Chapters >You held onto each other for a while.
>Call it thirty years or so.
>No need to rush things.
>Her words have been running through your head during the intervening time.
I need you to love me.
>You're heart started beating again not too long ago.
>Things like metabolism and blood flow haven't really been necessary, so many of your organs fell to dormancy. You still went through the motions of some things, like blinking and breathing. Stuff like that was mostly out of habit. Sometimes the sensation of your lungs contracting and expanding was the only thing keeping you entertained.
>Blinking was still necessary however. Mostly to get the dust of your eyes, or just to keep them closed and sleep. Back when you still slept.
>Unlike Celestia, you seldom went into dormancy anymore. Sleep scared you. You dream when you sleep. They were worse than nightmares. They reminded you of better days. Nothing but beautiful, false angels. Much of your time was spent fighting the urge to just keep your eyes closed.
>But parts have been waking up. Many pieces of your body have been coming back online after untold eons of disuse.
>Probably a side of effect of your mind and brain coming back to you.
>Yeah, that damn thing in your head was still making you uncomfortable. It kept doing things you didn't understand. Every now and gain it would pulse with activity and thoughts and emotions. A surge, an all encompassing wave that would leave you drained. They've been chaining together closer and closer. Your brain was getting geared up for something, but it wouldn't tell you what.
>It was weirding you out, to be honest.
>But still, it was a pretty neat trick.
>You seriously didn't expect your heart to ever beat again, however.
>It scared the crap out of you when it first started to pulse. The timing was irregular, and the force was sometimes to great, or too little.
>But it beat all the same.
I need you to love me.
>Yeah, that did it. Not long after she made her request, that damnable little muscle in your chest went tha-thump. Your eyes nearly jumped out of your ears and you were afraid something was gonna burst out of you. Small amounts of adrenaline began to run through you for the first time and only made it beat faster.
"What's wrong?" Celesita's voice began to come a little more into focus.
>You were at a lost for words. You honestly forgot you had something in there.
>Celestia held onto you so you couldn't flap around or try claw to out the noisy thing inside you. She must've felt the pulsing thing inside because she pressed her ear against your chest.
"Someone is getting excited. I suppose I haven't lost my touch."
>You blushed. Your hands felt along your cheek. There was no warmth, but there was still a long-forgotten tingling sensation. Holy shit, you could still do that?
> Celestia sighed happily, closed her eyes and listened to it for a while.
>After some little time you felt her jolt as well. In the quiet void you could hear her heart beat to life along with your own, along with a small gasp and satisfied 'hmmm.'
>You felt along her chest and a powerful, steady vibration flowed up your arm. You pressed both of your hands against her soft chest and began to massage her, quietly marveling.
>"Excitement goes both ways, lady."
>Now she turned red.
>And the two of you spun there, holding and listening and slowly coming back to life.
I need you to love me.
>You remember a time when you thought you would never hear that. When she wouldn't go near you or speak to you. If she even bothered to look at you it would be with all hatred and contempt that only a goddess can bring down upon a mere human.
>It was after the Carbon Star died. All that was left by then was the two of you and black holes, and you weren't sure how much longer those would last.
>Celestia managed to compose herself and developed a new routine. She would stare off into space, sometimes for days, sometimes for years. Her eyes would glow with a furious intensity and she wouldn't blink. Her head would move imperceptibly after a while. Eventually you realized she was moving in a spherical direction.
>"What are you doing?" you asked after you caught onto her pattern. She would still speak to you at the time, however rarely, so making inquiries was not complete waste of effort yet.
"Looking...all the way." Her lips barely moved.
>"For what?"
>No answer.
>So you floated there, watching and staying well away from her field of vision.
>You recalled a picture from Earth. The Hubble Deep field. It was a photograph taken with the most wondrous telescope available to mankind. They focused the satellite at a small portion of the sky for eleven days. One thirteenth million of a percent kind of small. In that tiny, insignificant percent of a percent of a percent there it caught the light of over ten thousand galaxies, all an absurd distance away. Galaxies. Full of stars, comets, planets, and so many wondrous things mankind would likely never see.
>So many beautiful lights.
>Celestia was doing something similar to that. Gazing the entirety of existence-as-is in hopes of finding something. Anything. Most likely another star that managed to cobble itself together out of nothing.
>You weren't exactly holding your breath.
>But then she found something.
>She said nothing. Again. She just gasped and took off. Being completely alone in the dark was about the only thing that really scared you so you chased after her. She traveled in a straight line, so you never really lost track of the alicorn. Just follow the swirls of cosmic dust and you would eventually catch up to her.
>Eventually you reached the end of her trail. You found her. There was shock on her face. Disbelief. It took you a moment to notice she was staring at something and you followed her gaze.
>And there he was.
>You forgot about Discord. He escaped several times, but always wound up back in that statue and was eventually forgotten and lost to time.
>He looked bad. His fur was nappy, scales were chipped and worn. His horns were scarred, and dulled. The beard he loved to twirl so much had turned whispy and his teeth looked even worse than the last time you saw him. And his eyes. They were rheumatoid and sunken. All his color was nearly drained. He looked almost monochrome.
>In his withered hands he held a ball of dust. He raised his ragged eagle claw and snapped.
>There was a small spark of light. Barely bigger than a campfire's ember and went out even faster.
>The ball of dust gathered itself into the vague shape of a pony before it fell apart.
>He snapped again. Another ember. Another failed pony.
>He gave a racking cough.
>The Princess was still shocked. He was here. Him. After all this time.
"Discord?"
>His mismatched eyes looked at her slowly. He deflated even further, if such a thing was possible.
"Oh...great. It's you." He snorted, dust blowing out of his nose.
"How did you...?"
"Oh don't act so shocked. Your spells last a long time, but a long time is NOT forever." He straightened up. Somewhat. "Too bad I couldn't get out sooner. Honestly I wake up and everyone is DEAD, that's just cruel."
>He coughed again.
"That really isn't fair." He made a circular motion with his hand. "Love what you've done with the place, by the way. I thought it was boring before, but now....I think I was better off as a statue." He cackled, or tried to.
>Celestia approached him.
"Discord, listen. We can help, we can...we can," she stammered, she was trying to think.
"I don't think so, Princess. Look around you. There's nothing here for me to play with. You're snore-city and as for HIM!"
>He pointed his gnarled claw at you.
"Well, I don't hang out with ugly people."
"There might be something we could do, though. The two of us, we're-"
"We're spent, Princess. I've tried."
>He snapped his fingers again. The noise was quieter. The embers were getting darker. The dust barely moved.
"I've tried."
>Celestia was holding back tears. She shook her head.
"At least...at least stay with us. Please. Stay with me. Please, please stay," she moved closer to him her wings stretched out and prepared to wrap around him.
>He backed off and waved a claw.
"Now now, Princess, honestly." His voice was more level than you've ever heard him. "I can't go around playing the nice guy all of a sudden, huh?" He smiled sadly, his crooked teeth barely showing. "Besides, I don't think it's really my choice any more."
>Then you noticed how his wings started to crack. They slowly turned gray and crumbled away. His tail began to stiffen and chip off.
"It's not fair, really." His squeezed his milky eyes. "I didn't get to have nearly enough fun."
>For the first time you saw him for the warped, pained creature he really was. The tears flowed freely from Celestia now. You said nothing.
"At least I'll be out of that rat's nest you call hair."
>She gave a short, choking laugh.
"Hey. Kid." He nodded at you. "Just bug her for me. Now and again, yeah?"
>You said nothing. This was almost as bad as Luna.
>He whole body shook in a violent coughing fit. More flecks of his body fell off.
"I don't want to go," He looked at her. His long face was drawn out in the most painful frown you've ever seen. "I really don't."
"Dis, please. I didn't know. I would've came for you sooner. Please. I'm so sorry."
"Just this once...I'll make you happy and say it's going to be okay. Well, I'm not, but who cares." By this point his entire lower body had turned to ash. "Smile for me, Cel."
"Yes. It's going to be okay, of course." She smiled, faintly. "It's going to be okay."
"Besides." He stuck his crumbling arms behind his head and grinned. "This place never could handle me," and his words drifted off with the rest of him.
"No....I suppose it couldn't."
>He was a spirit born out of the uncertainty of the universe and thrived on its nearly unlimited penchant for variation and change. Within him was the uncaring force of nature and joyous rapture of never-ceasing motion of birth and destruction that the cosmos displays by the mere virtue of existing. Discord was like a hurricane on the grandest scale, powered by the warmth of the stars and lives of others.
>But there was no more warmth. No more life.
