Chapter 10
Chapter 10
By the time Graves finished his story, sweat dripped from his brow and down a face with a pallor to match the marble around. Legs, usually so sturdy and strong, trembled like a newborn foal’s as a man who’d fought off gigantic arachnids and demonic beast melds without so much as batting an eye looked ready to keel over at the next gust of wind. In all her days, Rarity had never seen the marshal so unsteady on his feet.
But then again, he’d never done anything quite like this.
“Anyway, that’s how we met.” Graves rasped as he pulled an already damp sleeve across his forehead. “What next…? Right. So–”
Rarity would not let him speak. Grabbing his arm, the violet-haired beauty bodily tossed him towards one of the simple, polished benches. As he fell into the seat, she pulled out both wand and handkerchief, summoned a small trickle of water from the cool, evening air, and wetted the square of linen before thrusting it into the marshal’s hand. Needing no instruction beyond the demand in her sapphire eyes, Graves wearily wiped his face and heaved a shuddering sigh.
“Feeling better?” Rarity asked softly once he was done. Once she confirmed a small nod of his head, all gentleness faded away as her eyes flashed with blue fire.
“Good. In that case, would you mind telling me what the hay were you doing?!”
“I thought–”
“No, you obviously weren’t thinking,” Rarity interjected as she seized the handkerchief back. “If you were, then you most certainly wouldn’t have worked yourself into such a sorry state!”
“Sorry?” Graves blinked.
“Yes, sorry,” Rarity confirmed as she began to furiously pat at the marshal’s face and neck in his stead. “Honestly, just look at you, sweating as if you were struck with withershanks fever. What could possibly possess you to push yourself so hard?”
Though her words were still hot and miffed, it was a sort of warm, comfortable anger that matched the firmly gentle pressure laid out by her slender hands. She was obviously still upset with the marshal, but only because she was practically beside herself with worry. Maybe it shouldn’t have, but the scene brought a crinkle to the corner of the marshal’s mouth.
“Same reason I organized today, really,” he shrugged.
“And that would be?” Rarity asked, still patting, still with a frown on her fair brow.
“I needed proof.”
Suddenly, the cool dabs stopped as Rarity’s hand froze in midair. She looked Graves as the heat slowly cooled to a tremble of concern.
“Graves, you have–”
“Nothing to prove?” he interjected, a satisfied smirk appearing as Rarity’s face lit up with surprise at his undoubtedly accurate prediction. “Sure I do.”
“You… you do?” Rarity blinked.
“Don’t you think?” Graves asked, still grinning like a sober Cheshire cat. “Like you said, you got mad because you were jealous. You wanted to be, oh, how’d you put it… ‘speshul’, was it?” The flush of crimson that bloomed in Rarity’s cheeks confirmed the marshal’s suspicions.
“But… but why this?” Rarity asked, hesitant as she made a small gesture towards the monument before them. “Why tell me about them?” Though she didn’t ask them aloud, the real questions rang out loud and clear in her silence. Rarity knew that of all the things Graves did, speaking of the past was not one of them. For all the suffering those memories had caused him, reminiscing was more akin to grabbing an open coal than anything else. Why then, would he choose this path over any other?
Graves didn’t answer when the smile slid from his face. He didn’t reply when his eyes grew cloudy with thought. But when those gunmetal greys hardened with piercing intent, the marshal finally spoke.
“You, Miss Rarity, have got a lot of nerve,” Graves called out as he raised an accusatory finger. Needless to say, the Miss Rarity in question was rather shocked.
“I… I do?” she blinked.
“Yes, yes you do,” Graves firmly nodded. “You recall when you came to visit me in the Changeling camp? You left, but I chased you back down, remember?”
How could she forget? He’d blown out the engine of a Stallion-class transport with a well-placed blast of lightning, snuck past a hull of crewman, and taken multiple beatings from her friends for his troubles.
“After I tracked you down, we had a little talk, you and I,” Graves continued, his voice a gravelly rumble that sounded of a looming avalanche. “Then at the end, I made you a promise. You remember what that was?”
