Copper Heart

-The Outskirts of Ponyville-

The winged unicorn gazed down at the old, wooden cross with furrowed brows, a long sigh slithering from her nose. It had been eight years since her best friend’s death at the hooves of Commander Falcon Wing, and even now, it hurt her to think about. Wolf Heart wasn’t ready to lose Dapper Jolt when she did, and she still wasn’t ready. She had come to terms with his demise fairly quickly, but her heart had been broken by the event. Years later though, it had mended, if slightly crooked.

Slowly, Wolf Heart leaned down, positioning a pair of white roses before the grave as her eyes misted over slightly. Dapper Jolt had never stopped loving her, even in his final moments, even when he’d had no reason to hold onto love.

Wolf Heart looked down at the prosthetic wing that her friend had worn, seeing a small patch of rust developing along the edge of the copper plating. Running her hoof along its edge, Wolf Heart gently rubbed some of the orange tarnish off of the wing before telekinetically repositioning it so that it stood more proudly. It was May fifth, the anniversary of Dapper Jolt’s death and a day that Wolf Heart most often spent by herself.

But today was different. An earth stallion with a short mane stood beside her this time, alongside an alicorn filly who was only four years old

“So this is what you wanted to show us?” Steadfast queried, gazing down at the cross and furrowing a solemn brow. “A grave?”

Wolf Heart wordlessly looked up at her husband and nodded.

“Dapper Alan Jolt,” the stallion read, squinting so that he could better read the faded text. “Those that keep the peace, forever shall they be blessed?” he said, cocking a confused brow. “Is this… that stallion you told me about who died a few years ago?”

The mare nodded again.

Had Wolf Heart not cared so much about Dapper, or had he not cared so much about her, the stallion may have been less willing to accept Wolf’s request to join her this year for the memorial. But in the end, he cared deeply for his wife, and with a quiet sigh, Steadfast wrapped the mare into his arms as she began to cry softly. “I’m sure he’s looking down on us with a smile,” he reassured her whilst their child looked down at the grave.

“Mommy, who was Daffer Colt?” she asked adorably, looking up at her mother with big eyes.

Wolf Heart sniffled before she gently pulled away from Steadfast and looked down at June Bug with a soft smile, leaning down and looking her daughter eye level. “Dapper Jolt was a pony who saved me from a big-bad dragon long before you were born, Sweetheart,” she smiled. “You see… He was Mommy’s best friend and… and a bad pony made him go to sleep… forever,” Wolf Heart explained as tears slithered down her cheeks.

June tilted her head and frowned. “Mommy, why are you crying?”

At hearing the words, an innocence that her child possessed, Wolf sobbed, wrapping her daughter into her arms and hugging her tightly.

Steadfast sighed and gazed down at the sight. Taking a step towards the grave, the stallion knelt down and placed a hoof on one of the stones, gently running his other across the feathers of Dapper Jolt’s prosthetic wing before he leaned forward. “Thank you for saving my wife, Mister Jolt,” Steadfast whispered, closing his eyes momentarily and dipping his head.

After a few more moments, Wolf Heart gently pulled away from her daughter with a sniffle and smile, looking down at June Bug. “Dapper Jolt was a good pony who I only wish could meet you… He was... he was very close to me,” she whispered.

“But why can’t he meet me?” June asked.

“Because, Sweetheart… You see, Dapper is asleep, and he’s not going to wake up,” Wolf Heart replied softly, not wanting to hurt her four-year-old daughter with the plain truth of the matter.

June Bug wore a confused expression, looking around her as if she’d see him asleep somewhere. “Where is Dapper?”

The winged unicorn pointed up. “He’s in Heaven, June Bug,” the mare whispered whilst wearing a soft, sad smile. With that she stood up and added quietly to herself; “I hope.”

“Can we go visit him?” June Bug asked with a giddy smile.

“We will… but not for a long time,” Wolf Heart said, forcing back tears as Steadfast placed a hoof on her shoulder and sighed, kissing her forehead.

“Come on, Bug… Time to go,” Steadfast exclaimed as the small alicorn lifted a hoof to the imitation feathers of the prosthetic wing with fascination upon her face. As the filly jumped up at his words and skipped over to her parents, the stallion rubbed his wife’s shoulder. He hadn’t seen her this upset for a good long while, and at this point, he was unsure of how to cheer her up. The earth stallion’s usual methods weren’t working, much to his surprise.

June Bug lifted her small hoof up and tapped her mother’s arm, where Wolf Heart looked down with a half-hearted smile and took her daughter’s hoof in her own, her own prosthetic wings drooping slightly as the small family walked away from the gravesite.

-Canterlot-

“Where the fuck is Shadow Blade?!” Colonel Hurricane roared angrily, slamming a hoof down on the table with an enraged expression upon his face. “He was supposed to be back here two hours ago!”

The alicorn mare across from him flinched slightly, but nevertheless wore a slightly smug look on her muzzle. “The hell if I know!” Flute Melody sniped rudely. “And to be completely honest, I couldn’t give a shit less where that retard is! He’s the next Falcon Wing if you ask me,” she snorted, kicking her hind hooves up onto the desk with a glare.

Colonel Hurricane roared. “Falcon Wing was my finest soldier in that damned war! He was a better fighter than any of you could ever dream to be!”

“Then how did he manage to get himself killed, eh, Colonel?!” Melody snapped, rising from her chair with a glare crossing her muzzle.

"Perhaps you'd like to take his place?!" Hurricane suggested, his eyes blazing as he jumped from his seat and his wings shot outward. "I for one, do not appreciate the lack of respect on your end, Commander Falcon Wing was one of my soldiers, and your commander!"

