Wiping the tears from her eyes, Tide turns and stops dead in her tracks as she realizes who had been standing behind her.
“Commander!” A voice comes from nearby causing the head of a honey-colored pegasus stallion to snap up and look around from beneath the helmet of his Royal Guard armor. “Commander, we’ve been able to evacuate the houses and shops directly bordering the battle, but we’re having some problems getting civilians out of some of the mansions a few streets down. They’re reluctant to leave their… lives behind in fear that whoever the Wonderbolts are fighting will plunder it.” Growling in annoyance, the Commander shakes his head.
“Get a team together, some of the stronger unicorns in Bravo preferably, and get them out of their houses. They’re pretty to look at, but they won’t stand up to whatever the hell those...freaks are throwing.” The Commander says as he turns back to the task he had been doing before the other pony had come in.
“Right away, Commander Amber Dawn,” the guard says as he salutes and rushes off. Dawn sighs and shakes his head as he goes back to helping two other guards -- a dark-grey earth pony stallion and a cream colored unicorn mare -- move a large slab of what had once been the upper floor of the building they were in three streets back from the battle still raging outside. It had fallen down in front of a doorway when the Shadowbolts had started to toss magic.
Magic, Pegasi using magic.
Dawn does not even start to assume he understands what in Celestia’s name is going on with that, but he knows that no matter how much you aim, when you toss something at a moving target, it might miss. And so, whatever they were throwing had indeed missed a few times, though not badly yet. A few buildings had been hit during their evacuation, mostly store fronts and a the street.
Grunting as he puts his shoulder into the large chunk of floor and mortar, Dawn does his best to avoid letting his helmet slip and disturb the bloody bandage beneath. His face had been an unfortunate casualty of a glass window and him getting into an argument when it had been shattered by a stray bolt of magic. It has not effected his duty yet, but if he had to listen to the medics under him tell him to sit down again, they might have their duty effected.
The slab starts to shift in front of them, and before too long, they push it out of the way. Beneath it, cowering under a pair of crossed beams that had thankfully supported the weight of the slab, is a young pegasus and his mother. Smiling brightly at them Dawn gets down and offers a hoof to the mare.
“Ma’am,” he says in his best professional voice before looking to the young colt, “Heya Gust, I see my favorite Royal Guard recruit is following my orders and protecting his mother!” The mare accepts the hoof and Dawn helps her out from beneath the rubble. Quick Gust walks out, albeit on shaking hooves, and offers a salute to Dawn.
“Sir, yes sir,” Gust says, his voice soft from fear and dust. “Private Quick Gust has followed you and Princess Luna’s Orders to the letter, sir.” Dawn ruffles Gust’s mane and smiles.
“Good, now I have a new mission for you, Private.” Dawn says in a serious tone, “I need you, along with Corporal Summer Sunset to escort your mother and the other refugees to the Castle, alright?” Gust salutes and goes over to his mother, who thankfully looks no worse for wear than her son. Corporal Sunset, a unicorn mare wearing the uniform of a Guard Medic, quickly goes over to them and starts them out the door. Sighing loudly Dawn sits down against the wall across from the cleared rubble, his shoulders slumping.
“Sir, we should get moving,” the earth pony guard he had been helping says as he walks over. “The battle may yet still rage, and you are not safe here.”
“Lieutenant Dusk Chaser,” Dawn says as he looks up at the other pony with his good eye. “I am well aware of that, but we are safer inside.” The building suddenly rocks with a near miss. “For the moment, at least.” Chaser shakes his head and takes a seat next to Dawn, sighing as he rolls his shoulders, then his neck.
“Sir, with all due respect, but we really can handle things from here,” Chaser says as he looks to Dawn. “You are injured, and I will not be the one to report to Princess Luna that you’ve put yourself into Canterlot General with your stubborn pride.” Dawn raises an eyebrow at Chaser, which he returns in kind, “Dawn, I am serious. As your friend, and your second in command, don’t make me relieve you of duty.”
“You’ve got me there, Chaser,” Dawn sighs, he then stands and nods. “Right, well then you’re in Command. Lieutenant, see to it that everyone is evacuated within the hour.” He then walks towards the door, or at least what had once been a door -- they had kicked it in when they’d found it jammed shut -- before stopping and gathering his strength.
Taking a running start, Dawn kicks off into the air from the middle of the street, circling until he is just above the rooftops of the shops and houses. Beneath him, his Guards are almost done clearing the block, confused and scared citizens grabbing what they find most precious -- be it an item, or their loved ones -- and departing the area in groups escorted by a collection of the Day and Night Guard.
Dawn feels bad for having kicked Luna’s Night Guard awake, but they were needed. All hooves had to be on the ground for this to avoid civilian casualties. He had called in special backup as a reward, though it cost him a favor he had been saving, and none of the Night Guard had complained too much due to it, but then their Commander, Moonlight Knight, was a good pony and kept his troops in line.
Circling once more, he spots Gust and his mother -- an amber-colored mare with a green and gold mane named Autumn Breeze -- along with Sunset slowly making their way along back alleys and side-streets with their group of about twenty terrified citizens on their way to the designated evacuation point. His worry for them put to rest, Dawn turns towards the Castle.
Towards Ground Zero.
