Braveheart: The Untold Stories

It was nearly 9 in the evening when I made it back home. I was tired and needed some rest. I landed on my Pegasus landing platform and opened the door. I walked inside and powered up a small light spell to help me see. Almost immediately, the animatronic Adagio screeched in front of me. I screamed and fell back, when I recovered, I increased the power of my light and pulled out my curved knife Rainbow Dash had given me. Nothing was there. I was startled and confused. I took a few deep breaths to pull myself together, and I slowly sheathed my blade.

“I’m just seeing things,” I murmured to myself. “It’s just an illusion.” I laid down in bed and closed my eyes. I laid there for a good while, trying to fall asleep. I couldn’t. I tossed and turned for a good thirty minutes before finally getting up. I lit up my horn and walked over to my closet. I opened it up and pulled out my potion brewing kit. Zecora had given me one as a gift a while back for helping her with something important. I opened it up and brewed myself a quick sleeping potion. Like most potions, there was a catch of some kind. For this one, I would experience very vivid dreams until I woke up. I could live with that. I downed the potion. It tasted weird, like stale bread. I put away my kit and slipped back into bed. I laid down, closed my eyes, and soon fell asleep.

~~~

I woke up once at midnight. Much too soon.

“Oh, for the love of Celestia!” I cried. I forcefully shoved the bedsheets away and got out of bed. I walked over to my closet to make a stronger sleeping potion. As soon as I opened the closet door, a monstrous form of the animatronic Aria jumped out at me with a roar. I slammed the door shut and put my back against it. I had only gotten a split second look at Aria. Her jaw was full of sharp pointed teeth, and she looked like something out of a nightmare. I drew out my knife and prepared to open up the closet again. I lit up my horn and whipped around, opening up the closet quickly. All that was in there were my things and a small Aria the Pirate plushie. I slammed the door shut and walked away.

“Cute little plushie bitch,” I mumbled to myself. I heard footsteps outside my room. I cracked open the door and looked down the hall with a focused light spell. A pair of red eyes drew back from the end of the hall. Suddenly, all bravery left me, replaced with fear. I stepped back into the room and looked over at my closet. It was cracked open. I walked over, and shone my light inside. Aria’s sharp hook was hanging down from the ceiling. I shut the closet for a minute, then looked back inside. Aria had returned to her plushie form. I looked back to my bed, and for a split second, I saw a terrifying smaller version of Adagio before it darted off and under my bed. I looked underneath my bed, but nothing was there. I quickly checked my small alarm clock. It read 2:00 AM. I groaned, and suddenly heard something I never wanted to hear again. Adagio’s slowed laugh. I closed my eyes tight for a moment before walking over to the door. I shone my light down the hall, and was immediately jumped out at with a roar by a nightmare form of Sonata.

~~~

I jolted out of bed with a scream. I took fast breaths, trying to recover from my scare. I fell back onto my bed, taking some deep breaths. I looked over at my clock. It was midnight.

“Mother fucker,” I groaned. I tried to fall back asleep instead of getting up. A familiar pulsing beat started to sound in my head. I sat up and found myself in a sea of blood and color. I was horrified. I stumbled back as I tried to stand. I ran into something. I turned my head and saw the head of the Rainbow Factory glaring at me. He had a cleaver in his hoof. He swung down, and I dove out of the way. The cleaver hit the ground, spraying blood onto the Pegasus’s face. I extended the hidden blade in my mechanical hoof, ready to fight. I suddenly felt a hard stab in my back. I screamed and fell to the ground. I looked behind me to see Pinkamena with a bloody knife. I looked around to the best of my ability. Pinkamena behind me, the head of the Rainbow Factory in front of me, Sombra to my left, Springtrap next to Pinkamena, and one more to my right. I recognized this one instantly. It was my evil self. The side of me that came out when Pinkamena cut off my leg. His eyes were glowing red and his wing tips were sharp and jagged. He held a gun in his black magic aura. My back had stopped bleeding, and the wound was now pouring out black smoke. I couldn’t move, and I was getting colder by the second. I was awaiting my death at the hooves of my enemies. I closed my eyes.

