Author's Note

Some (optional) music

Goodbye, Tufty

“Shoot!” Demanded Bounty with a smirk as Agate let go of the trigger, sending the arrow towards its target. It all was like it happened in slow motion as the arrow shot across the air, zooming towards Onyx who knew this was the end of her. She closed her eyes, ducking at she winced for impact, the arrow making a straight beeline towards her, hoping that’d miss. She braced for the the impact that never came, her eyes snapping open as at the sound of a familiar roar before, getting a glance of Tufty giving her a worried look just before the arrow pierced her throat, her blood went cold as soon Tufty hit the ground, her heart skipped a beat as she stared in disbelief. Her eyes were wide open as her heart raced, trying to process what had just happened.

”Tufty,” She whispered, seeing her not move as she stood there in shock, Dapple and Jasper were similar, standing nearby, but it was like they weren’t even there as she focused on the view before her, the growing puddle of blood. “T-tufty.”The pride not far behind, all of them, minus the male and the cubs slowly walked towards Bounty, anger in their faces.

”Stay back.” Bounty warned before one of them leapt him, missing. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him Agate having ducked bwhind a nearby rock the second he saw them running from the distance, cowering in fear, only little regret in shooting that arrow. Jasper and Dapple watching in with fear, the former behind the latter as they watched the pride chase Bounty who tried to fight back, only to end up running for the hills. the male leader growling a bit as he looked towards Tufty, Onyx was trying her hardest to find any side of life in her, heart racing as she held back tears, not believing what was happening. She lightly pushed Tufty’s withers and looked at her face, the lifeless eyes staring right at her. She felt sick to the stomach as she spoke, her voice cracking.

“Tufty, please, get up.” She said softly, her heart racing, still holding back tears, stomach hurting as the lions came close, two cubs hiding behind the male as he glanced on. Onyx with both forelegs on Tufty as the puddle of blood under her wound grew, the arrow completely imbedded, her heart beat gone. There was nothing they could do, why did she do this, she was finally home? “Tufty… I-I said I’d take you back to your family, y-you gotta get up” She whimpered as she rested her head against her, burying her muzzle in her fur. “Tufty.” Her voice cracked, “D-dapple promised we’d suceed, please get up!”

“Onyx?” Dapple whispered, about to cry himself. He looked on with concern for his friend. The cubs stayed put while the male lion nuzzled Tufty, licking her head and nudging her, seemingly checking if she was dead or alive. Onyx could see the pain in his eyes as he came close, she glanced at him, seeing the pain in his body language, this was Tufty’s family, she had cubs. the two cubs hugged onto each other, her whole family was hurting, Onyx felt even worse than she did as she watched them. These cubs had just lost their mother all because of her.

“I-I’m sorry… I just wanted to get her home… But-” She said, ears flat as she looked down at the dead lion. She was so close, yet so far, she felt like an absolute failure, she fekt close to crying as she stared down at the wound. She didn’t want to leave her alone, she didn’t want to say goodbye just yet, she never knew it’d hurt so much, but it was too hard for her to keep her cool. She shakingly took her hooves off the cold body, warmth having faded, feeling like a murderer as she stepped back, allowing Tufty’s loved ones to have some time with her. She stared down at her, holding back tears, she broke a family… There was nothing she could do now, she did this. This shouldn’t have happened, she felt a little angry at Agate, but the arrow would have missed for sure if she wasn’t surrounded by cliff! Or if she used her magic to stop him in the first place, but no, for the first time in ages she was frozen in fear, too scared to do anything. It costed the life of a mother to some innocent cubs. “I’m sorry, Tufty…” She said, looking down, ears flat, “I-I’m sorry…” She said, heart aching, this didn’t have to happen, she shouldn’t have needed to jump in to save her. It was no bad coincidence she was standing near the cliff when Agate pointed the arrow, it was not a coincidence at all. It was all her.

”Onyx?” Said Dapple softly as she walked backed towards him and Jasper. They both were hurting for her, tears were in his eyes, seeing her reaction, which was not helped by Agate’s remark when he came out from the rock.

“Bet you feel so bad now!” Agate exclaimed, feeling no shame. His words making Onyx cringe in response as she felt more ashamed, he was seemingly just wanting to pour more salt in the wound. Or boast on his suppoused victory. “Guess it was all for nothing afterall. You saved the lion from death only for her to die, good job!”

”Clam it, Agate!” Shouted Dapple as he put a hoof on Onyx as she started to shake slightly, staring into the distance, trying to process everything.

”But look! If she let her free earlier, then this wouldn’t have happened!”

”Can you blame her, you’re the one that shot her!” Dapple argued. “She did all she could!”

Onyx responded softly. “N-No… He’s right.” She said as she started walking.

“Onny?” Dapple whispered, his ears down. “C’mon, we tried…”

”Ox, Where are you going?” Jasper asked before wiping some tears from his own eyes, “I think I can feel how down in the dumps you are.”

”Guess my sparkle’s dead, too?” She suggested before sniffling. “Also… Don’t call me Ox…”

“Where are you going?” Dapple asked, raising a hoof as she dragged hers across the ground.

