To what end shall the madness go before we can halt it?- Tempest Knight

A day had passed since the sacrifice of my mechanized friend, Gladius, Butter, Deathbloom, and I had been trudging towards Hoofington silently the entire time. None of us knew what to say, I don't believe any of us saw it coming.

I was interrupted from my thoughts by the soft tones of the Steel Ranger, "Are you alright, Gladius?" She drew my attention slightly to my quiet friend, "You're looking far paler than usual, and the bites..."

"I'll..be fine." He said, a somber, saddened edge to his voice echoing softly, "I've survived worse..And Like before and always..everypony...else is dying around me." His speech, I could scarcely notice, was afflicted, as the bite marks grotesque infection spread further from the numerous wounds that had refused to ever heal.

"Gladius." I said, my tone low but on edge, "You have been bitten several times, but I know not of what effect it shall have upon ye, you must expel the infection itself."

"I may be able to help him sir." Butter piped up from my left.

I gave her a small smile before speaking, "I am willing to give blood to him if you can remove the contaminated from his body."

"I can sir, but I only have supplies for one go, so we cannot be interrupted." she replied as she checked her gear.

"No!" Gladius replied, catching me and Butter off guard slightly. "Tis my curse to keep til my final breath. Something I'll bear to the doors of death." Beneath his uniform, I already knew, all the injuries he had kept from view. "Tis my curse to keep...General. Do not...make me invoke my rank, over you to quieten thee." He coughed a moment, blackened blood spit to the ground before shaking his head and continuing on past us. "And with my final breath it shall be, to save my niece, and your wife to be."

I watched as Deathbloom followed, only a slight quizzical, and still worried, look in her eyes as she now walked beside him.

"Rank? Gladius, this will kill you and us, the infection must be purged!" I shouted as flames shot forth from my armored face, "Do not make me pin you to the ground!"

"Sirs, can we not kill each other please?" Butter shyly whispered off to my left as I spun on Gladius.

"You'll not be doing a thing..." Gladius answered, pausing mid step before settling with Deathbloom beside him. He turned back to face me, and reflected in his eyes I could see only myself. Both stubborn, as immovable mountains against one another; staring each out down in silence. Without warning, he lunged for me. Something I'd have sidestepped easily, but instead allowed it to happen. I expected to easily pin him now, thinking already the infection was setting in; but when he tackled me there was a force unearthly in nature behind it.

Then the howling started. Vile, repulsive, dark screams. Tortured agonies and souls all echoing as one through his mouth as he stared me down and screamed without end. Pinning me, surprisingly I didn't expect this strength that he now possessed as his eyes darkened for a moment. Solid black, and burning holes into my soul until it all stopped. He leaned in close, a whisper unheard by all others save the two of us. "You will...be silent...I've already enough...noise within. I don't need this...Not from you...Not on top of what Death already makes me endure." He rose from me, offering a hoof, "I'll be fine enough. I've...endured infection and plague...Hell...I've survived Balefire Megaspells...I'll live through this." He paused, retracting his hoof. "At least...long enough to see my little niece...one last time."

"Your mental Gladius, but very well." I reply as I looked over to the two mares that were accompanying us, but finding their attention elsewhere.

"Sirs, not to interrupt but we have incoming!" Butter shouted prior to jumping to avoid a round from a Flying Tank bearing the insignia of the Enclave.

"Find cover and open fire!" I shout as the three move to my commands, but before Butter could move too far she was blown apart by a passing Vertibuck. "Well crud." I mutter, unleashing Hell upon the killer of my friend with my bolters.

"J..Just what I needed." I hear Gladius say, and watch him rising from his cover just as another Vertibuck turns for a second strafing run. Trying my best to cover him, I shout for him to get down. He doesn't listen to me, as though somehow entranced. His eyes are closed, and he's standing straight on his hind legs as the bullets ripple through his body. "Yes," He whispered. "Give me more you Enclave bastards. I've just been waiting for the day to repay you all in kind for what you did."

Without warning, I saw the stitches running across his wings snap; and with it, they rocketed out to either side of him. Scarred, but massive, powerful wings. The infection though, I could see, had spread further. It ran through the veins that crossed his wings, and a vile liquid dribbled from the newly opened areas once stitched closed. He took to the skies, and before the Vertibuck ever reached our position I watched as he slammed into it full force. His mini-gun in one hoof spraying into the cockpit, murdering any inside before kicking off and sending the craft spinning to the ground where it lay.