>So like all hurricanes, he had to die.
>The two of you floated there. Celestia sobbed quietly and buried her face in her forehooves and wings.
>You had to say something. Despite your years you never really did get all the wisdom that was said to come with it, and was a complete idiot when it came to this sort of thing.
>"Hey...listen. At least we were here with him, right? He didn't go alone," you placed a hand on her wing.
>She immediately slapped you with it. She jumped away from you and flared herself out fully. Her hooves spread far and her mane stretched out threateningly. The look she gave you was even worse. Her eyes didn't glow, but that only scared you more. The gems of her iris contracted on you with the same intensity that let her find discord. She was looking at you and through you and hated everything she saw. She was disgusted.
>"What? I'm only trying to help."
"That should have been you."
>You were taken back. Did she really just say that? To you, seriously? You've never seen her look at something with such complete loathing.
>"What did you just say," you're voice was low.
"That should've been YOU!"
>Her voice threw you far back. The force of her anger cleared out the dust around you for miles.
"He suffered enough. He did not deserve to die like that. The two of us could have done something. He had power. What do you have? What can you do? Nothing. The dust would make better company than you."
>You weren't going to take this lying down.
>"Really, Celestia? Really? You'd rather have the manipulative sociopath floating around here with you? You honestly think he would've trailed along with whatever dumb fucking idea you have kicking around in that stupid horse skull of yours. Fine, maybe I should've goddamned blown away in the fucking wind, I wouldn't have to be around anyone who could be so stupid. He never did an ounce of good, he was a mismatched freak and I'm gla-"
"YOU DO NOT CALL HIM THAT."
>You were blown back even farther. You felt pain for the first time in a good while. The look she gave you was downright murderous.
"You, of all people, have no right to judge him. Yes, he was madness, yes, we had to lock him away for the safety of others and for himself. But he was there since the beginning. From the first light did he spring forth and laugh and know more than any of us. He caused pain and chaos, but he was still my brother and I loved him."
>She stomped on ground that didn't exist.
"And now he's gone. In a place where there was finally nothing left to hurt and I could love him again as we did in the beginning, he could not go on," she shook her head wildly.
"I have no family. My mother and father have long since gone. My beautiful sister went peacefully, at least. Discord -my dear brother, however deformed and cruel -is finally gone and I did not know. I could have saved him if I had known, or at least given him a more dignified end. We could have some time together at last, but no."
>She collapsed on her self and breathed heavily.
"Now I am all that is left. My family is together, at last. I only pray that they are at peace, but I know not whom to pray to."
>She looks at you.
"I have long thought myself immortal, but now I wonder if I had not in fact died and being with you is my curse. Atonement for some sin that I just cannot fathom. This is our Tartarus."
>"You know, I'm starting to think the same thing."
"You stupid human. You infuriating, miserable, ugly little whelp," she started crying again. "I am still your Princess, and I'm going to issue you one last command."
>"Yeah, what could that possibly fucking be, your highness!?"
I need you to love me.
>That was a bad day. One of the worst. Jesus Christ. You hated your brain when it did that.
>Now here she was, basking in the sheer joy of your beating heart, completely content.
>You kissed the top of her head and she smiled so happily.
"Almost ready?"
>"Almost."
I
>Almost ready.
>Almost. Almost.
>You kinda lied a while back.
>It was longer than a few billion years since you last jerked one out.
>In fact it was lot longer. You don't remember anymore.
>The operational status of your member was in serious question. Your bodily functions are still coming around with ferocious vengeance, but your libido was still a long ways coming.
>Ha ha.
>But really. Everything was working its way downward. Your loins felt -well, it felt something.
>You wouldn't call it heat. That didn't even exist as an abstract concept anymore.
>You had a pressure, an urge! It felt like a longing.
>A longing for what?
>The stuttering, flashing phantom that was your mind began to question what it needed.
>There was still so much to do. For the both of you, actually. You still weren't alive yet.
>Not completely.
>Muscles tensed and tested.
>Small traces of moisture began to wash over your eyes. You looked at Celestia.
>Her mane circled the pair of you like a great ribbon. It had began to light up again. Traces of pure, undistilled color would pulse through her veil. You could almost feel it.
>Occasionally it would lap against your back and your nerves would fire off like muskets.
>She apparently found it amusing.
>Her laughter began to regain its height. You remember that from across the abyss -how much she treasured laughter. She would rejoice in it.
>Even at the height and turmoil of matters of state, she never passed up the opportunity to let even the smallest snicker loose.
>The void now carries joy, however small. It carries the echoes of laughter.
>The shadows of rainbows danced across her face and lights her up. It diffuses softly across her well defined features. Her mouth is gentle and shadows play oh-so delicately on the edges of lips turned up into a smile.
>Her lashes are still long and dark, contrasting strongly with her eyes.
>They look like violet stars. The great shimmering monoliths she ruled over so long ago. The kind that burned bright and gave life and cause for celebration.
>Except these two never went out.
>Like all the rest.
>They may have closed for eons, and have held you in disdain...
>But they were always there.
>So the universe still had stars.
>And they stare at you.
>And you've never been so grateful.
I
>Your hands began to play at her ears. They felt like velvet. You just teased the edges at first. A finger would trail along their rims, and you'd rub her fur between your fingers.
>Her breathing picked up just a little bit.
>You took the tips more firmly between your fingers. They twitched and her head swayed as you began to massage deeply along her ears
>Using more pressure....rub along their base....they were apparently very sensitive.
>She began to fret against you. Her body started to lose a touch of composure.
>Her head pressed strongly against your neck. Her lips parted and she mouthed against you.
"Anon."
>The sound of her saying your name vibrates across your ears and filters down into the depths of your brain.
>Just hearing her words roll around in your mind is enough to release endorphins.
>At least you think they're endorphins.
NEED
>Her voice is simply beyond exquisite.
"Anon..."
>You could hear her whisper forever.
>She kneaded at your back.
>Small gasps slipped out from the both of you. You have no idea why it took you so long to come up with this.
>Oh wait.
>You remember why.
YOU
>From eons ago, you remember why.
"To stay out of my way. Stay far, far away from me. I will have nothing more to do with you."
>Fuck....
>"FINE!"
"I'm leaving. If you are content to sit here and waste away, by all means, do so. I will not demean myself through apathy."
>Her hair began to flash.
"There are still ways. I cannot give up. I don't expect you to understand, I will not ask you too."
>"I'm not even too inclined in the first place. This is just getting sad. What the fuck are you hoping for?"
"I hope to see my family again. Once I thought that this would make sense to you. Surely if you had the chance to see Luna again, you would do anything possible to make it so. I hoped that you of all people would understand.."
>You glowered. That hurt. That hurt alot.
>Jesus. Luna.
>That was horrible.
>"I just...can't we just leave them in peace? For god's sake, dredging this up isn't helping them. They're gone. Everything is gone, Celestia."
"This is your choice. I will not waste what strength I have left upon you. I'm sorry. Goodbye, Anon."
>She took off.
>Oh no.
"Where are you going?"
>No answer.
>"WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?"
>no, don't....you don't want to remember this part. not this part. please....
>You hold Celestia closer.
>
>
>
>There were still black holes in existence.
>Great wells of nothing from which there is no escape, not even for light.
>They were patches of uninterrupted black in a place where all the lights went out.
>And Celestia seeked them out.
>She told you to stay away. She wanted you gone, to just disappear in the darkness and never make another sound, but fuck that noise.
>You were afraid of the dark.
>The absolute oppression of distance was still something you weren't designed to process, so that didn't bother you most of the time.
>But the dark.
>That was something you could understand. This was when the small animal part of your mind began to claw at the walls, the only moment when you could grasp at the merest fragment of the vast finality of everything.
>This small speck of comprehension was something you feared above all else.
>In the dark was the fear of understanding.
>And here, understanding was madness.
>You weren't like Celestia. She was born to be an immortal. True, she hardly fared better than you, but she had a few psychological safeguards in her mind that allowed her to deal with all the empty space you found yourselves occupying.
>She could handle the grander scale of things while you simply tried to ignore it.
>This is why she chased after the black holes.
>And this is why you still chased after her. You hated her. You wished you were dead, you wished SHE was dead.
>You just wanted it to be over for the pair of you, instead of just everyone else.
>But still, you followed. You kept your distance, however, always keeping her as speck of light in the distance. Like a candle on a mountain top, or star on the earth's sky.
>This was when you began to fear sleep. The temptation to hibernate would creep upon you but you would fight it. What if there was no star, no candle, no moving ember to be found when you awoke?
>So you stayed awake and always followed.
