//------------------------------//
// Chapter 18: End Game 
// Story: The Seasons of Equestria 
// by Lucaro 
//------------------------------//

	Princess Luna stood before them, shielding Snowhoof. “My queen!” Starlight yelled, rushing forward. “Snowhoof is evil. He’s going to kill us all!”
Luna remained silent and helped Snowhoof stand. “I’m in so much pain, mother.” He looked up sadly at her, his face covered in blood. “I’m sorry for all those things I said at Iceheart Citadel.”
Was Luna in on this!? Had she betrayed them too!? Princess Cadance stomped her hoof. “Luna, how could you take the side of this—this monster?”
Snowhoof withered at her insult, but he smiled. “Better go free Lilyheart before she bleeds out. She wasn’t looking so well before you guys arrived.”
Starlight and Cadence looked at each other, and then dashed off to Snowhoof’s bedroom. Cadance broke down the door with her magic, and saw Lilyheart lying in a large poster bed. Starlight rushed to her, and gasped. She seemed to be sleeping, wrapped in silk sheets and snoring softly. Cadance’s jaw dropped. “Look at her clothes.”
Starlight looked at her. She was wearing a red silk sleeping robe. She looked groomed, and was definitely well fed. There was a bowl of steaming broth lying on the table beside her, and a spoon lay on the ground where someone had dropped it. Cadance shook Lilyheart, “Sweetheart, wake up.”
What did this mean? Starlight thought. He had seen the blood, the bone splinters....Lilyheart awoke, blinking sleepily. She stretched, grinning. “That was the best nap I’ve ever had.” She looked around, confused. “Where am I?” She stuck out her tongue. “And why does my mouth taste like broth? I don’t remember….” She looked down at herself. “I don’t remember these clothes either.”
Princess Cadance shook Lilyheart. “You were abducted by Snowhoof! We all thought you were dead.”
Lilyheart looked herself over. “Well, I do remember seeing Snowhoof…and then I can’t remember.”
“Do you feel fine, though?” Starlight asked and Lilyheart nodded. “This doesn’t make any sense,” he whispered.
Lilyheart looked in distaste over herself. “Who wears a silk nightgown in a bed with silk covers? I swear I feel like I’m just going to slide out.” Lilyheart touched something besides herself. “Oh what’s this sharp thing?” She pulled out what appeared to be some kind of crystal. It glowed in her hoof. It made a sobbing sound. Starlight recognized the sound immediately. So it had been the crystal making the sobbing sound, not Lilyheart? Starlight was really confused now.
Cadance pulled Lilyheart out of bed and they all went outside. Luna was holding Snowhoof steady as he choked up blood. “Mother, my lungs are filling up with blood.”
“Shhh, dear. Everything is going to be alright.” Luna cooed to him like a mother consoling her foal.
“What is the meaning of this?” Cadence demanded. “Starlight saw you in a dungeon, suspended from the roof with horrendous wounds.”
“A fabrication,” Luna said softly. “I wasn’t really in a dungeon, I was here the whole time. It was just so that you all would hurry up.”
“But what about him draining you of power? What about the eternal ice age?” Starlight asked.
Snowhoof coughed. “I made it up. No one’s crazy enough to do such a thing.” Starlight blinked, confused. Snowhoof nodded. “Walk with me, Starlight.” He looked at Cadence, “You too.”
They walked together to the edge of the balcony. Down below Starlight could see the banners of many nations flying together in the breeze, dragons, gryphons, and ponies were all waiting to receive news from the inside of the citadel. “Look at them,” Snowhoof whispered. “A few months ago, these people hated each other. A few weeks ago, they had made plans to kill one another in the wake of my return. Now the same people stand united, such an alliance has never happened before in history.”
Starlight and Cadence stared at Snowhoof. Luna joined their side. “War was inevitable, we knew that. It would be a war so terrible that it would leave entire nations forsaken and species wiped from existence. Equestria would have been devastated.”
Cadence was outraged. “So you decided to devastate it instead, hoping it would be better?” She spat. “You’re just as bad as all of them, you both are monsters.”
Snowhoof looked pained. “Please, just hear me out. But I can ease your pain so you may listen better.” Cadence took a step back, preparing to fight. Snowhoof raised his head and spoke, loud and clear. “Awaken Subject 2453.”
There was a loud hissing sound and a hidden door opened on the side of the chamber. A stallion stumbled out, disoriented. Cadence stood frozen. The stallion with the blue mane and white coat shivered. “I’m cold,” he whispered. “Where am I?”
Tears were in Cadence’s eyes. “Shining Armor….”  
Luna nudged her softly. “Go to him.”
Cadence ran forward and leapt into her husband’s arms, sobbing.  “I missed you so much!” They both were crying. “I thought you were gone forever.”
Snowhoof was smiling and Starlight stared at him. Snowhoof walked forward, and touched Callista’s frozen body. The ice began to melt and Callista awoke once her body reached a normal temperature. She gasped, breathing heavily. Starlight rushed forward and embraced her. Snowhoof whispered from behind him. “Cryogenic sleep, it preserves the body perfectly. It’s rather comfortable as well.”
Starlight stared at him. “That still does not change the fact that you’ve killed hundreds of thousands of others. You’re still a monster in my eyes.”
