"Do I live?" the rhetorical question hung in the air around him, unable to find its way to a fellow soldier.
His mind spoke for him. "I am a soldier of Order, servant to King Sombra." The chant, echoed every few seconds across the continent, comforted him. "I am his will. I am his wrath. I am the hammer that breaks those who refuse him. Praise be to his everlasting rule." The colt smiled to himself; this is who he was. Such questions were pointless.
He dragged his trusty back mounted spear through the mud by its point until it rested before him. Two pony lengths of reinforced wood held a wicked point designed to punch through the toughest barding. Its harness, made from strong yet supple bark fibres, sprawled in the dirt like the tentacles of a squid as it waited for the attention it so badly needed. A counterweight doubled up as a water bottle on one side of the rig. Its use was to stop the harness from slipping during combat, but now it anchored the weapon in the thick squelchy liquid. Red cursed his own idleness. This weapon was his identity, his life, his soul. It was what turned him from a standard pony-at-arms into a Charger; A monstrous beast of steel that broke through the Crystal Empire's war formation in a single charge. And he had just dragged it through the mud! Instead of venting his frustration, he poured his self-condemning anger into the rag destined to save him from his ineptitude.
"Hey!" A familiar pony strutted up to meet him. "Hey Red!"
The rag slipped from Red's hoof and fell into the mud to the sound of a varied string of curses. The frustration that fuelled his cleaning coalesced into the icy gaze that fell upon the ignorant pony. His posture relaxed when he saw a largish Earth pony mare with a powerful build and short orange mane brush off his scowl with merely a wink and a smile. She took a look at him then at his half finished project. He saw her smile widen at his predicament; no words were required to know that he forgot parade was tomorrow morning.
"What's your name?" she asked with a hopeful smile on her face.
The colt's focus returned to his work. "You just said it."
"Oh come on! We all know that's not your name." Just like in the funny stories, her eyes widened to the point of bulging and her lips quivered. Tears formed and threatened to stream down her cheeks. But Red was ready for her games. He was a soldier and thus his heart was impervious to the melting capabilities of the puppy-dog eyes.
"Quite true," he said as a movement on his maw resembled something dangerously close to a smile. "I would have said my mane was more brown than red. Ok, my name is Brown. It matches my coat colour as well."
"That's not what I mean!" The mare slammed her hooves on the muddy ground, spraying mud up the red fabric of his pitch tent. "What's your real name?"
All mirth fled Red as he turned to stare at her. His instincts forced his chin up and his shoulders forward to quail her assault. Words came by instinct as if something was speaking through him. "Such names are forbidden in King Sombra's army.-" His voice turned to a hushed grumble. "-You should remember that Pretty Bow." This was the name her drill sergeant chose for her when she arrived to boot camp with colourful beads intertwined with her mane and a small pink bow in her tail. Such expression of identity was foalish and, as expected, the drill sergeant punished her accordingly. Her mane and tail took years to regrow.
"My name is Wheat Crop!" Her hoof stomps splattered more mud up the side of his tent.
The spear, dropped by a lapse in concentration, fell and sunk into the mud as Red's head spun with incredible speed. However, years of soldiering controlled his heart rate and kept emotions from clouding his judgement. With a quiet but threatening tone, he said, "That is a traitor's name. In the books you're Pretty Bow. Please, do everypony a favour and stop this before somepony notices."
"Oh come on!" she cried. Suddenly, her voice turned sinister. "River Walker said you're a slave to the rules. Serve and obey, that's all you do!"
"Who's that?" growled Red. Bow noticed his hoof sliding towards the spear. All he had to do was unclasp it from the mount...
She confessed, "It's Grey!" Red released a snarl that could halt a timber wolf.
"That pony is a doddering idiot. And so are you!" His hoof receded from the spear in favour of lifting him off the small tree stump that made his seat. "I will not have any more slanderous talk from you." He pressed his muzzle against hers as his bark coloured eyes blazed with anger...
...Or was it fear?
Either way, it did its job. Bow stammered herself into silence. However, the absence of noise highlighted the pressure to fill it. He hid his awkwardness behind the thin veil of work as he used a fresh rag to wipe the mud off the spear harness.
Bow remained by his side though. She had an uncanny ability to switch from a teary eyed tantrum to a happy smile in a few heartbeats. Red sighed, Why is she still here? I'll never understand youth.
"What do you want?"
She smiled, "Guess what I heard?"
"What?" His look was one of disinterest. He knew what was coming next.
"No, guess!" Her smile widened to the very edges of her face. It was unsettling.
He huffed, "We're finally leaving this mud bath of a pit and riding to war?"
"Yup!" She squealed in delight. "Apparently, the trumpet colt overheard his captain receiving missive from King Sombra. The big guy's arriving here himself!"
Red stared at her in shock. "W-w-what?" This would be the first time Red properly saw King Sombra other than on the posters. There was only one thing that would bring the King to personally take charge of his army. "So we're finally going to face them?"
She giggled, "Did you not notice the banner soldiers scrambling around?" Her voice dropped an octave and shadows morphed her smile into something darker. "I guess you're just concentrating on that implement of yours. I'm not surprised though. If I were you, I'd never let it go!"
"Bow," he warned.
"Maybe you should try that thing of yours on a mare. You might lighten up!" She burst into laughter.
"Bow! I'll try it on you if you don't leave me,-" He tapped the spear with his hoof. "-And I promise you won't enjoy it!"
She only laughed harder. "Oh, do you have problems? What a shame."
He did not bother to look her way while distance stole her giggles bit by bit. With a grumble he returned to work. This is going to take me all evening...And when did I become so old?
<><
The trumpets hooted as the sun took control of the sky, heralding the arrival of their omnipotent overlord. Although light had flooded their camp, small lanterns along the long alleys unnecessarily lit row upon row of simple triangular tents as foals rushed to put them out. Soldiers hurriedly donned and touched up their barding, ready for the inevitable parade to salute their master and commander.
Red was no different. With fervour reserved only for those that had forgotten, he polished and buffed his barding. He left his tent just as his squad was summoned.
He stepped beside Bow and Grey, minding the rows of spears from his comrades that stood behind. The old stallion next to him gave him an all too knowing wink. His grey half helm hid most of his face but the dents and scrapes revealed the scars on the exposed cheek beneath his eyes. Each pony wore chainmail over their manes, transforming them into sentinels of steel. Red had always wondered why they did this until the last charge. Apparently, during the battle for the Crystal Empire, somepony's helm slipped and it took the chainmail that covered his neck with it. His exposed mane was bright blue. In a sea of grey, that lit his squad up as a target for archers. A couple of volleys later, he was dead and the rest of the squad suffered heavy losses.
Their commander, dressed in decorative barding with a couple of shoddy looking medals, ordered the group of twenty behind a squadron of archers. It took two ponies to man a pony-mounted crossbow. One pulled the weapon like a carriage. A tiny wooden wheel attached to the butt of the weapon squeaked as it left a trail in the mud behind the marching pony. This allowed the crossbow to face the sky: perfect for bombarding groups of enemies. The second pony, walking in the wake of the first, carried sacks full of hollow cylindrical bolts that split in the air to pelt the ground with tiny but deadly shards.
Red shuddered. He hated those things. He heard Grey chuckle: a serious offence during parade.
"You're getting senile," muttered Red as their commander trotted out of earshot, "You should know not to make noise during parade."
"Look who's talking," he retorted. They stole a brief glance before returning to the stoic silence of soldiers on the march. Red saw the depression that hid behind the mirth in Grey's eyes. He doesn't care anymore. But this is the best life a pony can achieve. To fight and to die in King Sombra's army was the highest honour a pony could receive. Even the highborn chose this way of life over more comfortable occupations. This is everything he could ever want.
