The Ambassador

The night was quiet and peaceful as Savanna slept, curled up in a little ball beside the crackling fire in the stone fireplace. Ponies were scattered everywhere across the large room within the shrine of the goddesses, sleeping in little, isolated groups.

It wasn't as comfortable as sleeping in the bed in the room she had been assigned in Juniper, but being within the walls of the goddesses' shrine felt safer somehow. Amethyst was close by; she was almost close enough to reach other and touch. Her nearby presence was comforting.

The comfortable sleep wasn't destined to last for the entire night, though.

Savanna awoke from her peaceful slumber to hear the shrill sound of ponies screaming. Immediately, she jerked awake and hopped up onto her hooves, spinning a circle as she searched for Amethyst.

The filly stood beside her, looking as confused and exhausted as she herself felt. "T - the roof! It's on fire!"

Ponies were emerging from the concealed basement, demanding to know what was going on.

"What's happening?" Savanna wondered aloud, looking up. Indeed, the wooden roof of the old shrine was being gradually consumed by a azure-colored magical blaze. Only a unicorn could produce a magical fire like that.

Quickly, Savanna began gathering her belongings, scrambling to get dressed. She fumbled a few times. Her eyes were blurry from tiredness.

"W - we need to get out of here!" Amethyst's tone of voice was higher than normal. She was clearly panicking, light on her hooves as she paced back and forth.

Savanna could feel her chest tightening in fear. She struggled to resist the urge to surrender to complete panic. All she could focus on, though, was the magical fire consuming the roof of the shrine. Occasionally, a small fireball or some sparks would rain down from the ceiling.

A large rock came sailing in through one of the stained glass windows, shattering the thin, delicate glass. More rocks of various sizes shattered more of the gorgeous windows, sending shards of broken glass careening down onto the floor.

"Stay away from the windows!" Someone warned. Defensively, ponies clumped together in the center of the room, taking cover.

One of the beams supporting the rafters above burned to such an extent that it was no longer being supported and fell, almost striking a pony on its way down. Savanna didn't recognize the warning sign immediately, but, in hindsight, it had been an obvious sign of imminent disaster.

The fire weakened the support beams enough to trigger half of the ceiling to buckle and collapse in a cacophony of bending and snapping wood beams. Scraps of wood, nails and other debris came crashing down onto the heads of unsuspecting ponies with a huge crash, followed by a big plume of dust that blinded Savanna and made her choke. She ducked instinctively to avoid being struck by any debris, but none of it reached her side of the room.

"Is everypony okay?"

A changeling emerged from the wreckage unharmed, his sturdy carapace having protected him from shrapnel. Other ponies weren't so lucky.

Savanna watched as ponies began rushing around the room, heading downstairs or checking to assure nopony had been injured by the falling debris. She exchanged a quick glance with Amethyst, looking for advice, but her friend looked as confused as she felt.

Savanna took a few steps forward, her hooves crunching on broken glass as she approached the trapdoor leading down into the basement. She was shoved aside as a group of rebel ponies emerged from below, their mass bristling with guns held in levitation or wings. Savanna swallowed, growing increasingly nervous in reaction to the impending fight.

Seeing a face she recognized, she reached forward with a hoof, touching him on the shoulder to stop him. "Torrent, what's happening?"

"Military, it has to be." The stallion looked tired and distressed. He clutched a pistol in one of his dexterous wings, pointing it upwards in a safe direction. "I don't know how they found us, but I'm getting out of dodge, now. No time to think about it. You kids should too."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but neglected to. "Stay safe." With that final remark, he disappeared downstairs.

Some of the armed ponies began barricading the shrine's front entrance with debris, while others assumed defensive positions, gazing warily at the windows.

Savanna placed a hoof on Amethyst's shoulder to attract her attention. She looked into her friend's eyes, wordlessly acknowledging they should escape—but she wasn't sure how.

"We need to get outside," Amethyst suggested. "We should follow Torrent."

