//------------------------------// // Chapter 17: Death Will Never Conquer // Story: Violet Hill // by TorontoFCBrony //------------------------------// Soarin readied himself for his most important day in the battlefield. He was promoted and was given his own troop, with the mission of liberating a fortress where there were Equestrian prisoners of war. Soarin displayed great abilities and attitude during his first two months serving in Saddle Arabia. His job was initially just to bring supplies to the ponies down below. However, the war raged on, and with many Equestrian ponies perishing in the fields, Soarin was needed immediately in the battlefield. The Wonderbolt put on his camouflage outfit and gathered his supplies for battle, including a rifle, a sword, a water bottle, as well as some first aid equipment that could fit in his pockets. Just before he was about to leave, he noticed a letter fall from underneath all of the things he had initially piled on the bed. It was time for him to go, but upon seeing that the letter was from his love, he needed to read it. As he read it, his face instantly went from a smile to a serious glare. 'I'm going to be a father,' he contemplated in his mind. "I'm going to be a father," he repeated out loud to make sure that it was indeed real life, and not just fantasy. He had to wipe a proud tear from his eye. He left the letter on his bed and left for his first day in the middle of the action. -------------------------------------- Rainbow woke up the next morning, hoping desperately to see a reply from her fiancé. However, no letter in response awaited her. This began to concern her a little. Her biggest fear when sending the letter to him in the first place was the risk that he would not want a foal, and that would result in him never coming back. Rainbow's emotions were as strong as her cravings on this day. What she really craved at this time was somepony to hug and to hold. But she was alone in the upper room of Twilight's library. She was only alone with her thoughts, and sometimes one's own mind can be their worst enemy. Rainbow rested her head on her front hooves as she laid down on the spare bed she was sleeping on while staying at Twilight's house. A single tear on her face fell as her mind abused her. You're worthless. Nopony would ever want you. Soarin probably left you for Spitfire "Shut up, shut up!" she yelled as she covered her head with her hooves. She just wanted her brain to shut down completely, but her worries were just too strong to ignore. Anything could have happened, but she only feared the worst. -------------------------------------- Soarin took to the battlefield, leading his troop towards a Saddle Arabian fortress, where they were holding many prisoners of war. Do it for Dashie and the baby, Soarin kept reminding himself as he kept walking with the soldiers beside him across the desert plains. The sand blew in the wind and the sun scorched on them as they continued to march on. As they approached the fortress, the Arabian ponies noticed the large troop coming towards them, and they readied their weapons. They set up a line of shooters with machine guns, who held their fire until the right time. Bravely, Soarin led the troop closer and closer to the fortress, hoping to release the Equestrian soldiers being held captive. "Get ready to fire," the leader of the fortress told his troop on the rooftop. "Get ready for hell, stallions," Soarin told his soldiers. As they made their way within a few hundred metres of the fortress, Soarin could see the Arabian commander raise his hoof, signalling his soldiers to fire. "Alright, this is it... charge!" Soarin commanded. His troop ran in towards the fortress, with bullets all aimed towards them. As a large group, individually they had a good chance at survival, and as a group they had an even better chance of liberating the prisoners. Equestria had been successful in other battles and had greatly reduced the enemy army. As they ran towards the fortress, Soarin looked left and right, seeing members of his troop falling by his sides every second. He had tears of fear as he continued to run towards the fortress. "Throw the grenades," he yelled to his soldiers as they came within throwing distance. Five soldiers with him pulled the pins and threw their grenades at the roof of the fortress. Three of the grenades made it, blowing on the roof, striking the Arabian ponies that were shooting at them. Soarin cringed at the sight of it, but he had to move on. He didn't know who was trapped inside the fortress, but he knew that each pony in there had a story of their own. They needed saving. -------------------------------------- Rainbow could hardly take the thoughts in her head anymore. She turned over on her back and looked towards the ceiling, holding her hooves against the top of her head. Soarin is never going to come back. Nopony will ever want you again. Rainbow squeezed her hooves even tighter against her head, hoping to stop the thoughts. Give up, he's never coming back. "Stop it! Please, stop it!" Rainbow yelled out at the top of her lungs while dragging her hooves across her face. -------------------------------------- Soarin made it into the fortress while the others from his troop took care of the Arabian soldiers around the perimeter of the building. Soarin and two others made their way deep into the basement where the prisoners of war were being held. A couple of Arabian guards charged towards them, and the two ponies with Soarin used their rifles and shot them both through the chests. The three Equestrian soldiers made their way to the final hallway where the door to the dungeon was, there was one Arabian stallion standing in their way with a rifle of his own. Soarin ran towards him, ready to strike if necessary. Soarin held his gun as he approached the Arabian stallion. Soarin pointed the gun straight at his face. "It's over, stand down or perish," Soarin commanded. The stallion at the end of the gun fell down to his knees. "Please, I beg you, spare me," he pleaded. "Move away from the door," Soarin commanded. "Or I'll shoot." The Arabian soldier put his hooves together and pleaded to be let go once