61. Wisdom
Crystal’s eyes were locked onto mine. She didn’t speak, but her lips were quivering. The pain she felt was clear, because I felt it, too. She was afraid of what would happen to us. Afraid that this time, I’d ask more than our love could bear.
“Sweetheart, I am going to wake up thinking we had a horrible fight. I’ll be told you threw me out. We all know I won’t believe anypony that says that. You—”
“No,” she whispered, her hooves squeezing mine so tightly I could feel her heartbeat racing through them.
“You are going to have to look me in the eyes and tell me we’re through. There isn’t any thought more devastating to me than that,” I said softly.
Crystal was just shaking her head, tears rolling down her cheeks and dripping onto the floor. “I can’t,” she whispered. Her heartbeat felt stronger.
Tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump.
“Please, for the sake of everypony,” I begged as my vision blurred. Was I crying? Was it her heart beating or mine?
There was suddenly shouting. Somepony was shouting at me. “Silent! Silent Knight! Look at me! Look at me!” It was hard to see. Things were blurry and I was disoriented. My whole body felt cold, stiff, and sore.
Tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump.
I was looking down at my forehooves. They were sprawled out in front of me, surrounded by some really damaged, ill-fitting black hoofguards. Was I on a floor? Yes, I was sprawled on an old, dusty hardwood floor.
“Silent Knight!” I heard the shout again, and a beam of sickly purple magic zipped past my head.
Tha-thump, tha-thump, tha-thump.
When I finally looked up, Sunny Day was staring right into my eyes, so close I could feel her frantic breath on my face. Her breastplate had a shimmering rainbow glow to it, radiating from the heart-shaped medal there. Reality caught up with me at that moment and my old memories suddenly aligned to it.
When she seemed to understand I was focusing, she took my hoof in hers and held it tightly. It felt warm. That is when I noticed there were tears in her eyes. Not sad ones, either, but happy ones. Relieved ones.
I started to get up to my hooves but as I did so I stumbled forwards, and Sunny tugged me into a tight embrace. “Oh, thank Celestia, it is you! Welcome back, Silent Knight.”
My forelegs looped around her and I set my chin on her shoulder. That is when the sounds of complete chaos reached me. While we were hugging, it was clear we were far from safety.
Twilight Sparkle and her friends were locked in a pitched battle with the ghastly Maristella, and it seemed like they were losing. The rainbow blast that had hit me… saved me… was gone.
Rainbow Dash was fully ensnared by a dark tendril that had sprung from the nightmare alicorn's back and was currently the focus of a tug of war between her and Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity.
At the same time, Twilight Sparkle was running through a whole list of spells trying to break the supernatural hold. None of them were working. Each time they struck the miasmic tendril, it seemed to have the same impact as a foal tossing blocks at a brick wall.
That only left Fluttershy, who was very slowly dragging the limp and bloody form of Maelstrom out of harm’s way.
My eyes flicked quickly around the room. Ferrel was fighting off a separate tendril far more successfully. Her warhammer and shield were flitting about, beating it back, while the laurel on her head glowed similarly to Sunny’s breastplate.
She was being backed up by a shockingly quick and acrobatic Dream Pop, who was practicing some kind of anti-tendril martial art. The flips, spins, and kicks were impressive, although they did not seem to be doing much in the way of actual damage.
I slowly pulled back from Sunny and nuzzled her cheek. “We have work to do.”
She nodded eagerly but set her hoof on my heart where the Virtue of Courage resided, glowing. “I know… I’m just so happy we got you back. You had me worried that it was too late. There was just so much darkness around you.”
“I know… did Midnight cap—”
“Yes, she’s hiding again, waiting for the next opportunity.”
“What about Miley and Tranquil?”
“Incoming!” I head Miley Hooves shout as she went flying over my head, cradled in Tranquil’s legs. When they got close to Maristella, a new tendril shot out from her side and grabbed the nox pony by the tail.
The extension of the alicorn gave a savage shake and smashed Tranquil to the ground before letting her go and lashing out once more.
Tranquil had managed to give Miley enough time to drop, roll, and skillfully buck the alicorn in the foreleg. It was completely ineffective other than to draw the attention off the downed flyer.
