“Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don't really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren't really an ending; some things are never-ending.”

Stepping through the window and into the dark tower, a horrifying screech filled my ear. I struggled to wrap my hoof around the headset I wore and tore it off of my head. As I did, the cord connecting it to the radio pulled out, and again, I was greeted with an uneasy quiet.

“Some sort of magical interference surrounding the tower.” Predious spoke up from across the small room we were in. “Looks like we're on our own in here.” Gallant shifted uneasily on his hooves.

No, that wasn’t true at all.

“You, me, the others?” I smirked, looking around. “We have each other. Filius is the one on his own now.”

The old stone walls were the most dull grey I’d ever seen in my life. Cobwebs and dust littered every nook and crany. It coated the large, plush bed that sat in the corner, and the empty armour that sat near it. Even the old ornate wooden desk saw coated in dust thicker than I’d seen in the wasteland, burying an old inkwell and quill so much that they looked almost like they were made of stone.

“Well said.” Gallant nodded, pointing his hoof towards the dark doorway that sat open next to him. “The others already began the walk down. This tower extends down quite deep, and we have little time until the ritual can be completed.”

Looking at the clock in my pipvision, I cringed.

11:59

“What do we do?” I looked over to Gallant, watching as he walked up to me. WIthout a word, his horn enveloped the two of us in his magic, and with an arcane snap, we teleported.

The hallway that we appeared in was dark, and didn’t allow much more than a single pony to traverse it at a time. Again, Gallant wordlessly turned himself around and took off at a gallop. Pushing myself to move, I followed as close as I could. My heart ramped up again, not from the exertion, but because of what I felt all around me.

The dark walls glinted from the torchlight coming from the end of the hall. The cold air down here felt stale and dead. More than that, the stones under my hooves and even the air itself felt unnaturally still. With a flicker, the flames inside me took notice of a familiar feeling as well. Ahead of us, a void of nothing sat. It was bigger than the void that even Cottage had shown, and I could feel its pull. It wasn’t just bigger, but it threatened to consume the flames of hope from those around it.

With a rousing yell, Gallant pushed off with his hooves and sailed through the air. It caught me off guard, but I watched in awe as he put his shoulder forward and smashed into the old wooden door at the end of the hall. The millenia old wood splintered and cracked easily under his weight, and the two of us skidded to a stop just on the other side of it.

The room we’d entered was instantly recognizable. Even though the millennia of vacancy had left it in disrepair, the same tabards and painted symbols of Filius’s ritual rooms met my eyes. A swirling white and green mass clung to the ceiling, spiralling over the altar like the storm outside did over the city itself. On the altar, laid the sleeping form of Swivel Spark. Standing next to her, cloaked in dark robes, stood Filius. In the air above him, hung the glinting blade that he’d held in my visions.

“Storm?” The raspy and tired voice of Stratos met my ears. I looked around for it, almost missing his beaten and worn body chained up against the wall. He hung limply from his bindings, looking as if each breath was a struggle to take. However, as my eyes met his, I could see a spark in them, reigniting the hope he’d lost inside him. “Save…. Swivel…”

“Foals.” Filius’s voice resonated from the chamber. “You are too late.” The magic around the dagger he held glowed brighter, and he swung it down.

With a flash of his horn, Gallant teleported between Swivel and the blade, easily knocking it away from Filius. Pulling his own ragged cape off, Gallant stood before his old friend in only his armor, his gaunt form standing tall as he leveled his golden blade towards Filius.

“It has been a long time, old friend.” He said, not wavering as Filius let out a chuckle. “Because that’s what you are, and even though I forgot it for a while, I still believe that the Filius I used to know is still in there.”

“Bah, I have no friends!” Filius grunted, pushing his dagger through the air at Gallant again. With a quick perry, Gallant knocked the dagger away again and returned it to it’s threatening position at Filius. “Least of all, one such as yourself.” A green glow wrapped it’s way around Filius’s hoof, and he lashed out with it. Striking the golden blade, he sent it flying across the room. He stepped forward and hooked his hoof around Gallant before he could react. With a furious growl, he picked him up and tossed him aside. “You bore me with your droll speeches.” The silver dagger once again flipped through the air over the alter. “It is finally my time to rule over and protect equestria!”

