Colonel Skywalker’s POV

“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”

Plato.
_ _ _

The feeling that runs through my mind is one of such deep terror that gnaws at my entire soul and leaves no trace of it; absolute dread quickens my heart rate as I feel my precious oxygen leaving my lungs and is replaced by what I sense is a dense cloud, drowning me.

I move frantically in search of air, salvation, but my body doesn't seem to respond. I do everything to avoid that end that I fear to reach so much. I try to open my eye, but I can't see anything - despite the great effort I'm putting in. All around is just a great expanse of silence, darkness, and emptiness.

Then, however, I’m able to sense something: the soft, miraculous touch of the cold snow-covered ground on one of my hooves. A light of hope sparks within me as a result and, taking advantage of this, I send all my strength to that one limb and try to drag myself out of wherever I am, moving as far as possible from the nightmare that wanted to condemn me to wander lifeless.

While I keep struggling, I feel an icy, cold, thin wind striking my face as this one comes out of whatever it was submerged into. It’s a painful one, but it certainly alleviates me as I’m finally allowed to gasp for air, coughing severely as a result of everything, and take a rest on the soft ground.

A cough. A breath. Another cough. Another breath. The pattern keeps going on while my mind can barely process anything. Nothing matters to me right now, save the precious air of life for which I find myself so desperate.

Even so, the sensation of what now I can distinguish is a strange liquid running down my entire face captures my attention as soon as the first drops enter my mouth; I try to think of a moment when I've tasted something so disgusting. The sharp, almost metallic flavor is one I'll certainly never forget in my life.

And one I haven’t forgotten either.

I spit out in a sudden reaction at the realisation of what my face is being covered by. Warm, fresh, repugnant blood that - at the scare - I don’t hesitate to wipe off.

As my hooves quickly remove the red liquid from my face, I find myself with the opportunity to enjoy the sweet, delightful feeling of freedom after what felt like an eternity of oppression.

I'd smile now, for it should be a moment of hope to me then, but... it just doesn't feel right.

And so, my eye carefully opens, as the scene before me greets my sight with... there is no word to describe it.

A brutal and merciless massacre is what my gaze glimpses. No matter where I look, I always find death itself plaguing what has now been transformed into a frozen sea of nothing. Scattered across the place are the soulless husks of those who used to be the people I fought both for and against - all of them now lost into oblivion, leaving behind this disgusting scene.

And the stench - oh, what a terrible stench.

I can't help but smell that nauseating stench of fresh blood, bodies, and gases produced by the battle itself; it is a reminder meant for me, and only me. Curse my impeccable nose.

I keep letting my sight wander through the entire place as I feel a new liquid run down my cheek, a softer one - but even more painful than the blood of my comrades coating me. As my vision searches for anything, my mind can’t help but think about everything… and an all-too-familiar song begins to replay in my head.

Equestria, the land I love,
A land of harmony...

Bullshit! That song is probably one of the worst to ever reach my ears. Harmony? Can anyone call this harmony?!

Those that are blind may.

That’s when nausea truly kicks in… and a torrent of the little that my stomach had not yet digested comes out of my mouth. It hurts, but I cannot hold it anymore. The sight and the stench are just too much for me.

I cough several times as I try to compose myself, I spit out all I can from my mouth. I don’t want to have such a dreadful taste on my tongue.

Then, after a few minutes, I finally dare myself to walk out of here. I move my two front hooves so that they are beneath me and able to support my body weight as I maneuver into a seated position, making it ever so slightly easier to stand up. Immediately, I focus all of my strength on pulling myself up off the ground. Damn Celestia, Luna, and the entirety of the Goddess family tree - it's not enough, and I take a tumble back to the muddy, snowy, blood-filled ditch.

I swear out loud. Not regretting any word that I shout to nobody in particular... though my enjoyment in case it would’ve been Celestia would be truer than any word I’ve spoken before in my gosh-darn life.

A moment of silence occurs. A hoarse sigh. And a look of mine up at the outside of the ditch. The place that I need to reach more than anything else.

Take two, then… right, buddy?

One hoof on the ground. Well, that’s a start. Two hooves on the ground. Good, now the next one. Three hooves on the ground. Almost there, tantalisingly close... But the fourth, it doesn't even move. At this, I look backward and notice how badly injured it is. The wound upon it is deep enough that I can see the displaced shards of bone emerging through the flesh and skin of my leg.

Broken.

...

