Apple Bloom woke up when the rooster first crowed, as was her habit. She had slept well, finally having been able to sleep in her own bed after a few days away. She lay in the bed for a few minutes, looking up at the ceiling as she waited for the grogginess to fade.
After a while, she sat up, stretched out, and walked to the window, opening it and looking out. It was still somewhat dark, but she could make out the eastern half of the sky steadily growing brighter. Clearly, Princess Celestia was about to raise the sun once again.
The Princess…
Apple Bloom sighed. After being told about what had happened to the Warden, she didn't quite know how to think of her.
Up until a few days ago, Princess Celestia had been the pure, blameless, benevolent figurehead of all ponykind, seemingly above all reproach and deserving of all the reverence that her subjects could possibly muster.
But for Apple Bloom, that image of her was at risk.
She didn't want to admit it, but her admiration for the princess had been shaken. Of course, she still couldn't quite bring herself to believe wholeheartedly that Princess Celestia had caused Princess Luna to become Nightmare Moon, and in turn, caused the Warden to lose his family.
Still, his story made sense. Was Princess Celestia really so blameless?
She sighed again, diverting her thoughts elsewhere as the sun breached the horizon, bathing the treetops in a warm, orange glow. The impressive light from the sun was only intensified by the blazing colors of the leaves that remained on the apple trees, presenting a brilliant palette of burning colors. Birds were waking up as well, and an increasing amount of chirping and twittering arose from the orchard as a morning mist hugged the ground, blanketing the area with a hazy layer of cloud.
It was then that a smile crossed her lips as contentment overflowed her soul. She took in a deep, long breath of the chilly morning air, and exhaled slowly, watching the resulting cloud float off into the air.
She was home.
Just then, there was a knock on her door.
"Apple Bloom? You up?" Applejack's voice called.
"Eeyup!" She replied, closing the window.
"Alright." Her sister said, opening the door and peering in with a warm expression. "Good mornin', sugarcube."
"Mornin, big sis." Apple Bloom responded, walking over to Applejack and sharing a warm embrace with her.
After spending almost half a minute hugging, the siblings separated, and Apple Bloom walked to her wardrobe.
"Granny's got breakfast cooked up." Applejack told her, adding; "Plus, ya ain't gotta go to school today. Ah'm sure Miss Cheerilee won't mind."
Apple Bloom could not help but feel a bit invigorated by the fact that she was taking a break from school today. Perhaps there were a few perks to getting lost after all.
"Okay! Thanks sis!"
Apple Bloom rummaged around in the wardrobe briefly, pulling out a bow and placing it on her head. As she was checking herself in the mirror, a thought occurred to her.
"What about mister Warden?"
"He's still sleepin'." Applejack remarked. "Ah think he was more tired than he was lettin' on. Best thing to do will be to leave him be for a while."
Apple Bloom felt slightly disappointed, but understood perfectly. Besides, waking him up seemed kind of mean.
She nodded, and glanced down at a photo of her, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.
"Can Ah see Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo today?"
"Ah believe they're gonna be off school today as well." Applejack reassured, straightening out Apple Bloom's bow. "They should be here in a few hours."
Apple Bloom's heart jumped. She was going to see her best friends again! Even better, she was finally going to be able to forgive Sweetie Belle!
Then she remembered the discussion about the Warden meeting Twilight. A pang of worry briefly burned within her chest as she worried about how she would perceive the Warden. In fact, would it only be Twilight, or would the other four also come?
"Is there anypony else comin'?" She asked, looking a bit worried.
"Yup." Applejack replied. "Rarity, Rainbow, an' the others are comin' too."
That just about confirmed it. Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash were coming, which only made it more likely that Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were coming as well.
"T-they ain't gonna try to do anythin' to mister Warden, are they?"
Applejack's emerald green eyes displayed an expression of mild confusion, but then she realized that Apple Bloom was asking out of concern.
"Oh Apple Bloom, don't worry. We ain't gonna hurt him. We're just gonna talk with 'im for a bit, that's all. Besides, if the need arises, you an' Ah can vouch for him."
