I still can't get over it, though. It was Rock Well. I had killed him and now he's helping me. I had lost my faith in everything. Not that faith is necessary, of course. I thought the world was too far in the crap-hole. I thought that to meet a forgiving pony you would have to kill. And I did! And I got forgiveness from someone I had killed. Chances are, I killed the last existing pony capable of forgiveness. All those dreams I was having. Reminding me of what I did. And all at the end, being told that I'm Forgiven?
"You know now. Oh, but the truth doesn't die between us." Rock Well said. "You want out?"
I looked at him like he was insane. In the respect, of course that he wanted to help me. "That wouldn't be too bad." I said, trying to keep my cool. It was Rock Well! It was him the whole time!
"Alright then," he said. "Stand up and grab my hoof." I slowly got up, still looking at Rock Well. His hoof was held out like he wanted to shake my hoof. Mine! I grabbed his hoof and he pulled me toward him. "Now you listen to me," He started off. "I would do anything to save my home country. The fate of it lies in your hoofs. We are going to stop Malice. We are going to save Equestria. Do you understand?"
"Yes." I said in a shaky voice.
"Good," Rock Well smirked. "But first, Let's get you out of here."
"How are we going to do that?" I asked.
Rock Well faced me to the wall of fallen stones and put two hoofs on my back. "Like this." He pushed me into the wall. In a manner of seconds, I found myself on the ground. The sun was rising and some of the rays were hitting me in the eyes which basically felt like hell. And there was Twilight. We were face to face and she was asleep. She had traces of dried tears on her face and a blanket over her.
I don't quite know why, but I just started laughing. Could it have been the awkward position I was in with Twilight. We were literally a hair's length away from each other. But like I said, I have no idea.
Twilight's eyes started to open slowly and suddenly flung open when she realized I was right in front of her. "V-Vol- What?!" A smile slowly started to grow. And you know what, all of the sudden, I felt as if I really do have a point in life. A smile holds a lot of things, doesn't it?
"As if things couldn't get anymore insane." I said.
Twilight's eyes started to water up. In two seconds flat, Twilight was crushing me a hug far beyond what I expected her to be capable of. "You're- you're Alive?" she whispered.
"I guess so." I said.
" You're alive?" she repeated.
"Oh, rub it in." Rock Well said as he walked out of the whatever was left of the cave.
Twilight's face turned completely pale. "Rock Well? I thought. . ."
"What's the matter, Twi? Looks like you've seen a ghost." Rock Well said jokingly. "Go wake your friends. We need to have a talk."
Twilight stared at us. I honestly thought that she was having the weirdest day. She saw two ghosts. Twilight got up and ran to the camp where everyone was still sleeping and I heard her say happily, "Wake up! Wake up! Hurry! Follow me."
I could hear Rarity complaining with the abrupt awaking. Twilight was acting like a little filly now. How ironic for such a practical pony. She came running back to us as the rest shambled their way over whining and complaining except for Neon who doesn't require sleep. When they saw me they came to a complete halt and they woke up immediately. "Well, this must be quite a way to wake up, huh?" I said.
I was attacked with hugs and cheers and joy. I saw Rock Well with a crooked smile and a little laugh at the back of his throat. But during all these hugs and happiness, I wondered to myself, Why? "We thought you were dead!" Rarity said. It almost sounded ironic.
"Didn't we all?" I said.
Rock Well was able to get everyone's attention surprisingly. "If I could just take a few minuets of your time that would be appreciated." he said. Everyone stopped crowding me and looked at Rock Well. "Now, I am Major Rock Well." Rainbow Dash shot a quick wink at me. I almost forgot that I told Rainbow Dash already. "And, If you haven't already figured it out, I am also the ghost who introduced the ordeals to you."
When Rock said that, boy, all smiles were gone! Just gone. Without a trace. Twilight especially was shocked. Fluttershy was stomping up to Rock Well. "We are going to have a serious talk."
Rock Well was unencumbered by Fluttershy. "Indeed, we are." he said. She sidestepped away from Fluttershy and looked back at us. "Now, Before there break out any riots, I would like to say that everything you have experienced because of me have been almost completely non-existent."
Everyone looked at each other confused. "What?" Pinkie asked with her head cocked to the side.
"Well, for instance. Rainbow Dash, that stallion you watched die never even existed. Applejack, you weren't even talking to you're family! Just a bunch of decoys. The party was real, though. Fluttershy, the dragons have been fully revived like nothing ever happened. Rarity, Well, I guess it doesn't really matter if it was real or not, right?"
Rarity shrugged. "I- I guess not."
"Anyway. Twilight..." Rock Well let Twilight's name flow slowly out his mouth. "You can't fake true friendship. Never in a million years. That's the magic of it."
Twilight looked at me and smiled. "I guess you can't." she said.
"Hay! What about me?" Pinkie asked, raising her hoof. Rock Well smiled.
"You made a stranger in mourning smile a great deal. He's out there somewhere. Half the fun is finding out where." he said. Pinkie Pie looked to the ground and blushed a little.
