Darkness Returns

by BronyNathan

Noble acts don't go unnoticed

The bubble dissipated around Woodwind as he was flung out at the bottom of the mountain side. He looked up to see Celestia standing over him, his children wrapped gingerly under her wing.
"But... how did-" Woodwind stammered, but she cut him short.
"I saw what you did." She said forcing a smile. "It was very noble of you. That you would sacrifice your own life to give the others their chance to survive. It takes courage beyond my comprehension."
She handed him his children, who were cooing in their sleep.
"Why did you do it, princess? Why did you bring me back?"
She smiled at him and shook her head. "I didn't save you." She said bluntly.
He looked up at her with confusion written on his face like a book. She simply pointed to his neck.
"Look." She said.
He looked down, and latched to his neck once again, was the Element of Love. He stared deep into the facets he missed so much, but the butterflies were no longer there. It was just an empty green crystal.
"What? But I destroyed it." He said, a pang of regret etched in his voice.
"I know you did. But as a wielder of an Element, it is bound to you until the day you die, and pass it along to somepony else." Celestia stated making it sound like law instead of a tradition. "You know, your daughter is one loving filly." Celestia finished, patting him on the back.
"She is..." he said, lost in thought.
His daughter was an amazing filly. More loving than him. She had done more for her friends and family in her five years being alive than he had in his entire life. She was going to be a great mare someday. His smile quickly faded as he remembered...
"But she was killed... Caltroth slit-" He cut himself off as tears began to stream down his face.
Celestia looked to the top of the mountain. "Do you want to know who that shadow Alicorn was? The one you summoned?" She asked, looking back down to him.
He looked up at her, eyes wide. "You know who he was?" He asked astonished.
"I do." she said smiling wide. "He was my father."
Woodwinds jaw nearly hit the ground he opened his mouth so wide. "Y-your father?!" he stammered, collecting his jaw off the floor.
She chuckled. "Yes. Long ago, he was the Element of hope. An Element that died with him. It accepted nopony else but him. But today, you held the hopes of all your friends, your family, and everypony in Equestria on your shoulders; including me." her smile was like a hug to him. She genuinely meant all that she said.
"Wow. Kinda makes you wonder, what if I had died that day, during the battle with Cole, all those years ago?" he asked hypothetically.
She shrugged and began to walk away. "I guess we'll never know." She said and disappeared in a ball of light.
"Well, death, maybe someday i'll follow you into the shadow." He said looking up at the dawn.
Death was like a close friend to him. It was always looming over his shoulder ever since he became a soldier on Earth. And it still stayed, even in this peaceful world. It would take him soon, he knew that much.
But when? Well, that's the mystery isn't it?
Woodwind wrapped the foals in his forelegs and began his long flight up the mountain.

Squeak had asked to be alone for a while, which her mother hesitantly agreed to. She had fluttered to an adjacent hilltop, looking out at the rising sun.
"Daddy. I wish you were here to watch the sun come up with me." She let out a sigh and put her head in her hooves.
"Why do you always have to leave me? Why can't you just stay with me, and let us be a family like the normal mares and colts at school?"
She began to sob. Sob not only for her daddy, but for mommy and her brother and sister. The twins wouldn't even remember daddy.
And what about mommy? She loved him so much. Didn't he think of her before he did something dangerous? What was he thinking?
She let all her tears flow free, falling from her face onto her folded forelegs.
She felt something land beside her, but she didn't look up. She expected it to be Mommy or Auntie Dashy.
"I just want to be alone right now. Please?" she pleaded to whoever was there with her.
"Oh, well I thought i'd watch the sunrise with my favorite little filly, but if thats how you feel..."
She shot up at the voice and lunged onto his neck.
"DADDY, DADDY, DADDY!" She yelled squeezing him as tight as she could. "How are you here? How did you- Oh nevermind! Daddy!"
He laughed, and stood as she still clung to his neck. "Lets go see mommy! I want to show her what I found!" She continued, flapping her little wings with such joy, he swore they'd fall off.
"Alright, sweetiepie. Lets give them another beyond the grave surprise." He laughed.
He continued walking down the path, Squeak now nestled on his head, and the twins balanced on his wings, awake now and giggling to each other.
"Daddy? How many times have you died now?"
He thought about it and laughed. He really only died once, technically, but he thought he'd humor her.
"Oh I don't know... three? Maybe four times?" he said looking up at her.
She leaned into his face, "You're not a zombie pony are you?" She asked, a look of suspicion etched into hers.
"I might be. And now i'm going to eat your brains!" he said raising his forelegs into the air.
She squeed loudly and flew into the air trying to avoid his reach.

