Bronze Tiara

Chapter twenty-five

‘It always ends with somepony in the hospital…’ Bronze groaned to herself while she let the nurse do their work as she laid in the bed. Gentle Breeze wrapped layer after layer of bandages around the seared hind leg of the mare, carefully applying ointment and creams to the burns while she went.

Using the pair of expert wings at her disposal, a roll of tape from the counter was pulled as the Pegasus topped off her task at hoof, “You really know how to have a good time,” the medical mare chuckled, trying to lighten the mood just a tad, “I mean… your stomach looks a whole lot worse than this leg, and those fragments were pretty well dug in there.”

Bronze turned her head, wary of the patches of gauze that covered her body where they dug out the pellets, as she looked over the wing that still drooped. “Meh… all in a day’s work,” mentally a list of tools started to rattle off that she’d need to patch herself up, “And I have more work ahead of me it seems.” The lifeless limb flopped a bit to her side, hard pressed to move under the damage that’d been done to it.

A task she knew all too well from the years of patching herself up, and one that she’d have all the tools she needed in-

“How’s… how’s he doing?” Bronze asked from under her breath while Gentle continued.

It took a moment, but in time the Pegasus caught on, “Oh, him?” though the smile that washed across the mares’ face put Bronze at ease, “Mister Marble, and his little one, left not too long after you departed. Headed back home I believe he said.”

“So… doesn’t exactly answer the question,” the curious mare cringed sheepishly, waiting for a bit further detail.

“He stayed just to monitor his health, though everything checked out,” Miss Breeze quelled her worries, but then thought back for a moment, “there was an issue of him being short on energy when he started moving however…”

Being well versed in the tech and limitations of ones’ body, Bronze figured as much. After all, he still had to learn to increase his heart rate and level it out depending on his activity. Something that would take time, but should be easier for him. Never the less, it’d be weird to have to learn to pump your own heart when you wanted to get up and go.

With the last tug of the strip, the bed laden mare found her bandage all wrapped up, “That should do ya just-”

A steady creak filled the large hall like room, and there as the pair turned their head to the door, in walked the princess. With bags under her eyes, and a lack of luster in her step. Grace almost dragged herself across the floor towards the mare that resided in her care. Even some of her regalia had been relaxed as the slippers remained removed from her hooves and her crown hung elsewhere in the castle.

“I swear… the number of reports because of our trek in the DDR,” the princess groaned, letting her anguish be felt by those in earshot, “if I have to open another folder today and ‘read the highlighted portion’ I’m going to burn every parchment in this nation.”

“Please… don’t say burn,” Bronze winced for a moment, feeling some of the ointment under her bandages sting once more against the tender flesh.

Graces ears perked up for a moment as she got her first look at the mare. Then just as suddenly her teeth found the edge of her lips, “Oh!... sorry about that,” she trotted up closer to the bed, looking over the work that had been done, before turning her attention to the one who had done it. “Seems you were in good hooves; thank you Gentle for patching her up.”

“It’s what I’m her for, your majesty,” the Pegasus held herself firm for a second, stopping the urge to bow and went about gathering some of the spent supplies, “Though Miss Bronze here should be in the clear, so long as she keeps those wounds clean.”

Being no stranger to tending to herself, the mare in question thanked her fellow equine for the work she’d put in. While Gentle made her exit, Grace used her wing to pull a chair up to the bed side. Kicking her hind hooves over one another as if anticipating the story, she’d been waiting a number of days for now. First, she had her own to tell.

“Many of those that have stepped up to lead in the DDR are calling for your head… as you’d probably imagine,” the princess couldn’t help but snicker a bit at the thought, especially after what Bronze had done for them. ‘The audacity of some creatures,’ Grace wondered for a moment to herself, “Clearly though, that was thrown out the window.”

“So… That’s really it?” she asked, trying to clarify her options even more, “I’m off the hook?”

A simple smile grew on the regal mares’ face, and with a waving of her wing she tried to assure her counterpart even more. “Again, you’re trying to do better, and I’d say you’d succeeded at that… they’re dead, more or less, so what's done is-”

“Wait what do you mean more or less?” Bronze interjected, knowing that the center of their control being destroyed should have done something more to them than just take out their coordination.