"Yeah! And maybe I can help you." I said. "I've been all over the place. I'm sure I can find that casino." Pinkie Pie blushed a little harder.
"So anyway." Rock Well went on. "This whole thing with me was just one big test. For this guy." He put an are around me and shook me a bit. And, not too shockingly, everyone looked at me. I just stood there like an idiot and said nothing. "He showed that he really does have a heart. He showed he was caring, defensive, humble, and honest." he looked at Rainbow Dash when he said honest.
"Well, that's- interesting." I said. What? I didn't know what else to say!
"But..." Rock Well said. "You aren't off the hook yet, my friend."
"What now?" I asked.
"You've proven you could be honest to one. Can you be honest with the rest?" Rock Well's smile was mischievous.
I knew it. I should have known that I would have to do this sometime now. I'll be the first to say- Celestia damn it. I stood there with sweat inching down and hitting the ground in slow motion. Who knows, maybe after this I'll be on the ground, too. Six feet under it to be specific. My hoof rubbed against the dirt until it was deep enough to notice.
It had been around five minuets, still nothing important said. "You're not exactly getting any younger. Just to point that out." Rock Well said into my ear.
I quivered when he said that. "No mean to be rude, darling, but we do have somewhere to be and this isn't really helping."
Reminding me of time consumption wasn't exactly helping. It is something I should consider, though. "Well-"
I said one word and everyone stepped forward. Eyes staring, backs stiff. All except for Rainbow Dash who already knew everything. I looked at Twilight. No! Bad idea! If I look at Twilight I'll just feel more guilty. Look at Rainbow Dash you idiot, Look at Rainbow Dash!
She was nodding her head and mouthing the words, "It's okay. It's okay."
It was then that I realized there really wasn't any way out of this. The world is basically dissolving and here I am bitching to myself about my own problems. I might as well make myself look noble and say it now so others don't die by my hoof. "Well, the truth is that- and there's no easy way to say this- but I'm-"
"Gay!?" Pinkie shouted. "I always wanted a gay friend! I can't believe it!" Pinkie crushed me in another one of her infamous hugs. "I love you just the way you are, Volt!"
"What?! That's not what I was going to say. No! Not even close to that!" I said, trying to get Pinkie Pie off of me.
"Oh..." Pinkie Pie got off me and awkwardly backed up. "Sorry..." she said. I seemed to have disappointed her. But anyway, back to everything else.
"So the truth is that I'm a- well- a murderer..." Everyone looked at me blankly, making things more uncomfortable than it should. I kept going. "And Twilight, I'm sorry to say this..." Twilight started to look worried when I brought her into the conversation. "But Bull and Rock Well- they weren't killed by changelings. They were- well, I'm sure you could find out what actually happened."
Twilight stepped back. Horror was quite noticeable on her face. "That day at the wedding? That was me in Rock Well's armor." I said
Twilight stood there looking at the ground. Hardly breathing. "And I trusted you..." she said.
Hooooo boy, here we go. I decided to cut Twilight off there. "You know what?" I said. "Why even bother going through the hassle? I'll just leave now. You'll never see me again."
I pushed trough everyone, got my knapsack from the camp and got Astheno. She was mine anyway, right? I wasn't going to deal with this bitch. Not with all I've done. I was about to turn the corner and put an end to this life and bring the old me back when Rainbow called my name. "Volt! Don't go!" she shouted.
I turned around, but Twilight was right behind her. Holding her back. "Rainbow Dash, no!" Twilight said.
"But he's changed! I know it! I know it!"
"We can't trust him any more!"
"He told me! Twilight! He told me!"
"Yeah? Well guess what, he told me too! Stop being so foolish!"
"No! Before this!"
Twilight stopped and looked at Rainbow Dash. "What? He did?" Twilight looked at me.
"Yeah!" Rainbow lapsed. "You wanna know why? Because he felt bad for me after my test! And he trusted me! And I'll tell you that you will never, never find a murderer who could do that!"
The two stood there staring at each other. Well what do you know. Rainbow Dash was standing up for me. I smiled at the thought. Rock Well walked up to Twilight and patted her on the shoulder and said something in her ear. Twilight looked like she had trouble resisting what he said. Whatever it was. She stomped on the ground and walked away.
Rock Well motioned for me to come over and so I did. "I took care of it for now." he said.
"Well, no kidding." I replied.
"Don't go pushing your luck now." he said. "Give her a few minuets, she'll lose some steam and you'll be on your way."
Rainbow Dash snuck up behind us. "I don't know." She said. "I've never seen her like this before."
"Well, I guess the worst thing I could do is talk to her. So I think I'll stay here."
The rest of the day we were split up. It was me and Astheno on one side, everyone on the other and Rainbow Dash constantly checking on us. I don't really know where Rock Well went after the whole thing with me, Twilight and Rainbow Dash. Twilight would constantly look back at me. Why? I don't know. Maybe she did lose some steam. Just not her tenaciousness.