again. However, he did not move away from the door. Soarin did not feel the urge to trust him enough to let him go. He pointed the rifle right towards the other stallion's face and prepared to fire. "Please! I beg you! I have a wife and a daughter," the pony begged from his knees. Soarin lowered his gun and took a step back. He had a sudden rush of memories come back to his mind of him and Dashie. He remembered the letter that he received that morning. He remembered the fact that he was going to be a father. He also remembered the promise he made on Violet Hill, where he told his love that he wouldn't kill anypony. The change in his emotion and the rush of memories to his head made him lose his concentration just for a second, but that second was enough time for the Arabian pony to kick Soarin, who fell on his back. From his back, he looked behind him to see where his two soldiers were, only to discover that they had been shot by Arabian ponies coming from the other end of the hallway. The pony that he had spared was now grinning proudly as he held his own gun towards Soarin, who lost his concentration. He chuckled and said, "You should have taken the shot. Now you will die for your compassion." Soarin looked into the barrel of the rifle pointed towards him. He looked behind him once again to see the opposing soldiers right behind him. There was nowhere to go, and no hope left. He knew his fate now. He slowly closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. He made sure that his final thought was of his love, Rainbow Dash. He remembered the first time he was able to speak to her at the Grand Galloping Gala. He remembered the first time he danced with her at the Royal Wedding. He remembered how his life changed forever the day he started training her. He remembered their first kiss, as well as when she accepted his proposal just before he left. And finally, he thought of the foal that he would never be able to see. He held his final breath as the trigger was pulled. -------------------------------------- "I can't live like this anymore. Please, stop," Rainbow pleaded out loud with her mind as it continued to harass her with self-deprecating thoughts, as well as fearful thoughts of what could have happened to her coltfriend for not replying to her letter. It had been hours, but her worries still continued into the afternoon. She didn't even throughout the day. Twilight heard the mare talking to herself, so she decided to come upstairs and try to comfort her. Twilight sat down on the bed beside Rainbow, who looked like a complete disaster. Rainbow's mane was all over the place due to her using her hooves to try and take her horrible thoughts away. The unicorn leaned over towards her and began to stroke her mane with her hoof. She said to comfort the mare, "Everything is going to be okay." Twilight stayed by Rainbow's side for a long time, sitting beside her for comfort. It was one of the most difficult times Rainbow had ever gone through. Not hearing back from Soarin was torture for her, and it triggered all of the negative thoughts. The thoughts from her mind caused her to cry a number of times through the day due to stress, and Twilight was there the whole time for her. Twilight fell asleep at Rainbow's side. Eventually, Rainbow fell asleep as well. The next morning, Rainbow forced herself to get up and out of bed. Staying as a vegetable for a day was bad enough, but she couldn't allow it to happen for two straight days. She slowly dragged her hooves to walk over to the breakfast table, where Twilight was once again kind enough to make something to eat. There was a knock at the door, however, and Twilight asked if Rainbow could get it for her. Rainbow agreed, and she went to the door, not caring that her mane was completely messed up and she looked completely sleep-deprived. Rainbow opened the door, and she was shocked and saddened at the same time to see who was there. She held her hoof up to her mouth as she looked Spitfire in the eyes. At first, Rainbow thought quickly that Spitfire was here to yell at her for the way she left the Wonderbolts, but upon seeing that there was another stallion in a suit beside her, Rainbow feared that this encounter was for a reason much worse. "H-hi Spitfire. What brings you here?" Rainbow asked, feeling a deep fear that she never felt before. Spitfire didn't say anything in reply, she just leaned in as fast as she could and gave Rainbow a massive hug. After Spitfire let go, she took a step back, and said, "I'm really sorry to inform you that Soarin has been shot. The bullet went into his chest, and he is barely alive. We found him on the floor inside the fortress he was assigned to storm." Spitfire had to wipe a tear from her eyes, and she sniffled, causing her next words to come across much slower. "He... h-h-he might n-not have much time. He... he is under our care at one of our bases. He... he said he needs to see you one last time before he goes." Rainbow's heart sank and her stomach felt as hard as a rock. It was like she had just been stabbed with the force of a hundred knives. Twilight slowly walked behind Rainbow to see what happened. Rainbow began to cry unbearably at the news. Her sniffles made her breathing become short and staggered, causing her to nearly hyperventilate. "A-are... are you... I can't say anything." Rainbow put her face into her hooves as she let out many loud cries. Spitfire and Twilight allowed Rainbow to let out her most passionate tears. After the initial shock passed, Rainbow was able to ask Spitfire, "Am... am I allowed to see him? Is it safe?" "Of course you are, and yes. I'll be with you and we'll have protection. We can leave as soon as you're ready," Spitfire informed her. Rainbow didn't care at she looked at this point. She had no clothes on and her mane was all over the place, but she had more important matters to attend to. Twilight gave Rainbow a hug as the pegasus left the library to go with Spitfire over to Saddle Arabia. Upon coming outside, Rainbow saw that there was a chariot with four white royal guard stallions ready to pull it. Rainbow sat down in the chariot, and leaned her head on her forelega and on the side