“The Elements aren’t working, Silent, how do we beat her?” Sunny asked, her voice firm as she slipped into her role as a Royal Guard officer.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure. We’d been given very little time to learn to use our Virtues or even what they did. All I knew was that they all seemed to be glowing. I grabbed her hoof and pulled her up. “We fight her, together.”
Maristella’s attention shifted away from the multi-front battle she was fighting, her eyes falling on me and Sunny. When she saw me, she shrieked, “Stay away from my prize!”
Her horn burst into white flames that started to brighten. Dark energy swirled around the room, building into a funnel that coalesced above Maristella’s head. It felt as if wind was whipping by me, standing my coat on end.
Miley Hooves jumped between us and the alicorn and stood to her full height. Despite her small stature, she seemed huge. “I may not be as strong or as brave as Silent Knight, but I won’t let you have him!” she shouted in defiance.
“As you wish. In a moment, you shall be ash and he will be mine to retake.”
I reached out for Miley’s tail, desperate to pull her clear but Sunny and I were just too far away.
The funnel finished spinning and built into a single point of darkness before a pillar of sickly flames erupted from Maristella’s horn, rushing towards Miley and, as a result, us as well.
Miley squealed in surprise and threw her forehooves up in a futile attempt to shield herself as the flames struck. When they did, ethereal light flared in front of the petite mare and a shield sprung up from her bangles. The dark energy disintegrated as the two connected, leaving Miley screaming but unscathed.
“What is this!” Maristella demanded.
Tranquil Dusk pushed herself up off the floor, wiping her hoof across her face. “This is us overcoming you!” she shouted before falling into the combat stance I’d taught her.
Maristella sneered. “Do not be foolish. You have no hope of defeating me. Look at your champions! They are defeated. You are nothing compared to them.”
True to her word, Rainbow Dash was being pulled closer by the very Element of Harmony that had been used to defeat so many dangerous magical creatures. She was dragging her friends along with her, too.
“We do have hope, and that is enough!” Tranquil shot back before briefly glancing over her shoulder at me.
“Come on, Sunny,” I ordered as I charged at the alicorn. It was time to take advantage of the fact that our adversary still did not fully understand what we possessed.
“Okay!” was her only response as we galloped at Maristella together. She needed no more encouragement as grim determination filled us both.
Warmth started to spread across my chest, radiating from the Virtue of Courage. It rippled through my body and swelled against my side. A quick glance over revealed a gleaming lance expanding from the remnants of my armor. Though made wholly of light, it resembled the one I’d carried as a dragoon.
Sunny was experiencing a similar magical boon as a radiant sword burst into life alongside her horn. Her eyes went wide in surprise when she saw it. The blade bobbed and weaved, seeming to track with the motion of her eyes.
“Suck it, Twilight! I’ve got a magic sword!” she shouted as a battle cry.
Maristella turned to face us, seemingly unfazed by this turn of events. Two miasma tendrils shot out of her chest, lashing in our direction as she whipped them in our path.
With the skill of an expert swordspony, Sunny leapt over the first and slashed through the second, severing it from its connection back to Maristella. My partner then wheeled around and cut through the other. In both cases, the severed portion exploded into a dark haze before fading from existence.
The other ends quickly pulled back to cling to Maristella. That was when I saw fear in the alicorn from the way her jaw clenched and her stance changed. What was previously little more than a mild annoyance for her was now a battle with higher stakes.
She’d allowed me a moment to see her concern before several more tendrils of miasma rose from her back and lashed out at us. This time they moved with far more purpose and caution. Sunny managed to catch two more of them before being swatted aside by another.
I ducked one, leapt over another, and slid under a third, aiming my lance for the alicorn’s heart. Instead of finding it, I found myself immediately halted as the tip of my lance met the end of Maristella’s hoof. She’d managed to stop me perfectly and was holding back the weapon.
Whatever she’d used to stop my momentum was not miasma or darkness. It looked like any normal spell. She was intentionally keeping the weapon away without disharmony or dark magic. They couldn’t stand up to our weapons, but she could, it seemed.
We still had an advantage. I threw my wings out and leapt into the air, putting some distance between us.
As I flew upwards, my mane rustled against the ceiling. This was not the best of rooms to fight in, but we’d make it work. I yelled down to the others, “Keep the tendrils off Rainbow Dash. Twilight Sparkle, be ready!”