The battle still rages around the Wonderbolt Compound, but it seems Luna had at least unleashed the ace up her sleeve, the Renegades clearly distinguishable from their honorless counterparts. Dawn does not know what to make of them, though. Descent, their Captain, was a pony of standards -- albeit a mercenary for the highest bidder -- and Dawn could respect him. More so, he can understand the reason he had gone rogue, the reason he was now fighting for Luna and helping to protect those who had not too many moons past been his foe. Those who followed him were still up in the air respect wise, but Dawn would gladly call them allies if they were defending the Wonderbolts.
Defending his daughter.
Shaking his head, Dawn corrects his course, as he had without thinking made his destination the Compound and not the Castle, his desire to help protect his daughter very nearly outweighing his sense of duty.
Landing in the courtyard of the Castle, Dawn looks up to see Princess Luna standing on the balcony. He cannot tell with the distance between them, but the way she is standing, the way she is staring out towards the Wonderbolt Compound, he can tell she is regretting holding back so long. The Royal Guard is assembled, in full save for those out on the streets evacuating citizens, their ranks standing at attention. The Black armor of the Night Guard and the Gold Armor of the Day Guard glinting in the sunlight.
Standing up tall, and walking as if he did not feel like he’d been wrestling with a dragon, Dawn walks down the rows, head held high. In front of each squad of Guards is a Lieutenant, alternating Day and Night. As he passes, the first one, a Day Guard, snaps to attention and shouts.
“Officer on the field!” as one the entire compliment of Guards snaps to attention, their clang of their armor and the stamp of their hooves ringing through the entire courtyard.
“Royal Guard, At Ease!” Dawn says as he stands in front of them, the Captain busy elsewhere he was the ranking officer on the field. The Guards all go to ease and Dawn nods as he walks towards the large doors into the Castle. The Guards at the door snap to attention, and Dawn simply waves them to ease in stead of wasting breath again.
They’d soon be deployed, to Canterlot or right to the Wonderbolt Compound, Dawn does not know. What he does know is that Luna and the Captain will never let him onto the field again today. Not even if a dragon attacked and started drinking all the beer in Canterlot.
Then again, the Captain just might for that last one…
---
The Guard is soon deployed to the Wonderbolt Compound, Commander Moonlight Knight -- a pure white bat pony with a black mane and tail -- of the Night Guard leading them through the worst of the wreckage in the streets directly bordering the Compound. Luna already present now that the Shadowbolts had fled the scene.
Their orders were simple; assist in the recovery and tending of wounded Wonderbolts assess casualties, and do their best to make sure the Wonderbolts were able to get back on their hooves as quickly as possible.
Stepping around a large large chunk of what had likely been the walkway not too long ago, Moonlight stops as he spots a dark blue form on the ground. He whistles for one of his flyers, a Night Guard bat pony, to grab a medic or trainer if they were outside yet. Walking over, Moonlight stops, his ears going down against his helmet as he digs at the ground.
Its a Wonderbolt...but...her neck…
“There’s no hurry with this one…” he says softly. “We’re already too late…” Sitting down beside the fallen Wonderbolt, he removes his helmet and shakes his black mane out before turning his dark red eyes skyward. In the distance, he can see three figures flying as fast as they can towards where he and the body are. Looking down at the fallen, Moonlight sighs.
“Your friends are almost here, you’ll be home soon.”
-----
Tide grunts as the inept Guardspony they had helping the trainers patch her up tightens the bandages around her midsection.
“Sorry,” the guard says, “but I have to stop the bleeding, Captain.”
“Compass, I swear to Celestia, apologize or tighten my bandages again, I am going to bite your head off,” Tide replies, a deep growl in her voice. “I can’t spend any more time in this damned room. Too many wounded need your attention, and I need to get out there and find Midnight!”
“Well, then hold still so I can finish! I doubt this Midnight would want you bleeding out on her!” Compass replies, looking over her bandages one last time. “Besides, I am sure she is fine, as I’ve not tended to anyone by that name, and I’ve been bouncing all over the place in here.” Compass pats Tide on the back gently, and nods, “Right, you’re good.”
Tide shoots him a glare and slides off the table, grunting as her hooves touch the ground and her bandages stretch a little. She inclines her head to Compass in thanks, then starts towards the door, gently pushing aside or doing her best to weave between her fellow Wonderbolts, the Renegades that saved them, and the Guards who are assisting Bliss.
She doesn’t make it far, though, because suddenly the mood in the room changes, shifting from busy to dead still and so silent she can hear the clipboard drop a few feet away. Looking up, Tide spots a Night Guard wearing the silver strips of a Commander and one of Bliss’ trainers carrying a stretcher with a veiled body on it. Tide’s heart all but stops, a cold sweat forming between her wings.
A Wonderbolt, killed? This was horrible!
Suddenly, Witch detaches herself from the crowd, having pushed her way through from a nearby examination table. She rushes over to the stretcher, nodding in greeting to the Night Guard, and uses her magic to pull the sheet back so she can see who it is.
The sight beneath it makes Tide’s heart stop.
Midnight. Midnight is on the stretcher, still and silent. Time seems to slow down, her vision focusing on her love’s face, every single detail from the dirt right down to the scratches burning themselves into her brain like a hot brand. Next to Midnight, Tide vaguely sees Witch scan Midnight, her eyes showing the Doctor knows it is a futile thing, but she has to try.
Time speeds up again with a sound akin to rushing water as Witch shakes her head.
