The Difference Ch9

                The two foals tried to hold in their tears as Star Bolt hugged them both, “You two stay together and do what Mr. Myer says. He took care of me and your mother when we were little so you can trust him.”
Pearl tried to speak through her sobbing, “Will… will you see us soon?”
Gem smiled, “We will come see you as soon as we can, but it’s not safe for you two here. Don’t worry though we will be fine.”
Sable tried to act tough, “We will… will be fine too mommy. I'll protect sis from any danger I promise.”
Star Bolt smiled, “I'm counting on you to keep your promise son, your sister needs your protection. And Pearl, I know the world can be a scary place… but as long as you see the good in the bad, then everything will be alright.”
Pearl, smiled, “Then I'll see the good in the bad… we got to plant the rose before we left, and brother and I will be safe with Mr. Myer… right?”
Gem hugged the two foals as she replied, “That’s right sweetie, everything will be ok.”

                Star Bolt spoke as he turned to go to the back of the convoy, “You two stay safe, I'm going to check on Roza.”
As Star Bolt made his way to the back of the convoy, The Reaper started trotting next to him, “The Nightmare Legion has moved their ballistae to the edge of the forest they are still out of rang to fire on the mountain but that doesn’t mean we are in the clear, they’re getting ready to attack.”
Star Bolt continued trotting as he replied, “Tell the Hooviet forces to be on their guard. And if you see him, let Thorn know that we need an update on the council’s decision.”
The reaper replied as she started to take off into the sky, “Right away commander.”

                About that time, Star Bolt approached a covered wagon, so he opened the back and spoke to Roza as she was lying in the back, “General? Are you feeling better?”
Roza looked back at him and replied, “Yes, I am fine, I'm only disappointed I can’t join you in the fight.”
Star Bolt replied, “Your in no shape to be carrying a weapon, so it’s for the best that you stay out of this, but I would appreciate it if you could help look after my foals while you are recuperating in Canterlot.”
“Oh? They are coming too?”
Star Bolt nodded, “I set up a place for them to stay with the stallion who helped raise me and my wife. He is a little odd, but he is a good pony and he’ll keep them safe.”

               General Roza changed the subject, “Commander? I vanted to talk to you…
you know … about Commander Snow.”
Star Bolt lowered his head, “You say he saved you… but, do you realize how close you were to death? I don’t know about you but when I save somepony, I don’t choose to stab them and leave them for dead in a meadow.”
Roza Replied, “Let me explain it to you. He saved me from death by preventing me from fighting… he doesn’t vant to face me because he knows that if ve vere to meet in the heat of battle, that only vone of us vould survive. He didn’t vant to kill me. He only vanted to see to it that ve vouldn’t fight each other.”
“Roza, I don’t know the relationship you two share, but I'll let you know one thing. When I see him on the battlefield, either he will die, or I will die. There is no if’s, and’s, or but’s about it. My goal is to kill him… nothing more.”
General Roza sighed, “I know, and I think you have full reason, I just vanted to let you know, that in spite of the hatred you have for him… he in only a puppet. I think you should look to the puppeteer.”

                Star Bolt dodged the comment entirely, “Get better soon Roza, I would hope to see
you safe and sound when this mess is said and done.”
Roza ignored the fact that he dodged her comment, “Of course commander, I vill… and vone more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Hooviet Forces react to the confidence their General… or commander show in battle. If you vant them to fight vith strength, and courage then never hang you head low, alvays look forvard, and above all look as if this battle vas over before it began. So long as you have confidence in yourself, you soldiers vill have confidence in themselves… and you as vell.”
Star Bolt nodded his head, “Thanks Roza, for what is worth, you have earned my trust.”
General Roza smiled, “I know commander, you vouldnt ask just anypony to vatch over your foals, now vould you? Not vith the protection you show.”
Star Bolt smiled as he trotted back to the front wagon, when he got there his foals were both sitting in the back with tears rolling down their faces. It hurt him to see them like this but he knew it was for the best so he stood next to Gem and smiled and waved while the convoy began to roll down the road and out of sight.

                As soon as the convoy was gone over the horizon, Gem leaned against Star Bolt and wiped the tears from her eyes, “Are… are you sure we did the right thing?”
Star Bolt replied, “We did what was safest for them, I have no regrets, now we can fight without worrying about them. What concerns me though, it’s you. Are you sure you wanted to stay and fight with me?”
Gem hugged him as she replied, “We watched the last sunrise together, we will watch the next together.”
Star Bolt could only smile, “So, Mr. Myer is in Canterlot now, right?”
“Yes, shortly after the war began, he closed down the orphanage in Cloudsdale so he could protect his wife, by moving her and the other orphans to Canterlot; he said that the other orphanages seemed to take in more foals though so now he and his wife are retired. But when he got my letter right before the Celestial Crusaders showed up here, he said that if we needed any help taking care of the foals he would be more than happy to.”

