A gentle breeze swept across my skin, stirring me to wakefulness and banishing the dream of agony I'd been trapped inside of back into the void of forgetfulness. I was resting my head on something soft and a sweet, familiar scent filled my nose. The sun dappled warmly across my back and I could feel grass beneath me wherever it was I had apparently chosen to lay my head. I soft murr of sound from beneath my chin drew my attention, bringing me back to the waking world fully as I shifted to see what I'd fallen asleep on.

A bronze-colored mane fell loosely around the gentle snoring form of a familiar earth pony mare. Something about her shook the cobwebs in my brain loose; a viridian coat... a name drifted through my mind as her eyes fluttered open.

“Summer?” my mind was still foggy, but I remembered her, the scent of windswept leaves, the scent of her namesake season to me. I remembered the comfort of holding her in my hooves as we drifted off to sleep each night, a small bright star in a field of darkness and blood.

“Hey lovey, you're finally awake?” she smiled, then looked around with a confused expression before wiping a tiny stream of drool that had started to slip from her muzzle as she snored. Grimacing she remarked, “well that's attractive, I guess I fell asleep waiting for you to get up ya great red lump.” Summer nuzzled into my neck in a way that sent a pleasant shiver of excitement down my spine.

“Where... are we? And I feel like I've been... somewhere else for a long time,” the memories were still distant, I remembered shapes and sounds, noise and pain.

Summer silenced my protests with a soft kiss and I certainly didn't need to be told twice, I returned the affection gratefully, drinking in the taste of her breath for the first time in what felt like ages. We finally parted to breathe and I nuzzled my nose against hers, drawing and delighted giggle from the beautiful mare.

I pulled her back into the crook of my neck, settling back into a resting position comfortably as she laughed again, this time with long suffering tolerance. “Planning on going back to sleep again?” she asked wryly, I grunted something vaguely affirmative. “You lazy lump, I swear you wouldn't even get out of bed if it weren't for me.”

I grunted again, this time in protest as she slowly lifted herself up and I followed, grudgingly pulling myself to my hooves. I looked out over the verdant green valley we stood in, we were on a hill beneath a tall tree like an oak or maybe a maple. Summer rolled her shoulders, drawing a few pops as she stretched out and yawned like a great cat.

“I love this place, it's so beautiful,” Summer said as she moved in closer and leaned against me. It did seem terribly familiar to me as well, I couldn't put a hoof on it though. “It's too bad what happened to it, it would've been a nice place to bring our foals, if we'd had any I mean.”

As she spoke I saw the scene before me flicker for a moment, the blue skies turning a scorched gray, the plant life dead and ashen, and corpses were strewn about the valley and hillsides like autumn leaves. Then as fast as it came it was gone, the green hills and burbling creeks back where they belonged.

“W-what happened?” I turned back to Summer, “what was that?”

She frowned, nuzzling closer to me as the wind dropped a few degrees, “some bleed-over I think, I guess I can't remember what this place used to be like without you remembering what you turned it into. I'm a little glad I didn't see it that way, you know?”

Memories flashed and rattled in my head at her words.

A Griffon warrior stood, massive and commanding, wearing plated barding over his chest and legs. Wickedly serrated blades were attached to his wings, and he brandished a massive falchion before him.

His bass voice resounded with contempt,“so you're the pony who's kept my forces at bay for so long hm? The red general, my troops call you, did you know that?” he sneered as he approached.

Was our first taste of free air in a month supposed to be our last as well? The thought left a bitter taste in the back of my throat as dozens of Griffonari raiders surrounded us, after leaving the Mess Hall that we'd been holed up in for over thirty days at the news of support I'd decided split our forces into three groups. Obviously it wasn't safe to move hundreds of civies all in one big group so I'd had Dasher and Starlight take a two of our newly formed platoons along a third of the civilians towards one exit; Boulder, Treasure, and Honey had taken another third of the civies and a few more platoons, then Summer and I took the remainder and made our way down the last passage. The idea was that, since the griffon forces had been bled out fighting us and were now dealing with the new reinforcements, this would be our ideal time to escape and dividing our attempts would cause the Griffons to split even more. I didn't say the final part out loud though: that it also increased the chance of at least a few of us surviving the death-trap.

But of course I would be the one to run head long into the remaining elements of the Griffon command along with the inglorious Phaestus himself. I could practically smell the bloodlust on him and he stank of violence and hate.

So I spat at his feet. “Red General, huh? I like it. I guess all that's left is to shove your own wings up your arse and get out of here then.” A ragged cheer came up from trooper and civilian alike, Summer grinned cockily at my words. I had projected every ounce of feigned confidence into my voice that I could, fortunately I'd had plenty of practice over the course of the month.

“You're so hot right now,” Summer laughed and despite the dire circumstances I couldn't help but return the grin.

“What, does that mean I look like shit the rest of the time?” I inquired, raising an eyebrow in mock hurt.

Summer shrugged, “well I didn't want to say anything but-”

“ENOUGH!” Phaestus roared, furious at suddenly being ignored, “I'll spill your guts across the ground little General, advance!”

The griffons surged forward in a feathered tide punctuated by the snapping of long arcs thinning their ranks. The last thing I heard before battle was joined was the firearms clattering to the ground, abandoned as my men drew their blades for close combat, and Summer's own yell of defiance mixed with my own.

And then I was back, a fertile valley replacing visions of the blood-soaked walkway of concrete that lay along the edge of the Winding River, Summer stared up at me with sadness tinting her eyes.

“What... what happened?” I gasped, tasting bile in the back of my throat.

Summer sighed softly, nuzzling into my mane as I clung almost desperately to her. “Terrible things were done, Shale, some them worse than others, most of them by you... or to you.”

I pulled away from Summer at her words, staring first at her then across the fertile landscape.

“Summer, where are we?”

She sighed wearily before trotting over to the hill's edge to stare out over the valley, a sad smile adorning her face. “We're in Shining Valley, a beautiful piece of land nestled in the great hills that lay to the north of Baltimare a few dozen miles south of Manehatten. In the final year of the war the Griffons became more and more savage, finally gaining ground on merit of their sheer brutality. Led by the berserker Phaestus, the Griffons seized Shining Valley by cutting a river of blood across the skies in a mad rush nopony had expected.”

“I... I remember that, I was furious, I...” the memories started to filter in, slowly at first but soon in greater force.

“Yes, you were. You flew into a rage when you learned that he had in fact survived the wound you gave him outside the death-trap along the river's edge two and a half years ago.”

The battle was ferocious, the civilians huddled together weeping or shaking pitifully as my soldiers held the line against the attacking Griffon forces, I'd never been more proud of them. At the time however I could only recognize blind panic as I drew my mouth-blade and desperately parried strike after lightning-swift strike from the enormous Griffon warlord in front of me. Summer fought at my side, her own blade deftly parrying his razorwings, keeping them from cutting my legs out from under me and leaving me open to a killing blow. I would have died five times in the first thirty seconds of the fight if it weren't for her skill.

“Can you not fight alone little General?” Phaestus mocked as his right wingblade was parried for the sixth time by Summers curved sword. “I'm disappointed in you.”

I released a dazzling snap of red light and a telekinetic thrust into Phaestus' face as he spoke, and though he parried my spell with the ringing blue steel of his weapon I was following just behind the flash of light which opened a tiny avenue of attack, I slid my blade through... Only to have it deflected at the last moment by his wingblade.

Fortunately that had been the plan. For a month Summer and I had fought side by side, unwilling to leave each others presence during a fight lest one of us he brought down. Maybe not the most tactical idea and certainly not the actions of a true commander but, as I've repeatedly pointed out, I was nopony's commander by choice. Through testing in constant battle she and I had built up a natural and unspoken rapport, we moved in each others blind spots perfectly, covering and reinforcing every attack the other made and defending every blow that came sideways. I couldn't count how many times she had saved my life in the past thirty days but it was likely no fewer than I had saved hers.. Not being aware of any of that, it's understandable that Phaestus was caught completely off his guard when Summer, ducking low and suddenly hidden from our enemy's view by his own wing, sent two powerful hooves directly into the berserker General's right kneecaps, collapsing it inward with a shriek of pain.

If I'd thought he was fast before, then seeing the reason for which Phaestus received his colorful sobriquet taught me the grave error of my assumption.

The psychotic General's eyes glazed red as he roared out his pain, swinging his blade in wild and savage arcs. It was all I could do to deflect the blows and each strike cut a chip out of my weapon's blade even as he knocked me back a hoofstep with every attack. Within seconds he would breach the line where Summer and I held it, then the slaughter would begin. Soldiers and civilians alike would drown in a bloodbath and everything I fought for would be for nothing. There were no openings, his speed seemed to redouble with every blow. I couldn't even avoid them, cuts opened on my flesh despite my best efforts, non-lethal and shallow but they bled, and with each passing second I received more. If he didn't kill me in one sweep he'd still kill me by inches as my body slowly gave out from losing blood out a hundred random cuts. Every single one of his swings came faster than the last it seemed, I knew that neither Summer nor I could even hope to make an attack without being left gutted on the floor by the battle-maddened warrior.

Summer knew it too, and she was always the stronger one.

Phaestus' blade crashed down on my own for what felt like the thousandth time, my mouth was numb and bleed, and several of my teeth were cracked. In that moment I registered a viridian blur to my left. With the practice born from days of tandem combat I moved with her, trailing just in her shadow as she drew a red line of pain along Phaestus' sword arm. He lashed out opening just enough of a hole in his wild swing to allow me to bury my blade in his throat and send him staggering backwards into his own slack-jawed troops with an arterial spray from what I knew would be a lethal wound. My whole front was drenched from head to hoof in blood, some of it my own while some of it was his.

The rest was...

“No, please,” my mind ached, I could see the images dancing hatefully on the edge of my mind, “don't make make see it again, I don't... I don't want...”

