• Published 12th May 2012
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There is a Season - ArdanBlade



Equestria is at war, Twilight struggles with boys, and a terrible power returns from the dead!

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No Greater Love

Chapter 17
No Greater Love

"Eeeaaaaah!" Spike's blade parted the rain as it glittered in the night, reflecting a burst of lightning as it flashed overhead. It impacted the plates of armor shielding Wildfire's back, there was a terrible screech as steel met steel, neither force willing to give in, yet in that moment there was a new strength that overcame both, the might of a dragon. With a crack to match the thunder bellowing above, the steel plate shattered, breaking the dagger blade off at the hilt as it snapped. Wildfire's eyes went wide, his pupils dilating as he felt the deadly shard of steel pierce his wing driving deep into his back.

Sheer agony overwhelmed his senses, sending a tremor through his body. His sword slid off his rain soaked hoof, and collapsed to the ground with a clatter. The Guard pony let out several surprised gasps, then sagged after his discarded weapon, his eyes glazing over as pain claimed him.

Rarity laid back in stunned silence, mascara streaking down her face as she stared openmouthed at the fallen Guard pony. Spike, feeling his senses returning, let the broken dagger hilt fall from his claw as he stepped around his fallen foe. Concern replaced all reason within him, and he held out his hand to his wounded friend. Unsure of how to feel, Rarity accepted his claw, allowing him to lift her from the ground. Leaning up under her weight, Spike silently aided the shocked Rarity back through the now muddy streets to Carousel Boutique.

The little dragon felt his own turmoil beginning to rage out of control. He had just wounded a pony, possibly even killed, and yet he felt no remorse for the fallen Guard. Wildfire had attacked one of his friends, wounded her with no regard for the consequences. Spike wanted to hate himself, was sure Rarity would think he was a monster. Wasn't that what dragons did? Hurt ponies and acted like monsters? He wasn't sure what to think.

They entered Rarity's home in continued silence, Spike helping to seat Rarity before he went digging about, finally coming up with some clean, thick fabric. He walked up to the white pony, binding it carefully over the bloodstained slash over her chest. Then, going to her bathroom, he retrieved a clean towel to wrap around her. Every step he took seemed to drain him, as sorrowful sobs overcame his stoic resolve, and by the time he returned to her, he was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Spike…" Rarity whispered, fixing her deep blue eyes on him.

"Yeah?" He asked through a sniffle.

"Thank you," a concerned smile broke her solemn expression, "my brave little knight."

The little dragon collapsed to the floor, wracked by grief that overwhelmed him. Rarity looked up slowly, drawing a blanket with her magic to wrap around her little friend. There the two of them remained, bound by an act of valor, a loss of innocence, and the pain of regret.

* * *

The Dream Taker had seen enough! That foal Thundercloud didn't even have the nerves to finish Twilight Sparkle and Boldheart on his own! The furious gelding yelled in impotent fury, beating at the stone walls of his ornately carved chamber. "After all of this time! All of my work! He will risk it through his inaction!?"

Stomping down on one of the extraordinarily carved runes, he noticed something. Slowly a laugh began bubbling up in his throat, echoing out through the chamber and the vast caverns beyond. "Hahahaha! That's it! I will weave the possession spell with the dreamwalk spell! I will not tolerate failure, Thundercloud. Now you will be punished for defying me. Hahahahahaaa!"

Dashing from rune to rune, the elderly gelding pressed his severed horn to each in turn, igniting the powerful magics woven into the stones. Soon the room was illuminated with neon lights as the countless tiny sigils beamed out into the darkness beyond. Moving to his place in the very center of the room, the Dream Taker looked back upon the statue of Chrysalis who stood petrified in her shock behind him.

"Time to show you what real power looks like, my Queen." He chuckled, then drew a long breath, placing his stump upon the floor, activating the powerful rune centering the spell sigils. "Yes, yes! Aaaah! Aaaaaagh!"