Savanna had no objections. Increasing the space between themselves and the looming fight that was about to occur would be smart.

Downstairs was equally as chaotic as upstairs. Ponies and disguised changelings were rushing around the basement, grabbing weapons, chattering noisily and heading upstairs into the shrine or exiting through an alternative trapdoor to outside.

Amethyst went first, following a group of ponies who had scurried outside. She peeked over the edge where the stairs met a small concrete platform atop the grass, looking for aggressors—those who had thrown the rocks that had broken the shrine's windows.

Savanna swept aside her rain poncho and touched the frame of the revolver hanging from her satchel's strap with one of her hooves. Hearing Torrent's laments about the military and how he was fooled into enlisting made Savanna feel overwhelming sympathy for her enemy. She could have drawn her weapon and flaunted it to defend herself, but made the decision not to.

Outside was significantly more dangerous than inside the shrine. Ponies were yelling, rebel ponies talking amongst themselves and military issuing orders.

It was too dark for Savanna to see beyond the first row of trees in the nearby forest. The azure-colored fire consuming the roof of the shrine barely provided enough light to navigate by. She had an overwhelming suspicion, though, that the military were hiding behind trees and bushes to conceal themselves.

When a shot was fired with a loud boom, some voices hushed and others grew louder. Savanna ducked instinctively, prepared to attempt to hide in the tall, wild grass.

The colors of the walls of the shrine, the clearing itself and trees of the surrounding forest were all being drowned and obscured by the sickly-purple glow of the fire. It was gradually creeping lower down the walls of the shrine. A fireball had dripped onto the grass nearby and started a new fire. The fire was so hot that Savanna could feel its burning passion from what she had previously considered a safe distance.

"Amethyst!"

When Savanna called for her friend, she heard a shot ring out and a zipping sound as the bullet whizzed past her at a ludicrous speed and buried itself into the wooden wall of the shrine behind her with the sound of a whip-cracking. Savanna flinched, staying low in the grass. Did whoever was shooting have no regard for who they were aiming at?

A shrill scream from behind the shrine made Savanna's ears swivel in the direction of the sound. She recognized that it was Amethyst's voice. Savanna assumed the worst, her heart dropping. She swept her rain poncho aside and drew her revolver, holding it in her mouth. She moved as quickly as she could while staying low in the grass.

The worse case scenario Savanna had predicted turned out to be true: Amethyst had been captured by a group of soldiers. They were military, judging by their uniforms, and they were armed.

"Savanna!" Amethyst squirmed, but she was being held in the clutches of a stallion and a yellow pegasus mare, as well as the powerful levitation magic of a unicorn. She wasn't able to escape.

Savanna sat back on her haunches and leaned back against the wall of the shrine, holding the revolver in both of her forehooves now.

"Amethyst! Don't move!" Savanna struggled to conceal the desperation and panic in her voice, but it was difficult. "Don't hurt her!"

"Oh, so you two know each other? That's convenient."

Savanna recognized the stallion who had spoken. Her eyes widened as she made eye contact with the purple-maned soldier she had grappled with days ago on the road leading to Juniper. He looked as angry and determined as he had when she had first met him, but now he had the advantage and Amethyst's life was at risk. Savanna was terrified.

Ah..." Savanna struggled to find the words to properly communicate. Shock and guilt coursed through her. "Ah shot you."

"Turns out you're a lousy shot." The stallion glared. He lifted a revolver with one of his wings, flaunting it. He stepped beside Amethyst and pressed the end of the barrel into her neck. The filly squealed, clenching her eyes shut in fear. "Drop the gun, kid, or I'll shoot your marefriend. I'm not messing with you!"

Savanna hesitated, trying to identify some possible way she could turn the tables and gain the advantage. Failing to see any possible methods, and not wanting to risk Amethyst's life, she tossed her revolver a few feet away.