This encouragement did alleviate some of Apple Bloom's fears. If Applejack was ready to support the Warden, the others would as well.
Apple Bloom nodded, glancing appreciatively at her older sister. Then both of them walked out of her room, ready to face the day ahead.
The morning was crawling by for Apple Bloom. The anticipation for the upcoming meeting was nigh unbearable. She felt like she finally really knew what Pinkie Pie meant by feeling nervouscited, and it was a mess of different feelings and emotions.
After eating breakfast, she stated that she wanted to do her normal chores, to Applejack and Granny's surprise. While they protested this at first, Apple Bloom finally made a convincing enough argument and they relented.
Finally presented with some work to do, Apple Bloom found that the passage of time was a bit more bearable, although she still felt a lot of anticipation.
It wasn't too long before her chores were done, and there was still some time before the others would arrive. Now faced with the prospect of having nowhere to go with nothing to do, she finally decided to check on the Warden, despite her sister having told her to do otherwise.
She carefully snuck over to one of the side doors of the barn, taking care to not be spotted by anypony as she did so. When she verified that the coast was clear, she cracked the door open and peeked in, her eyes taking in all the light within the dimly lit space that she could. The musty smell of dirt and hay hit her nostrils, the familiar smell easing her nerves somewhat.
She slipped through the doorway, and shut the door behind her as quietly as she possibly could, hoping to not wake up the Warden.
"You know, I bet you think you're awfully sneaky." Said a familiar voice from one of the corners of the vast space.
Apple Bloom jumped a bit, the combination of her existing nervousness and the knowledge that she was blatantly disobeying her sister causing her to start.
She snapped around to see the Warden sitting on a hay bale, tending to his gear while eating an apple.
Apple Bloom breathed out in a combination of relief and slight irritation. He had given her a scare, but at least she hadn't woken him up.
"Good mornin', mister Warden." She said cheerfully, walking over to him.
He smiled in return, his eyes shining as he did so before returning to his task.
"What're ya doin'?" She asked, walking over while gazing curiously at what he was doing.
"Packing." He replied.
"Packin'?" She asked, becoming worried that he was planning on leaving now. "You're gonna leave before meetin' Princess Twilight?"
He shook his head. "No. But as soon as I do, I've got to go back home."
"Ya ain't stayin' any longer?" She asked, sounding disappointed.
He nodded. "I don't wish to impose any longer than needed. Besides, I'm barely in your family's good graces."
"But- but there's so much more to show ya!" Apple Bloom protested. "Ponyville has other places where you can stay for a while! Ya can go an' meet other ponies, maybe even make some new friends and-"
"Apple Bloom, I've got to keep working on the Gatekeeper. It isn't going to fix itself. The longer it's off, the more chances extradimensional threats have at getting in. I can't just leave it broken."
"W-Well…" Apple Bloom stuttered, trying to argue further but failing to find the way to do so. Acknowledging defeat, she bowed her head, and nodded. "Alright…"
The Warden stopped what he was doing, and saw Apple Bloom's apparent disappointment. He sighed, and placed one of his forehooves on her shoulder.
"Look." He said gently, compelling her to look up at him. "It's not that I'm ungrateful for what you've done for me, but I've got a job to do. I've got to protect Equestria, like my cutie mark says."
This was something that Apple Bloom understood perfectly. After all, the importance of cutie marks was very significant to her.
Just then, a cacophony of musical sounds shattered the atmosphere, causing both ponies to flinch. The music was cheery, yet jarring.
Then, a shrill voice called out from somewhere outside the barn.
"Alrighty then, Warden! This is Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's official party pony and welcoming committee! I've got the building surrounded, and there is no way for you to escape!"
The Warden immediately jumped upright and his eyes widened, darting around as he silently and frantically took in his surroundings.
Apple Bloom, however, simply put a hoof to her face and groaned.
"Oh no…"
Seeing her reaction, the Warden relaxed a bit, sensing that perhaps Pinkie Pie was not as much of a threat as he may have initially thought.
