At Imagination's End Lies a Choice

by BaryonBrony

First published January 1st, 1970 00:00

There is a place where ideas end. Ideas are glimpses forward, or to things outside the scope of reality. They can give to any who have them the tools to see what could be, or dive into worlds of wonder. But there is the gate when ideas stop. The final choice at the end of all imagination. The place where death waits to appear to those who reach out to it. That is a place no longer looking forward, but backwards. Back to the deeds and the actions that are combined together to create what is called a life. The actions and choices that bring a soul to the precipice of eternity. This look back can decide the final choice.

For Diamond Tiara, a filly who lived a life to torment those around her, a near death experience can be far more than just tempting fate. It may very well be the choice that determines the path of her soul forever. A clever and scathing wit can no longer guard her. Only her true feelings can protect from a darkness born of far deeper nightmares than any child can fathom.

At the gateway, death awaits. At the gateway, your soul to take.
At the gateway, thy deeds will sing. At the gateway, what hatred bring.

Chapters

The Fall

The Fall
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At Imagination's End Lies a Choice

The Fall

Tears poured from her eyes. They were hot, burning and raw from falling for so long. As she ran, she passed nurses left and right. For a moment she thought they would try to stop her, but not a hoof touched her. They were probably all pitying her. She hated that even more. How dare they think she wanted their pity! She didn't even want them to look at her. She just wanted one thing, and that was her dad.

Following her hooves, the filly found herself on a balcony. Looking back she saw that it was not a balcony, but the roof. She didn't really remember how she got there, not that her curiosity mattered. It was the roof, big deal. The wind felt good against her red, raw eyes stung by crying. That was the first comfort she let in, no others even had a chance of breaking the wall the little filly had built.

She slumping down, a light metallic clink came from the side. Following it with her eyes, she saw her tiara on the dirty floor of the roof. For a moment a pang of anxiety tore through her seeing it there, but it was swallowed up in the depression that was steadily growing. Diamond Tiara shared the fate of her namesake treasure. She was left in the dirt all alone.

Not bothering to pick the decoration backup, Diamond pushed on to the edge and looked down. She stared blearily at the ten story drop, tears falling from her eyes to splash against the hard street beside the hospital. It was so easy, so inviting; all she had to do was take one more step. What would be lost if she did? What friends would mourn her? What friends did she even have? Silver Spoon had been taken in by the crusaders, and any that came after would be gone just as fast.

She hated thinking about any of that. It made her cry even harder. She just wanted to forget all of them. They couldn't help her, they likely didn't even want to. By some cruel joke, she couldn't even help herself. She was not at the hospital for herself, she was there for her dad. Doctors had told her words like "complications," and "coma." All she knew was thather dad wouldn't wake up. The one pony that had still been there for her was not waking up. Maybe he wouldn't ever wake up again.

She couldn't live in a life like that. She was barely living at all. Putting her other hoof up on the ledge, she kept staring down the dizzying fall. It was a lot easier this way; easier for her and easier for every other pony she knew. Maybe it was even her fault that her dad wasn't waking up. Maybe everything was her fault. For all she knew, leaping from that roof would be what wakes her dad up. He wouldn't have to deal with angry parents and teacher conferences. He'd be free of her. They would all be free of her.

A third hoof was on the ledge as Diamond Tiara lifted herself up. Her final hoof was on the ledge. She stared downwards, watching her tears fall and splash on the hard ground. They showed her what would happen in a strange way. The tears made tiny splashes as they hit. She knew that it wouldn't be so artistic, not so gentle. Despite that,it was inviting her. She felt drawn to do it, pulled towards the edge. A single moment as she reached a hoof out was filled with a thought. Wasn't there supposed to be a voice that told her no? That this was wrong? Where was the voice?

She hesitated, but it was already too late. She stepped away from the ledge, and plummeted towards the hard-packed earth below.

Purple starlit eyes watched the entire time. Black wings unfurled in preparation as the little filly fell. Time seemed to slow more and more the closer she came towards the ground. Time had become a crawl right before Diamond Tiara reached the ground. She landed on her side, and everything stopped.