"P - please don't hurt her!" Savanna stammered. She was losing her nerve.

"I gave you a chance to walk away, and you wasted it." The stallion frowned a deep frown, glowering. He held the barrel of his gun pressed firmly into Amethyst's neck. Amethyst squirmed helplessly, but the other ponies in the unit controlled the filly and kept her still. A few tears leaked from her eyes from the stress.

"Rose Gold has been wanted for months." The stallion raised the volume of his voice to be heard over a few gunshots in the background. "It's your fault that terrorist is still walking free!"

"A - Amethyst has nothing to do with all this!" Savanna bargained. "It's me ya want, isn't it? Take me! J - just let her go... please... Ah can tell ya where Rose is..."

"I don't give a shit about your marefriend, kid," the stallion replied curtly. "I'm not letting either of you walk away this time. My mistake for trusting somepony of your type." He raised his wing and aimed the revolver directly at Savanna's head. Savanna raised her forelegs in front of herself in a futile attempt to defend herself. She clenched her eyes shut, anticipating pain.

"Let the fillies go."

Savanna dared to open her eyes, slowly lowering her forelegs as she looked in the direction of the voice belonging to the pony who had saved her.

"Torrent?" The purple-maned stallion narrowed his eyes. He lowered his wing in an almost relaxed way, pointing the barrel of the gun away from Savanna and down toward the ground. "So, you damn coward, you're finally showing your face."

"I'm not a coward, Tempest, I just have some shred of dignity left to my name. I don't shoot kids, and I don't threaten to shoot kids. I'm not like you scum... not anymore." Torrent extended one of his wings and aimed his pistol directly at Tempest.

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you, Torrent?" Tempest narrowed his eyes cleverly. "You sure followed Autumn's orders without question back then and killed a lot of those savage changelings in their hive. How long ago was that, a couple years by now? We're going to destroy every last changeling soon, with or without you."

Torrent grimaced, looking sad for a moment. "I thought we were brothers, Tempest. We both used to be weather ponies back when the world was... different. But you led me down a path I regret traveling. Now, I've finally realized it—only savages here are you folk.

"You think there's honor in this because we used to be one of Valor's most esteemed units. We used to be. I don't care what anypony says. You've changed. Something in you is different."

"I still think we could have made good partners, even 'til this day, if you hadn't run like the useless coward you are." Tempest shrugged. "Oh well."

Tempest made the first move. His body jerked as he assumed a shooting position and jerked his wing upward as quickly as he could in an attempt to shoot Torrent. Torrent was faster, though. With quick reactions, he fired an accurate shot. Tempest hit the ground hard, his body slumping.

Savanna cried out in shock, standing and backpedaling a few steps. The shot had been fired so close to her that her ears were ringing.

Nopony reacted for a few seconds, surprised. The unicorn who had been holding Amethyst still with his levitation magic temporarily lost focus. The spell vanished.

Amethyst, sensing slack in her captors' grips, shoved aside the stallion who had been clutching her, making him drop his gun and throwing him off balance. She bucked wildly with one of her rear legs in his general direction, missed, then quickly made her escape, dashing to hide behind Torrent. The yellow pegasus mare who had once been holding Amethyst stumbled backwards, not wanting to be struck by wild, bucking hooves.

"Get the hell out of here! You want to end up like him?" Torrent stomped one of his forelegs aggressively, alternating which pony he was aiming at with his pistol between the remaining ponies that had once composed his squad.

The unicorn and pegasus who had once been holding Amethyst took a few, nervous steps backwards, looking to the pegasus mare for orders. By that point, only the pegasus mare was armed, and she was smart enough to acknowledge that she had lost any advantage she had once had.

She begrudgingly accepted Torrent's offer of mercy and motioned with her head for the remaining soldiers to follow her. She turned tail, retreating into the forest with her goons close behind.

