The Price of Failure

by Humanity

Chapter 3

I got dragged out of the sack a bit earlier than I’m used to on this day. Something weird must have been up to get the captain of Canterlot’s royal guard on the job. Well, this job is seldom easy. It was barely dawn when I heard banging on the door to our home. Cadence was the one to answer it. The voice I heard… It belonged to my right-hoof man. Estoc. I was too groggy to pay him any mind, so I went right back to bed. Or at least I would have if Cadence didn’t come back to me.

“Armor? Dear, are you awake? Estoc just stopped by. Orders from Princess Celestia. He claimed that they were very urgent.” I heard the beautiful voice of my wife. And sure enough, when I forced open my eyes, there she was.

“Ugh… Urgent, huh? OK, I’ll get on it… Would you mind whipping up some coffee? Extra strong with a lot of cream?” I was definitely needing a little boost to help me get started.

“Absolutely, dear. You just come right on down when you’re ready.” She replied before placing a little kiss on my nose. Oh, Cadence… How did a guy like me end up with such a wonderful mare?

Anyway, I took a quick shower to help wake myself up before putting on my armor and helmet. Just got them polished too. When I headed downstairs, I picked up that awful smell of a really strong batch of coffee being brewed. And right when I went into the kitchen, I found Cadence already pouring me a mug of it. “Just in time, dear. Careful, I just finished brewing it.”

“Thanks, honey. Could you pass the creamer and sugar?” As much as I needed a boost to perk me up, there was no way I could drink that brew black.

“Absolutely. Just a moment.” Cadence said while giving me a drowsy smile. It looked like we both woke up earlier than we wanted. A bit later and I mixed in some cold cream into my coffee. “You know… Did it feel like we didn’t dream all that well last night?”

That was an odd question. But still… She seemed to have a point. “Now that you mention it… Yeah. I can’t remember too well what I was dreaming about. I guess Nightmare Moon must’ve forgotten to tend to her duties last night. Although that was some odd weather yesterday. I don’t recall us being scheduled for such a downpour.”

Cadence looked towards the nearest window while she brewed herself some honey tea. The weather out there still looked a bit gloomy. “I actually can’t remember the last time we were struck with any sort of weather that wasn’t planned… If anything, I would probably say it was a bad omen.”

“Yeah, the thunder was unusually strong too. I think I even felt some tremors in the ground now and then. Almost like some explosions were going off somewhere up here.” I muttered casually while chugging my coffee. Had to get it down fast so I could report to the princesses right away.

“Would you like some breakfast before you head out? Maybe a waffle or two?” Cadence was already starting to sift through the cupboards to gather up the ingredients for some cooking. Too bad I was needed elsewhere.

“Sounds great, but I really shouldn’t keep them waiting. I’ll get back as soon as I tend to whatever business they requested of me. Wish me luck.” One quick kiss goodbye later, I donned my helmet and hurried out the door. If only I knew what was waiting for me…

I hurried on over to the royal palace while finding the atmosphere to be very dreary from the high humidity and lower temperature brought on by the thick cloud cover. Upon asking my men who were stationed there if I was being expected, I was advised to head to the throne room. And so I did. Upon entering, I found Princess Celestia and Princess Luna standing before the throne. As per protocol, I bowed once I was standing before them. “Good morning, your majesties. You were expecting me?”

Something seemed off. Princess Celestia almost always greets me with a smile, but… At that moment, she seemed down about something. And where was Nightmare Moon? I normally see all three of them together whenever I’m requested to appear before them. Regardless, she was the first to speak. “Good morning, captain. And yes, we have need of you. We have debated on who would be best for the job, and we decided it should fall to you.”

An odd job of sorts? It definitely wasn’t like them to call me in for something like that. “Well… What would you ask of me?”

Princess Luna then proceeded to brief me on my orders. “Just yesterday, Discord, the Spirit of Chaos, escaped his stone confines once again. Your sister and her friends were once more called to Canterlot to deal with him using the Elements of Harmony.”