“Celestia, have mercy,” I whispered, near tears. I suddenly heard a loud shimmer, and a powerful stomp followed. I opened my eyes to see the five killers terrified, stepping back with fear. All around me was teal and yellow fire, and standing in front of me was Princess Luna herself, and Princess Celestia behind her.

“ENOUGH OF YOUR TORMENT, TANTABUS!” Luna cried in her Royal Canterlot Voice. “HE HAS SUFFERED ENOUGH! NOW LEAVE HIM BE!” The five killers dissipated into purple smoke that was glinting with teal stars, and it disappeared into the sea of blood. The fire subsided, and Luna knelt down. I felt a soothing warmth as Celestia used her magic to remove the black poison and close my wound. The blood around us faded back to my room, and my strength returned. Celestia and Luna stepped in front of me and sat down. I stood up and bowed.

“There is no need for that now,” Luna said. I looked up at her, my eyes wet with tears.

“I…I don’t understand,” I stammered. “How are you here?”

“While our physical bodies perished, our spirits remained,” Celestia told me. “However, we have yet to pass into the next life. We are able to appear within dreams or as ghosts in reality.” I closed my eyes, a few tears falling to the floor.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “I wish I could have done something to help you.” I felt a hoof on my shoulder. I looked up to see Luna giving me a sad look. She seemed to be near tears as well.

“Braveheart,” she said. “There was nothing you could have done. Your guide, Pip was it? She had a duty to protect you. And she clearly did. Our time had passed, and yours had just begun.”

“I don’t deserve this role,” I said. “If anypony does, I would think it would be Princess Twilight.”

“Twilight Sparkle is a very capable princess,” Celestia said. “However, she still as much to learn about her role in Equestria.” I nodded in minimal understanding. I took a deep breath to calm down. Luna took her hoof off my shoulder and looked at me with a warm smile.

“You are lucky to be alive,” she said. “While I have been able to control Tantabus to an extent before, now, it could have killed you had we not interfered.”

“Thank you,” I said. I hung my head.

“What is wrong, Braveheart?” Celestia asked. I sighed, not answering right away.

“Braveheart?” Luna asked. I couldn’t stop myself. I broke down crying, right in front of the princesses. But at this point, I didn’t care. Luna walked over and put a hoof around my shoulder. I let out my grief for a few minutes before calming down a bit.

“What happened, Braveheart?” Celestia asked. I wiped the tears from my eyes and took a breath.

“Terrible things have happened in your absence,” I confessed. “Terrible, terrible things.”

“Were they resolved?” Luna asked. I nodded.

“That’s good,” Celestia said. “But do tell us about it. Please. We insist.” I took a breath, and told the former princesses my story.

“Not long after your passing, Pip and I had to make a break into a factory after getting caught by the Terminator,” I began. “It was crushed by a press, but not before it killed Pip.”

“I'm terribly sorry to hear that,” Luna said.

“A few weeks after, Pinkie Pie drugged me and strapped me to a wall in her basement,” I continued. “She tried to dissect me; put me into a dessert. She cut off my right front arm, now replaced with a segment of the Terminator, as you can see. I lashed out in rage, breaking myself free and...” I paused, tears welling up in my eyes.

“What did you do?” Celestia asked. I started crying again.

“I shot her,” I sobbed. “Six times, point blank in the head. She tried to kill me. There were remains of other ponies around the basement. Furniture fashioned from bones, entrails as streamers, severed heads on the table...” I couldn't take it anymore. I stopped talking for a bit. Celestia and Luna were in utter shock.

“Braveheart,” Luna gasped. “How could you?”

“I don’t know what came over me,” I stammered. “A side of me I never knew I had just…came out.” I took a breath and calmed myself down. “After what I did, I left Ponyville,” I said. “I banished myself to the Everfree for five years. While there, I replaced my lost limb and learned a few extremely difficult spells.”

“Could you demonstrate them?” Celestia asked.

“I can show you two,” I said. I focused my magic and used the Changeling transformation spell to morph into the Terminator Endoskeleton. I immediately morphed back.

“You learned Changling magic?” Celestia marveled. “How?” I pulled out the black magic sheet.

“Twilight gave me a book on basic spells,” I explained. “This page was inside, but it wasn’t attached. I don’t think Twilight knew it was there.”

