Chapter 5 Part 3

"Ah War Zone, what brings you here?" the rebel commander from before asked as the pegasus walked into the tent.

"You know damn well why I'm here, Monger!" War Zone retorted bitterly.

"Such hostility, I thought we were friends." Monger replied smoothly.

"I'm not your friend anymore; you lost that right when you joined the rebels." War Zone told him coolly, "How could you betray the king? How could you betray the Guard and me? How could you betray your wife and three kids?"

With that said War Zone sat down and glared at the traitorous captain.

"THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUISINESS!" Monger shouted with rage, "Now do you accept the challenge?"

"I do but on a few conditions: Not only do you have to leave this country, you also have to destroy the Wave Cannon but also surrender your army to the king." War Zone said simply, with a smirk on his face.

"I agree to your terms, but I you lose not only do we destroy the town but you will have to join us in the rebellion and to prove your loyalty you will have to kill that pegasus you were with earlier." The captain told him as he walked towards him and extended his hoof.

"Deal." War Zone replied as he reached out with his hoof and shook on it, "When is the fight and who am I fighting?"

"The fight will be in two days, as for who you're fighting that is a surprise. I will also send two platoons to the town to make sure you don't run away." Monger replied as he turned away from War Zone, "and it was never my choice to join them."

With that, War Zone left the tent and made his way to the town.

"That took longer than expected." War Zone told himself as he walked.

As he neared the town he felt a drop of water hit is face, he looked up and saw a rainbow colored tail hanging of a cloud. He quickly flew up to the cloud and found a weeping Rainbow Dash.

"War Zone you idiot. Why is he going to the camp? He'll be killed." Rainbow Dash said aloud as she silently cried.

"You're wrong, I won't be killed, and I have no reason to die." War Zone told her gently as he landed causing her to jump slightly and turn around slowly to face him.

"I won't be killed, I can't die yet, and I have no reason to die." War Zone reassured her quietly as he grabbed her and pulled her into his chest.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine, I promise when I come back I'll take you out to a show." He promised her as he hugged her crying body, "No don't cry anymore, I'm here for you. I want you to come with me to the fight, will you do that?"

"Just as long as you promise not to die." Rainbow Dash said with a small chuckle as she dried her tears. War Zone let out a small chuckle and replied, "Don't worry, I have no intention of dieing especially since there is still one mare I still care about in this life."

"Oh, what's she like?" Rainbow Dash asked sadly.

"Well, I've only known her for a few days, but it's felt like years. She is kind of a dare devil but she's a whole lot smarter than she lets on. She is extremely strong willed, and she one of the most beautiful mares I have ever known." War Zone answered truthfully as a smile spread across his face.

"She sounds nice, what's her name?" Rainbow Dash asked as a single tear rolled down her face.

"I'll give you a hint it has eleven letters and starts with R." War Zone said with a cheesy grin on his face.

"Do I know her?" Rainbow Dash questioned as another silent tear rolled down her face.

"Of course, I'd say that you to are really close." He told her as the grin on his face grew.

"What does she look like?" She asked quietly as more tears ran down her face.

"I'm surprised you haven't figured out who she is yet." War Zone said as the grin on his face shrank ever so slightly, "It's pretty clear if you think about it."

Rainbow Dash pondered this for a bit.

"I don't know anypony like that." Rainbow Dash told him quietly as tears flowed freely down her face, "I hope you're happy with her."

A War Zone did was laugh slightly for a few seconds before he looked at her.

"What's so funny, do you enjoy putting mares though this? Having them fall for you only to break their hearts!" Rainbow Dash shouted at him with rage in her voice.

"Rainbow Dash, calm down." War Zone commanded gently.

"Why should I? I fell for you and you don't even care!" She retorted angrily.

"It's you!" War Zone shouted as he put his hoof on her shoulders, "You're the reason I accepted the challenge. You're the only living pony that I care about."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened when those words left his mouth.

"What, why me? I'm nothing special." Rainbow Dash replied in shock.

Yes you are. You are the reason I am staying in Ponyville. If it wasn't for you I would have been back in my country fighting in some battle." War Zone told her gently as he started to walk towards the shocked pegasus.

"Why am I the reason you stayed?" Rainbow Dash asked as she stared at the large gray pegasus's golden eyes.

"I don't know. I just felt like I had to stay by your side, to protect you." War Zone replied as he came to a stop in front of the cyan pegasus. He leaned down a kissed her on the cheek, "You're the reason I'm still alive right now."

A blush came over her face as he backed away.

"Really, you wanted to be with me instead of all the mares in Ponyville?" Rainbow Dash asked him gently as she tried to hide her blush.

"Yup, you of all the mares in this world." He answered as he sat down on the cloud.

They sat there for a few minutes just enjoying each other's company.

"Hey I have a question." Rainbow Dash said after a while.

"Ask away," War Zone told her gently, "I'll answer just about any question you have for me."

"Where did you get that scar on your eye from?" She asked simply as she looked into his eyes.

War Zone jumped up, backed away quickly, and answered, "I can't tell you that, yet."

"Why not?""I just can't."