“Well judging by some of the reports I’ve been getting, some of your toys seized up completely not too long after you got here… they look almost like statues,” the princess mused over the findings soldiers had reported back to them with, “some on the other hoof are a bit more stubborn, they’ll attack sure, but it seems only when approached as they wander aimlessly about.”

Nodding, Bronze took those words and thought to what they might mean. ‘With no head to guide them, they either go in to a coma… or act on instinct,’ it was an answer a bit less thrilling than complete shutdown. Though far better given the other options.

“Now… I’m tired of hearing what the dogs and soldiers have to say about the fight,” her chair scooted a bit closer, “What did you get into?”

Picking up with her ingenious decision to ward the dragon off on her own. Bronze set about telling her tail of triumph, and a lot of scorch marks, to the princess as if it was a bedtime story. Probably sounding at times a lot grander than the original, but isn’t that how most stories go? Through it all though, Grace sat and listened seeing how one mare could have earned such a warranting of gauze to be used.

It didn’t take long to get to the climax of her tale, and the exposing of its weakness after a dip in molten stone. For a second, Grace is worried about the remains of it laying out in the open for any creature to come across and put to less than good use. Bronze however shot that one down. Without its gems and the rune that kept it going, it was nothing more than scrap metal.

“And that right there, is why you’re off the hook,” Grace proclaimed once more, much to the unamused expression on Bronzes’ face, “what’s left over will still be a threat, but without them being led, it’ll be a lot less of a hassle.”

“I still can’t believe you’re letting it go… just like that.”

“Call it… wiping the slate clean,” the princess remarked, and instantly saw the ping of regret stick in the other mares’ mind. Yet, the remark wasn’t made in malice, but in truth, “I mean if you think about it… you did fulfill what you went after,” now the unamusement turned to confusion, and Grace brought herself up to her hooves as she explained, “you wanted the fighting to stop, the bickering between leaders to end, and there to be cooperation.”

Still, nothing in Bronzes’ eyes showed understanding, “we’d been cooperating with those in the kingdom and DDR to focus on this threat, the fighting has stopped while we barter supplies to help those in need, and lets’ face it… I have no one to bicker with, because their old leaders are dead,” Rhorkin the princess might have found to be the more agreeable of the two, but he could still be stubborn when it came to his kingdom, and Reinhart was just intolerable to begin with.

“Their new heads in charge are far more civil than the old, especially with them having seen the new arms issued out,” Grace winked at the one who unintentionally supplied her nation, “you may not have done it the way that was intended, but the outcome was still the same… just do me a favor, Bronze?” she leaned in a little to the bed ridden mare, “if you think of any new and creative ideas… keep them to yourself, or at least give us a head up.”

Together the two mares shared a laugh, much to the discomfort of one who could feel her raw skin pressing against the bindings around her stomach, “I’ll try my best to, Grace.”

With a smirk still on her face, the princess nodded to her cohort on that agreement and turned herself towards the door, “I have a carriage ready to take you back to your colt, whenever you’re ready that is,” Grace watched as the blood started to pool in the mares’ cheeks, “that said, before you head out, come find me… I have a project you might be interested in.”

Just as fast as it entered, the blood shot out of Bronzes’ cheeks in wonder of what the mare could be asking.

***

As much as the metal mare was shaking in her bolts, Bronze still managed to raise up her talon and put a good few knocks on the wood. It had taken the better part of the day for her to get back to her hooves, and ride out here, courtesy of the princess like promised. Although through the entire flight the mare silently scolded the pair that guided the chariot for taking their sweet time as if paid by the hour.

She knew she was in no place to complain.

‘I’d really just walked away from all of that…’ for what had to been the fifth time now since Grace parted ways in the med bay, Bronze replayed her words. As fitting as wiping the slate clean was given her situation, it still made her feel a bit guilty to brush this off like it was a dirty porch.

