A Whole New World

When the conductor opened the doors of the train to let the passengers off at Canterlot Station, the last thing he expected was to be almost crushed by a large group of ponies clambering to get out. He managed to jump out of the way just in time, and watched in confusion as they galloped off towards the castle.

Lyra Heartstrings however, couldn't care less. It had only been two hours since Twilight had burst into her house saying she'd gotten a letter from the princess. Dutch had been found, and he was alive! Within seconds, Lyra was out the door and heading for the train station, which quickly became Sweet Apple Acres as she learned the others had yet to be told.

They reached the castle in record time, and after identifying themselves to the guards, they were let in without trouble. Twilight's knowledge of the castle meant they reached the medical wing without too much trouble, and a doctor was there to meet them when they arrived.

"You must be Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's student?"

"Yes, doctor. We're here for the human, Dutch Jones."

"Ah yes, I was just checking him over." The doctor motioned for the group to follow him, pulling out a medical file as he walked.

"How is he?" Lyra asked.

"He's taken quite the punishment, but none of it is life-threatening." He examined the file. "Numerous fractures, burns, and lacerations. The most notable injury however, was his wing."

"What do you mean?"

"He suffered a fracture to the humerus of his wing," the doctor explained. "This wouldn't be an issue if it was properly treated, but this injury is about a week old, and has only been held in place by basic first aid. As a result, the bone hasn't healed properly, and the integrity of the wing is compromised."

Being pegasi, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Scootaloo managed to figure it out as soon as the doctor finished his explanation. Twilight realised what he was talking about a few seconds later.

"You mean... he's never going to be able to fly again?" Scootaloo asked.

The doctor looked down at the filly with sympathy in his eyes. "No, I'm afraid he isn't."

Rainbow sighed. She'd been looking forward to the possibility of another race with him. Everyone else either gasped or started at the floor sadly. Either way, the news had considerably soured the mood. But Lyra took comfort in the fact that Dutch was at least alive and well.

After that, the group was silent as they walked down the halls of the building. After a few minutes, the doctor reached a door to one of the wards and pushed it open, the rest of the group filing in behind him.

I'd been lying half-asleep on this soft hospital bed for what felt like eternity now, but was actually a few minutes. I didn't remember much after getting on the airship. I'd slept through the journey back to Canterlot, even when the medics waiting for us manhandled me onto a stretcher and carried me to the medical wing. Major Wingfleet had told me everything when I woke up. After that I was given a small meal, before more sleep.

My dreams hadn't been the most pleasant. They were filled with whips, fire pokers and sharp fangs. But I'd quickly learned that if I endured it all, there was a familiar face waiting for me at the end, right before I woke up. Kamots' reassuring smile.

In my daze, I heard the door to the ward open. I rubbed my eyes and looked over just as a bright green blob wrapped itself around me.

"Dutch!"

That voice. Lyra! I instinctively hugged the ball of fur attached to me. My vision cleared, and I saw the rest of the girls surrounding me.

"Hey guys," I muttered. "How are you?"

"We should be asking that question," Sarah answered. "The desert looks like it did a number on you."

"I was so scared." Lyra trembled slightly. "The thought of losing you..."

"It's ok." I stroked her mane reassuringly. "I'm fine. It was a little disheartening when I learned I wouldn't fly again, but humans weren't really built for flying. I guess... I guess it was fun while it lasted."

Pinkie, who had been bouncing up and down with a massive grin on her face, finally released her excitement. "This is great! With you back, I can plan a 'Lost but Found' party!"

"How's the food?" Rainbow asked, rolling her eyes as Pinkie continued her rambling. "I broke my wing once. Spent a few days in the hospital, but their food was enough to make me fly more carefully."

"It's not so bad," I answered, grunting as I pulled myself up into a sitting position. "While it leaves something to be desired, it's certainly better than the stuff I ate out there."

The necklace Kamots had given me still hung from my neck. I hadn't removed it since the desert. As I leaned against the pillow, I noticed Twilight cock her head.

"Dutch, what's that around your neck? The symbol looks familiar."

I took off the necklace and held it out for Twilight. It floated out of my grasp as Twilight examined it, rubbing her chin with a hoof. The necklace twirled in the air

"I know this symbol," Twilight mumbled, the others looking at her in confusion. "It's the Mark of... something. Lakeera...? Lekata...?"

"Lakota," I corrected, taking the necklace out of the air.

"Yes, that's right. The Mark of the Lakota." Twilight nodded as she remembered the phrase. It was a few seconds before she froze. "Dutch... you're a Lakota?"

"Woah, woah," Rainbow interrupted. "What's a Lakota? In Equestrian, please."

"Lakota is the title given to somepony by the Tymari race," Twilight explained to the rest of the group. "It marks them as someone they trust, almost like a brother. It's not something they hand out to anyone."

"And who are these 'Tymari' folk?" Applejack asked.

"They are - or were - a race from Zebrica. They looked like Diamond Dogs, but were much smarter, and were some of the greatest warriors of their time. Some of their tactics are still taught by the Equestrian military." Twilight's gaze turned to me. "Dutch, where did you find that? Tymari are some of the rarest sentient beings in the world."