It should not have to be this way.
All too quickly, they arrived at the outskirts of the Crystal Empire. In the distance, an ominous shade of white covered the land as the weather battled against the shield protecting the realm from an icy burial. Twelve thousand ponies stood facing the crest of a hill. Every squad stood in their battalions, which aligned themselves into their representative regiments. The hill turned from green to grey in a matter of minutes. The passing breeze carried the clanking of barding as thousands of soldiers tried to remain still. Sweat drenched most ponies from the unusual evening heat. Red breathed through his mouth as a foul dank scent of body odour wafted his way.
However, discipline and sense overruled any complaints. Every head faced forwards. They silently waited. And they waited. From the corner of his eye, Red noticed Bow twitching and shuffling. She never could stand still for long. He swiped her idly with his tail, making sure the small interwoven barbs only clipped air.
Eventually, after an hour of complete silence, he arrived. Red's heart sank at the sight of King Sombra. His half helm hid his convulsing muscles as he fought the instincts to whinny and flee. On the outside, he looked like the others; he stood as still as a statue.
A treacherous thought popped into his head. He needs to die! Those around him noticed his sudden inhalation. Sweating more than just from the heat, he suppressed his breathing.
I am a soldier of Order, servant to King Sombra. I am a soldier of Order, servant to King Sombra.
He repeated the chant in his head in both long and stunted forms. Slowly, his heart settled back into a gentle rhythm.
On the stage that was the hilltop, Red saw King Sombra's generals. They lined up before the king like trained dogs and bowed in turn as he passed. The beast stood and cast its gaze over the mass of metal. The leader oozed hatred and malice as if it were a fog condensing around him.
King Sombra stood in his own barding. The steel breastplate held a red silk cloak with white trim to his back. Each of his hooves sported hoof guards, similar to Red's, which extended to the knees. However, the most distinct feature was his silver crown. It held a simple black face guard that seemed to blend with his shadowy mane. A horn unlike any other protruded in front of the crown. It was a symbol of his undeniable power. Nopony could beat him in a magical duel.
With green eyes that blazed with the source of his power, Sombra addressed his army. "Minions!" His voice thundered across the plain. Red's spine tingled and his legs tried to flee, but he held fast. "It is time to exact true justice against the tyranny of the Gods!"
Says the tyrant. Red banished the thought from of his head. This time, he drew no attention to himself.
"They mock us with their presence! For too long have they considered themselves above us. To them, we are cows that exist to beg and grovel at their every gesture. They forced us to believe in the so-called magic of harmony. And it has made us weak! But I discovered something they did not want us to know: The magic of Order! With this, we, mere insects in their eyes, have struck back. We have liberated the Crystal Empire. And now we shall take Canterlot!
"We shall sack their home..."
The on looking crowd cheered and stomped their hooves, rumbling the foundations of the earth he stood upon. The effect was disturbingly powerful.
"...We shall slay their defenders..."
Another cheer ripped through the air and shook the heavens.
"...We shall topple their city..."
The third cheer must have reached Canterlot.
"...And we shall drag the so called 'Gods' out of their holes and send them back to hell!"
The last cheer turned into a blood curdling roar. Battle rage flowed through the crowd like a wave heading to shore. It ebbed and flowed, retracted and flooded, and it worked the army into a frenzy. Pegasi flew through the air, flooding the sky with their acrobatic skills while the unicorns fired spells that lit up the night sky with a riot of colour. The energy permeated Red. It was not long until his stomps added to the rest.
Bow added her voice to the cacophony of rage with enthusiasm. She reared and kicked out at the air in front. However, Grey remained solemn and he kept his hooves on the ground.
"To war! To battle! To glory!" With that, King Sombra turned to leave. The generals spread their orders. Soon, Red's sergeant issued commands and they were on their way.