That’s when the door creaked open, and before she could even look down, a filly had launched herself clear from the door frame.

“You’re back!” Topaz wrapped her hooves around the front legs of the mare, and managed to push her down to her flank, “I wasn’t sure what you were doing, and then I was worried it’d be something dangerous, dad wouldn’t tell me a whole lot just that you were making amends and adult nonsense and, and, and…” for a moment there it seemed like the record in the fillies head would keep skipping, but soon enough Topaz relinquished and just buried her head in the mares’ breast, “I’m glad you’re back.”

Now resting almost eye level with her, Bronze felt the back of her tongue croak as she looked to the joy across the fillies’ face partially hidden against her coat. It didn’t take much longer for her to soon share both the expression, and the gesture, “I’m glad I am too…” her foreleg wrapped around the body of the filly, holding on for a moment before finally getting back to her hooves.

That’s when she saw the change on Topazes face, from one of glee to worry, “Are… you gonna be okay?”

It didn’t take an education for Bronze to figure she was looking at all the patch work that had been done on her back in Boralus. “Oh, you should see the other guy,” the mare commented with a chuckle, knowing full well that if Topaz had seen the wounds before she got treated it might have made her pass out.

“Are you sure?” the filly once again asked, knowing full well that through that humor there had to be something more.

“Don’t worry there, Topaz,” Bronze patted a talon lightly to her head, “It’d take a lot more to due me in.”

“Great!” the younger pony bounced with glee, “Then let’s eat!”

After hearing she would be okay, Topaz immediately leapt behind the mare and started pushing. Bronze wasn’t sure what was going on, though she had a decent idea, and soon enough the older mare just let it happen as she followed where she was guided.

Right in to the kitchen, and another there waiting…

Before the door even cracked open, Bronze could already smell the cooking of a stallion who’d had a decent amount of practice in his days. There in his apron, Marble snatched up a couple plates from the cupboard with his horn and hovered it over their places on the table. Though as soon as his eyes made contact with his guest, the dinnerware dropped the few remaining inches to the mat with a clank.

“Dad take it easy, I can set the table,” Topaz scolded him as she trotted around to the table, “the doctor said you shouldn’t be moving around so much.”

“I made casserole… that’s about as easy as it gets,” he managed while keeping his eyes locked on the mare, it didn’t take long though for each of them to have their orbs wander across the other.

Bronzes’ went right to his chest, looking over the stitching that had healed up quite nicely on the surface. Though each step he took, she waited to see if there was any hiccup like Breeze had mentioned. As Marble approached, he was hard pressed to hide the fact he was taking in every inch of the new adornments across her frame.

Something she picked up, “It’s not as bad as it looks… really.”

“… You do go looking for trouble,” slowly his worry turned to a grin, and a steady hoof found itself around the mare pulling her in, “Though you still look like hell, and I’m gonna have to change those bandages at some point.”

“Says the guy who had his literal heart replaced,” she prodded back at him, holding on to around his shoulders, “Really though, its just some burns…”

“Speaking of burn, you’re just in time,” his attention turned to the smell, and soon to the stove. Flipping the oven open, the dish was brought out and slid on to the table. A bit charred on the sides from its extended stay, but given Bronze hadn’t had much to eat since her little vacation, the aroma alone was enough to get her salivating, “Dinner is served.”

For a second he tried to turn towards the cupboard to get her spot set up, though a tug of his tail warranted Marble to halt, “Please do as your daughter, and the doctor, told you…” Bronze reminded him as she held on with a pull of her talon, “I can get a plate, now relax.”

Strikingly the colt went to the table without fuss, leaving Bronze to waltz over and pick herself out something to dine on before joining them. Green bean casserole she hadn’t had in such a long time, and as the colt used his horn and a spoon to put some on Topazes and her plate. The mare was telling herself to keep from digging in and scolding her tongue.

‘I’ve had enough burns for the time being,’ her vision fell to some of the wounds she’d sustained.

“So, what did happen?” Marble asked while finally serving himself, trying to keep his eyes to the plate and not to the wraps on her, “is… is it over?”