Of course she remembered. Each and every word of his was engraved on her heart as the promise of a man who’d given everything he had to her. Just remembering those words brought tears to Rarity’s eyes to glisten and shimmer in the pale moonlight.
“Yeah, I thought that’d be enough,” Graves sighed. “I mean, I figured that a promise like that would be enough to make you realize just how important you were. I was wrong.”
“Graves–”
“I was wrong,” Grave interjected with hand raised for pause, “because that wasn’t fair to you.”
“It… wasn’t?” Rarity blinked once more.
“How could it be?” Graves shrugged. “Making promises is easy. It’s the follow through that trips people up. That’s why we needed today. All of it.”
Though his eyes were still focused and sharp, the steely hue of the marshal’s eyes softened as he took Rarity’s hand into his.
“I didn’t expect this to be easy,” Graves frowned as he held Rarity’s gaze with unwavering intent. “Fact is, it should be anything but. You’re a fancy lady who throws hissy fits at the drop of a hat and I’m a gunslinger with issues. Lots of issues. We go together about as… well… everything I just said.”
The marshal’s eloquence brought forth a small bubble of laughter from the lady’s lips. With a knowing smile, Graves continued.
“We knew it’d be hard. But I made that promise because I knew it’d be worth it. You’re afraid we’re too different? I can handle a full day of fancy living and the bucking opera. Think that’s a one off? A day of croquet and tomorrow’s ballet says nothing, but nothing can keep me down.”
Laughter came again, much louder and stronger despite the tears that once again welled in sapphire eyes. Graves raised a calloused finger to wipe a stray drop aside as he continued once more.
“You also said that you didn’t feel special. You said I was too nice to Neida and that made you feel… replaced?”
“Graves–”
A finger pressed to her lips silenced her protests as a grimace came to his face.
“Yeah, about that. Maybe… you were right,” Graves sighed. “I’ve saved your life before, but I’ve also saved hers. We’ve gone on adventures, but Neida and I have more. Looking at that, it sort of makes sense how you’d think she was special. I didn’t want you to, but I didn’t know any way to change that, except… well… except for this.”
Even as he spoke, a faint sheen of perspiration came to the brow as the recollection of his ordeals burned at his mind once more. Rarity’s hand squeezed his till her knuckles turned white.
“So,” Graves continued once he finished swallowing the lump in his throat. “Right now, you’re the only one I’ve ever told that story to. There are others, and I’ll… get to them. Eventually. But I want you to know that those stories? Every last one of them is yours because no one could ever, ever replace you. Got it?”
Rarity merely nodded.
What more needed to be said?
*****
Far out of earshot, just close enough to see, a blonde-headed woman turned and began walking away.
“Seen enough?” Shining Armor asked as he fell into step behind her. Quietly, she nodded.
“Take care of him, yes? He is now… open.”
“You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”
“I fear for him. The heart can drive any to madness, even wolf.”
“He’ll be fine,” the captain shrugged. “Right now, I’m more worried about you.”
“Because I failed, yes?”
“I… tried to warn, you,” Shining Armor answered, bringing a hand to his navy hair as he awkwardly scratched his head. “Rarity and Graves have something special. You weren’t going to get between that.”
As she passed beneath the now unguarded archway, the woman paused in the shroud of shadows cast.
“Your Cadance. If she was in arms of other man, would you not fight, even against impossible odds?”
“I… would,” the captain admitted. “But why like this? Why not another way?”
Out from the darkness, laughter came.
“Perhaps is only way I know how.”
As the steps resumed to carry the woman away, the soft peals laughter slowly faded into the night. Or maybe they were something else. It was honestly hard to say.
*****
Beneath the moon’s soft light, Rarity and Graves sat together, her head resting lightly on his shoulder as his arm held her close.
“So that’s really why you organized today?” Rarity smiled. “A personal test?”
“Eh, mostly,” Graves smiled. “Plus, having you in a good mood never hurts.”
“Oh, it may,” the young lady laughed. “Now that I know you’re so comfortable in Canterlot, I may just expect you to join me more often.
Graves blinked.
“… That was not my intent.”
