Forgiveness
Elder sat looking out the window of Terra’s room in the Ponyville Hospital; Applejack had left earlier that morning to attend to an issue at home along with her brother. Elder wondered how Terra could last through so much. He had read the report the doctor had left in the room; Terra had received multiple deep wounds, several bone fractures, and all manner of other damage caused by magic. He was barely alive when they brought him in, and he is lucky to be holding on this long. That’s what the doctor had said, but at least they can keep it quiet about him being here. They told him that privacy was their policy, only a few actually know who he is anyways.
Lying in the bed, Terra slowly opened his eyes, he knew better than to try to move after he immediately saw the medical equipment around him and the cloth divider to his side. Looking around the room he saw the unicorn by the window. The unicorn hadn’t noticed he was awake yet. Terra watched as the unicorn removed something from his shoulder pouch and unfolded it. It was a picture of the unicorn, a mare, and a little filly. Terra waited some time, giving the unicorn time to view the picture.
“They look beautiful,” Terra said in a minor hoarse voice from his injuries.
Elder turned around to face Terra, he was actually quite surprised he was awake. The doctor had said he would be out for quite some time, if he would wake at all. Elder had made it his duty to guard Terra while Luna had gone to do whatever it was she believed she needed. Elder hadn’t expected to speak with Terra, yet he was both hoping and dreading it would happen.
“They were,” Elder replied.
“Family?” Terra asked.
“Was my family,” Elder said looking at the picture again.
“What happened?” Terra asked further, noting the past tense.
“I lost them a long time ago,” Elder said sadly, folding the picture and placing it into the pouch.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Terra said kindly.
“You would be wouldn’t you? My wife had such faith in you, believed the family would be safe while I was away. I wasn’t there to protect them when you failed,” Elder said.
“We all want to protect the ones we love, but sometimes no matter how hard we try we just can’t save them all,” Terra said.
“So that is why you do it, why you put yourself to death because you love someone? That is why we’re both here right now, because we don’t quit even when it is hopeless. We keep trying even when there is nothing left to save,” Elder said sadly.
“The hardest part about loving someone is the time when you have to say goodbye,” Terra said.
Elder looked at the alicorn lying in the hospital bed, so helpless and broken, yet he still speaks strong words. Looking at Terra’s face, through the tufts of fur and the scrapes and scars are the eyes of hope. Somehow he could see that there is always something in this world worth living for even if you cannot see it. It would be amazing for Terra to even walk again, a miracle for him to fly. He holds on though, he clings to something special, something he won’t let go of even though it’s out of reach. He could see it in his eyes; faith.
“It wasn’t from lack of trying was it? We had both done what we could. I know who you are but you may not know me; I am Elder. A thousand years ago the Princesses had sent me to the Crystal Empire to investigate the rumor that King Sombre had become a tyrant. It was true, and in my fight I was solidified in crystal and disappeared along with the entire city,” Elder said.
“You left your family behind to fight Sombre, to free the citizens from a tyrant king,” Terra said in a praising manner.
“I failed to save anyone,” Elder said with firm belief.
“Anyone can say they would do something if they could, but it takes a true hero to risk everything important to them just to try,” Terra said, his voice returning yet remaining somewhat raspy, making an effort to poke Elder’s shoulder with his hoof as he spoke.
“I’m sure that’s what she meant, my wife, she told me to have faith. Not just in you but myself as well,” Elder said.
“How long have you been in here?” Terra asked.
“Just overnight, I’m actually quite surprised you’re awake and talking,” Elder explained.
“Well I suppose anything is possible. You should get some rest of your own, I’ll be fine, I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon,” Terra said.
“Thanks Terra,” Elder said, surprising himself.
As Elder left the room and closed the door behind him, Terra laid his head back into a pillow and stared at the ceiling, wincing in pain. No anesthetics or painkillers are going to prevent him from feeling these injuries. He couldn’t help but wonder how exactly he ended up in the Ponyville Hospital. He knows precisely why, but not how. What happened to Tullius, was he killed or worse, taken again by the shadows. That brings another question, what kind of danger is Equestria still in if they failed in the past? Where was Luna, Celestia, the Elements?
Terra took a deep breath to calm himself, he was becoming too worried, paranoid that a great threat would be unleashed whilst he was helpless to fight it. Terra convinced himself that the two sisters had things under control. The hospital was fairly calming until Terra heard something he wished he hadn’t. When he shut his eyes just for a moment he heard an ominous and familiar laugh of his nemesis Discord.
Opening his eyes Terra looked out the window to see a sunny day, with nothing out of the ordinary. His eyes slowly panned the room until he stopped to see a pony’s shadow cast onto the divider cloth. It lasted only a moment before transforming into the far more menacing shape of Discord. Terra tried to move but, resulted only in a terribly painful and pathetic flail in his bed. He could do nothing as Discord’s shadow slid from the divider, across the ceiling and along the wall near the window.