Meanwhile, Pinkie's ominous speech continued with the oddly energetic tune still playing in the background.
"I'm gonna give you till the count of ten to come out and get welcomed! If you don't cooperate, then I'm gonna come in there and welcome you by force! One! Two! Three-"
"PINKIE! What in tarnation are ya doin'?!" Applejack roared, her voice clearly showing anger.
"Oh! Hi, Applejack!" Pinkie said cheerfully, not indicating any confusion or concern whatsoever. "Me and Dashie were going to welcome the Warden to Ponyville! Want to join us?"
Applejack let out a loud groan as Apple Bloom heard Rainbow Dash begin laughing.
"Bwah hah hah haaaah! Oh- Oh Pinkie, you had to have given the Warden a good scare with that whole speech! The way you were going, you made it sound like you were going to arrest him or something!"
"Awww, really?" Pinkie said, only now sounding sorrowful as the music screeched to a halt. "I wanted to give him a surprise, not scare him!"
Apple Bloom shook her head, wondering how Pinkie could have possibly thought that staging a welcome song as an arrest could ever be not scary.
"It's alright, Pinkie dear." Rarity's voice sailed in from outside. "But please, refrain from doing anything else until we say so, okay?"
"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie replied, going right back to sounding like her happy, energetic self.
Apple Bloom's ears perked up as her stance straightened. If Rainbow Dash and Rarity were here, then Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were probably here too!
"Okay…" Applejack sighed. "He's probably awake now, thanks to Pinkie… Ah'm gonna check on 'im. Everypony stay out here till we come back out."
Applejack then opened the front door, and peeked in.
"Eehhhhh… Mister Warden? You awake?"
"Yeah…" The Warden replied, looking over at her. "I was already up."
"Oh, good…" Applejack sighed, walking inside. "Ah'm so sorry about the racket. Pinkie means no harm, but sometimes she can be mighty-"
She stopped as soon as she saw Apple Bloom standing next to the Warden, and her brow lowered. It was at this moment that Apple Bloom suddenly realized that she had just been caught disobeying her sister, and that she had done absolutely nothing to try and hide it.
"Apple Bloom!" She scolded. "Ah thought Ah told ya to leave 'im alone while he was sleepin'!"
The Warden stepped forward, glancing at Apple Bloom then at Applejack
"No, wait. She didn't-"
That was as far as he got before a joyous cry erupted from outside.
"Apple Bloom is in there?!"
"Apple Bloom!?"
"Hey! Hold it, you two!"
Despite the protests, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle darted in through the open door, making a beeline past Applejack and towards Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom felt a lump grow in her throat as her heart overflowed with joy. She also broke into a wobbly run, and collided with the other two crusaders, all three engaging in an emotional group hug.
"You're back!" Sweetie Belle squealed, tears flowing from her shining eyes. "You're safe and sound again!"
Scootaloo was crying a bit as well, albeit not quite as much as her other two friends.
"Thank Celestia, Apple Bloom! We were so afraid that you weren't coming back!"
"Ah know!" Apple Bloom cried. "Ah'm so happy to see y’all again!"
As she said so, Rainbow Dash and Rarity quickly entered the barn, pursuing the two fillies. But when they saw their reunion, they both stopped and watched along with Applejack, their eyes all growing a bit misty as well.
After a few seconds, the three crusaders released each other, and Sweetie Belle's ears drooped.
"Apple Bloom," she began, sniffing as she did so; "I'm so, so sorry for teleporting you. It was an accident, I swear it was! I would never-"
Apple Bloom held up a hoof to her mouth, gently silencing her as she responded.
"Ah know it wasn't on purpose, Sweetie Belle. Ah put two an' two together, an' figured that it was the sneeze that did it!"
Sweetie Belle sniffed again, wiping her nose.
"So… You forgive me?"
Apple Bloom smiled and nodded.
"Of course Ah do!"
Sweetie Belle threw herself into another hug with Apple Bloom, holding her tightly as she began to smile as well.
