End

by ZaleAcon

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy, Twilight Sparkle, Sad, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 1531

In the midst of the end of the world, Twilight Sparkle is trapped in a cellar with nothing but an old computer-turned-journal to keep herself sane.

At the end of the world, Princess Twilight Sparkle is hidden away in order to survive. All that she has to keep herself sane is a single old computer-turned-journal, and she has no intention of giving in to madness just yet.

Thanks to NaarPuni for the cover art! (DeviantArt Link)

Now has a dramatic reading thanks to ObabScribbler!

Now has continuations: Fade and Falter

Warnings for apocalypse scenarios and strange grammatical choices.

This was written in about an hour for a myriad of reasons, including a want to actually get some writing done, a personal goal of trying to write a short story in about 1,000 words, and for fun.

This story has received some major edits as of April 22, including beefing up the content of several logs, adding some new logs, and other alterations throughout the story, both plot-wise and grammatical.

Published 2014-04-13 04:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-04-13 04:10:02 UTC

End

March 19, 3 A.L.

Dear Journal,

I’m having a hard time thinking about what I should write. But looking back over it, I think that the beginning would be the best place.

It all started about two or three months ago. I can’t remember the exact date right now. I’ll try to when my mind stops freaking out like this.

Two or three months ago, ponies just started disappearing around Equestria. Not like “vanished and then returned” or “teleported.” They just… disappeared. Poof. At first, nopony noticed – why would we? Teleportation accidents were commonplace, if tragic – but that was only at first.

It began with just one. Then it was two. Then five. Then ten. Then fifty.

Soon hundreds of creatures – ponies, griffins, zebras, buffalo, diamond dogs, minotaurs, even dragons – were vanishing, but Equestria's such a large place that it never really made a huge impact at first. Most of these vanishings took place either in rural areas or in large cities where a single missing pony or two was never noticed. It wasn't until a full class of foals disappeared, along with their teacher, that everypony started to panic.

I’m writing this from a cellar, alone, where I hopefully won’t be found. This old computerized journal is all that I have to keep myself sane, but at least most of the keys seem to be working ~~proplery~~ properly. Scratch that. I can only hope that I make it out of this okay. Celestia knows that I just hope that I can.

Signed,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

March 20, 3 A.L.

Dear Journal,

The date might be wrong. I honestly have no way to tell the time except for an hourglass that magically changes itself every twenty-four hours. Even with that, there’s no way for me to tell whether or not the sun is rising or setting. Or even if it ever will again.

Anyway, I feel more optimistic today than I did yesterday. I’m sure that I can make it out of this mess as long as I wrack my brain. Unfortunately, I already feel like I’m running out of things to write down. I don’t want to talk about my past or anything like that unless I really start to go over the deep end. And I don't plan on going crazy just yet. As long as I can do something, anything, to keep myself occupied, I think that I'll be fine. I just have to remain optimistic and calm.

But I should be fine. I’m sure that I’ll be fine as long as I keep writing and keep trying to get myself out of this. I’m absolutely certain that this will go well.

Signed,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

March 21, 3 A.L.

Dear Journal,

I’ve decided to compile the information that I have regarding the vanishings for future reference:

They started out small. Whatever is causing ponies to disappear is doing it exponentially.

It’s not Discord. I questioned him at length about two days before Princess Celestia sent me down here. He knew absolutely nothing. Discord vanished the day before I was sent here right in front of my eyes.

It affects everypony. Like I said before, nothing seems to deter it; just about everypony in Equestria has proven himself or herself susceptible to whatever is causing them to disappear.

There are no warning signs. Nopony showed any sign of being any different before vanishing. This includes illnesses, physical deformities, or even genetic differences (one creature had visited a doctor the day of his vanishing, and disappeared while speaking to said doctor).

So given all that information, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that whatever is causing ponies to disappear is not a virus or illness; if it is, it must be a remarkably fast-acting one. But given that it’s not Discord and had no other magical signs, I must remain open-minded.

Signed,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

March ??, 3 A.L

Dear Journal,

The hourglass tipped over while I was sleeping and fell off the table. I was able to put the shards over in the corner, but I have no idea what day it is. For all I know, it’s the same day as when I made my last entry.

I’m tempted to look out that closed door, but Princess Celestia told me not to. I can’t risk disappearing, ~~not when Equestria needs a ruler~~. I really wish this thing's backspace and delete keys worked.

I’m absolutely sure that ~~Celestia~~ Princess Celestia is fine. I know that she can make it. I know it. She’s completely fine. I hope.

Signed,
~~Prinecss~~ Princess Twilight Sparkle

P.S.: When this whole thing is settled, I’m going to make sure that I can find myself a computer that works the right way.

??? ??, 3 A.L.

Dear Journal,

The date is a complete guess at this point; I don’t even know how long I’ve been sleeping. I still have plenty of supplies to last out a month or two. I might start basing the date on how much I eat.

I accidentally stepped on a shard of glass earlier. It turns out that I didn’t clean them all up properly. Luckily, Princess Celestia was kind enough to include fifty yards of bandages along with my food, so I was able to wrap it up and clean it out with some water from the old sink in the corner.

I swept the floor again and tossed the glass into the corner. I think I’ll use the can from last night’s meal to hold them all. Too bad I can’t dispose of them properly. If I could just go outside, I wouldn't have to worry about getting hurt, but I can't.

I don't even know what it looks like out there anymore.

~~Singed~~ Signed,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

??? ??, 3 A.L.