Standing up on my hind legs, I swung out my rifle. With a single hoof on it, I tensed myself and watched as the silver dagger slowed down. The world crawled to a stop as S.A.T.S. brought up the targeting overlay. A green outline flashed over Filius, and a separate one flashed up over the dagger itself. I’d always wondered why S.A.T.S. had allowed the targeting of weapons at all, but I was incredibly glad it could at all. I cued up four shots, more than I’d ever been able to shoot. Each one supposedly had a twenty five percent chance to hit, so the odds were in our favor.

Letting the spell resolve, my gun fell into line, and fired. The round zipped through the air, skimming just past the blade as it glinted in the green light around in. Cycling the bolt, a worried thought crept into my mind. As the gun fired again, the round sailed wide to the left, actually punching through the tip of Filius’s cloak. As it frayed from the shot, the dagger pressed closer and closer toward the heart of the young filly on the table.

Again, my hoof cycled the bolt, and as soon as it was closed, flames spit from the barrel and the round took off through the air. My prayers went with it and if flew true towards the old dagger. With a spark that sent red lines through the metal, the round found a home in the center of the blade. The red lines spiderwebbed out as the metal shattered, separating into a dozen or so fragments that broke the magical aura around it. With the target destroyed, SATS ended, and I was thrown back into normal time.

“How dare you interfere!” Filius snarled, turning around to face me. The glowing green eyes that found me pierced my soul as he glared. In them, I could see the heart of the hopeless void that filled him. The blazing red glow that the amulet around his neck gave off flared as he raised his hoof at me. With a flick of his hoof, my rifle and pistol were torn from me. With a twist of his fetlock, I felt my legs go taugt, and I found myself held in place.

“It all makes sense now, how you were able to progress so far even though you are weak.” His low tone changed as he roared at me. A green glow emanated from under his robes, and I could make out the bony features that were a far cry from the stallion in the prewar vision. “You and Gallant have meddled in my affairs for the final time.”

With another arcane flash, Gallant appeared next to Filius. With a pained yell, his magic brought the blade down into his former friend, piercing his back and impaling through the far side of the cloak. Filius’s magic dimmed for a moment, and I found myself freed from his hold.

“Perhaps a few more times are needed...” Gallant grunted before trailing his words off.

Filius began to laugh. Not like he had before, but a deeply sadistic laugh that made the green glow around him flare with each and every one. Reaching a hoof up, he pulled back his hooded head. The brightening glow started to push through his skin, causing it to bubble and boil as he turned to look at Gallant.

Like it had never belonged there in the first place, Filius’s skin sloughed off of his skull, dripping down to the floor as burning green flames flickered over his skeleton. Gallant took a step back as Filius erupted in fire, burning away the rest of his robes, and vaporizing the last of his old skin. What stood before us, was a burning green skeleton, still moving along with the throaty laughter that Filius gave out.

“Foals.” Filius’s laughter ended with the snapping of his jaws together. “You have no idea what power I now possess.” He ran his flaming bony hoof across the blazing amulet around his bony neck. “Now witness the true power of necromancy!” He snarled and threw his hoof out toward Gallant. With the crunch of metal and bone, Gallant was thrown against the wall. Like my vision, a magic force held him there, slowly crushing his armor. The glinting metal blade that Gallant had impaled in Filius trailed out from between his ribs, floating for a moment before it too shot out like a bullet. With a Sucking whine, it pierced through Gallant’s chest and sank deep into the wall behind him.

The heavy hoofbeats that filled the air from behind me sent a spike of fear down my spine. Filius’s burning gaze turned toward me, and I could swear his smiling skull morphed to look even more malicious. I turned around as the others galloped into the room, only to be picked up in his Magic and pinned back along the wall. Gauge, Shadow, and Pred squirmed and fought against the magical hold fruitlessly.

“All your trials, all your effort!” Filius laughed out again as my friends were held. “And for what?” His magic separated the guns from my friends, even the gauss rifle at Shadow’s side was ripped from it’s mounting. Each one, spun in place until it pointed back toward its original owner. “Normally, I would see to execute your pitiful friends to break you completely…” He paused, and I turned around as hatred fueled the flames inside me. WIth a metallic crunch, each of the weapons warped and crumpled into nothing more than a ball of metal. “However, I know that you would not break.” He snarled with that. “Even now, I could feel the magic energy that you radiate, but it is weak.”