>She eventually found a black hole and hovered just over the event horizon.
>From your distance you could see the dust funnel into a hole of nothingness.
>Pure black. No variation, no light, no sound.
>It was massive and miniscule at once. It played all kinds of hell with your perception. You didn't know how to describe it.
>It was simply the ultimate expression of finality in a universe already in its final stage.
>And Celestia dove into it.
>It was like watching a firefly fall into the ocean.
>You chased after her, but stopped just short of falling in yourself.
>" "
>You shouted, but gravity stole your voice along with your strength. You weren't fast enough.
>The flash of her being echoed and vibrated across the gravitational waves, moving everywhere but somehow still in a straight line.
>It went out.
>And you were left alone in the dark.
>No sound.
>No light.
>No Celestia.
>Just you
>And endless space.
>You began to panic. You flailed. You were alone. You took great gulps of air that wasn't there. What were you going to do? Where would you go?
>Where would you go? There was no "where," there was just you.
>And you were now very afraid. For the only thing more frightening than the dark was being alone with yourself.
>Forever.
>In the darkness a man was howling, but it was impossible to hear.
>Then the black hole erupted.
~!@#~!@#THE-----**%$$&#$&THEE#*#$%#SUN$$--@%@%RISES~~!!!!
>Reality just shat itself.
>Everywhere you could see points, pricks and shards of color arranged like a glass tree around the black hole, extending for light years upon light years in all directions.
>You were dumbfounded. If your bladder hadn't shut down you would've pissed yourself.
>Voices echoed in the void.
>You focused on the glass realities. There were planets in the shards.
>Nebulae, comets...
>Stars.
>Your voice tried to find purchase on your lips, you needed to stammer.
>A shard drifted past you. The punch in reality was beyond big. It was monolithic, more grand than any mountain. It was like looking through a window. True cosmic sky drifted in opposition to the motion of its massive carrier.
>You could hear it as it sliced through the abyss's darkness.
>It was close enough to touch.
>You reach your hand out
>Then the glass turned to sand and blew away. A billion billion specks of white light crumbled and vanished.
>They all did.
>All was darkness again, but you did not feel the pull of gravity.
>The black hole was gone. All that remained was the light of Celestia.
>You made your way towards her, to ask her what the hell just happened.
>Her light pulsed several times, turning a slight shade of red, then she took off.
>Fuck this lady, seriously.
>You follow.
>She approached another black hole. This was bigger than the last one, as far as you could tell.
>Her light arced towards the singularity and she dove into its crushing depths once more. She whirpooled around and around its center countless times, moving so fast as to adorn the black hole with a ring before she vanished.
>Darkness once more.
>You braced yourself.
~~~!___~_@__-------THE~!_!_!)___SUN~!@(J)~((@RISES.~)(@#~!(~)~))(#~))()))))))____!
>You did not see, so much as you witnessed.
>Reality everywhere coalesced upon you. Tons of glass made of pure existence fell over you.
>All of the universe was laid before you like a model in a planetarium. The floor was pure onyx. The sky was dark, yet an enormous red sun burned over head. It was the morning of creation. Sparks of fire exploded in mid-air as worlds were called into being.
>You recognized one.
>Existence pulsed again and you found yourself lying on the ground.
"What is it?"
>...Rainbow?
"Oh, it's waking up!"
>Fluttershy?
"Stand back, I'll handle this."
>It can't be. This is...this is your first day.
>You open your eyes.
>They are flooded with sunlight.
>You see a sky-blue pegasus standing away from you, wings flared out and ready to pounce.
>You sit up. Grass grazes against your fingers and the back of your shirt is till wet from the morning dew.
>This is real.
>"Rainbow? It's actually, you isn't it?"
>This takes her back for a moment.
"Hey, how do you know my name, weirdo?"
>You stand up. You try to remember how to walk.
>"I'm just as confused as you are trust me."
"If you're trying to play games with me, lemme tell you tha!!@#~#)~()_________---- 8 #~ #~@# @# $$ _____
>You're in the throne room.
>You look around. Twilight is standing besides you, looking the youngest you've ever seen her. You look towards the two great seats before you.
>You see Luna.
>"L-Luna?"
>She's staring off disinterested. However, she looks at you with mild amusement.
"Ah, so he can speak. Most curious."
>Celestia sits beside her. She looks confused and desperate.
>"What are you doing." You take great strides towards her throne. The guards around her ready their weapons.
"It's not stabilizing. I'm trying to hold down the stream, but there's not enough energy for me to kee it steady."
>"Sister, what are you talking about?"
>She looks at Luna. Celestia is trying her best to stay composed, but the sight of her sister is far too much for her.
"Luna, I just want to say I love you. I'm sorry and I love you. Always remember that.
>The blue princess is taken back.
"Are you feeling well, sister? You have been far too occupied this week to handle this. Perhaps you should rest."
>"Celestia, you have to stop this."
"NO!"
>You could hear a grain of sand fall in the throne room.
"I can make this work. It just isn't large enough. I will not fai|||-~!$*#\*&#*#>>>>>>.....|||\
>Time rushes over you like water. Glowing streams of color and sound roar around you.
>You are holding a child.
"What shall we name her?"
>"She's just as beautiful as her mother."
>She blushes. You loved making her do that.
>"Let's keep the theme, huh? Let's call he~~~_-_--_---|||\\#$^^^<?^>:::::""":;;;;;`````
>~~!!|===!~!||||+! ~~on't think that will++=work"
"Who knew that something so ugly could also be soooo stupid! Really, you just pulled the short straw on everything, huh?"
>Discord laughed madly.
"Well, we can't all be perfect."
>He flew up in the air and stretched out his arms. His fingers sna``~!!~!!!_____-----#@$%$%^$&^&&&&||||------
>More time flew by like in broken pieces. You're lungs and heart were working at a million miles per hour but there was nothing you could do to slow it down.
>In between the thunders of repeating dawns and the flashes of sunsets you could make out Celestia in the far off distance, her expression one of pure determination as she tried to hold everything toget--_))____((((@!~@$%%$$$.......\|||>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>You were holding her.
>You were in a stone tower floating in space. The moon has just been destroyed.
>Her breathing was heavy.
"I'm sorry."
>"No, don't be, you've been wonderful. You've just been so wonderful."
>She tried to smile, but she just couldn't do it.
"I never forgot, Celestia."
>You realize she was there.
"Neither did I..."
"Stay strong, you two. We love you both."
>She goes quiet.
>You cried just as hard now as you did the first time.
>"Please. You have to stop this."
"I...I..."
>"Cannot keep this up. Celestia, please, put an end to this."
>"This iteration is too unstable. I know what's going wrong. It's going to collapse, but I can't say how long before everything runs cold."
>"Then we'll ride this out then."
"I can fix it next time. I can fix this."
>"Celestia, you can't seriousss- belieeeiiiiiiiii-----______--___-__--- - -- ---
>Color beganto wash away. Everything started torunonfastforward.
>Itwaslikeatraincrashthatkeptgoingfasterandfasterandnevestoppedrolling.
>Lights.blinded.you.and.sounds.left.you.deaf.
>Soon.the.sound.died.
>You saw suns explode and fade away. Chunks of existence started to fall off.
>Reality began to wash away like waves of water over sand.
>Existence became a tired machine that ground to a halt and splintered into trillions of specks of light that died quickly enough.
>And then there was nothing.
>Black.
>Dust.
>You held your head and curled into yourself. You floated and cried.
>That was the worst thing ever.
>It was all there. Everything.
>And it was horrible.
TO
>You heard Celestia screaming in agony far away at the site of the faded black hole. Her light flickered and she zoomed off again, her trail wavering and erratic.
>You had to save her. You had to save yourself.
>But there was no way to catch her. She was hopelessly faster than you.
>You paused in the darkness, and listened. You heard it, or rather you didn't hear it.
>And for the first time, you moved away from the light.
>You made your way to the second-closest black hole. She would have her way with whichever one she was headed towards now, but after that, you would catch her.
>You would stop her.
>You move, heading towards the one place where sound vanished completely.
>A part of you wondered how soon it would take her to reach the other hole. You hoped you could at least make it more than halfway before she coul~!~~!@~!@#~@#$@_~_____
__+=-=--==-=THE===00-\-\SUN~~~~=====RISES===`===!!!!
>And you plunged through all of time once more.
>This was was even worse. You would jump forward and jump back. You saw things that never even happened. Creatures that never existed.
>Things began to make even less sense as this broken iteration barreled through to the end.
>Everything that could happen did happen, and did so a million times.
>You saw Celestia, and she was afraid.