“Okay!” Twilight Sparkle shouted back.
“Miley, Ferrel, and Dream Pop, left flank!” I added as I landed on the opposite side of the room. Yes, Maristella could hear my orders, but it didn’t necessarily mean she could do anything about it. Especially not with so many of us to try to focus on.
Tranquil Dusk landed beside me and nodded. Sunny joined us as well, favoring her left hindleg and limping.
“I am going to punch this bitter pony right in the face,” she growled.
“Works for me,” I said before throwing a hoof forwards. “Charge!”
All at once we galloped towards Maristella, attacking as one. Whatever trepidation she had held after seeing our Virtues did not translate to a frightened opponent. Tendrils of dark energy whipped back and forth, lashing against us all.
Miley was able to bring up her shield again, breaking one part while Ferrel smashed through another with her warhammer.
Dream Pop wasn’t so lucky; her acrobatics weren’t enough this time. She’d managed to leap over one tendril only to be caught by a second one right in the belly. Maristella followed through with the attack and threw the earth pony across the room.
Sunny’s sword cut through tendril after tendril until there were no more on our side. That is when Maristella switched her tactics. Her horn illuminated and she started attacking with beams of raw force. Where the energy hit, wood splintered and kicked up shrapnel, causing the old floor to groan in protest.
I could feel the waves go by, standing the hairs of my coat on end. A direct hit would likely not be something anypony could survive. We weren’t making any progress against our opponent. That had to change.
Once again, I darted in to attack, relying on Tranquil and Sunny to cover me and hoping that the others would do their part. I was a trained dragoon—hitting a target while moving was what I did.
The hoof came up to block but I was prepared for it. She shouldn’t have assumed I’d fall for that trick again. At the last second, I jerked quickly to the side and rolled, changing the angle of attack.
My bright lance skittered at the edges of the shield spell and struck along Maristella’s flank. Where it hit, the bone-colored coat burnt away, briefly revealing a splendid golden coat.
It was something I wished I hadn’t seen. She wasn’t just an evil beast. There was still a pony under there. We couldn’t just kill her. We had to save her!
She snarled in pain and lashed a tendril out at me. Tranquil dove in the way, a shield like Miley’s bursting into life in front of her and breaking up the darkness.
I landed, slid to a stop and turned only to see the golden coat being overtaken once again with the sickly pallor. One wound would not be sufficient. She was too taken with the darkness that was surrounding her.
“Ponies to me! Miley and Tranquil, shield us,” I called.
Everypony hurried to me while Maristella lashed out at us with renewed anger. Each time her spells hurtled towards us, Miley or Tranquil jumped in the way, their shields flaring and deflecting.
Sunny, Ferrel, Dream Pop, and I huddled behind them. I waved a hoof. “New plan. There’s a pony in there somewhere. I cut through the disharmony. We need to get as much off her as possible, just like you did me. Then Twilight Sparkle can blast her.”
“You seek to remove much darkness, Silent,” Ferrel said as a dark tendril lashed overhead, barely blocked by Tranquil.
“Hurry up, girls! Stationary targets are easy to hit,” Miley squeaked over her shoulder.
I shook my head. “We have to try. Dream Pop, get around her and go explain the goal to Twilight Sparkle. Then find Midnight and get her ready to catch.”
“Yes, sir!” Dream Pop said before doing a pointed back flip and disappearing off at a full gallop.
“Sunny, Ferrel, go with Tranquil and get in her face. Miley and I will get at her from behind.”
“Sure, great! Put me up front,” Sunny snorted before setting her hoof on Tranquil’s back. “Let’s go, girl!”
They rushed off, Tranquil doing her best to keep all of the attacks from hitting her friends. Miley was doing the same, at least as best she could. I must have looked silly trying to hide my bulk behind a pony so small.
That is why I eventually just picked her up around the waist and carried her under one foreleg.
“Silent, no! Stop it! Stop it!” she squealed as another burst of miasma crashed against her glittery shield.
“Hold still!” I ordered as I charged forwards, trying to orient my lance as Miley wiggled in my grasp. I’d grossly overestimated my ability by thinking I could be accurate in such a way. “I’m going to drop you on her back, run your shield along it and jump off,” I huffed as I decided to change tactics.