“Oh I’m sorry I must’ve spooked you old friend!” Discord said in a sarcastically sincere manner.
“How did you escape?” Terra demanded to know.
“I didn’t, your precious Elements released me on their own accord,” Discord said flicking his claws and smiling.
“I swear if you hurt them!” Terra growled.
“I don’t believe you should be worried about them being hurt, but why would I hurt them. They are my new best friends after all!” Discord said proudly, teasing Terra’s nerves.
“Why would they befriend a monster like you?” Terra asked.
“Oh Terra, why is it the Elements can see I’ve changed but the alicorn of harmony himself, the one filled with such compassion can’t see the good in me,” Discord said pretending to be upset as he picked up and hugged Terra.
“Release me!” Terra cried out painfully.
“Oops, my bad!” Discord said as he dropped Terra back into the bed and covered him in a blanket he changed to look like a multicolored checkerboard.
“Why are you here?” Terra asked, clenching his teeth.
“I sensed that an old friend was hurt and nearby. So I came to give him some flowers as a sign of good faith,” Discord said as he made a flower basket in one hand and threw petals over Terra; the color of the flowers changing each time he reached into the basket.
“Why did you accept their friendship, it’s not exactly like you stood down when I tried to appeal to your better nature?” Terra questioned.
“I hear that where we fought is still the way I left it, but no matter. Even I know better than to test my freedoms further, it’s not entertaining being a statue. Here is something we can both agree on however. If your two sweethearts had come to me for help, then there is something big about to happen and I don’t want to miss out on all the fun!” Discord said as he threw the flower basket out the window and paced the room changing the paint on the walls into different colors and shapes.
“There’s something more isn’t there, something besides the shadows?” Terra asked, attempting to sit up in his bed, but failed.
“The shadows are a nuisance, and there is something far more important yet to happen. There is indeed something bigger and we don’t know quite what it is yet. What I do know however is that we need to work together, because friendship is magic after all. Perhaps I can even agree to watch over your little Princess should any danger comes walking about while you’re in here,” Discord said, standing alongside the bed, meeting Terra’s cautious glare.
“You’re asking for a truce?” Terra asked.
“How about it friend, would you forgive a chaotic reformed villain to protect the ones you love so dearly?” Discord asked in an unusual sympathetic manner, holding out his hand to shake.
It was difficult for Terra to think, here he returns to the present, alive. Now his ancient nemesis is asking for his friendship and forgiveness. If this were any other time or situation he would have immediately considered it a lie. However things are different, and something has changed somewhat with Discord, and while not everything he says might not be truth. It doesn’t seem as though he’s lying either. In the condition Terra is in, there may be no possibility of him fighting in the near future if the need were to arise. He would need someone he’s tied to, perhaps he cannot trust Discord, but at least he can believe his old nemesis might use his powers for the right reasons.
“There is a lot the both of us have yet to learn Discord, I hope that you will at least give it the opportunity to teach you,” Terra said as he took Discords hand and shook.
Discord released Terra’s hoof and smiled. He did not expect Terra to play along with what he had said, or even agree to it. For some reason these ponies have gradually begun to trust him, or at least give him a chance. Even his greatest enemy had just shook his hand with the belief that he can do some good. This is what trust feels like, this was friendship. It was completely new to him, and it felt strange to think about and even consider now. What if he let them down, it surprised even him that he actually cared. Discord still thought differently though, perhaps he can still have their trust, yet have the upper hand when it came down to the real fight.
“I just love surprises!” Discord said with a smile and a laugh as he slid out the window.
Sometime later, Elder entered Terra’s room, he had finally managed to sit up in bed. Elder wondered what had happened to the room as he walked in, the walls had changed color, and there were flower petals all over the floor. Elder went over and stood between the bed and the window again. Terra simply sat in the hospital bed, holding a checkered blanket. It was rather sad actually. To see an alicorn in this state; Elder could see red in the gauze wrappings around Terra. His wings were badly damaged, so many feathers were missing, and being a unicorn Elder could only wonder how painful that could be.
“You should be lying down Terra,” Elder said.
“I can barely move,” Terra said quietly.
“You shouldn’t be! Your too badly hurt,” Elder said with care.
“That’s not it, what are you planning, you should be getting some rest?” Terra asked.
“I can’t, I have something I have to do. Something I said I would help someone with,” Elder said.
“Do you plan on coming back from this?” Terra asked, looking at Elder.
“I have to do it Terra, I have to confront the shadows,” Elder said looking away from Terra out the window.
“I can’t exactly stop you now can I,” Terra said.
“Heroes try Terra, it’s for my family,” Elder said as he looked at Terra.
“Do one more thing Elder, stay in town a few days at least. I may have a plan,” Terra said, just before Elder left the room.
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Elder said with a sigh.