14. Heart's tears
Twilight watched in shock as her friend's life fluids were flowing out of her body. For what seemed like an eternity, she couldn't move a muscle, or think a single thought other that:
"This can't be happening!".
Finally Rarity managed to snap her out of her torpor, shaking her vigorously.
"D-do something!" she shouted.
Twilight shook her head and tried to focus. If she could teleport her and Applejack to the hospital, the doctors might be able to stop the bleeding. There was one problem, though; teleportation spell was always a bit tricky if it was used to teleport more pony than just the user. With Applejack in this state, she could go into shock and pass out, and if she would pass out now...
"It's no use." said Matthias unexpectedly. Twilight glanced at him; when she saw him a moment ago, he was still wrestling with that timberwolf. Now he walked up to them, despite a bitemark on his arm. "She has lost too much blood already. I'm sorry, but there is nothing you can do."
He spoke calmly, with a voice that spoke of a first-hoof experience in the matter, but when Twilight looked in his eyes she saw a deep sadness in them.
"This can't be happening!" she thought, forcing herself to think of something - anything - that could save her friend.
Nothing came to her mind.
"It's your fault!" shouted Rainbow Dash.
Twilight watched as the cyan pegasus hit Matthias and pinned him to the ground. He didn't even tried to fight back.
"That timberwolf came here for you!" she kept screaming at the stallion; Twilight noticed that she also bore few wounds, and there was a small stream of blood on her head. "If you haven't beaten that wolf so badly, he wouldn't have come here, and Applejack wouldn't... wouldn't..." unable to say it, Rainbow Dash surrendered to her grief and started crying, putting her face in hooves.
The sight of their friend, who so disliked showing any 'sappy' emotions, crying, was to much for everypony. They all burst into tears. Twilight pressed her head to Applejack's trying to comfort her in her last moments.
Matthias knew that he had to try.
He rose up, despite knowing that it couldn't work. He came closer to Applejack, despite fearing that his action could only give a false hope to everypony. He put his hooves on her body, despite not having hope.
He closed his eyes, lifted his head, and started praying.
"Light, I will not ask for forgiveness for my sins, for I am far beyond redemption. But I do not ask you for help for me, I ask for you to help this mare. She is innocent. She doesn't deserve to die. Please, grant me the power to heal her."
Nothing happened.
Twilight looked up hearing Matthias spoke. He was standing close by, performing some sort of prayer. But what he said made no sense: 'grant me the power to heal her'? Twilight felt angered that he tried to do something so useless, and wanted to hit him like Rainbow Dash for a moment, but she was too grief-stricken to do that.
Like he expected, nothing happened.
Matt was about to move away, when Applejack coughed. He instinctively glanced at her. She was still alive, somehow, but she didn't have much time. She must have tried to say something, because she coughed blood.
Looking at her, Matthias remembered how she boldly said to him that he was dangerous, or how she was the first one after Twilight to trust him.
He remembered Invincible.
The day when he died flashed before his eyes. It was during winter. He would have normally had a prayer session at that time, but his father was on a diplomatic mission to Stromgarde, and Uther had accompanied him, and that left Arthas with his afternoons free, and he wasn't going to waste them, despite the weather. So he rode with Invincible through the snowstorm, galloping the familiar path. He was about to turn back, right after they would've jumped, like they had jumped so many times in the past. But that jump turned into a disaster, as Invincible lost his balance on the ice and shattered both of his forelegs. Arthas wanted to help him, but he wasn't a paladin then, he didn't know how one channeled the powers of Light to heal others, and they were trapped in the middle of storm. He didn't know how far it was to the closest town, and even then, he couldn't know if there was a priest there. Uther was in Stromgarde, and so was the bishop. There was only one thing the young prince could have done for the poor stallion.
And that was to end his suffering.
He didn't know how long it took him to find the strength to do that, but he finally rose, lifted his sword, and, apologizing to his friend, he pierced his heart.
The memory of that day haunted Arthas for the rest of his life as a human, blaming himself for what he knew to be his fault. Even after he became death knight, and resurrected Invincible, he still yowled in pain when King Anasterian Sunstrider cut of both of his forelegs, reminding him of his first failure.
Now he looked at Applejack, a pony, laying in a pool of her own blood.
"No!" he shouted in his head. "I will not fail again!"
He started praying again, trying to recall how did it felt, when Light touched his heart and soul.
"If you have to, take my life! I deserve to die a thousand deaths, while she doesn't! Take my life and save her!"
Nothing happened.
Matthias cursed in his thoughts. He shouldn't have expected the Light to answer him. It didn't help him save Invincible, it delayed its approval at his introduction to the Order of the Silver Hand, it didn't...
... it didn't help him in Stratholme.
Twilight glanced at Matt, when he again pleaded to whatever this 'light' was. She didn't bother to tell him to stop. She, along with her friends, preferred to spend her last seconds with Applejack recalling every moment they knew her; like when they defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord, when she refused to accept help during Applebuck Season, when she and Rarity were forced to spend the night in Twilight's house, when she and Rainbow Dash competed for the title of best athlete in Ponyville, how Applejack refused to go back home after the Equestria Rodeo Competition...
Unbelievable pain shoot through Twilight as she realised that they were about to lose their friend forever, and there was nothing they could do.
So lost was she in her pain, that she didn't even noticed, that Matthias, whose face was a second ago bristling with anger, was now crying.
He started to cry as the realisation had struck him.