Rarity laughed aloud once more as a weight sitting on her shoulder for days was now free and lifted. However, she paused as a thought transformed her smile into something less.
“Graves,” she began, “I know you probably don’t want to talk about it anymore, but there is one last question I have. About us.”
“Shoot.”
“Do I…” Rarity paused to gather the courage needed to speak, “do I make you weak?”
Slowly, the marshal turned meet her gaze.
“Rarity… I nearly passed out telling you about them because I wanted you to feel special. If anything, you give me a reason to be stronger.”
Those words sent a warm tingle to the very core of her inmost parts.
“… Funny you ask though,” Graves frowned. “Neida said something like that too. You guys talk about that, or something?”
And here, Rarity paused. They had, in fact, discussed the issue, though it was more of Miss Roamanov lambasting her for being a liability over her own inability to protest. She could tell the marshal that of course and let him know just how harshly the visiting woman had been. Knowing Graves and his protective nature, the next meeting between them would be decidedly cooler.
“... We did,” Rarity nodded. “She thought I was bad for you because I might end up distracting you from the fight. She was worried.”
And surprisingly, Rarity found that she believed it. Though Araneida had wielded words with a skill to rival the dressmaker’s own, even all of that cleverness could not help the lady spy hide one simple fact: she cared about Graves. A lot. Whether or not Rarity agreed with her cause, she could understand that feeling. So whether it was because of concern for one of the marshal's few friends, or a simple act of solidarity for one who loved the one she herself loved, Rarity left her words at merely that.
“Heh, that’s Neida,” Graves replied with a fond smile. “Sometimes I think the fight’s all she thinks about.”
“But is she right?” Rarity pressed.
Graves paused.
“Ironside had a saying. ‘Only thing more deadly than a man with nothing to lose is a man with everything to lose.’ You, Rarity,” he grinned, “are way too much to lose.”
And surprisingly, Graves found that he believed it. For years, he’d thrown himself into battle because there was no reason not to. Now that he had Rarity, things were different. He had a place to come back to, a person to welcome him home after the battle was over. He’d always fought knowing that duty was something to die for, but Rarity was finally something he wanted to live for.
So he would fight. Demons may come and devils may block his path, but the marshal would press on. He would complete his mission, survive the ordeal, and live to come back to the woman at his side.
Survival had always had a cost, but now? Now Graves was finally willing to pay the price.
**********
To Be Continued
The Journey of Graves concludes in the final story: Journey's End.
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Blimey, that was fast, posting a new chapter in the time it took me to read the old one! Anyway, this is superb, as always, but do you have to really mean that last bit about a FINAL story?
But this is still marvelous, and I look forward to the next story, even if it is the last one.
Confirmed; she's a big ass bitch. I hope that's the last we see of her!
That is the most heartwarmingly ominous final line I have seen, considering...
…Yeah. Preparing for epicness, and feelings. Lots of feelings.
Nice cameo from Shining. Too bad Araneida didn't listen to him apparently trying to warn her off.
*fist-pump*
Woah, so we're in the home stretch and the final story is next up? Dang.
I adore this story, and I absolutely love this chapter in particular. Since I joined the military, things have been difficult with my relationship. Distance and worry leading to more fights between us than we've ever had before. She began to feel that she was second in my heart, behind the duty that I have as a member of the military. She never really understood why I decided to join up, or why I would ever put myself in that situation to be hurt or worse. Until one day, a few weeks ago, we sat down, and talked about it. She let me know what she was feeling, and why. And I was stunned. Though I had never said them out loud, I had always thought that my intention was clear.
The reason why I love this story so much is because it fits my situation so well (well I'm not a special forces sniper, and she's not a magical seamstress, but my point stands) we had played cat and mouse before finally realizing what we meant to each other, we have had our share of adventures and quiet moments, and we've fought for each other the whole way. So imagine my surprise when, this part of the story unfolds, just a couple weeks after I had gone through something so similar (Minus the russian-esque spy). When she thought that she wasn't special enough to me, or that she didn't mean enough to me, when it was the exact opposite. When it was really that she represented everything that made me willing to serve, and that she was the single most important thing in the world to me.