“What! No!” Miley shouted in response as I spread my wings out wide and made it look as if I was going to try to land a hit directly into Maristella’s side.
When her shield came up to block, I flared my wings, shot up, and rolled over, dropping Miley exactly where I had planned when the alicorn’s attention shot back to the others attacking at her face.
Miley, despite whatever fear she was feeling, followed orders spectacularly. She ran her shield all the way down the alicorns back, burning up the bone color and exposing the gold underneath
Once more, Maristella howled. With a mighty buck, she tossed Miley off. It had been an excellent distraction, however, as Sunny’s radiant sword slashed at the pallor coating the alicorn, rending it from her chest in large swaths. The darkness fell to the floor and bubbled briefly before disappearing in puffs of black and purple smoke.
Ferrel rushed forwards, her own warhammer shining like a beacon of pure white light. Her crown of laurels had burst into their own radiance and it was spreading along her horn and into the weapon and shield she was wielding.
“Stay back, you little beasts!” Maristella shouted before driving her horn to the floor and sending out a wave of dark energy. It rippled along the boards and knocked everypony away from her, kicking up dust, and filling the room with a noxious fog. The cloud was so thick that even her burning mane and tail were obscured.
“Keep at her!” I ordered into the darkness. I circled back around and dove for where I’d seen her before.
A heavy wind found my back and drove both me and the haze forwards. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed Twilight Sparkle and Midnight Snow holding hooves tightly and focusing on a wind spell.
Within a second, the cover was gone and I could see my target. There was almost as much gold as there was bone white. This was it. We were almost there.
Maristella was distracted, her black, hollow eyes locked on Ferrel. They were facing off and it seemed like the unicorn had been unfazed by the magical trickery. Perhaps she could see through it.
The white and gold mare was holding her own against the alicorn, facing her horn to horn in a contest of magic. Tendrils lashed out against the exemplar’s shield and warhammer. They broke against the gleaming weapons.
At the same time, spells of a more conventional nature were thrown from alicorn to unicorn and back. Shields of blue and silver would pop up to stop them, but I could see that some were getting through and hitting Ferrel.
With the alicorn distracted, I knew this was my chance. I pointed my spear directly at her and swooped in for the final strike. My hopes was that the light would break through all of the remaining disharmony.
Without a thought to my own safety, I focused on the attack, lining up for the back of her head. I could do this. I could end it. Break open the dark shield and let Twilight Sparkle do the rest. I could—
My momentum was immediately broken when something closed around my throat and yanked me back. Pain exploded as my body surged forwards without my head following. The strain was immense, but that was the least of my worries. I couldn’t breathe!
I only managed a strangled gurgle as my breath started to escape. I clawed with my forehooves as a tendril of dark miasma started to tighten further.
“You will not win! He is still mine, still in my mind. I know what he is thinking, I know what he is doing!” Maristella snapped before slamming her forelegs down and sending a shockwave out.
The entire floor rolled in response, causing the wood to creak, splinter, and groan. Everypony standing on it was thrown off their hooves.
That left me to struggle violently in the grasp. The more I did, however, the worse it got. She was killing me, and I couldn't do a thing to stop her. Somepony, help!
“Release him, Maristella, you have wrought enough darkness in this world already,” came the clear, firm voice of Exemplar Ferrel.
Though my vision was starting to tunnel, I could see the mare on her hooves again, approaching the alicorn without fear or reservation. Silver light encircled her, pouring off the Virtue of Wisdom. My hooves dropped from my neck. I didn’t have the energy to keep them up anymore.
“Do not dare order me about, pawn! Your kind is responsible for the deaths of the alicorns. It was so easy to convince them! So easy to turn them! Even those that stood against me together were easily destroyed. What do you think you will do by yourself?”
“Release him!” Ferrel ordered firmly, her warhammer flying purposefully forwards, shattering the tendril.
I gasped for air as I hit the ground with a hard thud. The pain of the landing was a welcome relief after nearly being strangled to death. Maristella snarled, but didn't take her eyes off the ancient unicorn in front of her.
“It ends now!” Ferrel shouted before charging at Maristella.
“For you, weak old fool! You think you are strong enough to challenge me? Have at it, then!”
I caught Ferrel’s eyes as she hurtled forwards. They were filled with willful determination… and sorrow.
