The Final Battle for Equestria

by Songbrony

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Derpy arrived back at the tent and pulled open the flap. As she stepped in she noticed Luna was laying on the bed with her hoof to her head. "Got a headache Luna?" She asked. Luna blushed.

"Uh...Yea. Just a little one. Is everything ok?" She asked.

"Everything's fine. You just got hit by a dart with gure on it. Knocked you out, made you a little sick, but now that it's out of your system you'll be perfectly fine." She said. She hesitated before saying her next sentence. "Linus came by. He helped get you back into consciousness when I left to check on the supplies. I come back though and no sign of Linus, but you're awake. I guess that's all that matters." She said as she went back to her chests.

Luna sat up this time. She wobbled a little but was able to stay seated on the bed. "Careful. The gure makes you very dizzy. Wait a few more minutes before you start walking." Derpy said. Luna put her hoof to her head again.

"Did Linus....say anything to you? Before you left?" She asked.

Derpy hesitated a little. "He said he wanted to spend his last night with you. That's it." She said.

"Why is this his last night?" Luna asked.

"Tomorrow's the fight. My guess is that he doesn't think he can beat Blaze in hoof to hoof combat. So I think he is accepting his defeat. It's not like him, but I think he's just worried. He'll have to kill Blaze in order to live. But I think Blaze will win. He's much stronger. But Linus is a little more agile than Blaze. But that can only last for so long." Derpy rambled. This was one problem Luna faced with Derpy. She didn't know when to stop talking. Luna got up to leave. She wobbled a little and almost fell, but she regained her footing and headed for the flap.

"Thanks Derpy for taking care of me. I'm going to check on Linus. Make sure he isn't too worried about this fight." She said and left. She walked to Linus' tent and stopped outside of it. "Linus? Are you in there? It's me, Luna." There was some rustling, the sound of a chair getting knocked over and a small grunt. He opened the flap and smiled as he saw Luna.

"Luna! Your awake!" He said and hugged her. He quickly let go of the hug though. She was still his commanding officer and it wasn't right for him to just hug her. "Oh. Uh. Sorry." He said as he turned red.

"It's ok Linus." She said and hugged him. Linus returned the hug. "Can I come in?" She asked.

"Sure. Here." He said, opening the flap to the tent. "Let me fix this real quick." He picked the chair up and placed it back up. "Here you go. Sorry about the mess. I didn't expect you to come here if you awoke." He said as he looked around at the mess of his tent.

"It's fine. I actually want to ask you something." She said, turning red. "Linus, when you were in the Derpy's tent, did you talk about something? About a past battle? I had a dream about Las Pegasus. How Chrysalis tried to freeze me but you jumped in front of it saving me." She said.

"Yea. I did talk about that. Didn't think you could hear me." He said.

"I see. Well, later on in the dream, you kissed me. Not directly, just on the forehead." She was bright red. "Did you?" Linus gulped.

"Umm... no. I didn't. You're my commanding officer. It wouldn't be right." He said with his head lowered.

Luna smiled. "You really are a terrible liar." She said.

"Luna, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." He said frantically. Luna suddenly rushed over and kissed him. When she pulled back, Linus was stunned. He couldn't speak and he turned the brightest shade of red. Luna giggled. It looked good through his green coat.

"Luna..." Linus said. He was too shocked to say anything.

"Don't give up. Fight. Don't just let him win. You both are needed here. But I want the pony who will fight to the end to be helping this army. Don't make this night your last." She said. She turned around and left the tent. Celestia watch over him. She prayed silently.

She kissed him. She didn't know why she had but she did. I need him. I need him more than ever. But he can't know that I feel the same way. I was lucky I was able to turn it into an assurance speech about the fight. It will be hard to explain it to him tomorrow. I hope he forgives me when I tell him. She walked back to her tent and laid in her bed with Linus filling her thoughts.
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Blaze and Rainbow reached the highest cloud in the sky. They landed on the soft cloud and looked to the camp below. It was barely visible. "Think we'll be disturbed up here?" Rainbow asked.

"Nope. I think we're too high up for them." He said with a smile. Blaze leaned over and kissed Rainbow. She put her hooves around the back of his mane and kissed him back. After awhile they stopped and just looked at each other.

"You know, I've never felt like this to any other pony." Rainbow said. "I've never really had any pony to hold me, to comfort me, to be there when I needed somepony." She said.

"I'm right here, and I don't plan on going anywhere. I'll always be here for you." He said.

"I know that. But if it weren't for Rook doing what he did, I probably would've lost you tomorrow." She said quietly. Blaze put his hoof under her head.

"Rainbow, you wouldn't have lost me. I can beat Linus in a hoof to hoof fight easily. But I wouldn't have killed him. Not unless there was no other way." Blaze said. "I'm still a little ticked that Rook did what he did, but I did the same for you." He said

"But Blaze, he's not even going to fight. He's not going to save himself. He's killing himself so that the army will have its best ponies to fight and end this war." She said.

"I know. But the army needs all the ponies it can get." He said. He kissed Rainbow again. When he pulled away she dropped her head. "Blaze...what if Chrysalis kills you in Ponyville? Or Canterlot? What do I do then?" Rainbow asked.

"Move on. Don't dread on my death. It will only hurt you more. Please, Rainbow, let's not talk about that. I already have to kill somepony from this army. I don't want to imagine my own death. I can't even begin to think about what is going on through Rook's head now." He said as he pulled out Linus' envelope. "Since Linus won't be dead tomorrow, I guess we should get rid of this." He said.

Blaze pulled a small match and a piece of flint from his pocket. He struck the match and was about to light the letter when Rainbow stopped him. "Blaze, wait. What if he dies in Ponyville? We should hold onto it in case something happens to him. He should at least have something that he can give to her in case something happens. I never got that chance. To know what every pony wanted to say before they died."