Snowhoof winced. “You know how there are a network of massive chambers below this citadel?” Snowhoof coughed, spitting up blood. “Sorry…Well, there are massive chambers. If you noticed, that when I was clearing out that gryphon refugee camp or when you passed out in the cold. The Frostbites, Revenants, all my minions were putting them all in a cryogenic sleep. That’s why there were never any bodies, that’s why they were always dragged away. All those empty towns and cities, the residents were frozen, dragged to this citadel, and stored in the chambers below. It wasn’t to conceal evidence, it was for their preservation.” Snowhoof pointed downward. “Once the ice melts, they’ll awaken with no memory of what happened. It’ll be like they were taking a restful nap….”
Starlight stared, shocked. “All of them? All the gryphon refugees, all the soldiers from Avendale’s siege, the dying ponies in Canterlot, all of them?”
Snowhoof nodded. “They will all awaken once the ice thaws. Any unicorn can do the melting.”
“But what about Amberleaf?” 
Snowhoof lowered his eyes. “She was an unfortunate accident. The Revenant got carried away, it wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place.”
Luna arrived at their side, Maelstrom and Lightheart in bandages and crutches. Starlight gasped, “You two are alive!”
Maelstrom smiled, and was about to speak when Luna clamped his mouth shut. “You’re half paralyzed. You can’t talk.”
Starlight turned and glared at Snowhoof. “There many other deaths besides Amberleaf, like Emperor Raelas.”
Snowhoof hissed. “That dragon had it coming. He was stirring the flames of war and had to be eliminated.” Snowhoof pointed outside. “But look what took his place. Emperor Vaelan, a dragon of incredible virtue from what I hear. A true leader that united the world with his prowess. Surely, he is a better alternative than Raelas?” Snowhoof looked down ashamed. “Though, unfortunately, lives were still lost despite my delicate approach. Like Amberleaf.” Snowhoof looked pleadingly into Starlight’s eyes. “I pray you can forgive me.”
Luna nodded. “Amberleaf would have wanted it. Imagine what would have happened if Snowhoof hadn’t done what he had done? This world would be in ruins, the gryphons would be extinct, and soon only the dragons would rule the world. And they would then turn on each other, and descend into total anarchy, dancing on the edge of extinction.”
Snowhoof nodded. “We lost a few dozen lives, but take a look outside. Out there, you’ll see not a cluster of nationalities, but you’ll see a bond unlike anything else. Once hated enemies, forced to work together in the face of a terrible threat, and as time passed, surviving tribulation after tribulation…they realized that they’re not so different after all. They learned to work together, to trust in one another, to be friends. The bond forged between soldiers in battle is unbreakable. Surely we will now enjoy generations and generations of peace and harmony as our children and grandchildren will look upon this event with wonder, how the world forgot about the lines that separated them and joined together to fight a terrifying evil.” Snowhoof looked up. “Me. I’m the terrifying evil.” Snowhoof smiled. “Create a villain evil enough, and the world will galvanize to protect itself.” Everyone looked up at Snowhoof, wonder in their eyes. Snowhoof sat down, exhausted. “I just hope you all can forgive me for the emotional pain I have caused you all.”
Cadence swept him in her arms, kissing him. “You saved the world, Snowhoof. You fooled the entire world into thinking you were the bad guy, while you were secretly saving all of us.”
Callista nodded. “A hero disguised as a villain.”
Luna put a hoof on Starlight’s shoulder. “I can bring Amberleaf back. A seasonal alicorn can be reborn. She might not look the same, but she’ll have all her memories. I knew you had feelings for one another.”
Starlight smiled. Snowhoof choked up more blood, and he lay down on his side. Blood began to pool around him, and he trembled. “Luna…for the first time, I’m feeling cold.”
He was dying, and no alicorn magic could heal such grievous injuries. Starlight felt ashamed. He had gotten carried away. Snowhoof looked up at them. “Alandra….”
The Keeper of Spring stepped forward, sitting down next to him. “Yes, Snowhoof?”
Snowhoof smiled. “I love you. I love you with all that’s left of my heart.” Snowhoof looked down shyly. “Do you…do you still love me too?”
“Oh, Snowhoof,” she said, putting her hoof on around him.
“Marry me,” he whispered. He pushed a ring up at her, wiping away a fleck of blood on it. “I’ve been waiting so long.”
Alandra hesitated. Luna glared at her and mouthed. “He’s dying. Say yes.”
Alandra smiled. “Of course, I love you.” Snowhoof leaned upward and kissed her, tears in his eyes.
“I finally have the mare of my dreams,” he whispered. He coughed up more blood, gurgling.
Luna sighed. “He’s drowning in his own blood. He doesn’t have much time.”
Snowhoof blinked weakly. “I’m scared, Alandra.”
She embraced him, and he wrapped his hoof around her. “Don’t worry, I’m here.” 
They all leaned in, sharing their warmth with Snowhoof. Starlight saw Snowhoof smiling. “Never I felt so loved and hated at the same time in my life,” Snowhoof jested playfully. Snowhoof coughed, and shuddered. Starlight looked skyward. Everyone needs to be loved. Everyone, even the darkest ones among us, have hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Even though it might not seem like someone has a heart, they may have a righteous cause to do so. Or if they are acting cruel or indifferently, there is a beating heart still there. It just has been damaged, and only through love and kindness it can be fixed. We are all creatures of love, and there is no one who is beyond repair.