• 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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When the Dust Settles

Chapter 18
When The Dust Settles

"I'm sorry for your loss, Twilight Sparkle." The words always came hard to Sgt. Ramrod, who had found himself speaking them too many times in his life. "Boldheart was a brave warrior, and his sacrifice will not be in vain."

At the sound of his words, the broken spirited unicorn glanced up, her eyes filled with confusion. "Why did this happen? Why to him?"

"Warriors throughout history have asked that, yet none have found the answer. It is a question I'm not sure can ever truly be answered." Sgt. Ramrod explained, slowly, wishing he understood it himself. "Brave ponies like Boldheart have always given their lives for those they love and cherish, in hopes that those beautiful, good things would live on. Today, he gave you your life back, and put an end to a tyrant who would have taken everything for himself. He did what he did because he could not live with the outcome had he not."

A fresh wave of tears broke free as Twilight cried, unable to fully accept what she was hearing. Sgt. Ramrod drew closer, placing a strong hoof upon her shoulder. "It's okay to cry, Twilight Sparkle. Losing somepony is one of the hardest things in this world to do. Your pain shows how much you care for him, and that no matter what, he will not be forgotten."

Sniffling, Twilight nodded uneasily, her watery eyes meeting the earth pony's. "I know… I just didn't expect it to happen like this..."

"If it would help, perhaps you should say goodbye to him. I'm sure he will appreciate it."

"Okay." Twilight's voice barely cracked loud enough to be heard.

She turned slowly, the agony of her feelings dragging her down so that she felt as if she would collapse at any moment. She walked haltingly up to the body of her friend, still laid peacefully across the back of one of the Royal Guards. Summoning what nerve she had, she leaned her head forward, nudging Boldheart's muzzle with her own.

"Goodbye, my Boldheart…"

* * *

Boldheart blinked, peering up from where he lay upon a grassy sward, the sun shining cheerfully overhead. An older earth pony with a sandy coat stood before him, a smile on his face. "Well done, Boldheart."

"Where am I!? What happened to Twilight!?" The young pony shot to his hooves, looking about frantically. When he realized there was nopony about save the earth pony, he turned back. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

"You are, my child. My name is Everbold, and you were the last of my blood." He explained, his smile growing serious. "Don't fret over your friend, young Boldheart, she is safe."

Everbold began walking, nodding for Boldheart to follow him. "It has always been the way of our blood to give our lives, to sacrifice everything for the sake of those we love, and for the home we would lose all we care about to protect. You have made us all proud, Boldheart."

As Everbold turned to look out over the valley, Boldheart stared after his gaze, gasping in surprise at what he saw. Countless ponies of every age stood facing him, fillies, colts, stallions, and mares, each wearing welcoming grins on their faces. The young gelded pony stared at them, his mouth agape.

"Are they..?"

"…your family, Boldheart." Everbold answered with a proud smile. "They're waiting to welcome the newest hero of Equestria to those who have gone before."

"All this time, I'd never known why." Boldheart said more to himself than the elder pony. "Now it all makes sense. I'm… home."

The young pony squeezed his eyes shut, delighting in the feeling of joyful tears crawling down his cheeks. He sniffed, shaking his head as a wide grin spread across his face. He'd never known much of his family, only of their sacrifices. Questions he'd asked himself all his life now had an answer, and the warmth it brought was almost intoxicating.

"Thank you, Everbold. Thank you for helping me find where I belong."

He began stepping down the soft, grassy slope to meet his family, when a whisper flittered in his ear. Stopping, he perked it up, glancing back across the lands behind him. To his surprise, a lone pony stood off in the distance, a mare with lavender fur and an indigo mane. "Goodbye, my Boldheart…"

Boldheart was stunned. Twilight…

He looked out at the welcoming ranks of his family, eagerly awaiting him. He wanted nothing more than to go amongst them, to rest for the eternity that awaited, with no more suffering, no more despair, only joy and peace. He wanted it so badly, but he couldn't. Looking back up to Everbold, he drew a deep breath.

"Thank you for everything, but I can't stay. Right now, somepony needs me."

