//------------------------------// // A new life // Story: A Hero Of War (UNEDITED) // by DontWakeTheNeighbour //------------------------------// 3 weeks later It was morning in Equestria, the sun rose above the horizon as its beautiful glow shone across the landscape. Light shone through the curtains, entering the room before Bishop opened his eyes. Taking a moment for his eyes to adjust, he lifted himself from his bed, scratching his head; he took a moment to appreciate the sun rise as it bathed his skin. Standing up, he smiled as he looked around his new home, walking into the lounge before he noticed his case. He remembered The Doctor explaining to him how everything that was close by was also warped into Equestria. Somebody must have put it by his bedside whilst he was unconscious. He hadn’t opened it since he packed it back in that hotel room. He kneeled down, slowly reaching out to his bag before unzipping the top. The first thing he noticed was the familiar smell of cheap hotel room soap. After emptying his bag onto the bed, he looked at all his possessions, first grabbing his wallet, blowing the dust off the surface before he opened it. Looking inside, he saw $32 and 16 cents inside. Amongst other items inside, he pulled out a piece of paper, it was a family photo, slightly worn out, he felt a glimmer of sadness as he looked at his now deceased family. Quickly, he placed the photo back before closing the wallet and throwing it to one side. Looking amongst his possessions, he saw a few unused bullets, then a clip. Then he noticed another object, wrapped in cloth and bulky. He slowly unravelled it before seeing that it was his pistol, he was taken aback by the firearm as it laid there before him. *Knock!* *Knock!* Bishop quickly covered the pistol, picking up the bullets and throwing his possessions in his bag. He quickly walked through his house before walking up to the front door, he smiled, he knew who was waiting for him. As he opened the door he was greeted by a flourish of colours as Rainbow Dash flew around his head. “Morning sleepy head!” Rainbow Dash chirped as Bishop yawned. “You’re still not tired are you?” “Heh. Nice to see you too Dash.” “Soooo.” “So what?” “You remember what you promised? That you’d run with me through the forest. Gotta stay in shape right?” “Oh yeah. Hold on. I’ll be out in a minute.” “Urgh. You always get up late; anypony would think you were an owl.” “2 minutes.” Bish said as he closed the door. “Okay!” Bishop quickly ran to his wardrobe, Rarity was kind enough to sew a new wardrobe for him whilst his house was being built. He picked out a plain white shirt and pants before quickly getting changed. As he put his shoes on he caught another glimpse of his wrapped up firearm on the bed. He paused, his mind wandered before he quickly snapped out of it before he ran over, grabbing the firearm before making sure it was covered as he walked towards the door, hearing Rainbow Dash’s impatient tapping as he grabbed the handle. *THUD!!* Bishop recoiled from the door before quickly opening it to see a bunch of letters raining from the sky. Bishop then saw a grey Pegasus sat on the floor, cross-eyed, dazed and confused. “Derpy.” Dash groaned “What are you doing here?” The grey Pegasus shook its head looking around the mess it made. “Um. Letter for a Mr Bishop.” The soldier kneeled down, helping to gather the scattered letters. “Derpy huh? You’re the mail pony right?” Derpy’s eyes lit up before Bishop realised that they stayed cross-eyed. “Yep, that’s me. And. …. And your sergeant Bishop right?” “Yes, that’s me.” Derpy finally found her letter, a red envelope with a wax seal on it. Bishop took it out of her mouth before playfully stroking her mane with his free hand. The Pegasus grinned before taking off into the sky. “It’s good to see you Bishop! Got more letters to deliver!” “Derpy!” Rainbow called out. “Ponyville is that way.” “…. Oh yeah! Silly me.” Derpy back in the right direction before Bishop chuckled to himself, opening the letter in his hands. “What is it?” Dash asked. Bishop pulled out a piece of paper before quickly reading the letter in his head. ---------------------------------------- David, Ann, Bishop As a reward for your bravery in protecting one of our residents in Ponyville in the heat of battle, I Princess Celestia grant have given you two VIP tickets to the up and coming Grand Galloping Gala, one for you and one for Rainbow Dash. Please accept these as a token of my appreciation. Without you, Equestria would have lost its element of loyalty. Hope to see you two there. Princess Celestia --------------------------------------- Bishop searched in the envelope before pulling out two platinum tickets, as he looked at Rainbow Dash he saw that her pupils had shrunk to the size of pin pricks. “Um. It says these tickets are for us.” “Oh. …. My. …. Gosh!!” Rainbow Dash hovered up before taking a close look at the tickets. “What’s a Grand Galloping Gala?” Bishop asked. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!! …. You don’t know?! Oh yeah. That’s right. …. Sorry” Taking a moment to control her breathing, Rainbow Dash started to giggle hysterically to herself. “The Grand Galloping Gala is like one of the most amazing parties in Equestria. It’s like, impossible to get ORDINARY tickets to go. B-but w-we’ve got. …. *Snort* …. PLATINUM TICKETS!!” Dash executed a flip in the air before landing on her back, still giggling. “With VIP tickets, you get free access to all the shows, behind the scenes access to all the shows, dinner with Princess Celestia herself and. …. And! …. A personal meet with the Wonderbolts!! …. This is so awesome!” “…. Soooo. It’s like a ball then? Er I don’t think it’s my scene.” “Oh come on. You’ve gotta go, nobody I know has even had a PLATINUM ticket to the gala before.” “Okay, I’ll go.” “I’m sure Rarity will fix up a suit for you.” “Mmmm. …. Hey Dash.” “What?” “Think fast!” Bishop sprinted into the distance, leaving the Pegasus behind as he ran into the woods. “Hey! No fair!” Quickly, Rainbow Dash darted after the soldier. Bishop laughed as he felt the wind brush against his skin, knowing Rainbow Dash will catch him up soon he slowed his pace, checking his pocket to see if the weapon was still inside. “You cheated! Cheater!” “Look who’s talking! You’re not allowed to use your wings.” The both of them ran the route of the running of the leaves circuit, Rainbow Dash on Bishop’s tail the whole time. They soon began to tire as they were running up the steep hills, Bishop could feel his legs burning as he slowed down before he reached the summit. As he stopped he heard a light thud behind him, turning around he saw Rainbow Dash lying on the ground, exhausted, gasping for air. “Y-y. …. You’re too fast.” Rainbow gasped between breaths. “B- …. Best. …. Best of 3?” “Catch your breath. …. I’m gonna look at the view.” Bishop slowly made his way to the edge of the cliff as Rainbow watched him. He used what strength was left in his legs to sit at the edge of the gorge, looking down at the raging current below. Bishop pulled out the covered firearm, holding it in his hands. He looked at the dents and scratches as little flashes of his past entered his mind, he shook his head, quickly grasping the firearm in his hands before throwing it firmly into the distance. He watched, as the firearm fell to its watery tomb below, it then struck some rocks before getting swiped away by the current. Sighing in relief, he laid back, looking into the sky as Rainbow Dash walked beside him, sitting on the ground, still out o breath. “S-so. …. Ready for. …. Rematch.” Bishop laughed, slowly getting onto his feet, Rainbow Dash giving him a nod before the soldier started jogging, before he heard yet another thud behind him. He turned, this time to see Rainbow Dash in a heap on the floor, still exhausted from her last sprint. “On. …. On second thought. …. I’ll walk. …. You go.” Bishop rolled his eyes, that Pegasus never knew when to stop. “Come here.” He said, kneeling next to her, scooping up the Pegasus in his arms. Dash was a little surprised but soon calmed down as she heard Bishop’s heartbeat; she laid her head back against his chest, closing his eyes as the soldier carried her through the cliff and the woods, under Celestia’s warm glow. ********** Monday 8:00am 6 months ago, I was a lone soldier, fighting in the darkest and most gruesome of all battles, living each minute like it was my last, knowing that when my duty was done, I wouldn’t have not home or family to go to. Look at me now. I’m a new man. I’m younger, fitter and I’ve never felt so happy. I now I keep saying it, but I’ve never felt so alive. Equestria is the perfect retirement for me, no worries, no more fighting and no war. I’m still curious as to what is happening at home but with every passing week, I find myself caring less and less. I died and went to heaven. If fate brought me here, then god damn I’m gonna stay here for good. Even though my future is still unclear, I’m looking forward to finding out what will happen next, but this time, with Rainbow Dash by my side. My little hero of war. Signing off for the last time. Captain, David, Ann, Bishop. THE END