Din is on the hunt. It happened a little too quickly for me to notice at first. But when I found myself standing amongst a field of golden flowers and seven thrones of varying heights, Din's eagerness began to well up in me.

"Run while you can, little snake! Hide where you will! I can always correct the mistake!" Din spoke through me with a wild grin. I looked around.

“Where is this place?” I asked.

“The Pillars of Creation. A testimony to the first who followed her light. They gathered here in the center of your world, isolated by the planes to bask in her light. And now, forever forgotten.” The voice of Ouroboros echoed. I looked around, trying to pinpoint where he would be hiding.

"Is it really so special?" I called out, hoping to have him respond. Din even separated her attention from me to look for herself as Ouroboros responded.

"To us it is insignificant. Only a memoir to those who truly felt close to her light.” Ouroboros spoke.

“So then why this place?” I asked, still scanning the foggy horizon. Ouroboros suddenly appeared on the tallest throne, having to crane my neck upward to see him. He was in his pony form. His snake tail whipping in the air as he boredly looked down at us.

“Because it was the first time, I truly realized the amusement mortals and immortals alike provided me. Preaching and teaching her light. Creating a society that worshipped the very being who gave them life. Unaware how great the darkness of their thrones casted. So, I appeared to them as an initiate. Integrating into the mortal rules and regulations they have so thought of with no end. And when their follies finally caught up… all that was left was a field of gold.” Ouroboros explained. I frowned a little.

“Why tell us this?” I asked suspiciously. Ouroboros shifted his bored look.

“Passing the time. For what, I’m not certain anymore. But we have all the time in the world to figure it out.” He replied. I aimed my halberd up at him.

“We don’t have time for reminiscing. Who knows how long my realm has after we cut your head off.” I spoke. Ouroboros chuckled and rubbed his neck.

“Indeed. But before you deliver the final blow, I want to play one last game. To see if it was all worth watching over since my creation.” He said. Din gave an audible grunt of displeasure from me.

“Why waste time? You failed in your duty. Give up.” Din spoke through me. Ouroboros smirked and wagged a singular claw.

“Din, my overly brash and impatient fire star. You’ve already won. You can at least relish in your victory by fulfilling this snake’s last visages of life.” He said. Din rolled my eyes.

“Boooooring. All of the offense, but you have been on my nerves for millennias. I'm not waiting another damn one bit on you." I flourished my halberd and primed to chuck it at him. However, Din looked surprised when I suddenly separated her from my body, dropping my halberd and falling face flat into the ground. Din stood over me, blinking quizzically before glaring daggers at me. She didn't hesitate to stamp on my head and grind her hoof on it. "What the hell are you even trying to do!?! Are you truly planning on betraying me after all we've been through!?!" Din hissed. I winced, looking up at her with one eye.

"I... did it specifically... because of what we've been through... You're not the one... planning to be erased..." I rasped. Din's look softened a bit before scoffing and taking her hoof off of me.

"Bah! Why do I even bother??" She growled. I stood up and gave her a warm smile that she chose to ignore. Picking up my halberd, I stabbed the butt of it into the ground and looked up at the snake pony.

“You already gave us your sob story. Why should we hear this one?” I asked coldly. Ouroboros leaned casually onto his claw wrist.

“Oho, no. No sob story, I promise. Just several words of advice. First, I must say this. Quiet Fire, you’ve certainly have come a long way from the pissed-herself mare. Certainly, you have grown into the mare you truly wanted, yes?” He eyed me curiously. I felt myself hesitating a little. Din’s frown corrected me, and I stood firm in my answer.

“I know what mare I need to be. Wasn’t given much of a choice of who I wanted to be. But that doesn’t matter anymore.” I lowered my head a little, thinking back on my journey. “Yes, a lot has happened to me. Some I wish didn’t and some I wish I could have done more. I only realize now how much I’m questioning my own mortality. Sunville made sure of that.” Ouroboros smirked a little.

“Out of all the hamlets and villages you’ve saved, Sunville was the one that made you question yourself? Ahh yes, the plight of the heroine. Indeed, you held onto your mortality more than you realized.” He replied. Din gave a skeptical snort but remained quiet. I narrowed my look at him.

“But if you know what I am and who I’d be, why put me through so many resets? Surely, I wouldn’t have been that bad.” I spoke. “Did I really put the realm in so much danger for just existing?” Ouroboros sighed and slumped in the throne a little, suddenly becoming older than his primal visage allowed him to.

“Believe me, I have tried to find other ways. I felt sorry for you, ya’ know? I tried to punish Starswirl. You ended up causing a lot of damages in that time. I tried many ways to rid of Equualie from interfering or even keeping her in her own resets, but that foolish mortal had taught her more than I expected. I have tried and failed countless times. The world would be destroyed because of your deaths and it’s back to square one.” Ouroboros suddenly leaned forward now. “I even tried to help you gain your existence and that lead to an instant reset.” I began to grow worried.

