What's Left

by Dreams of Ponies

First published February 7th, 2018 20:30

I was always there. In tough times, in happy times, I was always there. Now they're gone, and now... you're gone.

A side story to JackRippers: They're Gone telling the tale of Twilight's faithful assistant.

Editor: Dashy
Prereaders: Toasty
JackRipper

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What's Left

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She watched them fall.

Sand scratched against my scales, the howling sand a welcome muffle against the storm in my mind. Each step was heavy, the shifting ground still hot from the afternoon sun which now kissed the horizon. The emptiness of the rolling dunes around me served as a perfect reflection of my inner self.

She watched them fall.

Even now, I could still see them. Twilight’s friends, my friends, all smiling as they hugged each other. They had left us, left Twilight, to this world of absolute abandon. Gone were the laughs, the love that they had all shared. Past were the days of happiness, of friendship and growth, leaving only emptiness and sorrow.

She watched them fall.

I... I didn’t blame them. Not even a little. To do so would be to mar their memory, to tarnish the beauty of everything they had done. Even as Twilight had cried, had buried each one on that Celestia-damned night, I didn’t blame them. There was no room in my heart for hatred, for resentment, not for them.

She watched them fall.

My feet passed from sand to stone, a large crevice of hot, foul brimstone jutting outwards before me. Clenching my claws, I stepped forward to find the narrow staircase hidden in the shadows of a small stone. The outline of the opening glowed red in the moonlight that now shone just over the horizon, ancient Ponish lettering seared above the archway.

No, it wasn’t their fault. They didn’t want this. They’d tried to protect Twilight, even if it meant there was no hope for them. True, true friends to the very end. All of them loved Twilight, and each other, like sisters, a bond stronger than life itself. And so… in the final hour, when the betrayer cast the fated die, they gave everything.

She watched them fall.

The black stone of the staircase felt unnaturally cool under my feet, contrasting absurdly with the rancid heat that breathed up at me from below. The almost perfect darkness in my vision was interrupted by a distant, but still visible fire at the bottom of the decline. Even from here, I could smell the vileness of the place.

The demon hadn’t stood a chance. Even the hellfire of this place paled in comparison to the wrath that Twilight had shown that day. Nearly half the town had been destroyed, though the residents had long evacuated, leaving craters that could mirror the moon. There had been no mercy, no quarter given, and nothing left after Twilight had finished. I had stood there, sobbing along with her as she held each of our friends, the warmth fleeing them.

She watched them fall.

The weeks after had been the worst of my life. The funeral was heartbreaking, something that was supposed to bring closure, only serving to push her further from me. Try as I might, Twilight tucked into herself, only a sliver of the once bright and curious mare I knew. I would speak to her, try to remind her of the good times, anything to refocus her on the here and now. She barely acknowledged me, if I was even that lucky.

I could see the bottom now. The smell was even more potent now, a combination of volcanic rock and some other foulness that made me gag if I breathed too deeply. I held out a single claw, scraping it against the wall, the shrill sound echoing out into every crevice as my frown deepened. It wouldn’t be long now.

She watched them fall.

Celestia and Luna, bless their hearts, had also been there for her. Celestia would hold Twilight, to whisper comforting words until Twilight would eventually push her away. I could see the sorrow in Celestia’s eyes, in the droop of her wings, and the crack in her heart. She loved Twilight as I did, and her pain ran just as deep.

Luna did her best, in other ways, of course. She had never been particularly good at being so direct as her sister, but she made sure Twilight’s dreams were peaceful, devoid of nightmares. That is, until Twilight asked her to stop. No nightmare, apparently, could have been as painful as her waking reality.

She watched them fall.

Everything was so empty now. Our home had been destroyed, and in moving back to the castle, I saw how much Twilight had changed. She had gone from the little filly who would rather dive into a good book than do something as silly as have a slumber party. Friendship had such a profound impact on her, strengthening her confidence and helping her grow into somepony that I looked up to.

Now, there was nothing left for her. Even I seemed to be nothing but a backdrop to the life that had deserted her. Sometimes, I would hear her sobbing in her bedroom, checking on her only to find her crying in her sleep. When I tried to wake her, comfort her, Twilight’s eyes would glaze over, looking past me to something that she’d never have.

She watched them fall.

The cobbled brimstone path stretched out before me, platforms above a hellfire pit in the background of my vision. I made my way forward, the silence of the place only interrupted by the occasional pop of lava from below. The huge, snoozing form of Cerberus rested beside me, his chain securely fastened to its post. I kept walking.

That afternoon, the castle courtyard had been quite melancholic. The sunset had shone down perfectly as Twilight peered from over the balcony, not one animal calling out into the serenity of the evening. I had stood behind her, watching in silence as she lost herself in thought. It had been a whole week since she’d even said a word to me, or anypony. She spread her wings.

She watched them fall.

The huge obsidian bars of the holding cells loomed over me as I stepped towards them. Creatures I didn’t recognize looked up blearily at me, but disregarded my presence after only a moment. I wasn’t here for them anyway, I was here for him.

She flapped her wings and took to the sky. My heart skipped a beat, unable to align to either a sense of joy or terror. I watched as she flew, soaring higher and higher as the light sparkled off a stream of tears that flowed from her.

She watched them fall.

Eventually, I came to the cell I was searching for. The creature inside withered and shrunk back at the sight of me. Yellow pupils dilated in terror as I approached, waves of shivers passing through the monster’s body. I stepped up to the bars, my claws clenching around the cool obsidian.

Twilight had flown high. So high now, that she was even above the tip of the Canterhorn. I stood at the edge of the balcony, yelling up at her until my throat was raw. As far as I was, I still somehow made out the movements of her lips. She was talking to somepony, not that I could see anypony from here. Not that I needed to guess, though, there was only one group of ponies she would talk to. Then she smiled.

I watched her fall.

The world froze, save for the pounding of my heart as Twilight dove. Tears streaked the air behind her, glistening pearls of emotion that sparkled in the wind. Water formed in my eyes as I screamed, my voice already gone. I’ll never forget the smile on her face.

I watched her fall.

I opened my clenched fist, and breathed deeply as I stared into the eyes of the betrayer.

“Discord.”

Author's Note

Hey, ponies... So a family member that had fallen ill a few weeks ago passed away today. We watched as she laid there, saying nothing, and we could do nothing but cry for her.

So this is me doing something. I hope this story touches at least a few of you out there. Love those closest to you, love those who you've never given the chance, and finally, love yourself, because there's somepony out there that loves you too.

Special thanks goes out to all my friends, whom tolerated my late night blubbering and kept me strong through this :fluttershysad: