The ending of the beginning

"Fall Back! Fall Back!" The panic in the voice was clear to all.

We had lost and now it was every pony for himself. So i ran, turning my hooves around i hauled flank like never before. They had won and we had lost, and now whoever was too slow was going to die.

I ran and desperately tried to ignore the piles of bodies that used to be my friends and comrades. Their lifeless eyes seemed to stare daggers at me and my cowardice.

"Stand and fight Soldier! Dont run! Who will protect Equestria if you run? Get your flank back into battle! You Coward!" The last one hurt like a punch to my gut.

Wincing at the truth of the words i stumbled and fell. Face hitting the dirt so hard my teeth cracked from the impact, guess its soft foods from now on. As i struggled to get my hooves under me, i noticed a little unicorn filly crying over the body of a dead mare.

"How did it come to this? Why did this happen?" I gritted my teeth ignoring the pain from my tender gums as i struggled to get back up.

The princesses had dissapeared one day, like smoke in the wind they just vanished. It was also the same reason that the elements didnt work as well. You needed six bearers to use the elements, five and a substitute just wouldn't work.

I didnt blame them though, how could i? Fate had decided that our end had come, the time of all sentient creatures had come. Changelings, ponies, griffons, diamond dogs and zebras. All life would perish. No exceptions.

I had resigned myself to die when i stepped onto the battlefield, Told myself that i would die trying to defend Equestria and its citizens, that i would not fear death as it lumbered towards me. So why then was i desperately trying to survive?

Why was i trying so hard to keep my heart beating for another minute? another second? Why did i abandon my friends and comrades? my duty? as i struggled to run away?

Why now as i struggled to live, did the sight of the little filly tear at my heart so? Vanquishing all thoughts of staying alive so that i could protect her?

As the undead faces of my comrades rose up again and trudged towards me i used the last ounce of strength i had to run to the filly and pick her up throwing her on my back. She screamed and struggled , desperate to go back to her mother but i didnt care.

I had to save her.

I Must save her.

Even if i died trying.

As the screaming filly continued to protest i ran away from the bodies re-animated from death, I chanced a look back and winced when i saw the body of the mare begin to stand once more.

I ran and i saw a unicorn caster who was running as well. We were both tired and the horde was gaining on us steadily.

I galloped next to him and forced him to stop. As he turned his panicked eyes to me i shoved the sobbing filly into his hooves.

"Teleport out of here." There was no emotion in my voice, it was flat and tired a statement rather than a plea.

I saw him hesitate but the moment he looked at the filly , i saw his eyes harden and his will solidified. With one last look at me he gave me a grim smile and a salute. I nodded and with a flash of light they were both gone.

I could have ran away, but i had a more important mission now. I would kill the fillies mother, so that when she returned her mother would be a cold dead lump of flesh, not a monster trying to eat her. With my will hardened and my fear crushed i stared into the eyes of death.

As the horde advanced and i spotted my target, i laughed at the irony of my situation. I had gone from willing to die for my country, to being scared of death and then willing to live again and my hope of living flushed away so that i could let one little filly live.

I laughed at the irony. A deep throaty chuckle that soon turned into a hearty bellow of laughter straight from my soul. It was the ending of the beginning, for i had realized that i might die but another's life might be able to continue because of my death.

I charged at the mare and decapitated her with a sword i picked off the ground. A wild slash ended the life of another dead body and as i continued to charge through the horde of undead i was dimly aware of being bitten. As i was finally overwhelmed and crushed by the bodies around me i used the last of my strength and buried the sword deep into my own chest.

It was a good death.