TCB: The Last Pillar | Monster of Unknown Origin

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The Last Pillar

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"And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him."

-Revelations 6 (7-8),

The Holy Bible: King James Version

Inching ever so slowly over the horizon, a bright orb of fire began to light up the darkened landscape. Dawn was quite extraordinary out in the undisturbed Alaskan wilderness, the star bathing the land in its warm glow, similar to the way an artist paints a portrait. The fiery oranges and the burning reds of the morning Sun illuminating the snow-capped mountains, and the light peeking through the trees. The cold wind wailed lightly over the plains, the air uninterrupted by any construction or corruption of the Human race. Though, tucked deep within the forest, barely touched by the golden sun, there lied a cabin. Upon inspection of said cabin, it would be deducted that it appeared to be occupied, and it was.

Residing within the wooden structure, there was you. You were not the most intelligent, or the most attractive, or the most skilled. But you might as well have been, as there was no one left in your species to usurp you from that position. Several years before, this cabin was left in shambles, desolate. However, a problem arose on a global scale, and in the ensuing chaos, you fled to the forest. Your childhood, your life. Your home.

You laid comfortably under thick woolen blankets, the warmth from your body being trapped by the fabric, leaving you pleasantly warm despite the cold that dominated the region. Slowly, your eyes cracked open, light peering in between them. From your spot on the bed, underneath the green and brown blankets, you could see the pathway that lead out of the clearing, and the form of the Sun shining brightly on you. Groggily, you tossed the blankets off, and a chilly air welcomed your bare skin. You shivered slightly, and walked over toward the closet, pulling a checkered-collarshirt from the rack. After slipping it on, and then pulling a heavier coat on over it, the brown bomber jacket slipping on easily. You went over toward the door, and on the floor next to it, there were three pairs of black combat boots, and after selecting a pair, you fumbled to put them on.

Doing up the laces, you followed the habitual routine, under over, under over. Going back towards the bedroom, the floorboards beneath you creaked as your weight was set down upon them. Absentmindedly, you chuckled to yourself,

'Never did fix those planks,'

You walked toward the bathroom, and after opening the door, looked at your reflection in the mirror; so much had changed. Several years before, you were a clean-shaven young man with a short head of hair and not a care in the world, but it was as if some impostor had come to replace you. Looking at this image struck a chord in the you, and a pang of sadness gnawed at you.

'No. Keep yourself together. Today is the end, and I will leave this world with some hint of dignity,'

You scolded yourself as a parent would a small child.

You looked at the large beard that had accumulated on the jawline and up around your lips, and the long strands of hair that ran down your head at toward the bottom of the neck.

It had been a long time.

You shook your head clear of the thoughts, and walked back to the living room, the sight of the old pale green couch bringing back memories of your college years. A small smile came to your face at the recollection of a young woman's name, her pretty raven hair, her bright grin lighting up the room around them. Once more, the grief came back, though stronger. Shutting your eyes, and leaning against the wall, you breathed heavily, brows furrowed and forehead damp with sweat. Swallowing back your emotions, you continued to the kitchen. You open the pantry door, and a small arrangement of canned foods presented themselves, tiny labels with expiration dates and titles of the products printed on them. Not that it mattered, any longer. Now thinking about it, you noticed that you had spare food than your previous calculations had suggested you would be left with.

Not pondering any longer on that topic, you selected a can of chicken noodle soup, and went to fetch the can opener. However, as your vision was cast elsewhere, a tall white figure looked in through the kitchen window, staring at your back.  Setting the can down on the counter, the tin clinking against the stone table surface, taking the can opener, you heard a sound that you would have never expected to hear again. Someone knocked on the door. Stopping in your tracks, fear coursed through your veins.

'Bandits? Here?'

You set the small appliance down, and cautiously approached the door, as if it were to spontaneously combust at any given moment. As you neared it, your vision was focused on the small little optic in the center of the door. Peeking through, you were given a surprise when you saw who had come out this way to see you. Your eye tried to focus on the shape behind the door, but a white flare blinded you slightly, and you blinked rapidly to have the sensation leave. You looked back through the small little glass hole, and you were shocked. Pristine white fur, and long elegant, angel-like wings, and a golden tiara perched atop a flowing, multicolored mane. Magenta eyes stared at the door, worry present within them.

Your heart stopped.

Your mind began to race.

'Why the hell is she here?!'

However, before you could contemplate on what to do next, your own voice surprised you.

"Hello?" You called suspiciously.

A moment of silence passed.