“You have to, Jasper,” Summer's voice was cold and solemn, her eyes unwavering.

My own voice came out soaked in tears and weaker than I'd ever heard it, “please...” I begged, “don't make me watch you die again.”

Phaestus was dragged back choking on his own blood by his soldiers who, shocked at seeing their normally invincible leader brought low, seemed to have lost their spine completely. In the distance I began hearing the distinctive cracks of long-arc fire and in moments we were joined by more and more soldiers, my soldiers, Strong Boulder and Honey Withers were leading them with Gentle Treasure not far behind. They must have seen me as they advanced because a minute later they had moved to my side.

I had eyes for none of it though, all I could see was the mare I loved gasping her last breaths out on the cold concrete by the river, a ragged tear opening her torso up from neck to navel. She twitched and spasmed as her blood spilled out in a flood while our remaining medic and his gray-coated civilian nurse with the incongruous bow-tie desperately tried to close the wound, applying our last couple of healing potions and salves, they and I both knew it was a fight that was destined to be lost.

“No... Goddesses, please,” I walked dumbly toward her, numb at the sight. “It's not fair,” tears began to fall hot and fast as I knelt in the expanding pool of her life as it ebbed quickly away, “we were out, we... we'd finally...” the words wouldn't come, all I could see was the future we'd never have. The future that had been stolen by a hate-fueled Griffon berserker. I thought I could hear Honey crying out desperately, screaming for her sister, begging her not to die.

“It's...” Summer hacked between breaths, I marveled at her strength, “It's... ok... ya dumb buck...” every word cost her something vital, but I didn't try and silence her, these last few moments belonged to her. “We all... would... have died... you... saved us...”

I shook my head, “I'm just a stupid grunt, Summer, I...”

“Shut... up... i-i-idgit...” she gasped around a crimson-flecked chuckle. She was slipping away by the moment, even with the medics doing everything they could. He was crying too, both of them were, I realized that, as I'd dropped to Summer's side, we'd been surrounded by civilians and soldiers alike, all of them paying their last silent respects or just crying softly while they watched one of their heroes die.

The nurse deftly wrapped magical mending bandages around Summer's torso, fighting tooth and hoof to stave off the pale pony for a few more precious seconds. Despite being an earth pony she moved her hooves with a sureness and agility that defied her lack of magical arts.

“You... we all owe you... our lives... Captain. Thank you...” I leaned down to nuzzle gently under her chin before kissing her firmly on the lips. It tasted like blood.

“I love you, Summer Withers,” I whispered in her ear.

There was no response. Summer's eyes flickered, turning flat and dull as her final breath escaped her throat. My Summer was dead and gone and I felt a part of me go with her, all it left in its wake was a numb sensation of loss coupled with a blinding hatred for the bastard who had taken her life.

Tears were falling from my eyes onto the ashen waste of the hill I stood on, Summer stood by my side, leaning against me. “It wasn't fair, Summer,” I said softly, nuzzling against her mane, desperately drinking in her scent like it was air to a drowning pony. “I loved you so much and... then you were gone.”

“That's what happens in life, ponies die, it happens all the time,” she responded, her voice low and a little uneven.

“It doesn't have to,” I hissed, “I can make it stop, I can...” her eyes had turned hard and angry, I balked at what I'd almost said.

“No. You. Can't.” Summer's voice was like granite, “you can't and you shouldn't, nopony should ever have that kind of power. So don't you dare go making my death meaningless by dragging my soul back with you, do you hear me, Captain?”

Sun-damn it all to the moon. I nodded, and like a cloud passing out from in front of the sun her smile returned. “I'm sorry, but you had to see it, to hear it, to know that it was something that had to happen.”

“What am I supposed to do without you though?” my voice was gray, I felt empty and hollow, it was too much.

Summer shrugged, “you live. That's an order, Captain. None of that half-life horseshit you've been moping around in either; find another mare, settle down, have a dozen foals, grow old and break a hip. That lavender sweetheart seems awful smitten.”

“You're a cruel mare, Summer Withers, you know that?” I was exhausted but somehow I managed a tired smile. “Not yet though, I have work to do and an insane silver doctor to put in the ground for good before I do any 'living'.”

“For the right reasons though, Jasper,” she prodded my chest with a hoof, “do it for the right reasons, don't become another vengeful ghost from that awful war. Do it for the right reasons.” I nodded, “Now, you've got to go back, we've held up this limbo long enough.”

“You never did tell me where we are,” I pointed out, but I could feel the realm around me starting to fade out, physical sensations began to bleed back into my body; pain, exhaustion, and weakness being foremost.

Infuriatingly, Summer just shrugged again before speaking from what sounded like an expanding distance, “call it an apology by way of a favor from a certain somepony, I'm sure she'd like to explain it herself eventually.” I laughed at that, though it was a half-choked sound, “Oh and Jasper?” I turned my head up at her fading voice, her physical form was already beyond my sight but her words echoed across the gulf all the same.

“I love you too.”

Then the world turned white and everything fell away into the void once more.