Turning a bit, and seeing Deathbloom also entranced, I watched as her eyes followed him everywhere through the skies. "Wow..." Was all I heard from her, as he landed on a sky-tank. Ripping open the hatch, I saw a few sprays of bullets before he turned on a passing bomb chariot and shot down those who were pulling it as well. Crashing to the earth just a few feet from our position, his expression was emotionless as he put another bullet through the brain of one of the drivers still alive.

"Just gonna sit there and miss out?" He questioned, turning to the gun of the tank before wrenching it from its socket and holding it in one hoof. "Get a taste of your own medicine." He muttered, lifting the cannon with a steady aim before a dark aura of his contaminated blood seemed to channel around his entire being. The cannon fired, ripping through the incoming aircraft and sky-tanks with a furious barrage I'd seen only a few times before. After a few minutes, he dropped the cannon and fell to a knee for a moment, winded. "Cleaned the skies." He huffed, forcing himself to rise again before staggering off the tank and falling behind cover, gasping almost, for breath.

I nodded, my eyes holding restrained rage as I made my way to Butter’s remains, “You will not be forgotten, friend.” I said as I plucked her tags off her body and stowed them in a small compartment in my right shoulder, yet another cutie tag to add to my list. “Deathbloom, how far till we reach Hoofington?” I asked, my tone of voice brokering not arguement.

“Less than a day sir.” She replied, her gaze drifting to the dead medic as I began my efforts to give her a proper grave.

“While I dig I want you to take her supplies, and prepare her for burial. This spot shall do… Gladius could you find us a stone? I shall carve her name into it.” I asked, the fire in my eyes remaining, though nopony could see that from behind my visor, all they could see were two glowing red orbs.

“It shall be so…” Gladius replied, before he began to cough heavily as he marched off a little ways into the wastes in search.

“He’s getting worse…” Deathbloom said, as she slowly watched the one who had spared her and befriended her find a large stone of which he lifted with that same aura of blood before returning to the road. It seemed that, unbeknownst to the others until now, as he was close enough again, he had in fact cried in the time he had been gone. Infected, horrid, orange and bloody tears that stained his grey fur as he set the stone down with only a few small words spoken quietly. “She was a good soldier and companion, remember to include that, General.”

I watched as he turned away, coughing harshly as Deathbloom nodded faintly that she had procured all of the dead medic’s supplies and had prepared what remained of her body for proper burial. She went to his side a moment, unsure of herself or what she could do. Gladius, it seemed, was hiding in the guise of his illness and infection his grief as more corrupted tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Gladius?” She finally asked, placing a hoof on his shoulder to get his attention.

“All my men around me die…and I’m still standing… It’s not fair… They don’t deserve it more than I do… She didn’t deserve death.” He finally responded, confirming the reason why he felt so strongly as I did. Everyone he knew, all his soldiers, they died, and never him. Somepony else always was the one who got hurt.

“We’re still here.” Deathbloom replied, softly, making him turn to face her. “We’re still here, and I don’t have any plans on dying. For you, because you saved me when you should’ve just let me die.” The look in Gladius’ unmatched, glowing pupils seemed surprised at her admission, as he simply stared a moment. “You’re the reason I’m still alive, look at yourself…”

He did as instructed, unsure of where she was going before she stopped him and pointed out several of his new injuries that still bled slowly. “All of these would’ve killed me, and turned me into one of those mindless flesh-eaters… You took those, for us, for me.” Deathbloom seemed nearly in tears, as she looked now into Gladius’ eyes once again and found herself stammering to silence. Staring into them, she felt herself come to calm, and very much so deepened her gaze before she found herself wiping the few tears he had left that had yet to dry away.

Unsure of where to go from here, she surprised both herself and Gladius especially when she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Closing her eyes, she didn’t want to see his reaction, as she wrapped her hooves around his neck. When she did draw away, she gave an eep in shock of what she had just done and turned near crimson in embarrassment before seeing in his eyes a faint reflection and a hint of a smile. “I uh...um…” Words failed her, as Gladius just nodded faintly and kissed her back before having her release him from her embrace about his neck. There now, she sat, stunned, and still blushing and smiling near dreamily as she watched Gladius solemnly return to my side to honor the burial of our friend.