"It was given to me by a friend," I answered, slipping the necklace back around my neck. Twilight eyes widened at the implications. "He saved my life more times than I care to remember."

"So you met one?"

"I did. His name was Kamots."

"What was he like?" Twilight asked.

I sighed. "He was... something else, Twi."

I began to tell them about Kamots. How I'd met him in the mines, the way he'd helped me survive despite not knowing who or what I was. I even mentioned that he had been like a brother to me. When I had finished explained who Kamots was, Twilight asked about Tymari magic. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to talk about it due to Kamots' traditions, but I told them it was something that had to be seen to be understood, and I knew I wasn't wrong.

The reunion with my friends was cut short when they heard a soft knock on the door. A second later, a stallion stuck his head through.

"Captain Jones?" the pony asked.

"Yes?"

"I've been told to tell you that there's an airship just arriving outside. The rest of your squad's on board."

I could see everyone's faces brightening up at the mention of the squad, and I moved to the edge of the bed. "Thank you."

When the pony was gone, the rest of the girls headed outside, and I shifted myself into a standing position. My body however, was still in recovery mode, so walking was painful and slow. I winced with each step, and had to lean on the door frame to take the pressure off my feet.

"Guys, wait up," I called.

They turned to see me leaning on the wall, and Lyra said, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," I replied. "Just give me a second."

Sarah walked back to me and put my arm around her shoulder. With her supporting my weight, the amount of pain my soles were feeling was significantly reduced.

"Go on ahead guys," Sarah said. "We'll be fine."

As we began to make our way down the hall, she looked at me and said, "You realise how crazy Lyra's been acting since we got the news?"

"I can only imagine," I replied. "How are you doing?"

"Don't worry about me," Sarah reassured. "Ponies think differently to humans. I guess we're... adaptable? I don't know; bad stuff just hits them harder than us. Sure, I was worried for my friend, but now that you're back, I can rest easy."

"Yeah. I guess you're right there. How's the rest of the gang?"

"They're just glad that you're back. Lyra and Scoots especially." She sighed. "Fluttershy... not so much. She's still worried about Shadow. We haven't heard anything about him."

It was my turn to sigh now. "Neither have I."

"What? But you were out there."

"We got separated." Sarah didn't reply to that, and our conversation ended.

Despite most of my weight resting on Sarah's shoulders, I still felt pain with every step, and by the time Sarah and I got outside, the airship was about a hundred metres off the ground. When we stopped next to the rest of the girls and watched as it descended. I took my arm away from Sarah and stood a little straighter, nodding at the look of concern she gave me.

The airship landed with a soft thump, and its propellers came to a stop. I waited with anticipation as the ship cooled down and the ramp slowly opened. Then I saw them. My squadmates. Hammer Strike, Steel Sword, Battle Plan and Quick Flurry slowly walked down the ramp.

But Shadow Breeze wasn't with them.

Instead, balanced on the shoulders of the four ponies, was a coffin.

Everyone around me gasped quietly, and I felt weak at the knees. If it weren't for Sarah quickly wrapping an arm around me, I would have collapsed.

"N-No..."

A whisper, barely audible even with the silence hanging over us like a plague. Nearby, Fluttershy was shaking violently. Even Rarity's hoof over her shoulders didn't stop her quivering, and she buried her head in the mare's shoulder as the tears started flowing.

Meanwhile, I was feeling weak at the knees, and if it wasn't for Sarah's arm grabbing me again I would have collapsed. All I could do was watch as the four ponies carried the coffin

"Sarah, tell me I'm seeing things," I whispered. "Someone tell me this isn't happening."

"I'm sorry, Dutch," Sarah replied. "I'm so sorry."

I could only watch as the coffin was carried inside. When they disappeared, my legs began to move automatically as I followed them, ignoring the pain in my feet. I had to see them. I had to see Shadow.

I reached the building they had entered and pushed the door open. The guys had rested the coffin on a large table, where another pony was checking a list of some kind; I didn't care. When I got close, the ponies' ears twitched and they turned to look at me, solemn expressions on their faces.

"Guys..." I said when I reached them.

"Hey Captain," Hammer replied quietly.

Unable to say anything else, I stared at the coffin.

"They found him while we were at Coltson," Battle said. "The... medics said he's been dead for a while now."

"Christ..." I breathed. "He was right behind me."

Flurry rested a hoof on my arm. "Whatever happened boss, it wasn't your fault."

I didn't say anything in reply. I couldn't. My mouth had failed me.

"He'll get a full military burial tomorrow morning," Steel said. "Until then, try to get a few hours rest, Dutch. You look like you need it."

"Yeah... yeah." I started to walk away, though unable to tear my gaze from the coffin.

My mind was so stunned from what I had just seen, I didn't even remember returning to the ward. I just remembered lying back down on the bed, the girls giving some sympathetic looks, and then leaving.

A few minutes after everyone had left, I heard more hoofsteps outside, this time accompanied by the voice of a nurse.