Much to his surprise, it was not like merely entering a dream to project himself, but almost a physical manifestation. His power, and a great form of his essence fled his body, speeding to the target of the potent magic. Far over the storm blackened night, he witnessed the majesty of Midnight Castle's black spires standing high in defiance of the storm, the vastness of the Mountain of Misery, where the mighty Walking Stone rested in it's vigil, and across Equestria to the small town of Ponyville.

The flight was an unimaginable thrill, his spirit soaring through the clouds with the ease of a pegasus, yet he was able to witness the awesome power of the storm's fury! This was true power! Someday, he vowed silently to himself, he would master the storms as well, and claim their might much as he had the sun! There would be no end to his reign, nopony would be able to stop him! He would be a god!

The flight swiftly ended as he approached his target, much faster than any flight would have allowed. Thundercloud had entered the Mayor's office, and was in the process of making his childish demands of the worthless pony. Shaking his head at the sight, the Dream Taker's essence flooded around the arrogant stallion. He must have felt it, for upon the Dream Taker's entrance, he winced, shaking his head as if trying to clear the painful sensation.

"Hear me, Thundercloud!" The Dream Taker called, allowing his vast, mighty form to awe the pony's simple mind. "I gave you one command, and you failed me! Kill the Element Holders, and the throne would be yours, yet you do not have the nerve to do it yourself! You are a simpering coward, unworthy of my power!"

"What!? I have done as you said, oh mighty one." Thundercloud mocked, furious at being questioned by the old pony. Despite his fear, the Captain's pride refused to let go. "My Guards will kill them, and nothing will stop me!"

"You are a foalish boy, who can't see the nose in front of his face if you believe that! You gave them a chance to live, a chance you could have denied them! Now all my work is threatened, because you thought you knew best! No more! I will take care of them myself!"

"Good luck with that, old one! How do you suppose you can do that, let alone oppose me!?" The haughty Thundercloud scoffed up at the roaring clouds, grinning at them.

"Oh, I don't intend to oppose you." The Dream Taker answered. "You have made yourself my servant, so I will merely possess you instead!" With a rush of power, the vast, mighty form of the dark one swept around the hapless Guard pony, choking his every sense! Thundercloud reared up, trying to fly away, but like some terrible monster, the clouds reached out like vast tendrils, dragging him into the evil morass.

"No! You can't do this to me! You promised!" Thundercloud choked as his eyes widened in panic before vanishing into the darkness.

"I lied."

* * *

Twilight stumbled as the Guards shoved her roughly up to the gazebo, where a large stone had been placed. She tried to look back, only to be pushed again.

"Keep moving." The cruel Guard pony sneered, eyeing Twilight smugly. "I'm gonna enjoy listening to you squeal!"

"Don't do this, Rocktrotter! Don't let them control you!" Boldheart yelled, struggling against his captors as they held him back. The larger brown stallion whirled about, his eyes burning with malevolent green light. "Don't you tell me what to do, Boldheart! You're a disgrace, just like the Captain said! You've always been a nothing, a blank flanked, no magic little nothing!"

"That's not true! We were a team! We trained together, lived together, we were like a family!" Boldheart pleaded, the strength in his voice failing as tears overwhelmed him.

Rocktrotter loomed up over Boldheart, glaring down at him. "Truth!? You want to know the truth!? We never liked you, runt! The truth was when Thundercloud shoved you on your face in that formation! The truth was when you were given the worst billet in the unit because we didn't want you there! The truth, Boldheart, is that you're alone, and you're going to die, alone!"

Looking up at the larger Guard pony, Boldheart felt a sudden change flooding over him. He should have felt enraged, sad, betrayed, but instead, he felt compassion. Despite Rocktrotter's cruel words, he was certain that underneath was a frightened pony, begging for help. He slowly shook his head. "No."

"No!? What do you mean, no!?"

"No I don't believe it. Even at your worst, Rocktrotter, you weren't a murderer. I don't know what has a hold on you, but I don't believe this is the real you," Boldheart answered, his eyes growing brighter, "and I won't give up on you, even if you have on me."

"I… uh…" Rocktrotter backed up a step, the light of possession flickering in his eyes. The spell was coming undone!