“Today, a soldier has died, but she was more than that.” I stated, as I removed my helm so my face could be seen, “Today a friend has perished so we could live.” I added, my eyes losing their glint completely as I procured a small knife, her’s to be precise, “She died in warning her fellows, us, of the danger from above, because of her, three ponies stand, when four would have fallen.” I closed my eyes before the knife touched the stone.

“We owe her so much more than this funeral, so with us we shall carry her memory. Honor and courage, duty and sacrifice, love and tolerance… These virtues were her own, and we can only hope to live up to them. May the angels carry her to the promise, and may Solaria welcome her into her embrace. May she find peace in this promise, and welcome us when we join her and all of our fellows in it.” I finished, the knife etching so few words into the stone before my fire consumed it.
Flutter Butter

My fire sealed the stone, it’s magical properties ensuring that like my chamber, it would survive the harshest conditions. “Rest in peace my friend, We’ll meet you there one day.” I whispered, mostly to myself, though I imagine that the other two heard my final sentiments as well, before I sheathed the knife and floated it to my right hoof and attached it.

“Aye… She is resting now… My Squad is up there to look after her so she’ll do fine.” Gladius replied, placing a hoof on my shoulder. “Bunch O’ the toughest bastards I’ve ever known, especially my brother.” I looked to the Sergeant oddly, not recalling any kin of his ever being seen in the few times we may have met in our brief history before the war. “Besides, any friend of mine or my squad’s, is a friend of Death’s… He’ll make sure she’s alright.” Releasing his grip, he turned one last time to the stone and whispered something inaudible, a prayer of sorts, in a language long since dead and that which I barely recognized save for the word “Goodbye.”

Deathbloom had sat silent, watching. She had teared up, but refused to let them show and had wiped them away as Gladius turned to face her once more. Meeting his eyes, she was still nervous as all hell about what she had done, despite his reaction. In this, I could now see her for who she was, past the armor and training, she was almost as shy as Fluttershy herself around somepony that she cared for. “Come General, we have a mission to complete. On our honor, on her death, it shan’t be in vain that we save my niece.” He said, seriously, with only one tear of his own left that was shed and had fallen to the ground before he set his gaze forward and began walking once again.

I remained silent, my eyes giving a dull reflection as I gazed upon Gladius, though I had yet to shed a tear I did so as my voice croaked out faintly, “She would wish you to heal my friend, if not for yourself then for your niece and my wife to be.” I stated, my eyes locking with his, both of them unshakable.

Gladius returned my gaze for a time, in silence. I had brought up the very topic of which he had so vehemently denied just moments before our friend’s death. Standing here though, he seemed to have taken a change in stance, as he looked to Deathbloom a moment for confirmation. “Your family might not recognize you as you are, Gladius.” She said, “I don’t think you’d want to let your niece end up seeing you like you are… I don’t like seeing you suffering like you are.” In those words, she had played her cards well, knowing her very so recent confession of love may just be enough to sway him as much as his family might as he weighed his options a moment.

“General…” He said softly, addressing me. “I will submit to your healing… For Dash, for you Deathbloom, and for our fallen friend.”

“Don’t move.” Was all I said as I procured a small stick with a blackened tip before drawing a circle around him. This circle intersected three others, each having a rune inscribed within. I then drew yet another ring around it, this one with twin lines and two branches coming of to a circle surrounding my own hooves. “This may cause slight pain, I am not too practiced and there may be a slight… burning alive sensation… also if you see inside my head do tell, as that means I screwed something up and copied my memories to you as well.” I stated, though I gave him no room to reply as the circle turned from black to a shining red and both of our bodies were consumed in light.

--------

A forest, green as far as they eye can see. An army clad in shining silver armor with a massive range of weapons. Two Unicorns approached, both clad fully in armor so that the only identifying marks were the cutiemarks inscribed upon their shields strapped to their sides.

“General, we the southern army has sent word that it has been defeated, they will not be meeting us.” A stallion on the right said.

“... How long till the Eastern gets here?” The voice emanated from the eyes in which we were viewing, the voice was my own.

“They are hours out last report my lord.” The mare on my left said.

“I tire of waiting, if we wait too long then there will be noone left to save…” I stated as I drew my spear closer to me from where I had rammed it into the ground, “We move now.”

“But sir, Princess Celestia said-”

“I care not for that youngling’s orders, I don’t answer to her, I answer to her father.”