For a moment, Bronze looked to himself and then to the filly present. Wondering just how much of the story she should say. Ponies, dogs, and gryphons getting shot and murdered wasn’t exactly table talk for those ears of lesser years, though if she could give a detailed explaination to the princess. The mare was sure she could censor it enough for Topaz.

Much like she did with Grace, Bronze glossed over some of the larger details of wading down the mine tunnels to the center. The firefight she played off as a stalemate until they decided to take to the air, and that’s when she really got on with the story.

The pair hadn’t heard exact details about her little hive mind she’d created before, and with Topaz stopping her what seemed like every five minutes to paint more of a picture. It didn’t take long for both of those present to have their eyes widen larger than what seemed possible. Marbles’ in wonder of how she managed to get herself in to this, and Topaz awe struck that the same kind of spells and tech that allowed her to move could be used to create such a thing.

Fighting her very creation came next, and while some of the parts about getting torched Bronze left out. Marble knew the lay of the land when it came to the DDR, and could very well imagine how she’d managed to get all those battle wounds. Yet, even in her own painful experience, one in the room still found enjoyment.

“That’s badass!” Topaz widely proclaimed as Bronze finished up how it was finally destroyed.

“Language,” her father reminded her, before looking towards the storyteller, “Though she’s right.”

After hearing the praise, the mare couldn’t help but wave it off as a tinge of crimson tried its damndest to get in her cheeks, “Oh… it’s nothing, just trying to make amends.”

“And you went through the ringer to do just that,” Marble finally took notice of one aspect he’d missed sense her arrival, “I imagine however, that might need some fixing?”

Creaking against the drive from the mare, the tattered wing and joint looked like a stark contrast to the ones Marble had helped fix to her in this very house. The joint itself rested against her back, screwed in to her shoulder just like she designed, now bent just enough to make the limb have to push and grind against it to even move. It would take a workbench, some pounding, and a good hour to work out the kinks.

All she’d need was…

“Do you still have it?” she asked, snapping to Marble with little explaination.

Not something he needed though, “it’s in the shop, right on the work bench,” he mused while taking another bite to eat after cooling it on his fork, “I figured you’d need a little repair work after you got back.”

Bronze just smiled at him, and finally with her own meal cool started to enjoy it with the pair, getting her first semblance of normalcy in what seemed like a long while. Just hoping that it’ll last this time around.

***

After having cleaned up the kitchen, stored what food remained, and more or less forced Marble to rest on the couch. Bronze and Topaz picked up the last bit of dishes and started cleaning them in the sink. The pair might have been able to get the colt to take it easy, but even with the gleaming eyes of the filly staring up at her, Bronze just told Topaz No and got back to work tidying up.

“There… done and done,” Bronze passed the last plate over to the filly as she went and dried it.

“I could have done it myself,” she still tried to convince the mare.

“I’m sure you could have, but I’m stubborn,” Bronze snickered at Topaz as she walked towards the door, “ask your father.”

Together they both chuckled at that fact, and left the colt who only heard the latter part of her sentence wondering what they’d gone and said. Though as they went in to the living room to join him, the colt looked up towards the clock on the wall and soon back to his own kin.

“It’s getting late there dear,” he watched some of the joy fizzle out of her pep, “why don’t you get ready for bed, I’ll be up in a bit.”

“You’re the one who should be resting…”

A second or two ticked by before the father finally responded, “Okay you got me there,” he admitted, “Though I have to help Bronze here with something first,” for whatever reason that made the filly pop up and skip up the stairs to the wash room.

As Marble started to get up, Bronze was by his side in a blink and helping him along the way. However, with no rebuttal from him, they made their way down the hall and to the door of the back shop. Just as they passed the door frame the light flicked on, and Bronze paused upon seeing the work area, causing him to jerk and stop with her. The colt looked to his companion, and all he saw in her was regret.

Regret for dragging him in to this.

Regret for scaring him so deeply.

Regret for walking away.

“Leave that at the door,” Marble told her, making the mare raise her brow, “Stop beating yourself up over what you did in the past, in this room, and everywhere else.”