Tide stares blankly at the trio around the prone form of Midnight. One of them is their friend. Yet, right now, despite her being her friend, all Tide can feel is rage, BETRAYAL, as she watches her FRIEND shake her head sadly and point towards the Emergency Room door. It is clear, from the expression on Witch's face, that she won't help Midnight! And that, that infuriates her. Yet it isn't until the first loud *CLACK* of goggles hitting the tile beneath her that she moves, suddenly finding her voice, "Help her!" She cries, bandages around her middle restricting her breath, "DO SOMETHING!" She starts forward, only to be grabbed by a member of Squad Twelve and a Trainer as both realize what is about to happen. "Witch! HELP HER!" She struggles desperately in her attempt to reach Midnight, but the two restraining her hold their ground.
Witch turns towards the clearly distraught Tide, her eyes full of conflicting emotions that shine out from behind her cobalt blue frames. She is clearly barely maintaining her professionalism, the grief in her eyes near to overwhelming her with all the injured friends around her, with one now dead and beyond her ability to heal added in.
“I can’t” she says softly, a stark contrast to Tide’s raised voice, “There’s...there’s nothing….I can do…” Witch stammers, looking to the floor in a clear attempt to not meet Tide’s eyes, the sudden sound of tears striking the tile beneath Witch clearly heard in the silent room.
Tide shakes her head, her own tears starting to cloud her eyes, "You can't?!" She demands, "What do you mean, 'you can't'?!" She struggles harder against the two restraining her, by now all eyes on her, but no one is stepping up to silence her. "She is your friend!" Tide shouts. "I am your friend!?" She looks at Witch with pleading, desperate eyes, "Please! You're Luna's student! Surely she taught you something? Anything! PLEASE!"
“She is,” Witch replies, her face streaked with tears, “and you are my friends…” The effort of keeping her voice even shows, though, as her body tenses with each word. “But… She’s gone, Tide,” she adds in a forced tone, the unspoken now spoken. “She’s gone…” Witch repeats in barely a whisper as she shakes with the effort of repressing her crying.
"Gone...?" Tide says, her voice suddenly weak and breathless, as if the words Witch had spoken had driven all the air from her lungs. "No...NO! SHE CAN'T BE GONE!" She starts struggling harder, the two holding her back now joined by Compass who does his best to get a hold of her around her neck. She glares daggers at Witch as she continues to struggle. "YOU CAN SAVE HER!" she accuses, the words almost spat at the Doctor, "SAVE HER!" She rears back then forward sharply, Compass flying forward and over and landing on his back, but he does not get seriously injured. The other two tackle the distraught captain to the ground, no longer content to hold her back. She still struggles, tears in her eyes, "SAVE HER! Please, I beg of you! YOU ARE HER FRIEND! WHY WON'T YOU SAVE HER!?"
"I can't save her!" Witch cries, suddenly wobbling unsteadily on her hooves, her professional composure crumbling from the strain. "Not even the Celestial Sisters could bring her back!" She struggles to speak through her sobs. "I'm sorry, Tide... There's nothing I can do..." Witch says, a brief spell of calm detachment allowing coherent speech, before her legs buckle and she collapses to the floor.
Tide breaks down into a sobbing fit, weakly trying to break free as the two holding her down look over at Witch in worry. For her part, Tide stops struggling as the two carrying the stretcher stop at the door to the Emergency Room, open it, and go inside. The Captain of Squad Six just lays there when the door closes, sobbing. "Someone, please...do...something...she can't be gone..." At that point, Cinna puts down the supply clipboard she had been holding, and helps Witch off to one side, shooting a protective glare at Tide who doesn't see nor acknowledge it.
A few moments later, the bat pony comes back out of the room, and walks over to Compass who is looking between Tide and in the direction he last saw Witch. The bat pony stops, and puts a hoof on Compass’s shoulder. “Son, go to Doctor Hour, she’ll need you right now.” Compass looks like he wants to argue, a sudden blush rising on his face, but the bat pony just walks off and vanishes into the crowd without another word. Compass hesitates for only a moment before he rushes off, or at the very least quickly weaves between ponies, to go join Witch.
For her part, Tide is eventually haunt to her hooves and led over to the non-critical part of Triage, and put down on a bed so she can cry herself out. Her mind is shattered, all she can see is Midnight smiling at her before the battle, hear her voice, feel the soft touch of her lips on her own. She can smell her, feel the warmth of her body against her as they had snuggled in bed that very morning, not many hours past now.
And she’s gone…
----
Witch does her best to not let the tears flow again as she slowly pulls the sheet off of Midnight, off of the body of a friend she had shared laughs over tea not a day past. She could still see, still hear, her teasing Tide about starting a family. She could still feel the love that had almost physically radiated between the two Wonderbolts.
And now, she’s lifeless on the table before her.
Shaking her head, shaking the tears from her eyes, she holds the sheet out. Compass takes it without a word, the only other one in the room with her right now, and folds it neatly before placing it off to one side.
Wordlessly, her hooves numb with grief, Witch grabs gauze and disinfectant, and sets about the task of cleaning the cuts and scrapes that mar Midnight’s coat. It is an automatic task, something to fill the time she needs to recover her composure. It is also something she needs to do. Something she’ll do without her magic.
She cannot save Midnight, but she can at least patch her up, and perhaps give her some of her dignity back in death.
“I am so sorry,” Witch forces out as she gently wipes dirt from a cut on Midnight’s face. There is no blood though. “I failed you…” A tear falls against Midnight’s face. “I’m so sorry…”
As she works, Compass just stands behind Witch silently. A calm and quiet sentinel to provide a measure of much needed comfort for the doctor.