"And none of this involved Din… at all?" I asked. Ouroboros studied his claws as he replied.

"The other six were selective at first, but each reset involved them picking the same hosts. All except for Din.” He eyed her closely. Din tilted her head slightly. “I couldn’t tell if Equualie had a cause in the matter. But for some… inexplainable reason… Din chose you over another.” Din and I exchanged glances. Din seemed just as lost as I was.

“There was another?” I asked hesitant. Ouroboros nodded with a smile.

“Yes. You wouldn’t know her due to your resets. But then…” his eyes widened. “Yes… so it was her…” He chuckled. “Clever little mare…” I shook my head and aimed my halberd at him.

“Enough vagueness. Who was she?! Why do I fit in?!” I demanded. Ouroboros’s eyes glinted.

“Perhaps it is best if you know somethings before you completely are erased. Very well. Din had chosen another maiden. A mare that lived in a quiet little village away from Equestria. Din saw potential in her and yet… it is odd. It appears she completely erased herself from existence as well. I cannot seem to piece it together very well. All I can see in my mind is a message.” He waved his claw and the gust of wind blew the flowers around us. We looked down to see the golden flowers arranged in a message.

Follow your heart, Din.

Din gasped and suddenly clasped her head, a pained expression on her face.

“Din??” I asked her worriedly, placing a hoof on her back. Ouroboros chuckled.

“Do you understand now, Din? The limitations to the heart you so wished for. You certainly knew the right picks. Excalibur. Her. And now… Quiet Fire.” He leaned cooly in the throne. “Yes… you were directed to Quiet Fire. The path to proper balance. While I toiled away at ensuring Fie here was occupied, you achieved far much more than your sisters. And now, with an existence of your own and free will at your behest, the real question is how do you plan to keep yourself going for the remaining eternity?”

Din grunted before shaking her head slightly and staring at the message.

“I am not worried about rotting away in my watch over balance. I have none. I made my decisions millennias ago. And I intend to keep doing right by those who mattered. Who got me this far.” Din spoke, standing up and facing Ouroboros. “I do not have regrets on asking for a heart. Nor a being of existence. If I am to truly become the apex of this realm, I need to shed my shell and implant myself into one I so chose.” Her look then lowered to me. My eyes widened a little as I noticed a hint of an… apologetic look from her? “No matter the case.”

I studied Din. A genuine glint of shame in her eyes. This is surreal. Din actually doubting herself?? That is beyond incomprehensible. I glanced at the message. Intended for Din, but I can’t help but feel that there was more to it than that.

“I have another question. If my existence wasn’t supposed to happen… then how come it was foretold? My best friend… my sister… found a mural that spoke of me. Said my name in it. Was it real or something to make me feel important?” I asked.

“Equualie has been known to be a bit of a divine prankster as you can believe. She truly felt that a child of a primal and mortal would succeed. Even had the natives believe it as well.” He replied without skipping a beat. I slumped.

“So… my entire existence is truly a lie. Conceived by a grumpy old fart and a trickster and birthed from mortal parents.” Somehow, this made me feel disgusted with myself. I felt filthy. Like I truly had been conjured by inexplicable taboos all at once. Din, however, put a hoof on my back, startling me a bit. She met my look seriously before turning to Ouroboros.

“Whatever Equualie had made my vessel believe, I know she exists.” She began. I was stunned. “I’ve felt her base desires. Her thoughts, emotions. Ideas and how she idiotically tackled situations. I’ve experienced her earliest memories and shared with her my own. I never hid anything from her so long as she asked the right questions. A failsafe for myself to not be too distracted. But when I realized the resets, I began to feel pity. Feel. At that moment, I truly realized my own existence.”

“And how did you know about the resets?” Ouroboros asked coldly and suspiciously. “Surely memories and a being aren’t to blame.” Din stood upright, closing her eyes in thought. She then opened her eyes and grinned.

“A rather painful shock. I’d consider it a therapy at this point.” She chuckled smugly. I balked. Ouroboros didn’t look happy.

“Of course… Even to this day, that damned alicorn was still a thorn needing to be clipped… Her chosen faithful bullshit…” Ouroboros growled. Din shifted her wings as she continued.

“Oh, but that is the sheer irony of it all. They weren’t her chosen. She only chose one. You spent too long staring at the sun’s being rather than the heart.” Din made a mocking gesture of patting her chest. Ouroboros was suddenly in Din’s face. Din didn’t blink nor flinch as she grinned smugly at the snake pony.

“Since when have you began to doubt her light?!?” Ouroboros snapped. Din made a swish motion of her wings towards me.

