Valen rose unsteadily to his feet, his eyes began to slightly burn. "T-Twilight?" "Yes, who are you?" He stopped to think for a moment, something wasn't right. "I'm V-Valen. Where are we?" "I haven't met you before," she said "are you new in town?" "I, uhh yeah. What town is this?" "It's uhh, Ponyville. Are you sure you're alright?" The deep purple mare asked. He looked down, his eyes burned, but were wide open. "I-I-I don't know." "Well, come on. Let's get you to the doctor and get you checked out." She suggested. Valen nodded, his head felt bulkier than normal. "Alright." They walked side by side into town, Valen noticed that all the residents were like Twilight, except some had wings and no horn while others had neither. They walked into the hospital and Twilight made the appointment. The was a mirror on the wall and Valen out of curiosity, walked to it. "WHAT THE HELL!?!" He screamed out in shock. He jumped away from the mirror and looked at his hands. He had none, they were circular appendages and his face was now longer and shaped like theirs. His coat was a bright white, his mane was a lightning blue with black stripes. "Oh my god!" He yelled again. He stood on four legs instead of two. And two feathered appendages lay flat against his sides. Twilight ran to his side. "What? What's wrong?" She asked in concern. He looked at her. "Where exactly are we? Where's New Hope?" His voice sounded shaken. "We're in Ponyville, you know in Equestria. I don't know where New Hope would be. I haven't heard of it." She said her voice was in much curiosity. Valen looked around, trying to gather words to explain the predicament, but found none. He sat down in an attempt to wrap his head around what was occurring. Twilight sat beside him and asked, "What's the matter?" He looked at her, his eyes were glassy and dripping. "I-I'm dead. I died, the doctor put one in my head. I let them all down." She looked at the ground confused. "What doctor? What did they put in your head? And who did you let down?" He looked at her, his eyes burned in hot tears. "I-I was a soldier. I was wounded in combat and the doctor, he...he" Valen couldn't finish, the words caught on his tongue. "I let them all down." He whispered. Twilight looked at him with concern, she held his shoulder with care. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. Valen looked to the floor is despair. Twilight whispered to him. "Valen? Is there anything I can do?" He looked up, his eyes stared to the mirror, saddened, and disheartened. "What am I?" He muttered. "You are a pony. Why?" She replied with concern. "I was a man, just a few minutes ago. I heard the doctor take the shot. I-I...." He bowed his head once more as a new stream of tears raced down his face. They both sat there on the hospital floor, the staff left the area to let him find ground to stand on. The only sound was Valen's sobbing, and the constant ticking of the clock, hung on the wall. He barely moved for the next hour, his shoulders shuddered and his hooves only moved to wipe his eyes. Twilight stayed at his side, giving him comforting advice to help stay his shattered nerves. Valen's breathing finally became stable enough for him to stand. His eyes now bloodshot, full of sorrow and confusion. "I need to lie down." He spoke, his voice shudders in the words. Twilight stood up and embraced him. "You can stay with me Valen. I want to know about you when you're ready. Is that alright?" He nodded and looked at her. "Why are you doing this?" She smiled. "I am worried about you." They walked in silence to her house in the center of Ponyville. As they entered, Twilight turned to Valen. "Alright, here we are. You are welcome to any of the books here, just remember to place them exactly where they were. And don't dog-ear the pages. Other then that, just ask me if you need anything. You want me to show you to your room or do you want to look around first?" Valen looked around the room. "I just want today to end." He muttered under his breath. She nodded. "I understand. I just wish I knew what to do. Come on, I'll show you to your room." He nodded and followed her as they descended a flight of stairs to a small open area below the main floor. She motioned for him to follow as she opened a door adjacent to the stairs. "This is the guest room. You can stay here as long as you want." Valen nodded his thanks as she departed, and laid onto the bed. His eyes finally met restless slumber late into the dark night. He was assaulted by night terrors, visions depicting New Hope crumbling to ash, the day he watched his squad get destroyed, and the doctor pulling the trigger. He awoke in the sunlight with a