“Wait!” I rasped, throwing a hoof out and desperately looking for somepony to intervene.
Two meters or so before they met, Ferrel leapt into the air. Wings of silver light shot out from her back, helping her to sail forwards. She and Maristella collided bodily together.
While she was pummeled and beaten by hoof and horn, Ferrel wrapped her hooves and wings of light around the pale alicorn.
There was a scream then. One of extreme anguish and pain. The light was searing the pale coat from Maristella’s form. She was being fully enveloped as she lashed out against her captor.
I turned, “Twilight Sparkle! Midnight Snow! Now!”
They hadn’t needed my orders. They’d been prepared. A heavy beam of rainbow energy burst past me and collided with Maristella and Ferrel, throwing them heavily against the battle-marked floor.
Unfortunately, it was a floor that could take no more abuse. It gave way beneath the two, dropping them from the heights of the spire into the keep below.
“No!” I rushed to the edge of the gap and jumped down it, casting my wings out and trying to get into a dive amidst the stone and rubble that was dropping with me.
Beneath me I could see them falling together: a badly beaten and bloody Ferrel and a golden alicorn I did not recognize.
They were too far ahead already. I pumped my wings and dove as hard as I could, my eyes making contact with Ferrel’s. She flashed a light smile at me and mouthed ‘goodbye’ just as she and Maristella smashed into the floor below. The beautiful light from the Virtue of Wisdom gleamed for a second more before fading.
My blood ran cold as sudden grief hit me as hard as any weapon. So hard that I almost crashed into the stone floor myself. I pulled up at the last second and landed by the pair, rushing to Ferrel’s side.
Before I could set my hoof to her throat to check for a pulse, I knew she was gone. I’d seen death too many times on the battlefield. It was, unfortunately, well known to me.
There was some consolation, though. Ferrel looked peaceful… happy, even. I gently closed her eyes with a hoof.
A strangled cough pulled me from my grief. I slowly turned to find the gold alicorn I knew as Maristella standing on quivering legs… glaring at me. The darkness was gone, but there was no light in her eyes. They were filled with malice.
She was nothing but skin and bones, the very image of death and starvation. A gaunt abomination of what a pony should look like with her coat stretching over the absence of muscles.
“You…” she hissed, taking a weak step towards me.
I turned and stood to my full height. If it was a fight she wanted, then she would have one.
“Ruined everything!” Her voice was hollow and gasping. She took another step but her hoof slipped, causing her to catch herself with her wings. The feathers that touched the stone sheared off but it was enough to keep her up.
“You are beaten,” I growled. The sound of hooves approaching at a gallop caught my ear. The others were arriving.
“I will have my revenge!” Her horn started to brighten as if she was casting a spell, but the magic never came. Instead, the tip of her horn started to fall to dust, crumbling from top to base.
Maristella stumbled once more as she tried to reach me, but this time when her hoof found the floor, it gave way and fell apart like sands through an hourglass. She lurched forwards and collapsed. When her body hit the ground, it fell to ash. In an instant, she was no more.
It was over. The battle… the war… everything. We’d done it. We’d completed a mission set in our path generations ago. Relief set in. Relief and guilt. The guilt of knowing that, once again, not everypony would return home.
“Silent!” Sunny shouted before galloping to my side and throwing her hooves around me. “We did it!”
“Yes,” I said plainly. I looped a foreleg around her but wasn’t feeling the same warmth as before. Together, we slowly turned to where Ferrel was laying.
Tranquil swooped down and scooped the unicorn’s head into her forelegs. “No… Ferrel, no…”
Sunny let me go and hurried to their side. “Dream Pop! You have medical supplies, hurry!”
I shook my head. “It’s okay,” I whispered as I trotted over to them and set a hoof on Sunny’s back. “She did what was necessary.”
Dream Pop was there in an instant and began applying bandages to the many, many wounds that Maristella had inflicted while the two were grappling.
Miley loomed near me, a hoof over her eyes.
I took a deep breath. She was gone, but that was not so horrible. I might not have remembered all that had happened to me but I knew it was nice when I was dead. “Dream Pop… stop, you know better than anypony she is gone,” I said.