“It’s enough to finish you.” I snarled as I started to tear off the Ranger Recon armor. As I did, I looked back at the pained glances from my friends. Even pinned, I could see the hope that burned brighter than ever inside them. “You could have stopped all of this, but you wanted to be this way, didn’t you?” I hoofed into the pocket of the chestplate before tearing it off. In my hoof, the small gem pulsed with warmth. “Gallant didn’t do anything wrong, but you needed somepony to blame for your own failings.” Stripping out of the lower half of the armor, I kicked it away across the floor. I glared up at Filius, who simply stood there with his own burning glare to match me. Out of my gear, I stood before him armed with nothing more than the gem in my hoof, and the fire in my soul.

“You know nothing!” He seethed, taking a step back. Looking back over to Gallant, his magic pulled the sword from the crushed breastplate. “You have no power over me, and you were foolish to flaunt your pitiful resolve as the only armor you’d need.” With a growl, he launched the sword at me as he had against Gallant.

I raised the gem in my hoof and gave out my own guttural howl. I focused all that I was, every bit of the flames inside of me out through the gem. With a roaring blast, the blue fire erupted out and surrounded me like a bubble. The flames deflected the blade, sending it spinning down along the floor as a red hot mass of metal. As they died down, the fire turned and rushed around me. It crawled over my skin, forming and flickering around me as the armor I’d need took it’s place.

Like an explosion of heat, I felt them all. Ebbing wave after wave made the world around me feel alive with the hope that others held. Looking around, I found flames dotting my vision. Even this far underground, muted by ancient and powerful arcane magics, I could see the flames that burned like wildfires out in the world. Great lakes of flame surged and fought against the darkness, pushing it back and giving way for even more hope.

Filius took another step back as I felt the ethereal horn and wings sitting on me. The dark void in his own eyes darkened, and as it did, so grew a void in his ribcage. A heart of pure darkness even I couldn’t fill with any amount of flame.

“So, the abomination you are is revealed.” Filius snorted. From around his horn and the amulet on his neck, a wispy white magic swirled and spun. With the fires of hope augmenting my sight, I could finally see the truth behind Filius’s power. The ghostly pale form of a windigo filled the domed roof of the chamber, it’s rear half tapering down and tethered like a rope around his horn. As I gazed over it, it began thrashing against his magical grip. From around his neck, a set of ethereal chains ran off to his side as well. There, laying beside him and clasped in thick bindings, was the ghostly image of Gallant’s wife.

“As are you.” I retorted. “Once and for all, let’s end this.”

“Yes.” Filius nodded. “Lets.” As he finished his phrase, the magic around his horn swirled before erupting into a bubbling black and green beam.

With a deft leap, I skipped to the side and pushed myself forward towards him. Taking a page out of Gallant’s book, I threw my shoulder into him. To the touch, his body burned my flesh even though the armor I wore. I let out a whine as I slammed against him and we both tumbled. Along with my whine, came a pained yelp from him as well, and he scrambled to push me away.

I rolled to my hooves just in time to see him do the same. With a quick spin, I bucked out hard. My hooves connected with his bare ribs, and he screamed out as two of them snapped under the strike. He tumbled and rolled away from the altar as I turned around. The green flames that had enveloped his ribcage had been pushed back, leaving them charred and broken. Slowly, the green flames grew back around them, and the ribs repaired themselves.

“Reprobate!” He snapped, shooting another green beam out at me. I ducked under it as best I could. “Profligate!” He screamed out, firing out another beam. It cut down my side, forcing me to jump. “Sordid whore!” His next beam came too fast for me to dodge, and slammed into my chest.

I screamed out as it pierced through me. Spikes of electrical shocks tore at my body as I felt like by very essence was being sapped away. Only when I hammered my hoof on the floor in pain did the blue flames rush over me and mute the feeling. As the stars in my vision left me, the still glowing form of Gallant’s sword sat on the floor within my reach. Perking my ears, I listened as Filius started to laugh again.

“Oh, you should be applauded!” Even though his words sounded joyous, each one of them imparted a hatred upon me that was unmatched by anything else in my life. “No pony has managed to rouse me to petty insults in so very long.”

“And you should be ashamed.” I grunted, pushing myself back up.

