Sleep, My Radiant Tear

When the peace is disturbed, chaos runs rampant. But when the time comes where the end is in sight, we all join together and await the end. I felt them join together with me as destruction was near.

Chapter 4: Awaiting The End

As the two royal princesses of Equestria came back from their royal duties in Canterlot, they heard an argument between Radiant Tear and his servant friend, A.I. Pinkiana within the library as they descended the marble steps. Princess Celestia looked at her sister; feeling worried about how long their argument was going and how intense the fight was getting.

“Radiant, you’re trying to act big and strong for them! You are mentally weak; still a child deep down! You hide behind that apple cider and that mask. Let me read the next chapter, if you wish for them to continue!” Pinkiana tried to reason with Radiant Tear, un-phased by the yelling hologram.

“I shall continue to read them my past. I need to face what makes me weak and walk out triumphant and strong.” He smiled and stood up from the chair. “Override negotiation protocols.” Pinkiana froze a bit and looked down in defeat as he walked into his chambers. The lunar princess walked up to her and cleared her throat, startling Pinkiana a bit.

“What was that about?” Luna asked as Pinkiana gazed back at Radiant as he entered his room. She shook her head and motioned her head, signaling for them to follow. The jewels around her hooves shone orange.

“You’ll see soon enough. He’ll know I was right…” Pinkiana growled through her teeth as she walked down toward his chambers. Princess Luna and her sister looked at each other, worried for what might transpire tonight. As they entered the chamber, they noticed the furniture from the guest quarters is placed in front of the desk. Twilight Sparkle, her friends, and the three little fillies sat close to each other, leaving space for the princesses. As they sat down, they heard Radiant flip the pages to the next chapter as he sat down in his seat.

“Radiant doesn’t seem…right at all…”Applejack whispered to Twilight, thinking he wouldn’t hear it. His ears twitched a little and looked up at every pony.

“Don’t worry, I am well enough to read.” He smiled. He flipped another page and began reading.

***

Many months have passed since the artifact caused chaos and devastation among Nevaeh and its people, but those years were worth it. After avoiding rampant psychopaths and probing around the city for resources, we finally finished constructing the spaceship. The ship was filled with gasoline, titanium alloy-plated exterior and 6-inch thick windows and insulation, even a filter within the walls to keep heat and oxygen within the pod and recycled if used. A giant pillar contains a supercomputer that held all knowledge of Nevaeh. It was connected to each of the eight cryopods so that it would cryogenically preserve our bodies, but half preserve our minds due to a wire sticking into our neurological systems so we could be linked to each other subconsciously in another reality where we could learn the knowledge stored into this supercomputer.

As we came back to the university’s laboratory after a day of celebrating our success in the penthouse balcony and gazing at the scenery of the chaos-ridden city, we found out that our ship was missing. There were no traces of our ship, but there was one muscular pony in its place. He stared at all of us menacingly and trotted slowly towards us.

“It’s nice to make your acquaintance my lords. I am Stallifear.” His pompous voice boomed from his chest. It was sickening, but it was his unkempt blood-red fur and crazed yellow eyes that spelled trouble.

“Where the hay is our ship you heathen!?” My father yelled furiously. Stallifear simply smiled, not affected by the screams of Fly-Heart, Pandora and Black-Veil also questioning him.

“It’s in the Forbidden Forest, south of this little university of yours. I was told to stay by my true lord, Mane-Mare. We’ll be spending our last moments together.” His voice shook a bit. I assumed he was insane, but every pony’s eyes widened and backed up toward the door. They seemed to know who he was. Then something caught up to me; his last statement toward us.

“What do you mean last moments?” I asked him curiously. He laughed as there were explosions heard somewhere in the university. We all turned around and panicked as we saw some bits and pieces our towering university started to crack and break apart around us.

“Join me as your home collapses! Home isn’t safe anymore, is it?!” Stallifear cackled maniacally as debris landed all around us. My father took a hold of his beloved wife and flapped his wings, dodging his way out toward someplace safe other than the university, which was now collapsing into many pieces. I took a hold of Roxy and Pandora held to her little sister tightly and all of us, including Fly-Heart, flew up in the air and maneuvered our way around falling walls and glass shards trying to either crush or hinder us from escaping. As soon as we were about to clear out of the place, I heard galloping behind me.