                Star Bolt watched as the last trace of the convoy made its way over the horizon, “I hope they stay together, as long as they stay together they will keep each other safe.”
Gem nodded her head as Thorn flew up behind them and hesitated before speaking, “Uh… Commander? I… uh… I have some troubling news… but I can’t tell you here… we need to see the council… they are waiting on the grounds where the elder died.”
Star Bolt could hear the deep concern in his voice so he immediately knew that something was wrong, “Gem, go back to the mountain and check on the Hooviet’s defenses. I catch up to you when I'm finished.”
Gem knew that whatever the problem was, it was between Star Bolt and the council, so she nodded her head and kissed his cheek, “I'll be waiting… Commander.”

                Gem turned and started flying towards the mountain, while Thorn asked, “You let her stay?”
Star Bolt replied, “She wouldn’t have it any other way… lets go, whatever it is that needs to be discussed with the council, I'll settle it.”
Both Star Bolt and Thorn flew towards the area where the Dragon elder was caught and killed by Commander Snow. When they arrived, Star Bolt approached the dragon council who was already waiting for them, “Mr. Bolt, I'm glad you came. I and the other members of the dragon council have made a decision. Based on your actions and your involvement in this war, plus the fate that has recently taken the life of the elder. It has been decided that in regards to the actions placed by the Celestial Crusaders, The Nightmare Legion, and the so recently established Equestrian Militia. The Equestrian Dragons and its clan will be… uninvolved.”
“WHAT!?!”
“We cannot risk the lives of the clan. I'm sorry Mr. Bolt but we can’t…”
Star Bolt spoke up, “You’re sorry? What in Celestia’s name do you mean by, you’re sorry!?! The elder is dead, dragon mountain is about to be overrun by the Nightmare Legion and your choosing not to fight?”
The dragon replied, “We must think about the wellbeing of the clan… most have already headed north to the griffon republic. We will be leaving to join them soon. If you wish to come than as a member of this clan you are more than wel…”
“You’re running away? The mighty dragons are fleeing from a pony army. Is this what the elder would want? To cower in fear while he and his home are disgraced by an army of darkn…”
Thorn tried to calm Star Bolt down, “Commander, take it easy we are only…”
“NO! YOU TAKE IT EASY!!! The elder has spoken for me ever since I became a member of this clan. He has said everything that I have only in a way so that I don’t offend you or the council. But not anymore, he is dead… and all you want to do is pack up, Run away, and hide? Where is your courage? Your since of honor? This morning I sent my foals away to keep them safe. I tried to send my wife too but she refused, so now my only goal, my only reason for being here is to get back at the stallion responsible for the elders death. And what do I find when I ask his most loyal brethren to help me avenge his death? A bunch of cowardly lizards with no respect for the pride he showed on his final moments.”

                Thorn Stepped forward and spoke to the council, “Sta… I mean Commander Bolt is right. I went inside the mountain, and allowed the Elder to be lured away and killed. His death is more my fault than any, so I will do what I can to stay and support him, and the Militia.”
One of the dragons tried to speak, “Then you will also perish at the hooves of the nigh…”
“THEN I'll PERISH WITH PRIDE! I’d rather die a dragon, than to live as a coward. They took my eye, and the elder. But I'll see to it, that I take their lives.”
The council looked back at Star Bolt, “And you? Will you choose to stay and die alongside the Celestial Crusaders?”
“No. I choose to fight alongside my soldiers and my friends… if I die, then so be it.”
The dragon nodded his head, “Very well, if there is one thing that the council and I agreed on about you, is that you are devoted to your words, and that your courage would outlast even the elder. We will spread word among the clans. If any so wish to fight alongside you, then they must come to your aid. However, they will come at their own accord, not by order or debt.”

                Star Bolt smiled and bowed, “Thank you council, I'll honestly say that for once I'm grateful of your decision. As the voice of the dragons I wish you a safe journey and hope that we may meet again someday.”
The council opened their wings and started to fly north while Star Bolt and Thorn stood there watching them. Star Bolt looked at Thorn and spoke, “Thanks Thorn, I knew I could count on you.”
Thorn shook his head, “We are part of the same clan, if I can’t trust you than who can I trust. Besides, they took my eye. It was personal before the elder fell, so now it’s my goal, to feel that commander’s skull crack below my feet. I want nothing more than to see him burn.”
Star Bolt smiled, “Well get in line, we all want to see that. But for now, I want you to go to Dragon Mountain and gather the remaining dragon. Tell them that if they want to fight than they are more than welcome. But if they want to leave than I won’t stop them.”
Thorn nodded his head, “Yes commander, and what about you?”
Star Bolt looked at the scorched ground where the elder took his last breath, “I'll catch up with you soon. I need to gather my thoughts for a few minutes.”
Thorn replied as he took to the skies, “Take all the time you need commander. We will wait for your orders at the mountain.”