I should yell in frustration, curse at everyone and everything in the entirety of Equis... but no. I find myself ironically smiling at this right before a chuckle proceeds to take its place, only for this one to be overshadowed by an uncontrollable burst into laughter.

It's official, I've become completely and utterly mad.

My laughter is cut short by a violent fit of coughing, and I take a minute to somewhat compose myself. The smell of the battlefield is still horrifying, but I inhale and exhale slowly, allowing some air to reach my lungs. I need it. To get out of this... Celestia-damn ditch, I need air. Although, getting out is going to be easier said than done.

“Tartarus,” I say to myself. “Oh, Tartarus.”

I try to imagine what my sister would think if she were to see me in this state. The likelihood is that she would laugh as hard as I did a moment ago, and ridicule me to Tartarus and back for ending up like this. I refuse, hoof on heart, to give her the satisfaction of my surrender. She still owes me for everything.

The thought gives me a small amount of motivation. Not because I care for what she thinks of me, but because I just want to smash her head with all the strength I have left… No, that ain’t a joke. I’m bucking serious.

The third time's the charm, as they say. I may only have three functioning legs, but that should be enough for me to keep my balance. I concentrate all of my strength on the three working limbs and successfully pull myself off the ground. Thank Luna for that.

Now for the more complicated part. Trying to walk with only three legs. This will certainly be a joy.

But there is the immortal question of where I intend to go if, or when, I find out how to actually do it. The obvious answer - to most people, at least - would be to return to the trenches. To have my wounds treated, to assure everyone that I am alive and well. To leave behind the scene of destruction and disgust before me, along with the danger of this place.

I have a slightly different answer to that question. Buck that. Remaining here is unpleasant at best and places my life in jeopardy at worst, but... there could be survivors, and I could certainly use the time to think.

I don’t hesitate to take a couple of steps, only to quite literally fall flat on my face. “Buck,” I swear to myself, hissing in pain. Back to square one, then. Three hooves on the ground, and stand...

Good, it works. However, walking is apparently going to be a much greater task for me and my body. I fall over once more, curse Astral, dust myself off, and try again.

Sighing, I take what might be my eleventh failed step, then another, only to spread my wings to keep my balance as I limp forwards. Somehow, that seems to make a difference. I do it again, just to check that it wasn’t a fluke. It works again. A smile creeps onto my lips. I can do this.

What was an immense task is suddenly possible, my goal within reach. I think a little bit of stubbornness helps from time to time, after all.

I look at my surroundings, choosing a direction. A route that doesn’t lead directly back to the trenches, but not any further into the centre of the battlefield either. It makes little difference to me which way I go; this short walk is still going to take much longer than it would ordinarily.

My thoughts wander to the battle itself as I try to recall the event. When looking at a body lying on the ground, I can’t help but realise how little I remember about the whole battle, with only the beginning of it being impregnated deep into my mind. It started off well, with the long-range weapons holding back the majority of the Solar Guards. Then… nothing.

This-… it just confuses me. Wh- Why can’t I remember anything else, and more importantly… What happened, then?

You sure you haven’t-

“Ugh, shut up.” I grunt in response.

As I look forward, a possibility arises in my head. Perhaps the battlefield holds a few clues. Where the soldiers fell, any damage to the surroundings. I notice little groups of the fallen, scattered across the landscape. And… craters. Debris flung across the wasteland, now slowly beginning to be covered by thin layers of snow. These could only have been created by explosions. But what caused them?

I bite my lip. There are very few things that could cause an explosion. As I meander through the river of bodies and blood, I run through the possibilities in my head. Not just to think of a possible answer to my questions, but also to keep my mind from focusing on the horrors around me or the pain surging through my body with every step I take.

The last time that I checked, Equestria had very little military technology that could cause explosions - certainly not anything like this - and the rate of technology advancements is not fast enough for them to develop a weapon like this. That’s one option off the table, definitely.

Myself and Their Majesties surely would have been informed by our sources inside Equestria if they were receiving military help from allies, making that possibility highly unlikely. This puzzles me a little. If they aren’t receiving help from anyone else, but they don’t actually have the capabilities to build a weapon themselves, that means it wasn’t a weapon at all. It was probably something else that wouldn’t be used ordinarily in this scenario.

I suddenly remember that whatever they used would leave some sort of trace. Shards of metal, things like that. As I carefully examine the edge of one crater, about five metres in diameter, I realise that there is nothing at all to suggest what the cause could have been. And that might actually be the key to solving this little puzzle.