Discord, huh? Even though I was stationed in Canterlot the first time he got loose, I have to say I’d never seen the guy aside from being stuck in stone right outside the labyrinth out back. “Him? Well, seeing as how things seem pretty normal right now, they must’ve succeeded.”

“Well… They did…and yet they did not.” Princess Celestia then started to speak. “Once more, Discord managed to steal the Elements of Harmony, forcing them into another game within the labyrinth out back. And this time around…James took part in the search as well.”

I guess I wasn’t entirely surprised to hear that James tagged along. It seems that whenever something big comes up that requires my sister and her friends to get involved; he is usually there with them. I’m not surprised though. They really are great friends and he’s a really nice guy. “All right. But still… Everything turned out all right in the end, seeing as how the situation is normal, right?”

There was something very wrong with them… They both looked…anguished. Like there was some sort of pain gnawing away at them. Princess Luna once again spoke to me while her sister waited. “True… Things have returned to normal. But that is only because Discord is no more. Through events we could not have possibly foreseen, James challenged Discord to battle and…slew him.”

I had to run those words past myself several times to properly process them. Discord… Some sort of immortal omnipotent being… Dead? And slain by the only human on the planet? “Uh… Wow. You’re serious? James did that?! Man, I knew he would do well with that gear of his, but to actually take down someone as powerful as Discord?! That’s… That’s pretty awesome! Kinda morbid…but awesome! Where is he? I’ve gotta buy that man a drink sometime!”

Right when I said that… That look of anguish in their eyes just intensified. Princess Celestia was the one to answer my question. “Armor… James is dead.”

…That had to be some sort of joke. I just stared at them for a good fifteen seconds before I could bring myself to say anything. “You… That’s a joke, right? I mean… It’s James. He had that armor. And that spectacular sword and shield. You can’t really expect me to believe that he…”

Princess Luna raised her hoof, signaling for me to fall silent. “Shining Armor. Our friend is dead. He did indeed slay Discord, but he perished shortly afterward. His wounds proved fatal before he could receive aid.”

They couldn’t possible be serious about this. James… Dead? Impossible. I may not know him as well as my sister or any of her other friends, but… He wouldn’t let himself die like that. And slaying Discord… Come to think of it, that sounded a bit farfetched in itself. Of all the people in my life, he is the last guy I would ever expect to kill another person. He’s too gentle and reserved. He is not a warrior. But I decided to play along just to get to what was needed of me. “I see… Well, what is my task?”

Princess Celestia was the one to answer. “You are to venture out to the labyrinth and recover the Celestial Sword and the Lunar Shield. What is more, I have reason to believe the Elements of Harmony are out there as well. Find them and return with them. But be warned. The state of the area is…unsettling.”

“Fuller and Lance will be assisting you in the search. It should not be difficult to locate them with three of you on the job.” Princess Luna added right as I heard the clopping of hooves behind me. One glance to my rear revealed two of my men approaching. Lance and Fuller. Definitely some of the more seasoned guards in the force.

“You called for us, your highness?” Fuller asked while he and Lance bowed together.

“Yes. You will assist Shining Armor in locating the Elements of Harmony and the weapons of James just outside the labyrinth. Do not bother searching inside, they are likely somewhere outside its boundaries.” Princess Celestia explained while clearly trying to keep a straight face in front of my men. Perhaps she didn’t want to lower moral.

“Very well. Captain, your orders?” Lance asked while they turned their gazes to me.

All I could do was nod. I had to keep face for the sake of my men. “We have our orders. Let’s move out. This shouldn’t take too long. Shall we be on our way, your majesties?”

The Princess of the Night nodded while her sister remained silent. “Yes. You are dismissed.”

However, just as I was about to leave the throne room with my men at my sides, I remembered something at the last second. “Wait… If you don’t mind me asking, where is Princess Nightmare Moon? Isn’t she normally with you?”

