Quashed

Arrow opened his eyes. The afternoon sun glinted off the shattered glass in front of him. He could hear the muffled sound of swords clashing, echoing in the vicinity. He rolled onto his hands and knees. Every muscle in his body ached, but the worst came from the throbbing in his head. As memories of the falling stone came flooding back, he thanked his lucky stars that he'd been wearing his helmet, and that the stone that had struck him was small enough that it hadn't killed him.

As he turned to his left, he saw that the same luck had not been granted to Ironblood. He laid on the steps leading up to the temple, trapped under a stone column. He'd bled out long ago. His massive battleaxe still rested against the temple wall, just begging to be made useful. The temple itself had collapsed. If the priestess was still in there, she was undoubtedly dead. That would certainly explain why no medical aid had come to him. If there was anyone left to give it, they likely would have moved elsewhere.

Arrow stood up and looked around. As the weight of the helmet rested on top of him once more, he felt a sharp pain. He removed it to find relief in the cooling breeze. He gently placed his hand where he had been struck. There was blood everywhere, and definitely a skull fracture. He dropped the helm to the ground. It had saved his life, and for that, he was filled to the brim with gratitude, but the dent that had been left behind was only putting heavy pressure on the wound. It was doing more harm than good now.

All around him were familiar faces, strong and friendly minotaurs he had come to know and appreciate during his time in the Hornburg. All of them were dead. As he walked through the streets that had made up the first bailey, he was haunted by the thought that he'd never have the chance to know them during peace. By cruel twist of fate, he'd only come to know them after they had been doomed.

As he approached the main gate, the sound of steel clashing became louder. He picked up his pace. If the fight was still going, he wanted to contribute. Rounding a corner, he saw a sight he considered strange. He had been lead to believe that the Strormshrouds and the Gemhides were allies, but what he saw confused that assumption. A heavily armored Gemhide minotaur was fighting two Stormshroud minotaurs. Other than Arrow, these three seemed to be the only living beings in the fort and surrounding area.

Arrow reached for his bow. Whether they were Gemhides or Stormshrouds, they were enemies of the Hornburg. They were his foes, and as such, it was his duty to take them down. Rather, it would be, if his bow hadn't broken. He had to retreat and find a new one before he could rejoin the fight. Five minutes later, he had found a bow and a good position from which to fire. In that time, one of the Stormshrouds had been decapitated, and as Arrow drew back his bowstring, the other had been run through. As the victorious Gemhide removed his helmet, his victory was cut short by Arrow's fatal strike.

The city was silent, save for the wind brushing past the empty buildings. Arrow walked through the rubble, listening for any signs that someone, anyone, was still alive. He made his way up to the keep, where Boneshatter had been stationed. Much like the temple, the front wall had been caved in.

He climbed the rubble to the third floor, the first stable entrance found here. Minotaurs and ponies alike were scattered everywhere. Sergeant Rockwood was here, his sword bent and shield lying in fractured shards across the stone floor. His body was pinned to the wall behind him by a spear through his left forearm and chest.

The next room held the first and only survivor of the Hornburg, though Arrow was unable to tell until the stallion placed his hand gently on the minotaur's cheek, prompting him to open his eyes. He was slowly bleeding out, his leg trapped under the collapsed ceiling. "You're alive?"

Arrow buried his face in Boneshatter's chest. "I can't believe it, either..." Tears fell from his cheeks, being absorbed into Boneshatter's fur. He sniffled. "We have to pull you out of there. We have to find a medic for you."

As Arrow ran off to find a cart, Boneshatter picked himself up as best he could. He was unable to shift the rubble on his own, and had felt utterly useless since. "Are there any other survivors?"

Arrow slid a spear under the rubble to use as a lever. "A few Gemhides and Stormshrouds, when I came to, but they're gone now." On the count of three, the rubble came up about half an inch, and Bone was only just able to slide out before the spear broke, spilling a bit more rubble down. "I took the last one out before coming here."

Boneshatter lifted himself onto the cart. "So it really was a fool's hope." He began to tear up. "I spent most of my life here, and now it's gone. There is no more Hornburg. Maybe you should just go back home to Equestria."

Arrow slapped Boneshatter across the face. "The Hornburg was more my home than anywhere in Equestria. I'm just as homeless now as you are." He sighed. "Steelhorn wanted us to protect the Hornburgers, the citizens, more than the castle itself. I just know it. It would be spitting in his face if I left you behind. Now, come on, let's find you a medic."

They made their way down the rubble and across the field. As Arrow pulled Boneshatter's cart along, they discussed their future together. First, it was the location of the nearest medic that could offer them healing, then a trek into the mountains to recover Steelhorn's body and give him a proper send-off, then they would look for a quiet place to settle down. Alone, there wasn't much of anything they could do, but they'd find a way to manage. The conversation came to an abrupt halt, however, as they crossed the portcullis onto the drawbridge. A crystal arrow had embedded itself in Arrow's temple, killing him on impact.

Boneshatter rushed over as fast as the cart could carry him. Arrow was all he had left, and now he was gone. As he turned to see his attacker, he saw Prince Jericho atop the canyon wall, standing next to a crystal pony archer. He smirked and waved down to Boneshatter, said something impossible to hear from this distance, and returned his attention to the archer. Boneshatter closed his eyes, leaned down to give his brother a kiss, and collapsed as he let out his final breath.

The Hornburg's death was now complete.