With those words, he turned and cantered as fast as he could, rushing as if lifted by the wings of a pegasus! His heart pounded, his head began to throb, every part of his body ached as if he were going to die all over again, yet he didn't care! Pressing on through the pain, he let out a cry!

"Twilight!"

Behind him, Everbold's proud smile grew brighter. "I'm so proud of you, Boldheart."

* * *

As Twilight lifted her head, something happened she could neither explain nor understand. A single spark jumped from her horn, arcing to Boldheart's severed stump. For a moment, she stared in surprise at the odd occurrence. Then with a frantic breath, she squeezed her eyes shut, drawing her magic forth as desperate hope flooded her! More and more magic began dancing across the gap as she leaned closer, calling upon every bit of power she could reach!

The power grew more and more intense, until the light shone out through the streets of Ponyville like a beacon, sending a wave of magic racing in every direction! The Guard ponies stumbled back in awe of the incredible forces beaming forth, breaking the darkness. As the sun rose over the horizon, Boldheart breathed.

"Twilight…"

"Boldheart!" Twilight could barely contain the joy that swept through her.

"I don't believe it…" Sgt. Ramrod whispered, staring in wonder.

The Guard pony bearing Boldheart lowered himself to the ground, allowing the blue gelding to rise gently from his back. He started to pitch forward, only to be caught by Twilight. She helped him to sit down, then looked over at the other Guard ponies.

"Get a doctor, and some water! Hurry!"

"Yes ma'am!" They saluted quickly, darting off to their assigned tasks as she returned her attention to her friend.

"What happened, Boldheart? Are you alright?"

"I… saw my family, all of them…" He managed his eyes staring off as if seeing another world. "They were all waiting for me. I almost went with them too…" He looked back over at her, his eyes shining. "…but I heard somepony calling me back. I saw you there, watching me go, and all of the sudden I couldn't, not if it meant leaving you behind."

Twilight felt a blush glow on her face, but she was too happy to care. Nuzzling Boldheart joyfully, she curled up next to him.

* * *

It would be a day later in Ponyville Hospital that the friends found themselves in each other's company once again. Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash had come seeking out those who had been hospitalized. The group walked through the sterile halls quietly, much to Rainbow's dismay. She wanted to just fly in and start talking, but Twilight insisted that they remain quiet for the patients' sake, so she remained grounded, grumbling under her breath about having to wait.

Spotting the number 316 on one of the doors, Twilight glanced over at her friends. "I'll catch up with you girls later. I've got somepony else to see first."

"Suit yourself." Rainbow Dash answered, glad to get away from Twilight and her rules. "We'll see you in a few."

As Twilight pushed the door open, she caught a glimpse of Rainbow Dash shooting off up the hallway. Shaking her head with a smile, Twilight decided that Rainbow Dash would be Rainbow Dash. She turned her attention to the white room, where a pair of occupants laid back in large, plush white beds. The pony in the first bed was a stranger, who flinched at the sight of her, but he was so thoroughly bandaged that she couldn't tell whom he might be. Instead of worrying about it, Twilight passed the bed to the second, where the battered form of Boldheart lay.

The new gelding appeared fine, save for the bandage wrapped around his head, holding a sizable lump of gauze to his severed horn. He looked up from a book laid out in front of him, a smile growing on his face.

"Well look at you! Are you feeling any better?" Twilight asked cheerfully.

"The doctors say I'm doing okay, and other than some trauma from all the thrashing and my horn missing, I'm fine." Boldheart answered with a smile. "They are a little concerned about the effects of losing my horn, but they've had so little experience with it that they're not really sure what's going to happen."

"If it helps, I've done a little research on geldings, and found some interesting-" Twilight began as she levitated a pair of hefty volumes from her saddlebag, only to stop herself upon seeing him twitch uncomfortably. "That is, I have done some research, in case you have some questions."

"It's okay, I'd love to hear about it. I know it's going to be a process, learning what all of this means, but I'd much rather have you here to go through it with me." Boldheart grew thoughtful, his eyes distant. "It's strange, I felt so alive having magic, even if just for a moment. I guess that losing it must hurt far more for somepony who's lived with it all of their life."