---
Tide stands at the door to the room they had taken Midnight into, her goggles hanging around her neck, head bowed. She had calmed down a little, the occasional sobbing breath escaping her mouth causing her entire body to shake. Beside her, on the other side of the door, is Sky and Dancer both looking as if they had been hit by a freight train emotionally.
Sky sits with his head against Dancer, and Dancer has a wing and an arm around Sky, his head resting on top of Sky’s head. Both had been crying, Sky is still crying, and neither of them had moved from that spot since they had sat down.
The door opening beside them causes Dancer and Tide’s faces to turn towards it as Witch steps out, followed closely by Compass. Witch looks at Sky and Dancer, her eyes filled with profound sorrow.
“Thanks for trying, Witchy,” Sky says from where he is sitting against Dancer, not even looking up. “I know you would have done everything in your power to save her.”
“You did what you could, Doc,” Dancer says softly with a nod. “Go see to the others, Midnight would want you to make sure no one else joins her.”
“Thanks, you two,” Witch says with a soft, somber smile before giving Tide an almost unreadable look before she steps away to return to work. Compass stops next to Tide and looks to Witch for a moment before focusing on Tide.
“I am sorry for your loss, Captain,” he says as he gently reaches over with one hoof as if to offer something. Tide looks up at him and reaches out to accept whatever it is he is giving her. He drops a piece of fabric onto her hoof and then departs.
Looking down at it, Tide starts to cry again, the fabric reading, “Upper Tier, Elite Squad Six, Midnight”. It’s the tag from her flight suit. Dancer walks over and pulls Tide into a hug as she presses the strip of fabric to her chest. He wraps his arms around her and gently rubs the back of her head with one hoof.
“Let it all out, Tide,” he whisper softly into her ear. “Sky and I have lost a sister, but you have lost everything today. Feel no shame in the tears, the world weeps with you.” And Tide cries, and cries, all around them Wonderbolts, Renegades, and Guards giving them a clear space to grieve.
Those who had been out searching, or had been unable to stand to salute when Midnight had come in, stop by one by one, and offer the salute to the fallen. Not a single one of them leaves without their faces stained with tears, their own sorrow made manifest at having to listen to Tide sob into Dancer’s shoulder.
Eventually, Tide cries herself out, her face resting against her wingmate’s welcoming shoulder.
“Go to her,” Dancer whispers softly. “She would be at your side if you were in there,” he says, only loud enough for Tide to hear, no one else. “And you need to say goodbye… there is no telling when you’ll get another chance.” He pulls back from Tide and gently places a hoof on her face. “Sky and I will stand guard out here, but we’ll be in there with you, as we have been in there with Midnight, in spirit.” Tide nods slowly, sniffling weakly as she stands slowly.
She goes to the door and reaches for the handle, stopping right before touching it as if to do so would cause her great pain. She starts to lower her hoof, when the doorknob is enveloped in magic, and the door opens. Looking over her shoulder, Bliss stands, looking at Tide with an expression of understanding, but also of determination.
Tide sighs, her shoulders slumping as she walks inside, each step echoing in her head as if she is walking down a long and empty hallway. Once inside, the door closes behind her, the sound of it latching echoing in the silent room.
Captain Riptide of Squad Six stands quietly inside the Wonderbolt’s small Emergency Room, the door behind her closed tightly. The room is dark, save for the examination light above the table upon which the shroud-covered body that holds Tide’s complete attention.
She had been standing there for nearly five minutes, but whenever she had attempted to take a step forward, the lump in her throat would grow larger, the pain in her chest sharper. Somehow, she felt that if she simply did not remove the sheet, did not draw close to it, the body would not be Midnight’s. Her love would still be alive, well and smiling somewhere out there with the rest of her Squad, playing off this attack as a victory. She’d come in any moment, and tell Tide to stop crying, to smile and that everything would be alright.
Yet the part of her that was the military Captain knew. It berates her for her hesitation, for the lack of willpower, the inability to take those steps forward. She needs to move on, needs to see that it is indeed Midnight on that table so she could focus on the real matter at hand. She would lose wingmates, she knows this in her mind, and she has to continue on and do her duty.
But this, this is different. No matter how much she had told herself that she’d lose others in this career, she had never anticipated, never dreamed, never dared hoped that she would…
Fall in love?
Her training had never prepared her for this, the admission to herself silencing even the harsh voice that chastises her for the weakness she shows right now. It gives her strength, even if it was a sad, empty, lonely strength.
Taking a few hesitant, shaking, steps forward, Tide slowly builds up her resolve until she is able to go to the table. She once more stands there, breathing shakily, as she looks at the outline of the pony on the table. Reaching forward and grabbing the sheet in her teeth, Tide pulls it down as her heart both beats heavily and does its best to stop dead in its tracks at the same time.
Beneath the sheet is her worst fear made manifest. The pure shock of it making her drop the sheet and sit down as her eyes fill with tears once more.
Facing her, eyes closed and seeming to sleep as peacefully as when Tide had held her that very morning, is Midnight. Reaching up a shaking hoof, Tide brushes some of Midnight’s mane out of her face before resting her hoof on her love’s cheek. It’s still warm, perhaps from the light above her, perhaps because she had not been… dead long.
Tide finds her eyes slowly filling with tears, the urge to look away and deny what is in front of her almost overwhelming. Yet still, she holds on, forcing herself to keep looking, to take in the sight. It is beyond painful, and, before she knows it, her resolve falters and she reaches over with both arms and scoops the lifeless body up and holds Midnight’s limp head against her chest, the tears freely flowing as she sobs uncontrollably.