Twilight watched in rapt fascination as the will of Boldheart contested the magic of the possession spell, tearing the mind control apart. Here the blue unicorn stood, next to helpless in the face of death, with no magic to call his own, no hope of escape, and he was overcoming a powerful enchantment with his words alone! His courage was like a beacon of light, filling Twilight with hope once again, driving out the despair of Thundercloud's ridicule. As her heart filled up, the magic of friendship came flooding back to her in a rush, overwhelming all of her doubt.

Twilight's hope suddenly turned to terror as something slammed forcefully into the side of her head, driving her to the ground under it's strength! She tried to struggle, only to have her face driven further into the mud, rain threatening to drown her as she thrashed, panic claiming her senses!

Standing over the prostrate unicorn, pushing her down into the mire, stood the now possessed Thundercloud. A pale, mocking light filled the Captain's eyes, through which the Dream Taker gazed wrathfully upon his victims. "It seems you are all too weak to even kill two helpless unicorns! I'm disappointed in you!"

The spell holding the other Guards grew strong again, and they grabbed Boldheart, who had attempted to rush him. "Let her go! Don't hurt her!" He shouted desperately, snarling as he squirmed in the Guards' grasp.

"Don't worry, little one. I've thought of a much better use for your precious Twilight Sparkle." Drawing his sword, he lifted it over Twilight's head, placing the tip over her horn. "Gifted in magic, Celestia's star pupil! What a powerful gelding you will be! Hahahahahahaha!"

Tears flooded Twilight's eyes as she tried to protest, only to have her mouth filled with fetid water and mud. Her mind raced, trying to summon up a spell, any spell to protect her from the Dream Taker's blade, but she couldn't focus! Her vision swam as tears mixed with the filthy morass that her face was buried in.

Unable to escape the grasp of Rocktrotter and the others, Boldheart sobbed as he tried to wrench himself free. "Dear Celestia, please, give me the strength to protect her! Don't let this happen! Not to my Twilight…"

In that moment, something awoke within the little pony, something that had been trapped for far too long. Though he did not see the golden heart bound in steel upon his flank, the courage within his beating breast glowed more brightly than the sun, a power that flowed through his horn like the awakening of a star! As the light swept over the Guard ponies holding him, the curse of possession shattered like glass, throwing them aside as leaves before a mighty wind.

The coming of power was not lost upon the Dream Taker, who's eyes went wide, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. Determined not to lose all he had worked for, he leapt forth, his spirit abandoning Thundercloud as it raced at Boldheart. Light met darkness, and the two spirits clashed against each other in a vast dance of power that reached up into the heavens.

"I will not be vanquished by you, last of the Everbold!" The Dream Taker shouted like thunder, trying to break Boldheart's spirit! "My power has grown since the dawn of magic itself! I have stolen the might of Kings and Goddesses alike! What are you to me!?"

"I am nothing, a humble pony before you." Boldheart answered. "I have no great power, save for the courage to stand up to you, and love that will not die. Even if it costs me everything, I will fight you."

"Arrogance! I will punish you for your impudence, my little pony!" Summoning all of his power, he swept down into the defiant unicorn, his vast presence filling Boldheart and threatening to tear him apart.

Twilight dragged herself from the mud, her eyes fixed upon the spectacle as she watched the storm itself flood down into Boldheart, twisting and wracking his body in dreadful spasms of agony as the Dream Taker attacked him. She rushed forward, shaking tears from her eyes as he was thrown over, his back arching from the pain that sought to overwhelm him.

"Boldheart!" Twilight cried, grabbing hold of his still spasming body. Her horn glowed as she drew upon her magic to aid him when he gasped out, his eyes fixing on her.

"Twi-light… the sword… grab- AAAAGH! Grab the sword, Twilight!"

"The sword!?" Her eyes widened as she looked about, spotting Thundercloud's blade, which lay where it had fallen from his nerveless grasp. With a flicker of magic, she drew the blade over. "Okay, I have it. What do you want me to do?" She tried to calm her voice as she trembled.

"C-cut away my horn." Boldheart whispered, then screamed as another shudder wrenched his body over!