Magic. That is the only thing that makes sense to me. Magic used in a destructive manner on a scale that I have never seen before. That even I haven't dared to plan or try in my tactics. However, with one question answered, another raises itself in my head.

What kind of magic is even capable of doing this? Advanced spells, or something else? It could be, but I can't be sure of anything nowadays.

I continue to wander through the freezing wasteland, the arctic weather beginning to become harsher, the snow falling thicker and faster than before. I have no intention of staying in one place when the conditions are like this.

As it becomes increasingly difficult to see I wander aimlessly in the general direction of our home’s trenches. I have to be careful that I don’t stand on anything… or anyone…

Moonlight’s POV

Everypony sits in silence in the small dreary underground bunker, barely even making eye contact and staring at the greyish walls. I came here as soon as I heard the news about the battle, to see if there was any way that I could help. Instead, I'm sitting here helplessly, desperately hoping that my worst fears are either confirmed or proven wrong. Anything is better than not knowing.

I want to go out there and look for any survivors, regardless of which side they are on. But I've been told by everypony that I have to stay here. That I'm more valuable than anypony else out there. That other ponies will try to find him. That he wouldn't want me to worry.

Maybe he wouldn't, but I'm worrying about Skywalker, anyway.

“Coffee?” Hanzal asks, standing up from his chair opposite me at the small table.

“No milk, no sugar, please,” I mutter.

“Gotcha.”

He walks over to another makeshift table where he starts making the cups of coffee. “Anypony else?”

“Tea, please,” Hope says quietly. “Milk, no sugar.”

“Milk, no sugar,” Hanzal echoes, sighing. All of a sudden he glares at the wall opposite him, as if he were insulted or angry, his one good wing flaring whilst the other remains by his side. He seems to have been hit the hardest by the news that Skywalker is missing in action. To be honest, I’m not surprised, considering how close they are. They’re as close as brothers, perhaps even closer.

He looks down at the ground and mutters, “Celestiadammit, Sky. Why’d you do this to us? Why?”

“It’s ok,” Hope tries to comfort him. “Even Autumn and Starlight are out there looking for him.”

“I know, but I keep thinking about the ‘what ifs’,” he replies, not daring to look at any of us. “He and I have been through so much together… and it’s just… if something’s happened… I won’t forgive myself.”

“Why not? This wasn’t your fault.”

“It is. I saw it all happen, I had the chance to help him and I-” He falls silent all of a sudden, too overwhelmed by emotion to continue.

I try to read his mind, only for a sharp pain in my temples to give me the not-so-gentle reminder that I can’t. Because of Skywalker. Because he took a risk to protect everypony running from Celestia with him.

“Your Majesty,” the pegasus looks forward, to nowhere in particular. “I-If you were to lose King Sombra… what would you do?”

The question is completely unexpected, but I try to answer it as honestly as possible. “I wouldn't know what to do. I'd probably be completely lost without him.”

“Lost… helpless…?” He wonders, then turns his head at me. Tears in his eyes. “Useless?”

I nod.

“Sky has been my mentor for… well, ever since I joined the Solar Guard, really.” His voice conveys his unease to us. “I was in my early twenties. I'm thirty six, now. Thirty six. That's a long time to have a best friend and a mentor to guide you. Without him, I - I don't know what I'll do.”

He walks over to us, carrying my cup of coffee and Hope's tea. He places those down on the table, then goes back to collect his own coffee. He looks down at the cup, hesitating, then decides to drink it. “To Sky,” he whispers under his breath before he takes the first sip.

Hope wraps her forelegs around him, to his surprise. The stallion looks up at her, eyebrows raised, but she only smiles back. She must know or understand something that I don't, because he nods and returns the smile.

I sigh and rest my head on the table. I don't like it when Hope knows something that I haven't been told about. She's not constantly hovering around Sombra trying to get his attention now, but she's still so… strange. There's something about her that I just can't put my hoof on, but it's unsettling.

I think about Skywalker, and wonder what he could be facing on that battlefield - if he's still alive. The actual fight is over, and both armies have retreated for now, but there could still be a few ponies walking around, and Celestia knows what might have been left behind.

A collection of memories stirs from a thousand years ago. Two battles, two weeks apart. Two weeks of a solar eclipse, of anarchy in Equestria, and Nightmare Moon's rule, before Celestia found the Elements of Harmony and the strength to fight Nightmare.

And me. The crazy train of thoughts that made me want to stop them both. The impulse that told me that none of what they were doing was right. I don't know why I thought that, why I chose to act, but it must have been for a reason.