If any hear her wails beyond the room, no one comes in to check.
After an eternity, the tears stop, the sobbing fades, and Tide finds herself gently running a hoof along the back of Midnight’s head, whispering softly to her as if she could hear her.
“I should be angry at you,” Tide chokes out, “for not following my orders... For not coming out of this battle alive for me to hold in my arms again...” She stops as her voice gives out, the lump in her throat becoming too much to talk around. Instead she goes back to just holding onto Midnight, tears falling onto the fallen Wonderbolt’s peaceful face. She shakes her head, forcing her voice past the lump. “But all I can think to say is how sorry I am. Tell you how much I loved you, how much you lit up my life.”
Vaguely, on the edge of her grief-marred awareness, the sound of the door opening registers and is pushed away, a wing extending slowly out of instinct to cover Midnight protectively. With her back to the door, Tide doesn’t know who it is, nor does she care, but now that there is another pony in the room, Tide finds herself wanting to leave and be alone again.
Gently putting Midnight’s head down, Tide retracts her wing and leans down, gently kissing Midnight on the forehead like she always used do to Tide. “I love you, with all my heart, Midnight.” She stands and pulls the sheet back up over Midnight’s silent visage, her eyes never leaving Midnight’s face until the last moment. She then takes a step back before placing a hoof over her heart and extending her wings skyward in the traditional Wonderbolt salute to the fallen. She closes her eyes and lowers her head, though, and whispers softly, “Good bye, dear heart. May you sleep beyond pain, beyond sorrow, beyond all earthly things. Someday, far into the future, I shall join you, but until then let not your heart weep as mine does, instead smile for both of us, and let me cry enough for both of us.”
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Tide turns and stops dead in her tracks as she realizes who had been standing behind her.
“We are sorry if we disturbed you, Captain Riptide.” Princess Luna’s voice is quiet and respectful. “We had known you had come in here after… speaking with our student, but we did not know of your personal connection to the fallen.” Tide takes a step back, her wings flaring outward as she narrows her bloodshot eyes.
“Are you here to chastise me for how I spoke to Witch?” Tide all but growls out. “Add insult to my injury?” She stamps a hoof on the tiled floor. “And leave Midnight out of this, haven’t you done enough to her already?”
“We did not strike your love down, Captain,” Luna starts, “but we offe…”
“Keep your condolences!” Tide yells. “Keep your empty sympathies! You may as well have killed her!” Tide points a hoof at the Princess who just stands there, “You must have seen us from the Castle. Watched us getting beat into the ground, get herded towards slaughter like animals!” Tears start welling in Tide’s eyes again. “Where were you? Why stand and watch as some of your most faithful, most dedicated, subjects and soldiers get SLAUGHTERED?! Why wouldn’t you help us?”
“I unde…” Luna again tries to interject, this time actually dropping her Royal Pronouns, but Tide stamps it out.
“You understand? YOU UNDERSTAND!?” Tide continues yelling, “HOW? How can you understand how much this hurts!” She puts a hoof to her chest, tears starting to roll down her face. “How can you understand how much I am going to miss her smile? The joyful look in her amber eyes each time she looked at me. The pure, innocent way she loved everyone equally. How can you even start to understand how much you’ve taken from me?” She points at Luna, her hoof shaking as she fights back the urge to sob. “You and your sister, wherever she is, are all but Gods! How can you even start to understand the loss of someone who meant everything to you? Who, in just existing, made your life worth living? You’ll never have to experience this feeling, the deep endless and empty hole that fills my heart at having her TORN from me!” Tide lowers her hoof and stares at the princess, almost begging Luna to stop her. “You’ll never know what it is to wake up. Ever. Single. Day. To look for them, to find them gone. To yearn to hold them when you feel sad, and only be able to do so in memory. To cry yourself to sleep, because your bed now feels vastly empty….” Tide trails off as the tears win out, and she sits down and hangs her head, waiting for the Princess to yell at her, to loudly explain how one should never speak to a Princess like she just had.
The moments pass, and it never comes.
Instead, when Tide looks up the Princess is sitting in front of her, looking down at Tide with crushing sorrow and regret.
“You are wrong,” Luna says softly. “I have felt it more times than I wish to ever count.” She looks beyond Tide towards the shrouded form of Midnight. “I have seen friends, some closer to my heart than others, on tables like this. Laid out for viewing, or veiled by blood stained sheets when they’ve fallen in battles now too far past to even remember.” Luna looks back to Tide who is looking up at the Princess with a grief stricken look. “I’ve sat right where you sit now. Looking for something, anything, to blame. If only I had been stronger, faster, more skilled, would they be alive now?” She shakes her head and closes her eyes. “I even pleaded with my sister, once. Begged her to bring somepony back from death. I could not do it, but Celestia was, is, more powerful than I… yet it is beyond even her.” Luna opens her eyes and looks to Tide, the sadness growing. “If you wish to hate me, do so. I know I cannot help you, I know the pain in your heart. I hated my sister for an age when she told me she could do nothing.”
For a moment Tide and Luna just stare at each other, both their eyes holding profound sorrow. Tide looks away first, her eyes drifting behind her to Midnight as she breaths a shaky sigh before looking back to Luna.
“She would not want me to hate you,” Tide says softly, “but I do not know if I can forgive you.” She stands and starts to walk around Luna. “With your permission, Princess, I shall take my leave.”
“I understand,” Luna replies, still speaking informally. “You have my permission, Captain.” Tide inclines her head, then walks from the room.