“If I go down, I’ll take one of you with me!” Stallifear screamed with rage as he jumped high off of a ledge that was taken down as he was in mid-air. I felt Roxy slip out of my grasp as she screamed in horror, falling to her doom along with Stallifear. Time slowed down as my heart pumped with adrenaline and my instincts kicked in instead of staring in horror. I flew my way down to her, avoiding the debris as while reaching out for her. I looked to the left and see Stallifear trying to swim his way in the air to get to Roxy first. I look up above me and see a giant wall falling toward me at a slow but steady pace. I slowed a bit and kicked my hooves, propelling myself to go faster. I caught Roxy and pulled up into the air before we hit the ground. I heard Stallifear yelp in pain before he was silenced by the debris. I flew out of the perimeter of the university and set my eyes on the forest in the distance. I held Roxy tighter and discovered my parents and our friends at the entrance of the Forbidden Forest. They waved over to me and jumped a little. I smiled and landed next to them. As we landed, I gently set Roxy down, but she simply laid there.

“Roxy, we’re out now. There’s nothing to fear.” I said nudging her a little. She cracked open her eyes a little and breathed heavily. I looked at her worriedly. “Hey, calm down. Don’t start breaking down now, we made it out alive.”

“Radiant…I hurt……he…he…” she whispered painfully.

“Don’t worry, I heard him yell before he got crushed.” I said reassuringly. “Please, we got to go.”

“I…got hit…too much…go on without-“she gasped and coughed violently into the ground. As she finished coughing, blood was stained upon the ground and her lips. My eyes widened and tears were pouring out. “…go…without me…”

“No! No, no, no, no. Don’t say that! You’re gonna be fine. I’ll carry you to the ship and we can nurse you back to health!” I stuttered a bit, trying to concentrate my magic to heal her broken body. I tried…for the love of life, I seriously tried! But my mind was too addled for me to concentrate. I couldn’t bear the thought of her dying in front of me.

“Radiant, please we have to go…” Pandora tried to calm me down, placing a hoof around me, trying to pull me away. I shook her off and tried again to heal her.

“No, she can be healed if I can just try to concentrate!” I gritted my teeth and my horn glowed and sparked a bit before it disappeared again. Roxy weakly placed her hoof to my horn, distracting me from trying to save her.

“You…can’t do it. I’m…far too…broken. My time…has come…” her eyes let loose a few tears before she used up all of her energy to connect our lips together. I tried not to cry, but failed and hugged her softly; hoping I wouldn’t give her anymore pain than she’s already feeling. She fell on my arms slowly and smiled. “Don’t cry…I see the doors…to Paradise. Just know…that…I…love you. My…Radiant Tear…” her voice echoed in my mind as she let loose her final breath.

“No…Roxy! Please! I promised we could have a future together…don’t leave me!” I shook a little trying to keep her awake. She closed her eyes slowly, mouthing…good-bye and smiled sincerely. I cried into her neck and yelled her name as she slipped away.

***

Radiant’s eyes swelled with tears as they slipped out from his now red eyes. He could feel his mentality dropping low, but he wouldn’t allow it. He drank some of his cider but ran out of it. He plopped it on the desk, but it dropped to the side and rolled off onto the carpet. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, along with Spike and Fluttershy, cried as he forced himself forward.

“Radiant, you have to stop now! Reading your facial structures and analyzing your eye movements, you’re close to breaking!” Pinkiana warned him. Every pony also tried to reason with him, but he shook his head.

“No…I have to face it!” he yelled back.

***

I cried and rocked back and forth slowly with Roxy in my arms. For these few moments, it felt like an eternity trying to accept what happened. For these few moments, I cried like a child that lost everything. I felt my friends and parents nudge me, trying to snap me out of it.

“Son, we have to go now!” my mother tried to get me out of my mourning state. I shook my head slowly.

“Just leave me be. I want to join her…” I morbidly whispered. My father held me and turned my head toward the city, now ridden with dust, debris, rivers of blood and dangerous individuals.