TL;DR
This story rocks, I relate, read it NOW.
WHAT.
What is this speak of a "Final Story"? HERESY!
GENTLEMENJ, I EXPECTED STORIES TILL THE DAY YOU DIED! AND MAYBE EVEN PAST THEN!
Ahem... apart from that, I found this a magnificent way to wrap up the story.
I'll save my mushy ramblings of longing and sadness for the end of Graves tales, but until then, keep up the fantastic work J!
The saddest part of this chapter is the very last sentence, and knowing that there will be only one story left.
Excellent as always!
The final story?
I am both sad and looking forward to see how you wrap up this epic tale.
I knew you'd wrap it up nicely. I just wish it didn't take nine consecutive garnment-rending-levels-of-frustrated-suspense cliffhangers to get there.
You've introduced a lot of plot points over this series that have gone completely ignored since their mentions. Discord appearing to Graves for reasons still unknown. Chrysalis' speak of something nefarious brewing on the horizon. Nedia's quest for artifacts. Spitfire's affair with Soarin
What does it all mean? Is it all connected or is everything about to hit the fan seperately?
Now that we know the end is in sight, I hope we see some questions answered. You've had a darn-near perfect run with this series. It's my favorite fan work ever and I'm constantly recommending it to people. I look forward to a great final story.
F, final story...? I read that wrong, right? Noooo...don't leave me, my precioussssss...
Last story huh? I was hoping it would come a little later but all good things must come to an end I suppose.
But I know you'll give it a proper finale, I'm sure it will be filled with all kinds of feels as we bury the greatest marshal ever.
I knew this would come someday but that doesn't make this any easier. The Journey has always been my favorite series of stories on the site ever sense I read the first one. It's going to be real painful to see it end, hopefully it's a good one
When I saw the word 'concludes' my heart broke a bit, but in a good way. Anything that can break your heart by ending is worth having begun.
Ah! Does this mean we finally get to learn what's going on in the west?
...
Or was it the east...?
I tend to forget which direction is especially dangerous this time of year.
I was hoping for the Twenty Sixth to pull a Jedi spirit appearance and show up to give Graves + Rarity their blessing.
We are approaching the end of the journey? NOOOO!!!!
This is a case in which the cliche, "It's not the destination, it's the journey" has never been more appropriate. I may have been late to the bandwagon, but I am glad I found these stories.
Concludes? Aww...
Though this Journey may be ending, given how well received and well done this saga has been, I sense that a new one may begin soon after...
But regardless of which way you go with it from here on out, this series has truly been:
tenouttaten!
Concludes?! But there's so much more potential! Threads that should be woven back in! At least a wedding.......
5220675 Interesting choice of words.
5222074 Interesting choice of words? *Reads back the other comment*
last story... blablabla... I'm sure it will be filled with all kinds of feels as we bury the greatest marshal ever...
as we bury the greatest marshal ever...
bury... bu-bury?! BURY!?
J, my man! You're playing with my heart here! Oh well... as long as you deliver a great final story I'm sure I'll be fine... But seriously... No more jokes that could be potentially dangerous to my well being.
~Valvatorez
And I swear to god if you kill him off I will cry myself to sleep for days.
Much as I'm sad to see this saga come to an end, I'm glad it will at least be getting a satisfactory ending.
To be concluded eh. As always, I shall be looking forward to it.
Also, you didn't exactly say that you were pulling the plug on the whole series. You just said that The Journey Of Graves was to be concluded. Should we be expecting anymore other stories related to Journey's universe?
AND HOT DAMN, THAT WAS ONE GREAT CHAPTER.
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END
I hope this great story gold clasp closure
It feels a little sad but hopefully pass other great stories that the author has in mind
greetings to graves
media.cmgdigital.com/shared/img/photos/2013/11/05/9f/79/the_national_guard.jpg
This story was great. Especially the last few chapters. The story about meeting his comrades really sent home what he lost when they died in arms. Great. Now I'm all sad and emotional.
Wait a second. Journey is coming to an end! WHHYYYY!
I mean I can't wait to see what happens, and I'll be glad to see the end, but NOOO! Can you be sad and excited all in one emotion? Sadixcited?