The mare kept pressing bandages into wounds for a moment longer before a tear rolled down her cheek. “This is not super okay,” she whispered, her head bowing and her hooves dropping to her sides.
“I know,” I said softly, keeping my tone as even as I could. Twilight Sparkle, Midnight Snow, and the rest stood quietly nearby, giving us room to grieve for our comrade.
I knew that many of them were wounded. Maelstrom looked worse for the wear. Her horn was split and she was barely conscious. She was conscious though, resting on Applejack’s back. She took punishment as well as I did.
“Dream Pop, tend to everypony’s wounds. There is something I need to retrieve before we go.”
I left them there for the moment, flying back to the spire. That is when I allowed myself to cry. Not where they could see it. I would grieve for Ferrel, but this time I wouldn’t let a death turn me.
In the ruins of the spire I found Ferrel’s warhammer and shield. They were both far heavier than I imagined they’d be. She’d always wielded them without effort. At least that was how it appeared.
Once I’d composed myself, I flew back from the spire. “Guards, show our friend the honor she deserves,” I ordered while I crouched down.
Using my wings, I carefully positioned the battered but still gleaming shield against my back.
Sunny, Miley, and Midnight Snow carefully lifted Ferrel’s body and settled her on the shield. Dream Pop pulled a black cloak from her bag and gently draped it over the fallen unicorn, tucking it under her chin so it appeared as if she was sleeping.
I rose slowly and started for the front of the castle. “Come, we must inform the princesses that our plan has been successful, and the wounded will need better care than we can provide here.”
Without another word, we marched out into the haze of smoke that had been kicked up by the Everfree burning. It would be a long march to Canterlot.
Hello, everyone! Now, more than ever, I ask you to PLEASE, PLEASE use the spoiler tag! Due to the incredibly sensitive nature of what happens in the chapter, I will be deleting comments that spoil it without spoiler tags!
This has been a long time coming with many hints, plans, and foreshadowing. The climax of the story and the series. I hope you enjoy it even if it is painful to read.
Thank you for everyone that has been on this journey with me. May you find this and the remaining few chapters satisfying.
If you are enjoying this story, please consider taking a look at Crystal and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, Q&B AU wiki, and special rewards for the awesome folks who support our Patreon. We have monthly art give aways, a Q&B Discord RPG, a several other fun gifts for patrons.
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Congrats on reaching the peak. :P
Rest well Ferrel and be reunited with Fiona even if you never returned her love. And Maristella I heard Tartarus is an uncomfy vacation address, enjoy.
Oh goddammit not Ferrel, she was my favorite. D:
How dare you make me cry at work Anzel! My coworkers already think me weird! * sniff* Ferrel! I will miss you! Rest in peace.
Interesting, so it seems like Loyalty really was a bit of a weakness given which of the Bearers is getting pulled along.
Virtue weapons, neat.
In a completely unexpected turn of events, Maristella turns out to have been a time-lost Golden Pants who backslid to her old behavior after being trapped without her modern day friends.
How rude. Nobody tosses a dwarf pony.
No tossing! Silent! No! Tossing!
Whoops, that's a bit of a weakness for this fight.
Good work, Ferrel.
Not everything can be super okay, Dream Pop.
Sorrowful and satisfying. How did you do that?
gonna miss you, Ferrel
Well, I didn't think we'd be saying goodbye to a character that way. On the plus side, something hinted at in a prior chapter is finally coming to fruition.
Why mate?
Oof. All that effort and Ferrel's sacrifice to try and cleanse Maristella, and the pony under it was evil too. They would've been one pony up if they just killed her and been done with it.
:raises his glass:
To you, Exemplar. You brought light into the lives of others, even if it was hard to understand sometimes. Those that dwell in the shadows salute you as well.
Rest calmly, Ferrel.
Ferrel seemed to exemplify the old adage here. Return with your shield, or on it. So well done Ferrel, may you rest in peace knowing that you died well.
*Me looking at new updates, seeing the new chapter titled "Wisdom"*
"Wait wait wait, isn't that the Virtue for..."
*Something clicks in my mind*
"Shit, he's going to kill her... isn't he? Please let me be wrong..."
I wasn't.
She had a long life and a good death. Rest, now, Ferrel, for your watch has ended.
Rest well Ferrel. Say hi to everyone in the Near To for me. Let your wisdom forever guide us.