<><
The ground turned to ice as they crossed the barrier of the Crystal Empire and entered the wastes. The temperature dropped to below freezing. Frost built up on the woollen cloak over Red's barding and his chestnut coat underneath. Mist formed on his every breath. And he shivered under his barding. The march turned into a trudge as the snow insisted on their burial. Soldiers froze where they walked to leave icy statues that will forever remain a memory of the great column's passing. The unicorns tried to create heat barriers. Great domes of light warmed the tired soldiers. But after two days, they dropped dead when their resources expended.
The army trudged deeper into the snowy land. They feared to stop. They knew, somewhere behind them, those terrifying green eyes eagerly searched for deserters. King Sombra had already killed two runaways. Now their corpses hung from standards as a bloody deterrent.
Step...2...step...2...step. Red kept his mind only on his footing to block out the pain and the cold. Weariness gnawed away at his strength as his body resisted the chill of the wind that tugged at his cloak. His barding dug into his joints and his exposed flesh cried in pain. He felt sore all over, but soldier's instincts told him to remain silent and carry on.
"We can't go on like this!" blurted Bow. Small snot-icicles protruded from her muzzle. "Just look at it!" she pointed at the surroundings. "It's just snow! Look at that hill. Oh wait, that's just more snow! We're going to die here!"
"Bow! Back in line!" said Red.
"We will make it." muttered Grey, "We did last time. I'd pray for the cold to end me. But I know it won't."
"Why do you want to die?" asked Red.
"Is this what you call living?" retorted the grey coated stallion.
Do I live? "I am a soldier of Order, servant t..."
"Don't give me that! I know the chant better than you do!" said Grey. For the first time since the march, Red saw something in the old stallion. It was hate, pure and simple. Part of him understood the old pony perfectly.
"We are not ponies. We are slaves. He's taken everything away from us. Even our identities!" Red saw the ears of other ponies in their squad perk up as the old pony's rant faded to whispers.
"I met one of them a month ago." Grey closed his eyes. "I sat in an inn, drinking my pay away, when she noticed my scars and my tabard. We did not clash blades. We did not even argue. We just talked long into the night. She was not evil. She was not even angry that I had slain her soldiers and burnt her villages. She taught me the true meaning of peace.
"This is not the way! We fight for the wrong leader! Where Sombra fights for petty vengeance, they fight for peace. They fight to protect all that is good in the world. They fight for harmony!"
Plumes of white fog condensed around his muzzle. His body tensed and his steps were agitated. Red noticed a smile form on him. It spoke of acceptance with his fate. It was as if one was preparing to ride into battle...
"Grey...don't do it!" said Red. His words fell on deaf ears. "Grey!" Red punched the old stallion's helm with the flat of his hoof, making it ring like a bell. "I will not let you do this!" Even under the thick woollen cloak and the nondescript helmet, Red saw the face of the wise old pony that helped him through the first days of combat.
"Red..." the haunted gaze of Grey fell upon him, "Join me. Together we can end this."
"Are you insane? Grey listen to me." Red's lungs stung as his short, panicked breaths inhaled the frozen atmosphere. "All these years of faithful service, do they mean nothing to you? Grey, do not die a traitor!"
"Oh Red," disappointment spread across his face. Red's heart sank. "Still ever the faithful slave. What did he do to you to warrant such fear?" The old pony shook his head. "I am honoured to have fought by your side, but I'd rather die a traitor to a tyrant king than live as the hammer that shattered harmony. Plus, right now, I'd welcome the fires of Oblivion with open hooves."
The old stallion gave one last smile and a wink. A moment passed where only the howling of the wind, the crunch of the freshly laid snow under hoof and the clatter of thousands of armoured ponies filled Red's drooping ears. The moment seemed to last for an eternity. Red wanted to plead and slap some sense into the old pony, but Red had seen that set expression and knew, even if he broke all four of his legs, he would not listen. His only hope was that Grey would change his mind by himself. He strained his ears in anticipation to hear the raucous laughter and an apology. For this must all be a joke: a cruel and horrible joke.