“My dear, do you not yet understand?” He sighed, putting his hoof to his chest. “I do not fear you, for nothing can destroy me. Through the grace of the god’s above, I…”

He’d been the one to take advantage in the orchard, but of course he didn’t think the rules applied to him. With a sizzle, my fetlock wrapped around Gallant’s heated blade. Even though it burned, I pushed myself past the pain and swung my foreleg. The sword left my hoof, igniting with an aura of blue as it sailed through the air. With a snap, it impacted against the base of his horn and severed it clean off. Even with taking his horn off, the sword had enough force to continue and be impaled into the wall behind Filius.

“Monologue that.” I muttered under my breath.

Filius let out a scream of pure anguish as magical sparks filled the air. The twisting form of the windigo that twirled around his horn unraveled like an old sweater. Magical filaments twisted and snapped as the enormous being shrieked with him before it burned away into nothingness. The green flames around his bones flickered and shrank. As they did, the amulet around his neck burned brighter, shifting the muted flames to a crimson as he let out a tremendous roar.

“I am done with you!” He shouted out, his voice far deeper than it had been before. The Filius that Gallant had known was gone, of this nopony could ever argue. He turned around and burst at me with a speed that he hadn’t had before. Without his magic, he slammed into me and tore us both to the floor.

The red flames around him surged and burned at me even more than the green ones had. I hadn’t had the time to react before his bony hooves were hammering down at me. However, his hits never touched me. The flame armor around me deflected each and every one of his strikes. Without the power of the windigo tethered to him, he was just another abomination trying to kill me.

My hoof burned as the gem inside it flared with power. I could feel it, wanting me to strike, and as Filius futily raged at me, I took a moment to relax before tensing up. The world around me slowed to a crawl as S.A.T.S. took over again. The prewar spell highlighted Filius as it always had, displaying the dark heart in his ribcage as being the only target available. Before selecting it, I took a look at what SATS was telling me I had equipped. Not displayed as hooves, or as ‘unarmed’, the text in the weapon slot was more ornate than I’d ever seen written on a pipbuck screen.

Element of Hope

With the flames inside of me filling to burst, I toggled a single, perfectly accurate strike against his heart. The display flickered away as it always had, and my hoof started to rise. A raging heat built up as it swung up, the air around it shimmering as I watched. Even before my hoof could touch them, the magical air pressed against Filius’s ribs and crumbled them away like dead leaves in the wind. The moment came to a crescendo as my hoof struck Filius’s heart.

Like the most fragile pieces of glass in the wasteland, it cracked and shattered into pieces.

The red flames around his bones flickered out like a light. Not even an ember of magic emanated from them as Filius’s bones shook in the altered time of SATS before bursting into nothing more than dust. As time reoriented itself once more, the heavy clink of the silver amulet he wore was all that met my ears.

“Please…” The soft voice of a mare spoke. Turning, I found the ghostly form of Gallant’s wife staring sadly up at me. “Free me.”

I nodded, not sure what, if anything, I could say. Taking the heavy metal amulet into my hoof, I brought it up to my eyes. The burning red gem gleamed as I stared at it. Even though the light of hope dampened it, I could hear it calling to me. Filius’s mind was trapped inside with Gallant’s wife, and that was a fate worse than anypony deserved.

Taking my forehoof, I pressed the small gem up against the amulet. With a crackle, the red gem dimmed out, the light fading out from it slowly.

“Thank you…” The sad mare whispered. With a wobble, the small red gem fell free of the amulet, dropping down towards the floor. Before it hit however, the gem itself mirrored the ghostly mare, and blew away like dust in the wind. A pair of small white motes twisted through the air, hanging before splitting apart and whispering in different directions. One of them disappeard, fading into nothing as I watched. The other however, floated over towards Gallant.

“Merry.” Gallant gasped from over in the corner. He looked more gaunt than I’d ever seen him, and he didn’t even have the strength to stand up. Still, the light of hope in his eyes burned ever brighter as the mote approached him. “I’m sorry, I did my best.” He whispered before looking up at me. “Storm. My sword, if you will.”

I went wide eyed, looking back to where it had been impaled into the wall. Walking over slowly, I reached my hoof out and grabbed it. The moment my hoof touched it, it gave out a sharp crack and split down the middle. From the middle of it, another small white mote traveled through the air. It sailed back across the room, and met with the mote in front of Gallant.