“Is this the place you want to spend your last moments? This city is decaying and chaos is running rampant! She is gone. She died in your arms than in the hands of some corrupt individual. She’s in a better place and wants you to live on for her! What would she think if you stayed here and died?!” my father yelled, putting some sense into my head. I gazed into the city more in-depth and saw one of the buildings collapse, some flashes from magic spells, and fire burning through the smoldering debris and bodies. The sun was setting over the horizon, giving the destroyed city, peaceful fields and a lake beside us a tragic apocalyptic atmosphere. I looked down at her and noticed how peaceful she looked despite what has happened. I placed her on my back and flew over to the middle of that lake to the right of us. I moved her into my arms and slowly let her go, witnessing her body sink to the bottom until I saw her no more.

“Goodbye Roxy…” I whispered before flying back to the entrance of the forest. My parents looked down and hugged me, even my friends; apologizing for what had happened.

“You did your best Radiant. It’s okay.” Black-Veil’s tiny voice whispered next to me as I tried to hold back my sorrow. I looked up to look at the city again before we galloped into the Forbidden Forest.

“I don’t know who this Mane-Mare might be, so stay on your guard and be as quiet as possible.” My father commanded us a few moments after we entered. We nodded and trotted silently as possible and fast as possible. It was silent and the only ambience was the trees and bushes rustling against each other in the wind and the chaos in the city that was a mile away. It felt like an eternity walking around in that forest. We didn’t know where our ship was and Fly-Heart suggested he flies up to find out where the ship was. My father nodded and Fly-Heart flapped his wings and shot up in the sky. He looked into the distance and pointed east, deeper into the forest. We trotted on the pathway that headed to where Fly-Heart was flying, guiding us.

“A Pegasus has been sighted. What do we-“

“You take him down. No matter the cost. We can’t have anyone finding out the ship.”

“Yes ma’am.” A conversation was heard in our ears and we hid behind the bushes as silently as possible. My father looked through the bushes and whispered to us that there was one strongly-built unicorn guard fitted in camouflage clothing with a few side packs and a radio wrapped around his neck. We moved the bush a little so we can see what the guard was doing. He pointed his horn toward the sky and shot a spell toward Fly-Heart, hitting him dead center through his stomach. He fell down and landed hard on the path beside us.

“O-oh my…”my mother whispered as Fly-Heart’s shocked face stared at us. The guard trotted up toward the body, not noticing us behind the bushes. My father and mother looked at each other in the eyes and nodded before tackling him down and ripping off the radio. We all joined in and roughed him up a bit before our father extended his wings to make us back off so he can interrogate him.

“We can let you live so you can see another day. But if you don’t cooperate, I will result to violence and snap each of your bones until you talk. Now where is our ship?” my father growled at him, ready for anything the subdued unicorn might do.

“Argh…I won’t talk. Do your worst!” the soldier kept his trained mentality not to talk. My father smiled and stomped above his head, breaking off his horn. The soldier screamed, but was cut short by my father as he placed his hoof in the pained guard.

“Now I’ll ask again. Exactly where is our ship? We know it’s somewhere east, but give us directions and we’ll let you walk away.” My father looked at him sternly. The soldier reached into his pocket and nudged a map out of it. My mother took it and my father slammed a hoof down, knocking the soldier out. “Appreciate it.”

We looked at the map and followed the trail that would help lead us to the ship. We hurried as fast and silently as we could, hoping we wouldn’t find any more soldiers during the way. We would take breaks within the safe confines of nature itself, for only a few moments before we had to go. As we went on, the ground below us started to shake a little bit before it shook violently. The leaves fell everywhere, the bushes lost its structure, and a few trees fell. We used this opportunity to gallop on the path that we had to take, letting the falling trees and rustling drown out their noise. Black-Veil lost her stamina and started running slower than the rest of us. We didn’t notice it until it was too late as she shrieked, getting crushed by one of the falling trees.

“Sister!” Pandora cried reaching out for her. My father held her back and forced her to continued going forward. As I look back, her eyes stared at her, then me, reaching out painfully before going limp.