                As Thorn flew away, Star Bolt approached the the spears that had the chain net still connected to them. This was the place where the dragon elder was caught, killed, and then burned in a ritual that has honored the dragon race for centuries. Star Bolt sighed as he placed his hoof on one of the spears, “Elder… what’s next? We are heavily outnumbered, out skilled, and out matched in weaponry. If there is a way to win this, I hope you can help. I'm not saying I want to end this war right here or right now, but I want to at least stop them to buy us some time to…”
Star Bolt froze, he didn’t know what was happening around him, but he knew that he wasn’t alone. Star Bolt gripped his sword and paid attention to the sounds around him. Finally, he heard a sound that told him where the other presence was hiding. Star Bolt quickly drew his sword and faced a bush that rustled behind him, “Show yourself!”
Star Bolt watched in increased suspense until finally he was relieved when a squirrel jumped out of the brush, grabbed an acorn then scurried back into the bush.

               Captain Viscous with rage still in her eyes swung the heavy axe again. This time Star Bolt had to drop to the ground to dodge the magic assisted blade. The axe hit the tree with so much force that the tree didn’t so much as cut in half, but it shattered as if she was hitting it with a blunt object. With Viscous, recovering from her swing Star Bolt tried to fly into the air, but Viscous used her magic to grab his back hoof, slam him against the shattered tree, then throw him behind her causing him to hit the ground and roll a number of feet. Star Bolt couldn’t believe the damage that this one unicorn was inflicting on him. Thinking fast he looked around for something that could help him in this fight. Judging by her actions, something was making her furious, too furious to talk down, or stall with conversation. Luckily, she had tossed him next to his sword, so he quickly grabbed his sword and charged her. As the two blades clashed together, the heavy axe with magic increasing its speed, caused the sword to shatter into little pieces, sending Star Bolt into a state of shock. After finishing her swing, Viscous turned her axe blade sideways and hit Star Bolt on his side sending him flying through the air once again, and slamming him into a tree, leaving him stunned, scared, and dazed.

                As Star Bolt sat, leaned against the tree, only one thought went through his mind, “I… I have to use it…  I have to use the Lightning Orb… if… if I don’t… then she’ll kill me.”
Star Bolt tried to focus on creating the cloud, but the most he could do was a small spark on his right hoof. It was no use; he was out of breath, out of energy, and out of time. Viscous raised her axe in the air to swing vertically this time. Star Bolt was able to roll out of the way, as the tree split down the middle beside him. Then with as much strength as he could he punched her in her face. Leaving the axe in the tree, Viscous glared at Star Bolt and punched him back, first in the chest knocking the air from his lungs, then in his jaw, throwing him another few feet, and onto the ground. As Viscous started to pull the axe from the tree, Star Bolt could only lay there. The fear had almost overtaken him completely. He stood up, wiped the blood from his mouth and looked over at Viscous. When he saw her approaching him, he turned to run away. He want trying to get the upper hand anymore… he was trying to flee for his life.

                Without saying a word, Viscous grabbed Star Bolt’s tail with her magic and slammed him against another tree. Without hesitation, Star Bolt shuffled to his hooves and tried to run away again. This time Viscous grabbed him and slammed him into a tree, the ground, then the same tree to try to get him to hold still. Like before with a terrified expression on his face, Star Bolt shuffled to his hooves and tried to run for his life. Viscous was getting annoyed so she grabbed him with her magic and repeated her previous actions. She would have just held him in place with her magic but she couldn’t hold him and the axe blade with her magic at the same time, she could only do one or the other. After being slammed against the tree and the ground continuously, Star Bolt finally wore himself out and stopped trying to run. He knew that this was it; it was his time for the Nightmare Legion to take his life too. He could only lie against that tree and accept his fate.

                Captain Viscous trotted up to him and spoke, “Are you finished?”
Star Bolt didn’t even open his eyes as he replied, “I can’t go on… just do what you got to do and follow your commanders order.”
Viscous raised her axe to swing horizontally as she replied, “Sorry, but my commander gave me no order… this is personal.”
Viscous tried to swing the axe and decapitate Star Bolt as he sat there, but just then, four spears to include the Celestial spear fell from above and stopped the blade by crisscrossing themselves around the axe handle. Viscous tried to pull the axe free but some strange spell incased her horn preventing her from using her magic. As soon as she noticed this, she took a few steps back in confusion. Then Colonel Storm flew out of the sky and hit her on her side with his morning star knocking her across the area and slamming her into a tree. If not for her armor, the spike from his morning star would have ended her. Before she could get up, both an arrow and a needle buried themselves into the tree next to her face followed by a voice, “That was a warning! STAY AWAY FROM MY HUSBAND!”