“Thank you.” Gallant nodded softly before he closed his eyes and finally slumped over.

My friends and I watched as the two motes twisted and twirled around. They danced through the air, bringing a small amount of life back to the room. As they danced, I looked around at each of my friends. Though battered and beaten, they had made it. With a bright glow, the two motes combined together, flickering for a moment before it raced upwards and through the ceiling.

Filius was gone. Gallant and his wife were at peace. And those who gave their lives to give us the chance that we took, died to ensure that the wasteland could live once again.

“So, wait, it just fell...” Predious spoke up, breaking the pregnant silence around us before his words died in his throat. He picked up the silver amulet, holding it as he looked it over. “Wait a minute.” He said, looking over to me and holding his hoof out. “Storm, give me your hoof.

I did as he asked, holding my hoof up like he asked.

His magic grabbed at the small gem, floating it over towards the amulet before softly pressing it against it. With a magical flash, the gem grew brighter. The silver amulet flickered and tore itself from Pred’s magic, tumbling and twisting through the air as a white aura overtook it. The silver darkened, giving way to a marvelous gold sheen. Ornate carvings of my cutie mark emblazoned the sides of it as the wings of the alicorn on the necklace curved around to form metallic straps. An image in my mind formed as I remember how the old world elements looked somewhat like this, and I couldn’t hide my smile of amazement.

As the wild magic seemed to calm, the gem in the center flickered brightly like a beacon of blue flame. A familiar ringing filled my ears. The world around me muted as I reached out towards it. It wanted me to take it, and this time, I knew I would. The moment my hoof touched it however, everything went dark.

Blinking, I was disoriented, but definitely still standing. My mind was back in the realm of the elements. I knew it because I could feel it now.

“Correct.” An odd voice spoke up from behind me.

Turning, I’d expected to meet the elements, but instead, found only one pillar of light. The wide white beam projected itself down through the darkness, illuminating a single grey mare. The black mane, green eyes, and worn expression matched the ones that I saw every time I looked into the mirror, and the blue flames that flickered in it’s eyes matched what I felt in my heart.

“I am hope.” The pony spoke using my voice. “You and I are one and the same in every way imaginable.” Well, what I could tell was my voice. I’d never heard myself speak from the outside really, so I couldn't be one hundred percent certain.

“What does that mean?” I asked as the odd thought forced it’s way past my muzzle.

“We have power.” She simply replied. “But only that which is borrowed from the ponies around us.” It lifted it’s forehoof, and a small ball of flame formed. “However, it is not only borrowed from them, but from your very existence.”

“Again.” I spoke up. “What does that mean.” I really hated these cryptic answers.

“Every pony has a finite amount of time to exist.” It spoke flatly to me, as it did, the ball of flame in it’s hoof shrank. “When we use our power, we draw from this time.” She paused as the ball got smaller than a marble. “And when it can no longer be borrowed…” The marble flickered and dissipated into nothing.

“So, using our power… kills me?” I said, looking down at my hoof.

“Correct.” She nodded, putting her hoof up again to draw my attention. “However, you are not alone.” Pulling it back down, she placed it onto her chest. “I represent the hope of the wasteland. Should that hope ever be extinguished completely, I too shall die.”

“So we’re in this together.” I said, sitting down. It felt good to be here, away from all the aches and pains that I’d had in the real world.

“Yes.” She nodded again. “You have done well in your actions, however, know now that your fight has not ended.”

“What?” I snapped. Don’t tell me that we missed something with Filius…

“Filius is defeated, you needn’t worry.” She spoke with a chuckle. It was the first emotion I’d heard out of the elements that wasn’t forced. “There are others out there who threaten hope, and as it’s bearer, you must fight to protect it’s light.”

“I’m only one mare.” I sighed.

“You are no ordinary mare.” She spoke again quickly. “You are the product of magic, science, and hope itself. So long as you have not expended your finite time, you shall live long enough to fight to protect hope’s light.” The element smiled a wide smile. “Besides. You are not alone.”

A solid whack to the side of my head woke me.

“Goddesses, why...” I whined, suddenly being thrust back into the real world. Not that I wasn’t glad to be back, it’s just that this place carried all of my aches and pains back to me with a vengeance. Opening my eyes slowly, I found the world tumbling downward.

“Oops! Sorry!” Shadow whined as he slowly set me down into the cold dirt outside the tower. “Forgot about how thin the window was.”