"Hello,"

For a moment, you basked in the unprepared awkwardness of her arrival. Once again, you instinctively grabbed the door handle and pulled it down, swinging the door open toward you, something that had become a reflex from years of annoying buddies and rude family members. As the door opened, her white coat shone in the light of the day, shining even brighter than the snow around her. Though her voice was warm and smooth, her facial expression was one of... apathy? After regaining your wits, you stared into her purple eyes, scanning them for some sort of malevolent intent. You had known what had happened to the rest of the world, and that is why you calculated where the barrier would spread to last; Alaska.

With as much politesse as you could muster, you tried questioning her, "If you don't mind me asking, w-why are you here?"

She gazed behind her, the Sun having been placed almost intentionally behind her form. As she returned to face the you, you noticed that she had looked slightly annoyed. Taking in a breath, she spoke.

"I am here, in these last moments, to try and convince you that your death is not necessary. That you can continue to live on in Equestria, where you will live the rest of your life in peace," She shivered lightly, the jacket you now noticed she had been wearing was slightly worn, "May I please come in?"

Straight to the point.

She didn't cease to amaze you. After decimating the rest of Humanity, she came out here, presumably by herself, to take you? Anger started to seep through the cracks. After taking EVERYTHING from you, your friends, your family... Erica, she had the nerve to come out here, and see that you are taken away as well. Before you could act in your anger, your rage, you reminded yourself of your manners, and stepped to the side of the door, letting the emotion boil under the surface.

With a bow, she walked in, removing her coat with her 'magic' and setting it down on the coat rack. You slowly eased the door shut, the mechanism shutting the wooden door and sealing the heat within. You tried not to let your emotions get the better of you, and with her height at the center of your chest, you lead her into the living room. You still had your boots on, and they heavily slammed against the wooden floor, a feeling you had grown accustomed to, but today the weight felt heavier. You felt as if something was missing. Princess Celestia gracefully sat on your green couch, a very odd scene to you. You walked into the kitchen, and opened one of the many cupboards on the wall.

"Tea? Coffee?" You asked.

You never were a conversationalist. You were often blunt, and it led to several 'scenes' in the past, but it was one of your qualities. 'And you aren't going to let her take it.' You reminded yourself to take it easy, and it would all be over soon anyway.

"I would like some Tea, please," She murmured.

You took a Lipton-Tea bag, and set it down in a ice-colored mug, while you put the last grains of coffee into your own mug. 'How convenient,' you thought, 'I run out on my last day.' You went towards the freezer, and opened it to remove a block of ice from the racks. With said block of ice in hand, you place it down on the counter, going again to fetch a tea-kettle. Setting the tea kettle on the stove, and dropping the large block of ice in, you put the lid back on and turned on the gas, blue flames lighting up beneath the metal pot.

You felt eyes on you, and turned to face the Princess.

"You really think you can convince me to become one of you?"

She looked offended for a moment, but it disappeared underneath a well-painted poker-face. She glanced to the side, then returned your stare.

"I have to try. It would be shameful if I didn't."

You laughed. For the first time in a long time, you actually laughed. Upon regaining a sliver of your composure, you were met by a blank stare. You began to laugh even harder, and found yourself hunched over, clutching your sides.

"I do not understand what is so funny. Why are you laughing?"

Why are you laughing?

Your hearty laughter slowly died out, the air returning to your lungs is gasps. You shook your head, a smile on your face.

"I'm laughing because you think you actually have a chance."

She obviously did not expect you to say that, and she recoiled somewhat, her eyes wide as if reprocessing the information. As it began to soak in, you were reunited with your booming laughter, and you could see red beginning to tint her face. You reached for your mug, ready to turn around and pour the boiling water into it, but you wanted to see this moment last a little bit longer.

As you took hold of your mug, her face scrunched up in frustration, "Why are you Humans so stubborn? We have come with promises of a better future, of a better mind and a pure world, but you rejected our offer and shunned us for it! I should have expected this from you!"

What?

Your face fell. Subconsciously, your hands tightened into fists. The anger you had tried so hard to keep suppressed, to keep contained, was slowly gaining ground in your mind. You turned away from her, facing the stove. You could feel your teeth clench, and painful memories made themselves known at the back of your mind, harsh realities and terrible fates of those you held dear. Images of the 'potion', of the Bureaus. Images of a logo.

Your hand gripped tightly around the pale yellow mug, quaking as it did so. The sugar in the cup violently tossed and turned inside, and your eyebrows knitted together, a scowl forming upon your face. Pain began to grow in your hand, the stress of squeezing the handle causing tendons to ache.

The P.E.R.

The Potion.

The Bureaus.

The Conversion.