"Boldheart, I've been meaning to say…" Twilight began, then hesitated, seeking the right words. "…thank you, for everything. I was so frightened when Thundercloud- I mean the Dream Taker, pushed me into the mud. I thought I was going to die, but you saved me. Not only that, you lost your life saving all of Equestria, and even now, you're paying that price. I just wanted to ask you why."

Boldheart thought for a long time, leaving silence hanging in the air. Finally he answered, his eyes fixing on Twilight. "Some things are just worth fighting for."

* * *

Over at room 327, Rainbow Dash burst through the door excitedly, followed much more slowly by Fluttershy, who was chastising the rainbow maned pony for her behavior, albeit quietly. "Rainbow, you really shouldn't be racing around like that. Twilight said to-"

Both ponies stopped abruptly at the scene that awaited them. Spike was sitting in a wheelchair, with heavy bandages bundled on him until he looked like a puffball. Rarity was sitting up in her bed, looking utterly scandalized over at the pink party pony, a white bandage that nearly blended with her fur wrapped daintily about her frame. Pinkie Pie meanwhile was lying on the floor out of her bed where she'd apparently fallen, her blankets splayed about. In her hooves was an enormous, beautiful bouquet, on which she was munching cheerfully.

"Uh, are we interrupting something?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking at Pinkie Pie.

"Nofgh, jhusht brechfasht!" Pinkie replied through a mouthful of daisies, her body kept stiff by a large plastic cast that covered her from chest to tail like a turtle shell.

"Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, oh thank goodness!" Rarity said dramatically. "Stop her before she destroys that lovely bouquet!"

"Why? Is it yours?" Rainbow asked, cocking her head to one side.

"Well… no, but just look at it!" Rarity wailed, shaking her hooves at the atrocity. Despite her pleas, there was little to be done, as Pinkie had devoured most of the beautiful buds, and was now busy with the red foil cone upon her head, trying to eat the stems within.

"It looks a bit finished to me." Fluttershy said, then turned her attention to Spike, who was still thoroughly embedded in his bandages. "What's wrong with Spike?"

"Nothing's wrong, I'm just stuck in here is all." He replied from a little hole where his mouth peeked through the bundling.

"Bahahahaha! That's Spike!? What happened? Did you get hit by a train!?" Rainbow Dash laughed, dropping onto her back.

"No." Spike replied grumpily. "Rarity just wanted to make sure I was safe, so she put some extra bandages on me."

"You look like something out of Daring Do and the Mummy's Curse!"

"Very funny." Spike replied sulkily. "The doctors said I can come out in a few days, but until then."

"Until then you are safe!" Rarity said huffily. "I will not have you getting yourself hurt again, especially after all that nasty Wildfire did to my poor Spikey Wikey!"

"So, I kinda wanted to show you guys something!" Rainbow Dash had recovered from her laughter, reaching into a saddlebag with her teeth. She pulled out a small, sun shaped disc, marked with a crescent moon around it's edge, and strapped onto a bit of blue ribbon fringed in gold thread.

"Ooh, what is it, what is it!?" Pinkie Pie asked, rushing up to look at the medal. She had finished the flowers, tearing through the bottom of the foil so that it looked like she was wearing tulip leaves around her head.

"It's the Order of the Eclipse Medal! Princess Luna awarded them to Fluttershy and I personally!" Rainbow said proudly, holding it up for all to see. "For facing great personal peril in protection of a member of the Royal Family! Apparently these haven't been handed out for centuries!"

"Oh wow, Rainbow! That's quite an accomplishment, and I love the ribbon!" Rarity commented appreciatively, eyeing the sparkling medal.

"It's pretty, are ya gonna wear it in your mane?" Pinkie asked excitedly, bounding up. When she hit the ground again however, her forelegs buckled, dumping her on her face with a cry of pain.

"Oh my!" Fluttershy promptly scooped the pink pony up, depositing her back into her bed. "Are you okay, Pinkie?"