“… really that obvious?”

“Like a book,” he remarked with a grin, breaking away from her and making his way to the bench where her only real heirloom resided, “Though just as promised.”

Marble levitated over the last little piece of her father she had, and just like a foal grabbing their favorite toy. Bronze swiped the tool out of his grasp, holding it close to her chest and cradling it. In hindsight, it was a good thing she left it with him the more she thought on it.

‘Who knows where it’d have gotten lost, even if I survived, and if I didn’t it’d be a little something to remember me by,’ she looked up to the colt responsible and beamed, “Thank you for taking care of it.”

“Oh, it was well behaved during its stay… didn’t strike any pony the whole time,” he prodded at her, earning a small giggle from the mare. Though with a hoof he tapped on the workbench, and without a second thought, Bronze already knew what he was saying.

Laying across the bench, the mare sprawled herself out, leaving her damaged wing with easy access, “I knew this would be coming eventually, no matter your condition.”

“My condition… you really have avoided mirrors lately, haven’t you?” the colt retorted, as he pulled the tools needed to remove the joint.

A task easier done than said, and with the loosening of a few screws the whole appendaged fell to the floor with a dull clank. Letting the mare flare out her one good wing a few times before tucking it to her side. Hopping off the counter and using her talons, Bronze picked up the damaged limb and stretched it across the work area.

“It will be here in the morning you know,” Marble voiced through a yawn.

After a moment to herself of looking over the damage, a sigh escaped beneath the mares’ breath, “Perhaps you’re right,” his head almost shot up at her agreement, “I’ll fix it faster after a nights’ rest.”

“Though, now that you mention fixing things…” Marbles’ tongue clenched, “how did things go with Princess Grace after you got back?”

A fair question to be asked. For all he knew Grace could have given her a free pass to say goodbye before being hauled off to some cell. Left to rot away till the day she died after all she brought upon the nation.

‘It’d still be fitting,’ Bronze pondered her own regrets, before taking Marbles’ advice and trying to let it go, “as surprising as it might seem, she’s allowing bygones to be bygones,” once again the colt almost shot off the ground, “Seems she shares the same mindset as myself, wiping the slate clean as she so lovingly put it.”

Now it was Marbles’ turn to chuckle in the ironic humor of the regal mare, and as he did Bronze explained a bit of what wisdom Grace passed on to her. How in some way, shape, or form she did in the end managed to achieve what she intended. To Bronze the ends might have in no way justified the means that she went through to reach them, but those were the ideals of a vengeful filly.

In her own little world, Bronze closed her eyes, hoping her parents could see how she turned around, ‘not the great things you both imagined,’ she relented, ‘But I’m trying here.’

“I’m glad you’ll be sticking around then, you know… without the ball and chain,” the colt bumped his shoulder against hers lightheartedly, and scooted a bit closer to the mare as they both looked over the wing, “Gives ya a place to call… home.”

Right then and there, the talons of the mare froze. Home, it was a word she hadn’t really considered in a long while. Even assuming she survived the crash with her little last dich effort, Bronze hadn’t expected to be able to settle down anywhere. She always pictured Seren hunting her down with a special pike picked out for her head. Luckily for her, it was in a ponies’ nature to be forgiving.

After letting the word process for a bit more, the pair looked at one another. Bronze hadn’t realized they’d gotten this close, and just like that their muzzles were nearly touching as it was. Trying to process it a bit more, the mare gave her attention to anything else she could, which just happened to be the tracing wound across his chest.

Marble watched her run a talon across the bare patch of his coat, right where the incision was made that saved his life, “Do I need to break out the Translucent spell?” he snickered at her curiosity, “it’s fine, Bronze, you did good work… literally giving me a chunk of yourself to patch me up,” her talon stopped right over the wound, and quickly she retracted it, biting her lip at that fact, “I couldn’t ask for much more.”

She watched the sincerity to his words pass across his face, as he soon turned towards the project, prepping it for tomorrow morning. The mare knew full well that as soon as she got in here, he’d want to be right by her side. Helping through the process to make her whole once more… just like he had back when they were kids, with two simple stones.