>But you still saw Luna, and she still died in your arms.
>Again and again.
>But everything still fell apart.
>Your mind was still intact, somehow. You didn't know how long it lasted. A septillion years, or just five minutes.
>Your mind was too wracked to care.
>You had to stop her.
>You waited, but not for long.
>Her light charged towards you. It was violent and effervescent. Flickering on and off, and swaying chaotically.
>This was liable to kill her.
>Maybe that's what she was hoping for.
>She ran right into you. You held on as she never stopped moving.
>"Anon, I understand. I don't think it's about the mass or energy, I just have to-
>"Stop this. You're going to kill yourself. It's over. Please, please stop this. You can't bring them back. I can't handle this."
"I can't give up! There has to be a way to save them, there must be! Anon, I'm so close!"
>"They don't need to be saved, Celestia."
"What?"
>"They lived and they died, and they were happy for the most part. If we bring them back, it'll all happen the same way again. I don't think you can do things any better. Everyone had their turn. Stop....stop trying to play with them.
"Play? You think this is some kind of game?"
>"They all lived once. We have to be grateful that we got to spend any time with them at all. Let them have their peace. Luna wouldn't want to see you like this."
>She rocketed towards the event horizon.
"But...if there's even the smallest..."
>"No one would say you quit. I won't. You've done what you could, Celestia, but now there's nothing left to try. Just -just end this."
"These black holes are too far gone. They'll evaporate soon. They just don't have the pull that I need.....I know it won't work...."
>She flapped her wings harder, more out of frustration than desire for greater speed.
"But...I miss them all so much."
>There were tears in her eyes.
>Same for yours.
>"Me too."
"I'm scared. Anon, I'm so scared. There's nothing, absolutely nothing ahead and I have no idea how to face that."
>You hugged onto her.
>"We'll figure something out."
>She was quiet.
>She had that billion-year stare going on again.
>
"I have one more idea, Anon."
>"You still won't stop?" Your voice was incredulous.
"Oh, I will. My body can only do this once more. It just might finish me. Perhaps you as well."
>You considered her words. Your body already felt like it was going to rip itself apart at the atomic level.
>"Do you really think so?"
"It's worth a try."
LOVE
>"Only one way to find out, I suppose."
>And the two of you dove into the infinite.
>
>
>
> a l l
> i s
> n o t h i n g
>>
>
THE SUN RISES!
>And everything exploded.
>She did not try to reconstitute reality. She pulled all the energy form the first burst of creation to the final super nova of the universe.
>And it was all centered on you two.
>Heat, cold, wind, water, rock, and celestial fire washed over you.
>You kept your eyes closed, but the purest light still filled your vision.
>There was no pain, just sensation.
>Hope.
>Maybe now you could die.
>The sound soon fades away.
>And everything was darkness.
>You open your eyes.
>You are still there, along with Celestia.
>You are still alive.
>You don't cry, or yell, or resort to beating the crap out of each other.
>There was nothing left to do, and that's all there was to it.
>So you floated there, for eons. The black holes died on their own, giving off small pricks of light in the distance.
>And soon enough even they were gone.
>The Universe has signed off.
>And then it was truly just the two of you.
>Celestia wrapped into herself. Her hate and desperation were burned out. Her very soul was exhausted and she needed to rest.
>And you stayed with her and watched over her.
>Her mane waved slowly, its light was dim, but still there.
>You kept the dust from building up too greatly on her, blowing away the more errant clumps, but doing little more than that to disturb her.
>You tried to keep yourself busy. Making small shapes out of dust and talking to yourself.
>You made a propane bottle once.
>"I sell propane and propane accessories!"
>It fell apart.
>"Dangit Discord!"
>So much time passed.
>Your joints began to stiffen. The outer layers of your nerves shut down.
>Your mind began to turn itself off, but you never slept.
>So you spent a long time talking and thinking about things that made absolutely no fucking sense.
>But still, you stayed with her.
ME
----
"It's okay."
>You came back.
>She held you.
>"Yeah, we did what we could."
>You were quiet.
>"We've been shut off for too long."
"We have. There is much that we have forgotten."
>"Forgetting hurts less."
"It does, but there are some things that must always be kept alive, no matter how painful."
>"What do you think we should remember?"
"Anon, all I wish is to love once more."
>"I don't...I don't know if I can..."
>She pressed a hoof against your lips.
"We have both lived for a long time. As I ruled I saw you live amongst my subjects, and you brought more happiness to my kingdom and made it a better place."
>Did you?
"You touched the lives of many. You lived amongst us and married and gave love, made love, and were given love in return. Those you chose to fulfill their hearts desires for companionship and appreciation were amongst some of the happiest I've ever seen or felt."
>No words come.
"And yes, many have left us. They all have gone for a paradise we cannot witness, but we still have one another. I need to love again, Anon. You have stayed with me through everything. Everything. Let me love you for it."
>Don't say anything. Say nothing. Do not ruin this. You begin to feel a familiar sensation between your legs.
>oh hell there.
"I need to love you. I need you to love me. No matter how much it hurts, or how much you're afraid of being left again."
>She kissed your cheek.
"Because I will never leave you."
>You press your lips against hers.
>It almost felt warm.
"Please."
>There was a single light in all the universe.
>And two beings began to make love within it.
>The intervening millennia has been kinder
>You are not afraid to sleep anymore.
>And you are not afraid to love.
>The small blip of space that you inhabit in the endless void no longer carry the dull echoes of meaningless eyeblinks or half-conscious mutterings.
>You are no longer smothered by resigned despair, or self-imposed apathy.
>Instead, you are grateful.
>You are blessed.
>Never again did you think that word would carry any meaning.
>Even before the fall of light and oncoming cold, had you lost hope.
>But you still had fear.
>Unbridled fear of eternity and the idea that no one would ever find you.
>You remember the sound of an explosion.
>You remember the uncompromising pull of a vacuum. The sensation off flying through space, struggling to breathe, planets and stars flying past you.
>Ha. You were so young. You still needed a spaceship in those days.
--
>You told what few friends you had....what few were left that you were leaving, looking for something.
>Everyone was in those days. Looking for a way to protect themselves, or hide.
>Entire planets surrounded themselves in metal and warped sorcery.
>Colonies of beings locked themselves away in the empty space between atoms, cutting down their exposure to reality to the thinnest tether in desperate attempts to eek out a few more millenia of sustainability.
>Huge stations were built along the edges of black holes, carrying a number of lifeforms cryogenically frozen, hoping to be thawed should the universe ever be warmed again.
>Some built huge engines that tore holes in existence itself, not knowing or caring whether they lead to a younger, fresher universe, or death beyond time. You tried those machines a few times. They never worked for you.
>It was all meaningless in the end. Just society as a whole covering their heads beneath the blankets because they're afraid of the dark.
>The walls crumbled. The atoms themselves fell apart. You know what happened to all the black holes.
>Others were like you. Countless ships of all sizes spreading across a universe that became increasingly dark and cold in one final and hopeless diaspora.
>The few you spoke with looked at you, waiting on an explanation from a crazed immortal and entirely unique being in the entire universe.
>That you were going beyond and far away. You said you were going to reverse the problem of entropy.
>And maybe you even believed yourself when you said those words.
>But even then you knew you were lying.
>You may have picked through bits of hydrogen floating through space, and amassed endless reams of data, viewed the birth of stars and their ever quickening deaths and ran simulation upon simulation in order to find some flaw behind the very logic of reality itself that may yet be corrected.
>You worked hard and sweated harder as you looked at the cruel, unyielding numbers of physics that refused to give you the smallest iota of hope.
>At the heart of your small ship was a meter that gave out the percentage of how much the universe had left to reach maximum entropy.
>It was a worryingly high number that grew ever higher.
>You wrote down a small note next to it that read "buy new lightbulbs."
>A few communications were traded with others amongst the empty space. They gave no comfort.
>You laid upon the single, featureless gel-mattress of your vessel and stared at the glass ceiling.
>A star blinked out.
>You closed your eyes.
>And in the depths of your mind you faced the true purpose of your mission and your ship:
>You were running away.
>Life had its share of kindness and cruelties for you. But there was precious little life yet to be had.
>You were tired.
>You were envious.
>Everyone you've known and loved and hated was gone, or will be gone soon. You wanted to let them go in peace.
>You wanted to hide. To look away as the rest of the universe's massive population was taken into the sweet embrace of something you could not know.
>You still idly wondered what would happen to you once the average temperature reached absolute zero.
>It probably wouldn't be death for you, but maybe that sort of oblivion would bring its own peace.