"What happened to your leg?" Scootaloo asked after a few seconds, compelling the other two to separate.
"Ah hurt it runnin' from a giant, pony eatin' spider!" Apple Bloom declared, pointing to the Warden. "It would've gotten me, but mah new friend; mister Warden, rescued me an' brought me back!"
At this, everypony present all looked at the stallion still standing near the corner. Applejack was smiling, having seemed to have forgotten her anger. Rainbow was also smiling, albeit not quite as much.
Rarity, however, looked as if she was looking at a ghost. Her bright, blue eyes widened as she caught her breath, her mouth briefly hanging open.
"T-t-that's him?" She asked, sounding stunned as she gestured towards him. "He's the Warden?"
"Yup. He is." Applejack said bluntly.
"O-oh…" Rarity murmured quietly, now seeming to have become a bit flustered, rather than astonished. "I- Ahem! I see..."
Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo both looked up at the Warden in silence, seemingly in awe of the stallion towering above them.
Then, the corner of Scootaloo's mouth curled into a smile as her purple eyes began to shine.
"Woah…" She declared, running up to him eagerly. "He looks awesome!"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and frowned.
While Scootaloo looked the Warden over, Sweetie Belle also ran up to him. However, instead of examining him, she immediately embraced one of his forelegs, holding him tight.
"Thank you!" She exclaimed. "Thank you for bringing Apple Bloom back!"
The Warden hesitated for a moment, then smiled gently as he returned the gesture.
"You're welcome, little one."
After a moment, Sweetie Belle let him go and backed up a few steps, looking the stallion in the eye.
"Rarity said you were mean." She said, tilting her head slightly. "But you don't seem very mean to me…"
"Yeah…" Scootaloo murmured, rubbing the back of her head with one of her hooves. "The way Rainbow Dash described you, I would have thought you were some kind of crazy guy."
Both Rarity and Rainbow looked at each other for a moment, each looking a bit ashamed.
The Warden simply shook his head.
"I was, two years ago..." He sighed, warranting surprised looks from Rarity and Rainbow. "But I hope to put that behind me."
"Huh..." Scootaloo murmured, one of her ears drooping low as she tilted her head.
After thinking about his response for a few seconds, Sweetie Belle smiled.
"Well, you seem nice anyway! A friend of Apple Bloom is a friend of ours!" She declared happily.
Then, Pinkie's voice interrupted the conversation.
"Hey, Applejack! Twilight and Fluttershy are here now! Can we come in too?!"
Applejack looked at the three fillies, then at Rainbow and Rarity.
"Did either of y'all tell 'em about what happened to his family yet?" She asked quietly, and both mares shook their heads.
Having gotten her answer, she nodded and spoke to the fillies.
"Hey, gals, do y'all want to go on outside for a few minutes?"
Apple Bloom nodded. "Eeyup! Come on, crusaders!"
She shot a happy look at the Warden, then ran out the door into the bright sunlight along with her two friends.
As they rushed out, they were greeted by Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Fluttershy, each of whom looked overjoyed to see Apple Bloom. Needless to say, Pinkie was the first to run up to her.
"OHMYGOODNESSAPPLEBLOOMYOU'REBACKANDYOU'REOKAY!" She shouted, scooping the filly up into a particularly strong hug. "OOOOOHIWASSOWORRIEDABOUTYOUANDIWASSOSCAREDTHATSOMETHINGBADHADHAPPENEDTOYOUBUTNOWI'MSOHAPPYTHATYOU'RESAFEAND-"
"Pinkie…" Apple Bloom groaned; "Ah need to breathe…"
"WHA- Oh." Pinkie said, realizing what the filly had said and loosened her suffocating grip. "Sorry… But- EEEEE! I'm just so happy to see that you're back!"
Twilight walked up to Apple Bloom, clearly happy as well. Without saying a word, she opened her wings, and Apple Bloom came in for a far gentler hug than Pinkie's.