‘A clean slate… now what to do with it?’ Bronze pondered all the possibilities at her talons, where she could go, the places she could see, the things she could create. Although none of those options interested her, with that simple word of home. All it gave the mare, was a place she wanted to start, ‘let’s make it count this time,’ she beamed at him, before adverting her head away from the stallion and her own wing. “Well… there’s more I’d like to give.”

Marble stopped his little examination of the work to be done, and instead gave his full attention to the one that called it. Both of them stared at one another for what Bronze would have said was a full minute, had it not been for the clock behind him on the wall. Though no sooner had the hand ticked by, did she lean into him.

Hearing her old tormentor apologize was one thing, hugging him and staying in his house was a another. Kissing him on the lips was a whole new level of surprise that Bronze never thought she’d reach in a life time, or even several over. The shaking in her talons quickly died down to a tremble as they steadied themselves on the floor and gave in to the rush that flooded her system.

Pressing the mare on even more so when he returned the gesture. The colts’ hooves climbed up around her, pulling Bronze in to the chest and heart that she kept beating, as her own talons did the same and they lifted from the ground in the embrace. Mechanical, and only partially in his control or not. Marble could swear he felt his pulse jump up on its own by a few beats from the contact.

They stayed like that, in their own space in time, before finally parting ways and letting the breath escape from their lips while their foreheads met. Leaving each to share a smile that mirrored the other with their horns nearly intertwining. From tormentor and tormentiee, robbed and robber, host and houseguest, to now this. It was a bliss that both welcomed.

“It’s about time,” from the door a filly spoke, bringing them to the one that eavesdropped, “and I told you so,” Topaz winked to the older mare.

“Well… that’s one way to kill the mood,” Bronze started to giggle, feeling the warmth from herself and the colt fill the space between them.

“Topaz… please… get in bed,” Marble asked as politely as he could without stammering over his words, “I’ll be up in a second.”

“Oh, take your time dad!” she called out while making her escape up the stairs.

It didn’t take long for the pair to once again lock eyes, her metal to his sky, and just like Bronze started. They both found the humor rising up as they laughed in the company of each other. The seconds ticked by at the steady pace of the clock in the room, and together they remained. Content where their paths had crossed after all these years.

“Ahh… we should probably get some rest,” Marble perked up, urging her as well.

“Agreed, although, what would you say to something a little more relaxing tomorrow?” she proposed, “I mean, it’s been pretty eventful recently… and I have another project to work on tomorrow as well,” to that the colts head cocked to the side, “Something upon the request of Grace, but that can wait till later in the day.”

“And we’ll get your wings situated in the morning,” with a hoof, he held the door for her as they left the room.

Following to the side of the mare, the pair went up the stairs, and with a pause in her step. Bronze nearly went in to the guest room she’d been accustomed to. Though with a tug of her tail, she saw its ends wrapped up in his aura. Looking back to the colt, Marble gave her the tiniest of nods, and the mare nearly bounced in to his room past him. The bed there was more than big enough for three ponies, so for the two it would suffice with excess.

For the time he was out tending to his daughter, doing his fatherly duties and wishing her goodnight, Bronze slid in the bed. Careful to keep her wing tucked away so as not to knock anything around, she waited for him to join. Happily counting her blessings at having an actual bed under her coat and not a cell floor… or the dirt of a grave for that matter.

Soon enough once again, Marble was by her side in the sheets, and the mare rested her talon on his side and pulled herself in closer. She might not have been able to feel the warmth from the one she saved through the metal, but with her head against his chest. Bronze could at least feel the heat, and hear the beating inside.

A hoof draped over her own torso, returning the favor, and started stroking against the short night tinted mane of hers. Just like that, it wasn’t just a new slate for the mare to experience, but an entirely new path for her to walk. Her deck of cards had been reshuffled, and she got to play them however she wanted. Not a deck driven by vengeance or remorse.

One where she had a place to truly call, “…home,” she whispered through a smiled, and drifted off in to the night.