I heard a long sigh come from Princess Celestia. “Our sister is…not well, Armor. And I fear she will not be well for a long time to come. Please… Just tend to your duties and return once your task has been completed.”

We did not object further. I could tell something was very wrong. But still… James being dead? That can’t be right. It just couldn’t…

While we made our way through the castle, Lance spoke up. “Captain… A rumor has been making its way through the ranks of the royal guard. They say that the Spirit of Chaos himself was slain just yesterday. Is it true?”

“I honestly don’t know, Lance. But I’m certain we’ll be finding out in just a few minutes.” I replied while my head was swimming with uncertainty. This assignment had filled me with a new type of dread I had not ever felt before. And when we stepped out into the courtyard that separated the castle from the labyrinth… “Well, let’s… Wha… Sweet lord, what happened here…”

There are no words I can use to describe the sorry state of the courtyard before us. Craters, mangled stretches of muddy earth, piles of rubble, uprooted trees… I would have commented further, but Fuller beat me to it. “What sort of battle happened here…? Did the princesses challenge Discord?”

The area was… It was exceptionally gloomy. I honestly just wanted to get this job over with and report back to the princesses. “I don’t know… Let’s just get started. Are there any questions?”

Lance spoke up right away. “Yes, sir. I have seen the Elements of Harmony before, but what exactly is the gear we are supposed to find? I was never aware that James was a warrior of any sort.”

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. I had only seen James in his armor once, so I doubt they ever saw him with his equipment. “There is a sword and shield. The Lunar Shield is very large and has Princess Luna’s cutie mark emblazoned on the front. The Celestial Sword is a longsword with a crossguard designed to match Princess Celestia’s cutie mark. Its blade is also pure white and seems to glow in poor lighting. Should be easy to spot. Now, spread out and find them.”

For the next few minutes, the three of us searched all over the mangled landscape. I still could not fathom how the place had become that torn up. Was it Discord’s doing? Or did James’ armor possess power the likes of which I have never seen before? Eventually, I did find the Lunar Shield. It was lying face-up in the mud. And right as I lifted it with levitation magic, I saw Fuller and Lance coming my way. “I found the shield. What about you two?”

“Good news, sir. The Elements of Harmony are safe and sound. However… Well, you had better see this, captain.” Fuller replied before dropping the six Elements from his wings. They all seemed to be there and accounted for, but… I staggered back at the sight of them. All six seemed to be splattered with dried blood. But… No, that could not have been Twilight’s on the Element of Magic. If something had happened to her or her friends, the princesses would’ve told me at the first chance they got. They would never hide my sister’s fate from me. So… Perhaps that was not their blood.

“Well… Looks like they could use some cleaning… But no sign of the sword? That white glow from the blade should make it easy to see in this gloom…” I was pretty surprised that neither of them had located the Celestial Sword. In such dull cloudy weather, it should’ve been giving off at least a faint glow.

“Actually, sir… We did find something else I thought you should see.” Lance added before he dropped something from his wing. It seemed to be mostly bone with…roasted meat dotting its length? “I don’t recognize the physiology, but… It seems to be a tail of sorts. Looks and smells like someone roasted it before partially eating it. Any idea where it came from?”

I was drawing blanks on that one. Where did it come from? Or rather, WHO did it come from? “I have no clue either… And I’m not sure I want to find out…”

Fuller seemed to scan the distance around us before pointing to an area behind me. “Uh… Captain, I see something glowing over there. But it’s not white…”

When I turned around, I saw it too. A crimson glow was coming from something stationary in the distance. “Well, I’d say that warrants a check. Let’s check it out. But proceed with caution.”

Together, we approached the source of the crimson light. Once we got close enough, I stopped. I could make out the shape. It was a sword sticking out of the ground. And the crossguard had a very distinct sun shape. “That’s it! The Celestial Sword! Although how did the blade turn red? It was never that color before…”

The three of us then proceeded with a swifter gait than before. However, a slight dip in the ground prevented us from seeing what the sword was actually sticking out of until we were right on top of it. And when I saw it… We stopped dead in our tracks. “Wha… My god, what is that?!”