The Barrier.

The P.E.R.

The Potion.

The Bureaus.

The Conversion.

The Barrier!

The P.E.R!

The Potion!

The Bureaus!

The Conversion!

The Barrier!

A chord went off in your head. No, to call it a chord would be an understatement of epic proportion. It was as if an entire symphony of crashing pianos erupted within your mind. Twisted thoughts and dark fantasies were springing into life, sick pleasures wanting to be filled. However, as your grim desires were making themselves known, another thought came into your mind.

Ponies.

It was all of the damn ponies fault! It is all their fault! They took everything you had, stripped your world bare, and then burned what they couldn't convert with a giant wave of energy! THEY are the ones who should feel this pain, THEY should have their world taken from them!

You threw your mug against the wall, smashing it to thousands of little shards. A gasp sounded behind you, but it did nothing to douse the flame. You turned off the gas, staring intently on the white surface underneath the metal handles. With no warning, you slammed your fists into the top of the stove, your hands coming close to the hot metal. You looked around you, your vision tunneled red, and spotted the tea kettle. You grasped the little black plastic handle, and threw the small metal pot as hard as you could at the window above the sink. The metal smashed through the glass and broke the wooden frame supporting it. You then strode over to the cabinets below the sink, and embedded your foot into one of the panels, the boot smashing through it with ease.

Turning to her form on the couch, you unleashed a verbal assault, "Rejected your 'offer'?! Well I'm fucking sorry, Princess! I'm so fucking sorry that Humanity didn't want to bend over and fucking take it in the ass! I am SO FUCKING SORRY!"

Her expression was one of complete terror, and you reveled in it.

"I'm sorry we didn't want to surrender MILLIONS of years of evolution just so you could FUCKING EAT OUR PLANET! I'm FUCKING SORRY, OKAY?! DOES THAT PLEASE YOU? ARE YOU HAPPY THAT YOU ARE THE SUPERIOR FUCKING RACE, AND THE REST OF MY FAMILY HAD TO FUCKING DIE!?" You went on, taking deep breaths to project your voice for as long as you could. Your throat had begun to hurt, but you went on.

"I AM FUCKING SORRY THAT I HAD TO LOSE EVERYTHING! I AM FUCKING SORRY!"

Slowly, but surely, the energy, the hate, began to fade away. The rage left, and the only remnant left in your heart, was sorrow. Tears welled within your eyes, and you did nothing to stop them. They flowed freely down your face, and your hands ran through your hair.

You slumped against the wall, your back dragging down the surface, and hushed whispered escaped your mouth, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

With your eyes closed, you thought once again of Erica, of your family, your friends. Your stomach tied into knot, guilt stirred within you.

"I'm sorry."

Silence dominated the room.

Princess Celestia stared at your form with pity, a frown etched on her face. Slowly, she stood, and walked out of the room. For an eternity, you sat there. Staring off into a distance that was unseen, a realm of mental landscapes and thought. But a feeling you had not felt in a long time filled you now.

Content.

You were found that missing hole within you had been filled. You were no longer empty, and you looked up and were taken by surprise when her presence had gone. You swallowed your nervous fear, your anxiety of what was to come. You knew what would happen next.

And you were to embrace it.

With a cold breeze wafting in through the window, the cold seemingly caressed your bare skin. You closed your eyes, the sound of the ocean gradually getting louder. You knew what would happen next. You opened the door to the cabin, acting on instinct, your eyes remaining closed. As your boots touched snow, your eyes opened once more. Surrounding the cabin, a large wall of pink was closing in. You looked down to your hands, and marveled for one last time about the sheer complexity of the Homo Sapien. You knew that you would be the last person to see such a thing, and for some reason, you were fine with it.

The wave was closing in, and you looked back up at it.

Tyler

You felt as if someone was watching you, but you ignored the feeling. If someone was watching you, you did not care.

Jacob

You lifted your right foot, and placed it down in front of you, almost robotically.

Mom

Suddenly, you left foot followed in suit, a slow pattern forming.

Dad

With your pace increasing, you looked at the wall in front of you. Soon enough, you began running, the wind whipping through you hair. Your coat began flapping against your back, and you slid it off, your shirt slapping against your chest now. Your run became faster, a smile forming on your lips.

The barrier was closer now, not more than a few more meters.

Erica

The bright pink glow began to shine down on you, the towering monstrosity closer. With a final leap, you let out a cry. A cry of pure unbridled triumph. A cry of sadness. A cry of joy. A thundering roar that could symbolize itself Humanity. The cry of your ancestors.

A cry of relief.

It was finally over.