Stepping lightly out of the gaping hole in the ground, one rescued unicorn in arms, the now haggard looking human gazes sedately at his surroundings noticing the now beautiful sunset setting the sky alight with a beautiful compliment of color. Setting his charge down, he then reached back into the hole and pulled an equally disheveled diamond she-dog with her pup dangling from her back its scrawny arms wrapped around its mother's shoulders.

Once they were out in the open, a pegasus clad in burnished iron lands infront of them, "Sir, we have apprehended two diamond dogs, shall we take those two into custody as well?" he asked, looking to the two in question.

"That isn't necessary private, they are my wards as of this moment, and are now my responsibility." Farren replied, his words surprising as they were sudden, "However I do need your help, the Alpha of this den took several others prisoner, they're going to need medical attention. Please send in the medics."

Nodding in confirmation, the pegasus flies off, and returns not minutes later with a small herd of medics. As they enter the tunnel to extract the other slaves, Farren and his group walk on. Coming to a stop at the town outskirts, the little group are met with the rest of the Elements, along with Rarity's little sister, and the mayor. Upon seeing her sister, Sweetie Belle ran to her, tears streaming from her face. As the two sisters embraced each other, Farren gestured to the mayor and Twilight to follow him.

"What did you want to talk about Farren? Is everything alright?" Twilight asked, looking up into the man's troubled face.

Looking back to the setting sun behind them Farren then looked back to the princess, his face set in grim acceptance. "Miss Sparkle," he began, "While miss Rarity and co are going to be fine, I do believe that I will have to take my leave soon enough."

"W-what? Why? You've only just arrived, what do you mean you'll need to leave soon?" questioned the mayor.

"When I rescued miss Rarity from the diamond dog den, I was forced into a violent confrontation. Because of me several dogs are now dead, and if word gets out about it and I am sure that it will, this event shall further distance me from the residents of this village who as far as I have seen have not seen such a scale of violence for many years." Farren replied, adjusting his small pack's straps as he did so.

Shocked by his words, the pair just sat there in silence their eyes widening in realization at their seemingly gentle companion's actions, and by the fact that they now knew that several of the dark patches on his mottled green and brown cloak where in fact bloodstains. Their conversation was then summarily interrupted by the untimely arrival of a large herd of ponies...the pitchfork and torch wielding kind.

"Ah, it seems I was spot on in my predictions. Miss Sparkle? Miss Mayor? Let us depart for the town hall, where we shall at least have some modicum of privacy." with that, Farren turned away to the rest of their companions to inform them of their destination.

"What do we do now Princess?" Asked miss Mayor, her eyes wide with worry, "It seems like introducing him to the town calmly and helping him feel welcomed is now quite out of the question."

"I don't quite know, this is going to be a challenge thats for sure." Twilight replied, "I think I might need to defer to the princesses for this one..."

Any further speculation is cut off when there comes a cry of alarm from the mob, signalling to the group that they had been spotted.

"There's the monster!"

"Get out of town! Leave us alone murderer!"

"Murderer! You slaughtered all those poor diamond dogs in cold blood!"

"Leave!"

"Look! It's cornered the Elements of Harmony, the fiend!"

"Its gonna kill that filly and the two dogs over there! Get it!!!"

As the mob grew more and more incensed, they began to swarm the group, desperately trying to get to the hooded figure in the center of the group. But, with a flick of its wrist, and a bright flash of green light, the figure vanished, along with the rest of the group accompanying it. Unbeknownst to them, a small herd of hoofprints, pawprints, and a single pair of footprints slowly padded away from the confused mob, heading into the town center.

By the time they had arrived to the relative privacy and safety of the town hall, night had settled its vast wings over the land, the mob had subsided and gone home, and the moon with her company of stars rose up into the night to begin their nightly vigil. Their little merry band had set up shop in the lobby, either napping in the various chairs dotted around the room, or quietly talking to one another to pass the time. Standing up from his chair, Farren began to quietly amble his way to the doors leading outside, but was accosted by Sweetie Belle, who had just woken up.

"Mr. Farren? Where are you going?" the little filly yawned sleepily as she asked, her eyelids drooping back down.