"It's my fault."
It was his fault that he couldn't heal her. Had he not done all those atrocities, had he not slaughtered his subjects and rose them from death, had he not killed his father and Uther, if he wasn't so far beyond redemption, he could have easily save Applejack.
But he couldn't. All he could do was cry.
He cried for Applejack. He cried for his father. He cried for Uther. He cried for his subjects. He cried for Invincible.
Arthas Menethil, King of the fallen Lordaeron, cried for everyone.
"Please..." he tried one last time. "It's my folly... my fault... Please..."
Twilight Sparkle wiped her eyes. She tried to think how was it possible that the sun was in her eyes when it was just few hours after noon, but she soon realised that the light that was blinding her didn't come from the sun, but instead was coming from Matthias.
Like a familiar caress from a loved friend, he felt it.
Tears are the first step in healing one's heart...
The Light raced through him, comforting and warm, and he bit back a sob as he saw the glow begin to embrace his hooves.
The Light never abandons those in need...
Matthias drank it in, opened his heart to it.
Applejack would not die.
Twilight gasped as the light from Matt's hooves flew and embraced Applejack body. For a moment that seemed to her and everypony else stretch forever, Applajack seemed to shine like a sun. Everypony gasped as they realised that her wound stopped bleeding, and started closing.
After a second the light dimmed, and then vanished.
And so did the wound.
Applejack stirred, opened her eyes, and then got up.
"Wha... what happened?" she asked, looking them with a puzzled expression.
Before she knew it, everypony thrown themselves at her, hugging her and crying.
"Oh Applejack, you're okay!"
"I'm so glad..."
"What's with ya'll?" she asked confused.
"Don't you remember?" asked Twilight. "A timberwolf attacked you, and he... ripped your throat! You were dying!"
Applejack stared at her in horror as she remembered. She quickly put a hoof at her throat, to check if it was really healed, while looking at the blood pool they all stood in.
"How did... what... how..."
"Matthias... he did something." that was all Twilight could say. She had no idea what it was that he did, but at the moment, she didn't gave a flying feather about it.
She was simply glad she didn't have to say good bye.
They all glanced at him. Matthias was starring at his hooves, a shy smile on his face.
"Thank you." they said to him in unison.
Matt glanced up, his smile widening, and reaching his eyes.
"Do not thank me. Thank the Light."
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Well, talk about a plot un-twist that still manages to be twisted!
1480458
You know, I was surprised that people actually thought I was going to kill one of the main characters... so soon
I have the slight urge to slap RD.
Meh, atleast AJ turned out fine
I was kinda hoping he'd use unholy powers instead.
This makes me wonder how much WoW lore you've read into Borsuq, as this situation is practically exactly like what Tirion did with Eitrigg.
Yet again, this info is from the WoW novel 'Of Blood and Honor' that I enjoy greatly.
T'is a good chapter too!
Awesome-sauce.
1480489media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lo1j33xcxo1qafrh6.gif
1482178
Funny that you say that, cause 'Of Blood and Honor' happens to be the only Warcraft's book that I haven't read yet, due to not being able to buy it in my Light forgotten country!
1485410
You are missing out on a good tale. To be fair though, it is kind of obscure lore that doesn't really have much connection to the main game's story. It does have a little bit of Arthas in it though, so now you have to go and get it. The action scenes are also well written.
1482285 XD, that is funny as hell
TO BAD IM TO FAR FOR REDEMPTION
Sniff, that was beautiful.
Lay on Hooves is best spell.
Got his paladin powers back!
Yes...
All of my YES!!!!!
despite a bitemark
Sight of their friend, who so disliked showing any 'sappy' emotions, crying, was to much for everypony
So he rode with Invincible through snowstorm, galloping the familiar path
1. Forgot your spacing.
2. The sight of their friend, who so disliked any 'sappy' emotions, crying was too much for everypony.
3. So he rode with Invincible through the snowstorm.
PRAISE THE LIGHT!
3202501 WHY WOULD YOU USE THAT COLOR, MY EYES!
i1.ytimg.com/vi/kc9W2LrFPZM/hqdefault.jpg
Once a Paladin, always a Paladin... if you are willing to return, that is.
"It's no use." said Matthias unexpectedly.
fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/196/d/f/silver_the_hedgehog__it_s_no_use__by_silveromi-d6dniz4.png
1482285
Does it really? (Got that from a youtube video... but I forgot the name...)
I sat here for a whole minute yelling "hells yea!" At 10:00 at night.
4309403 Why?
YES! Take my yeses. ALL OF THEM!
*smashes the upvote button*
feel when (no comma)
extra space between "it" and "delayed"
4410202 that's why there is a fist there
2903279 When I saw that profile pic...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87PIkktfxjI
(start at 2:07)
So late in this stories life, but damnit if I didn't just stomp and cheer. Arthas Menethil, paladin of the Holy Light, is back!!!
i feel that Rainbow is unfair in how she says its Arthas fault that Applejack is dying. he fought the timberwolf to save the Lifes of 3 Children. it was immposible to know what the wolf would do later.
6813254
rainbow dash will be rainbow dash
6941336
Doesn't make it right
6813254
I know I'm answering a post from the past, but...
That was absolutely natural reaction someone in her state and with similar mentality at that moment would have. She probably did realize that what she were saying is wrong, but she just couldn't stop. That's why she just fell crying after that. That probably were the most natural RD reaction I've seen in quite a few fics so far.