“Hey, you there! Stop!” we heard two patrolling soldier yell out to us. We looked back as we galloped and saw them catching up to us. Pandora closed her eyes and stopped in her tracks, outstretching her wings to block their path.

“Go on without me! I’ll hold them off! Get to the ship!” Pandora yelled, motivating us to keep going. Now, it was me, my mother, and my father, delving deeper into the unknown forest. I let loose a few tears as we turned to the final pathway that led to our ship.

“Fly-Heart, Black-Veil, Pandora, and Roxy…lost in a mere hour. What more is there can I lose?” I said my thoughts aloud, drained from the whole ordeal. I felt more exhausted and anguished than I had in my whole life from that point. My father nudged me forward a bit too hard.

“You’ll lose a home. Maybe our lives if we don’t get to the ship!” my father said bluntly, trying to coerce me to continue forward.

“Keep going my son. Do it for Roxy.” My mother softly whispered, also giving me motivation. As soon as we neared the end of the pathway, we saw the ship attached to a rocket propeller, stairs and platforms. The stairs provided access to the giant platform and the entrance to the pod. We hid behind the trees and inspected the area for more patrolling guards and for this ‘Mane-Mare’ figure. But there was nothing here, just the ship alone.

“No one is here. That’s strange. How can something of importance not be guarded?” my father whispered in question. We shrugged as we continued forward to the stairs.

“Stay close Radiant. Who knows what lurks in the darkness…” my mother advised me. I stayed close to them as we reached the entrance of our pod. We looked inside and saw everything intact. A.I. Pinkiana did a good job keeping the inside of the pod intact. Nothing was out of place or in disrepair.

“Creator Family, oh my, I thought you wouldn’t come! I kept them out of the pod and used my magic code to block access to the ship.” Pinkiana’s voice was heard from the inside. The pillar’s veins would blink pink every time she’d speak. The pod door hissed and it opened up a few moments after. “Here, the door is opened. Where is Acquaintance Roxy, as well as the others?” I bowed my head in sorrow, reminded of their pained faces and smiles. Pinkiana gasped and had a moment of silence. “Oh. I see.”

“It’s okay Radiant. They’re in a better place and they’re watching with smiles.” My mother smiled as she patted my back. My father hugged me and had a little family moment.

“Well, isn’t this cute?” a mare’s pompous voice was heard as she walked up the stairs to the platform, followed by three guards, one of them with a broken horn that my father stomped off. They had with them the dead bodies of Fly-Heart and Black-Veil. Pandora was dragged by her mane and was thrown in front of us. Her lungs rasped for air as she tried to get up, but she had no energy to do so. “She’s lucky to hold off my guards for you three to come this far, but…not lucky for her.” Her green eyes, regal purple fur, and luminous blonde mane were hard to forget as she stomped on Pandora’s windpipe, severing her spine and crushing her esophagus. I gasped a bit and tears rolled down to my chin, witnessing again the death of another dear friend. My parents were horrified and had no words to say. But the question was clear: why would this psychopathic mare go to the lengths of killing innocent children?

“Orders your lordship?” the guards looked at her for guidance. She smiled and closed her eyes.

“Shock them.” She commanded. Two of their horns glowed heavenly white and charged up. My father shoved me out the way and into the pod, taking the shot for me. They shot their spells and my parents screamed in pain, shadows dancing around the inside of the pod as they are being electrocuted.

“L-L-Lock Th-The door!” my father stuttered aloud to Pinkiana. I got up as the door closed shut. I ran up to the window and banged on the door.

“Pinkiana, Open the door! My parents are out there!” I commanded her.

“Negative Creator Radiant Tear! You’ll be in the hands of Mane-Mare!” Pinkiana said to me, worried for my well-being. I couldn’t do anything but watch as my parents’ torture go on. Mane-Mare raised her hoof and the soldiers stopped their spells.

“I demand that you open this door now!” her voice lashing out toward my parents as they rasped for breath. My parents groggily stood up and looked into each other’s eyes. They bowed their head and looked into my eyes in sadness.