After a short embrace, they separated and Fluttershy then walked up, smiling and almost looking as if she were about to start crying. She and Apple Bloom hugged each other for a few moments.
"Oh…" Fluttershy murmured; "You have no idea how relieved I am to see that you're alive and well!"
Apple Bloom squeezed the gentle pegasus a little tighter for a moment, then released her as she replied.
"Ah'm glad to see y'all too!"
"It sounds like you had a big adventure!" Twilight said, speaking for the first time. "You're going to have to tell me and Spike all about it later."
"Oh, Ah've got a lot to tell ya, trust me…" Apple Bloom replied, thinking about the Warden's lecture on the forgotten history of Equestria and wondering how Twilight would take it.
"Can that wait until after her 'Welcome Back Home!' party, Twilight?" Pinkie asked, kneeling before the alicorn while raising her forelegs in a dramatic fashion. "Pleeeeeaaase?"
Twilight smiled, nodded, and rolled her eyes.
Then, Applejack called out from inside the barn.
"Pinkie? You an' the others can come on in, you know!"
"Come on, Pinkie." Twilight said, gesturing for her and Fluttershy to go in. "You can get excited for the party after we get this done. Also, please don't try to perform any welcome songs for the Warden, okay?"
"Ugh! Fiiiiine!" Pinkie moaned, walking inside.
Fluttershy's eyes widened when Twilight mentioned the Warden, and she seemed to shrink a bit as fear flashed in her eyes.
"Are you going to be okay?" Twilight asked, looking concerned. "You don't have to-"
"No, it's- um- okay, Twilight." Fluttershy assured her, taking a deep breath. "He's probably not as bad as we first thought… Like Discord…"
As Fluttershy walked inside, Twilight sighed. She turned towards the door, paused, and looked at Apple Bloom, who was standing alongside her two friends.
"In any case, I'm happy that you're back, Apple Bloom." She said, smiling as she did so.
"Thanks, Princess Twilight." Apple Bloom replied, returning the smile. Twilight then turned back around and walked inside, leaving the three fillies alone.
After a moment of silence, Scootaloo spoke.
"So… How about we go to the treehouse?"
"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "I can't think of anything better than a celebratory meeting!"
Apple Bloom, however, was gazing at the now closed door leading inside.
She was weighing a choice in her mind. While spending time with her best friends was tempting, she still couldn't just not see how the Mane Six were being introduced to the Warden.
"Uhh, Apple Bloom? Are you okay?" Scootaloo asked, waving a foreleg in front of her face.
She shook her head, gently pushing Scootaloo's leg off to the side.
"Not yet, gals. Ah've gotta see how this is goin'." She explained, breaking into a hobbling run along the exterior of the barn, seeking out a window that was within reach.
The other two fillies looked at each other, shrugged, and followed along. A few seconds later, Apple Bloom found a window with a convenient hay bale placed beneath it, and hopped up. The other two fillies followed along, peering over the windowsill.
The Warden was still standing where was last, next to his pile of gear while Applejack, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Rarity were all standing in a group in front of him. No words were being spoken, each party looking at the other silently.
"What're we doing?" Scootaloo whispered. "Why are we here?"
"Shh!" Apple Bloom hissed quietly. "Ah jus' wanna see."
After a few silent seconds, Applejack took a few steps forward, walking up to the Warden's side and turning around to face her friends.
"So, everypony…" She began; "This is the Warden, for any of ya who're unaware."
"T-t-that's h-him?" Fluttershy stammered, shrinking back a little behind the others.
Applejack nodded. "The same."
Twilight took a step forward, her eyes narrowing a bit as she visually examined him, head to hoof. The Warden's eyes also narrowed as he remained where he was, glinting a bit in the dim light as he sized up the alicorn standing before him.
The atmosphere seemed to grow a bit tense, and the other ponies shuffled around uncomfortably as Twilight and the Warden stood in complete silence.
Finally, the princess spoke.
"Hello, Warden." She said as she extended a hoof towards him, her tone showing a degree of uncertainty. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship."