“Going… Home… I shoulda seen this coming... I-” Her voice cracked.

Dapple felt horrible himself, he had a pit in his stomach as he looked back, sadly at the mourning lions, waving goodbye to the lion family. Looking back to see a certain unicorn missing, “Onyx?” He whispered, looking around worriedly before looking at Jasper. “Where’d she go?” He asked Jasper shrugged, not having paid any attention. He worriedly looked around him, for any sign of her before his ears perked up and pointed ahead at a noise coming from a shrub near the water. Both of their ears were drooping as they approached, Jasper stopping in place as Dapple peeked around the shrub, seeing her laying on her belly, muzzle in forehooves. It was clear she was trying to not cry, seemingly unaware of him as she sat down besides her. Seeing her like this hurt him, it was usually him that needed the comfort, now it was his turn to give it. “I suppouse a lot has happened, hasn’t it?” He paused, “You took in a lion, who you saved and got a bit selfish when she reminded you of your lost mother. You don’t have much of a memory of your parents do you?” He asked with concern.

“N-no. But now her cubs are in the same situation as me.”

”Not exactly the same. They still have their father and weren’t left alone in the storm…” He said before gasping, realising all he was doing was making her feel worse, tears appeared in his eyes when she turned around facing away from him, burying her face in her hooves again, ignoring him, not wanting to talk to anypony at the moment “I mean- At least they still got to see their mother once more?” He suggested before putting a hoof on her rump, only for her to get up and walk a few steps out of his reach. “On? Onny? Oxide?” He said, hoping for any response. “How are you feeling?”

“I just want to crawl into a hole and die…”

”Oh come on. Do you really think Tufty would want you to be this way? She saved your life, do you really want her actions to go in vain?” He asked, noting her ears perk up, knowing he had the point. But she didn’t have the motivation to feel happy right now, if she had done sometbing instead of stand there, perhaps she’d be around. There was a long moment of silent as Dapple thought on his next words. “Sure, you’ve made a few bad choices, but everypony does that now again. I’m sure Tufty’s glad she got to see her family again, and that you are alive, even if it costed her life.” He thought about his next words. “I guess she payed you back, you saved hers so she saved yours?”

”I guess?” She said before staying quiet, Dapple deciding to leave her be for a bit. Hoping for her to perk up, sure she always seemed a bit sad most the time, also unicorns were constantly down in the dumps before magic returned. But still, seeing her like this really made him feel bad, he felt guilty making her worse, that was not what he wanted. Soon enough the unicorns saw a familiar object in the sky, the Marestream, landing not far in front of them, Izzy jumping excitedly out the door as it opened, with a welcoming expression with slight relief, unaware of Onyx’s state, with the others not noticing anything different as she got up. Head down as she dragged her hooves against the ground. “There you guys are!” She exclaimed as Dapple smiled, “Any of ypu excited for this free flight back home?”

“I guess…” Jasper shrugged, not seemingly excited, while Dapple put on a slight smile.

”I guess that would be nice after what we’ve been through, thanks, Izzy.” He spoke before boarding after Jasper, sadly watching Onyx trudge on board and flop on the couch while the door closed, zoning out as Izzy asked countless questions, just staring out the window. Watching as they got higher and higher into the clouds, Tufty getting further and further away… She had a heavy feeling in her gut, this was not how she wanted to say goodbye to her, she thought it’d be a bittersweet scene of her running with her family into the distance, reunited. But of course, it wasn’t, it was just anotjer failure she’d be reminded of forever.

“H-Hey, is Onyx, okay?” Hitch asked, noticing her behaviour now.

“Not really…” Dapple sighed, ready to tell the story. Unaware of Onyx stuffing a cushion over her ears, not wanting to hear it again… She was already there when it happened, she didn’t need to relive it. Not now, anyway.

”You’re back!” Alphabittle exclaimed, seeing Onyx and Dapple enter the tearoom the next morning, they both decided to rest at home after yesterday afternoon. “Must have been hard to do it, but at least she’s back with her family?”

“No.” Onyx looked up at him and then to the ground, feeling a mix of shock, sadness and anger. Not wanting to talk about it, but annoyed at his reaction, he seemed too happy about it, way too happy. Even if he didn’t know what really happened out there. ”I-I’m a failire.”

“What?” He asked, his small smile fading as Onyx went to the stage to do her new poem she made last night.

”Agate shot Tufty!” Dapple cried, noticing her pause and glance back when he blurted that out. He agreed, he should have worded it better. But Alphabittle seemed shocked at what happened.

”He did what!?” He exclaimed, knowing said unicorn was a jerk, but not expecting that!

”We are just a bunch of washed up ponies… I should have told Hitch…” She said before heading on stage to some poetry, which she missed, having not have done it for a while. Dapple smiled slightly, seeing her get up and do something she loves doing, he was a little worried she wouldn’t have, well, not so soon, anyway.