Farewell, Ferrel!!
I had tears in my eyes when I finished this chapter!
Damn it, Anzel!! Why do you have to do this?!
*insert Fast 7 ending song here*
I don't know if this counts as a spoiler, but I'm going to cover it anyway for the sake of the readers.
Ferrel No! She was my favorite.
Honestly saw that coming. That aside, Sunny has one of the best lines this chapter.
Did... did Miley just call Silent a girl and get away with it?
I don't think this needs the spoiler tags, but if it does please tell me and I will put them on.
Ferrel, no. D:
RIP :<
Anzel y
8245263
Good grief! I am struck with tragedy and horror over this revelation. May she rest in peace as well.
8245241 Thank you very much. It has taken a long time to get here and I'm pretty happy with the results.
8245263 Ah yes, that might be a nice reunion to see. After all, it seems that Fiona has been waiting a very long time.
8245271 To be honest, she is one of mine too. It hit me in the feels very hard writing that but sometimes you have to murder your babies!
8245295 This is just one of those things that I occasionally do! It got me too!
8245301
I tried to be a little clever on the whole. I didn't want the whole plot to be resolved in the typical "blast it with friendship" method! Plus I like the idea of Rainbow Dash being dragged around! Poor blue pony.
Might be canon! Actually, I had a few questions from Crystal about that color choice given her House. I just called her racist.
8245311 I'm going to call it using a proven formula and managing to execute on it well. I'm glad I hit on those emotions =D
8245318 Me too. Me too!
8245321 A little surprise there! And it seems someone has some theory about what is going to happen in the resolution!
8245351 I'm not going to lie, this was my favorite comment today. Two words. So simple. So meaningful. The short answer is: I had to. It had to matter.
8245376 A valid point. Assuming they could manage to do so of course! Then again, why didn't Harry Potter just shoot Big V with an assault rifle? ;D
8245394 I'll drink to that.
8245406 Very fitting. I listened to this while I watched the comments trickle in.
8245438 That seemed like a good tradition to follow. Especially in this particular case.
8245445 I'll be honest and say I'm glad you caught it. The name was chosen to build tension.
8245479 Very well said!
8245633 And so, I'm sure, she shall.
8245717 If it makes you feel any better it does the same thing to me!
8245748 Would have been a spoiler, yes ;) And I totally understand. I feel the exact same way!
8245805 Hahaha, yes! Thank you so much. That got added at the 11th hour. I felt like the charge was too boring and needed to be punched up. It just seemed like something Sunny would shout.
8245917 Not a spoiler! ;) This was intended, yeah! So in my mind, "girls" for ponies is like when people say "you guys" even when addressing all girls and/or a mixed group. Silent would be used to that. Now calling him filly or mar would be weird.
8245964 Ah, to make it hit home. To show the up and the down. The give and the take. The sorrow in the sweet. This is "of a Royal Guard" nothing was ever easy here.
Well Sunny had the best warcry of the series. But... Damn that climax.. No victory comes without sacrifice... Damn... A great but sad chapter.
The battle has ended, but at what cost?
....rest in peace, Exemplar Ferrel. You've earned that much.
Good heavens! The death of Exemplar Ferrel (aka the bearer of Wisdom) was indeed an unexpected turn of events and I honestly that such an act is as terrible as killing off Princess Zelda.
It's okay, Anzel, I didn't need my heart. Hearts are overrated. What's the use, pumping blood or something? Go ahead and rip it out of my chest.
8245321
?
What was the hint? (Feel free to answer in a PM.)
8246111
Well that is good to know, as it follows my motto : "no tears in the writer, no tears in the reader" (or well something like that.)
You ... you heartless author, you! I hope you're happy! Waaaaaahhhhhhh
Ferrel finally gets to live in the present for the first time in ages, and now you kill her?! And not only that, it wasn't Maristella that killed her, but a huge fall!
WHY? 
Even if SK couldn't have saved her, you had the fastest flyer in Equestria in the room! RD had better be broken up about this next chapter!
*ahem*
Carry on.
May Exemplar Ferrel find peace in the Far From.
Damn. First, you delivered the awesome, then you stabbed me in the heart. I read this over dinner, and I had to compose myself at the restaurant. Bravo, my good man.