yelp, sweat dripping off his muzzle onto the bed sheets. "It was only a nightmare, come on Valen. Twilight ran to the noise, "Are you alright?" She asked. He nodded, taking a slow deep breath. "Fine, just a bad dream." She nodded unconvinced. "Well, come upstairs for something to eat. I want to hear your story." He nodded, watching her as she left. "Shit." Was all he could mutter. When he went to the main floor, Twilight was looming over a table checking a list. She turned to him and smiled, "There's a shower in there if you want." She nodded toward a door on the far side of the room. "Thanks." Replied Valen as he stepped carefully through the room in the doors direction. When he steeped into the porcelain bowl, the dials seemed to alien in this new form. After several minutes of trial and error testing, lukewarm water ran smoothly from the shower head down upon him. He stepped out and began drying himself off with a towel on a small rack next to a mirror. He leaned and studied his new features closer then he had at the hospital. His eyes were almost like crimson lightning, the fur covering his body was fine and smooth. The blue and black mane was somewhat spiked forward and was soft and stiff to the touch. After watching the muscles under his skin move and shift, he stepped out and walked to Twilights side. "Feel any better?" She asked. "A little, thank you." He replied quietly. Twilight smiled slightly and motioned for him to take a seat at the table, he sat down, making himself as small as possible. "What's the matter?" Asked Twilight curiously. "N-nothing." Valen replied quietly. She sat down, "So, I want to know your story. Why are you so scared of who you are?" Valen looked at her slightly shocked, "This...isn't who I am. Do you have something to write with?" Twilight nodded and handed him a pen with some paper. Valen took a deep breath, holding the pen in his hoof, and drew his old face. A full body sketch to go alongside it. "That was who I am. Or was." Twilight studied the drawing with much care, absorbing each detail of the human before her. "You, were a soldier?" "Yes," he nodded, "Of a dying world. I was wounded in combat, and didn't have time to recover." Twilight listened to these words in awe. "I want to know what it was like. Tell me your story, if you don't mind." Valen sat back a little and sighed, "Where do you want me to begin?" "As far back as you remember." Valen nodded and started with his first memories, those of his mother and father. /"Valen, you are one day going to do great things my boy. Great things. But first, you must learn to survive long enough to do them. You need to know how to tell where potential opponents are and how to avoid them."\ his father spoke. Valen spoke fondly of these memories to Twilight. She listened tentatively occasionally asking questions for clarity. /"Good, you at least can point a gun and hit a wall. To be a true marksman, you must be able to knock a rock off of a bottle without damaging the glass. Now, remember what I told you. Take slow controlled breaths, and gently squeeze the trigger. Hold the butt of you rifle against you shoulder and keep your eye down the sight. One target, one shot."\ "What's a rifle?" Asked Twilight curiously, almost too afraid to ask. "A rifle is a type of gun. When you use a gun, you intend to...I guess kill what you're aiming at. It works by using a small case called a cartridge. It is composed of a black explosive powder called gun powder, a primer which is used to set the powder off, and a bullet. Which is a small metal ball. A firing pin hits the primer and makes the powder go off, sending the bullet down the barrel and at what you're shooting at." Valen explained, "They are both a tool, and a bane, depending on who has one." Twilight looked at him with a slight expression of horror and curiosity. "Why do they need those?" "To keep us safe, and to make sure others can't do anymore harm." Valen spoke softly. "Surely there are other ways to do that. Have you tried using magic restraints? Or simply talking to them?" She asked. "Magic doesn't exist where I come from. Talking only shows them that you are unwilling to fight. It shows weakness." Valen stated darkly. Twilight looked down, a little saddened by the fact. "Go on, continue with your story if you want." "Alright," he replied. He spent at least three hours telling the inquisitive unicorn his life story. She couldn't help but to be skeptical, but at the same time, she believed every word of it. When he finished, they sat in silence for several minutes. Twilight trying to comprehend the new information. Valen waited, bracing for the impact of what she was going to say.