“When a primal and mortal debate, it is quite the eye opener, wouldn’t you say? Or were you perhaps too busy trying to string about Fie that you failed to even see the issues. Face it, snake. You were too focused on the one issue and half-assing the rest.” Din snickered before waving a hoof in front of her. “I never will doubt her light. But as ever curious as the light herself is, I would do whatever it takes to become the necessary evil for the sake of realm.” Din suddenly walked past him and took to the air, placing herself atop the throne and grinned widely as she looked down at us.

“She broke the very laws of existence. So why should it be any different to I who has broken plenty. Rules are a suggestion, and the bylaws are a thought. You can’t shackle a heart no matter what you do. Excalibur and Quiet Fire made that very clear.” Din adjusted herself in the throne, seemingly satisfied with her position. Ouroboros grumbled under himself.

“Mortals and immortals… Why did she ever create such a waste of her light…?” He snarled coldly. Din hummed slyly.

“The same reason why she created a failure of a specimen like you. I know I am a bitch when it comes to my words, but you of all beings know the truth of what I say. Do you not?” Din replied. Ouroboros was about to speak when we sensed another presence. Looking behind me, I saw a distortion in the fog. Out from thin air stepped out Equualie, still disguised as Galaxae. She shifted a stoic frown.

"So, this is where you all went." She spoke. "You were always one for the flare of the dramatic, Ouroboros.” Equualie walked over to us. Ouroboros whipped his tail around and wrapped it around her neck, lifting her up. She didn’t seem bothered in the slightest by this.

“And you are the reason this all started. Having to clean up your mess. You are nothing like the Creation Mother. And you will be nothing.” He hissed. Equualie met his look.

“It is time to stop blaming everything on other beings, Ouroboros. You created me as a tool to aid you. And I did. Twas not my fault you let yourself grow complacent.” She spoke as the tail seemed to strangle her tightly. “I wonder… twas it you who has forgotten the responsibilities your kind has?”

“Ugh, really with the back and forth?” Din grunted. “Are you here to have a quarrel or are you here to officially inaugurate me as you promised?” Equualie smiled and closed her eyes. My eyes narrowed as her horn began to glow. Thin, wispy silvery strings flailed smoothly outward to the other thrones and began to take color. Once the ethereal colors took form, we were greeted to all seven elements, including Din, sitting upon the throne. However, the other six may have taken form, they are unable to be solidified as the transparency of them were flickering flames at best. Din hummed and shifted her position on her throne. Ouroboros growled as he glanced at the elements taking the throne before sighing and dropping Equualie, who floated down and landed softly on the ground. Ouroboros turned to Din and stood up straight, puffing his chest out.

"Fine. I admit my defeat. You have slain my primordial form and thus have been given full rights to my power. Do what you will. I have no fight left in me.” Ouroboros said, his shoulders seemingly easing. Like all the weight of his position having finally left him and he had the best relief possible in his entire lifetime. Galaxae walked past Ouroboros and looked up at Din.

“Tis your call. I am forever bound by the one who continues to watch the balance as a tool, as I’ll ever be.” She bowed. Din snorted in annoyance.

“Oh, really? How droll.” Din then paused and had a small grin spread across her muzzle. “But then again… I think I already have my first task for you.” She met Equualie’s eyes and the primal nodded.

“As you desire.” She began before turning to Ouroboros. The snake pony eyed her expectantly. And in a blink of an eye, several spectral chains and hooks shot down and stabbed into wherever they could onto the snake and lifted him high into the air, suspended and restrained at the limbs. Din cackled.

“I still have some use of you, snake. But you are not to speak, so your mouth will be removed and hidden amongst the planes. You are not to see or observe so your eyes will not be your own and instead be assimilated into my own. You are not to hear nor feel nor smell, thus your scales will be carved and used for better things for my own personal amusement. You will forfeit all your powers of manipulation to Equualie and be nothing more than a husk of a trophy forever bound to the shackles of darkness. Light will not touch you for as long as you breathe.” Din smugly grinned and waved a wing casually in farewell.

“Sayonara, snake. No being will miss you.” She cackles softly. I watched as Ouroboros remained stoic, going limp as the chains began to pull him up into the foggy sky, his silhouette vanishing not long after. Din inhaled in satisfaction, feeling proud. “At last. Victory is mine.”

Equualie turned to me, smiling.

“I have never been prouder of you, my dear daughter.” She brushed a bang out of my face. I was quick to pull away and stepped back a bit.

“You’re not my mother.” I coldly spoke. Equualie looked a bit hurt but nodded softly.

“Tis the only regret I have in my lifetime. Hiding you away from the gaze of Ouroboros. When you were in my womb, I began to feel something… odd. A paternal instinct that I was certain primals wouldn’t have. I am glad you were brought into this world. Even glader that it was Din and you to come out on top.” I looked past her to Din, who seemed to return my look with contemplation. I frowned and faced Equualie.

