> Reconciliation > by OliveDrab > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > as the moon mourns for heroes > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, even the moon mourns the loss of a true hero. So why is she still silent? Behold the laugh of nightmare moon, for her escape is coming very soon. On her front a secret tool, a brokenhearted loving fool. In her heart his final stand, but in her mind a master plan. Our tale begins, if you forgot, in a place called Cantarlot. > A noble scheme > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two years of research and Twilight sparkle feels that she has finally found out the solution to her broken heart. Her books have all mentioned a greater power than even Celestia. The elements of harmony! "Miss Sparkle you are needed in the memorial garden." Said a guard as Twilight packed her book. "Perfect i was just getting ready to go study by Olives tree." Stated twilight as she trotted past the young and confused guard. In the garden two Wonderbolts and a jet black pegasus were waiting. "Miss sparkle we found this stallion trespassing on near Olive Drabs tree." Soarin, a Wonderbolt, said. Twilight looked over the black stallion and noted the same determined and shameless face that Olive used to have. "why does it matter that he was here?" Twilight asked."when we searched him he had this." Soarin said as he placed an old wanted poster at Twilights feet. She couldnt look for she knew the poster all too well, a scar from Olives life denoting him as a violent and dangerous enemy. "How did you get this?" Demanded the purple mare." The black stallion said nothing, but placed a tattered pack on the ground near Olives tree and flew away. "Leave me alone now please, I want to study." The devastated mare sighed as she curled up under Olives tree. > the desert stallion > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nopony ever questioned him when he came to town. The tall stallion known to others only as "the stranger" rarely spoke but when he did everypony would stop to listen, for their lives may depend on it. The salt lick bar tender never had to tell him he had too much, the sheriff feared him, and outlaws avoided him at all costs. He was dangerous. One day the stranger kicked in the sheriffs door. "I need information and I need it now." Demanded the stranger as the sheriff sat up in alarm. "What can i do ya for mister stranger?" Asked the sheriff trying to hide his fear behind professionalism. The stranger pulled down his desert scarf and pulled an old wanted poster out of his improvised pack. "This stallion, I want information on him: history, legends, rumors, everything." The stranger demanded. "Well stranger all i know is that he was an outlaw who died defending a royal guard and was later deemed a hero." The sheriff explained. The stranger simply smirked and placed his scarf back over his face. "So this Olive stallion was some sort of idealist rebel?" He asked. The sheriff just nodded his head as the stranger left with no event. The stranger never returned to Appleoosa, rather he headed east towards Manehattan. The mysterious stranger was back in his business: fixing the lies believed as history. > A prelude to disaster > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- She says my name, she knows my plan, To rule a great and darkened land. Its too late now, I have begun, my plot to take away the sun. Plea my ponies even pray, that you will see this final day. Just as needed for my plot, she is leaving Cantarlot. > Scars of the past > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~two years earlyer~ "Dear Twilight, Last night I had a dream that you were with me. I was so disappointed when I woke to the cold reality of a box behind the library in Ponyville. Life isn't easy on the run, but I think I came up with a plan. No matter what you hear from others I will return. Wait for me. Love, Olive" ~now~ Twilight read the letter for the millionth time. "Spike, you would have gotten along with him he had a sense of humor that was out of this world." She said as spike studied the map of Ponyville. "He sounded like he was a brave stallion rather than an outlaw colt." Said Spike. "Oh Spike to me Olive was a stallion, he always knew the right thing to say, he only let me down once and that was when he died." Twilight explained. "Anyways spike lets go over that letter from Celestia again..." > Saints and stallions > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The salt lick bar in Manehattan was mostly empty when the stranger walked in. "you in the corner, come here." The stranger ordered. The black pegasus rose slowly. "You better have more respect for a guard." Said the black stallion."You wouldn't want to get in a fight." just then the stranger lowered his scarf just enough to pull a manticore claw out of his pack. The black stallion cringed as the stranger held the deadly weapon at this throat. "I've fought guards before." Said the stranger. The black stallion suddenly dropped back and kicked the strangers legs, knocking him off balance. "You are under arrest for assault on a guard and possession of a deadly weap-..." The black stallion suddenly froze as the stranger kicked him in the face... "Wake up!" The black stallion heard "wake up Red." suddenly Red Lightning was awake again. "Who are you?" He asked. "Its not important who I am." Said the stranger. "I'm sorry I had to pull the claw on you, but I need your full cooperation." Red Lightning was still confused. "How do you know my name?" He asked. The stranger simply tossed a royal ID card across the table. "Alright you've got questions I may or may not have an answer." Red proposed. "My only question regards this colt." The stranger said as he passed an old wanted poster to Red. "What do I know about him?" Red looked up. "Too much if you ask me." He sighed. "I was just a colt back then, didn't even know exactly who I was protecting. My orders were straight from Celestia: protect the golden lightning." Red ordered another salt cube. "He died in a fight with a mannticore, crushed by a rock slide trying to save his father." The stranger looked emotionless with his scarf and goggles but he nodded his head. "And you saw him die?" He inquired. "No I was the first to find his father dying slowly in the forest. When I asked for the golden lightning he only pointed to the pile of rubble and whispered his real name." Red replied. "What was the name?" The stranger asked. Red looked down and closed his eyes, obviously returning to the scene of his greatest failure. "Olive Drab." He finally stated. When he looked up the stranger was gone. > The night will last forever > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Her mind is quite the toy. Her sorrow makes me laugh. She even believed that the elements still existed. My spark didn't work the elements are lost forever. All hope is lost. I can never defeat Nightmare Moon, but even worse I can never bring Olive back. I watch from above. Twilight cant handle this pain. Is there hope for her? Wait! Her friends! Twilight! What is this? Foals! how Did they get here? This ruins everything! At least I will perish with dignity. My friends! The fate of Equestria did rest on me making friends! There is hope, Olive would be proud. She did it. I had faith in her. The elements did more than stop Nightmare Moon. I realize now that to make the magic worth it i must come alive. I must... come back... to life! I must... come... back. > Reconciliation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The stranger was swift and precise, jumping over the castle wall with the guards in hot pursuit. He flew over to the window and started using his manticore claw to cut the window. Just then the guards caught up with him knocking him through the window, shattering glass everywhere. Twilight was packing her things for her move to Ponyville when Red lightning came in. "I know you." She said. "You were arrested by the Wonderbolts for visiting Olives memorial." Red looked at the ground. "A reminder of my failure." He said. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring him back safely for you." Suddenly, they heard a crash in the other room. "That sounds like its in Olives room!"Twilight panicked. "Someponys going to mess it up!" Twilight ran down the hall. The guards struck hard but the stranger was tougher. Nopony even noticed Twilight slam into the room, mouth agape in horror, until Red yelled for the guards to stand down. With precision the guards recovered to a perfect position of attention."Sir, this outlaw was breaking in, we assumed it was to inflict harm on the princess or her student." Red simply dismissed them and ran to the strangers aid."are you alright?" He asked. "Yeah im fine." Said the stranger as his desert scarf slipped down and off of his face. Red could hardly hide the shock on his face when Olive tried to stand, hindered by the manticore claw lodged in his rear left leg. Twilight still couldn't see what was happening because Red blocked her view. "Who is that?" Twilight questioned. Olive finally worked up the strength to stand up. Twilight rushed towards Olive and they met in a warm embrace. Olives leg would need medical attention, Twilight still had to pack, and Red was still on his undercover assignment to track a con artist; but for now everything was okay. "Why didn't you come back sooner?" Twilight finally asked. "I still had to clear my name and recover from all my wounds." Olive replied. After that the conversation was over, for the world had melted in a warm kiss.