Several months had passed sense that odd morning that Derpy had delivered their mail, she hadn’t returned since, but the 1025th thought little of it. Now the defense force now consisted of twenty seven ponies. Recruiting became much easier for them since Greatsword had saved Scootaloo and her friends from certain death, but their numbers were still relatively low. After a relatively slow day of training, Battleaxe went to the library to borrow a book.
“Afternoon Twilight…” he said walking into the library. “Nice day isn’t it?”
Twilight looked up from the particular book she was reading, once she saw it was Battleaxe she quickly hid the book under her desk and casually smiled back at him. “Good afternoon, Battleaxe,” she said. “And yes, it is a very nice day.”
“Where’s Spike today?” Battleaxe said looking around for the dragon.
“Oh, he and Rarity went off to gather gems for some dresses that Sapphire Shores ordered,” Twilight said. “They might be gone for several days.”
“That long, huh,” Battleaxe said. “Well I hope you can manage on your own.”
“I’ve been able to do this since I was a filly, Battleaxe,” Twilight said rolling her eyes. “And I’ve been just fine every time.” She looked back at Battleaxe. “Why are you here anyway? Do you need a book?”
Battleaxe looked around the room, “Uh… Yeah…” he said awkwardly. “I was looking for a book, in fact, I was hoping that Spike would be here to help me check it out.”
“Why would you need him to check it out?” Twilight asked. “I’m the librarian you know.”
Battleaxe continued to look around the library, trying to find an excuse for his request. “Well, you see…” he began. “Lug Nut has a crush on one of the mares in town and he asked me to get him a book to help him out.” He avoided eye contact with Twilight at all cost, “he was too embarrassed to check one out himself for fear the pony in question would be at the library and would catch on to his intentions.”
“Right,” Twilight said smiling, “Lug Nut…” she stood from behind her desk and walked toward Battleaxe, “Let’s see if we can’t find what you’re looking for…” Once she passed him she whipped her tail at his face, brushing it softly across his nose.
Battleaxe nearly sneezed, but he managed to hold it in. “Where are you headed, Twilight?” he asked.
“Oh, I need to get a ladder,” she replied. “What we’re looking for might be on a high shelf.”
“Oh… ok… that makes sense, I guess.”
The two searched for a book that would help on ground level, but they couldn’t find anything there. Twilight grabbed the ladder with her magic and proceeded to climb it. “Battleaxe, would you mind holding this to keep it steady?”
Battleaxe filched and blinked his eyes rapidly, processing the request, “Uh… Yeah, sure. Why not?”
While Twilight searched the top shelves diligently, Battleaxe was doing his best not to look up. Twilight’s tail was also tickling his nose, making him fight a sneeze as well. After a short while however, Battleaxe could not hold back anymore. He tried to fight it, but with a resounding echo throughout the libeary he sneezed so hard that the ladder fell to the side.
“AHH!” Twilight shrieked falling onto her desk, launching everything in it into the air.
After the chaos was over, Battleaxe realized that a book had fallen on his head, he removed it from his horn and gave it a good look. “The Art of Seduction…” he said with a smile, looking at Twilight, her face turning the brightest red he’d ever seen. “I think Lug Nut wanted this book, now why didn’t you tell me that YOU had it?”
“Uh…” Twilight’s eyes darted around the room, looking for some kind of excuse. “I-I… uh…”
“I don’t think Lug Nut will be needing this book anymore…” Battleaxe said, throwing the book off to the side while helping Twilight up. He brushed off the dirt on her face but he kept his hoof under her chin. “Do you?”
Twilight dimmed the lights with her magic, “I don’t think he will…” she said, staring into his eyes. The sign in front of the library went from saying ‘open’ to ‘closed’ as the lights dimmed completely.
“Just one more good heeve-hoo fellas!” Applejack said guiding Big Mac and Warhammer through the town.
“It’s… it’s good ta have a pony even stronger than me help fer a change…” Big Mac said struggling under his side if the frame. “Normally it’s just me and Carmel pulling the weight ‘round here.”
“Always happy to help.” Warhammer replied with a smile. “This community has given me so much, I just want to give some back.”
“I’m sure the Cake’s will appreciate it more than anypony else.” Pinkie said from the top of the frame. “After the front of Sugar Cube Corner mysteriously blew off after I was trying out a new super-secret recepie for baking cookies went wrong I was certain that really bad things would happen.”
“It certainly is a mystery…” Warhammer said smirking towards Big Mac.