>Wasn't that a funny thought? A frozen Anon floating through empty space forever, discarded like a popsicle no child wanted.
>Maybe you would shove a stick up your butt as one final joke to existence in general.
>You snicker at the thought.
>It's around that moment your ship exploded.
>You still don't know what caused it. By all accounts the two most indestructible things in the universe was you and your small vessel.
>The thought still upsets you. It was a very fine ship, made of equal parts science and magic.
>You just remember the whole ship shaking by just the smallest fracture and then everything erupted into flames before the vacuum of space snuffed it out. The whole process took less than a third of a second.
>Your body was wracked by heat, metal, and the burning out of unimaginably complex spells. This was followed up by the unforgiven non-atmosphere of pure space.
>Just because you are indestructible does not mean you are immune to pain.
>Well, under certain conditions you've learned to turn off different nerves and cut off sensation. You've had a lot of time to learn control of your body.
>But this was different. You had no warning, no time to prepare.
>So by all accounts it hurt like hell.
>There you were, eyeballs trying to pop out of your skulls, lungs doing their damnedest to get sucked out of your mouth, and your brain fighting against being fried and frozen out in the cold vacuum.
>You were spinning away at immense speeds. You tried to pull yourself into a ball and steady yourself, but the raw g-forces you were moving at prevented you.
>It was a pain beyond pain.
>But even so, the small part of your mind that was ever present and so stubbornly indestructible knew the severity of the situation.
>There was absolutely nothing you could do.
>By now you were already approaching the fringes of the galaxy, with nothing but celestial gas and empty space.
>Even if the explosion threw you towards the galactic core there was an absolutely zero chance of anyone finding you. Careful observers of space can miss entire solar neighborhoods, miss even the biggest asteroids that are knocking on their planets back door.
>What possible hope could you have that someone somewhere out there would ever find the lone human flying through space at how many millions of miles per hour?
>You had no means of communication, no way to alter your course, nothing. You didn't even have air to scream with.
>You had lost all hope then.
>Hope of reversing the decay of of the universe.
>Hope of being found.
>The hope of opening your eyes and beholding a sight that would make you smile.
>You fly through space in broiling pain and despair.
---
>You open your eyes. Celestia is there. She always is.
>She's sleeping.
>The two of you made love a few millennia ago. The pair of you tend to rest in between bouts.
>Oh yeah, you're so good they need several thousand years to recover.
>Plus five to ego.
>Your a tangle of arms, hooves, and wings. Her graceful head is buried in your chest. Her mane glows warmly.
>You stroke her. Fingers running softly along her muzzle and follow the soft curve of her dark eyelashes, set against fur that's purer than porcelain. You feel her breath against you.
>She is so beautiful.
>You begin to pet along the scruff of her neck. She stirs awake, slowly.
>She doesn't open her eyes. She just leans into your hands and coos softly.
>You start to kiss along the base of her neck and slowly make your along to her chin.
>You lower yourselves to each other, spinning around slowly in the void.
>Lips meet. Softly, slowly. Your mouths open centimeter by centimeter, sharing each other little by little.
>She laughs quietly.
>Her eyes open.
>Brilliance. Lavender gems against pure white that carry nothing but love for you.
>The sight makes your heart stop for a moment.
>She smiles, her cheeks pull up around her eyes and they light up even more.
"Hello again."
>"I was told there was princess around here."
"Silly place to find one, hmm?"
>"And yet here you are."
>She begins to nip at your shoulder feeling like pricks of ice, kissing your skin in small circles along your neck until she reaches your ear.
"Yes. Here I am."
>She nuzzles against the side of your head. Your own hands wander down along the sides of her body, tracing the grain of her fur and along the lines of her slender muscles.
"Anon," she whispers as she pulls away from you.
>"Yes, Celestia?"
"I love you."
>She has that billion-year stare focused on you.
>Her face is the portrait of serenity and sincerity.
>She's just looking at you. Maybe a little more than looking. She's more beholding you than anything. Looking at you and through you. Seeing everything you are and ever was.
>She kisses you and says it again.
>"I love you too." You don't know what else to say. You do love her. Wholly and truly. She is the light of your life. Literally. You don't say it too often to each other because it was more than a feeling. It simply was.
"Say it once more."
>You smile. You cup her face in your hands and kiss her nose. "I love you."
>She smiles warmly and her wings begin to flutter stiffly.
"Prove it. Show me."
>She kisses you again, going straight for the prize. Her tongue is strong as it entwines with your own. She's breathing heavily and so are you. The intensity of her mouthing throws you off for a moment.
>She pulls away.
"Love me."
>You start to bite down on her ear and neck, going down again to her chest. Her coos of pleasure grow slightly louder. Her body tensed up like a bundle of steel chords as you went down ever lower.
>You paused along her stomach and ran your nose across the soft fur there. You bit down again into the sensitive flesh, it almost reminded you of peaches. Her whole body began to writhe and squirm as you teased her.
>Her hooves started to press down on your shoulders, urging you even lower.
>You only fight against her a little bit, trailing your tongue all along her, over the small pink mounds of her breasts.
>You cup them in your hands and circle your fingers around them, flicking at the tiny nubs as her nipples harden.
>Her hips have started to thrust absentmindedly against you. Her backhooves keep trying to wrap around you.
>Her hooves rub the back of your head. Celestia not being quite as purposeful with her motions but its still clear she wants you even lower.
>You let her push you down. She presses her self against you and shudders as you breathe against her lower lips.
>Your hands grab onto the side of her generous flank and squeeze hard.
>She starts to quiver as your tongue begins to dance around her outer lips.
>Her soft thighs press down on the side of your head, locking you in between her as she crosses her legs around you.
>She strokes your hair.
"Mmm...right...where you belong..."
>You give her rump a firm slap.
>She yelps out loud. You make a quiet muffled laugh.
>Your tongue enters her, easily sliding in between her sweet moistness.
>You started off slow, tantalizing her by gradually building up speed and intensity, going as deep as you possibly could.
>The goddess began to moan as you worshiped her. Buckling and swaying her head. In the void her mane began to twitch and expand and contract erratically.
"Oh...oh...oh...Anon, Anon..."
>She bit down on her lips hard. Her cheeks were completely flushed. Her eyes clenched shut so tightly that tears began to squeeze through them.
>She began to double over, and clutched at your head even harder. Your fingers press deeper into her flank.
---
>You soared past planets.
>By then you've managed to turn off most of your nerves. Your body had stabilized itself and adjusted somewhat to being flung through a vacuum.
>You no longer felt like your organs were trying to evacuate from every orifice you had.
>You still could not work out the burning sensation in your lungs, however. You fake-breathed, going through the motion. The sensation eased you pain, however slightly.
>So your existence, while agony, wasn't complete hell.
>But perhaps you would've preferred hell all the same. If you were there that means you finally died.
>You streaked in between a binary star system. You shielded your eyes from the brilliant light. Their rays penetrated the space between your fingers and eyelids all the same.
>The heat of the twin suns still set your skin a flame despite your nerve control.
>Your unaided trek through space let you witness many wonders.
>So even as you were being broiled alive you couldn't help but marvel.
>It was one of the last times you remember feeling truly warm.
>But eventually the heat faded away as you flew out of the solar system and into cold of even further and ever diminishing stars.
>You could brute force yourself into sleep. It was hard, and never for more than a few hundred years at a time, but it was the only reprieve you could have from the pain.
>Aside from escaping into memories. You had a lot of them after all.
>More time passed. Your lungs eventually stopped burning. Or maybe they still burned and you just got used to the pain.
>For a long time had you accepted that no one would ever find you out here.
>So you were completely surprised when Celestia found you.
>You were flying one way.
>And she was flying the other.
>You made out a dazzling light in the far distance. You thought it was just another mass junk hurtling through space much like yourself. You've seen comets pass mere miles away from you.
>But then the flash of light flew past you and changed direction.
>A small field of magic surrounded you and all of your organs jolted as the momentum of stopping for the first time in god knows how many millions of years took its immediate toll.
"Anon?"
>You looked at an alicorn you never thought you'd see again.
>You always knew Celestia was out there...somewhere. After Equestria and its planet was destroyed through the natural process of things, she took her subjects and crossed the stars. Settling on more planets and weaving a grand empire, ruling as she was won't to do.
>You were a part of that. In the beginning. After Luna died you slowly become more and more detached from the race that took you in.
>So one day you left, taking no great part in their society ever again.
>But even so, you heard stories, and kept tabs on them. You knew Celestia was a forerunner on entropy research, going so far as to delegate the running of her empire to others and taking to the stars in hope of finding a solution.