“Pinkiana, initiate the launch sequence.” My parents said simultaneously. She gasped and fell silent for a moment before complying with their commands. I banged on the door harder, now in full blown panic.

***

Radiant Tear was holding back his sobs as tears ran down his cheeks like an abyssal waterfall. He laid his head on the table and felt himself breaking down. He tried hard to resist the painful reminders as he reads.

“Stop reading that book! You’re hurting yourself more.” Luna tried to reason with Radiant’s mysterious attitude. Radiant couldn’t look away.

“No! I have to…face…it!” Radiant tried to push himself over the limit.

***

“Mom, Dad, don’t do this please!” I cried banging against the door, my vision blurred as tears formed in my eyes. My parents lazily stood up, despite the pain they were in, and leaned against the door, placing one of their hooves against the window, matching it up to mine. Mane-Mare and her guards just stood there, watching the sentimentalism.

“Son, listen carefully. A.I. Pinkiana is going to help you learn more about Nevaeh’s knowledge, culture, everything that’s recorded in Nevaeh’n history. She’ll also help navigate the ship and keep you in check within your cryogenic state.” I looked to my father in confusion and pain as he said that.

“You mean we, right?! I can’t do this alone!” I yelled, my voice starting to crack into sobs. I looked into their eyes and screamed. “I lost too much already!! Roxy, Fly-Heart, Black-Veil and now Pandora is gone!”

“Child, there is a road in which we must take alone. Right now, it’s time for you to take that road.” My mother’s philosophy went into my head. I denied it, I couldn’t let it happen. I refused to let Mane-Mare win.

“Mom, Dad, close your eyes. I’ll get you in here!” I charged a blinding light spell and unleashed it, but ended up blinding myself. “Ahh…C’mon, get in! Pinkiana, open the door.”

“Launch sequence has been initiated. I’m sorry Creator Radiant Tear, but we must go to ensure our survival.” A.I. Pinkiana’s voice was heard as the cryopod behind me opened. It was connected to the central pillar holding the supercomputer. Mane-Mare cackled and bowed her head, ready to charge with a blade in her mouth.

“Soldiers, on my command, we kill the child’s parents.” Mane-Mare managed to say with the blade in her mouth. My eyes widened and I could barely gasp since I was trying to recover from the flash.

“Ma’am, he’s just a kid! Don’t scar him any further than necessary!” One of the soldiers said, denying the request. She stared at them in anger.

“So I hired a bunch of cowards? My agents recommended your group because you were the best and you follow a simple command! Very well then! I’ll do it myself!” Mane-Mare furiously yelled.

“Please don’t kill them!” I screamed repeatedly as I got up from the floor and rushed toward the window. She looked at me and smiled and spoke in a soothing yet devious tone.

“You either die with your parents in this devastated chaos or let their deaths burn in your mind! But, I wonder…what will you be more comfortable with?” she smirked devilishly.

“Don’t listen to her wicked words. Live on for us, for Roxy and for the good of Nevaeh.” My parents countered her words.

“You should know how this ends child! I will torture them as you launch up and let the fires of the rocket burn them alive!”

“You’re the last and best hope Nevaeh has at preserving our knowledge! You’re the true voice of this world!”

Time slowed down deciding what I really wanted. I couldn’t let my parents down and let our work be for nothing, but I didn’t want them to painfully die. I could’ve coerced the soldiers into betraying her, but my mind was at a standstill at the options I had in my time of panic. If I choose to open the doors, Mane-Mare would leave the planet and my parents would be fully disappointed in me as we await our deaths from the sun. If I choose to refuse, then my parents would be slain in front of me. After what felt like an eternity, I have chosen the obvious decision.

“I’m sorry mother and father.” I regretfully said. My parents gasped, my father shaking his head and my mother burying her face into the side of his neck. “Pinkiana, start the launch.”

“Acknowledged Creator Radiant Tear. Launching in T-minus sixty seconds.” Pinkiana loudly stated. My parents cheered and I smiled at them, but as I looked toward Mane-Mare, she kicked the soldiers down.