Suddenly Grey whinnied and fell out of formation. "My name is River Walker! I have a life and I have a choice. I chose to defy the monster!" His shout echoed off the snow dunes as it travelled up and down the column of steel. Red heard the land reply with, "Defy the monster, defy the monster, defy the monster," as the sound faded into nothingness.
Grey reared. The spear attached to his back suddenly turned from a harmless tool back into a deadly weapon. Grey span in the air and charged past ranks upon ranks of dead eyed, uncaring war-ponies. "Death to Sombra! Death to the tyrant!" Red wanted to chase after him. He wanted to calm the old pony down and make him see sense. But to leave the formation was to die. Grey's fate had already been sealed. His heart rate quickened and he began panting. His steps fell out of formation as his hooves urged him to follow. A small whimper left his maw as he tried desperately to chase after his friend, but he could still see those green shadowy eyes staring through him. He saw that sinister smile as the beast stood over him and laughed.
Red faltered when he heard a sickening scream. He stumbled into the snow. He remembered Sombra...from before.
Small black crystals formed in the shadows behind the door to his family home. With a great bang, the simple wooden barrier burst into a shower of deadly splinters. His mother screamed and galloped to protect Red as a large shadow filled the open doorway. But the monster saw him first. With a flick of a horn, King Sombra grabbed Red in a crushing magical embrace and pulled the frightened colt away from his mother.
"Bow before your king." King Sombra's words oozed with malice. Red's mother fell to her belly.
"Please..." she whimpered.
"Silence insolent cur! This foal is coming with me."
"I...I live to serve." Red's mother looked up at her child as tears ran down her face. Her eyes were begging for mercy but she dared not utter a word. King Sombra noticed a small hanging on the wall. On it was the mark of Equestria: the symbol of the Gods.
"Do you have any other foals?" he asked as his eyes bored into her.
"Yes..." she whimpered.
King Sombra's tone took an almost conversational tone. However, his stare remained steadfast. "Younger or older?"
"Younger, y-your Highness." A dark smile spread across his face.
King Sombra turned to one of his soldiers. "Kill it." Red heard her mother scream. He saw her fight the soldier, only to be shrugged off and restrained by another.
"No, please! Have mercy. She's only a foal!" Tears streamed down her face to land on the splintering hardwood floor. Red whinnied and bucked in King Sombra's magical grip as his sister was dragged from her room to be presented before him...
Red remembered King Sombra's final words. "This is the price for defying my rule and worshipping them. Remember what I am about to show you." Red screamed into the snow as his mind replayed the gruesome scene.
Red quickly recovered and found his position in his line. Bow turned to stare at him, her eyes expressing her fear. "Did...did Grey just...?"
"He's dead," said Red through gasps. A sense of failure washed over him, stealing his breath away. "He chose to die. He might be the smartest pony in this army."
"Certainly the bravest." Both ponies maintained a solemn silence as they mentally said farewell to their friend. Tears beaded in his eyes and froze before they left his cheek.
<><
The march continued as it had before. The column wound its way through nothing but snow and ice. The howling wind swirled around the dunes of white and picked up tiny frozen crystals. It tore through the ranks, rubbing raw any exposed flesh like sandpaper. Red passed soldiers who sat in the snow and waited for the end to relieve them of their duty.
"Bow?" said Red. The orange maned pony glanced at him. "I'm scared."
"We all are."
Red shook his head, dislodging a small pile of snow that had built up on his ineffective cloak. "I feel like we're doing the wrong thing. I'm scared that we will end all that is good in this world."
Bow's eyes widened at his confession. "Red?"
"Grey was right." Red stared at his hooves that were buried in the snow. His body sagged as the weight of his barding and his conscience dragged him down. "It's as if we're just glorified slaves."