As the door closes Luna hangs her head again, a tear rolling down her cheek. “I understand more than you know, Captain.” She stands and walks over to Midnight, lightly placing a hoof on the sheet over Midnight’s face. “You owe me nothing, Midnight, but I am going to tell you some names… and I… would be in your debt if you could tell them how much I miss them.”
And with that, Luna sits down and whispers to the fallen Wonderbolt, tears in her eyes as she speaks of friends, of family, she had lost to time, to war, to life.
----
Tide strides from the ER, tears still fresh in her eyes as she goes blindly towards the stairs. She can hear Dancer and Sky behind her, doing their best to keep pace, but Tide doesn’t want to be with them. A part of her feels slightly betrayed they let Luna into the room with her, and part of her knows they could not have stopped her.
All around her, Wonderbolts, their Staff, and their new allies in the Renegades, are all moving around with purpose, doing their best to make the compound ready for whatever comes next, but not her, and not her Squad. Everypony gives them space, a large island forming in the sea of ponies as they pass, salutes and even condolences are given to them, but Tide responds to none of them. What is the point? Midnight is gone. The light of her life, her heart and her soul in this world. Gone.
Starting up the stairs Tide misses the second riser and trips, almost falling face first into the steps. She is caught by Dancer and Sky who had rushed forward and grabbed her. She tries to get out of their grasp, but, in her current state, all she accomplishes is clocking Dancer in the face with an elbow.
“Easy there, Captain,” Sky says as Dancer places a hoof over his nose, which begins bleed. “We’re trying to help you.” Tide settles down and slumps back into Sky’s arms, nearly knocking him off his hooves and onto his plot.
“Yah,” Dancer says in a nasal tone, “W’re trying t’ help you! W’ve already lost one sister t’day, ‘m not ‘bout to lose the ‘ther one!” He nods up the stairs, “ ‘ow, lets g’ya up t’ your room.” He puts one of Tide’s arms around his neck, the same done by Sky on the other side, and both of them pick their fallen sister up and help her walk up the stairs. Tide simply slumps against them, her legs working on autopilot as her brain just shuts down, the reality of the day having ground it down well past its limit.
They lead up the stairs, past the second floor and up onto the third. She barely takes notice of the Wonderbolts they pass, all of repeating the show of respect on the first floor by lowering their heads or offering salute. They make it to Tide and Midnight’s room, Sky opening the door with a grunt, and the two take Tide inside and towards her bed.
“N...no.” Tide says softly, the two holding her up stopping and letting her go. As soon as her hooves touch the ground she wobbles, but takes a deep breath and steels herself. She walks past her bed, and over to Midnight’s. She gets on top of the sheets and buries her face in one of Midnight’s pillows, taking a deep, long breath.
Tears once more form in her eyes; she can still smell her.
Clutching the pillow to her body, Tide just holds onto it, as if holding it hard enough will impart her lost love’s scent onto her, make it so she can carry with her a small piece of Midnight.
Behind her, Dancer looks to Sky and nods to the door, “Lets go, kid. Big sis needs her time alone.” He puts an arm around his friend, his brother’s, neck. “Lets go see the cooks, I think they keep a stash of beer hidden in the back of the walk in coolers. One of them owes me, I think we should go offer Midnight a farewell of our own.” Sky nods and the two of them leave the room, closing the door behind them.
Tide doesn’t even hear them go, her eyes fixed on the window, which is open just enough to show that the sun has since set. The dark amber of the the Sunset reminding her so much of Midnight’s eyes…
Closing her eyes to block out the world, she grips the pillow tighter, and cries herself to sleep as she feels her heart continue the long, painful process of breaking.
-----
Dawn stands at the entrance to the Wonderbolts’ tunnel in back of the Throne in the Castle, his good eye staring at the entrance. Beside him, wearing Dawn’s helmet, Gust does his best to stand at attention as well, though he smiles at Dawn from beneath the helmet every few seconds, breaking the traditional neutral expression.
They are waiting for Luna. A few minutes before, a defeated and run-ragged Golden Compass had come through the tunnel with Moonlight Knight to inform them that Luna was making her way to the castle by way of the tunnel after setting the sun from the front lawn of the Wonderbolts’ Compound.
Compass had not smiled, he had simply nodded and sighed before walking off towards the hallway, likely intent on going to the barracks. Moonlight had inclined his head to Dawn and asked him to make sure Luna was alright before departing, likely go find himself some coffee to stay awake during the night shift.
He likely had not gotten too far, as Dawn can see Rusty -- the old Stallion had just shown up at the Castle wearing pots and pans as armor and refusing to evacuate -- coming out of the hallway Moonlight had just gone down carrying a large soup pot with the help of a guardpony. From here, Dawn can smell the thick aroma of coffee coming from the steaming pot, and he gives an involuntary yawn.
Quicker than lightning, Rusty is over next to Dawn and Gust, a cup of hot coffee in his hooves. “Say there, Commander, you’re looking like…”
“Tartarus warmed over?” Dawn finishes with a tired smirk. “I’ve been getting that a lot, Rusty.”
“That’s Quartermaster Rusty!” Rusty says with a grin. “Your Captain figured I was useful in keeping your sorry plots awake.” Dawn chuckles and takes the cup with a nod as Rusty looks to Gust. “Say there, aren't you a little young to be in the Guard?”