“Don’t you dare hold me back! I’m slaying his parents!” Mane-Mare furiously screamed, losing the rich accent of hers as she lunged forward toward my father. I watched in sheer silence and fear as she whipped the blade against his throat and slashed. My mother screamed his name in shock, pain, fear, a lot of conflicting emotions that was too much to comprehend. The evil mare backed off and smiled sadistically at me and watched as my father looked me in the eyes and held his hoof in place with mine as he slid down into the floor. I couldn’t stop staring at the amount of blood that stained the window and his pained eyes that stared back at me. I breathed heavily and the tears wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t think rationally and all I did was scream.

***

Radiant Tear couldn’t take it anymore. His sorrow unleashed into a stream along his cheeks as his horn and eyes glowed brightly and shot into the air, forming into a circle and revealing his memories through his eyes.

“Wh-what is this? Applejack whispered as they gazed into the weird spell.

“It’s his Memory Revelation Spell. He couldn’t hold in his sorrow so instead of speaking his tale, he will show you through his eyes.” Pinkiana explained as the memory started to show the ship shaking violently, making Radiant Tear fall on his back. More blood splattered upon the window and he tried to stand up to see what was going on.

“No…please let that not be my mother!” his thoughts rang out of his glowing mouth like a distant memory as he managed to crawl to the door. As he got up, he saw his mother, her mane and fur smeared with blood, trotting up to the door, smiling as she made eye contact with him.

“She is finished. My husband…your father…his death is avenged. Allow me to guide you in your time of need, my son.” She said to him as her horn glowed. The magic essence on her horn broke away and phased its way into the pod. She smiled before she fell next to his father’s dead body. Radiant looked up to the soldiers and they bowed their heads in shame.

“Kid, I know it’s late to say, but I’m sorry for everything that’s happened. If we’d known that sadistic mare was paying us to do this, we wouldn’t have taken the job.” The soldier with the broken horn said aloud. The other two nodded in agreement and placed Pandora’s body next to his parents’. “Wherever you may be, remember us. Remember Nevaeh.” They all said, saluting to Radiant. A few moments passed before he saluted back, nodding. They ran down the stairs and watched in awe as Pinkiana loudly counted down.

“Three……two……one…launching.” Her voice exclaimed loudly, vibrating the whole ship as he rumbled violently and propelled into the air. He waved down and as they waved back, he took a look up into the city as the ship loomed high into the sky. The city was in ruins as smoke trickled its way upward and buildings falling into shambles. Radiant sniffed as he watched the scene, whispering goodbye to his home planet. As he turned around, he gasped, seeing his parents, friends and lover in front of him, but as phantoms of the afterlife.

O-o-oh my…?! H-How did…how!?” he asked, surprised and in disbelief. The audience watching the memory gasped and Fluttershy began crying as they continued to watch in awe.

“My spell allowed our corporeal form to take shape and spend our time with you, however sacrificing my life in order to do so. We have a lot of time to spend before we have to go. So we can truly spend our last moments.” his mother explained as they walked up to him and gazed out the window as the pod separated from the rocket once they left the gravity of Nevaeh.

“Look at that. All that bloody chaos that you have avoided. I’ve never been so proud to help you get this far.” his father smiled toward his son.

“Remember when we learned about survival of the fittest; that the strongest will always survive? Heehee, guess you’re the strongest now!” Roxy’s upbeat attitude impressed even the princesses of Equestria. She’s dead and yet she still had that positive attitude.

“You’re the strongest of them all Radiant. You’ve endured a lot and even though we all didn’t survive, you’ve shown a lot of the colts and fillies in our school what you’re made of.” Fly-Heart complimented.

“Yeah, we saw them in the afterlife and they now have respect for you now!” Black-Veil remarked.

“Wait, they died during the conflict?” Radiant’s voice shook a bit, still trying to take it all in.

“Mhm, but some of the jocks are still mad that you’re better than them.” Pandora smirked. He chuckled a bit and looked out more.

“Creator Lunar Tear and Radiant Star, what is this feeling I am having? I’m sensing sadness and relief that you are okay.” Pinkiana’s voice whispered since her normal tone would vibrate the whole pod.