The Warden's eyes made contact with hers, and his expression relaxed somewhat. Then, he extended his own hoof to hers, exchanging a brief hoofshake before resuming his usual stance.
He took a moment to clear his throat, and then spoke.
"I've heard a lot about you. Finally, we meet on peaceful terms."
"It would appear that way." Twilight remarked plainly, taking a breath before asking; "So, you rescued Apple Bloom?"
He nodded. "I did."
Twilight's ears perked up a bit, and her eyes widened as she briefly looked downwards, thinking before looking back at him.
"Why go through the risk of bringing her back here after what you did at Canterlot?" She asked, her tone earnest and begging for an answer. "I know you have the means by which to get our attention. Why didn't you just inform us to reduce the risk to yourself?"
"Because I wanted to guarantee her safety." He replied without hesitation. "Besides, there was no guarantee that you would have believed me. You would have just assumed that I had abducted her, anyway."
Twilight's ears drooped a bit as she glanced downwards, not making any effort to rebut him.
"Don't sweat it, Twilight." Applejack reassured. "Me an' Rainbow both jumped him even after he got her back. We all would've been too harsh on him."
Twilight nodded, looking at the Warden.
"I understand. I- We just never imagined that you would do such a good deed after what happened at Canterlot…"
"I tried explaining to Applejack why that isn't your fault," The Warden explained; "After what I tried to do, it was only natural to assume the worst."
"Ah had to explain to him that just because he did somethin' he regrets doesn't make his rescue of Apple Bloom any less noble." Applejack interjected. "Wouldn't ya agree?"
Twilight nodded, turning to the Warden.
"So, you regret attacking the sisters?"
He nodded.
"What I did that day betrayed everything that my family taught me." He said with a sigh. "Of course I regret it. They… would have been ashamed."
Then Fluttershy shuffled forwards, her expression showing curiosity.
"So… Um, does that mean that Twilight was the one who made you stop?"
"Yes." He replied, looking at Twilight. "What she said that day, asking me if that was really what my family would have wanted, it made me question what I was doing. It was her wisdom that stopped me. The princesses owe her their lives, and I owe her greatly for keeping me from slipping too far."
Then, the Warden closed his eyes and bowed his head, showing a sign of respect towards Twilight.
"On my behalf, as well as the behalf of my loved ones," He said with a serious tone, "I thank you."
Twilight looked a bit stunned, her wings unfolding slightly as she processed this revelation.
After a moment of shocked silence, she spoke.
"There is no doubt in my mind, then. If you truly regret what you have done, and you have undergone such a risk to bring Apple Bloom back, then you really aren't the villain that we once thought!"
The Warden shook his head.
"I'm a stallion who has done far too much to be a champion of good. I'm not a hero."
Twilight shook her head. "No. After what you did for Apple Bloom, I cannot see you as anything but."
Applejack nodded. "Eeyup! Ah already told ya, but Ah'll tell ya again: Ya ain't an evil pony, jus' a good one who's kinda confused an' lost."
Rarity elegantly cleared her throat and spoke next.
"I agree, Applejack. I think he has had a change of heart."
"Yeah!" Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing up and down. "I can't think of any bad ponies who would go through the trouble of bringing a filly home and who regrets beating up the princesses to within an inch of their lives and-"
"We know, Pinkie!" Rainbow interrupted, rolling her eyes before looking at the stallion. "What she's saying is that you aren't nearly as bad as we first thought. Honestly, I was doubtful at first, but I think I agree with them now."
Then, defying all expectations, Fluttershy took a breath and strode up to the Warden, her big blue eyes showing pure earnestness.
"Don't you see, Warden?" She asked, "We all know that you aren't a monster. You are a good pony, we can tell!"
"Yep!" Pinkie declared. "In fact, you're an awful lot like Princess Luna! She's a good pony too, even though she regrets-"
The Warden visibly tensed up when Pinkie mentioned Luna. Twilight noticed this, and in an instant, her horn began to glow and Pinkie found her mouth forced shut by magic. However, it was too late.