>You looked at her. She still had the exact same damn crown from all those years ago. Her chestplate had changed, along with the rest of her attire, things of different designs and technology to better regulate her energies.
>By all rights she should have never found you. But she did.
>She surrounded the two of you in a field of oxygen.
>"How?" You have no idea how you managed to choke that out. She should not have found you. It was beyond impossible.
"I was...looking for you."
>You coughed. Good God, breathing hurt almost as much as choking right now. "Well l-looks like you found me."
>Your body quaked, adapting itself to a pressurized atmosphere. It was like the worst hangover in the world.
>"Thanks."
>It took you time to recover. You told her of the crash. She told you of the things that you missed.
>Desperate things. The fibers and foundations of physics were falling apart all over the universe.
>She told you of some of them.
>They were terrible things that made you shiver. You were right to run away. Almost made flying through space sound enjoyable.
>Celestia told you of her efforts and research. She had no answers.
>You asked her what she planned to do next.
>She gave you an angry and desperate look. Her regal composure and eternal dignity cracked as she told you.
"I do not know."
>To this day you believe she was in much the same boat as you. Telling herself that she was trying to fix the problem when in fact she was just running away.
>But she's too stubborn to admit that. She was trying harder than you were, at any rate.
>Time passed. You stayed with her. Pooling together your knowledge and energies, trying your best too wring out energy from whatever corner of existence you could.
>Machines were built. Massive engines that stretched on for mind-shattering distances.
>With their aid, stars were made between the two of you, but they never held for long, or at least not long enough.
>The rules of everything were breaking down. Nothing worked the way it was supposed to.
> Eventually you learned a few tricks that can only come to those who live for a ridiculously long time. How to cope with a vacuum. How to speak in an airless void. Making your way through space without the aid of a ship, and touching over light speed if you angle yourself just-so.
>Small distractions that kept you from your ever building desperation.
>Your constructions fell apart.
>Things became darker.
>Things became colder.
>The stars became so rare that you could count their numbers with your fingers and toes.
>A few would still blink in when things began to run on the tail-end.
>Some were natural. A small number were made by others like yourself, who had the knowedge and the will to forge their own stars from the leftovers.
>But such others were long gone.
>Celestia still kept at things, of course.
>Never stopped looking, never stopped moving.
>You could never turn away from the inevitability of it all. This caused some friction between you and the Princess.
>Just more distractions. You were both terrified.
>Eventually things were much darker. Nothing but glowing clouds remained from the empty husks of galaxies.
>Then came the dull period before the found the Carbon star.
>That star.
>You still don't like thinking about that.
---
>You and Celestia are facing each other.
>Hips move and gyrate, you drive yourself deep into her.
>This position took some effort to nail down, but the two of you loved it.
>She was moaning loudly. She was a bit of a screamer.
>Her wings were going insane, they would sway strongly, slapping the side of your body on occasion, or wrap themselves around your back, like two strong arms with a million small feathery fingers pushing you closer to her.
>Feathers caressed your back and held onto your head.
>You ran your hands along her stomach and caressed her ribcage. It was one of her more sensitive areas and she just lost it when you tickled her there.
>Your own breathing grew fast and deep as you threw yourself deeply into her primal embrace.
>You kept one hand on her side and moved another down to her mounds. You rubbed her nipples between thumb and forefinger, and squeezed at the base with the rest of your hand.
>You are very glad to have hands.
>Celestia cried out.
>She was glad you had them too. Her head swung back. The bangs on her forehead were coming apart and swept all over her face.
>Her chest began to twitch and her shoulders pulled together. Her legs began to twitch and buck with increasing severity.
>She was getting close.
>"I love you." You let out between deep ragged shudders.
"Anon. Anon, anon anonanon I..."
>You released yourself inside of her.
>And then something happened.
"Love..."
>From deep inside her...
"You..."
>you felt...
"Too."
>warmth.
>It started small. Just a small speck of heat isolated within her soft but otherwise icy cold embrace.
>But then it spread throughout the rest of her. Your member burned in heat and far forgotten comfort. You felt her teat heat up underneath your hand and follow all the way up through her chest where you placed your other hand.
>Her heart was beating louder than ever.
>You could see the shock and amazement in her eyes.
>The unexplainable phenomenon coupled with her mounting pleasure proved simply too much for her.
>Her eyes flashed lightning and her hair turned pure white and billowed madly.
>She did more than orgasm. She practically thundered with ecstasy.
>Hot damn, you are good.
>Her horn lit up and sparks shot out in amounts you haven't seen in a long time.
>Oh god. She's warm.
>She's warm.
>You immediately press your whole body against hers. You wrap your arms around her. She wraps around you. The two of you basically try to push yourselves into each other.
"Touch me."
>You do. You touch every inch of her.
"Yes, yes, oh gods yes. Don't stop. Please -don't-stop-"
>You have absolutely no intention on doing so.
>She was warm.
>And you were cold. You've been cold for so long you didn't even know it.
>You were at absolute zero, after all.
>You held her. Your brain was going berserk processing the long forgotten pleasure of touching another warm body. You were in tears.
>"Celestia...Celestia, good God. I love you."
>She brings herself over you.
"Thank you, thank-you thank-you thank-you."
>You spent a moment in that bliss. Reveling in something as simple as body heat.
>And then the two of you reveled some more.
>You rejoiced and reveled for so many rounds you lost count before eventually succumbing to exhaustion and falling a sleep, the both of you impossibly entangled with each other.
>You dreamed.
>And they were good.
>You don't know for how long you slept. But if felt like a million years when Celestia jolted awake and stared at you with eyes the size of dinners plates.
>You noticed her hair was still white.
>You held you. You steadied her. You told her to slow her breathing and asked her what's wrong.
"I don't...I don't think wrong is the right word."
>"Then what is it?"
"Anon...I'm pregnant."
>A few years passed before your brain would let you say anything.
>"Are you sure?"
"I am very sure."
>"But that's...but...how?"
"I do not know."
>"That's -th-that's impossible."
"I know."
>"There hasn't been a-"
"I know."
>"Me and you, we're not even-"
"I KNOW!"
>She was shaking. Her eyes were darting around nervously.
"I know. But...it's happened once, with you...before...with..."
>You remember. You don't want too, but you do.
>Yes, you've had a beautiful child before.
>You loved her more than anything, even if her short life was filled with difficulties.
>"Once, yes. But that required...intervention."
>It was a very complicated process.
"You felt what I felt. I'm sure that qualifies for intervention."
>Her hooves kneaded together.
"Anon, I've never been with child before."
>You nodded. You thought as much. There were other alicorns. A very small amount. But you always assumed a child from Celestia would've been out here with you this whole time.
"I think I'm afraid."
>She lowered her head against you. You gently ran your hand against her neck and calmed her.
>"Don't be. I'll be here with you. Everything will be okay."
"Anon?"
>"Yes, Celestia?"
"I think it's going to be a girl."
>You kissed the top of her head and laughed.
"Of course. We'll have to think of a very pretty name, then."
>You held her until she fell asleep again.
>And then you thought.
>You were terrified.
>The pregnancy itself would have its own share of trails.
>The birth even more so, but luckily this would not be the first time you've ever delivered a foal.
>But...
>What the hell kind of place was this for a child?
>What would she look like? What would she need? Would she need to eat? How would she grow?
>Alicorns were different enough from ponies. And Celestia was on an entirely different level than other alicorns.
>And a child conceived here in this frozen void, and with you as the father? How much different would such a being need to be?
>Good God...
>You were going to be a father again.
>The realization hit you like a nuclear bomb.
>You stroked Celestia as she slept fitfully. You ran a hand across her belly, thinking about the life that was growing within.
>Life. New life.
>For the first time in a long time, there was going to be something new.
>Someone new to cherish and love and be thankful for.
>You smiled, despite your worries.
>You were blessed.
---
>You didn't sleep as much after her announcement. She slept alot. Her stomach swelling gently over the course of millions of years.
>Alicorns have a very slow gestation period, apparently.
>The pregnancy was hard on her. Her hair grew an even more brilliant white, and lost some of its cohesion.
>She was very tired, unable to stay awake for long. Sometimes she would only stir for a moment, look at you, just to make sure you were still holding her. She would kiss you, smile, and go back into hibernation.
>Other times she would stay awake and....
"Perhaps we can invite Twilight and her friends to the castle. This will be a very special occasion. I haven't seen my dear student in so long, she can make a very enjoyable weekend out of it."
>"Of course, Princess." You held her hoof as she gestured out to a court that wasn't there.