"Y - you..." Savanna watched in horror as Tempest's lifeless body decomposed, withering like a flower in the first frost of winter and crumbling to ash before her eyes. What had once been a pony was now a useless bed of ashes being blown away by a gentle breeze. What had once been an evil pony who hunted ponies and changelings alike and had almost killed Savanna and Amethyst was now gone, erased, permanently eradicated.

Why did Savanna feel... remorse?

Savanna wanted to thank Torrent for saving her and Amethyst, but her mouth was dry and her throat was tight.

Amethyst continued to hide behind Torrent, curled into a little, defense ball.

Savanna dared to raise her head and look around. She watched as ponies in dark-grey uniforms ran into the nearby trees of the surrounding forest, dropping weapons and other supplies behind in their desperate escape. Her ears hadn't been deceiving her—the ponies had stopped fighting and the military was retreating. They were routed.

She hesitated for a moment, breathing in short breaths as she lightly hyperventilated. The realization that she had survived hadn't yet struck her. Adrenaline from the panic she had felt was still flowing through her.

"Amethyst...?" Savanna gently placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder.

Amethyst raised her head, revealing wide, pastel eyes that were dark from crying. Her face was painted blue by the raging fire that still continued to consume the roof of the shrine. "W - we need to stop... we need to *stop* doing this. I don't want to keep living through this nightmare..."

Savanna's ears fell back sadly. She released a sigh, looking away. "Ah know..."

"You kids be careful," Torrent cautioned, panting gently from adrenaline triggered by the fight. He holstered his pistol in a holster concealed beneath his jacket and returned to the shrine to regroup with the rebels and assess the damage.

Savanna stayed by Amethyst's side. She focused on her own breathing, watching the bed of ashes be slowly eroded by wind and listening to the nearby magical fire roar.

"We need to get out of here..."

Amethyst lied still for a moment. With a sigh, she rose and began to plod away from the shrine.

Savanna retrieved her revolver from where she had tossed it and followed her friend as they entered the dark, cold, spooky forest. When the bright glow of the massive magical fire began to fade behind them, Amethyst cast a luminescence spell, lighting their path with a subtle, thistle-colored glow.

They left behind all of the rebel ponies, including their savior, Torrent. Despite how scared Savanna probably should have been, considering they were alone and without protection, she didn't feel any fear. She was physically and mentally exhausted, but she knew that with Amethyst by her side, things would be okay.

They exchanged few words. They cooperated together to gather soft leaves and grass to make an improvised nest, and constructed it at the base of a tree, nestled near a thick, exposed tree root.

Amethyst was moving slowly. Savanna could visibly detect it—she knew her friend was feeling depressed. Her luminescence spell somehow looked grey and weak.

The atmosphere was somber. Savanna used a foreleg to poke at their nest. It was sturdy and serviceable, but sleeping outside would still be cold without blankets.

"We're... going to die, aren't we...?"

Savanna stood still for a moment, considering how to respond. She shivered in the cold air, gently swaying on her hooves from exhaustion.

"Not if ah have anything to say about it, Amethyst."

Amethyst released a sigh, setting her saddlebag of belongings aside. She swept her mane out of her eyes to the best of her ability and laid down on top of the nest, curling into a little ball. The feeble light being emitted from her horn vanished, casting the forest into darkness. Savanna could barely see her friend directly in front of her, mere feet away.

"You... saw what Torrent did to him," Amethyst spoke, her voice soft.

Savanna considered what had happened to Tempest. Had it been justice? Had he deserved that, considering his past actions? Did anyone deserve death, such a final, abrupt gesture? No civilized creature in Equestria would agree with such a sentiment.

Savanna undressed, set her satchel aside and stepped onto the nest. She curled into a ball, laying all of her body weight down. The leaves and weaved grass were soft, but did little to insulate her and protect against the chilling air.

They were close enough to touch—the next logical step for the two was obvious.

Savanna rolled onto her side and extended her forelegs, offering them forward. Immediately, Amethyst reciprocated, wrapping her forelegs around her friend in a hug. Together, they cuddled, forming a tight circle to share body heat.