“You’re feeling humanity my dear.” His father answered. “Don’t worry, we are okay. Let’s…” every pony sniffled as he wiped his tears. “Let’s get Radiant into his pod.” Radiant looked at his friends and they all nodded. He sighed and trotted up to the cryopod, which was directed toward the window so he can gaze into the stars one more time before slipping into the reality that Pinkiana constructed within the supercomputer. He climbed into the pod and laid himself as straight as possible. The pod didn’t close right away, which confused the poor boy. He looked at his parents, friends and lover as they smiled at him and began singing a lullaby to him as a wire was stuck into his spine, electrically and neurologically connecting him to the Central Pillar.

“We love you, Radiant Tear.” They simultaneously said as they each phased away into nothingness. He looked at Roxy and he expected her to disappear, but not yet.

“Radiant, I know that…” she choked a bit trying to talk. “…it’ll be hard for you to move on. But please…move on…for us.” She cried a little, giving him a kiss before the pod closed, sealing him from the outside. Before he slipped into slumber, he saw the sun showing itself from the shadows of Nevaeh and saw Roxy’s corporeal form fading away slowly.

“Good…bye…”he said before black shadows swept his vision. As the memory was finished displaying, the magic aura dispersed and his eyes and horn stopped glowing. As his pupils and eye colors came back, tears streamed down his face and he fell on the ground, shaking and crying in his pain of reminiscence. The mask that he wore fell off his face, bouncing around before it was unmoving. His face revealed a small unusually colored scar across his face.

“Radiant!” Luna yelled, being the first of every pony running by his side. They all said his name to get his attention, but he just lied there in pain. Pinkiana just stood there, watching in thought and sadness.

“We need to get him to the hospital. He won’t respond!” Fluttershy said, clearly in panic.

Everything around Radiant seemed to reverberate around him and his vision blurred as he was being rushed to the nearest hospital. Memories flashed through his mind as he was placed on a stretcher and rushed to somewhere within the compounds of the hospital. His mind grew dark and he saw nothing except a light over his being. He was alone in the depths of his mind and reached up toward the light, which was slowly floating away before it severely blinded him.

“Nurse, I think he’s regaining consciousness!” Radiant Tear heard Luna’s voice as if it’s from a distance. As he looked around his surroundings, he realizes he’s in a white room with closed curtains and a few ponies surrounding him. Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle and A.I. Pinkiana were in the room with him while the nurse came in and examined him.

“Can you speak?” Luna asked him. Radiant barely turned his head and nodded a bit. It was hard for him to move for some unknown reason. As he blinked slowly, he felt tears burn in his eyes before dripping down.

“T-Tears? What…h-happened?” he could barely speak as he looked toward his friends. A.I. Pinkiana trotted up to him.

“You didn’t heed my warning and you did the Memory Revelation spell, which in turn caused you to have a mental breakdown.” Pinkiana bluntly explained to him.

“You…were severely broken. We waited at least 8 hours to see if you’d be alright, but you have to stay here for a while.” Twilight mumbled looking down, remembering his pained face. Radiant sighed sadly and looked up toward the ceiling. A mare with a nurse headwear and a red medical cutie mare walked in and examined him. As she did her job, Luna looked at Pinkiana and saw the jewels turn into deep cerulean blue as she walked out the room. Radiant tried to move out the bed, but the nurse gently put her hooves on him, putting him back on the bed.

“Don’t try to move. It’ll hurt more if you try.” She told him softly. He kept trying to do so, and eventually, he gave up. It was futile to resist in such a state. “I’m sorry sir, but you have to stay until you reach full recovery. For now, get some rest.” The nurse said before walking out the room. Luna gently placed a kiss on his cheek before leaving the room with her sister’s protégé.

Radiant Tear was alone in his thoughts, processing everything that has happened to him for the past few days. He revealed his existence to his friends that thought he was dead, told them of his past and true self, and still couldn’t face the past with a strong mind. As he slept, he remembered the faces of his friends and family. He lastly saw Roxy’s face before going into deep slumber.

“I’m…sorry…my friends…”Radiant whispered into the air before delving into the nightmares that plagued him ever since leaving Nevaeh.