"We are slaves Red," said Bow with a chuckle, "We all know that. But there's one thing we can do." Bow brought her head close to Red's as he looked up. "We can die."
"Come on Red!" she continued. "Don't be so glum. At this rate we will never make it to Canterlot anyway!" she laughed maniacally. "Don't you see? Sombra has killed his army! Each day we spend in this waste is another day full of death." Her hysterical laughter took all breath away from her for a moment. "WE ARE GOING TO DIE! We will be FREE!"
"HOLD!" Red's ears pricked at the sound of the sergeant as his thinned squad tightened their formation.
"BATTLE FORMATION!" Suddenly, the column burst into a frenzy as helms were donned, positions were found and squadrons ran to the front lines. The activity kicked up fine bits of snow, covering the scene in an ethereal mist.
Red and Bow passed many emerging battle lines as they moved to the front. Their spears pointed ahead of them; the metal tips sparkled along with the sea of ice and snow. The rest of the Chargers followed suit. Soon they were ready. Thousands of ponies scanned the distant horizon. The sun burnt away the mist and reflected off the landscape but did nothing against the penetrating coldness.
A small gap in the clouds released a cascade of golden illumination on the monochrome landscape. In the distance, two figures stood with their backs against the sun's glare. Red squinted at the silhouettes as if he were under interrogation. As they drew closer, he noticed that their statures were too large for a regular pony, so they must be...
"Celestia and Luna...the Gods," muttered Bow.
"There's no army," said Red.
To his right, King Sombra cantered into view. Snow failed to cling to his barding and each of his steps left those black crystals.
"Celestia! Luna! Accursed Gods!" he cried. His voice carried to the far corners of his army. "You come alone! Have you come to beg for my forgiveness? You will receive no mercy for your crimes."
Seconds passed as the wind carried the words to the far reaches of the realm. The army held its breath as it awaited the inevitable response.
"Sombra!" said a distant voice. "Turn and leave. Run, hide and pray that we don't find you. This is your final chance."
King Sombra laughed. Each booming chuckle sent a shiver down Red's spine. "I do not make deals with Gods. I crush them." He turned towards his army.
"Look at your enemy. They pretend to be something they're not. If they were true Gods, they would protect Ponykind. But disease proliferates, Timberwolves threaten from the South and the Gryphons insult us on a regular basis. And what have they done? Nothing! They abuse their power and do nothing to protect us. So we will take that power from them. And with it, we will beat back the troubles that plague us. We will create true order! We will rule Equestria! We will become the Greatest Empire in living history! So my minions, Take back what is rightfully yours. Take back your power!
"Unicorns to me! Pegasi! Chargers! Ponies-at-arms! Archers! Kill them. Crush them under your hooves."
On that command, the pegasi took to the sky and the army charged. It was a remarkable sight. Six thousand ponies charged towards a central point and kicked up a cloud of snow that resembled a blizzard. Red charged in spear formation with Bow laughing maniacally by his side.
"You know I would have had you!" she said merrily. "But we'll never get the chance. For, one way or the other, our world will end. HA!" she continued giggling even as their squadron unleashed a blood curdling battle cry.
Arrows flew overhead as archer regiments tried to snipe their enemy. However, without an opposing army to slow down the assault, the arrows fell on their allies. Red felt one shard bounce off his chain mail. He continued running. Bow continued laughing. They were only a hundred metres away.
"I'm sorry!" Red cried. Tears rolled down his cheeks. "I don't want this anymore!"
The sisters took to the sky and in one quick motion, their horns touched. Suddenly, an explosion of magic blew the pegasi out of the sky and dispersed the white fog. Ponies stumbled and fell as violent rays of awesome colour blinded them. The shockwave swept through the aggressors. A force of immense power struck Red. The collision punched the air out of his lungs and threw him into the air. His spear impaled the ground and snapped, jarring his chest as he fell. The resultant jerk sent him rolling. He felt something in his chest snap. He came to a rest on top of a dislocated shoulder. Breathing became ragged and desperate as his barding dug into his belly. The harness held the ruined remains of the spear against his side. The cracked wood smouldered.