“No!” Gust says with enthusiasm, “Dawn here made me a Private under his command! I’m waiting here with him for Luna!” Rusty smiles and reaches behind him, quickly pulling a cup of hot chocolate out, complete with whip cream and what looks like rainbow sprinkles. “Trying to bribe a guardpony?” Gust says slowly, his eyes narrowing before he reaches out and takes it, taking a sip of it and gaining a whipped cream mustache. “Well, it’s working, Quartermaster.” Rusty chuckles and winks as he goes off to patrol for more sleepy guards.
“He is a real tricky one, that Rusty.” Dawn says as he looks down at Gust who is holding his mug in both hooves, a mirror image of Dawn holding his coffee. “I dare say he got the better of both of us.”
“Perhaps he got the best of you, Commander,” Gust says as he takes another sip of his hot cocoa, a few sprinkles added to his mustache, “but I am an upstanding Guard Pony, and would never take a bribe from him.”
“Of course not, little Gust.” A voice comes from the entrance to the passageway, shortly followed by Luna. “You are one of our most honorable and upstanding Royal Guard Ponies.”
“Luna!” Gust exclaims happily, putting his mug down and rushes over to hug Luna, “Me and Dawn have been waiting for you!” he says happily. “it was hard staying up, especially for Dawn, but we really wanted to be here to greet you.” Luna returns the gesture, embracing her young friend warmly, her wings wrapping around him.
“We thank you, little Gust,” Luna says, her tone betraying how hard she is working to keep an even tone. “We appreciate the gesture.” She releases him and looks to Dawn, “Commander, there is something we wish to discuss with you.” She points with a wing towards the hallway that leads towards the Royal Quarters. “It is about thy daughter.”
Dawn stiffens, and drains the remainder of his coffee. “Alright, Princess,” he says as he stands. “Lead the way.” Luna nods simply and starts off towards the hallway. Gust follows after them, mug of hot cocoa in one hoof as he tries to keep pace with the adults.
As soon as they are out of earshot of the Guards, Luna drops the royal pronouns and speaks plainly. “Your daughter is safe, Dawn,” she starts, instantly knowing what to say to put his fears to rest on that matter, “but she is distraught.” Dawn looks over at the Princess with his good eye.
“What happened at the Compound, Luna?” Dawn asks slowly, worry clear in his voice. “What happened to Tide?”
“She lost Midnight,” Luna says, stopping and looking out a window towards her Moon, “Your daughter rightfully blames me.”
Dawn sighs and goes to stand in front of Luna, Gust stops right next to the Princess and looks up at her as he continues to sip from his mug.
“She lost a squadmate, then?” Dawn says slowly. “I knew it would happen eventually, given her line of work, but I had hoped to spare her that special kind of pain only we leaders know.”
“It is more than that, Dawn.” Luna says with a sorrowful sigh as she looks back to her friend. “Midnight was more to her than just a Squadmate, more than just someone who she led into battle.” Dawn looks to Luna, his head leaning to one side, ears back against his head.
“Surely you don’t mean…?” he asks in a soft voice.
“Your daughter has just experienced a profound loss, Dawn,” Luna replies, looking back out the window. “Even now, I can feel the turmoil, the pain and suffering, she is experiencing through her dreams.”
“I should go to her, I should…” Dawn says as he stands, making to move around Luna but she puts a wing out and stops him. “Luna, I should go comfort my daughter.”
“No,” Luna says softly, “Not tonight.” She lowers her wing as Dawn goes and resumes his place in front of her. “I will visit her tonight, and do what I can for her.” She sighs closing her eyes. “Perhaps I can help bring her some peace, some closure. I owe her that much.” She looks to Dawn, then to Gust who has by now finished his mug and is looking up at Luna from beneath his helmet with concern. “Would you two stay with me, while I visit her? Dreams such as these are never...easy on me, and I would like to return to friends and not an empty room.”
Dawn nods. “It would be our honor, to attend you, my lady.”
----
Tide is in a dark room, the only light coming from a single harsh source above a steel surgical table. Upon the table lays the bloodied and battered form of Midnight, her eyes staring out at Tide accusingly as if to ask her why she did not save her. Tide attempts to close her eyes and turn away, but when she opens them again it is in the center of her vision.
She cannot escape it, she has tried to run from it, tried to hide, tried to close her eyes. Nothing is working! Always Midnight stares at her, blood leaking from her nose and mouth, silently accusing her of not doing enough to save her. Tide wishes to cry, but no tears will come, nor can she find her voice to wail her sorrows into the inky blackness that surrounds her.
The weight of her guilt, of her sorrow, threatens to crush her, threatens to extinguish the little life she clings to in the wake of Midnight’s passing. She can feel it, like tight binding ropes encircling her heart and her throat, choking the air from her lungs and the blood from her veins.
Right before her final breath, right before the final echoing drumbeat of her heart, something changes.
It is subtle at first, but grows steadily. A comfortable warm feeling, like a pair of arms and wings wrapped around her, washing away her sorrow and breathing life back into her. Light suddenly floods her vision, and she looks to find the source of it, of the comfort.
There are indeed arms around her, dark blue and wearing the sleeves of a Wonderbolt Pilot Uniform. Then a soft, loving voice whispers in her ear, Tide’s heart thumping back to life at the sound.
“I’m sorry I went away, dear.” Midnight says softly into Tide’s left ear, “I am so sorry, but I am here now.”
“M...Midnight?” Tide chokes out, turning her head to look at her love’s face, “H...how are you here? I...I…” Tide can’t complete the sentence, fresh tears threatening to pull her under again.