"What!? Why!?" Twilight could scarcely believe her ears.

"Please, t-trust me." He begged. Something in his eyes told her he was sure. Clenching her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut, she brought the deadly blade down.

The words he'd spoken were not lost upon the Dream Taker. If the horn was cut, his essence, all of his power would be trapped within Boldheart! Memories rose unbidden to his mind, thoughts of Everbold who had bound his power within the Dream Taker's own nightmare! He would not let it happen again!

Ceasing his attack, the now alarmed spirit attempted to flee Boldheart's body, only to find that the Guard pony's essence was now holding him in! Pressing as hard as he could, the Dream Taker tried to break the binding, throwing the full of his might against it in hopes of escape. Freedom glimmered as if a light from the end of a tunnel driving the desperate Dream Taker to even greater efforts. As he broke through the last of Boldheart's defenses, a laugh escaped his lips! He had won! The Guard pony would not survive the terrible affliction he'd released, and his escape was now certain!

Ssshing! The ring of steel broke through the rage of the storm, drawing the Dream Taker's gaze back down to Boldheart. Horror filled him as the horn fell away from his head, cutting the Dream Taker off from all the power he'd failed to draw out! With a wail, he lost control of the spell, his remaining spirit caught up and dragged through the sky, inexorably pulled back to his body!

* * *

Twilight Sparkle couldn't stop the heaving sobs that flooded her as she stared down at her now maimed friend. Boldheart was laid out upon his side, the little blue horn sitting severed in front of him. He breathed shallowly as life ebbed away, his eyes slowly clouding over.

Crouching next to him, Twilight nudged her friend lovingly, tears digging deep weals under her eyes. "Don't worry, Boldheart… I'll… I'll get you some help… Just hang on… Please hang on…"

"Twilight… it's *cough* it's okay… I did what I was meant to do…" Boldheart whispered back, his eyes shimmering even as they faded. "I wanted to protect you… It looks like I did…"

"You did, Boldheart, you did! Don't let go yet! I'll find a way to make you better! Zecora will know something, or maybe we can get you to the hospital…"

"Don't worry about me… Twilight… I'll always be near… I love you, Twilight…" Boldheart's whisper faded as the last of his life left him.

"Boldheart? Boldheart!? No, please! My precious Boldheart! Don't leave me! Boldheart!" Unable to control herself any longer, Twilight curled up next to her friend, lost to her own quiet sobs.

Rocktrotter picked himself up from the ground, staring sadly at the pitiful sight. As the other Guard ponies drew themselves to their hooves, he guided them up around the fallen pony. None spoke as they helped Twilight up from where she lay, two others silently lifting Boldheart from the ground. Two others made their way over to Thundercloud, pulling him to his hooves.

The haughty pegasus opened his mouth to speak, but went silent as the Guard ponies glared down at him. They led him off through the now drizzling rain as the sky grew a little brighter, heralding the new day soon to emerge.

Twilight followed the Guards bearing her friend's sad form away, her heart torn by the sudden loss. She wanted to be alone, to scream, to cry, yet she felt so weak, as if losing Boldheart had torn her heart out. Why did this happen, why did anypony have to die…

* * *

As the little procession approached Town Hall, Sgt. Ramrod hobbled forward, his body still bearing the marks of his beating. He looked sadly upon the broken blue unicorn, and to Twilight. Unable to find the words to comfort her, the stalwart Sergeant faced Thundercloud with a grim expression.

"Thundercloud, you have been found guilty by your peers of treason. You are hereby stripped of your rank, and will be tried for your crimes against ponykind, and Equestria. I hope for your sake it was worth it." Sgt. Ramrod struggled to keep his voice neutral, both from anger and pain at the savage beating he'd endured. "Take him away."

"Yes sir!" The Guard replied, removing the traitorous pegasus from before them. Thundercloud felt so crushed he didn't even bother raising his head to meet the gaze of Ramrod as he was led away.

Turning back to the others, the burly earth pony wished to be anywhere else. With a long sigh, he stepped up to confront the sad duty of saying goodbye to Boldheart…