Peacekeeper

Chapter 24: Peacekeeper

As the ponies attending the ceremony left, Earl stayed. He stared Shining Armor's grave, hoping it was all just a wicked dream he would eventually wake up from. But no such luxury was awarded. The pony simply sat, waiting for everything to end like the end of a movie. He wanted the roll of the credits, and he wanted it bad. The overcast skies didn't help the mood at all, and left Earl's heart bleeding even more as he stared at the grave of his friend. A heavy sigh left Earl's throat as he closed his eyes and inhaled the cool autumn air.

"Hey." a voice sounded from behind the grey stallion.

Earl knew the voice well, he'd listened to it grow over the years, become more mature. It had deepened substantially since he'd last heard it, but he could still recognize it easily.

"You missed the ceremony, Spike." Earl replied, his eyes still shut tight.

The voice gave no response, only the sound of claw-steps could be heard by the unicorn. A purple-scaled dragon stomped groggily by on all fours, his ears down, and his body shivering. He approached the grave of Shining Armor slowly, and ran one of his claws across the tombstone.

"I wanted to... Pay respects in my own time." Spike said, sadness taking over his usual cheery tone.

Earl sighed and stood up from his seat on the lawn of the royal garden, and approached the dragon. The grey unicorn quickly noticed the change in height since he had last talked to Spike. He was now the height of an average pony, if not taller. Without hesitation, the grey unicorn placed a hoof on the dragon's scaly back.

"I understand..." he said quietly.

Spike shook his head and turned away from the grave.

"It just doesn't feel real." the purple-scaled dragon said. "When I got the letter, I just... I don't know, I thought it was a joke."

Earl simply shook his head, and gave no audible response.

"I mean... Everything we went through... At the Empire... And then the invasion..."

Spike's eyes began welling with tears, ready to burst and shower the ground beneath him in a week's worth of sadness, and grief. Earl shook his head and gritted his, and patted the dragons back.

"If you've got to cry... Cry, man. No sense keeping it in." Earl said.

The dragon inhaled deeply as a stream of liquid began falling down his cheek under both eyes. The soft, but steady stream of plops on the ground below continued as Spike began his round of sobbing. Earl continued his consolation, like he'd done with Twilight.

After less than a minute, Spike cleared his throat roughly and shook his head.

"I'm fine... Thank you." he said, wiping his nose.

Earl nodded and took a step away from him.

"I heard about the Tree-House... And Mac." Spike said.

"Yeah... Something on the mission went wrong." Earl replied.

Spike shook his head once more and threw one of his hooves into the ground.

"How many deaths are we going to take?!" the dragon shouted. "I mean... There was no death here. None. Now it's just everywhere..."

Earl opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off as a purple unicorn approached the two. The grey pony had noticed Twilight, but Spike's view was glued the the grass.

"Spike...?" Twilight asked, nearing the two.

The dragon's head immediately snapped upwards upon hearing the mare's voice. He backed away slightly and took a defensive stance.

"Twilight?! I-I'm sorry I didn't come... I just... I couldn't handle all of the ponies, and-and the whole ceremony-" Spike began.

The purple mare cut him off with a simple hoof.

"I understand..." she said quietly.

Spike nodded, and a few moments later, rushed forward to hug his life-long friend. Twilight returned the embrace as tight as she could, relieved to finally see her assistant again.

"How's my number one assistant been?" she asked quietly.

The corners of Spike's mouth quickly grew into a smile upon hearing his old title. It had been a few years since the dragon had practically grown-up, and left Twilight's library.

"I've been good..." he said, tightening his grip on her.

To him, it felt like being in the claws of the mother he never knew. He missed the feeling. The feeling of always seeing his best friend, Twilight.

The purple unicorn rested her head atop Spike's for a moment, and ran her hoof up-and-down on his back before pulling away.

"Love you, Spike." she said, smiling at the dragon.

"Love you too, Twi." he replied.

Twilight then looked to Earl, who was watching wordlessly.

"I talked to Fluttershy a little bit ago... She offered to have us stay in the cottage until we can find some place new." She said.

Earl nodded solemnly.

"So we're taking the train back, I'm assuming?" he replied.

"Already got our seats." Twilight said.

After a moment of silence, Twilight looked to her old assistant once more.

"Do you want to ride with us back to Ponyville? I'm sure Rarity would be more than happy to see you." the purple mare said.

Spike's face quickly brightened at the idea of seeing Rarity, and nodded.

"Yeah... I'd like that." he said, flashing the mare a smile.

Twilight nodded and tilted her head towards the exit to the garden.

"Can you two go get the ticket? I just... Want a few seconds." Twilight said.

Earl nodded and motioned for Spike to follow him as he left the garden. The dragon complied, leaving Twilight alone in front of her brother's grave. She slowly approached it, ready to deliver her final words.

* * *

As the train made it's way to Ponyville, Earl kept close to Twilight, his foreleg being around her for most of the trip. Spike stayed somewhat distant, a whole two seats away from the two unicorns. Neither knew the reason for his seclusion, but decided not to question it.