                Both Gem and The Reaper emerged from the forest followed by Commander Mist who spoke, “Don’t even try. That spell I placed on your horn is foolproof, as long as I can see you; you won’t be using any magic.”
Viscous tried to get back up but when she felt a sword blade on her throat, she froze, as Colonel Silas Spoke, “Don’t move mare, or you’re dead.”
In rage, Captain Viscous yelled out, “This doesn’t concern you; this doesn’t concern any of you. this is just between me and Mr. Bolt… he took my life from me… he took my future… my special day, the day I have been waiting most of my life for!”
Star Bolt continued leaning against the tree as he slightly opened one eye and spoke, “Your… special day? You wouldn’t be talking about your wedding day… would you?”

Captain Viscous replied with increasing rage, “What do you think? You murderous piece of sh…”
Star Bolt started to laugh, “Your fiancé is fine, he is probably miserable sitting in a cell in Canterlot. But he isn’t dead if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“He… he isn’t?”
“Of course not, I remember the day I fell in love, and the day I was married, other than the birth of my foal, I can’t think of a happier day in my life. I don’t care how much it would benefit me; I will never take that happiness from another. Especially when I saw how much he cared for you.”
Viscous was curious, “When did you see how…”
“In his eyes… I saw how much he cared in his eyes as he told me when you were to be married. So when given the option I spared him. I didn’t want to take a groom from his bride. Just as I hope I don’t have to take a bride from her groom.”

               Captain Viscous started to tear up, but when she stared to speak, she paused when a strange combination of sounds could be heard in the distance. It sounded like lumber bashing together and ropes whipping across the lumber. Everypony in the area looked around but when Gem looked up, she called out “INCOMING!!!!”
At that moment a massive boulder came crashing down onto the area causing everypony to scramble for safety all except for Star Bolt who managed to get on his hooves but was still too weak to gallop for cover. After the boulder hit the ground missing everypony, there was a thick dust cloud that incased the area. Star Bolt stumbled through the dust looking for one of his allies but instead he came face to face with Viscous once again. With the spell on her horn gone, she had managed to get ahold of her axe, but the expression of rage was gone, instead there was an expression of content and joy. So she sheathed her axe, placed her hoof on his chin, and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you… I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions like that; I hope with all my heart, that you will be present for our wedding. It’s the very least I can do for the kindness you showed when Celestia knows we don’t deserve it.”
With that said, Captain Viscous turned and ran into the forest just as the dust was clearing.

                When the dust was clear enough Gem Rushed over to Star Bolt and tried to help hold him up, “Star… are you ok? I was so worried.”
“How did you know I was in trouble?”
“Thorn told us about the dragons so we came to see if you had any intention of changing the plan. It was by chance that you were being attacked when we found you.”
Mist approached, “Commander I hope you’re ok, we can’t fight this fight without you.”
Star Bolt smiled, “Thanks commander would you mind telling me what that was though?”
Colonel Storm replied, “We would have spotted it if it was a basic catapult, my guess they must have a trebuchet hidden in the distance.”
“Trebu-what?”
The Reaper landed from the sky, “Trebuchet, I just saw it after the crash, they have three of them in the distance, but that’s not the worst part.”
Star Bolt sighed, “Ok I'll bite, what’s the worst part?”
The Reaper replied, “That was a test fire, to check distance. The next one will hit the mountain. And to add onto our list of fun times to come. Enemy formations are starting to gather near them. My guess they will begin the assault within the next hour or so.”

                Star Bolt shook his head, “I’d say we should get into position then. Whether the dragons help us or not, my goal stays the same. Commander, I would appreciate your support in this battle, though I don’t expect you to place your soldiers in unnecessary risk.”
Commander Mist smiled and nodded his head, “Thanks but I'll be fine, Numbers don’t win a battle you know.”
Colonel Silas Replied, “Yea, but I'm sure they help.”
Colonel Storm nudged him, “What’s wrong Silas? Scared?”
“Scared? I’ve been waiting for some action since this war began, besides, we are Celestial Crusaders, and nothing will beat us so long as we are fighting under Commander Mist.”
Star Bolt looked at Gem and Scy, “And you two? Are you ready for this?”
The Reaper replied, “I’ll uphold my contract until the end.”
Gem spoke next, “Where you go, I'll follow… commander.”
Star Bolt Smiled, “Ok, I guess it’s time to show them who this mountain belongs to.”