"I'm sorry, sir. Visiting hours are over."

Another, quieter voice came through the door, but I couldn't make out the owner. I did hear the nurse sigh as they reached the door, before it was pushed open.

"You've got five minutes," the nurse said, and I saw the visitor was Major Wingfleet. As the nurse left, I sat up and gave him a nod, since I was out of uniform.

"How are you feeling, Captain?" he asked.

"As good as somebody in my position can feel, sir," I replied. "What are you doing back here? I thought you'd be getting called back up to Coltson by now."

"I decided now was as good a time as any to get some leave," Wingfleet answered. "I decided to use the time to check up on you again now that you've had some time to recover."

"Thanks, sir."

Wingfleet nodded before his expression fell. "I heard about Shadow too."

I sighed. "It's my fault. I should have paid more attention." I began to tell him what happened. How Shadow started suffering from hypothermia, became delirious, before disappearing altogether.

When I had finished, Wingfleet said, "Dutch, I know how you feel. I've lost ponies too, but it wasn't your fault."

"How could it not be, sir?" I asked. "We got up blown up, lost in the desert and separated, then I lost Shadow and got captured. Everything that happened out there was my responsibility."

"Captain, listen." Wingfleet placed a hoof on my shoulder. "Once you start blaming yourself for deaths that aren't your fault... well, that's a steep slope to come back from. I've seen it ruin a lot of good soldiers, and I don't want it to happen to you too."

He sighed as I thought over what he said. "Anyway, I came for another reason. The rest of your squad have given reports of what happened, but we still need to know your side of the story."

"Yeah. Ironhoof has a debriefing planned as soon as I'm checked out of here."

"I'm already concerned," Wingfleet suddenly said, and I cocked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"I'll be honest, it's not exactly looking good for you, Dutch. The mission was a failure, one of your squad was killed, and you got captured. You've also permanently damaged your wing, which counts as a disability. Granted, you managed to escape from your captors, and you'll all probably get medals for your bravery and determination, Shadow posthumously, but if you're against Ironhoof, you're probably looking at an honorable discharge at best."

"What? A discharge?"

"I'm afraid so, and Ironhoof's within his rights to do it too. The Royal Guard expects a lot from its officers, and--"

The door to the ward opened, and the nurse form earlier stepped in. "Your five minutes are up, sir."

"Ok, nurse. I'm going." Wingfleet paused, before looking back at me and saying, "I honestly can't tell you what will happen, but you have to face the possibility that by this time tomorrow, you might not be a Guard."

"I understand," I said quietly. "Thanks for checking up on me, Major."

Wingfleet nodded and left. When he was gone, I let out a heavy sigh and sunk my head into the pillow. So many thoughts were swirling around my head, I didn't even know where to begin. The mission, Aphos, Kamots, Shadow, my wing, and now a discharge. It was enough to send someone mad. I even began to contemplate keeping a journal just so I could keep track of everything.

I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of the door to the ward opening. I sat up from the bed to see Fluttershy slowly walking in.

"Fluttershy?" I got up from the bed. "How did you get in here?"

"I-I came to see you," she whispered. "To talk about Shadow."

I crouched down as she got close. "Fluttershy. I'm so, so sorry."

"What happened?"

I paused at her sudden sentence. She was looking at me with a mixture of sadness, anger and confusion. I sighed, and sat down against the side of the bed, resting my arms on my knees.

"We were out in the desert," I began. "We had to walk about twenty miles to get to the airship. But then we got caught in a storm, and it became cold." I shivered at the memory. "So, so cold.

"The team was separated. It was just me and Shadow, but..." I took a deep breath. "He was right behind me. But then I looked back and... he was gone. No noise, no nothing. Just... gone. I went back to look for him, but I couldn't find him."

"So you left him?" Fluttershy suddenly asked, her brow furrowing. "You left him to die?"

"W-What?" I looked at Fluttershy, startled by her outburst. "N-No. I tried to find him. I tried to save him, but... I couldn't."

"Why not? You're an Element of Harmony!" Fluttershy's voice was rising. "Shadow was our friend."

I could feel tears forming in my eyes. "I know, Fluttershy. I tried, I honestly did but..."

I pulled my knees into my chest, trying my best to hold back the tears. I heard soft hoofsteps next to me, and Fluttershy's weight rested on my side.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was barely audible, even when it was right next to me. Her voice was quivering from her own emotions. "I just... I don't know how to feel. Part of me is heartbroken, another part is scared for the future, and for the foal. But... part of me wants to be angry at you for coming back without him. I... I don't know what to do."

I let go of my knees and pulled Fluttershy close, taking care not to put too much pressure on her stomach. "Whatever happens, I'll stick by you, Fluttershy. If you need help, I won't hesitate to be there. None of us will."

"I m-miss him," Fluttershy whispered, tears pouring out of her eyes. "I miss him s-so much."

"So do I, Fluttershy. S-So do I."

I don't know how long we held each other, but it felt like eternity. Neither of us wanted to let go. Two souls, both mourning from the loss of a friend, and both there to support each other.