A New Journey For A New Prince

Two days into his journey through the desert, he ran out of water, and half of his food was gone. He was told that he'd have enough to get through the desert, but clearly not. He wasn't even half way through yet. He trecked for a few more miles before collapsing from exhaustion. The next thing Drew knew, he woke up on hat felt like a sand-sled, being pulled by a dark blue coated and light green maned Earth Pony.

"Wh...what? What happened?" He asked as he moved around a little bit, and most of his body was covered with a thin pure white sheet to protect him from the sun.

"Rest easy. You'll be alright, unless you over-do it now." The mare said to him bluntly but with a worried tone. The mare pulled him to what appeared to be a tent, maybe her camp?

He was dragged inside of the large tent, and sighed in relief as it was so much cooler in here than outside. The mare offered some water to him, and gave a kind smile. "Rest, take your time to move around." She told him softly. Drew drank from the bowl she offered him, and began to recover. "I found you passed out about two miles from my base camp, what were you thinking coming out here to this cursed land?" She asked gently. Drew took his time to think of his reply.

"I'm on a journey, and figured traveling through a hostile environment first would be best. I was told my supplies would last, but they clearly didn't..." He explained "What's your name?" The mare asked, and he thought for a moment, deciding to use his new name. "Bane Blade." He simply said.

The mare nodded "My name is Tender Step." She said and cracked a gentle smile at him, seeing him slowly recover.

Bane nodded and gave a wave of his hoof. "Thanks for helping me. Not sure how much longer I could go out there." He smiled back at Tender Step, and went to carefully sit up.

"So, what is your journey for Bane?" Tender asked him. "Personal Growth under advisement of Princess Celestia herself." He replied, and Tender nodded with a smile. "Got a location in mind?" Asked Tender. Bane shook his head. "No, not particularly, just wander around and learn." He said with a nod. His stomach growled and he went into his bag to get some carrots, offering one to Tender, who politely declined it. "No thank you, I have my own food. You'll need your own food to get out of this desert. You have another sixty miles to go."

Bane nodded as he sighed a bit. He couldn't get Rainbow Dash off his mind, even now. Tender Step caught the look of loss on Bane's face, and gave a hug. "I can see you've suffered some heavy loss in your time. Would you like to talk while you rest?" Tender asked. Bane had hugged back until she spoke, and just sat there letting her hug him while he stared blankly.

"You don't have to if you don't want to Bane." Tender said softly in to his ear. Bane sobbed quietly, and Tender tubbed his back, trying to comfort him.

"I loved her so much.....but my own brother killed her....and I was forced to kill him....." He explained, and Tender pulled back in shock. "Oh my.......that's just terrible...." She said, tearing up a bit, and looked away some, hurt by just imagining the hurt that Bane has gone through. "My own brother rejected me, after I worked my whole life to get him back when our parents died....I joined the Equestrian Armed Forces to support myself so I can give my brother stability, rather than leaving him at the orphanage our uncle sent him to........." A long pause. "A few years after that, I ended The Changeling War, and retired as a War Hero, and earned two favors from Prince Shining Armor, a buddy of mine from my time during the war. However, my little brother went through tartarus and back....and that made him bitter towards me. I failed him, and that lead to the event of me failing Rainbow Dash when he killed her.....I was too weak to stop it..." Bane said and started to cry. "This lead to my suicide...." He explained and Tender seemed hurt and confused by this. "Then how are you still alive?"

Bane took a calming breath. "Twilight Sparkle sacrificed her immortality to revive me, this lead to her no longer being an Alicorn..." He said, and looked down. "I'm ashamed....I not only failed my little brother, and my lover, but a Princess...." He sighed and went quiet again, and Tender Step gave him another hug. "You didn't fail, you just had a bad streak of luck. Things have surely gotten better, have they not?"

Bane sighed and shook his head. "No, they haven't....on my way to this very desert, I passed through Appleoosa, where I encountered a bank robbery in progress. When I came in, I was too late to save two ponies already, I had broken a vow I made.....I can't save any pony...." He said as he began to cry again. "I'm such a failure...." He said to himself and Tender Step put a hoof under his chin, and gave him a smile. "You can't live your life beating yourself up over what you can't control doll. All you can do, is what you CAN do, and that is all you need! I may not know you, but I can see a deep strength in you, a strength that is very rare to have. I know you'll do fine if you just stop trying to over-achieve!" She told him and went to nuzzle him softly. He nodded and nuzzled back gently, feeling much better. "I guess I should be on my way then." He said.

Tender Step nodded and gave him some more water, definitely enough to get through the desert. As he began to leave, he looked back and gave one last wave of thanks to her before disappearing.

(To be continued.)