"I'm fine! It's just some broken ribs!" Pinkie replied with a smile as Fluttershy went about arranging her bed again.

"Broken? That's serious, you shouldn't be bouncing out of bed until they're better." Fluttershy said sternly, well, sort of sternly. Pinkie started pouting, giving Fluttershy big puppydog eyes. Fluttershy closed her eyes in response, shaking her head.

"No means no. I want you to get better, so you need to stay in bed."

"Aww… but it's so boring in here…" Pinkie moaned, then suddenly popped under the blankets, only to reappear next to Rainbow Dash. "How about some music!"

She settled the needle of a record player that seemed to just happen to be there onto the vinyl disc. A lively tune began to play, it's beat oddly familiar. Fluttershy was about to tell Pinkie Pie to return to bed when she happened to be laying in her bed again, pulling the covers up to her chin, a sheepish grin on her face.

Twilight stepped into the room, a big smile on her face. "Hey girls, how are all of you?"

Spike chuckled from his nest of wrappings. "Boy, have we got some stories for you, Twilight!"

Twilight looked about, her expression confused. "Hey, has anypony seen Applejack?"

* * *

The earth pony was at that moment entering room 316, still hobbling from the blows she'd suffered at the hooves of the Guard. Dependless, she stubbornly pressed her way in, approaching the first bed. Still wrapped heavily in his own protective swath, the assassin looked up at her.

"Hey there, stranger." Applejack said softly, affection shimmering in her eyes.

"Hello." He answered, doing his best to hide the pain. "How are you feeling?"

"Ah'm fine, ya reckless foal." She teased softly. "What ya did there was foolhardy, dangerous, an' coulda' got ya killed."

"It wouldn't be the first time."

"Well, shoulda' seen that one comin'." Applejack's face grew glum. "So ya got somepony special, ah reckon. She mus' be one lucky filly."

The assassin blinked in surprise. He'd never even considered such a thing, let alone actually spoken to anypony about it. "No, I don't have anypony."

"Ya don't?" Applejack's expression grew brighter. As his eyes met hers, however, she saw the pain hidden behind his impassive face. "Ah'm sorry. Ah don't mean ta pry into your life er nothin'. Ya jus' seem so lonely."

"Applejack, I have something to confess." He whispered, his eyes downturned.

"What is it, sugarcube?"

Looking back up at her, he steeled his nerves, awaiting whatever might come of it. "I am an assassin. The Dream Taker sent me to kill you and your friends. I almost succeeded…"

Applejack sat back, lost in thought. For long moments, she didn't answer. He was about to speak again when she returned his gaze, understanding in her eyes. "Ah forgive you."

"What?"

"Life can be crazy, and sometimes ponies do things they weren't ever intendin' ta do. Ah don't know why ya was mixed in with that mess, but ah'm glad yer here. Ah don't care what ya've done. We can all use a second chance."

The nameless assassin felt as if the years of pain were suddenly torn away, and in his heart, he might be that little yellow colt once again. A second chance, forgiveness, it was more than he could hope to ask for, yet this simple mare offered it to him without question. Filled with a renewed sense of hope, he smiled. "Thank you, Applejack."

* * *

Late that night, after every other pony fell asleep, Pinkie Pie peeked one eye open. Her food tray was still sitting there next to the bed, untouched because of her huge meal earlier. She glanced around warily, making sure nopony was watching. After a minute, she grinned in satisfaction, ducking her head under the bed.

"It's okay, Zephyr! You can come out now!" Pinkie whispered. In response to the mare's assurances, the tiny pale filly crept out from under the bed, smiling up at her friend.

"Here, you can have this!" Pinkie grabbed the tray, setting it before the hungry Zephyr, who promptly started munching down the hospital food.

After finishing the meal, she looked up at Pinkie. "Thank you, miss Pie."

"You're welcome Zephyr! Hey, do you wanna play a prank!?"

"What's a prank?" The little pony asked.

"Here, I'll show you!" With that, Pinkie Pie led her little companion over to Rarity's bed. "This is one of my favorites!"