Blaze thought about it. "Ok Rainbow. You're right. She deserves to know what he thought about her." Blaze said. He put out the match and placed the letter back in his pocket. "We should head back to camp. Luna may be awake. We should tell her what happened." He said.

"Or we could stay here for the night and..." She said with a smile, winking at him. Blaze smiled. "Since when did you turn into miss 'snog a lot'?" He asked.

"Around the time I met you I think." She said with a smile. They kissed each other passionately and laid together on the cloud, away from any distractions.
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Rook was putting his belongings, his uniform, and all of his army gear into his chest. Well Starbolt, looks like I'll be seeing you sooner than I expected. It's for a good cause though. This army needs them. Both of them. I hope Linus can forgive me for taking his place. But it was the only way for both of them to live. Rook thought to himself. He didn't know if he was actually trying to talk to Starbolt or convince himself it was the right thing to do. He took a sip of his tea. Only thing that's kept me calm since her death. He was removing books from the table when he accidentally dropped one. It hit the floor and opened up to a page with a letter in it. "What's this?" He picked it up and opened the envelope.

It was a letter from Starbolt, dated the day before she died. It was given to him by a messenger in the early years of the war. He never read it because it kept bringing the pain of her death back to him. Whenever he would try to open it, he would burst into tears. So he placed it in this book, that way he would always have it, a piece of her with him. He slowly opened it up. No tears this time. It said,

My Dearest Rocky....

Despite the fact that I’m sure these letters won't get to you, I will keep it up anyway. Writing these letters to you makes me remember your warm embrace, your hoofs are draped over my shoulders as I sit in bed. It’s so cold at this time, but it’s as if your by my side, keeping me warm throughout the nights with us close together. When you couldn't sleep, you'd play with my hair and twirl it around until you fell asleep. Sadly, it’s all in my mind. You’re not really there, and I know that, but... writing this letter seems to help me get over it a little. It's all I have until you come back.

Memories. That is what I live on when you are gone on your missions. I don't mind much, they are good memories. When you play chess, I love to play against you. Your eyebrows... they do the oddest things. When you are hard at thinking, you lower your left one a bit that makes you seem lie a true thinker. You put your hoofs together, lower that eyebrow, and the game is yours (I know you were just letting me win).

It's funny. When you're around the other soldiers and even your friends, you act so stoic and quiet, almost mysterious. It's like you are a book. A Book with a wealth of knowledge and insight. Normally, everypony is not willing to take the time to read and take a chance with the book. It comes off as hard, cold, unforgiving. But I was willing to take open that book. You may have been hard to understand at first, but I have come to enjoy that challenge. Understanding that enigma that was you wasn't hard, just somepony needed to do it. I guess I just happened to be that pony. When the reader clicks with the book, the book no longer is an obstacle, but a journey.

The gentleness of your touch, your embrace, your voice. You could charm the enemy into surrender if you didn't only do that with me. Despite what you say, I feel like the one who is lucky to have you. I am frightened every time you leave... what if you find somepony better and forget me? I'm glad to feel that it's never happened. I find it amusing to believe that you think that I would leave you. The fact is, there is no other pony that I feel would be worthy to replace you.

Obviously, one of my more symbolic letters. Will this letter get to you? I may never know. Perhaps one day, in a dire situation, it will find it's way to you. You read it, and you may feel better knowing that no matter what, somepony will always be there for you...

Forever yours

Starbolt

P.S. The nurse told me it's a girl. I can't believe we'll be parents! I hope you will be there for her first birthday...

He read the last line again. It was a girl...We were going to have a girl. He thought to himself. He bowed his head as tears rose to his eyes. Jasmine...I wanted to call her Jasmine if it was a girl. He had left for combat the day after Starbolt said she was pregnant. He was excited that he would be a parent, but he was upset that he may not be there for the filly. He had hoped that the army would've dethroned Chrysalis in time for him to be home to take care of the filly. "1 year. That's how long I've been gone. She died 3 months ago." He said to himself.

He returned to see her one day when the army reached Baltimare. He had received word that she was there. He had run into a hotel where she was said to have been staying. As he ran in, he saw her with Chrysalis stabbing her in the heart. She fell to the floor dead with Chrysalis standing over her. "No!" He screamed. Chrysalis looked up with a smile.

"Attack!" She ordered. The ponies who were standing around suddenly transformed back into Changelings. Three charged him at full force but Rook easily defeated them in his rage.

"I'll kill you!" He yelled as the fury inside him burst outward. He killed all the changelings in his rage and ran straight into Starbolt.

"Rook! Thank Celestia you're here! I saw her. Chrysalis ran out the back door!" She said.

Rook looked at her confused. This wasn't like Starbolt. She didn't like him going off to fight, and she definitely wouldn't want him to go and fight Chrysalis by himself. He looked back to where he saw Starbolt originally. "Rook what are you waiting for? She's getting away!" Starbolt yelled.

He looked back at her. "Die Chrysalis." He said and stabbed her with his knife. She had moved though and was stabbed in the shoulder. She slammed Rook against the wall with magic. Some of the Aureolian army scouts burst into the room. Chrysalis transported herself out of the town. Rook ran over to Starbolt, the real Starbolt, and cradled her in his arms. "Star....Star!" He cried out. He couldn't believe that she was gone, that she was pregnant with their filly and they were gone. He held her close, her blood covering his hoofs. He held her and cried.

He had lost her. He had lost everything he loved and cared about. "Starry, I promise you. You and our little filly will be avenged. I swear it."

He read the letter again. I got this letter 2 weeks after that because the mail pony got lost. I never read it because of the pain... He folded the letter and put it into his pocket. "Star, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I never read this. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." He said through the tears in his eyes.