I'm now waiting to see where the story goes from here. Whether it was a ruse or not, Silent Knight and Crystal Wishes are going to have a lot of talking to do once all this business is over. All of Canterlot better turn out to see Ferrel to her final resting place.
8246111
I have my moments. They do not come often, but I have them.
Welp. You did it. I kinda expected we weren't getting through this story without somepony actually dying off. And, as much as I loved reading her character, Exemplar Ferrel was clearly tired. There has only been one character death in MLP that feels like this to me, and that was Steelhooves in Fallout Equestria. But unlike that one, Ferrel died doing something important, rather than just as shock value. Bravo.
I hope there's a story down the line about Ferrel in the afterlife
But yeah, that hit hard. On the bright side Maristella is dead, and Silent's mission is done.
What a great but sad chapter. Don't want to spoil anything but I really enjoyed this chapter and can't wait to see what and were you go from this point.
8246517
You'll need to go back a few chapters, to the episode where Silent was in the in-between
Wow, this was a really good chapter, even if it ended with feels. Ferel died a good death.
be reunited with Fiona exemplar Ferrel.
a vary good chapter.
[warning: The link contains story spoilers]
img.ifcdn.com/images/84e72a734fcbf7bcd33313c8fa162a62fc02038f1f056de1b58757fc97656f19_1.gif
As soon as I saw the chapter title I was like: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Please tell me her hammer and shield will receive their own place by the Flower Foundation Memorial.
Well... Well, that's one way to make a new alicorn of the day. Because that's what you're up to, right, Anzel? Right?!
And, as with so many fanfictions, I'm mildly disappointed that ponyland just isn't the same as the one we fell in love with, where The Elements can do what Silent tried to get them to do here. Oh, well. At least she's not bothering anypony now.
Hardly knew you, but I'm still missing you, Maristella.
8246115 Sunny often has the best lines. At least in my mind. I just love having her say something wholly inappropriate and random.
8246149 That is fitting.
8246303 I would say a fairly heavy cost but very few battles leave either side unscathed!
8246304 Agreed.
8246315 She made a big sacrifice to ensure the team won, that is for sure.
8246377 I needed more for my collection!
8246526 Yeah, if I don't feel it I don't think it is hitting.
8246537 As a heartless author I need to occasionally take hearts from readers to sustain myself!
8246558 Reading at the table!
I'm glad I got the feels though =D It hit me hard too!
8246705 I take that as extremely high praise!
8246865 Yes, she is gone and peace has been restored.... we hope!
8246913 Thank you =) From here we're going to do the wrap up and set a bow on it.
8246928 The feels are real!
8247252 Thank you very much =D
8247409 Yeah, I chose that title to build tension in anyone that made the connection. Several did and I think it worked well.
8247748 It largely depends on how you view it. From a fundamental level, the elements did exactly what they do: they removed the disharmony completely. Unfortunately what was beneath was just a bad pony. The elements can't change the nature of who a person is. At least that is how I see it from the show. Luna wanted to be saved so she was. Silent wanted to be saved so he was. Mairstella didn't.
For me, it is fairly consistent with the show. Not everything that has been rainbow blasted became a friend.
Maybe it's the fact that I'm not drunk(this time), or possibly that I knew what was going to happen let me down easy, or simply the smile on her face at her final moment, but I don't really feel sad. A bit melancholy sure, but not sorrow.
Fun fact, I read this chapter intermittently throughout the day whilst waiting in line for rides at Shanghai Disneyland :D
Ferrel...ah, it's surprising to see a death, and yet it's surprising in the fact that, well, I never really read MLP stories expecting a death, especially ones that are usually kind of slice of life...yeah, I know of the griffons and ponies killed earlier, but we know Ferrel. So...didn't expect that. But since we know how pony heaven works in this universe,
I know for sure Ferrel won't be sad there. Especially with Fiona waiting for her
That conjures imagery and begs elaboration.
So I suppose this means all will be ending soon. Shame, but it was a good run.
Wow, So many feels but great chapter! I hope everything else works out.
Wait a second. 8247748 just sparked a question in me: Are we going to see SK become a new Alicorn? Perhaps the next Student of the Night? I remember that the Night Alicorn in the Near-To (Nocturna?) gave SK some kind of gift when he was still dead...