Cuz that's what I am.
Rwby's song-Shine comes to mind.
Im still wondering if Graves journey here might end, but his road will continue, with only Spike and co for company.
5222074 You son of a bitch J, why must you pull my heart strings like this?
I posted that hoping I was wrong, goddammit. I was hoping I was just being a huge pessimist who doesn't believe in happy endings. 
I hope this is your infamous trolling shining through. If not, I might just have to wait till the final chapter and tear that band aid off quick.
Oh, no, no, no you don't will continue making these there will not be a last fic
DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!?
Man, I was sure Graves was going to propose. Still a good ending though.
Conclusion? Wow. How many books have there been so far? Almost thought it would go on forever.
5222074 No... NO! Nu uh, I MUST have misunderstood that! This story is ending with an epic fight scene then a happily ever after, NOT death! No!
... Please?
I expect *boom-headshot* in the final story.
5269562 Nope.
Nova was based on Jinx, but that's the only new one. Hot Streak's appearance and personality are way too different from Braum's, and though he has a shield, he also uses a battle axe. Polaris doesn't have any TF related materials - he uses guns, not cards, and there's no real link between his dual elemental and the 3 primary colors of TF. Plus, you forgot about Terra. How could you forget about Terra?!
Nice thought though.
So I'll admit that my review is late for the party, but it was only today that I felt as though I could write something that could be mildly classified as actual constructive criticism. Now, please be warned, once I start I will not stop. I have been following this series for a very long while, and its the reason why I signed up here and why I decided to start writing fanfiction in the first place. And out of all of the stories, this is the only one that left a rather bad taste in my mouth. Its by no means a bad story, but just one that I feel should have played out incredibly different.
So lets begin the list!
1. I originally commented on the fact that Araneida was Graves's implied former lover. This was obviously shot down so I no longer have an argument there. Though I have to wonder why it was there in the first place. Maybe it was just because of cliffhanger reasons, but it barely serves the plot from my POV.
2. The main bulk of this story centers around the Gravity Romance, testing its strength against a problem after several stories. And the result left me extremely underwhelmed. Aparently, the Gravity ship was protected by the same armor used by the Imperial Guard in Warhammer 40k, or as we like to call it: Wet tissue paper. I still refuse to believe it. I always thought it was protected by Terminator armor, but the speed in which Araneida destroys their love is somewhat comical. Most people will say that this is because she is an expert at manipulating people, and I don't doubt that those skills were used. My problem comes from Rarity herself.
Please take into account that Rarity is supposed to be something like a prodigy when it comes to dealing with people with non-violent means. Yet she gives up rather quickly. I'd even argue that she destroyed the romance herself by suspecting that Graves is capable of cheating on her. A little worrying to my mind.
Remember, Gravity went through several fires to become the shining example of shipping done right. From Untangling the knot all the way to The Long Winding Road or even Marshmallows and Cotton Candy, we've seen Graves and Rarity develop a bond so profound that even when Graves saw the danger that it could cause he kept it.
This bond is so profound that it nearly drove Rarity insane, to the point where she agreed to be taken to a war zone just to talk to him. And it even drove Graves mad, letting him shoot down a large transport, knowing well that he could get court marshaled for it.
3. Now, I actually liked the end. For the first time we know what sort of people Graves hung around with. The answer was a Motley Crew of people of several specialties. It also showed us that Equestria is capable of producing weapons other than Spellguns. Though it still seems unclear as to why these things aren't standard issue for the rest of the army.
So I hope you can extract something positive, or else this comment might as well not exist. I'll still read the Journey's end, at least because it's more Graves.
May the Emperor guide you!
5289263 Shieldheart204, your concerns have touched my heart and for this reason, I shall endeavor to explain the method behind the madness.
1. The implication came from Araneida, so it should simply be taken as an opening volley to unbalance Rarity from the get go. Since nothing really happened, there wouldn't be much she could actually do to develop the idea, but merely mentioning it and letting the implication fester is a great way to mess with someone's head.