"You can be so stuffy sometimes, Anon." she looked at you with excitement, "I know just how to get Luna out of that castle on the moon. I shall invite her as well. I hardly get to see my sister these days and...and..."
>She stared off into empty space.
"I was doing it again."
>"Yes."
"It's getting worse."
>Her lucidity was slipping. Sometimes she would just talk nonsense, or speak as though she was in a different place in some far-off time. It scared you.
>But you did your best not too let it show.
>"It's just the stress, love. You're undergoing a lot of changes." You kissed her. "I've seen women act worse when pregnant."
>You rubbed her belly. She draped her forehooves around you.
"No, it's more than that. Anon, I've been having dreams."
>"What kind of dreams?"
"Strange dreams. I dream of new stars and planets and wonderful things that have never been."
>"Sounds nice."
"I think I see her...with you."
>She looks at you.
"Anon...I think something might happen when she is born. I don't know what. Just be ready."
>"Yes. Don't worry. Just rest. I'll be here with you, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you or our little princess here."
>She laughed.
"Have you thought of a name yet?"
>"I have a few ideas."
"Well," she playfully kissed at your chest, "I'll let you surprise me when the time comes."
>"Lookin' forward to it."
"Just be there for me."
>"I will. I have absolutely nowhere else I'd rather be.
"I just -I just want to stay awake a little while longer with you, my love."
>And so she did. She stayed awake with you and you laughed and talked about warm suns, old friends, and sweet days long passed.
>It was lovely.
And then she slept, and grew more tired and delusional. The skin under her eyes grew dark and her joints stif. Her hair became more and more vaporous and didn't flow in any particular pattern anymore.
>Her voice became vaguely disembodied. She sounded like far-off thunderstorms again. Her quiet words echoed throughout the void.
>Her wings lost some of their luster. A few feathers fell away and quickly crumbled into dust.
>You did not tell her about that part.
>You had no idea what an alicorn pregnancy was supposed to look like...
>But you couldn't wait for this to be over and prayed that everything would okay.
---
>And soon enough the day did come.
>She went into labor.
>You delivered foals before.
>Each one was different. There was screaming and cursing and crying and a lot of nasty mess.
>You knew what you were doing, but you were always a little nervous.
>But this-
>This scared the shit out of you.
>She was screaming in ways that made more than noise. The very nothingness that you inhabited shook beneath the birth pangs.
>Her wings flared out and waved powerfully, threatening to blow you away.
>Her horn was lightning hot.
>You positioned your self in front of her.
>Light was coming out from places it no business coming from.
>It was like a portal to another dimension.
>You felt an immense fiery heat as you placed your hands before her.
"An-A-Anon!"
>"I know. We're going to get through this!" you screamed
>There were flashes of unlightning that glowed like some kind of holy reckoning.
>"Push!"
>She screamed.
>"You're doing good. You're doing so good."
>How was this even going to work? You were very realistically worried the baby was going to launch itself out of there like a damned cannon ball.
"Agh! Anon, I don't think I can -I don't think!"
>"Don't think, just push!"
>Come one, you can do this, girl. You've raised the sun, you've made stars, and treated all of existence like a vhs tape before, you got this babe, you got this.
>"Deep breaths, come on. I want to name her already!"
>Her eyes turned red and she stared murderous light at you.
>"You can kill me after this, come on."
>She screamed. She screamed loud. She screamed so loud you could feel it shooting through time itself. The unnatural atoms of your body shook and warped.
>It took all of your will to remain focused .
>And then you saw something. Something bright was moving into the universe.
>"She's coming."
>More flashes of lightning.
>By now her whole body began to light up. Her wings looked as though they were made of pure energy, the feathers blending into each other and tracing their way through space.
>You felt as though you were goingto be disintegrated by their very heat.
>But you can't.
>Your child is coming.
>"One more time. You've got this, Celestia. You can do this.
>She opened her mouth and made no sound. There was just this extra-wordly force that expelled from her mouth. It scrambled you brain to listen to it.
>And then she stopped screaming and collapsed.
>The baby came from her.
>Despite the cacophony and light show, it was a very...clean birth. There were no after products. The light from her womb simply dimmed away.
>Your child glowed. You brought her towards you. She was small.
>She was so small.
>The light around her began to dissipate like fireflies on a treelimb.
>You truly saw your daughter for the first time.
>She was beautiful. She was more than beautiful. She was perfect.
>Her fur was the purest white, just like her mother's. Her mane was mosty solid, but still held traces of the same cosmic swirl that would blossom into a full ribbon of energy as she grows. It was sky-blue and gold.
>She took her first, deep breath.
>Your heart froze.
>And then she began to cry.
>The sounds of a newborn child filled the dark, empty abyss for the first time.
>Tears welled up from your eyes.
"A...non..."
>You looked at Celestia.
>Oh no.
>Your heart dropped like a brick at the sight of her. She raised herself onto her forehooves shakily. But she didn't have hooves.
>She was falling to pieces.
>Her legs broke away along their length, ending in a bright cloud of white dust and sparkling embers.
>She was crying.
"I know...what's going to happen now."
>Her voice dropped in and out of focus, going from world-covering thunderstorms to crystal clarity.
>She looks at you. Her face is heartbreak.
"I'm s--orr--y."
>"No...no, no nonnoono." You ran up to her. You brought a free hand to her face and touched her ever so gently.
>Small specks of light crumbled away at your touch. You bring back your hands.
>No, no god no please, not this, not now.
>She tried to smile. She brought her wings, now mile long lines of bending light, around the two of you.
>"I wan----t ---to se--e her."
>You held your child to her mother.
>She took her from your hands using gentle magic and she beheld her.
>A tear fell from her face, drawing glowing cracks where it traveled.
"She is t----he most beautiful thing-----I have ever se---en."
>She kissed her.
>The interior of her body began to burn away slowly. You were half blinded by the sight of her.
"What...what is her name?
>"Astra...I...wanted to call her Astra." You smile sheepishly. "Th-thought I'd keep up with the theme."
>She nuzzled her child. The baby cooed at her mothers touch.
"Little Astra. Your mother loves you. Your father loves you. With all of our hearts, we love you. Never forget this."
>She kissed her again.
>She gave you the child.
>"Cel-Celestia." Your words were choking. She was going to leave you. She can't leave you. No, please. Please. "There...there has to be something we can do, some kind of trick we haven't figured out yet, please."
>Her brow knitted together in pure compassion. She looked like an angel.
>She was an angel.
"Anon...this is...th--is is something I have to do. For you, and for her.
>Mostly her face remained now. There was a vague outline of the rest of her body. Like she composed of a million galaxies.
"I'm...I'm not afraid, Anon."
>She had that billion year stare going on.
>She looked at you with eyes made of violet gems.
"This feels right."
>"But...you said...you said you'd never leave me. You promised."
>She sobbed.
"I did. I did promise you that. But I'm not leavin---g, Anon. My light will never stop shining for you."
>"But how can I...I can't raise her by myself. Not a child like her. Celestia, you know things, things I just can't comprehend, I...I..."
"Everything will be ok---ay, Anon. A long time ago...I said you needed to love me."
"And you did. You were my greatest friend and my grandest love. You stayed with me and held me and gave me a reason to live."
>Her face shimmered in the heat and the light.
>Where her heart was there was immense red flame.
"And now you give me a reason to move on. I know this isn't right of me...but...but I need one more thing...."
>You looked at her. "What? Anything, please."
"I need you to ---love---her."
>Your child cuddled deeply into your arms.
>"I will. I will. You never..." you had to catch your breathe. "never have to worry about that."
"Thank-you, my heart. Just remember, this isn't death..."
>"No..." You wiped at your eyes. "We're immortals. We don't get off that easily."
"I'm going to send you away now. I love you, I've always ----loved--- you and I --alway--s will."
>You reach out to touch her. She rubs her face into your hand.
>It burns, but you don't care.
"Smile for ---me---, please."
>You do. It hurts, but you do...just to make her happy.
"Goodbye, Anon."
>She pulsed. You saw her wings stretch out and wrap around her
>You were flung back. Far back. Farther then you've ever been away from her this entire time.
>You reached your hand out for her as she rapidly become smaller and smaller.
>"I love you", you whispered.
>And then there was darkness.
THE
SUN
RISES
>And there was light.
>In all the universe, there was now exactly one star. It was the biggest, brightest, hottest star that ever was, or ever will be.
>"That's my girl..."
>You floated there, holding Astra, staring at the light of your love and bathing in her warmth.
>She was so far away.
>You felt the tears on your eyes and did not try to move them.