Just… There are no words… I have seen spears skewer ravenous wild bears and my men groaning in agony as they are rushed bleeding to the hospital, but… This… There was nothing my training could have done to prepare me for what I saw at that moment. That form… It was Discord’s corpse. Both legs severed at the knees, the left arm missing, the tail… Where was the…

I felt my stomach turn. The princesses claimed that it was James who took Discord down. Then that means… Did he seriously chop off the guy’s tail and eat the flesh on it?! Lance must have been thinking the same thing since I then heard the unmistakable sound of someone vomiting right behind me. I didn’t look to confirm it. A gash in the belly, too many impalement wounds to count, both wings missing… And the face… My god, the face… The Celestial Sword was sticking up through what was left of the head. The only way I can possibly describe the carnage before me was that it looked like someone had taken a fire axe to his face a few dozen times. I had to look away… I used the levitation spell to pull the Celestial Sword towards me and then take several steps backward.

“Captain… What is this?! Who did that?!” Fuller shouted while turning to face me. That look of utter horror in his eyes. Nothing we had ever been through could’ve prepared us for such a horrid sight. And the crimson glow of the Celestial Sword’s blade… I could see why it was not white. The entire blade’s length was coated in Discord’s blood.

“He really did it… James actually killed this guy. But… This… This is just sick. James would never do something like this. This is… My god, what could drive a man to do something like this? What did Discord do to him?!” I could hardly think. Even now, I am trying to not remember the sight of what was left of Discord’s face. There are just…no words.

I heard Lance wheezing while he turned his gaze to the ground nearby. “Captain… What’s this?”

I took one look in Lance’s direction and saw it. A trail of blood stains on the ground. It seemed to be leading away from Discord’s corpse and towards the entrance to the labyrinth ahead. It did not come from him. It seemed to have come from someone else.

“Someone was standing over Discord before moving towards the maze… These indentations in the ground… They’re consistent with the soles of human shoes… James made these.” I started to follow the trail with my men behind me.

“These steps are unsteady. He was very weak… He stumbled here. And…he fell.” The bloodstains went from splattered drops and bloodstained footprints to a long smear that stretched along the ground. “He crawled the rest of the way. He was bleeding the entire time. And heavily too… There’s a lot of it pooled here. I think…this was as far as he got… Oh… James… This is what they meant to you?”

Just ahead of the largest accumulation of blood were six crudely drawn pictures of six objects I recognized. The shapes of the gemstones embedded in the Elements of Harmony. A butterfly, an apple, a balloon, a lightning bolt, a diamond, and a star just like on my cutie mark. Half of them seemed to be very crude, as if the artist’s hand became very shaky from weakness brought on by heavy blood loss. I felt my throat tighten. Just knowing what must have happened right here… The princesses… They weren’t joking at all. That spot was where James breathed his last breath…

Fuller spoke softly as he looked on in silence. I think both him and Lance were starting to catch on as well. “Captain… This spot… Is this where…?”

I turned and looked at my men. I could not believe it. But…the proof was right in front of me. “It is… This is the spot where James died.”

My men gazed at each other in silent horror. Any professional composure they normally show was gone. And I cannot say I blame them. Lance hung his head, gazing at the blood drawings before us. “This can’t be true… He was so young…”

“That’s enough… We have what we came for, so let’s report back. I wanna get away from this place right away…” Nopony objected. We gathered up what we found and rushed back into the palace. The princesses were not going to be happy with this…

We found both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia waiting for us in the throne room. Neither of us spoke immediately. And judging by those looks they were giving us, the princesses could tell that we had seen something horrific. Eventually, it was Princess Luna who spoke first. “I trust you were successful?”

I let out a long sigh and used the levitation spell to lightly toss what we found in front of me. “Yes, your highness… All the Elements of Harmony and the Lunar Shield and Celestial Sword are here and accounted for.”