Red lay in the snow, waiting for his brain to overcome the shock and flood his mind with unbearable agony. He stared into the now blue sky. Did...did that explosion do that? Slowly what was an insistent drone focused into a chorus of moans, scrams and wails of his fellow comrades. However, the pain he expected seemed dull and distant, almost as if the source came from some other pony. He struggled to focus long enough under the brilliant flood of light.
"Bow?" he cried weakly, as he pulled at the tattered remnants of his harness. He smelt burnt fur. The searing pain around his face told him it was his. Suddenly another plume of light illuminated the sky, pushing back the quickly encroaching snow clouds. Suddenly, it focused into a beam that radiated all colours.
Red felt his blood leak from a shattered foreleg. It stained the snow, sullying the pure white with sickly crimson. He felt faint. The pain in his chest started to numb as it froze in the snow. I'm dying... "Bow?" he called again. His eyes focused on an orange mane that protruded from the ball of barding. Small but delicately wrought chains (most likely trigger chains pilfered from stores) snaked their way around strands of hair. "No..." He dragged himself up to her and checked for any signs of life. Underneath the helmet, her face smouldered. There was no breathing. There was no heartbeat.
Red did not cry for her. For too long had he dealt with death to be affected. But he cried for what happened. The explosion...Oh no! King Sombra has killed them! He used us as a distraction! That was it. There was nothing left for the world but pain and suffering...
How have we been so blind? Why have we let a mad-pony destroy everything we have ever loved?
Red lay there, next to his fallen comrade, and let the snow sap at his consciousness. Suddenly, he heard a guttural scream unlike one any other pony could muster. Red raised his gaze to see two ponies high in the air and surrounded by a ball of colourful energy. Celestia and Luna focused their barrier into a beam that, with all the beauty of a rainbow, arced onto King Sombra.
Sombra roared again, his agony palpable for those who could still feel pain. Red pawed at the ground, dragging his useless body until he could see Sombra writhe.
"You are no match for the Elements of Harmony," said one of the Gods as they trotted up to the fallen king. "Surrender and die in peace."
Hysterical desperation fuelled King Sombra's laugh. "You will never kill me. And you will not take what's mine!" Suddenly, the air filled with the sound of ice shattering. The ground groaned as a jagged split formed underneath the fallen king. The world opened before Red, catapulting deadly shards of ice high into the air. The beam of light ended as small cracks in the land spread throughout the battlefield. King Sombra fell screaming into the great maw of ice and stone. His cry faded into a multitude of faint echoes. With one final howl, he fired his last spell. The ball of dark energy shot into the sky and disappeared into the distance.
Red dropped his head onto the deathly still barding that failed to protect Bow. "Look Bow," he said. He pointed with his eyes to the great chasm that still shook the ground as it continued to open. "We did not die in vain." Red closed his eyes as the cold slowed his breathing. His pain started to subside and his mind wandered. He rolled onto his back and watched as the grey snow clouds smothered the beautiful cyan sky.
Did I live? No. I died with my sister. But now, with the chains of Sombra cut, others can...
Red opened his eyes briefly to see a dark blue alicorn standing over him. She wore her crescent moon cutie mark openly. "Thank you," he muttered. Sheer relief lifted an unknown weight from his shoulders and the pain faded into a background irritation. Red closed his eyes for the final time. He felt comfortable. And, for the first time that he could remember, he felt content.
Slowly, he sank into the welcoming absence of the abyss.
Author's Note
Many thanks to Blue_Pancake for the proof read and editing. It came in very handy!
Also a big thanks to cmaggot on Deviant Art for the amazing picture.