"Why?"

"Because it's too painful!"

With that, War Zone jumped off the cloud and flew away.

"War Zone, wait!" Rainbow Dash called after him as he flew away.

-War Zone POV-

'I can't tell her, not yet!' I thought as I flew away.

'I wish that night had never happened'

I flew away as fast as I could and when I could no longer fly, I ran. Hours passed as I flew/ran, by the time that I stopped, the sun had set and the moon was quickly rising.

'I need to find a place to rest.' I thought as I came to a clearing. I quickly scanned it and walked into the center.

"There." I said aloud as I spotted a small cave near by. I ran to the cave only to be stopped by a manticore. It charged me, so I leapt up into its back. It let out a scream and threw me off its back. I quickly recovered and rushed at it, only to have it rake its claws down my chest. I let out a hiss a pain as the claws left my skin. I stumbled back after the manticore had attacked me, only to have it strike out at me again. I quickly dodged and ran toward the beast, leaped up onto its back, grabbed it head with my forelegs and pulled as hard as I could as I pushed down on its body. There was a sickening crack, the sound of flesh tearing, and blood splattered everywhere as the headless body fell to the ground. I looked down at it and laughed slightly. I turned to look at the head in my forelegs and let out a laugh. I turned towards the cave, tossed the head over my shoulder, and walked into the cave leave a trail of blood behind me.

-Rainbow Dash POV-

"War Zone, come back!" I called after him as he flew away. I quickly fallowed after him.

'Why did I ask him that?' I thought as I struggled to keep him in sight. I chased him for hours until he finally stopped in a clearing.

'Why did he stop here?' I thought as I landed in a bush near by. All of a sudden, a scream pierced the night. I looked out of the bush I was hiding in and saw War Zone jump on a manticore's back.

'What is he doing? He's going to be killed!'

All of a sudden, there was a hiss of pain as the manticore raked its claws across War Zone's chest. War Zone stumbled back as the manticore attacked him again. War Zone leapt on to its back and grabbed its head.

'What is he doing?' I thought as I stared at the fight in front of me.

All of a sudden, there was a crack and a sickening rip. My eyes widened as I watch War Zone ripe the head off the manticore. As he looked over the body I heard a slight chuckling noise, then he looked at the head in his forelegs and laughed.

'Oh Sweet Celestia! He killed it and laughed about it. What is wrong with him? No, I should not ask that the manticore attacked him first it was in self-defense.' I told myself as War Zone walked into a cave. I quickly leapt up and fallowed him in.

-Normal POV-

"War Zone, are you in here?" Rainbow Dash asked as she entered the cave.

"Who's there?" War Zone asked in the dark.

"It's me, Rainbow Dash." She replied hesitantly.

There was a slight hiss as War Zone stood up and walked over to the pegasus.

Rainbow Dash gasped in shock when she saw the grey pegasus. Blood caked into his fur, pouring out of the wound in his chest, and his once gold eyes had dulled to a light brown.

"War Zone!" She cried out as she ran to his side.

He spat out some blood and grinned.

"Hey Rainbow Da-" He started only to collapse to the cave floor. She started to shake him, "Are you ok?"

He didn't answer.

"War Zone, answer me." She called in desperation.

"Why are you here?" He asked as he spat out some blood.

"I followed you here. I also so the fight between you and the manticore." Rainbow Dash said truthfully, "Are you able to walk?"

"No, I've lost too much blood. How much of the fight did you see?" War Zone replied as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"All of it." She replied sadly as War Zones eyes closed and he started to fall into a dark sleep, "War Zone, open your eyes!"

War Zone's eyes opened slightly and he spoke, "Wake me in the morning."

With that said, he went limp.

"War Zone! Wake up!" She cried out as the wound on his chest slowly stopped bleeding.

All of a sudden, lightning cracked and light up the night sky, rain fell from the heavens above them.

"Great it's raining." Rainbow Dash said as she lay down next to the bloody pegasus. Another bolt of lightning struck, only inches from the cave entrance.

"That was close." She said with a yawn as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

(Time Skip)

"War Zone! Rainbow Dash! Where the hay is ya?" A voice called out in the distance causing War Zone to stir slightly, "Guts I foun' Somthin!"

"What is it Applejack?" "That."

A gasp went through the clearing.

"Wh-who would d-do th-this?"

"I don't know but who ever they are they must be super duper strong."

"And extremely brave, I mean who would go against a full grown manticore?"

"Wh-where's i-its h-head?"

"Right over there."

"Guys we need to fin Rainbow Dash and War Zone."

War Zone tried to stand only to fall again, he looked down at himself and saw Rainbow Dash holding on to him. He slowly fell back into a deep sleep.

"Hey guys ah foun a cave! They might be in 'er"

A rush of hoofs came to a stop at the cave entrance.

"Thank Celestia, ya foun em, Twilight."

"Look at War Zone, he looks injured."

"Y'your r-right Pinkie.

"We need to get them back to Ponyville as soon as possible."

"Do ya think that War Zone did that ta the manticore?"

"I don't know can you get Rainbow Dash?"