One look at the crimson blade of the sword caused Princess Celestia to cringe in horror. “Shining Armor… May I ask what you found out there? What has become of Discord?”

I bowed my head. I truly did not want to remember that sight. “You… You really don’t want to know, your highness. We found him and… It was a bloodbath. I don’t even want to know what James did to him… Trust me, you don’t want to go out there right now…”

“I suppose I should not be surprised… Thank you, Armor. You are all dismissed.” She replied with a forlorn frown. My men bowed and turned to leave, but I stayed behind.

“Before I go… My sister and her friends… Are they all right?” After seeing the state the Elements of Harmony were in, I was naturally concerned for my sister.

Princess Luna stepped forward while gently gathering up the eight bloodstained objects I had laid out before them. “They stayed here for the night. They may even be starting to wake up now. You are free to see them, if you desire. However, if they do not wish to indulge in your company, I advise you to leave them be, captain. They are…in mourning.”

Mourning… I felt my heart sink. I left the room without a word. I began to wander the halls, half patrolling, half searching. My mind was in a haze. All I had seen and heard… It was so much to take in. But soon, I saw her. Wandering one of the outermost halls was my sister. Even though she was approaching me, she did not seem to notice me right away.

“Twily!” I instinctively called out to her with the playful nickname she has had all her life. That got her attention right away since she suddenly glanced up while I galloped towards her. She held out her arm and held me in a tender embrace as I did the same. “Are you all right? I found the Elements of Harmony stained with blood… I wasn’t sure if it was yours or…”

I felt Twilight start to go limp in my grasp. I heard her whisper weakly. “The Elements… So… I wasn’t dreaming after all…”

She looked so tired… Her eyes seemed swollen and bloodshot. As if she had been crying so much very recently. I could see it in those lovely purple eyes. And I knew what it was. “So… The princesses weren’t joking… James. He’s… He’s gone, isn’t he?”

Twilight did not even speak. She buried her face in my neck, crying harder than I’d ever heard before. I held her tenderly, trying to comfort her however I could. And as I did, I felt it. A tear trickled down my own cheek. I had been hoping that maybe he had survived and was merely in dire condition at the hospital. But…I know my sister would never lie to me about this. James… I first met him at the Grand Galloping Gala. I oversaw his training under Estoc the night he received his armor. And now… He was gone. We were never the best of friends, but… He was always one of the best friends my sister ever had. That made him a friend of mine too. And now… Gone forever…

I wasn’t even sure of what to say. My sister was devastated. And I could only imagine how James’ lover was handling his passing. Fluttershy… I cannot even fathom how broken she must be at this moment. Although I did finally manage to force out something. “He was a good man… I’m sorry…”

“I promised myself, Armor… I promised I wouldn’t let Discord get to us. And now he’s…” She finally lost her strength and dropped to her knees with me along with her. “I loved him, Armor… And I failed him…”

Twilight… I am not certain how many she has told, but… She has told me her true feelings on occasion when she visits. James was far more than a friend to her. I have seen them together now and then too. They were so much alike. Had such great chemistry too. If things had gone differently after he arrived in Ponyville, I would not be surprised if I found out that he was going to become my brother-in-law someday. And to see her like this… It would be the same to me if I lost Cadence.

“Twily… I… I want to say that everything’s gonna be OK, but I know that would be a lie… How about I go get Cadence and we take you out for breakfast? Just the three of us, like old times. My treat.” I had to do something for her. Anything to help. I could not just leave my little sister like that.

She nodded a little, but did not smile at all. “I… That sounds good.”

I gave her cheek a tender nuzzle. I tried to smile, even though my heart was heavy as stone. Twilight insisted that she needed to be left alone for a little while, so I did just that. I had to go home and inform Cadence of what was going on. But on my way to the castle’s entrance, I bumped into just who I was hoping I would see. Estoc was making his rounds. “Ah, good morning, captain. All’s well over here.”

“Good, good… Actually, Estoc… I have a special request for you.” I trotted right up to him and gave him as serious a stare as I could. This was no joking matter.