“All my life I’ve been a waste of space. That’s all I thought after my best friend left me and I flunked out of school. And now, my life had been nothing but a lie. How long have my real friends and family have died? How many times have they died or lived differently? Why… why did it have to be me?” I lowered my head a little, throwing my hood over my head. I studied my hoof. “Even now, I can feel the last ebb of my being imprinting onto Din. I couldn’t feel hot nor cold. I couldn’t feel pain nor happiness nor sadness. My body reacted upon instinct.

“I couldn’t even feel my heart. I have died not once, but twice now. And how many other times have I’ve died before all that?” I dropped my hoof and sighed. “Not that it matters anymore. This is my last chance to make something of myself and I did. And yet, I feel no accomplishment nor glee. I feel nothing. And I leave now without ever having to properly say good-bye to them.” Equualie sadly looked at me before meeting the eye of Din. Din was lost in thought, seemingly in a daze.

Sensing that she was being confided in, she blinked and looked at Equualie. Without a word, she gave a soft nod. Equualie turned back to me and smiled, holding out her hoof.

“There is still time. Din needs to settle in. I can take you to them and you can officially say your good-byes.” She said. I blinked quizzically in instinct before looking up Din. She was not meeting my eyes. She seemed greatly bothered by something. Perhaps she did need a bit more time to adjust to her new position. I looked at Equualie’s extended hoof and hesitantly took it. In a blink of an eye, I found myself cracking loudly back into my home.

The hole in my house was still there. The ponies outside did react to the strange sound but seemed to remain focused looking up at the sky. The ponies who took notice, however, were my companions and my family. They all looked shocked as they were seemingly in the middle of planning something. No doubt to try and aid our fight against Ouroboros. It was Thi, despite her pregnancy, was the first to hug me. Followed by Cloudchaser. Then Flitter and Scribble. Then my family.

I felt something tickle my cheek, dabbing my hoof softly to something wet. I hadn’t noticed I was crying. I sniffled once and began to wipe my eyes. I returned my hugs tightly.

“What happened to you??” Cloudchaser asked worriedly. I took a moment to gather myself. Mustering up my courage, I faced my loved ones.

“B-believe it or not. A lot in a short amount of time.” I shuddered. Thi arched a worried brow.

“We can tell. Fickle disappeared not long after yours and then all of a sudden, we were watching a projected image of Ouroboros clashing with you and the others. We could hear everything, and it was… well… it was louder than we expected.” Thi explained. “Are you okay? What happened?” I nodded my head softly, smiling reassuringly.

“I-I am now. And to sum it up… we won.” I said. My siblings and Flitter peeked their heads out of the hole in my house.

“Everything did go quiet suddenly.” Flitter began. “But I’m guessing that giant spot beside the moon is Ouroboros?” I nodded.

“Din kept her promise. And now… she sits upon the Pillars of Creation at the center of our earth.” I answered. My father smiled softly.

“Huh… so we are safe now? No more destruction upon our world?” He asked. I shook my head.

“Evil and darkness will always be around. And the light will always be present. That’s the law of the world. The seven’s duty has been fulfilled. Din is making some final adjustments before getting settled.” I replied. No pony argued this. There is still a lot that needs to be done for the world, but now it’ll be up to the mortals and immortals this time. Tender Hoof approached me and smiled, passing me a cup of tea.

“Then perhaps it’s best you rest up. We’ll be fixing the wall here.” She said. I took the tea absentmindedly, staring at my reflection in the liquid. I had noticed my eyes were no longer swirling with the galaxies. They were normal. Normal orchid eyes, with no signs of a primal residing within me. And as I studied my reflection, I noticed something else. I looked down at my chest, seeing many shines of magical string attached to my friends and family. They were winding and trailing along the ground like a web, with most leading outside and disappearing amongst the crowds of ponies or off to some unknown place.

And then I saw Equualie. She was humming softly outside the hole of the house and snipping away at the strings. She gave me a warm apologetic smile, as if she was caught in a mess she made. I didn’t need to ask myself about this. Time is starting to run out for me. I took a deep breath and sipped the tea. It was bitter but sweet. I placed the tea on my coffee table.

“Believe me… I would love to fall asleep here and now but… “ I began to make my way to the hole in the wall, eyeing the strings. “My journey still isn’t over. I…” I took a deep breath and turned to them. “I wanted to wait for the right moment but time is running out.”

“Fie… Fie you can’t mean that.” Thi began suddenly, walking forward. “What happened to you? What happened to you after Illion??” I met the stern worried look in her eyes.

“Fie…?” Cloudchaser stepped forward and took my hoof in her’s. I lowered my head. My body reacted with more tickles down my cheek. I rose my head to face them with a smile.

“It is for the sake of balance. I am not supposed to exist. Continuing to do so will cause more trouble than it is worth.” I sniffled.

