Ashes

by Ice Star

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Philomena, Adventure, Discord, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Drama
Length: 1049

In the ruins of a world they were never truly a part of two fillies travel with only each other as company, yet the elder starts to have doubts about their destination and wonders if everypony she loves is doomed to leave her. (EFNW '16 Finalist)

In the ruins of a world they were never truly a part of, two fillies travel with only each other as company, yet, the elder starts to have doubts about their destination and wonders if everypony she loves is doomed to leave her, as well as the true cost of raising her little sister in a crumbling world.

Proofread by TCC56 and an anonymous user. This can be treated as a standalone work. Finalist in Scribblefest 2016! The old version has a spoiler-filled review by HapHazerd here! Contribute to the TVTropes page!

Published 2016-02-13 00:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-03-05 14:53:36 UTC

Chapter 1: May You Be Shielded from Misfortune

Chapter 1: May You Be Shielded From Misfortune

How do you tell your best friends that you're leaving them? No, no, no it's more like this: How do you tell the only friends you've ever had that you're deserting them?

It's not a trick question. Or a joke, although you know I do like jokes. I'm serious. I've traveled with you two for years, and years and this is were I realize our goals lead in different directions.

At first we both wanted the same thing: to find the families we lost, but then I thought: Hey I'm doing pretty swell on my own, why do I need to go find two draconequii that I barely remember? Clearly, it's not worth it.

And then what do you know, a few hours later of traveling up from that desert and things get a little greener on the other side, quite literally. Next, I bump into two Alicorns-as they called themselves-the pretty one and her kid sister. They are looking for the exact same thing. Well, not the exact same thing, it would be creepy if they were also looking for my parents. I hadn't found any food for a day suddenly there were two smart, funny-sounding strangers camped out under the stars offering me food for free and asking my name.

The next thing I know the both of you had talked me into joining your duo, and had inspired me to renew my search instead of just continuing to drift upward-'north' you called it-to see if there was anything fun up there.

Celestia, you gave me the hug and Luna gave me the goofy grin, and like the magic you girls are always doing I suddenly had two friends.

And magic is exactly why I'm leaving.

You two know I'm impulsive and I know that you girls taught me all sorts things, from the difference between north and south, how to write (however messy my penmanship is, I hope you can read this) and why you shouldn't be eating weird plants in the woods. Especially the mushrooms.

I've been traveling with you guys so long  I'd almost forgotten Luna wasn't my sister.

I can do magic, but not with you guys. My magic is different, and it's calling me away and to be honest here...I want to follow it.

Since you always gather Luna and myself around the campfire you set up each night to tell us were we'll be tomorrow and the next three days and nights that follow in case we get lost I'll know that we're traveling through a beach before you two head up north, so I wrote this ahead of time because I'll be leaving you there and don't try to look for me because you won't find me but I know you'll find this 'cause I'll make sure one of you does.

I'm not doing this so I can find a family I barely remember because I don't care about them at all. Not out of spite but because once more: how can I miss somepony one who was never there at all?

You two know exactly who you are and where you're going while I don't have that kind of reassurance.

Our paths split here: you two into the unknown and me, wherever my magic takes me (which could also be the unknown), but this is where I sever my ties with you both.

I can't understand your harmonious natures and it doesn't suit me, just know that I'll be heading where you two won't and that my new wish is much different from yours, and by following this uncertain future neither of us will be able to predict our fates.

Who knows? Maybe one day my name will be synonymous with 'chaos'. I wouldn't mind.

I'm counting on never meeting you guys again, since it's such a big world, but know that if we do I don't know what'll happen. We might no be the same as we once were.

All I know is that to the both of you: You're gonna go far, much farther then when I tagged along.

The one and only,

Discord

...

We stared at the letter written on parchment as smooth as the sand our hooves stood on. Tears, hit the paper, and mixed with the still wet ink that we knew was nabbed from the stationary we carried with us when we were not looking.

Behind us the sun was setting staining the sky with the hues that never looked quite right, even though Luna and ourself had become accustomed to this.

The ocean roared with the blood in my ears as we sobbed silently. He slipped away when we weren't watching into the dusk drenched tangle of woods, we presume.

Our only friend was gone, it was just us and Luna alone in this world.

Luna, who was ahead of us, turned back and called: "Tia where is Discord?"

Our only friend was gone and he thought we were pretty.

"Gone."

Luna was caught off guard and turned around, even from this distance we could see the worry.

How could he do this? Was he just like the ones who left us in this mess? The ones we would never search another second for...

"Tia," Luna said, more cautiously this time "what is that?"

Luna must have seen  us holding the paper, she saw our anger boil up, and in its golden aura pocket before steaming and bursting into flame, every wet-ink word reduced to ash.

"Nothing, Luna. It was nothing at all." Our voice was flat.

We stamped the ashes into the sand, swished our color-streaked mane over my shoulder and turned away, walking up to join our sister, who we would always protect, who would never betray us.

We told her a few frank, hollow words about what Discord did, she swallowed and hung her head but surprisingly didn't cry, but we were too sad to worry. We both walked north, knowing it was to upsetting to stay here, at least for ourself.

We were going to go far indeed, because we had the only friend we ever needed, and that was our own sister.

Luna, we swear we will protect you from everypony and make sure you never get hurt again.

Chapter 2: Baby Sister Where Are You?

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