The Warden closed his eyes, raised a hoof, and took a deep breath. Apple Bloom could not help but flinch. Was he going to blow up?
Everypony looked at Pinkie for a moment, then at each other, wondering what he was going to say.
Thankfully, he exhaled slowly, and turned around to face his pile of gear.
"Don't ever compare me to her." He said in a darker tone. "Understand?"
Everypony remained silent, looking at each other with a mixture of emotions.
The Warden placed the saddlebags onto his back, fastening them before placing his grapple and taser onto his forelegs. After doing so, he straightened up, stood still for a moment, and sighed. Then, he turned back around, facing the six.
"Thank you, for your decision to not try to imprison me and for your kind words. There is no doubt in my mind that you are the heroes that Equestria needs. Especially you, Princess Twilight."
Twilight looked a bit surprised to hear such praise from the stallion who had once tried to kill the royal sisters out of anger.
"Now if you will excuse me," The Warden said, "I have work that I need to do. I must go."
He then walked forward, the ponies in his path moving to the side. Twilight opened her mouth for a second, as if she wished to say something. But a sorrowful expression overtook her face and she closed her mouth, remaining silent.
As soon as Apple Bloom saw that he was headed for the door, she broke into a hobbling sprint to intercept him, leaving the other two fillies wondering what she was doing.
When she finally reached him, he was outside, looking around. Although he looked quite determined to leave, he stopped as soon as he caught sight of Apple Bloom running towards him.
In a few seconds, she had ran up to him, and she began to speak.
"Are ya leavin' already?" She asked in disbelief.
He nodded.
"You know why I have to go." He reminded her. "My life and purpose lies back at my home."
"But- But what about them?" She asked, gesturing towards the main six, who were gathering outside the barn door. "Ya could have new friends! Ah don't wanna sound judgy, but ya didn't really seem very happy all by yourself! Ya need friends!"
The Warden looked as if he were about to deliver a rebuttal for a split second, but he changed his mind. Instead, he sat down in front of Apple Bloom, placing a hoof on her shoulder as he looked her in the eyes.
"Apple Bloom…" He sighed, "There's nothing for me here."
"But ya have me!" Apple Bloom declared, brushing off his hoof as her vision started to become misty. "Are ya just going to forget your only friend?"
She sniffed and closed her eyes, looking away as she did so.
She had hoped to show him that friendship could help him heal. For his sake, she genuinely wanted nothing more than for him to be able to move on from his painful past. Besides, she also loved the idea of having such a kind, courageous, and admirable friend.
Was he really about to throw away any chance of them being friends after all?
Her heartfelt question seemed to catch him off guard. His eyes widened slightly, and he fell silent for a moment. Then, slowly, he began to speak.
"No, I'm not going to forget." He replied, gently lifting her head back up with one of his hooves. "You… You will always be a special friend to me."
Apple Bloom sniffed again, looking him in the eye once more.
"Then… Am Ah ever goin' to see ya again?" She asked pointedly.
He fell silent once again, obviously deep in thought. His eyes glanced down at the ground, and Apple Bloom could tell that he was weighing his next words.
The anticipation was awful. A lot of her hopes were riding on his next answer.
Were they going to have the friendship she wanted?
He looked back up at her, a small smile appearing on his face.
"You will."
Her ears perked up, and a slight smile played across her lips. She sniffed once more, and wiped her nose with a foreleg before speaking.
"Really?"
He nodded.
"I'll visit someday, once I've fixed my armor. You have my word as a Warden."
Apple Bloom felt her heart leap upon hearing his answer, and without thinking, she jumped up, wrapping her forelegs around his neck as she caught him in an unexpected embrace.
"Thank you." She said quietly.
The Warden simply nodded, wrapping one of his forelegs around her in return.
"You're welcome, little friend…"
Apple Bloom then caught sight of the main six and the other crusaders all standing together, watching on with a mixture of happy and touched expressions. Especially Applejack, who was discreetly wiping her eyes.
