Thunderspite

Twilight Sparkle finished her tale. The others, seated around the table, were speechless.

“I told ya he weren’t no criminal!” said Apple Bloom.

“Why, if it hadn’t been for Thunderspite...” Rarity covered her mouth.

“All of Equestria would have been blowed up!” said Pinkie Pie, hopping for emphasis.

“And nobody even knows about it!” Fluttershy said.

“And he lost his special somepony.” Applejack's expression was miles away. “Can’t imagine what that must be like.”

“And that explains why he’s been running all this time,” said Rainbow Dash. “He must be furious at the Princess for letting Talionis go free.”

“Thunderspite left before the Princess even had a chance to explain herself,” said Twilight Sparkle. “She feels terrible about what happened, and she’s had the whole guard looking for him ever since.”

The group sat in silence for a moment, letting the gravity of the situation sink in.

“Well, it’s too late now,” said Applejack. “He flew off again, and I don’t reckon we’ll be able to find him if he don’t want to be found.”

Another silence. Then, Rainbow Dash suddenly bolted upright, hovering in midair. “I think I may know where he’s gone. Come on, everypony!”

* * *

Ever the soldier, Thunderspite flew only a short distance that first evening, and made camp near a small clearing in the Everfree Forest, where he could observe any signs of pursuit without being seen himself. The next morning, judging the coast to be clear, he again resumed his journey.

He circled his way upwards until he reached an altitude with a favorable tail wind, then turned west. He quickly found himself lost in thought. As always, he found himself thinking about Dawn Glimmer and Blitzwing, but he found his thoughts also lingered on the new friends he had made in Ponyville.

Friends? He thought to himself. But yes, there it was. Despite his best efforts, the ponies he met in Ponyville had succeeded in becoming features in his life, and as he pondered the idea of not ever seeing them again, he grew sad.

Depressed and in a daze, he flew onwards and upwards until early evening. When he finally came across a large cirrocumulus cloud, he decided to set down on it for a rest.

He stared down at the landscape for a moment, miles and miles below him. Looking back eastward, he could just barely make out the familiar hills and mountains that surrounded Ponyville, just on the horizon. Sighing, took off his pack and sat down on the cloud. He took an apple out of his pack to eat, but instead found himself studying it for a long time, thinking of Applejack. After a long moment, he put it back in his pack without taking a bite. As he did so, the copy of Daring Do that Dawn Glimmer had given him fell out of his bag, came unfurled from its protective cloth, and fell onto the cloud. Thunderspite winced, and picked up his cherished artifact from the ground, inspecting it for damage. As he did so, a folded and yellowed piece of paper fluttered out from between the pages.

Thunderspite stared at it where it came to rest on the cloud for a moment, dumbstruck. Could it be? With trembling hooves, he picked up the paper and carefully unfolded it, revealing a letter written in a familiar, tidy cursive.

My darling Thunderspite,

We are due to arrive at the cloud city in just a few hours. Although I cannot be sure, I had a vision last night that our mission may go badly. If it does, there is something very important that I want to be sure to tell you.

If I die, know that I died working for something that I believe in. I believe that peace, and even the prospect of peace, is the most noble of callings, and I will give my life for it willingly if it is asked of me.

Thunderspite, if something does happen to me, I want you to promise that you’ll do what you can to make peace with all those that have wronged you in the past, including Sky Dancer. Resentment is a terrible thing to carry in your heart, and it can poison you and blind you to those things that are good in life.

Darling, I want you to know that I wouldn’t trade these past few days I've spent with you for a whole lifetime lived without you. I do not know why were destined to meet and be parted from each other so quickly, but there is no doubt in my mind that you were always meant to be my very special somepony.

No matter what happens to me, know that I’ll be with you always.

Love,

Dawn Glimmer

Thunderspite wept, his tears staining the corner of the paper. He ran his hoof gently over her handwriting: Dawn Glimmer’s last words to him.

“I promise,” he whispered to the words on the page.

Thunderspite was alone with his thoughts for almost an hour, when his solitude was suddenly interrupted by the sound of many pegasus wings flapping hard from somewhere beneath him. He considered fleeing again, but instead dried his tears and stood on the edge of the cloud, awaiting the arrival of whatever it was that was coming for him.

Just a few minutes later, an entire squad of pegasus guards, plus two carriages, rose above the surface of the cloud. The formation circled him once, then landed on the cloud some distance away. An alicorn, whom Thunderspite assumed to be the new Princess Twilight Sparkle, stepped out of her coach, walked to the other coach, and quickly cast the cloud-walking spell on all the ponies inside.

Thunderspite’s heart sank when he saw all his friends from Ponyville step out of the carriage, he felt ashamed for deserting them, especially Applejack and Apple Bloom. Also present was Cloud Dasher, and a new unicorn captain whom Thunderspite did not recognize.

The alicorn approached him now, flanked on either side by the two captains. Thunderspite’s Ponyville friends trailed some distance behind, looking uncomfortable.

Thunderspite approached and bowed before the Princess. “Your Highness.”

“Captain Thunderspite, I presume?” she asked.

“Yes, Highness.”

“My name is Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia told me all about what you did for Equestria. She’s been looking for you ever since you left. When she got word that you might be in Ponyville, she sent me to try to find you. She wants very much to speak with you.”