With one last great burst of strength the frame was finally in place. The four then stood next to one another admiring the work they had done.
“Great job fellas…” Applejack said tilting her hat to the others. “I recon we’ll be done with this before Pinkie’s party.”
“Party?” Warhammer asked. “What party?”
Applejack’s face went blank and Pinkie’s jaw hit the floor. “Nothin’!” Applejack said looking in every direction. “Forget I said anything.”
Warhammer replied with a smile and a nod. Apparently Pinkie was planning something for him and the others. He also understood how important surprises were to Pinkie, especially when it came to parties.
“Alright…” Warhammer said smiling. “I could’ve sworn I heard something…” he sent a quick wink towards Applejack, who replied with a nod of her head.
“Ya’ll been workin’ real hard,” Applejack said changing the subject. “How ‘bout we go back to the farm and get ourselves a drink, I’m sure Carmel’d love the company.”
With that the four ponies began to make their way to Sweet Apple Acres. When they arrived they saw Carmel struggling to pull a cart full of apples, granted if he noticed that the wheel was busted he would’ve avoided the slight teasing from the others. After they helped Carmel store the apples in the barn the five sat around a small picnic table.
“So Warhammer,” Applejack began giving him a glass of apple juice. “How ya likin’ Ponyville, I know ya been her fer a few months and all.”
“We’ve been here for about eight months,” Warhammer corrected. “And all things considered, I’ve enjoyed my time here, not to mention all the new friends I’ve made.”
“Well that’s nice of ya ta say,” Applejack said smiling. “But what’d ya mean by ‘all things considered’?”
Warhammer looked to Applejack slightly surprised; she knew that he and Luna were together, but that detail must’ve slipped her mind. He just stared at her silently for a few seconds, until Applejack finally remembered.
“Oh, Sorry ‘bout that Warhammer,” she said apologetically. “I guess that slipped my mind…”
“It’s no matter Applejack,” Warhammer said waving his hoof passviely. “We all forget things.”
“Some of us know that better than most,” Applejack said shooting a glance at Carmel.
“I’m getting better AJ…” Carmel said turning slightly red. “You know that.”
“I’m just tuggin’ yer tail Carmel.” Applejack giggled giving him a quick peck on the cheek. “Ya know I still love ya.”
The action was intended to calm his nerve, but it only caused his face to grow even redder. And given that two of them couldn’t hold back their laughter it only made it worse. Warhammer just shook his head at the others and looked off into the orchards, at that same moment; a gust of wind blew into his face from a barren field to the south. Instantly the sent took him back, way back.
“What is that smell?” He asked. “I recognize it from somewhere…”
Applejack was about to answer him, but another pony burst out of the Apple’s house dressed head to hoof in pots and pans.
“The Zap Apples er commin’!” She yelled at the top of her lungs. “The Zap Apples are commin’!”
“YEE-HAW!” Applejack said, throwing her hat into the air. “Been wonderin’ when they’d show up! they’re runnin’ a tad late this year.”
“Zap Apples?” Warhammer asked. “What’s a Zap Apple?”
“Only the most super-duper fantastic delicious tasting apple in ALL Equestria!” Pinkie exclaimed disappearing for a second and reappearing head to hoof in pots and pans, repeating what the old mare was saying.
“And the Apple family has been harvestin’ ‘em ever since ol’ Granny Smith over there discovered them.” Applejack said. “You musta been here once before, ‘cause nopony ever forgets the smell of a Zap Apple.”
“You… think I’ve been here before?”
“Well yeah.” Applejack said confused. “Unless ya had any Zap Apple products in all yer travels.”
“I’ve never even heard of a Zap Apple until today…” He rose from his seat and began to walk away. “Thank you for the drink but I must go.”
“Where are you going?” Pinkie asked stopping mid jump in the air. “You only just got here.”
“I need to find my brothers…” he said walking past the levitating pony. “I need to tell them something.” Warhammer then disappeared over the hills, leaving the others in confusion.
Around the same time Greatsword and Fluttershy were finishing up animal care at her house. He was always trying to help out as best he could when he visited, but it seemed that he made things worse. Fortunately, Fluttershy was there when things became out of hoof for him.
“Another ‘successful’ day of animal care done and over with,” Greatsword said looking at the lowering sun. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t there when those badgers surrounded me.”
“They don’t seem to care,” Fluttershy said giggling. “Even if you are you.”