Some things never change.

Looking at the clock in my pipvision, it read 12:36am. That was odd to me, because even after the fight, we couldn’t have been in there for that long. Turning my head, I found a dozen or so yellow medical tents had sprung up in the dig zone around us. hundreds of free’d ponies stood in line, getting checked over before receiving food and water. Among the ponies helping out, I noticed Cocoa, the ghoul nurse from chasm was eagerly attending to a pair of foals and their mother.

“So, why did you wait so long to leave?” I said with a groan, rolling over to find Pred’s outstretched hoof. Grabbing it, he easily helped me back to my sore hooves. An odd pressure around my neck alarmed me, and I raised my hoof to it. It clanked off the metal choker with a click, and brought a smirk to Pred’s muzzle.

“When the element connected with you, you passed out.” He gave a shrug. “Normally you’re up in a few minutes or so, so we decided to wait.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m sure Tasteless would have complained we took too long as well.”

“Yeah.” Gauge gave out a half hearted laugh as she stepped up. “But you did it. You stopped Filius for her.”

Reaching out, I grabbed around both Predious and Gauge, pulling them close. “We did it.”

“Hey! ya up again!” Cheap Shot laughed as he trotted over. “Good ta see dat ya got the job done.” With a nervous smile, he rubbed at his neck. “Turns out, the resistance in the tunnels was worse than expected. Sorry we didn’t make it here before ya.”

“Fiddlefaddle.” Harmony’s country twang was nice to hear again. “It all worked out in tha end now, didn’it?” Releasing Gauge and Pred, I turned around to find her being propped up by the still ragged, but happy looking Oil Can. Harmony’s two legs were still gone, and she was still baddly burned on the one side, but it was good to see her stable. “Ain’t that right, sweetie?” She smiled and gave Oil a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Are you doing alright, Oil?” I asked, almost able to feel his blush from here.

“Why o’course he is!” Harmony chuckled, speaking before Oil died of embarrassment. “Ah mean, all it took ta get this big galoot ta finally admit his feelin’s was a brush with death. Not that ah already hadn’t guessed it aways back.”

“Storm?” Yet another welcomed voice called out to me. However this time, it was from one of the tents. Out from it, strode a power armorless Diesel. While he looked happy to see me, he kept his gaze averted anywhere but me as he trotted over. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop him.”

“What?” I asked, not sure what was going on. “Who?”

“Cottage.” He shook his head. “The moment that the fight was over, he issued that all rangers pack up and pull out.” With a sigh, he sat down hard in the dirt. “I couldn’t convince him to stay and help.”

“Then what’s all this?” I said, pointing at the tents.

“We quit!” Kiwi exclaimed happily as she walked out of the tent where Diesel had been. Behind her, Cinnamon followed with Salsa resting across her back. “More than a few rangers didn’t want to just abandon everypony here. So, we took what little we could and came here to help.

“You just… quit?” I said, looking between them before shooting a confused look to Gauge. She too sat dumbfounded, with her eyes locked on Diesel.

“You stupid, annoying…” She started to mutter, hopping to her hooves and leaping and her brother. “Lovable, selfless asshole!” She half laughed-half cried as she wrapped her hooves around him and hugged him tightly. He simply smiled as tears rolled down his cheeks, squeezing her as well.

“Well, just so Y’all are aware,” Harmony grunted, pulling our attentions back to her. “Ah’m goin ta need a little help rebuildin’ tha Sunshine caravans company back ta it’s former glory.” She sighed and looked over to Gauge and Diesel with a light smile as she talked. “Sunshine city is all but scrap, but ah’ve grown quite fond of Dodge. I’ll probably end up rebuildin it down there, far far way from Cottage and his rangers.” She grumbled before reverting to her smile. “Y’all’s parents were some of the best tinkerers ah’ve ever known, so the two of yah are welcome ta come work with meh anytime.”

“What about us?” Salsa groaned, waving her stump leg in annoyance.

“Yes…” Kiwi spoke with a whine, scrunching up her muzzle. “Out of the rangers, we’re kinda out of a job as well.”

“Well, from what Oil here told meh Y’all could do, don’t none-a Y’all fret one bit!” Harmony nearly shouted. “I’d be happier than a hellhound with a raider fer a chewtoy ta have yah come an work fer me.”