wall. Spitfire sat down beside Rainbow, and the stallions took to flight. Rainbow looked down to see Twilight smiling back to her. The purple unicorn had a tear in her eyes, but her smile was one put on to reassure Rainbow that everything was going to be alright, even though Twilight didn't even know herself if everything truly would be. Rainbow remained silent the whole ride across the ocean to Saddle Arabia. It took hours, but it didn't matter to the blue pegasus. All she cared about was being able to see her love one final time. She didn't even know if he would be alive by the time she got there, but she hoped for the best. As the chariot landed in front of the small building in the Equestrian settlement where Soarin was being held, Rainbow's nerves hit a whole new level. It would be hard for her to even describe the feelings she felt as she stepped out on the sand in front of the building. She didn't know what the true condition of Soarin was. Her stomach and her heart ached with worry as they made their way in. Dash went through the door, leading into the only room of the temporary building. It was very small, only big enough for a few empty hospital beds. But they were all empty, except for one. There he was, her fiancé, lying in a bed with the lone female doctor and a heart monitor beeping very slowly. Rainbow let out a few staggered breaths as she slowly walked over to Soarin's side. The blanket he had on covered his whole body up to his neck. "It's truly amazing that he has survived this long with a shot to the chest," the female doctor told her. "He should have been dead in seconds, but when we found him, he said he needed to live long enough to see you one final time." Rainbow reached her hoof forward and slowly and softly stroked Soarin's mane. He slowly opened his eyes and looked over at his love. "D-Dashie. I can't... I can't believe you made it," he slowly said to her. Rainbow smiled at him with heavily watered eyes. "I have nowhere else I want to be right now." She continued to slowly stroke his mane. "I... I g-got your letter. I'm... I'm so happy that I-I'm g-going to be a father," he said while staring her in her eyes. "Th-that was the o-only thing that k-kept me going." Rainbow leaned her head down on Soarin's chest, which caused him to quietly wince in pain. "Oh... I'm so sorry," Rainbow apologized for the pain she cause him right there. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything." "Wh-what are you s-sorry a-about, Dashie?" Soarin asked. "You... you have n-nothing to s-sorry about." "I'm sorry that I didn't stop you from going to war," she replied. She had a single tear fall from her left eye and down her cheek. "I should have not let you go." "Hey Dashie." "Y-yes?" "I... I kept my promise. I... I d-didn't kill anypony." Rainbow let out a smile and a very soft chuckle as her eyes became more watery. "I'm so proud of you," she replied. "D-do you know w-what our f-foal will be?" he asked her, wondering if it was to be a filly or a colt. "I... I don't know yet," she replied. "N-no matter. I know y-you'll do a great job raising it on y-your own." Soarin also had a tear fall from his eye and down his cheek. Rainbow wiped his tear from his face. "I know I can do it alone... But I don't want to... I want you there." "B-but I can't b-be there, Dashie. I'm going to g-go home soon," he said as he started to fade. "Please... please... please don't say that," Rainbow begged him. Soarin slowly sniffled a few times. "I'm sorry... I-I'm sorry I won't be there for you," he apologized. "Just... just do... do one t-thing for me," he said as his speech began to get slower. "Anything, my love." "A-always b-believe in yourself, l-like I believe in you. You'll be fine. You'll be a great mother" Rainbow's tears came pouring out of both eyes now. "I... I promise. I'll always believe in myself." "T-thanks. I-I'm sorry... I have to go now... I'm going to go home, Dashie. I'm going to... to go where I... where I will be at peace." "I love you Soarin," Rainbow said as she leaned closer to him. She could hardly see anymore as the tears built up in her eyes. Soarin stared back at her with just as much sadness as she had. He knew his time was up, and his dream was done. "I... I love you too, Dashie," he said with his final breaths. He stared into Rainbow's majestic magenta eyes as his heart rate diminished, until it finally stopped altogether. He leaned his head to the side and closed his green eyes for the final time. He was gone. He was gone, and out of her life forever. Rainbow closed her eyes, now sobbing uncontrollably. She leaned her face down on Soarin's chest. She could feel the wound from on top of the blanket. But it didn't hurt Soarin anymore. Soarin felt no more pain. His suffering was over. Rainbow grabbed his hoof with her own in one final hopefully attempt that she would feel him hold her back. But he didn't. She held his lifeless hoof in her own until she could no longer feel the warmth of his body. Soarin held on long enough to be able to see Rainbow one final time. If it wasn't for her, he probably would have died with nothing left to care for. She was his new dream in life, and his dream was gone along with him. She continued to lay her head on his chest, remembering the times they had together. The time he brought her to Violet Hill for the first time. The time that they returned when the fields were in full bloom. The time they first kissed. The time that he proposed to her, which was the best moment of her life. And finally, the time that they parted, when she had to wait on the docks as Soarin's ship sailed away. All of those were just memories now. She would never be able to make any more with Soarin. She looked down at her ring on her hoof. She still did not take it off since she first put it on, and she vowed in her head there and then to never take it off for the rest of her life, or at least she would try not to. Rainbow could now only think about what she had left. Her parents passed away many years ago, and now her fiancé joined them. She was now left with nopony. The only thing that gave her closure was knowing that they could no longer feel the pain that she felt now.