Equum Ignis

Equus Ignis

By Music Brush.

Prologue: No More...

The air was filled with a cool breeze that blew through Ignis Flare's mane and tail that flowed like a quiet flame in the still air as she sat alone on the balcony with a phoenix on the railing by her side and her heart racing a mile a minute. She was waiting on the balcony, watching Celestia's sun slowly slide down the west sky toward the far mountains leading outside Equestria borders.

She turned her gase to the phoenix, who was looking up at her. The phoenix could not speak, but she could tell he was giving her reassuring words to help calm her down or ease her upcoming pain. She knew this time would come, as it did so many times before. Though, this time it felt like it had come far to soon. She was now questioning why she let herself get into this situation again in the first place. Had she not learned her lesson the first time? Or did she just ignore it all, thinking that one day it would be different this time?

She had wanted so desperately for this time to be one of those 'one-in-a-million' specials, but after fifty long beautiful years the time had once again come for her heart to be broken. But this time it was much more.

"Ignis?" Came a gentle voice from behind. Ignis gave no response. She just sat there, lost in her thoughts.

"Ignis... he wants to see you."

This managed to capture the red alicorn's attention. She turned her head to look back and see the tall, regal princess of Equestria, Princess Celestia looking down at her with a saddened expression on her face. A part of the young alicorn did not want to go, but she was not about to deny the final reuest of somepony she cared about. She got to her hooves as the phoenix flapped his wings, taking to the sky and she started walking past the princess with heavy hooves clopping on the floor.

She heard Celestia's hooves behind her, but she did not let that bother her. She knew that she would not have to ask the princess to leave them be as she spent his last moments with him. She always allowed Ignis her time alone, especially during moments such as this.

Ignis walked through the corridors of the large palace, her hooves muffled by the red carpet permanently stretched out on the floor. She did not dare to look up at any of the mirrors that were lined on the wals every here and there, for she did not want to see the heartache in her own eye. She would not be able to handle the burden if she saw her own sadness.

She followed the red carpet through the corridors of the palace with Celestia walking up by her side. It was not a long trip at all, just a short walk down the hall then a turn to the right and she was standing in front of a single door, wherein was the one whom she was asked to see.

She went no farther then where she stood, her heart pounding in her chest almost to her throught. She knew what she was about to face and she was seriously considering just turning around and flying away. But if she did, the one she loved would not get his last wish and would never get to see her again. She could not deny him this wish.

Still, the thought of running away was very strong in her mind and she was about to turn and run when she felt a warm, loving cheek against her own. Instantly, most all her fears were washed away and she closed her eyes as she leaned into Celestia's gentle touch.

Ignis was not a princess, nor was she a student of Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. But Celestia was like a second mother to her, especially in times like this when she was at her most vulnerable. Ignis loved Celestia for her gentle heart. She made these moments more bearable, but it still did not prevent the outcome of another lost love and a heavy heart.

"Go to him." Celestia said as she slowly pulled away from Ignis.

Ignis looked up at the older alicorn and gave a weak, saddened smile before she turned and faced the door in front of her. She ignited her horn and let her magic flow through the door, making it slowly swing open until she could walk in.

The inside of the room was nicely decorated for a high class pony couple. The windows were draped with deep crimson curtains with golden lining, a fireplace was built into the wall on the far side. There was a desk to the left with a few pictures settle atop of her and a blue unicorn stallion standing happily side by side. And in the center of the room on the opposite side of the door was a bed large enough for four ponies.

Resting on the bed was a single blue unicorn under the blankets, his breathing slow and groggy. His eyes were closed as he lay onhis back, waiting for her to come to his side.

Upon seeing the stallion Ignis' heart once again sank and the thought of running away flooded her mind, but the door was quietly closed behind her andthe windows were sealed shut by the stallion's request. She now could remain silent and wait for it all to be over, or she could grant him his final wish and be there by his side.

As much as she wanted to keep her distance from the pain she would never forgive herself if she were to let this go without being there for him.

"Ignis?" Came a cracked voice from the bed. "Please, come here."

That was all the motivation the young alicorn needed. She began walking up to the bed, keeping her eyes locked on the stallion until she could see his eyes, wich were filled with love, joy, and sadness all for her. When she got to the bedside she sat on her haunches and smiled weakly at him.

"Hey," he said, holding his hoof up to her cheek. "What're those tears for?"

"Please, don't sweetheart." She said.

"Honey, I know you've been through this before..." He wiped a tear from under her eye then settled his hoof under her cheek.

"You haven't had to go through it as many times as I have." She stated.

"No, but that doesn't mean I don't know how you feel." He said with a sweet voice.

She closed her eyes as she fought back a sob and tears forcing there way to the outside world. Her heart growing more heavy by the second as the moment grew closer that she would never see him again. Soon she felt another hoof on her other cheek and she opened her eyes to see him smiling at her.

"Ignis, my love." He said. She just looked at him as she waited for himto continue. "Ignis, I want you to promise me two things."

"Please..." She said.

"Two things." He stated. She bit her bottom lip to fight back the sobs threatening to break free. "First thing, I want you to promise me you won't let me be your last. I want you to find somepony else to help ease your pain. Find somepony to love, even if it's the royal family. I don't care. Just don't let me be your last."