The ride felt like hours to the grey unicorn holding his marefriend. He was caught in between an emotional state of happiness and depression. Happiness because of the mare in his forelegs. Depression for the ones lost. After the seemingly-endless ride stopped, the three made their way off of the train silently, until they reached the outside of the station. Spike and Twilight shared a hug for several moments, saying their "goodbyes", specifically agreeing to meet up more.

Eventually, Earl and Twilight were making their way to Fluttershy's cottage, Spike going the opposite direction to Carousel Boutique. As the two ponies walked, they remained silent. Especially when they passed the burnt wreckage of Twilight's Library. Seeing it put a hole in the hearts of both unicorns. After the walk through town, the two reached Fluttershy's cottage.

Finally, Earl felt a familiar happiness that he hadn't experienced in several weeks. Birds flew freely around Fluttershy's yard. Along with several small animals scurrying around, and a calming stream running under the entryway. The warming colors that had recently had no effect on Earl, finally made him feel safe again. They brightened his day, his mood, his everything. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad. The two made their way to the door, examining the calming scenery of Fluttershy's home.

"Fluttershy? It's Twilight and Earl." Twilight said, knocking lightly on the door.

Several seconds later, the timid pegasus slowly creaked the door open, and smiled brightly. Without hesitation, she reached her forelegs forward and brought the two unicorns into a hug.

"It's so great to see you." she said, pulling away.

"It's great to see you, too Fluttershy." Twilight replied with a smile. "I still can't thank you enough for letting us stay here."

Fluttershy shook her head gently, a smile on her face.

"Oh, it's nothing. My home is your home, especially in times like this." Fluttershy said. "Please, come inside."

The two unicorns nodded and entered the home, Earl offering entrance to Twilight first.

Twilight and Fluttershy sat down on the couch as soon as the purple mare entered, and began discussing the recent events, particularly Shining and Mac's deaths. Fluttershy couldn't help but be saddened by her previous coltfriend's death.

As the two talked, Earl watched from the other side of the room. He specifically watched Fluttershy, her every move, every word she said, every breath she took, every movement of her hair. He studied it all, like a predator studying it's prey.

Kill her...

Earl's eyes went wide as the voices slowly wormed their way back into his skull.

Fluttershy.

Yes.

She wants to kill her.

She wants to kill your Twilight.

The grey unicorn's mouth slowly fell open as the voices continued. He slowly shook his head.

"No... She... She wouldn't."

Yes.

Yes she would.

She wants to kill her.

DO SOMETHING.

"It's honestly no trouble. I talked to Static last night, and he had no problem with it-" Fluttershy said.

"HEY!" Earl shouted, cutting the pegasus off mid-sentence.

Fluttershy jumped backwards in fear of the outburst. She looked to Earl quizzically.

"Wh-What?" she asked worriedly.

Earl stood up, a scowl on his face and his eyes twitching.

"What are you doing...?" he asked in a savage, angry tone.

"I... I'm talking with Twi-"

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Earl?! What is wrong with you?!" Twilight asked, dumbfounded by the grey unicorn's angry shouting.

"This is for your own good, Twilight." Earl said, keeping eye-contact with the scared pegasus. "Now... What the fuck are you doing, Fluttershy?"

"I... I told you... I'm just talking to Twilight, that's all!" Fluttershy said frantically.

Earl stomped closer to the forest-green couch in her living room, causing the mare to sink into it's fabric worriedly.

"Are you trying to kill her, you little bitch?!" Earl said angrily.

Fluttershy's jaw fell open as tears welled in her eyes.

"Earl! That's enough!" Twilight shouted.

"Twilight. Please shut the fuck up. I'm trying to protect you." Earl snapped back.

"Protect me from what?!" Twilight asked, furious.

Earl snapped his view to Twilight and pointed a hoof in Fluttershy's face, causing her to sink further.

"From her! She wants to kill you, Twi!" he said desperately.

"Fluttershy?! Fluttershy does not want to kill me! What the hell has gotten in to you?!" Twilight shouted.

"They told me she was going to kill you!" Earl screamed in response.

He returned his view to the mortified pegasus on the couch, and pointed a hoof in her face.

"You don't touch Twilight, ALRIGHT?!" he shouted. "You don't look at her... you don't talk to her... YOU DON'T EVEN FUCKING THINK ABOUT HER!"

Fluttershy closed her eyes and began screaming as she tried to dig herself further into the couch.

"SO HELP ME CELESTIA I WILL END YOUR-!" Earl continued.

The grey unicorn was quickly cut off as a hoof collided with his neck, and jolted him vigorously on impact. After a few seconds of hold on Earl's neck, the hoof released his unconscious body on the floor. A dark-blue, black-maned pegasus stood behind the unconscious pony, starring angrily at Earl through two glowing red irises. The blue pegasus shifted his view to Fluttershy, then to Twilight. Pointing his hoof at the pony on the ground, he gritted his teeth together before speaking.

"Who the fuck is this... And what the fuck are they doing in my home?" the dark-blue pegasus asked through a thick accent.

End of Part 4