Flute Melody sat back down, crossing her arms with a grumble. "I could've done the job," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Hurricane barked.

"I said, 'I could have done the job'!" the winged unicorn repeated slowly. "I could have killed Steam Shock and Wolf Heart, without any issue!"

Colonel Hurricane inhaled, looking up with an angry underbite developing upon his face. "Then go... Get out of my sight, and don't come back unless you have Wolf Heart's head in your saddlebag and Shadow Blade by your side. If you see Abacus Oak and Jackpot Ace along your way, kill them too... I don't need any of Heart's friends coming back for revenge or meddling with my plans."

"And what of Steadfast and the child?"

Hurricane cocked a confused brow. "Who?"

Melody rolled her eyes and brushed back her wavy mane. "Wolf Heart married a stallion a couple of years after Steam Shock died and they had a kid about two years after that. Her name is June or something like that, I don't know, and I don't care."

Hurricane smirked. "Funny, always thought Shock and Heart were a couple," he chuckled lowly.

"Lots of ponies did, with the way they acted around each other at times. Shock was always up her ass in high school," Melody grumbled. "Besides, how could they be a couple when Shock is dead?"

"Doesn't matter, kill them too," the pegasus stallion said. "But, do not fail me, Lieutenant. I'm sure Shadow Blade wouldn't mind replacing you."

"Yes, Sir," Flute Melody grumbled before she exited the room.

-Ponyville-

Abacus Oak sat next to his marefriend with a soft smile, his arm across her shoulders as the duo sidled up beside each other. Lily Pad smiled whilst nuzzling her snout under his chin, her eyes closed as she hugged the earth stallion. A couple of moments went by in silence before the smokey-blue eyed stallion lifted his head at a knock on the door. Gently, Lily moved away from Abacus as he rose to his hooves and approached the front entrance.

Upon opening the door, his line of sight was greeted with a winged unicorn with a dark blue mane and striking green eyes. "Wolf Heart!" he exclaimed before noticing a grey earth stallion with a blonde mane behind her and a little filly.

"Hey, Abacus," the mare replied with a slightly downtrodden smile before she gave him a friendly hug.

Even as she did so, however, her friend could feel the tension in her motions. "Wolfie?" he queried, gently breaking away and looking into her eyes. "What's wrong? You seem... not relaxed," Abacus inquired, cocking a confused brow as the taller stallion took a step onto the small porch of the house. Looking up, Abacus furrowed a brow. "Haven't seen you since little June Bug was born," he exclaimed, lifting his hoof.

Steadfast nodded to acknowledge that he heard the words. "I know," he said, shaking Oak's hoof with a polite smile. "Work keeps me away."

"Tell me about it... So, what's up? It can't be because you just thought you'd come by and visit," Abacus chuckled, looking back and forth between Wolf Heart and Steadfast before noticing June Bug.

Just as he leaned down to greet the alicorn filly, Wolf Heart spoke. "Dapper Jolt left us eight years ago," she said solemnly, eliciting a heavy sigh from Abacus. "He didn't have anypony that he could have settled down with either," Wolf Heart exclaimed as Abacus rose to an upright position.

"You say that like it's my fault," he said with a squint.

Wolf Heart breathed deeply before she turned to her husband. "Can you take June Bug and excuse us for a moment, please?" she cooed, kissing Steadfast's cheek. "It will only take a minute," Wolf smiled.

Steadfast let a mischievous grin across his muzzle. "Perhaps," the charcoal grey stallion acknowledged, taking June's hoof and gently leading her away as Wolf Heart turned back to Abacus.

The mare rolled her eyes before once again turning to Abacus. "I'm not saying it's your fault," Wolf continued. "But I think you're missing my point, Abacus... I know that you're seeing Lily Pad, and Dapper would have been happy for you, but I'm not so sure he'd be so enthused about your lack of remembrance for him. That was one of the few things he wanted from us as his friends... He just wanted to be remembered after he was gone."

Abacus wore a confused expression. "Wolf, what are you talking about? I do remember him. He was like my brother, for the love of Celestia... You can't accuse me of forgetting that just because I don't spend every May fifth worshipping the dude!"

"I never said you had to worship him, Abacus... But do something to show some appreciation," Wolf Heart said with an eye roll, beginning to grow irritated at her friend's argumentative tone. "Anyway, I didn't come to argue about our deceased friend. I just wanted to come and say hi to my living one," she sighed.

The earth stallion exhaled, dipping his head. "I still have a couple of his drawings from high school," he muttered, closing his eyes.

Wolf Heart smiled. "So do I," she chuckled, remembering the number of drawings that Dapper Jolt had given her while they were in school. At the time, it seemed almost like Dapper's way of flirting with her... until he gave Wolf a portrait of herself and Steadfast. She looked back on the time fondly, remembering the times that the two would just sit down and talk about drawing, with Dapper trying, sometimes in vain, to teach Wolf Heart in his ways. The mare smiled and lifted her head, looking at Abacus Oak to see tears in the corners of his eyes.

Wolf Heart frowned and took a step forward, lifting a hoof to his shoulder.

"Please, I don't want sympathy right now," he muttered, gently pulling away. "It was nice to see you again, Wolfie," Abacus continued solemnly as he turned and went to close the door.

Wolf Heart sighed and lowered her eyes as the door closed in front of her with a soft click. Swiveling around, the mare made her way down the porch and regrouped with Steadfast and June Bug, approaching them with a half-hearted smile. "Let's go home," she murmured, her ears laid back slightly.