The leaves crunch as Wallflower steps over them, a gentle trot in an almost aimless direction. Her eyes look at the forest around us, autumn making their foliage turn from green to a beautiful collection of browns, reds and oranges. And when the wind blows through them, it almost looks like flames. Like the whole forest is on fire.
Like Canterlot.
Wallflower saw a butterfly in the air and immediately went after it, trying to catch it in her hands as she laughed. Her fun is cut short however, as the rope connecting her to me goes taut. She frowns and tries to get it off her, but she can't untie the knot, and forgets about it after a few tries.
I hate it.
I hate doing this to her. But I can't run anymore. Not even Dash could run again after she suffered the same, even with prosthetics. I can't let Wallflower run away from me. Not while she’s like this.
Not again.
Wallflower walks back to me, and by reflex I try to hug her, but she quickly steps back. She’s still afraid. I don’t know why. I’ve done everything to keep her safe. Maybe it’s because of the rope. Maybe it’s because I was the first thing she saw when she woke up from…
She looks at my canteen, and I sigh before giving it to her. It’s the last of our water, and we won’t be able to get more. We don’t have any rations, or spare ammo, or even a radio.
Not like it matters anymore. No one will come to help us.
After she quenches her thirst, we continue walking through the forest, keeping ourselves between the trees and avoiding the clearings created by the artillery. We need to keep out of view. I don’t know how many will be looking for us, but with just a rifle and half a functioning leg, I won’t be able to stop them. I don't even have many bullets left, just three.
I could use them for… no, Wally has been shot enough.
Wallflower suddenly pulls from the rope with such strength she almost throws me into the mud. When I turn in her direction, I see her crouching down in front of a flower, a White Aster, growing between the mud and ashes.
I start laughing. Only Wally could find a flower in the middle of a battlefield.
I walk over to her and crouch down at her side. Her eyes are focused on the flower. She reaches out and softly rubs her finger against the soft petals, a warm smile spreading on her lips. She looks so happy, so bright.
For a moment, the forest, the dirt and blood, the smell of sulfur and iron, all of it vanished.
For a moment, I was back at CHS, looking at Wallflower tending to her garden. Hearing her melodic hum as she worked. Hearing her laugh at my dumb jokes. Hearing her say 'I love you'. Feeling her lips on my own. Feeling her warmth as we hugged. Feeling the grass on my back as we laid on the ground, looking at the sky. Seeing her eyes widen as I pulled the ring from my pocket.
The sounds of barking snap me out of my pleasant dreams.
They're using dogs. I recognize Winona's bark. The bastards.
I grab my rifle out of instinct, but I know it's futile. We can't outrun them. We can't fight them. We can't hide.
I drop my rifle and sit back down next to Wallflower. "It's a beautiful flower, isn't it?"
She turns her head to me, her beautiful eyes seemingly vacant of thoughts. Can she even understand me anymore?
I go to hug her, she tries to move away, but I manage to grab her and pull her back to me. "Do you remember the garden back in CHS?" She struggles, she tries to break free, but I don't let go. She hates it, and I hate it too. But I need to feel her close again.
The barking grows closer.
"Do you remember my friends? Pinkie always making your favorite blueberry muffins each time we visited Sugarcube Corner? When Fluttershy let you be swarmed by bunnies? Twilight asking you for help with her garden? The dresses Rarity prepared for our wedding? Rainbow fighting with the officers to get us back home? AJ's last words?" Wallflower keeps struggling, biting into my arm to try and break free.
Voices start to join the barking in the distance.
"Do you remember the Yearbook Committee? Do you remember your friends?" I start brushing her hair with my hand, careful not to touch the bloodied bandages. "Do you remember when I asked you out? Our first date? When I won that big dolphin plushie for you?" Tears start to run down my face. "Do you remember when you cried because I made a song dedicated to you? Do you remember the paintings? Your poems?"
The voices are coming closer. They're all around us.
I turn her head to me. "Do you remember when we moved in together? When you said you loved me? Do you remember when I proposed to you? The invitations? The planning? Me fighting your parents? The honeymoon we planned?" Wallflower stops struggling, looking me in the eyes with her vacant expression. Did she understand me? Is she recognizing me?
"I found them!" Someone shouts behind us. The sound of footsteps and the barks of dogs start coming from all around us. There's no escape.
"Can you tell me that you love me?" I beg her. "Can you say it one more time?"
Wallflower doesn't respond, she just looks at me, seemingly lost in my eyes.
I hear the soldiers form a line and ready their rifles. Rainbow orders them to stop, but she’s quickly outranked by her superior officer.
I hug Wallflower as tight as I can, brushing her hair with my hand as the soldiers take aim.
"I love you."