2. The things you didn't like about the story was actually sort of the point: the whole work was designed to show that all relationships, even the best ones, have moments of tissue papery wetness. This is twofold. First, it is true that the two have a very deep connection, but no relationship is perfect. After all, real life is often like that where it's not the huge struggles that pull people apart, but the little, everyday issues that beat us to death with feathers. Overcoming the loss of a loved one? That often brings people closer. Being slightly miffed that your bf/gf spends just too much time with that other person? Oh, it's on.
In that way, the story is sort of designed to say that even if Gravity is strong, it's not indestructible. That's what the marshal's final statement was all about. He understood that just relying on the big things isn't going to keep them together because people forget. It's not like either is ungrateful, but time has a way of dulling the impact of even the most important events. That's why like all things, it's constant application of effort over time that really produces big gains, even if it's only on small problems that seem insignificant at the time.
The second point is on Rarity specifically. I don't know if you can relate, but the entire story was written to explain a slow descent into madness I know all too well. What starts as a small problem ends up as a buzzing you can't get out of your head. The more you think about it, the more frustrated you get until you're literally consumed by those thoughts you yourself created. It's a really vicious cycle that I personally find very hard to break on your own, especially when you don't realize it's happening. Going back to the first point, yes, Rarity is part of a really special relationship. However, does that mean she's always aware of it? People forget really important stuff and unless you stop to really think about it, you often won't realize it when you need to. Knowing how close the two of them were would definitely have helped Rarity, but the key is that she was so caught up in the here and now, she couldn't properly remember the past. I don't think that's so much a failing on her part as it is a very natural reaction when people get scared of losing something important. Like Frozen taught us, reacting in fear isn't wise, but it's very understandable and Rarity was simply a girl who was scared that Graves might be taken away. At times like that, can you really expect her to be perfect?
3. They're not standard because reasons. Lol, you can chalk it up to difficulty of use - wands and stuff are much simpler (spears that channel magic being in the same category) so you have to be extra special to get one of those.
Anyway, I'm not sure if much of this translates well, but those were the intentions of the story. If you had a bad taste in your mouth because Gravity should have been stronger, then... good. It should have been. But like the marshal said before, it's not about always being perfect, it's about learning from mistakes and being better each time. Hopefully, this explanation can help you read this story not as a failing between them, but as a natural struggle that's part of any relationship. When you see it like that and remember that they got through together, I'd like to think that it becomes a whole lot nicer.
Sincerely,
GentlemanJ
I really enjoyed reading this as a collective I don't think I can deal with cliff hangers very well. Great to be back to the graves universe and seeing the relationship development and I'm looking forward to getting on to the next installment.
So if Shining Armor sent Araneida, did she actually need help? (That was kinda unclear.) Also, apparently Araneida doesn't realize that people aren't singularly faceted. We are like tools: although we might have a purpose in mind when made, that doesn't mean we are restricted to that use.
Just had a thought that pertained to 'Marshals: The Next Generation'; in particular the nature of the commands given to Graves and then to his four recruits: Graves had been told to wait in clearing, while Graves told his new recruits to get his badge (ideally, the one thing a marshal would never be without). Considering how badly he failed at his mission (made doubly worse by the simplicity of it), I'm not sure he had any right to be as hard as he was on his charges (especially, given that he wasn't chewed out nearly as bad.)
5617804 Really? It was the four best cadets the Academy had to offer versus Graves alone, whereas Graves, who we already know is not a spectacular student, was faced up against four marshals, one of whom had achieved a very high rank. The four cadets had much more at their disposal and COULD have done more, but failed to. Graves did everything he had, and was just outmanned, outgunned, and outclassed. Should he have stayed and fought to the death? You could say that. Or you could say that his tactical retreat was necessary to keep the hope of success alive.
In any case, the cadets could have succeeded, but failed because they didn't achieve their potential. Graves actually exceeded his potential (he actively grew in the middle of a fight by listening to Lieutenant Polaris's hints) and failed because he never stood a chance. The difference between could have and could not have is the key.
5617912 ...Valid point.
5617920 It's almost like I know what I'm writing about.
5618264 Ha and indeed, ha.
6348085 ...yes.