Greatsword looked at Fluttershy, in the last few months and against his better judgement, the two had grown close. He was happy to have a friend like her, it was as if she was the only pony that could calm his raging mind. Yet, there was something else about her. He felt that he could let her in, let her in so they could help him heal, but the shadow’s words constantly echoed in his mind. ’Everypony you love will die because of you’, but he believed that it was now or never.
“Fluttershy…” he said to get her attention. “I-I need to tell you something...”
Greatsword told Fluttershy everything, the dreams, his time in the 1025th, the death of his friends and about Record Keeper. It took some time to let it all soak in for her. Twilight told her the story Battleaxe had explained, which was very sad, but the story from Greatsword’s point of view made her tear up.
“Y-you’ve lost so much…” she said. “H-how do you keep going?”
“I still wonder that myself…” Greatsword responded. “But something in this life has kept me pushing through, what it is I don’t know.” He cast one foreleg around Fluttershy’s shoulder as the sun began to set on the horizon. “Stop crying, please.” He said in a comforting voice. “You know I hate to see you cry.”
“Y-you are HIM…” Fluttershy said, looking up at Greatsword with watery eyes, “You HAVE to be.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Greatsword said. “I’m HIM?”
“I need to tell you something too…” Fluttershy said, still looking at Greatsword. She then told him her story, how she was orphaned at birth and had to live with her grandmother. How she fell out of the sky and that she somehow lived near the Everfree Forest ever since then. Then she told him about her dreams, about her guardian.
“My Celestia…” Greatsword said. “You’re HER…” he quickly threw his other foreleg around her, letting a tear fall from his eye. “All these years I thought you were just a dream, but you’re REAL, I can’t believe you’re actually REAL.”
“I-I thought the same thing…” Fluttershy said, burying her head in his chest, “I knew in my heart that you were real.”
“I never forgot you, Fluttershy,” Greatsword said. “I never let you go…”
“What about Record Keeper?” she asked.
Greatsword froze up at Record Keeper’s mentioning. He looked down to Fluttershy, his eyes full of fear. He pushed her away from him and began to run back into town.
“Wait!” She cried. “Where are you going?!”
“I’m keeping you safe!” Greatsword yelled back, still running away. “Please, NEVER try to find me, I can’t… can’t… just don’t ever try to find me!”
He ran out of sight, leaving Fluttershy with tears cascading down her face. He arrived at Town hall as the moon was rising and swung the doors open. He was blinded by a flash of lights and confetti. A party was being held at the Town Hall and everypony was there, what for he had no idea.
“SURPRISE!” Pinkie Pie yelled throwing a party hat on Greatsword’s head. “Are you surprised? Huh? Are ya? Are ya?” Greatsword just ran past her to his room. Pinkie Pie stood at the door proudly. “He’s SO surprised he’s speechless! Pinkie, you’re awesome!”
“I don’t think it’s that Pinkie…” Twilight said, “He looked like something else was on his mind.”
“Don’t worry Twilight,” Battleaxe said, “I’ll see what’s bothering him, you coming little bro?” Warhammer nodded and the two made their way to Greatsword’s room.
Greatsword entered his room, he threw his bags on the floor and started to fill them with his things. He paused momentarily to look at a picture of himself and Fluttershy that was taken only a week ago, he tucked the photo into his wing and continued to pack. Battleaxe and Warhammer went into his room to see what was going on.
“Hey bro, they’re throwing you a party for training the defense force and you’re missing it!” Battleaxe said.
“We’re leaving…” Greatsword said, packing another item into his bags.
“What?!” Battleaxe yelled. “But we finally got established, you’re going to let eight months of this go down the drain just like that?”
“If it means to protect what I love most,” Greatsword said looking to his brother. “Then yes, yes I am.”
“You can’t do that! it’s our DUTY to stay here!” Battleaxe roared. “AND I’m not leaving Twilight just after we finally-”
Everything in Greatsword’s room began to shake violently, the three looked around looking for an explanation, but before they knew it they were teleported to a massive cave like structure. They all looked around to see nothing, then Greatsword saw a pony out of the corner of his eye.
“Derpy?!” he yelled surprised.
“See!” Derpy said happily, pointing at the three. “I TOLD you I found them, I told you I could do it!”
“Indeed you did, Derpy,” a bellowing voice said from the shadows. “I never doubted you.”
“Who are you?!” Greatsword called out. “Reveal yourself!”
Then from the shadows a massive figure came forth, a dragon, it’s body purple with large green spines flowing down it’s back. “I have long awaited this day, reclaimers.”
“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!” Greatsword roared.
“I am Dante…” the dragon said. “Dante of the Inferno…”