So...somepony else treads into the darkness to suffer with me.... -Gladius

Time is irrelevant. I have spent so long in this world that I have learned this much. Grief. The pain of loss in our hearts, it is felt by everypony anywhere at any particular part of their lives. For me, I am still suffering. Trapped. Here in this place; these ruins, this graveyard. My mind still wrecked, gripped and controlled solely by the pain; forcing me to wallow in my suffering. As still as a statue, only my tears and gasps of breath signs of life as I continue to gaze into the tombstone of which beneath holds my daughter. All senses forgotten, nothing allowed to interrupt this long moment.

Even when I'd heard Applebits and the others come under attack, I'd not cared a bit nor acted as I may have were she not gone. Despite this, I can still feel the presence of that same Ranger mare Deathbloom as she sits nearby. She's taking pained, shallow breaths. This would indicate she'd suffered injuries of some kind, but not too serious and likely more so exhaustion from the battle I could guess.

For a few minutes, it was simply this. The only noise above our breathing and my own sobs was the wind that blew through this lonely, haunting place. But, it would seem we are not to be left alone; as I could hear somepony approaching to my right. The scrabbling behind me confirmed it, as Deathbloom perhaps is attempting to be prepared for more foes should it be necessary. Especially when I'm so useless, so utterly broken.

"Halt!" Deathbloom called sharply to the approaching ponies, the wind carrying her voice and making it stronger and more commanding.

I heard her rifle, the click that sounded of a round chambered; yet I knew she wouldn't use it unless hostilities initiated as the hoofsteps paused. From the sound and feel, they were at the entrance of the graveyard. "Are you friend of foe?" She asked.

"We do not come to fight Ranger." A deep, equally commanding voice echoed back.

It sounded familiar, enough so that I actually risked a glance away from the inscription of my little girl's name to see who the voice belonged to. Though familiar, the pony who heralded it seemed completely unrecognizable. Dressed in experimental power armor of some kind, he looked rather fearsome; though I didn't much care as I very faintly regarded the others among his group. An Enclave soldier, by her looks a medic perhaps. Somepony that reminded me faintly of the ponytrons I'd seen before the war was over, and....and....

My one good eye widened as I could recognize the young colt that stood behind the two armored ponies. This, was the same colt that I had let go with his horrible family that had stolen my friend's filly and shot him. Anger. Rage. Hate. These things all swirled in my mind as I recalled my last words to his family.

"That's good to hear I guess." Deathbloom replied, not noticing me rising over the sound of the wind.

My eye locked squarely on the colt, I knew there would be no mercy this time as I let out an earthshaking howl that carried for miles in the wind and startled everypony around me. All my pain, focused now into this rage; my cries of damnation turned to fury as I surged forward. The colt reacted instantly in fear, cowering behind the larger armored pony. Deathbloom reacting, trying to stop me by leaping forward and holding tight to my waist as I was stopped just a few short steps from them. She dug in hard to the ground, going up to her knees. Even still, I was inching forward as my screams actually gave voice to comprehensive words. "LET ME KILL THAT BASTARD CHILD! RELEASE ME NOW DEATHBLOOM SO I CAN SEND HIS SOUL TO HADES! HE MUST DIE, FOR WHAT HE AND HIS FAMILY DID TO LIGHTNING!"

The ponytron stepped forward, perhaps deeming me hostile and preparing to eliminate me; but to no avail as the larger armored one place a hoof on his chest to stop him. Before I could get any further, suddenly the strength sapped out of me entirely. My whole being falling limp to the ground as another round of wracking sobs gripped me. The pain was back, as I realized just how foolish this was; to condemn him to death when my own little Tenebris had just perished. To vent my heartache on him, when in reality it would do no good as Deathbloom released me and stepped aside.

She was looking up to the ponies as she removed her helm. Underneath, revealed to be a young face that was looking worriedly between me and these strange ponies. Her coat a mint green, her magenta eyes locking to the larger one as she brushed her short purple mane out of the way. "I'm so sorry for that....He's just went through hell and back...We both have here in his town." She glanced back at the freshly dug graves of her squad mates, and then to my daughter's to prove her point before returning her attention to the group before us. "My squad died here...and he lost his daughter."

A single tear fell to the dusty ground from her, acknowledging her own grief; yet nothing compared to my own as she stood determinedly. "Again I apologize....I am Ranger Deathbloom...Former Ranger..that is. May I ask who you all are?"