“I refuse to believe that.” My mother spoke suddenly. She stepped forward with my father, their looks serious. “We birthed you. You were meant to come into this world. We wanted you. And I…” My mother faltered. “I have so many regrets. And I… I didn’t want one more with you. You weren’t an accident nor were you a burden. I am a fool… I should have spent better time with you. Be a better mother…” My eyes widened a bit. I have never seen my mother cry before. My father consoling her as he met my look sadly.

“I’ll admit, I have been busy on my own and haven’t been the helicopter papa you wanted. But I… I felt I didn’t need to. You were going to make mistakes and learn from them. You are a smart mare. You enjoyed your fillyhood as best you could. We only wanted to… well… make sure that when you were the last one to leave us, you’d be okay.” He spoke. “You don’t know how much it meant to us that you reached back out to us. I just hoped it had been not in the state you were in.”

“Do you really have to go, sis?” My brother asked sadly. My sister pulled me in for a hug. She didn’t need to say anything. My sister was never one to show much emotion, but I appreciated her having at least taken time for me when I was a filly. All my memories of my filly hood flooded back to me. And now that I am here, my family surrounding to hug me, not wanting to let me go, I had been a fool myself. I didn’t realize how well I had it. A home. Parents. Siblings. Friends. And the expectation of training me to be a Royal Guard? I now believed my mom when she was trying to get us out of Hoofington with the help of dad.

I wanted to bawl my eyes out. I wanted to crumple right then and there with my family. But I was only reacting to it. That is, until I felt a strange pain in my chest. I followed through with my wants. I held onto them, regrets welling up into the missed moments I could have had with them. I am going to miss them. And I did. Before I knew it, my friends followed suite, joining in on the moment.

I had been a fool. A fool with too many regrets. And I would leave them with such a morbid amount of thoughts. But what could I have done? I wouldn’t have the time to full remedy it. But then I remembered the two months I had of peace time. In fact, it quickly quelled my regrets. The memories I had of spending missed time with my family, being normal and ensuring we were settled comfortably in Canterlot. Picking out a house with Scribble and Thi. Going on a weekly date with Cloudchaser with Flitter occasionally tagging along.

Enjoying the peace party that Pinkie Pie threw with Ponyville at our victory of returning home. Official knighting and medals of honor from Princess Celestia and Luna. Working closely with Twilight and Starswirl on the knowledge of the three planes. I realized how much I had managed to do within the two months. It almost felt like a book being skimmed as I reminisced. I looked up, wiping my tears away as we saw Equualie appear in front of us. Everypony pulled away from me but kept close. Save for my mother who held onto me tightly.

“I am truly sorry, for I have done you evil and cannot undo it.” Equualie spoke, caressing the strings that were connected to my friends and family. I felt my mother tighten her hold on me, enough to keep herself known and protective but not hurting me.

“You are not taking her away.” Thi spoke, stepping beside us and glaring at Equualie. She absent mindedly caressed the strings again.

“Admirable, but unfortunately, we do not have the choice.” Equualie replied. She chuckled a little. Not out of amusement, but of irony. “How odd. Despite everything Ouroboros has done, he truly pitied you. These strings are a testament to that. But unfortunately, that caused him to fall into the fate he had.” Equualie shook her head softly. “Truly, an evil most foul.”

“Stop treating her like she is nothing!” Cloudchaser growled as she stepped forward with Flitter, the sisters looking none too happy. Equualie tilted her head.

"Of course she is nothing. Despite what her existence is, she has truly grown into a mare beyond existence. Ascended to nothing. A rather beautiful transformation. Like fire from wood." Equualie smiled. "She has fulfilled her purpose in the mortal realm and now she must take her place back to where she truly belongs. Amongst the stars."

"Don't give us that bullshit." Thi growled. "Fie is done with her mission. So why do you keep bothering us?!" Equualie remained stoic, weaving the strings together like a braid.

"Because my sole existence is to be a tool to aid the one who brings balance." Her eyes met the four others in the room. The very four that conjured by Ouroboros as a bargaining means for me. Lavender stepped forward with the other three in front of her. They eyed the ponies in the room.

"I am afraid she is correct. Mistress's true purpose was to bring balance and ascend. She has done both. But because she is of mortal and primal blood, she is considered a husk among the star beings. An abomination no less." Lavender spoke sadly.

"We were created to sway mistress should she have done so. But instead, she gave us a better and fresh meaning to our lives. And because of her efforts to break the bylaws, we too have become ascended in a way." Bubble chimed in. "We have become tied to this realm and imprinted ourselves into mortal livelihood. We are considered abominations ourselves. And yet..."

