Regret

by Flanagan

Rating: everyone
Tags: Random, Alternate Universe, Sad
Length: 1300

A stallion stands before a simple stone, the stone of one he remembers to this day

There are a lot of things to look back on in the world, but for one stallion in particular his life is full of regret, now he stands before a cold stone on a fall day, talking to the one who granted him the life he now has.

Perhaps I should elaborate… This is a short story several years after my major story 'Elements of Honor" if you read that first you'll have a better understanding of what's going on.

To clarify even further Greatsword and Comet first met in the badlands, but when they first met Greatsword didn't know who he was and neither did Comet. The two fought one another, and after Greatsword beat the living hell out of him he was taken down by Commander Garrison. Comet felt bad about fighting him because all Greatsword was trying to do was find out who he was. So Comet decided to help him find out who he was, the two became close friends, and arguably Comet was Greatsword's only friend. On Greatsword's first real command their unit was sent to take out a Changeling sleeper cell… but their intel was faulty and they came head to head with a Dragon named Smog, the following battle lead to the death of almost everypony in the unit, including Comet. his death weighs heavily on Greatsword's mind to this day and every year he makes a point to visit Equestria's version of Arlington National Cemetery and bring him up to speed. This was one of those visits.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-06-25 07:40:04 UTC

Standing before a stone

“Hey Comet… it’s been awhile, hasn’t it?” Greatsword said looking to the headstone in front of him. “Its fall now, leaves are being blown all over the place… getting a bit cold out here too.”

Greatsword lowered himself to the grave; he whipped away the leaves that had fallen over the somber stone. His eyes grew slightly misty as he read the words engraved for eternity.

COMET beloved Son, brother, lover and good friend.

“That’s the best Patches and I could get you at the time, Comet…” Greatsword said brushing the tears of his face. “If we had more money we could have gotten you a bigger stone and put what we REALLY wanted to say on it… but you know how the military is with paying their ponies.”

Greatsword rose and looked around, he saw hundreds if not thousands of head stones, all lined up neatly in military fashion. He turned his attention back the stone in front of him.

“This is a nice place, but then again I already told you that the last time I was here,” Greatsword paused while a chilling wind blew across his face. “You’re with all the guys here too… Camo, Tower Shield, Roadmap, Cannon Fodder…” Greatsword continued the long list of fallen friends. “Lug Nut and Commander Garrison should be up there too… that makes almost everypony…” he paused again fighting back a tear. “ALMOST everypony…”

Greatsword sat before the headstone, staring at it as if it had eyes of its own. “You’d be proud of Rainbow… she finally got officially signed for the Wonderbolts,” Greatsword paused thinking about that day. “You should’ve seen the look on her face… priceless. Your father couldn’t have been more proud.”

Greatsword remembered something the moment he mentioned Comet’s dad. “Oh yeah almost forgot, Firefly retired from her job at the weather factory, she just lives at home with Lightning Blitz. I bet he’s happy about that… he and I never really talked much since we first met, but given the few times we did meet, he seemed a lot happier now that she’s with him all the time.”

The cold fall wind blew again, sending leaves to cover the head stone. Greatsword quickly brushed them away and continued to stare at the stone.  It seemed like he was hoping against hope that the stone would one day speak back to him.

The stone sat there, ever silent, ever patient, ever listening. Greatsword looked around once again, trying to think of anything else he needed to say. He didn’t want to leave after only fifteen minutes of bringing Comet up to speed.

“Long Shot’s doing fine,” he said. “He’s trying to convince Scootaloo to go to college, but he’s not doing a good job… I’m sure Patches will be able to convince her though-”

Greatsword quickly covered his mouth with his hoof; he had yet to tell Comet about them.

“I’m so sorry Comet,” he said sadly. “I should have told you sooner…” another tear fell from Greatsword’s eye as he began to explain.

“After Destruction came, Long Shot asked her to help out with Scootaloo… it was just casual help at first but then it started to grow into something more.” Greatsword tried his best to break it softly. “They’re really happy together, you should see them… all you ever wanted for her was to be happy after all, right?”

The stone didn’t respond it just stayed there, still listening. Greatsword looked around ashamed then he turned his attention back to the stone.

“I’m really sorry about that…” Greatsword said again. “I really should have told you sooner, if anypony would want to know about Patches, it would be you…” he thought for a moment about Patches. “That mare has lost so much in her life, more than anypony should lose… hell she just might have lost more than me…”

Greatsword remembered something again while sitting there. “Speaking of Patches…” he said reaching behind him. “She got you this…”

Greatsword pulled a lone flower from behind him. It’s red, yellow and blue petals shined in the gray atmosphere that surrounded it. “Do you like it?” Greatsword asked. “It’s an Ever Bloom, no matter the season it never wilts…”

He dug a small hole into the ground and placed the flower in front of the stone. “I hope you don’t mind, I know you were never the one for flowers,” he said sitting back up, “but she really wanted me to give it to you… she still loves you… she still loves you a lot…”

Greatsword sat back up and stared at the flower for some time. Then, he spoke again. “Celestia, it should’ve been me…” he said whipping the tears forming in his eyes. “I should have died in that mine… then you could have married Patches, had some foals the whole damn thing…”

“I failed you… I failed ALL of you…“a few droplets formed in his eyes. “I said I would keep all of you safe, and I failed…“ He looked away from the stone, fighting back the torrent in his eyes. “I lived for nothing back then, but you had so much… but Smog took all of it from you, when he should’ve taken me…”

He looked off into the distance and saw two figures standing at the edge of the cemetery. “But if I died, Equestria may have been destroyed… and I would have never been reunited with her…” he continued to stare off at the figures in the distance. “I would have never found her again; I would’ve never had my son… or my daughter…”

Greatsword turned his attention back to the stone. It still sat there, waiting for the next thing he was going to say. He thought for a little bit, then he spoke again. “If you see Record Keeper while you’re up there, tell I still love her… I always will.” he let a single tear fall on the Ever Bloom. “That night in Manehattan…please remind her that it was more than just a one night stand to me… and I know is was more than that to her too…”

Greatsword placed his hoof on the stone; it surprised him how warm it was given the chill of the fall wind. “Tell Record Keeper that I never wanted to hurt her… I just wasn’t ready to have somepony so perfect…” he let another tear fall to the ground, “and it’s my fault that nopony will ever love her the way she deserved to be loved.”

He looked to the sky then back to the stone. “I know that if it were me instead, that you’d be sitting here saying the same things… but that still won’t change my mind about what I think should have happened that day…”

Greatsword rose from his seat and rubbed the stone one more time. “No matter what I accomplish in life, I will always remember you and the boys… I will always remember Record Keeper… and your deaths will always be on my mind, no matter how happy I may become… it will always be my biggest regret, and I will never truly live it down…”

Greatsword kept his hoof on the stone as he walked past it. Once he removed his hoof form the stone he turned back to it one more time. “Good talk Comet…” he said with misty eyes. “I’ll come to visit sometime soon.”

Greatsword made his way back to the ponies standing on the edge of the grounds; the smaller one ran to him and embraced him around the neck. Fluttershy looked to Greatsword and gave a comforting smile.

“How was Comet today?” she asked him.

“As he always was, Shy…” Greatsword said patting the colt on the head. “As he always was…”