“But King Lunarium has been dead for two years now.”

“Changes nothing, we move now.” I stated adamantly, lifting my spear as I began to move forward.

“No sir, we cannot allow you to disob-” The stallion began but was interrupted by a spear in his chest.

“You are not in command, I am, and lives are on the line.” I stated, the mare on my left backpedaling but nodding nonetheless before rallying her troops.

-----

“Crusade forward!” I yelled as I charged at the tip of our spear and into the village we were to aid. But were met instead with a horde of very dead ponies, not a soul left alive. “Damn you Celestia, Lunarium would have never let this happen…” I muttered under my breath before letting out a roar of outrage.

“Sire!” The mare from before shouted as she approached.

“What?” I growled.

“The town’s hall, somepony still holds it! We’re not too late Sire!” she shouted, drawing my attention to the smoking building that was nearby but just out of sight. I could hear the clash of blade against flesh from even here, and knew her story to be true. Our army raced to the building at full speed, making our way around it’s burning-out husk, to find the grand staircase of the hallway littered with the corpses of its invaders. Two pegasi, clad in simple but stately armor, held together. Grey of fur and green of mane and tail, this one clove in twain a foe with a single swing of his broadsword from his hoof as he stood at full height on his hind legs. His glowering eyes like coals as he drove his weapon through the temple of another and added to the growing pile before him.

The other who stood, he looked similar of appearance, save that his mane and tail were both short and rainbow-colored, smashed foes aside with a single swing of his greatsword before planting it firmly betwixt the skull of one before him. “We must hold brother!” He shouted, “We must urg…!” He was seized by a few of the foul things, they having snuck up on him as he’d turned to counter a foe.

“Little brother!?” The green-maned pegasus shouted, receiving no response which caused him to whip around and charge around a pile of bodies. “Mortem!?” He screamed, half agony, half anger, as his blade sliced apart those besetting his fellow Knight. Kneeling beside him, he went still as several dozen of the fell creatures closed on his position; attracted by the blood pouring forth from his many wounds. When one fell upon his throat, intent to end him, he did not scream. His blade, in cold rage, impaled through his own chest and hefted the undead thing up from the ground before it’s pitiful existence were ended again in death as he wrenched his weapon free of himself. He seemed a mad stallion, freakish in that only his grief drove him to fight beyond the mortal injuries that would surely have slain anypony else ten times over. Watching this only took but a minute, two, but it was over and he was huffing as blood nearly completely enveloped his grey body and steel armor. His blood, which proved his own death would follow; but as he knelt down beside his brother, Mortem and prepared to die with him, a voice more ancient than time itself intervened.

“Death calls for thee not, young Knight Mortalitas Gladius…” It stated, “Sayeth, I beith impressed with thy skills at arms…” The voice, it boomed even though it were a whisper as it beckoned, “What if I told thee I could take it all back? Maketh it the way it were… At a price, of course.”

“N..Nameth it,” Gladius whispered, still cradling his little brother in his hooves.

“Service… thy skill is great and needed much in My Armies.” He replied.

“On one condition I shalt accept…” Gladius said, soft in reply as the blood flowed and ticked off every second left of his life. “Let this place live… Let my friends, my brother… Let them beith at my side. Nopony here deserveth death…”

“It shall be so…but also more… I shall revive thine town… But thee and thy friends may never return here… thy families will be restored, but ye may never see them again.”

Gladius fell beside his brother, slipping into unconsciousness as the blood loss finally caught up with him and his adrenaline faded. “Deal…” He whispered, as his last sight were of Mortem’s eyes looking back at his, though they were not dead and clouded.

“Get Rose and Farseer, any of the other clerics as well… You secure the borders!” I shouted, my gaze falling on the two knights as I removed the fully enclosed helm and let out a sigh accompanied by smoke, “Celestia, you are not fit to command my army with such detail… Give us missions, we shall see them through, no longer shall I answer to your court.”

“Ehm...uh…wh…” The Knight, the one whom had been called Mortem, as I had recognized his voice, had spoken. Turning to face him, I watched as he sat up straight and looked about at the carnage with only moderate surprise for a moment before going immediately to his brother’s side. “Gladius! Gladius!” He cried, “Wake up brother, wake up!”