"We are ever grateful for mistress to provide us an existence. We are truly lucky to be able to live among you all as normalities in the realm. But mistress cannot do the same anymore. Ouroboros has tirelessly worked to ensure Fie's existence should be eradicated. It needs to be done. For as long as she continues to exist, she will begin to destroy the realm." Tender spoke. She then pointed at me. My friends and family looked at me and their eyes widened. I tiredly tilted my head before looking down at myself. I gasped as my movement to study myself ripped a sudden tear in reality. Everypony backed away, save for my mother. She tried to pull me away, but a bigger tear in reality ripped open as she did. Looking closer, the tears were beginning to grow slowly. My mother quickly dragged me outside, only to have Lavender buck her away from me.

"Do not move her any further!!" Equualie suddenly boomed. My mother rolled deftly onto her hooves and readied herself. I have never seen my mother angry. The four maids lined up side by side, their weapons drawn to face my mother. I noticed my friends beginning to move but suddenly they all froze in their gallops. Including my father and siblings off the side, ready to spring into action. Equualie walked out of the hole in my house, avoiding the tear and walking over to me. "I am afraid it is time for you to return back to Din. You know it as well. But please, speak your heart for one last time to your friends and family. We are not cruel." I suddenly coughed as I carefully moved myself to stand. My body was starting to peel away, a dark miasma flailing out of me in small tendrils from the holes.

“She’s right….” I began suddenly. “My time in Caelum has prepared me otherwise. I… I want to deny it all. I want to so badly return to you all and live out my days till I am old. But…” I lowered my head. “No matter what I’ll do to fight it, I’ll only damage more and more. I’ve asked the Fate Weavers about other options… but…” I paused. I didn’t want to continue. My life has been an entire lie. But the only meaning I got out of it were the bonds I’ve made with all the creatures I’ve befriended. I stared down at the strings connected to the ponies in front of me.

“Tis all my fault.” Equualie spoke calmly. “This is true. For I conceived Quiet Fire to fulfill this very purpose. I had not realized what Ouroboros has been doing to her, but in order to keep the balance strong I had to hide her away. With her being older and wiser, she’d be able to tackle all that Ouroboros would throw at her. How right I was.” She smiled at me. I shook my head.

“No… I was never strong. I don’t think I could with all my resets. Din is the one. She was always the one that carried me through. At least… this time she did. But even then, she was stronger before being caught in the resets…” I chuckled to myself a little. “I could never do what Din would on my own.”

“Don’t start talking like that!” I heard Thi shout. I looked over, seeing her trying to struggle. I was about to tell her not to with her condition, but she then slumped a bit, keeping her eyes on me. “You did a lot more than I’ve seen anypony could! You’ve had plenty of ups as you had downs and that’s just part of anypony! And that is what makes you a pony! You were born here in Equestria! You made the friendships! You even showed me, a mare who was on the verge of destroying everything, that second chances are worth fighting for! You may have had a primal inside of you giving you all these insane powers, but it was yourself in the end that mattered to coming this far! And you can go further than this because I know you can! We know you can!”

Thi growled, glaring determinedly at us. “I’ll find a way to make sure that you are still here to live, laugh and love! That’s a promise!”

“Thi…” I began, faltering. I believed her words. I know the kind of pony Thi is. And that’s why… this hurts way more than it should. I shook my head lazily. “I… I really appreciate you care so much about me. I wasn’t something to be proud of at the time, but you gave me that chance and I… well… I missed you.” I replied.

“And I’ll miss you!!” Thi answered without skipping a beat. “I want you around, Fie! I… We need you!” I didn’t realize I still had tears in my eyes. I sniffled and wiped my eyes, smiling softly.

“Thank you… Thi Billet. And thank you… everypony… mom… dad… Blitz and Heart… for making my life as normal as possible… but I cannot stay here any longer…” I replied sadly. I was shocked to hear a chorus of protests from my friends and family all at once. Equualie held up the strings and that quieted everypony.

“I must take her away from here before the decay spreads further. These binds are proof of your bonds and memories of your connection to Quiet Fire. They are also a danger to you all as Quiet Fire’s decay can infect the rest of you. In order to continue our preservation of balance and for your safety… I am afraid that you must forget everything about her.” Equualie spoke.

“Like hell we will!” Cloudchaser growled. “No way we’ll forget about her! You can’t get rid of what the heart feels!” I looked at her tearfully and with a smile. I kept still but made my look clear for her.

“Cloudchaser… thank you… for giving this failure of a mare a chance… Even if our time was short together… I will always cherish our time together. I… I truly do love you. And I wish there was another way…” I slumped slightly. “Flitter… you always mattered even if you supported us from the backlines. Your strength didn’t come from your ability to fight or make yourself known… you being there for us made even somepony like Cloudchaser levelheaded… I hate to see Cloudchaser… sad about this… so please… make sure she has a better life for the future. And one that doesn’t involve a threat to balance…” I sniffled, letting the tears drop but not wiping as I was still aware of the decay my movements caused.