>In the illumination you saw the great clouds of cosmic dust that swam through the void.
>Even now, mere seconds after the birth of this new star, the dust began to react to the heat and new source of intense gravity.
>It began to circle around it, changing into different shapes, being affected right down to their non-molecules and atoms.
>A few bits of hydrogen began to pull themselves together in the light.
>It would take a while before planets would form again...
>Other stars would have to be made first...
>Astra began to cry softly.
>You stroked her mane and bounced her lightly in your arms.
"Shh, shh, little one. Daddy is here. He'll always be here."
>You looked at the star. At Celestia's grandest light and greatest gift to you.
"And Mommy's here too."
>This was going to be hard. This was going to be the single most difficult thing you ever had to embark upon, but at least you weren't alone.
"And we both...we both love you."
>You smiled. You wanted to scream, and cry and just collapse into yourself, but you smiled all the same.
>You had hope.
>For this was the dawn of a new universe.
>And truly were you blessed.
>All is darkness.
>All is cold.
>All is dust.
>You do not know what year it is, for so many have passed.
>You are Anonymous.
>And the Universe has ended.
>Entropy has taken its toll on existence. Planets have crumbled, the stars have burned out, the black holes fell victim to hawking radiation.
>As it turns out, this Universe doesn't know what the fuck to do with you, and you are somewhat exempt from the laws of physics. As reality disintegrated, you were left whole and untouched, effectively immortal, bearing witness to the fall of reality. Now all that is left is you, dust, and Princess Celestia.
>And it's been that way for a long time.
>Not that you really mind. Sure you've gone loco on-and-off in the countless and unchanging trillions of years. But then again, you've gone crazy waaaaay before everything went south, so it was all just part of the larger pattern for you. Besides, it's been a long time since your last bout of koo-koo. You felt proud of yourself. You like to think you've adapted to your current existence, making up knock-knock jokes and doing Hank Hill impersonations.
>Not that Celestia actually paid any attention to those.
>She hasn't done much for the past few eons.
>You look at her. Dust covers her form. She's curled up as small as she can, her wrings wrapped tightly around her. Her hair is dim. Almost colorless. It hangs limply around her, like wet satin. The last time you saw her eyes she had this weird sort of billion-year stare going on.
>It was slightly better than her babbling on about friendship or trying to reanimate cosmic dust into a new student or something. She kept trying to do that for the first eighteen million years, it got really annoying.
> Even though her magic wasn't anywhere near what it used to be, you're pretty sure she's the only reason the barest thread of reality is holding, but her grasp on it is tenuous at best.
>Yeah, Celest is pretty bummed out.
>In fact, you're pretty sure she'd end it all if she could. She tried killing herself five trillion years after the last star went out, but just couldn't pull it off. There was screaming, and flashes of un-lightning...it was actually pretty fucking creepy. But the point was she couldn't end it, even though she clearly wanted too. You thought she just really needed to fucking chill out and keep herself busy, like you did.
>But still, you didn't like thinking of that particular eon. It made you feel....
>Nope.
>You were bored.
>You haven't had a conversation for a few billion years, and you felt chatty all of a sudden.
>"Hey Celestia, you DTF?"
>She looks at you.
>YFW
Her eyes are red. And they look so...so tired. You can tell she's coming back from a far away place where she tries very hard not to think about her curse of spending eternity in an void with you.
"Wh...what?"
>Her voice is like some far off thunderstorm, powerful, all encompassing, but faded and tired. The dust shakes from her.
>"DTF. Down-To-Fuck! Just you and me. It's not like there's anyone around to catch us. Break the monotony a little bit, get the blood pumping. Unf. I mean, come one, we're friends, right?"
>Yeah. This was a totally good idea. A round of hokie-pokie would bring her right out of her slump and get her talking again. Who knows, maybe she'll even start playing charades with you!
>She stares.
>"I've been freezing my balls off here for like...an eternity. I think the last time I got one off was eighty trillion years ago to some photons colliding. I don't even know if my friendship cannon works anymore. Hell, I think I jizzed ice last time. I mean, jeeze, what do I have, a penis or a popsicle?"
>She blinks. Twice. She takes about twenty years between the two.
>"Who knows, maybe a little sweet bestial lovin' might warm up the place."
>And her eyes widen.
>She seems to consider it.
>"Come on baby, we're nothing but mammals, so let's do it how they do on the Discovery Channel." Damn, you missed that shit.
>She mutters something.
>"Say huh? Didn't catch that."
"You...are my friend."
>Low thunderstorms again.
>True, you two were never what anyone would call "close" before the end days, but since then you liked to think you two developed a real bond. She didn't even start screaming and crying everytime you looked at her anymore.
"You...are my ONLY friend."
>"That's right. Besties. You and me, two peas in a pod."
"And that will have to do."
>She stretched out. Her wings flared out fully, sending out tons of dust flying lightyears in every direction, like a sail that never stopped unfurling. You were blown back a considerable distance.
>And for the first time in a very, very, very long time, her eyes began to glow.
"Come Anon."
>She drifted towards you.
"Let's make some magic."
>HOT DAMN!
>She's reared up over you. You forgot how big she was. Her large fore hooves wrap themselves gently around your shoulders and she looks at you with her big, purple, tired eyes.
>And yet...you see something in them. You want to say hope, but you weren't sure that existed anymore. You remember the last time she hoped for something...
>Oh fuck.
>Oh shit.
>You were remembering.
>Your jimmies began to rustle for the first time in a very, very, very, long fucking time.
>It was the last star in the Universe. A sad little carbon star born out of the pitiful refuse of a dead galaxy. The Universe had gone dark by then, but Celestia picked up on that small, microscopic speck of light and she took off for it. It took you a forever to catch up to her. You weren't as fast as she was.
>You found her circling it. It was dim, dusty, and not nearly as warm as the sun she used to command, but still, she was bringing all of her powers down upon it.
>Bolts of magic shot from her horn onto the star as she orbited it. It glowed slightly brighter, almost seemed to grow a little bigger. You watched from afar, afraid to get to close. She had an incredible look on her. She was desperate. Scared. Determined.
>Hopeful.
>She never stopped flying. She had plans for that cloudy star. She wanted to bring it back, all of it.
>Yet even with her ministrations the star only lasted two million years. When it went, there was no vast supernova, no final glorious spell of brilliant light. In the broken universe it just dissipated, like a candlelight that couldn't hold itself together.
>Even then she tried to hold it together. You never seen her go all out on something like that. She held the dust of the star together, every flake, every atom of the thing together by sheer willpower for years, pumping her very life force into the husk, but in the end she let go just before she could die.
>She screamed as it fell apart.
>She screamed for a long time.
>You didn't like thinking about that.
>Your hands wrapped around her strong neck and you hugged her tightly. Her head rested against your back. You could feel her fore hooves tighten against you. You were both cold, but it felt nice.
>"I'm sorry." Why the fuck did you say that?
>There were tears welling up behind your eyes. Which is weird because tears are for pussies. You really hoped you weren't going crazy again.
>She rubbed against your hair and began to nuzzle into it, pulling gently against your scalp, breathing softly against your ear.
"I've been angry, Anon. I've been beyond anger. And beyond sadness." She placed head against yours. You traced your hands slowly across her jawline. "There was nothing you could do about it. Nothing either of us could."
>Different parts of your brain began to work. Parts that made you afraid. Synapses that made you remember and made you scared and made you regret. It took you trillions of years to turn those parts off and now they were lighting up all of a sudden. You were starting to regret this.
>But..."I could've...been there. I was there, but I wasn't. Not for you. I'm sorry." You shook your head. "I'm so sorry." It was true. When things were going dark you started to ignore her. You talked to yourself about the dumbest crap and tried to forget about all the friends and loved ones you had. You wanted to forget about Celestia, think of her as something less than a person.
"I tried to bring back the dead. That has always been beyond my power, but for some reason I kept trying. I neglected you. My one friend I've always had." You could feel tears on her face. "Dirt and dust and dying particles were more precious to me than you. Somehow...the idea that you are exactly what I need never occurred to me."
>She pulled back and looked at you.
>Hope.
"You say you're sorry. Then help me."
>"How?"
"Be my friend. Be the greatest friend I ever had or will have. I'm going to trust you with something. I need you to be honest with me. Loyal, kind...I need you to give me everything you can bear. Please."
>She kissed you. Tentatively at first, as if she was trying to remember how it was done. You responded. Your lips pressed and brushed against hers, breaths intermingling, taking in each others scent, truly for the first time, it seemed. You held it, savoring something new.
"I need you to love me."