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// Wild Rose 
// Story: I'll be waiting... 
// by Zweiterversuch 
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The calm and almost monotone atmosphere of the small farm town changed drastically during the days after my arrest.
Theodore took over by overpowering the town's mayor with his own authority and through threats that were reinforced by the arrival of several dozens of soldiers each day.

Despite using force at first, Theodore still wanted to gain the villagers to his side by words. He constantly preached about the princesses being beneath the mountain and his intention to return the land to its former glory, promising prosperity and abundance in years to come . When asked about me, he commented on my betrayal and pointed at a small tower, a little taller than the biggest house in town, where I had been taken to.

"Theodore! You don't know what you're doing!!"

My screams, thought clearly audible, were ignored by the ponies that passed close to the tower. Once in a while I saw a cloaked figure stand below it for a few instants looking up to me, but it always went away before I could say anything.

As expected I had no visits. A single soldier came the very night I regained consciousness to inform me that my sentence would be carried out after Theodore returned from the expedition to the mountain. Naturally I tried to convince him of helping me out, but it was useless.
I spent several days in prison looking through the bars on my window at the constantly growing army Theodore was going to use to march to the tunnels under the mountain.

Heavy armored lancers, foot soldiers, archers, gunners, even special cannon units gathered in the small town. Even if the citizens of Märisch said nothing, from my cell I could see fear in their eyes. The foals had stopped playing around in the dusty streets and the only pub in town had become for use exclusive of the soldiers. Food in town seemed to have become scarce too. Not once did I see the gathered soldiers take any by brute force, but most of it was being used to feed the growing army. It had never happened before that a mare had to beg for food for her foal, and yet under Theodore's occupation it had become a common sight.

I didn't just watch through my window at the growing misery of town. I also did try to come up with ways to escape the prison. But as inexperienced I was in the matter and with the little time I believed I had judging from the size of Theodore's army, I was unable to come with a plan to escape.

Over and over again I asked the guards next to my door to let me see the Cardinal. Somehow I still believed that I'd be able to reach to him, to bring him to put an end to all that was happening, if I just had a word with him. But the guards just kept quiet and immobile.
Often I thought about Spike. My nights were actually a continuous torment that had taken shape in my dreams, dreams in which I saw that unnamed evil roam the land freely again, while the accusing eyes of the princesses, the elements of harmony and Spike were all directed at me. It was my fault after all. Why...why did I tell Theodore? I should have kept quiet. Spike never told me to keep the secret, but I understood it didn't need to be said. It was obvious.
Every now and then I was unable to tolerate my own stupidity and hit myself trying to cause as much pain as I could. But after the brutal beat up I still was in prison as the culprit of more and heavier crimes that Theodore had accused me of.

One day, I don't exactly remember which one, a squad of black robbed ponies came to town. Behind them there were several strong looking stallions pulling from an elongated cart that transported something long and thick covered by a dark gray blanket.

They were far away from my tower so I couldn't see their faces, but I could still recognize by the design of their robes, that they belonged to the holy sect.

Theodore, the cardinal himself, seemed to greet them quite respectfully. After a long talk during which they pointed at the unknown object they had brought along several times, Theodore called a group of stallions I knew were dexterous hoofworkers and constructors, for among them was the one that had taught me how to use hammer and nail.
Theodore gave them a short order and then they were under the command of the black robbed ponies, that immediately after they were given control over them, began to impart orders.

Feeling uneasy due to the sudden appearance of the mysterious ponies I turned once more to my guards and tried to obtain any kind of information about them. Like before they just ignored me.

After a couple of hours I found out what kind of artifact it was the hoofworkers were asked to assemble. It was some sort of gigantic crossbow, used surely to shoot the long and thick object I knew now was an arrow, the biggest one I had ever heard of.
I couldn't sleep that night thinking about the purpose Theodore had given to that arrow.

It was that same night that the army marched towards the mountain leaving the town empty. A couple of torches burnt at the entrance of my cell, held by the same two guards of the nights before, but besides them, even my prison seemed to be devoid of all life.
The silence of the night was only disturbed by the soft, irregular purring of the torches and the rude singing of the crickets in the grass. That was at least until the first explosion.





The very foundation of the tower shook violently accompanied by the deafening roar and wild flames caused by gunpowder.
Soon the smoke caused by the explosion reached us. The two guards, still confused by the unexpected attack didn't react fast enough and where blown away by two small explosives thrown at them from the cloud of smoke.

"Piece of cake."

A voice I had not heard in months advanced towards my cell with rhythmical and calm steps. The explosions that had taken care of the guards had also destroyed the door and through its smoking rests I saw Wild Rose step into my cell.

"To have the honor of being saved twice by the infamous Wild Rose...Tome, you are indeed a lucky stallion."

I had been called that many times before, but I always thought it was the opposite.

Wild Rose looked exactly the same as in our first meeting. Her brown and wavy mane fell on one side of her face partially hiding the eye patch that covered her missing eye. Her body was full of scars, but they all seemed old  and almost about to fade away.
She looked down on me with her single brown eye while a confident smile, that would soon disappear, adorned her face.