The large, almost dragon like pony stepped forward after he shared an intense glance to the ponytron, "I am known as Tempest Knight, this is Arnold Ponegator, Flutter Butter, and this colts name is Tracks."

I could feel his heavy hoofsteps as he walked up to me, I opened my one eye and starred back to him as I stood. The pain of losing my daughter was still great, and I could feel another wave of tears approaching fast.

"Why do I recognize you soldier?" Tempest asked, his name felt familiar to me, but then it dawned on me, the pony whom Applebits was fighting alongside and worried for.

I held my tongue, after all I still had an oath to keep as I merely turned and walked back to Tenebris' grave. I heard him sigh before walking past me and standing before the grave. He unsheathed one of his blades and dug it into the ground before speaking with the sound of cracking bones. I watched him as he stood with the now glowing bade sunk into the ground that held my dearest daughter, covering our surroundings in a soft red glow.

"Would you like to speak with her Gladius?" he said, turning his head so that I could see his now unarmored face.

Looking between Tempest and her grave, I nodded while sniffling quietly. Still, I didn't say a word; watching silently with my tears still streaming. Before me, I watched as the ground trembled slightly around the sword; the aura glow stronger and brighter. Glancing to him, I was unsure of what was going on as Deathbloom moved beside me and cocked an eyebrow in confusion. Within a few blinks, I saw Tenebris reforming in a ghostly pale form of herself in front of the sword. Her eyes were closed as before, but she wasn't hurt anymore. Her body looked pristine, as though she were sleeping at night in her bedroom like normal. But when those eyes opened and looked around, I lost it as she turned to me and cocked her head cutely. "Daddy?" She asked softly.

Falling to my knees, I was at her level as she walked slowly over to me. "Daddy? Why are you crying?" She whispered, nuzzling into my neck; yet all I could feel was a gentle warmth instead of any physical body as her hooves wrapped around to hug me.

I hugged her back, even if all I could feel was the gentle caress of a weak aura as she looked up and began to wipe away my tears. "Daddy...you know I don't like to see anypony cry." She said.

"I......I know my little Tenebris...I know." I managed to say at last.

"You know we can do anything if we do it together Daddy...Face any challenge that comes our way." She replied, making me smile sadly at her as she used her most well known phrase which seemed to reach me when nopony else ever could.

"But how though my little one? You're....not going to be here to help me." I whispered.

She patted her chest, before reaching out to my own and gently pressing a hoof against the peeled skin and muscle flaps that used to cover it. "I'm always with you daddy...no matter where you are. I'm in your heart, and you're in mine."

Somehow, I felt a slight but significant shift; as though my heart were changing within me. It felt...strange. Like all the heartache was being pressed out of me, to be replaced by something stronger. The feeling banished the loneliness in my heart, and in its place there was the deep love and care of my daughter. She was giving me her love, to ensure I'd remember her always and that she'd always be there for me like she'd promised as she returned to hugging me tightly. "T....Thank you my li....little one....So sweet in my memory...and yet always here within me."

"I'll always be here for you daddy...to face all the challenges life can give." she whispered, squeezing me tightly before releasing and stepping away. "I have to go now daddy...but don't worry, I'll be with my other mommy and brothers...waiting." She smiled at me, making my single good eye widen as she mentioned my family before the war.

Running to her, I gently kissed her nose before whispering softly in her ear. "I love you my little Tenebris. Forever....Tell your other mommy and your brothers that I love them as well...."

"I love you too daddy...And I will tell them for you." Looking back to Tempest, she nodded her head gratefully before speaking softly. "I'm ready to go back now Mr. Tempest."

As before, she dispersed back into the air itself within a few blinks. The glow faded away until naught remained, and I watched as Tempest withdrew his sword back to his side. Now, with the pain gone and removed, I felt like new. I felt like I could again face the world and its horrors, and my one eye shone with that determination as I smiled before snorting a little balefire on the ground. "Thank you General. I owe you much for allowing me to speak to her....You've given me back my purpose. Please, follow me to my old home here General. I'd like to repay you for such a gift."

Turning sharply on my hoof, I marched away. Heading back into the ruins, I was seeking out my basement where the gift I had promised for the General awaited. Behind me, I heard the sound of Deathbloom following behind me, but not the others as I glanced back and observed them. Tempest was still standing there, staring up the road at me.

Author's Notes:

And thus this Chapter has proven to restore Gladius to his former state, and drained Tempest of much power. (He's not gonna be summoning any warriors anytime soon)