“Shhh, no more tears, my sweet Captain.” Midnight says, gently brushing a hoof through Tide’s mane, “You asked me to let you cry for the both of us, but I cannot stand to see your eyes made sad on my part.” She gently kisses Tide’s cheek as a tear rolls down it, “So dry your eyes, dear heart, and let me hold you.” Tide complies, surrendering into Midnight’s embrace, sniffling and letting her love flow over her like a warm blanket. As she does, the room grows bright, and the table vanishes. Soon, Tide finds herself sitting in a room she knows well.
The room is spacious, large enough for many ponies to sit in without feeling cramped, with wooden floors polished to a smooth glossy surface by generations of hooves walking over it. There is a single couch flanked by a couple chairs in front of a large stone fireplace, large curtained windows flank it, soft light filtering through and filling the room with soothing afternoon light. The walls are full of pictures showcasing moments in the lives of Tide’s family, and of Tide herself. They sit side-by-side with awards, many of the family having served in not only the Royal Guard but even the Wonderbolts over the years.
Yet above all others, one picture captures Tide’s attention. It is a new addition to the room and sits on the mantel of the fireplace in a place of honor.
In it, Midnight has Tide by the face as she kisses her, Tide’s eyes wide and startled.
“That was, perhaps, the happiest day of my life,” Midnight says, still hugging Tide from behind, “I had proof, real physical proof in that picture, that no one could deny.” She kisses Tide’s neck, the sensation sending shivers down Tide’s spine. “I wanted to hang that in our house, show it to our kids and say ‘that is when mommy knew that your other mom loved her,’ point to it whenever we had our fellow Wonderbolts over and laugh as we remember our glory days.”
“Glory days?” Tide says softly, “Every day with you was glorious.” She looks over at Midnight, a soft smile on her face and tears forming in her eyes again. “We all fear the day when Spitfire tells us to retire. But, with you, I wouldn’t have been afraid.” She leans against Midnght’s face. “I would have turned in my wings with a smile, knowing you were there beside me.” Midnight gently puts a hoof against Tide’s cheek, her own eyes filling with tears.
“I know.” She smiles and motions with a hoof at the wall of pictures, framed pictures coming into existence. “And I would not have regretted a single moment of it.” Tide sits there and watches the pictures as they appear. They show everything from her and Midnight holding young foals in their arms, birthday cakes with candles being blown out, even a picture of them in wedding dresses standing in front of Princess Luna. “We would have lived a life together that many would envy.” She then sighs and hugs Tide a little tighter, “But, then that was another life,” She leans against Tide, tears falling from her eyes, “I am sorry, for disobeying orders., for not coming home to you.” She kisses Tide on the cheek. “For missing the life you are about to live without me. But I do not regret my love for you, nor should you.” She puts a hoof against Tide’s heart, Tide placing hers on top of Midnight’s. “I’ll always be right here, though. So no matter where life takes you, I will always be by your side.”
“Do you have to go now?” Tide asks in a choked voice, somehow knowing what is about to happen, “Can’t you stay with me a little longer?” Midnight smiles warmly and shakes her head.
“I have lingered long enough,” she says softly as she leans around and looks Tide in the eyes, “but, before I go, there is something I need to do.” She then leans in and kisses Tide, who reaches up and places a hoof on the back of Midnight’s head. The two of them get lost in it, time in that moment meaningless, the near departure seeming as distant as if to be at the end of the universe.
Eventually, it ends, and Midnight pulls back, tears in her eyes and a loving smile on her face. She places a hoof once more against Tide’s chest, “Goodbye, dear heart. May your pain pass swiftly, may your life as full of joy as if I was still beside you, and may your heart know no more sorrow, only my love.”
And with that Midnight releases Tide as she slowly vanishes. their eyes never leaving each others until Midnight has passed into the next world. Tide places a hoof over her heart where Midnight’s had been moments before. She feels better now, still sad, but no longer like it was weighing her down. She feels free.
Most importantly, although it feels like she is still missing something important in her life, she knows that all she had to do to find it was place her hoof over her heart and think of Midnight, because she’d always be there.
Looking skyward, tears in her eyes she whispers softly.
“Thank you.”
----
Returning to her own body, Luna’s eyes fill with tears. It was always hard, entering those dreams. However, that dream was important. The Wonderbolts would need everyone in the coming days, and Luna owed it to them to make sure that she did all she could to make them ready.
The feeling of arms suddenly around one of her front legs pulls her attention down, where she finds Gust hugging her tightly. He says nothing, just holds onto her. Luna then turns to look to her other side, where Dawn has been standing the entire time, as he shuffles over and draps a wing over her silently, adding his own presence to comfort his friend.
Reaching up with her free hoof, Luna wipes the tears from her eyes, the sorrow in them quickly replaced by a look of determination.
“Thank you both,” she says softly. “I need to go now, and prepare for tomorrow.” She looks to Dawn. “Go ahead of me, and wake the armorer. I’ll need him, my armor needs to be checked over.” Dawn pulls his wing back and nods, a knowing smile on his face.
“As you wish, Luna.” He starts walking off and stops. “Gust, I’ll need my right hand pony with me. The armorer will want to fit you with some armor of your own.” Gust looks over at Dawn, then up at Luna who nods with a soft smile. He hugs her one last time before running over to Dawn, the both of them departing without another word.
When the door closes, Luna looks out over Canterlot, her mind turning to what must be done in the coming hours. And in the days to come.
She would protect them, the Wonderbolts, make up for her failure.
She owed Midnight’s memory that much.