"Come, we have to escape while they are away."

She didn't have to tell me twice.

As we made our way downstairs I asked her about her motives for rescuing me. The mare simply replied that it was nothing of my concern.
Naturally my opinion differed from hers, but at the time I had other things in my mind.
When we were finally at the entrance of the prison, Wild Rose turned to the right, while I turned to the left.

"Where do you think you are going, Tome?"

It was quite strange to be called by my name so often by a pony, I was sure, I never gave my name to. Still I didn't feel like asking her.

"Please Miss Wild Rose, follow me."

Wild Rose doubted for an instant whether or not she should follow me. I didn't wait for her reply and instead began to run towards the Sanctuary. To hear her hoofsteps behind mine was proof that despite my egoistic demands and rude behavior she accepted.


"Ha! You owe the infamous Wild Rose not one, not two, but three favors, Tome."

"And I think I'll owe you even more Wild Rose. But don't worry about it. Your reward will be more than you can imagine."


The mare laughed and with an strangely sweet tone of voice commented on my apparent ability to say the words a mare wants to hear.
When we reached the Sanctuary I asked Wild Rose to blow up the entrance for me, something she did swiftly and without even blinking. The entrance of the newly built Sanctuary was reduced in an instant to a pile of rubble and dark smoke.

Without a single second to waste I went towards the altar hoping that Theodore had not decided to inspect down there.
Luckily what I had left there was untouched. The gems and bits Spike had given me were still all accounted for.
I put the gems and coins in front of Wild Rose and offered them as her reward for accompanying me in my mission.

"These gems are more valuable than this very town or its neighboring cities. I'll give them  and these Canterlotian bits to you if you agree to come with me."

It didn't seem like Wild Rose could hear me. To see such a fortune in front of her eyes was maybe too much to take in at the time.
She stared at the bits and gems and after a while she stared at me.

"You are indeed a stallion full of surprises, Tome. I certainly didn't make a mistake when falling for you."

Being the last one a comment I could not ignore I replied in the only way I could.

"Wait, what?"

"It's not important. Tell me, where are we headed then?"

I put the gems back underground and told her our destination.

"We are going to the sealed Mountain."

At the mention of it, Wild Rose's expression changed and the idea of money didn't seem to be as appealing to her as before.

"Hmph! you ask too much for a mere fortune. It looks like at the end our paths won't meet beyond this point."

I saw the mare turn her back to me, walking towards the pile of rubble that marked the exit of the sanctuary.

"Wait, Miss Rose! There are more! These are not the only gems I could give you. Under the mountain there lies a pile of gems and gold, enough 
to buy three countries, even four depending on your haggling skills.
It'll be more than enough to build an empire of your own.
Imagine your name in every street and building, your face in coins and statues all over your own empire!"

Wild Rose stopped in her tracks. The idea of possessing her own empire seemed to be quite tempting.


"You talk often about riches, Tome, but riches aren't the only things a mare cares about.
What about the fame? What about the glory?"

"Oh, it will be yours and yours only! No foal, stallion, or mare in the world will claim not to have heard the name of the infamous Wild Rose."


Slowly Wild Rose turned her head around. She looked me in the eye and asked for one last thing.

"Tempting...tempting indeed. But there's still something missing."

Without anything else to offer I offered it all to her.

"Please, come with me, anything you want will be yours. I won't stand a chance without you."

I lowered my head as a sign of complete surrender to whatever wishes she might have. I was prepared to do anything to help Spike and correct my error. And in my opinion it was Wild Rose the only one with enough strength to help me stop Theodore. With her explosives we would surely be able to block the army way or even bring part of the mountain upon them before they came to closer to Canterlot.

The mare put her cold hooves on my cheeks and made me look her in the eye.

"You better don't forget your words, Tome. The Wild Rose will take what has been offered to her, even by force if necessary."

I had seen the look in her eye before. It was the same Spike had when trying to find out whether I lied or not. Realizing that by keeping my word she was in all her right to take my life if she wanted to, I confirmed my offer and left it clear that I wouldn't go back on my word.

"I mean my words Wild Rose, even if it is my life what you want, I won't think twice to give it to you."

To my surprise she smiled and before departing she said just one last thing.

"Good. Then lets get you that treasure."

Both of us left the sanctuary behind and ran towards the gray mountain in the distance. I couldn't understand at first why Wild Rose had said she'd get me that treasure, but after giving it some thought I understood that as one that had offered everything to her, the treasure, even if in my possession, would still technically be hers.

I asked the mare if maybe she needed to get some sort of provisions before we headed for the mountain, but she pointed out that with her remaining bombs and the amount of gunpowder Theodore had taken along, it would be more than enough to take care of his army.

The mountain grew in size as we came closer. The hole Theodore's troops had made in the mountainside was still smoking and it made it look like the gigantic mouth of a beast about to awaken.

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