The Warden then let her go, and Apple Bloom followed suit, falling to the ground and regaining her footing. Both she and the Warden looked at each other for a few seconds, each not saying a word but somehow understanding that the friendship between them was now undeniable.
Then, the Warden gave a command.
"RAD, say goodbye."
The drone deployed with a whir, immediately going into a hover in front of Apple Bloom, its camera looking at her.
Apple Bloom felt a pang of sadness as she fully realized how much she would miss the heroic little drone.
"Bye, RAD." She said with a smile. "Ah'll miss you…"
The drone gave an emotional sounding beep as it gave its own farewell.
Then, RAD began to hover next to the Warden, who was now standing up, towering above Apple Bloom once more. The stallion took a step forward, about to leave. But then he paused, looking down at Apple Bloom.
"You know," He said, "my friend should know my real name."
Apple Bloom was a bit shocked. He had seemed averse to sharing his name before. But was he about to tell her now?
"What is it?" She asked, her big, orange eyes shimmering in anticipation.
The Warden smiled, and he made his reply.
"Casemate."
Apple Bloom could not help but release a large smile upon hearing this. It felt like he had just shared an important secret with her.
"Huh." She remarked, remembering what he had said when she first told him her name. "That's a good name. Ah like it."
Clearly, Casemate remembered as well, for a warm expression appeared on his face. He chuckled, and briefly shuffled Apple Bloom's mane with one of his hooves in a playful manner, causing her to laugh quietly.
After a moment, he brought his hoof back to the ground, stood up, and took a step back.
"Goodbye, my little friend." He said with a nod. "Until next time."
Then, he began to walk off, going towards the entrance of the orchard, followed closely by his drone.
Apple Bloom waved, and gave a final shout.
"Goodbye, Casemate! Ah'll see ya soon!"
He shot a final look in her direction, smiling as his eyes shimmered happily. Then, he faced away, continuing to walk down the dirt pathway leading out of Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom remained where she was, thinking as she watched him walk away, soon going out of sight.
The thought that she had managed to make a friend out of the stallion who had almost killed the princesses was nigh unbelievable.
Then again, he wasn't really bad to begin with. He was hurt and confused, but not evil.
Over the past few days, he had gone from being a mysterious stranger to a lonely stallion in need of a friend in her eyes.
Deep down, she understood that by befriending him, she had perhaps given him some hope of finding a form of redemption. How exactly, she could not know. But she had given him a chance, which was no less than he deserved.
He now had an opportunity to be the good, brave, noble hero that he seemed to actually be, thanks to her.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Applejack strode up next to her and placed a hoof on her back.
"You doin' alright, sugarcube?" She asked, looking tenderly down at her.
Apple Bloom nodded.
"Eeyup. Ah'm jus' thinkin' 'bout 'im is all."
Applejack smiled and knelt down next to her.
"Ah am too…" She said quietly. "Ya did real good, sugarcube. We can all tell that he needs a friend, and you're bein' the best friend you possibly can be for him."
Apple Bloom sighed and nodded.
"Ah know…"
"HEY!" Pinkie Pie shouted, shattering the serene atmosphere. "CAN WE HAVE APPLE BLOOM'S PARTY ALREADY?! I CAN'T WAIT!"
Both Apple Bloom and Applejack looked at Pinkie, who was eagerly sitting atop her party cannon, which she had seemingly pulled out of nowhere.
Apple Bloom smiled and nodded, and Pinkie wasted no time in displaying a massive smile and pulling the firing cord.
The cannon shot off red and yellow confetti into the air, along with apple themed decorations, balloons, and even bow shaped party accessories.
Apple Bloom's eyes lit up in excitement, and Applejack hoisted her onto her back with a joyful expression. Then, the two sisters went off to join the party, ready to celebrate her return home.
"Well AJ, I gotta admit, I'm a little disappointed that you didn't smooch him after all."
Groan... "Rainbow?"
Snort! "Yeah?"
"Shut up."
Snicker! "Oh, I'm not gonna let you hear the end of it..."