Thunderspite nodded. “I know, Highness. The truth is, I’ve been running from her all these years. But, I think I’m finally ready to stop running.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded, knowingly. “You know, your friends in Ponyville have missed you, too.” She turned and backed out of the way, clearing his path to the six ponies from Ponyville, who were staring at him with a mixture of concern, sadness, and anger. Applejack and Apple Bloom showed this last one more than the others.

Thunderspite felt ashamed, but gulped and stepped towards them. “I owe you all an apology.” He began. “You have all gone way, way out of your way to make me feel welcome, and it was wrong of me to just up and leave like it didn’t mean anything. I want you all to know that what you did for me, the way you treated me...it really did mean a lot to me. At the time, it seemed easier to run than to forgive.” Thunderspite looked back at Princess Twilight Sparkle and nodded. “But I think I’m ready to forgive now, and I hope you can all forgive me, too.”

“Hmm,” Rarity said, dubiously. She quickly pulled the other five ponies into a huddle, and they whispered quietly amongst themselves, occasionally peeking over at him. After a long moment, they broke their huddle, and faced him again. Rarity stepped forward, speaking for the group. “We will forgive you, Thunderspite, on the condition that no matter what else happens, you will remain our friend, now and forever. Running out without saying goodbye is absolutely out of the question. Can you promise that?”

Thunderspite smiled in relief. “I promise.”

“Pinkie Promise?” Pinkie Pie asked, squinting and pointing at him menacingly.

Thunderspite stood at rigid attention. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” He mimed sticking a cupcake in his eye with all the military precision he could muster, and managed to make the silly incantation sound grandiose.

A cheer went up from the gang, and they surrounded Thunderspite and exchanged hugs.

Just then, there was a bright flash above them, and everypony squinted and shielded their eyes. A moment later, Princess Celestia herself descended from the sky, flying under her own power and alone, unaccompanied by her usual guard detail. She landed atop the cloud, not far from the others, and everypony bowed.

Princess Celestia looked around. “Thunderspite?” she asked. Thunderspite rose slowly, approached the princess, and bowed low again.

The Princess’ eyes brimmed with tears as she regarded him. “Thunderspite, my old friend. Please believe me when I tell you that I had good reasons for doing what I did. I have already lost two of my friends to anger and hatred, and I do not wish to lose another. I have missed your counsel and your friendship all these years. Will you forgive me?”

Thunderspite rose, looked at the Princess a moment, then to his new friends, then back again. “Someone told me that resentment can blind you and poison you to things which are good and life. I forgive you, Princess, and I hope that you will forgive me too.”

Princess Celestia embraced him, and he embraced her back. It was very improper, of course, but Thunderspite didn’t mind.

* * *

Everyone went to Canterlot that night: Thunderspite, Princesses Celestia and Twilight Sparkle, the Ponyville five plus Apple Bloom, and the guards that accompanied them. Thunderspite had missed the memorial held for Blitzwing and Dawn Glimmer after he fled Canterlot the first time, so Princess Celestia arranged to have a small vigil at their shrines, which had been built on a grassy foothill not far from the castle.

Each shrine consisted of a plaque and statue. Dawn Glimmer’s plaque read, “IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE UNICORN DAWN GLIMMER, WHO GAVE HER LIFE IN THE SERVICE OF PEACE.” The statue above it looked for all the world just like the real Dawn Glimmer, just as she looked to Thunderspite that morning in the valley. She faced east, her head skyward and eyes closed, and a contented smile on her lips, as if she was enjoying the day’s first kiss of sunshine. Blitzwing’s memorial face northward, towards the Castle. He stood at parade rest, a determined look on his face and the small smirk on his lips. Thunderspite thought it captured him perfectly. His plaque read, “IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE PEGASUS BLITZWING, LIEUTENANT OF THE ROYAL GUARD, WHO BRAVELY GAVE HIS LIFE IN THE SERVICE OF EQUESTRIA.”

It was still early morning, when everyone assembled at the shrines. In attendance were the Princesses Celestia, Luna, Twilight Sparkle, and Cadence, with her husband Shining Armor; as well as Applejack, Apple Bloom, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.

Princess Celestia asked for a moment of silence. When it had passed, she placed a wreath at the foot of the shrine.

“May I say a few words, Princess?” Thunderspite asked her. She nodded.

Thunderspite stepped forward and regarded each statue for a moment before turning to face the others.

“Dawn Glimmer died in the service of a cause which she believed was worth dying for. She knew that her mission was a dangerous one, but she accepted it anyway, because she believed that peace, or even the possibility of peace, was worth more than the life of any one pony. Even when she saw a vision of her own death in a dream, she persevered. She had more courage than any other pony I’ve ever met.”

Thunderspite paused for a moment and looked at her last note to him, which he held in his hoof. After a moment, he resumed. “She was my very special somepony, and my friend, and I will miss her very much. But whenever we strive to make peace with everypony, whenever we seek to forgive those who have wronged us...” Thunderspite’s gaze wandered to Princess Celestia, who smiled. “Whenever we do these things, then we can say that Dawn Glimmer lives on in our hearts.”

Thunderspite wasn’t sure what else to say, so he just nodded and took his place again next to the others.