He seemed to see how serious I was being about the whole thing and stood at attention. “Name it, sir.”

I did not want to have to ask him for something like this, but all things considered… I needed the rest of the day to myself so I could be there for the one pony who needed me most. “For the remainder of the day, you are in command. A…personal family crisis has come up and my sister needs me. Can I ask that of you?”

“Really? Well… It shall be done, but… If you don’t mind me asking, what has come up? It’s rare for you to do this, captain.” Yeah, I think I have only done something like this two or three times since I was promoted to the rank of captain a while ago. It was no wonder he was surprised. Estoc had only been promoted to his current rank very shortly after Twilight left for Ponyville a few years back.

I knew he was not going to believe me for an instant. The royal guard has not suffered a casualty since before I even joined the force as a fresh recruit. Even so, I told him the truth. “James fell in battle just yesterday and my sister is not taking the loss very well. She needs me.”

Sure enough, Estoc cracked a smirk as he tried to not laugh. “Captain, you can’t be serious. I have not lost a single rookie once and I strongly doubt James could have…” He stopped talking the instant I placed my hoof on his shoulder.

I looked Estoc dead in the eye. Never blinking. Never flinching. “Estoc. James is dead. And my sister is in mourning. You are in charge until tomorrow. Do I make myself clear?”

He remained stiff and silent as stone for a moment before he very subtlety nodded. I could tell my words were sinking in. “Yes, sir… I will inform the guards.”

I had to return home right away. Everything just felt so…gloomy. The sky blanketed with gray clouds, the air thick with humidity, the ground still littered with leftover puddles from the downpour yesterday. It almost felt as if it felt the sky itself had been weeping. Then again, if it was alive, it likely witnessed whatever horror had happened around the labyrinth just yesterday. I can’t help wondering what happened. I just can’t get that painting of blood out of my head. Were those six drawings the last thing he ever did? Did he die alone? Could my men or I have done something to save him if we knew what was happening?

I reached my home without stopping once. I didn’t want to keep Twilight waiting. And sure enough, I smelled some tea being brewed in the kitchen. And once I stepped inside, I found Cadence standing at the counter with a mug of warm tea in her hoof. Her mane and tail were still a bit unkempt, so she probably hadn’t really woken herself up enough to prepare herself for the day. Regardless, she gave me a tender smile before greeting me. “That didn’t take long. Is everything all right, dear?”

As much as I wanted to give her a smile, I just couldn’t. Everything I had just heard was nothing to smile about. “Just a small recovery operation outside the labyrinth. Seems that Discord guy got loose again and…”

“Discord? I heard about that raving lunatic getting out a while ago, but Twilight and her friends put him back in his place, didn’t they? Surely they succeeded again, right?” It was pretty hard to miss the first time he got loose. Although due to the surreal nature of his activities and the fact that he kept it mostly isolated to Ponyville at the time, I was not able to really do anything about it. I was expecting Discord to bring his chaos to Canterlot at some point where the royal guard and I would do our best to deal with him, but the Elements of Harmony were used before he had the chance.

I was hesitant to speak the truth. But I could not bring myself to lie to my wife. “From what I understand… No. They didn’t get him this time. From what I saw and heard from the princesses… It was James who got him.”

She paused while taking a sip of her tea. “I’m sorry… James? He got involved? How? After meeting him in person, I can’t possibly see him getting into a fight. It sounds like the last thing he would ever do.” The last thing… How ironic.

“Well, he was there. You remember back in May when the night didn’t end on schedule, right? When I told you about the gear James had received? I’m guessing he used them. And… Well… He got him. Discord’s dead, believe it or not… It must’ve been a bloodbath. The entire courtyard around the labyrinth is wrecked. And Discord’s corpse… My god, I wish I could forget. Nothing I’ve seen on the job comes even remotely close to the condition he was in…” The sight of his face… It hurts to remember.