"Go back to sleep little one, Im going out for a walk, I will be back before the sun rises."

"You pro-*yawn*-mise?"

"...Yes, I promise, go back to sleep, and dream..." Whispering the final word, a small puff of wispy green mist slipped out of his mouth, settling over the filly's head. With another yawn, Sweetie Belle lowered her head again, and drifted off to sleep as the hooded figure of her friend silently stood up, and slipped out past the doors into the cooling night.

Walking through the deserted streets of Ponyville, dark thoughts began to cloud Farren's mind. As night fell, so to did the temperature of the air, soon enough white puffs of mist would leave the dark recesses of the hood once in a while, creating a small trailing fog behind him as he strolled through the streets. With every step he took each and every insult that the mob had shouted at him came crashing down on his shoulders like a rolling wave thundering against the rocks. Still, he plodded steadily on, his eyes cast down to study the road, with no destination in mind.

"Monster..." Whispered the wind,

"Murderer..."

"Foul Creature..."

Looking up from his ever darkening thoughts, threatening to drag him down into that black place where only madness lies, he realized that he had somehow walked right into the heart of the Ponyville Cemetery. Sparsely dotted out through the hilly, grassy area sat old crumbling gravestones, the most recent looking to be about half a century old. "...How fitting" he thought as he meandered through the gravestones, coming to a stop at the foot of a large hill, crowned with an old tree at the top. Walking up the dirt path leading to the top, Farren then came to rest at the base of the tree, setting himself down there, pulling his hood down lower over his face. As he gazed out over the grim looking graveyard, lit by the pale light of the moon...he wept.

Again he was forced to take a life, when mercy would have sufficed, again the ponies he swore to protect had pushed him away, his very actions to save them condemning him to be hated by all and loved by none. All feared him, and so his loneliness burned in him like a corrosive venom. And so he wept, he sat there silently, tears streaming down his face as he sank ever lower and lower, it seemed like the dark had finally captured him for good.

"Hey there sonny, drinking in the moonlight?" Came a voice from his right, its tone warm and cozy, like a fire crackling away in the hearth during winter.

Looking to the source of the voice, there sat an old pegasus stallion. His fur and mane once a rich chocolate brown, now faded and silvery with age. He too was looking out over the graveyard, and on his flank was a faded cutiemark depicting a set of paint brushes and a palette resting on a blank easel. The wings on his back now missing feathers, grounding him in his final years. But still, he wore a warm smile and in his eyes he held nothing but kindness and compassion.

"Names Bob Paint, strange name I know, but its what my parents named me. Whats yours stranger?"

"...."

"...Thats fine son, if you don't want to say then I won't pry."

"..."

"Im guessing your the one the folks in town got all riled up about?"

"..."

"Ah, don't mind it too much son, few folks in town myself included don't blame you for what you did, you did what you had to. It mean't keeping innocents safe and that's all that matters."

Taking a seat next to Farren and looking up to the stars with Farren, the old pony continued to talk. Warming up the night with his words of encouragement and reassurance.

"...And that's how my nephew lost his medical licence!" Bob finished, laughing out heartily, tears streaming from his eyes. At this point Farren had brightened up some and was chuckling along with him.

"Thanks Bob."

"Hmm? What for son? The story? Cause I got more where that came from if your interested."

"Well, not exactly, but thanks for being here, and cheering me up...Its been, a trying few days as of late."

"Well sonny, that just means your due for a couple of good days."

"I hope so."

"Welp, I guess I should be headin' out now son. You coming?"

"Im gonna stay here for a little longer Bob, thank you for asking. You have fun now."

"Alright then son, suit yourself. As for me, think I'll take a walk, find somethin' to paint maybe. The air tonight is making me rheumatic. If you need to talk, you know where to find me. Good Night Farren..."

Farren's eyes widened in surprise, "Wait!" he said, turning around to look back to the path leading down the hill, "How did you know my na-"

The hill is empty, there is no sign of the old pony anywhere, not even hoofprints. Looking around in growing confusion, Farren spots something hidden underneath a patch of grass off to the left of the path leading down the hill. Stumbling over to the patch, pushing the grass aside with his right hand, he ignites a small flame on the tip of his finger on his left, illuminating the object.