“When you meet a hunted lion, in a trap

Around her leg, the rope was in a wrap

Must have been the terrible suprise

Seeing a pitiful state, you can’t help but empathise

But when you set her free with injury

Of course you’d have to worry about her gingerly

But when she came back to me

The feeling of comfort made me not want to set her free

But there was a pony hunting for her bounty

I knewi had to help her to get home to safety

But I should have known I was’nt good enough for the quest

No matter how much I tried, I had failed the test

I had sucessfully saved her from a certain death

Only to eventually be the reason why she took her last breath

Arrow meeting the throat is not a pretty sight

During the whole journey I prepared to do was what was right…” After her poem, she looked at the audience.

Agate, who managed to had just gotten home by himself as the sun rose, ran forward towards the stage with a grin. “Well, you should feel bad!” He exclaimed, “You didn’t save her, you simply delayed her death to a more painful one!” He added, “If you had informed Hitch imstead of keeping her, then she’d still be alive! Think about that, emo!”

”Agate!” Exclaimed Dapple, knowing he had a point but was still not being very nice about it.

“I know…” Onyx said sadly and softly. “I know…”

“Maybe I know why you do such downtrodden and weird poetry!” Agate exclaimed. “You are just whining and disguising it!” He exclaimed before luaghing. “Don’t pretend that it’s not your fault, fraud.” He scoffed before heading to the door, he then looked back at her bitterly. “Maybe there’s a reason why your parents abandoned you!” He added before leaving, the words hurting, Onyx, who felt her heart just shattered. Was she really the reason? That was something she always wondered, but seeing it come from somepony’s mouth hurt whenever it happened. But she remained only standing there in silence, a monotone expression on her face and ears flat. She simply looked at the crowd and back at Dapple who looked concerned, all the other unicorns started chatting amongst themselves as she stood there, feeling numb and slightly ashamed of herself as thought rushed through her mind, thinking about what happened. It was too hard to not think about it, it was really was her fault Tufty was killed, wasn’t it?

That night she just laid in her bed, looking up at the ceiling for a few moments before rolling onto her side, the vision of Tufty’s corspe entered her mind everytime she closed her eyes, her gut ached as she remembered her, flashbacks entering her mind. Her warm body on the bed, or the licking… She even missed the occasional mess she made in the kitchen, it hurt to think about it. She only had her around for a few months, but it felt empty and lonely without her, like something was missing. She regret helping Tufty, she would be still alive if she didn’t try to help, would she? Now her cubs were without a mother, like her, and it was all her fault. These thoughts entered her mind as she looked at the ceiling, questioning on what could have happened, until she paused and rolled over, trying her best to go to sleep.

The next morning. Onyx gazed at a picture of her own mother, one of the only photos of her she had. Thinking about a lot of things, did she really mean to go missing? Her gut ached as she put it down, wondering why she left all those years ago, where was she now? Trying to take her mind off it, Onyx went to the bathroom, going to the sink and just splashing water on her face to try and get herself to wake up, dampening her mane, slowly looking up at the mirror, noticing dark marks under her eyes. She hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, she was too guilty over what happened to Tufty, even if it was two days ago. She hoped those cubs and their dad were alright without her. They must be so heartbroken… She felt like she was about to cry, but no tears came. Even when she saw the remains of when Tufty was here, like a scratch on a wall, the broken door and lion fur sticking to things… She was snapped out her thoughts when she heard a loud knocking on the door downstairs. Grabbing her towel, she wiped her face with it so she wasn’t dripping. “Coming.” She groaned, muffled by the towel.

”Onyx, you in there?” A voice cried as she went to the door, slowly opening it to see Izzy, holding a wrapped box. Dapple was with her, both their faces turned to concern.

”You okay, you look as if you’ve seena ghost.” Dapple said.

”O-Oh. I’m fine. Just a dream.”

”I thought scary dreams didn’t scare you?” Izzy said cocking her head.

“Nevermind. Don’t worry about it.” She shook her head. “What’s up?”

Both of them gazed worriedly at her before looking at the box. ”I don’t like seeing my friends sad, so I decided to make you this!” She said, pasinng the box to her. She gently held it in her hooves.

“Uh, thanks?” She shrugged, opening the box with her magic and pausing at what she saw. A hoofmade lion plush, the eyes were buttons and the material was soft. The lion almost reminded her of Tufty, did Izzy make it yesterday, how’d she know and do it so fast?

“I know it won’t replace the friend you lost…” Izzy explained, “But does it ease the pain at least a little?”

Dapple gave her a worried expression. “C’mon, Onyx… Do you think Tufty would want you to be so down about this?”

Dapple had a point. There was a moment of thought as Onyx gazed at it, it did not replace Tufty, but she wasn’t sure if it eased the pain, she just felt a little numb. But Izzy knew she was depressed over what happened, and went out of her way to make something for her, she didn’t have to do it. She put on a slight smile, deciding to put the plush in a safe spot, “Thanks, Izzy.” She said softly, knowing the pain wouldn’t be going away for a long time… But feeling a little better now, Tufty wouldn’t want her to be sad about it forever, after all.