“Mom… Dad… I know we’ve made up but… I truly regret what I’ve done to you both in my youth… I hope that you can forgive this dumb daughter of yours for not appreciating it all…” I looked with only my eyes in their direction. I didn’t realize that my mother was being held back by two of the maid mares, glaring intently in Equualie’s direction. I gave her an apologetic look and she began to struggle against the maids, reaching out to me. I then looked to Thi and Scribble.

“I’m glad that Thi has somepony else who can keep her grounded. I was going to worry I’d leave her with confusion… again…” I chuckled softly before smiling at them, tears beginning to fall down my cheek. “Scribble… I hope you’ll forgive me. Thi will certainly be weird for a while… And Thi?” I looked to my best friend. She had tears trailing down her cheek as she struggled to move a little, her hoof wiggling in an attempt to reach out to me.

“You shut your mouth, Fie!! I’ll find you!! That’s a promise!! No matter what, I won’t give up on you!! Just as you had me!!” She declared through choked breathes. I lowered my head slightly, unable to keep my tears in check. It was something I truly wanted to happen. To go back to them all. But with the way my body is acting currently, I could not bring myself to feel anymore sadness. This is all reactionary instinct. As if my soul is still holding on to this last bit of existence I have left. Or… was it just my body now? Everything was beginning to be fuzzy now.

“Thank you, Thi… But please… be stronger not for my sake. But for the new life you’ll bring to the world. A world where they can live without worry of world ending threats. Take care of each other. That’s what I wish of you.” I smiled at her. “And thanks for coming back to me.” There were a few cries of protest from the ponies in front of me as I lowered my head, nodding slightly. “I’m ready, Equualie. Din is expecting us.” Equualie placed a gentle hoof on my back.

“Be proud of how far you’ve come. And go to her with your head held high. You are a true savior of the world. But none can remember it. That is the price you’ve accepted.” She caressed the strings, tying them together. In one fell swish of her horn she severed the last memories and bonds of those I held close. Their eyes glossed over, including the maids. Everypony hung in their spots, still and lifeless. Equualie dropped the severed strings and walked towards me. "Come. It'll only hurt more if you stay." I sniffled and wiped my eyes again. I gave my friends and family one last look before I turned away.

"Let's go..." I said sadly. Equualie nodded and placed a hoof gently on my back. With a loud crack we found ourselves back at the Pillars of Creation. I looked up tiredly to see Din glazed over in thought. She knew we were here, but she seemed bothered. I blinked. "Everything alright?" I asked her. Din seemed to shift slightly before looking down at me.

"My health is not of your concern. Have you've made peace with your decision?" She asked me. I furrowed my look.

"Din, I've only ever seen you bothered once in our journey... or at least what I can remember. I'm not at peace with my decision without knowing how you are." I replied. Din snorted.

"You are annoying. Like I said, it doesn't concern you. What does it matter anyway? Nothing I value will be lost." She replied, looking boredly down at me. I shifted my head tilt slightly. Din and I stared at each other for a while. Eventually, through her impatient tapping of her hoof on the arm of the throne, she finally grumbled and sat upright. "Fine... since you are so stubborn to know. I am... merely processing everything." Din held her hoof high in front of her. "To hold the entire balance in my hoof. Bending it to my will as I please. And yet, tied to the bylaws that prevent me from obtaining true power." She studied her hoof before waving it in dismissal. "But I suppose the power I have now will suffice. Harmony, Power and Balance all in one place. And I am left with a strange feeling." She then softly placed a hoof to her chest. "It seems what I desired thousands of years ago is now cursing me. Weighing me down from my true service to balance." I studied Din, realizing what she was pertaining to.

"You must be feeling confliction." I spoke up. Din eyed me.

"Oh?" She replied. I shook my head slightly.

"Or perhaps you feel empty. Because you can't fully obtain absolute power over the cosmos because of certain means and have achieved your highest, you now are left with a blunder of having to service yourself to everycreature tied to balance itself. I'm not quite sure why you are feeling this way as this is entirely what you strived for. You wanted to be the apex of balance. Apex of the world. And here you are. So... what's really bothering you?" Din studied me before sighing and slumping into her throne.

"How annoying... Since the start of our coexistence, you have been nothing but a thorn in my side until the very end. And yet, I have grown... fond of our time." Din rested her head against her hoof. "I have never lied to you. I have no reason to hide this emotion, prideful as I may be. Have you truly said your good-byes?" She eyed me. I shook my head.

"Not fully. I haven't said good-bye to you. Though... I debated myself about it since I know how you are. But if you truly need some weight off your shoulders, then I'll be happy to stick around for you until I am fully erased." I smiled softly. Din growled before calling her halberd and chucking it at me. I didn't flinch as the halberd grazed my cheek and impaled itself into the ground behind me. Din had vanished and appeared over me, standing on her hooves on the upward shaft of the halberd.