As I was expecting, Cadence looked like she was having a hard time grasping what I was saying. That look of horror on her face… “He… That doesn’t sound like him at all… I remember feeling into his heart. He was filled with so much love… A seemingly bottomless supply. To do such a thing… It sounds unnatural! Someone as tender and gentle as him… Is he all right? His heart must be in turmoil after doing such a thing. I think I should go see him right away. I may be able to help.”

“I’m afraid that’s no longer possible, honey…” I was going to hate myself for telling her the truth, but it’s not like I would be able to hide it forever. “James may have taken Discord down, but…according to the princesses…and even Twilight… It seems James…died shortly afterward.”

There was the sound of ceramic shattering. Cadence lost her grip on her mug while her eyes opened wider than I had ever seen them. At first, it appeared that she couldn’t even speak. But she did finally mutter out a reply. “He’s… This can’t be. This is… Armor, this is some sick joke, isn’t it?”

I sighed hard. I did not want to believe it either. “I really wish I was kidding about this, Cadence. But I was there. I went out into that mess to recover James’ weapons. I saw where he fell, dear. I saw…where he died. He likely bled to death. He’s gone… I really don’t want to admit it, but we lost a friend yesterday, Cadence. And…Twilight’s taking it really hard…”

I stepped forward and gently held my wife in a tender embrace. I know she only met him a few times, but she always had a knack for becoming friends with those with just as much love in them as her. And James… Definitely one of the overall nicest guys I’ve ever met. Just… I still can’t believe he’s gone. Everything was just fine the last time I saw him. And then, right out of nowhere, everything was turned on its head.

“Honey… I invited Twilight out for breakfast with us. So we can spend a little time with her. She needs somepony there to support her, Cadence. Shall we go?” I asked while remembering what I needed to tell her. I did not want to keep my sister waiting in her time of need.

I felt her nod while returning my embrace. “I’d love to… It’s been a while since the three of us last went out together. I’ll go get ready…” She started to make her way out of the kitchen, but I noticed her gait was a bit…unsteady. She soon looked back at me, a few tears starting to build in her eyes. “Still… I just can’t understand it. How? He was such a sweetheart…”

I took a moment to think back. Maybe remember something about what I saw that had slipped my mind. “Well… Judging by the severity of the damage to the surrounding area and the condition of Discord’s corpse…and what I found near the spot where he died and taking into consideration what Twilight once told me about what Discord did to her friends the first time around… I suspect James was driven mad with despair. Discord probably did something that broke his heart…and that ultimately proved fatal for both of them… Just…don’t ask Twilight if she’s not in the mood to discuss it, all right? She was in tears when I last saw her.”

Cadence nodded while she took in my words. “I won’t. Just… I’ll be down shortly. I just need to wash up.”

I’m jotting all this down before Cadence can finish getting ready upstairs. My mind is just swimming with shock. All I heard and saw… Feels like we’ve got some dark days ahead of us. Why… How did this happen? What did Discord do to you, James? You were like the little brother I never had. I wish I could’ve been there for you. Fighting alongside you while making certain you lived to see tomorrow. Maybe I could’ve saved you. Maybe not… I’ll never know now.

Well, sounds like Cadence is finishing up right now. I’m actually a little scared of what I might learn if Twilight does decide to discuss what happened. I’m sure she knows everything. All I can do right now is support her all I can. It’s going to be a long time before she recovers from this. I just hope she’ll be fine. If Twilight was the same solitary mare I knew before she left for Ponyville, she would probably be able to brush this loss off. But now… I need to find out when and where the funeral is going to be held. I need to make sure I attend to be there for Twilight.

Time to put down the quill. My wife and sister are waiting.

Comments

[Dharkstaar]

4991701 James' body was transported to the Canterlot hospital in chapter 1. Probably in the morgue or wherever they keep the bodies of the deceased before burial.

[GoldenCyclone4]

Damn... Right now I wish Ashton and co. could cross over to here and give James a dose of the Eternal Flame...

[InactiveAccount222346]

..................................wow............................this is just...................................wow..........................