It was well clear that, at least for now, the Knight was gone. He did not stir, nor move at the touch of Mortem, to which the despaired Knight let a single tear fall as he rose and forced himself to look about. Others, the ones we’d thought dead, I noticed, were standing up with the same confusion now. None showing any signs of injury or infection, as they looked at one another and at us before beginning to move on. One, another Knight I guessed, dressed in massive, bloodied armor, stepped from the ruins of the main doorway to the Town Hall. His black fur were marked with blood of his own, lined with injury, and his face wore a mask of nothing but anger as he whispered softly while kneeling beside the fallen Knight. “Rage...Rage…”

Two came, one, dressed in grey robes and light armor, her face hidden save her throat which was ripped out. Crossbows and blades mounted on her hooves, she too knelt beside her fellow, and it was clear who she was. Silence.

The other, he were dressed in only light armor of grey and black of robes. Spectacles over his eyes, he appeared ethereal in nature and carried only twin daggers as he whispered, “Sad...so very much Sorrow.”

The last, and arguably strangest of them all, came from a nearby Church. She was laughing insanely, with her axe in hoof as she rushed to meet her comrades with a grin so wide it may very well have been cut to resemble that way by her own hoof for the fear factor she inspired. Dressed in full armor, colored naturally crimson, with laughing green eyes, she nodded at the fallen Knight before saying “Get up lazy! This is no time for a dirt nap! Listen to your Joy, you silly!”

The Knight in question, in fact, at this command, did rise. Painfully, slowly, he stood. His injuries were reflected as well, but it appeared his mouth had in fact been sewn shut and his injuries stitched in a similar manner. The only difference, they were left gaping open for the world to see as he looked to Mortem with slightly glazed eyes.

“So it seems I am in the presence of allies twice over.” I said, a small symbol of Hades materializing before them before vanishing to thin air. “I beith Tempest Knight, who art thou?”

------

The spell broke, sending both myself and Gladius flying two different directions as the ground beneath us detonated. I skidded on my hooves across the ground, my armor too heavy to fly without its talismans activated. Gladius was not as fortunate as he tumbled and came to a halt a dozen hooves from the center point. To think of it, neither was Deathbloom, as he landed and actually was halted by crashing into her.

“You okay Gladius?” I asked as I shook myself.

“I’m fine T...General.” He replied, helping the stunned mare to her own hooves after getting up himself and shaking the dust off. “You okay though, Deathbloom?”

“Yeah...Just a little, shell-shocked, is all.” She joked, although she truly didn’t know as Gladius shook his head and chuckled. “What was that? I mean really, what was what?” She asked, looking first to Gladius and then to me.

My eyes met both of Gladius’ upon his nearly fully restored body, the stitches being the sign of his servitude. “Gladius, thought you looked familiar, tis been ages old friend, and to think, ye shall be my uncle in law.” Tempest mentally spoke as he laughed out loud, drawing only a confused stare from Deathbloom.

“And I had thought ye familiar from first meet, though only from much more recent times, when I had just finished Ranger-Training and was elected Chief Ranger.” Gladius chuckled as well, although his was silenced as Deathbloom gave him a hard, dark look. “She’s going to end up being the one to kill me old friend, tis best we speak normally from now on… although I must admit, it is interesting to find it out it was you who would be my nephew.”

“Aye, though not a word of our ancient history.” I mentally ordered, “You look well off now.” I added with a nod before placing my helm upon my head.

“I feel like I’m twenty-one again… Which, if I remember, was not a good year for me…” He shook his head, another laugh escaping him as he remembered the truth of his twenty-first year but instead lied aloud. “Getting blown up and chased down by Zebra shock squads with my fellows, that was some hell I tell you what for a birthday.”

“Just think about mine Gladius, last time I celebrated was in an ocean of blood and a broken sword, chilled to the bone and fighting amongst the dead against shadows.” I laughed, before looking at Bloom’s unamused face. “Okay, perhaps we should tell her, before she thinks I’ve gone senile.”

“Don’t think yourself older than me youngling, if anypony is due to be senile it’s me, because I’m forty years older than you.” Gladius replied mentally.

“So, how much do you want to know, I guarantee it’ll need to be explained a few times Bloom?” I asked, my visor landing on her.

Author's Notes:

And thus with Google Docs I give unto thee a new chapter, long time in the making. Also a long bit on Gladius and Tempest.

-RIP Butter-