Chapter 37: The Letter

At nightfall the army arrived at the city gates where a pale green earth pony awaited them eagerly. As they were within hearing the pony began to speak, "Who of you is Shadow Hunter?"

"That's me!" The mare said and stepped towards the pony while the rest of the army continued marching into the city. "Did Firebolt send you?"

"No." The pony answered a bit scared by the view of the armored mare. "But there's a creature awaiting you."

"A creature?" she asked incredulously, "What kind of creature?"

"I don't know, but it wants to meet you." The pony said. "Follow me and I'll bring you to it."

"I'm right behind you." Shadow answered and followed the earth pony who stepped towards the Equestrian HQ.

Fifteen minutes later the two ponies reached the wooden building which was guarded by a few Equestrian guards. They entered and went along a few corridors before they entered a small room through a wooden door which again was guarded by several guards.

Inside the badly illuminated room waited a creature that looked a bit like a Timberwolf. The creature stepped towards the mare as she stopped in the center of the room. "Who are you?" Shadow asked and prepared to defend herself.

"I'm Avahnur." The creature answered with a smile on her face. "And you must be Shadow Hunter."

"You're right. – Tell me why you're here."

"I've got a letter for you." The Timberlynx said and a sealed letter appeared in front of her.

"A letter by whom?" The mare asked curios while picking the letter with her magic.

"Firebolt told me to –"

"You met him?" she cut her off and took off her helmet. "Where is he now?"

"I don't know where he's now, he ordered me to bring a mare back to Seaddle and to deliver that letter." She explained. "He told me that he wants to destroy the Hive."

"That's all?"

"That's all I know."

"Ok, thank you." Shadow said, broke the seal and began to read.

Dear my beloved Shadow Hunter,

You know that I'm not a pony of many words, so don't expect a novel.

You know that every war claims many victims. You know that I was a victim of this war, but that isn't enough. There's only one way to stop the war, but the price is high; maybe too high, but I have to pay it. It has been a hard decision for me.

I know that I've promised you that I will return and I'm really sorry that I can't keep it. – I won't return, neither as pony nor as ghost.

I'm sorry that our time together is over and I really wish that we would have had more of it. I'm sorry that I haven't told you this face-to-face, but I feared that you won't let me go.

Don't wait for my return and search for another stallion instead who you want to life with.

Please don't blame me; I did this for you to have a safe and peaceful life.

In love

Bolt

Tears ran down her cheek while she read the letter. Now she knew what happened to him; he had sacrificed himself in order to stop the war. "H-How could he?" she sobbed and sank to the floor. "Why did he leave me alone?"

"He really loves you. I'm sure of that, wherever he is now, he'll think of you." Avahnur tried to sooth the mare and grew a few branches out of the wooden floor. The branches covered the pony who was mourning for her coltfriend.

"If you excuse me, but I want to follow my own way now." The Timberlynx said and stepped towards the door.

"P-Please w-wait." She sobbed and the creature stopped and turned around. "W-what do you k-know about him?"

"I don't know much about him -"Avahnur told her "But I know that he was a good pony."

"D-Do you think that he doesn't love me anymore?"

"As I already told you, I don't know much about him."

"Tell me!"

"He loves you more than any other pony."

"Really?" the mare asked while looking with her tear covered eyes at the Timberlynx.

"Really." She confirmed to the mare and left.

"I-I miss you." Shadow sobbed and after a while she fell asleep.

A/N: This was the last chapter of "The Great War". I hope you liked it and maybe you'll leave a review so that I know that you like them^^

The next two stories take place at the same time and are still WIP; as soon as they are long enough I'll start uploading the first chapters.