Savanna rested her head over her friend's shoulder. She focused on her own breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly as she relaxed the tension from her body. After all of the stress and ordeals she had survived, it was comforting lying still with her friend in a warm hug.

She listened to Amethyst's gentle breaths, feeling her chest expand and deflate. It was peaceful.

"You... came for me..."

"What?"

"You came for me when they captured me. You tried to save me... you could have just ran."

"Why would ah do that?"

"It... would have been easier. You wouldn't have risked your life." Amethyst released a sigh. "You don't... think they would have shot me, do you? It was just to scare us... right?"

"No, ah don't reckon he would have hurt you. He just wanted me. Maybe he wanted hostages to use as leverage. He, uh, really wanted revenge." Savanna recalled the primal anger in Tempest's facial expression when she confronted him.

Savanna frowned, realizing her friend was crying silently. She could feel Amethyst's chest spasming as she lost control of her breathing.

Savanna tried to act as reassuring as possible, nuzzling her friend on the shoulder with her nose. She was also feeling sensitive and emotional, but was so tired that she felt prepared to immediately fall asleep when the opportunity arrived.

Savanna lied still in her embrace with her friend, feeling Amethyst squeeze her as she ruminated, considering all of the times she had saved others or had been saved herself. Rose, Chorilax and Amethyst—she had helped them in their times of need and received companionship as a reward.

Savanna understood the amount of times she had saved others or been saved by others was irrelevant. Being brave or a coward was irrelevant. What truly mattered was the companionship she had received from her friends. Amethyst, being the youngest, kindest and most impressionable, would hopefully remain by Savanna's side into the foreseeable future. The loyalty Savanna wanted to form with her friend—that was what truly mattered.

The difficult part was explaining how she felt to Amethyst. Words weren't necessarily required, though. Not at first.

Savanna's target she focused with her nuzzling became Amethyst's neck. The filly twitched, retreating slightly as the ticklish spot below her chin was stimulated. Savanna stopped as she noticed the undesired reaction from her friend, then smiled, continuing.

"H - hey!" Amethyst drew away from the hug, gazing into her friend's eyes head-on. She cast a gentle luminescence spell that bathed their faces in a subtle, thistle-colored glow.

Savanna reciprocated, noticing how her friend's eyes were dark and wet from crying. She looked miserable and sad.

Savanna smiled slightly, visibly showing she had been messing around. She desperately wanted to be playful with her friend and cheer her up.

Amethyst blinked a few times to clear some tears lingering in her eyes. She sniffled, smiling a tiny smile. "I haven't done this with anypony in... a long time."

Savanna recalled hosting and attending sleepovers with her friends and cuddling with them. When was the last time she had done that, a year ago? Longer?

"Me too."

Amethyst reached forward with her forelegs, drawing Savanna back into the hug they had been assuming earlier. The filly released a sad sigh, extinguishing her glowing horn. She remained quiet for long enough that Savanna thought their conversation had ended.

"Ah, um... Ah'm real glad ah met you."

Amethyst opted to remain silent. She squeezed her friend with her hooves slightly, relaxing as she grew still.

Savanna knew it had been an appropriate response. She would have done the same, if given the opportunity.

In the silence that followed, Savanna's conscious began to slip outside of the protective shield that was the nest she and her friend laid in. Beyond lied a pitch-black night. Savanna could faintly perceive the outlines of tree trunks, but nothing more.

The world beyond their nest wasn't relevant, though. It may as well have vanished into nothing. The cold, the darkness and all the ponies she had met were meaningless. Savanna's entire world at that moment was the soft nest of leaves and grass she lied in, cuddling with her friend and cherishing the warmth she provided.

Savanna closed her eyes. The world did vanish, then, and her only perceptions before sleep were the gentle thrums of Amethyst breathing.

Inhaling... and exhaling...