This request made Ignis bite down on her lower lip harder. She was asked to do the same thing many times before, each in a different way. 'Take my brother.' 'She will take care of you' Everytime she was asked to find love again she would take her time to heal and when another found there way into her heart she would devote herself to them until the very end.

The stallion could see the hardship of the request in her eyes and gave her a weak, reassuring smile to try and comfort her.

"I know you can do this my love. You have a strong, large heart that could care fore the world ten times over." He said.

"I don't know if it's enough anymore." She said.

"You have to try for me." He said.

She said nothing for several seconds as he gently stroked her cheeks with his hooves before she gave her head a small nod. She would grant him this last wish, but it would take time. She loved him like no other before him and this loss would mark the nineth lover she lost since her birth centuries ago.

He smiled at her and wiped away nother tear from her cheek before he continued.

"The next thing I want from you..." he paused. "...is one last kiss from my wife."

This was a breaking point for Ignis. She let her head drop as sobs escaped her lips. He reacted instantly by pulling her head closer and wrapping his forelegs around her neck, letting her cry in his chest for a minute. He petted the back of head, his hoof gently sliding over her mane that behaved like a gentle fire.

After a minute he pulled her head up to look into her eyes. She looked into his with a heart more heavy now than ever before. She had been asked to find love again before, though she had never before been asked to give the last kiss. She saw the patience in his eyes as he waited for her, holding on to his last breath for that last moment. That one thing the was second only to the one he was asking to give it to him.

She choked back a sob before she slowly pulled closer, closing the gap between them until there lips met for the last time in a passionate kiss. She held the kiss for a long time, relishing this moment until she felt nothing coming back from him anymore.

She pulled away to find him laying there with his eyes closed and a smile on his face. His chest was still and his breath was silent. The blue unicorn who had been her husband for many wonderful years was now gone. The gentle and peaceful death of her tenth love had finally arrived and she was once again filled with a heavy and broken heart.

Her eyes welled up with tears and her lower lip began to tremble as she fought back the strongest urge to cry she had ever felt in her entire life. After a long minute of holding back all the emotion building up inside her she let it all out at once and screamed her cries to the loss of her husband.

~~)oOo(~~

Ignis spent the entire week after the funeral locked in her room crying her heart out over her loss. She had not come out for anyone or anything. She did not eat, sleep or do anything except cry for the whole castle to hear. Soe of the guards even got frustrated enough to cast soundproof spells, but that was only a temporary solution as the spell would soon ware off.

Soon one of the guards got so fed up with it he marched right up to the princess in the audience chamber to complain about this. He used his unicorn magic to burst the doors open and trotted up the carpet to the throne where Celestia sat, staring at the guard in shock and disapproval.

"Your highness, I can't take it anymore!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Celestia asked.

"That alicorn..."

"You're to refer to her as Ignis Flare, not as some creature." Celestia interrupted.

"Forgive me your highness, but this has been going on for over a week now and the guards, meaning me as well are tired of it!"

"She just lost a husband. Imagine the pain you would feel if you were immortal and suffered as much as she has."

"With all do respect, your highness, but I understand the pain she's feeling all to well." The guard said.

"How so, pray tell?" Celestia asked.

"I'm going to admit to you now princess, I've loved many mares, both wihin and outside the guard and I've lost each of them one way or another." He explained.

"Ignis has married all of her lovers and stood by each of their deathbeds as they left this world." Celestia countered.

The guard opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out. Celestia raised a brow as she waited for him to reply. Finally the guard sighed in defeat as he let his head drop.

"Tuché princess." He said. "But the guards are still getting pretty aggravated about this and want something done about it. We want no more of this."

"I understand corporal. I wil speak with her shortly." Celestia said.

"Thank you princess." The guard said as he bowed his head, then turned to walk away.

When the guard left the room Celestia gave a sigh and turned to face another guard standing by her throne.

"Cancel the rest of my day, please. I need to speak with mistress Flare." Celestia ordered.

"Yes your highness." The guard said as he bowed his head then trotted out of the room with full meaning in his step.

~~)oOo(~~

Ignis was laying on her belly with her face buried in her pillow to help muffle her sobs. She had managed to quiet her tears a bit since the death of her husband over a week ago, but the heartbreak was still there, leaving a hole so large she had no idea how she could get over it. This was her thenth lover in the centuries of her life, and this was the most precious to her heart, minus one she had a long time ago.

There was a knock on the door, but Ignis ignored it as she kept her face buried in her pillow, drowning in the tears of her sorrow. The knock came again, this time with a familiar gentle voice calling her name. Ignis was still hurt and she did not want to talk with anypony, even the one who was like her mother.

She heard the door click and swing open and close, followed by hoof steps that stopped by her bed. Ignis said something that was inaudible through her pillow.

"Ignis, sweety, I can't understand you through your pillow." Celestia said in a sweet, motherly tone. Ignis lifted her head enough to face the princess and lay it back down on the pillow.

"I had that door sealed." Ignis said through her sobs.

"I know." Celestia replied, placing a hoof on her shoulder. Ignis made no effert to resist. She wlecomed the touch as she always did. She loved Celestia just like her mother, since Celestia cared for her like a mother it seemed right.

"I thought you could use the company." Celestia said.

Ignis sniffed. "Why?" She asked.

"Why what sweety?" Celestia asked.

"Wby must it be like this? Enerytime I find somepony I soon loose them. I can't go on like this anymore, Celestia!" Celestia was about to say something. "Please... make the pain go away..."