"Don't give me that look!! Like a lost puppy with nothing to live for! It makes me sick to my existence to see such a disgraceful look!! Especially from you!!" She snarled. I only looked out of my peripheral to meet her gaze.

"So why is it bothering you? Are you that concerned about me?" I asked with a soft smile. "I guess you took my words to heart at Illion, eh?" Din reared up, priming herself to strike me down. Only, she stopped and stepped off the halberd, kicking it out of the ground and shouldering it.

"Why indeed. I shouldn't dwell on it any longer. Tell me, Quiet Fire. What do you truly think of what we've accomplished?" She spoke, meeting my gaze. I was silent for a bit before gathering my thoughts.

"Fulfilling." I replied. "You were the only one to truly stick with me in the end. You took a while to come around but I truly felt you and I had a genuine connection to each other." I smiled softly. "I think what you are feeling is loss." Din blinked at this.

"Loss?" She asked. I nodded.

"Remember how you told me you took several pages out of Excalibur's own personality? I could tell, even if you weren't aware of it then, how much you missed him. So much so that you exhibited his imprinting to heart. You even wished for one during his time. Which means that he must have convinced you otherwise, right?" Din snorted.

"And how could you possibly know that from vagueness?" She asked me with a narrow look. I chuckled softly.

"I just have a knack of reading ponies. You do know that, right?" I teased. "Joking aside, I remember our conversations. It doesn't take much to put two and two together. So... forgive me if I have to say this. Are you... going to miss me?" Din went silent. She took to the air and sat herself on the highest throne, halberd perched lazily behind her.

"Miss you? Is that what loss is?" She asked more to herself. She studied her hoof again, staying silent. Eventually, she widened her eyes a little at me. I didn't need to look. I knew what she was surprised about. Equualie stepped forward, bowing.

"Din. I shall get everything ready for your reign. Please, take all the time you need." She said before turning to me. She softly brushed my greying mane out of my face. I felt lighter. Almost hollow. My body beginning to blacken and peel away from me, leaving an empty space. It was getting hard to stand. Equualie gave me a gently kiss on my forehead where my horn used to be. "Rest easy, my dear." She said. My legs wobbled before giving way. I was expecting to hit the ground, but I found myself staring up at Din instead. She seemed shocked at herself.

"I... my body moved on its' own..." She said. I chuckled a little.

"See? I always knew I'd rub off on you. You spent so long keeping to yourself that you are now speechless." I coughed a bit. It was getting harder to breathe. Din gently took my hoof into her's, seemingly stunned at her own actions.

"I... I am at a lost... I'm..." She faltered. "What is wrong with me? I am the apex of balance... I have no time for... for loss..."

"Perhaps it is best you tell her how you truly feel before it is too late." Equualie spoke. "A suggestion at most." Din was quiet again. I couldn't feel my lower half. Everything was beginning to blur. Din bit her lip hard, causing a small droplet of blood to trickle down her muzzle chin.

"V-very well..." Din began. "Fie... if there is one thing I'll take away from this, it is that I truly... am fond of our time together. To be such a pony with disregard to herself, you truly have a lot of regard for everycreature around you. I felt that trait would weigh me down. And I had grown bitter. I did not want to be imprinted with such trifling matters and did my best to make your life hell to benefit me. For that... I apologize." She said. "You had courage where I had ambition. Emotions do not work well with reason. And yet... I feel that yours had considerable courage to stand with my reason. I took every ample advantage of you to get what I want when you felt otherwise. It couldn't have been the reset that made me this way, no. I..." Din growled and held my hoof tightly. "Aww to hell with this! Fie, despite all that I have done! Despite everything I dismiss! You were a true friend! There, I said it! Happy now!?" I said nothing. I couldn't even reply to her. It was impossible. I stared blankly at her, unable to express anything. But I had heard it. And what little remained of me smiled. My hoof peeled in pieces away from her. Din made an attempt to hold onto the hoof. But it was no use. And then... she was left with nothing. Only the quiet stillness of her and Equualie remained in the center of creation.

Din had done it. Nothing would weigh her down now. She will hold her head high and sit upon the throne as Equualie would bring her the very galaxy to watch over. And for many millennias she would watch. Time would grow and she would not. With all the power she held, she would remain silent, however. A vow of silence. She would not voice herself to those who would fight for balance in the future. And on the several occasions the mortals could not stand up to the imbalance, she would descend from her throne and cast the world in a roaring blaze, purifying the land to restart anew. She would grow sentimental, her heart forever mourning the only friends she had made in her time. And yet, the world goes on, unbothered by the renewals of life.

And to the mortals who have witnessed her might and presence believe her to be an evil sought to destroy. For that is what her existence was. A necessary evil to balance.

Author's Note

And thus, the story comes to an end. I apologize for the slow last chapter uploads. Been super distracted and busy with other things. But do know that I am well underway with other projects. And hopefully they won't take as long as this one did.

Thank you for reading.