Still, the fight between Celestia and Luna was bitter. It destroyed most of the Everfree Castle, and there were probably between fifty and a hundred fatalities. Even though I wasn’t involved in most of the battle, what little I do remember is unpleasant to think about.

I take a sip of the coffee, allowing it to wake me up a little. The warm liquid makes me feel slightly better as it travels down my throat, landing inside my empty stomach. Hope watches me, and I feel slightly uncomfortable, almost as if she’s trying to read my mind or stare into my soul.

“Hope, is there something bothering you?” I ask with a slight edge in my voice to let her know that I want her to leave me alone.

“Oh. I think I zoned out there,” she giggles slightly. “Sorry.”

I sigh and swallow another mouthful of coffee. “It’s fine.”

She loses her usual child-like smile. “Moonlight, if you do want to talk-”

“I’m fine for the moment, thanks.” Take the hint, girl.

She nods, slightly crestfallen, then turns to look at the door behind me as it creaks open. The earth pony Autumn walks in, a small frown on her muzzle. Hanzal sits up immediately, eagerly awaiting any news, good or bad. I do the same, hoping that there’s something positive to hear.

“No concrete news yet, sorry,” she reports, quickly dashing my hopes. “But Starlight Glimmer and Lieutenant Swift are out there looking for the Colonel.”

“I swear to Tartarus,” Hanzal grumbles, “as much as I want Sky to get back, if Swift finds him first…”

Autumn shakes her head, the corners of her lips turning upwards. “I know. It’s hard to swallow our pride after so long. But he’s on our side now.”

“Does that mean you’ve forgiven him?”

“He’s got a little way to go, but he’s redeeming himself.”

“...Slowly.”

The earth pony mare turns to me. “I wish there was more news for you, Your Majesty.”

“It’s ok,” I say. “It’s probably like looking for a needle in a haystack trying to find him. I just hope he’s ok.”

“Same here… I owe Sky a lot. He’s saved my life before now, on a couple of occasions.” She slides into a seat next to Hope.

This surprises me a little. “Really?”

“He has. He’s got some determination. Something makes him get up and keep fighting each day, although the darn Sunbutt knows better than I do what it actually is. He knows a lot about everything and everyone, but most ponies don’t really know about him or his thoughts.” I guess that makes me quite important, then, if he actually spoke to me.

Autumn smirks at Hanzal. “Apart from you, of course. Why does he speak to you and barely anypony else, huh?”

“We’re best friends, and he trusts me.” He takes a sip of his coffee.

“Friends,” she says with amusement.

Hanzal raises his eyebrows and nearly spits out his coffee, but manages to swallow it in time. “Excuse me?”

“What?” she laughs.

He sighs, “Never mind.”

Silence falls again, and I think about Sombra. Hanzal asked a good question - what would I do without him? We started off as enemies, then friends, then fell for each other within weeks, and everything just worked. Before the war started, there was always the option of running back to the Everfree, but I don’t think I’d get away with that now. I’d probably have to stay in charge of the Crystal Empire, do what I could to end the war as quickly as possible, and do my best to look after everypony.

Would I want that? To rule alone? No - and I don’t think I’d last that long. I’d have to give up power eventually because I wouldn’t be able to cope with all of the responsibilities on my own. Sure, at the moment I have a lot of ponies who can help, but being that pony who wears that crown is… not what I want. Not really. I never really thought things through, just acted in the moment, didn’t think about what all of that responsibility actually meant, and now I’m regretting it.

Being with Sombra, on the other hoof, is one of the best mistakes I’ve ever made. I’ve made new friends because of him, made old friendships stronger, and he just generally makes me happy. If only I could be happy with him in a world where we didn’t have to fight for the right to keep that happiness.

In a world where ponies like Sky didn’t have to die.

Author's Note

Hello! Bronie here, again, with some things to say… So, I know many of you expected to see a gigantic, incredible battle between the Crystal Army and the Solar Guard, but… let’s just say Angel and I are pretty bad at writing good fight scenes, so… we kind of preferred to do the aftermath of it. Hope you understand, see ya!

Well, we’re probably better than we give ourselves credit for, but… now isn't the time for the huge battle scene. But when the time does arrive… hoo boy…

~~Hey, remember I said that I’d negotiated the rights to ship Sky with anypony I choose?~~

Bronie: Don’t even dare to, it’s my character! Besides, We already had an agreement!

~ Angel & Bronie312