“All of us?” Kiwi asked in astonishment. “We’re kind of a… package deal.” Cinnamon walked up next to her, leaning against her and giving Kiwi a soft kiss on the cheek before turning her head back and giving Salsa one as well. We all watched as Harmony nodded firmly, rousing a giggle from the three mares. “Oh thank you!” Kiwi said, pulling both Cinnamon and Salsa into a tight hug.

“Oh Storm!” The relieved voice of my mom called out from behind me. Her hurried hoofsteps barely gave me enough time to turn around before she hugged me. “Your father and I were so worried about you out there!”

“I’m fine, mom.” I sighed, wrapping my hooves around her and pulling her tight.

“And we feel just awful about not telling you the truth about where you came from.” Tighter and tighter she squeezed as she held me. “We had always wanted to tell you one day, but we could never quite find the right time.”

“I’m… fine, mom.” I grunted, whining as my busted ribs and bruised muscles started to protest.

“But we’re so happy to see the fine mare that our little filly has grown up into!” She sniffled, squeezing even tighter. This is why I avoided hugs. My mom could be a bit… attached sometimes. “Your father and I never dreamed of a day we could feel this proud of you because we were already so very proud of who you were!” So much so that I might as well give up on life and relegate myself to spending the rest of my days in her embrace. Well, that is if she would let me breathe…

“Ma’am?” Shadow said, stepping forward and putting his hoof on her shoulder. “I think you’re hurting her.”

“Nonsense!” She snapped at him, letting go of me just so she could turn around and prod him in his power armored chest. “How dare you tell me how to treat my own daughter! If I knew your parents, I would personally slap the shit out of them for raising somepony for having as few manors as you!” With a gasp, I flailed my hoof in an attempt to stop her. “Who do you think you are to tell me…!”

With air in my lungs, I shouted at her. “Mom!” She locked up as I coughed a few times. “Shadow is…” I looked up to see his nervous smile to her. Slowly, he looked over to me and his gaze softened. “He’s my special somepony.”

“Ah-wah?” She sat confused for a moment. When it finally clicked in her head, she spun around and threw her hooves around him. “Well why didn’t you say so!” She cried out, squeezing him tighter than she did me. Even his armor sounded like it was having trouble resisting her. “I have so many questions for you, like when can I expect grandfoals? Hmm” She eyed over him heavily before letting go of him slightly. “But first you need to meet my husband!” With a firm twist of her hooves, she spun shadow around and pushed him away. I met Shadow’s scared look with my own, and I tried to convey just how sorry I was that I’d sprung that on him.

Looking around, I’d noticed that Predious had been silent for far too long. As I turned myself, I noticed him dipping back inside the tower and disappearing into it. Getting to my hooves, I trotted after him. The darkness inside as I approached didn’t feel as out of place as it once had. As I climbed my way inside, the stone itself didn’t feel as cold either. However, the air inside was just as cold as it had been when Filius was still here.

“Predious?” I asked, being welcomed by the sound of a heavy whump off to my side. The flickering dust motes that shot away from the bed in the corner outlined Pred’s dark form. “Are… you alright?”

“Yeah.” He sighed, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling.

“Got something on your mind?” I said as I walked over slowly. I’d already had a sneezing fit from a decades worth of dust on Harmony’s bed at Tenpony. I didn’t need one a hundred times worse from a century’s worth.

“Just, not sure what to do now.” He sighed, kicking one of his hind legs over the other, he looked like he relaxed a bit. “Sure, I could always go around with you, but let’s face it. I’m a ticking time bomb.”

“What?” I spat out. “You can’t be serious.” I snorted as I pushed myself up onto the bed. My weight shifted the old hay mattress more than I’d thought, and it caused Predious to roll over. As he did, he shot me an annoyed glare. “I am not going to abandon you, Pred. I’ve come to like you as a friend far too much to give up on you that easily.”

“I’m sorry that you’re so optimistic, Storm. That’s a viewpoint I lost a long time ago.” He cocked an eyebrow and readjusted himself. “However, I’m afraid that I’ll have to return to my solitary lifestyle to keep this curse from hurting anypony.” His expression shifted to one of worry as I looked down at him. “If it comes to it… if I do get that bad, then you have too...” He trailed off.