The old faded stone lies half buried in the grass and dirt, almost reclaimed by nature. Brushing away the dirt covering it, the inscription underneath reads:

"BOB PAINT"

"LOVING HUSBAND,"

"DOTING FATHER,"

"AND LOYAL SOLDIER OF HER MAJESTY'S 3RD AIR BATTALION, THE 'HELLFIRE HURRICANES'"

"FELL IN THE LINE OF DUTY DURING THE SECOND BATTLE OF GRIFFONIA PROTECTING THE PRINCESS FROM AN ASSASSIN"

"MAY HIS SACRIFICE NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AND HIS LEGACY LIVE ON IN HISTORY UNTIL THE END OF TIME."

A profound silence settles in the air, as Farren stares dumbly at the ancient gravestone. Sighing, Farren then goes to work clearing the stone. With a snap and a flash of fire, the grass around the stone is gone, leaving it clear in the open. After brushing away the last of the dirt from the stone, Farren then stood up, and began walking back to town, back to his friends. At the gate of the cemetery however, he hesitated, still indecisive, before being lightly pushed from behind. Stumbling out into the empty street, he looked back to see the faint faded figure of a pegasus pony clad in armor of ancient make. The old guard then stood at attention, and silently brought a hoof up in salute.

"Thank....you...." came a whisper in the faint breeze,

Waving goodbye one last time, Farren turned back to road, and walked into town, the spirit fading away behind him.

Stepping inside the now almost empty lobby, Farren looked around for his friends, seeing that they had all gone home for the night, he then turned to leave, but was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Oh, Farren. Your back!" Twilight commented as she stepped out of the mayor's office. "Everypony has gone home for the night. Since I have the largest house, Im going to be accommodating you, the diamond she-dog, and her pup for tonight. Come on lets go." Walking out into the street with Twilight and Saphire with pup in tow, they turn left and head to the library.

"Where were you Farren? You were gone for a good while." Twilight asked as she walked with him

Looking back to the path he had walked down, Farren replied, "...I went for a walk, to clear my head. I also...well, never mind about that. Lets go." With that, the group walked on into the night, heading home.

Author's Note

Now usually I would be silly and whimsical in these little author notes for my end of chapter messages...but for this one chapter in particular, I want to get a little serious.

Now, for a little context; Last year during around October I stopped writing this story for a while and put up a notification on the story explaining that I had a family emergency to attend to.

That emergency was that my grandpa had reached the end of his rope and was now bedridden under hospice care. Now, mind you; my grandpa had lived a full life, he was well into his 90's and had only just now become bedridden because the doctors could not do anything more to keep him alive, he had gone through too many surgeries to count and now there was simply nothing else they could do. I was at my grandpa's side for 3 whole weeks. You see, I moved here to the states about 4 years ago and the only place I could stay was my grandparents place, and I helped take care of most of the things they could not at that age. So when grandpa was in hospice I was as devastated as my grandma as I had lived with him for 3 years.

In October 8, 2018, at 7 in the morning, my grandpa breathed his last and passed on. I mourned for months, and it was only recently that I have finally accepted it enough to get on with writing this story. This chapter is for my grandpa; he loved to paint, he served in the U.S. airforce during the Viet-Nam war, and he was dedicated to his family. I miss him.

It was actually his idea that I get into writing as he noticed I loved to read, he helped me by encouraging me to write what I felt was right, and so I began writing here. He even read the first few chapters with me helping me with spelling errors and grammar. He basically became my editor, and when he was bedridden, one of his last few lucid words was for me to follow my dream of becoming a writer.

While he was an artist with paints, I will follow his example and become an artist with words. I swear on his memory that I wont quit this story and see it through. I wont stop writing, wont stop chasing my dream. I will weave my soul into my words, and fabricate tales that will take you on a journey like no other. May all who read this story, and read my words be my witnesses to my promise to him. Stone may crumble and Paper may fade with age, but here, here is where my monument for him shall stand for the ages.

Rest In Peace, Robert Vincent Healey, you've earned it. I miss you, you where like a second father to me, and I will never forget you. Goodbye.