Dear Journal,

It's so dark down here, and quiet. It's getting extremely unnerving, and I can't help but worry that I'm going to go crazy without anything around me. I've started talking to myself just so I can convince myself that I can talk and hear what's going on around me. I literally live in a box. A dark, black, empty, silent box with no way out, and nopony to talk to. The only lights come from my horn and this old computer, and I have no idea how long this thing is going to last. It's getting harder and harder to suppress my urge to open that door, if only so that I can get some color in here. My fear of the outside world is all that's keeping me from going out. ~~What if I'm all alone in the entire world?~~

I'm starting to wonder, though: why would Princess Celestia have me placed down here? If this thing can take anypony without warning, how would being underground help me at all? Was it just a guess? Just typing that's making my skin crawl. What if I just disappear in the middle of the night? My stomach's churning just thinking about it, and I can feel my heart racing in my chest. Maybe I should go and lay down for a few minutes and try to relax.

Signed,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

??? ??, 3 A.L.

Dear Journal,

The urge to ~~oepn~~ open that door is even stronger today than it was… however many days ago it was that I was thrown in here. ~~Maybe there's a life out there that I can live.~~ I swear, my eyes have adjusted to the darkness so well that the sun would just burn them out. Maybe I should just stay down here if when this whole thing is cleared up. ~~I’ll just invite my friends over and~~

No, I won’t be inviting my friends over anymore. I don’t think I can continue this entry any longer for ~~today~~ this current time period. I’ll try to write later when I feel like it.

Signed,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

??? ??, 3 A.L.

Dear Journal,

I think I actually got all the glass this time. No more cutting myself wide open anymore. Not that I did that the first time. My days have pretty much boiled down to a single, rudimentary schedule of eating and sleeping, and I have to do something to keep myself from going insane down here. But I've been thinking of all these weird questions for the past few days

So I honestly can’t say what day it is, or even what month it is. I want to check outside, but I’m scared of what I’ll find. ~~What happens if the sun's gone out?~~ I should just stay down here ~~forever~~ for awhile. Until Princess Celestia or ~~Princess Luna~~ or ~~Discord~~ or ~~Spike~~ or ~~my friends~~ or ~~Shiny~~ or ~~Cadance~~ ~~come~~ comes to save me.

Never mind. I suddenly don’t want to write any more again. I honestly feel sick. Maybe I’ll try again when I feel better.

Signed,
Princess Twilight ~~Sparkel~~ Sparkle

???-??,3-A.L.

Dear-Journal,

The-stupid-spacebar-stopped-working.I-have-to-use-these-hyphens-so-that-I-can-read-what-I’m-writing.I’ll-have-to-see-about-fixing-it-soon-if-I-can.

Anyway,I-was-going-to-write-about-what-happened-to-me-today,but-it-isn’t-really-any-different-than-any-other-day.I-found-some-pieces-of-glass-again,cut-my-hoof-a-bit,and-stitched-it-up.It-hurts-really-badly,but-I-don’t-care.Just-have-to-keep-pushing-on.

At-least-like-this-I’m-not-making-any-grammar-or-spelling-mistakes.It-hurts-to-type-all-of-this-out,but-I-can-manage-it.

There’s-really-not-much-left-for-me-to-say,just-that-I-hope-I’ll-live-to-see-tomorrow.And-the-day-after-that.

Signed,
Princess-Twilight-Sparkle

???-??;?-A:L:

Dear-Journal;

This-stupid-computer's-falling-apart:The-periods-and-commas-have-completely-stopped-functioning-so-I-have-to-use-colons-and-semicolons-instead:I-don’t-even-know-the-year-anymore:It-could-have-been-centuries-for-all-I-know:I-am-immortal;after-all:But-will-I-survive-this-weird-thing?

I’m-honestly-terrified:Nothing’s-happened-yet;but-that-just-makes-it-worse:I-wake-up-every-day-now-to-learn-that-I’m-still-breathing;only-to-just-go-back-to-sleep:This-is-probably-the-first-entry-I’ve-written-in-months:Maybe-years:

I-don’t-know-anymore:All-I-know-is-I-have-to-survive:I-have-to-keep-going:I-might-be-the-last-creature-in-the-whole-world;but-I-have-to-live-on:I-have-to-survive:I-must-survive:For-Equestria:

~~When-Celestia-comes-to-get-me~~-When-I-can-free-myself-from-this-place---no-matter-how-long-it-takes---I-will-do-everything-in-my-power-to-protect-Equestria:I-just-have-to-survive-to-see-tomorrow:

Signed;
Princess-twilight-sparkle

p:s::the-shift-key-broke-too;i-guess:this-computer's-literally-falling-apart-on-me:i-just-hope-it-works-long-enough-to-get-me-through-this:without-it;i'll-probably-go-completely-insane:::

???-??;?-??

dear-journal;

i-need-to-keep-myself-sane:i-can-feel-myself-going-crazy-in-here:it’s-too-quiet-and-lifeless:there’s-no-joy-or-happiness:

i-miss-pinkie-pie:i-miss-rarity;and-applejack;and-fluttershy;and-rainbow-dash;and-spike;and-everypony:i-just-want-to-see-them-again:i-just-want-to-live-again:but-i-can’t:i-don’t-know-why-i-even-continue-living;but-i-do:i-have-to:if-i-don’t;then-who-will-revive-equestria?

i-have-to-keep-going:i’m-sad:i’m-lonely;and-depressed;and-possibly-suicidal;but-i-have-to-keep-going:i-have-to-keep-moving-forward:i-ha