Fluttershy and the others heard her yell and shot up faster than lighting. "Squeak? Ya lil' filly! What in tarnation is goin' on out there?" AppleJack yelled, running for the path.
Squeak shot out from the bushes, giggling loudly. She hid behind Fluttershy and continued her giggle fit.
"Sweetie? What is it? Why are you laughing so much?" Fluttershy asked, lifting the hind leg Squeak was hiding behind.
"The zombie! He's gonna get me!" she yelled
The other ponies stood there puzzled, but Fluttershy knew exactly what she was talking about.
Her face was now aglow, she flew up just above the ground, as she scanned the path for Woodwind.
She heard giggles as the twins burst from the woods, trotting to the mares in front of them.
They turned to Rainbow Dash, who tried to scramble away. But it was fruitless.
They jumped on her back and pinned her down, at least she played along with it anyway.
"Great. Fluttershy? Why do your rugrats love me so much?" She asked as she placed a frustrated hoof under her chin.
Fluttershy giggled. "They love their Auntie Dashy. But, where did they come from? Who-"
She was cut off as a green flash bolted from the trees behind them, and grabbed her in it's forearms.
She was scared, but only for a second until she realized who it was.

The others jumped in surprise as Fluttershy and the green flash hit the ground, but smiles quickly spread across their faces when they saw who it was holding Fluttershy in his arms.
Rainbow Dash began to stammer and shake when she saw him. "Z-z-z-zombie pony!" She yelled and dove into the bushes, leaving Buck and Tinyhooves on the ground giggling. AppleJack scooped them up and put them on her stetson hat. Everyone laughed at her attempts to hide, and Woodwind decided to play along with it.
He dove into the bush and growled at her. She screamed again and bolted out, only to be tackled by Woodwind.
He pinned her to the ground. "Heya Rainbow! Didja miss me?" He asked smiling right in her face, nose to nose with her.
She kneed him in the stomach and looked pissed. "Woody! What the heck is the matter with you?! You scared- I mean- surprised- I mean-"
But he cut her off giving her a big hug. "God, I was going to miss that smug attitude of yours, you know that?"
She began to smile and hugged him back and the other girls joined in.
"How did you escape?!" Twilight asked as they all gave him some space. He cleared his throat and began to tell the tale.
"Well, as you know, I fell into Tartarus. But because I decided to sacrifice to save those I love, The Element of Love came back to me and teleported me back here."
The others looked perplexed by his story. "But, what about the big meany Caltroth?" Pinkie Pie asked looking angry at the name. Woodwind chuckled.
"Last I saw of him, he was falling into the depths of hell, right where he belongs."
The others looked relieved . Squeak smiled and jumped back on her fathers head, ruffling his mane. "Can we go home now, Daddy? I'm sleepy."
the others awed as Squeak yawned and curled up in his mane. "Sure Squeaks, lets get out of here."
"Well, all's well that ends well, ah reckon." AppleJack said happily. "Now lets get on back to town and get some well deserved-"
She was cut off as Woodwinds Element began to glow. "What the heck is happening?" Rainbow asked, shielding her eyes.
As the element grew brighter, a small light began to come from Squeak's mane and three little crystal butterflies came flying out.
The others looked on in wonder as they began to flap their paper thin crystal wings, and melding back into the crystal when they touched it.
"Wow!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed when the spectacle was over. "That was super dooper cool!" Woodwind just laughed.
He looked down to the crystal and at the butterflies inside it. Somehow, it didn't feel right without them. He looked back to Fluttershy and smiled, knowing that she was the biggest part of his life, and the only reason he was the holder of the element.
The rest of the trip back was spent with Rainbow and Pinkie talking about what had happened after Woodwind had fell in the portal. How Cole sacrificed his life to save Squeak's, and mostly just about how cool it was when he fought Discord.
Twilight hung in the back of the group with Luna, who was still acting a bit sheepish.
"Is there something wrong Princess?" Twilight asked, nudging her to get her attention.
"Oh, uh n-no, everything's fine, Twilight Sparkle. Why do you ask?"
Twilight tilted her head and gave her a sly smile. "Well, it's just that you've been acting nervous all night and trying to keep your distance from Woodwind. Why is that?"
Luna looked away, trying to hide her blushing cheeks, but Twilight already saw. "Oh, you noticed. I-it's nothing, really. I-I just can't believe how lucky Fluttershy is to have somepony as brave as Woodwind. That's all." Luna said as she turned back and smiled.
It was all to clear to Twilight at that point. The princess liked Woodwind! She looked at Luna, who now had her eyes glued to Woodwind, then to Woodwind who was up in the front of the group, chatting with the girls.
"Your secret is safe with me, Luna. I promise." Twilight said giving the princess a wink.
Luna smiled and continued on walking, enjoying the cool morning air. She didn't think anymore about what happened, because quite frankly, nothing did if no one knows about it except the two of them.
The rest of the trip home was in smiles and laughter.