“Incredible,” Luna breathed.

“I learned necromancy as well from that sheet,” I said. “After perfecting it, I left the Everfree and returned to Ponyville. I resurrected Pinkie Pie using the necromancy spell.”

“So you righted your wrong,” Luna nodded. “You truly are wise, Braveheart.”

“Wise would hardly cut it,” I shunned. I continued my story, telling the Princesses about the Assassin Order, Sparks, and the Changling attack; my trip to the human world and Sunset returning home; Sombra’s return and his near invasion of the Crystal Empire.

“Cadence, Shining Armor, and Sunset defended the Empire with honor,” I said. “Sunset freed me of Sombra’s control.”

“Where is she?” Celestia asked. “Is she all right?” At this, I hung my head, not uttering a word. Celestia brought a hoof to her mouth.

“She didn’t…” she started. I looked up, tears in my eyes, and nodded. Celestia turned away, mourning over her former student. I hung my head again.

“Sombra killed her,” I quietly said, rage coming back to me. “I attacked him, bashing his face in before slamming him against a wall. I cut off his head with his own scythe! SERVED THE FUCKING BASTARD RIGHT!!!” I stopped my rage, breathing heavily. Luna put a hoof on my shoulder. I looked up, eyes wet with tears.

“Braveheart,” Luna said. “Calm yourself.”

“Sorry,” I said. “I just…I can’t…”

“Listen to me,” Luna said. “You have very clearly been through a great many hardships since our passing. Yet here you still are. You survived so many fatal encounters. The Rainbow Factory, your experience with Pinkamena, the Changeling attack, your fight with Sombra, even in your youngest years on the streets of Equestria. You lived through all of them. You are the toughest pony I have ever met. And I sincerely hope you’ll remain so.” I gave Luna a small smile.

“Thank you,” I said. Celestia had calmed down, and she stepped next to her sister.

“It is time, sister,” she said. Luna nodded and turned back to me, her face with a look of sadness.

“You have to go, don’t you?” I assumed. Luna nodded regretfully. I closed my eyes and hung my head. Luna put a hoof to my chin and raised my head. She gave me a warm smile.

“Do not mourn for us, Braveheart,” she said. “We will always remain with you.” Luna and Celestia lit up their horns, and covered me with a magic aura. I felt the magic pulse around me and a warmth flow through my body. After a moment, the princesses dismissed the spell. I looked down, and noticed that my mechanical leg was upgraded. It was more streamlined and was coated with a shiny chrome finish. On the top of the hoof was Luna’s cutie mark, engraved into the metal. I looked to my sides. My wings had been gifted with a long and narrow magic thruster to increase my flight speed. Both wing bars now had streaks of yellow, and they were both engraved with Celestia’s cutie mark.

“Let these imparting gifts be reminders for you,” Celestia said. “Reminders of our guidance and wisdom.”

“May they bring you good fortune in your future,” Luna said.

“Thank you,” I breathed. I watched as Celestia faded away. Luna stayed where she was for the moment. My eyes started to water up again. Luna and I embraced, for we both knew this was the last time we’d see each other.

“Thank you,” Luna whispered. “For bringing peace to the Dazzling’s souls. They are most grateful.”

“You were the Marionette?” I asked quietly. I felt Luna nod. We broke the embrace, and I held Luna’s hoof. She smiled at me.

“Stay strong, Braveheart,” she said. “For yourself, for us, and for Equestria.”

“I will,” I assured Luna. I looked her in the eyes. “Thank you. For everything.” Luna nodded with a smile.

“Farewell, my dear Braveheart,” she said. She faded away, and I closed my eyes.

~~~

I opened my eyes in my bed. I sat up and looked out the window. Dawn was breaking, and I could see a future ahead of me. A future where I wasn’t afraid to do what was right for Equestria. I slipped out of bed and walked over to the window. I opened it up and looked out into the breaking dawn. I took a breath of fresh air, ready to do what was necessary for Equestria.

“I’ll never forget you, Luna. Until the day I die, I will honor you and your sister’s wish, and protect Equestria with my life. Rest in peace, Princess Luna.”