“Oh come on.” I grumbled, sitting down hard on the bed and kicking up another burst of dust right into his face. “Sorry.” I said as I used my hoof to brush some off his face. “Look, we’ll find somepony else to transfer it to, a raider or somepony already on the way out from a wound. This doesn’t have to be the end of our friendship.”

That got him to laugh. “Even with how much you know about them now, you think friendships are that easily broken?” He shook his head and snorted, blowing a bit of the dust from him. “Besides, it took Gallant’s advanced magic to transfer it from you in the first place. Without him, or some other equally powerful unicorn, I’m not sure it can be done at all.”

“So, let me get this straight.” The sharply annoying voice of Ficha emanated from the window behind me. “I get blown up for you, and come back to find you have yet another stallion in bed besides me.”

“Shut it, Ficha.” I sighed, turning back to find his smiling muzzle still walking closer. “Thank you for soaking that shell for me, but please, can you cut out the whole hitting on me thing? You’ve tried it for years, and it’s not going to...” my mind kicked back to what I was thinking and put two and two together. “Say… how old are you?” Old enough to perhaps know where to find somepony to help reverse this curse, I hope...

“Oh, me?” He giggled, stopping where he was. “Let’s say old enough to know it’s wiser not to answer that question. You know what they say! Some secrets are best kept to yourself!” He rubbed at his mane before taking a step back. “Oh geez, look at the clock, my how time flies!”

I pointed my hoof at him. “Ficha, I swear to Celestia that if you’re holding out on me…” By the time I’d even gotten that far, he’d already been halfway out the window. “Damnit.” With a sigh, I turned back to Pred and facehoofed. “I always end up running into him somewhere anyway. I’m sure he’ll…”

Predious chuckled as he put his hoof up to my muzzle and silenced me. “You know, maybe I’ll stick around a bit longer.” He shrugged and pulled his hoof back. “If one thing has stayed constant in my life, is that good friends come few and far between.” A genuine smile spread his lips as he wiggled back against the mattress. “That, and when you least expect it, they can surprise you.”

“Well, I can’t stop you if you actually do want to leave.” I groaned, getting my sore legs to push me back onto my hooves. “But so long as you’re around, you’re welcome to come stay with Shadow and I.”

“You know, I kinda like that idea.” Predious said, closing his eyes and laying completely relaxed on the bed. “Maybe I’ll stay until my favorite season ends.” That’s right, with Filius gone, all this fucking snow would disappear and we could finally get back to the normal progression of seasons again.

“Wait, what is your favorite season?” I spat out. If he were to stay until the end of this fall, that would give me plenty of time to find a way to help him. Spring would be better, but I meant what I said, I wouldn’t push him to stay.

“Why, winter of course.” He yawned, sounding as tired as my body felt. “I hear this one is supposed to be a particularly long one.”

My eye twitched, and I couldn’t stop my hooves from moving. Tightly, I grabbed onto the millennia old pillow at the end of the bed. Raising it above my head, I swung it down as hard as I could, and watched as it exploded against Pred’s muzzle. Dust and old feathers filled the air, enveloping the air around me as I stood in horrified shock at my mistake. A slight tickle grew in my nose, and the last thing I saw was Pred’s smiling face staring up at me.

I sneezed so hard that I saw stars. When I did, I only blew another puff of dust into the air and tickled my nose again.

“Damnit, Pred!” I giggled between sneezes.

“Come on.” He groaned, pulling himself up to his hooves. “Let’s go find somewhere less dusty where you can finally get the rest you both deserve and need.” Putting his hoof around me, he pulled my sneazzy self along with him. “Besides, you have a life to build with Shadow. We’ll worry about the curse at another date.”

Rubbing at my nose, we stood at the window and looked out at everypony again. There were less ponies than I’d wanted to have made it out, but the fact stands that we made it at all. There is still plenty of work to be done before Shadow and I can finally settle down, let alone consider this the victory that it should be. However, that was just the responsibility mare I had grown to be required, and those we lost on the way here deserve for me to keep on fighting.

However, with the friends that I made standing beside me, we had accomplished something thought impossible. As I stared and looked up into the cloudy night sky, I couldn’t do anything but imagine how those we lost, stood with the ministry mares up there next to daddy and mommy, smiling down on us as we’d finally achieved what they had wanted.

For the first time in a century and a half, hope had returned to Equestria.