Pony Poetry Vol. 1by GjallarFoxChaptersI'll Ever Know (Rainbow Dash)Passing the Torch (Applejack) <Free-Verse>Filled with Fear (Rarity)When You Need Me Most (Fluttershy)Upside and Down (Pinkie Pie)Passing On (Twilight)End of the Line (Twilight & Fluttershy)I'll Ever Know (Rainbow Dash)Once again, into the fray, from set of dusk till break of day. I likely throw my life away, but for you I'll take the pain. One more time, into the fight. Take this chance. Leave here tonight. For you to die just isn't right. My life to lose is my glory to gain. One more time, against the foe, into battle myself I throw. I fight for you alone and so, the greatest fight I'll ever know. I looked down from the smoky cloud I stood upon. It was much tougher beneath my hooves than I would have liked, but that wasn't important. What was important was the fact that Manehatten was entirely besieged by the Griffon Armada. The six airships that surrounded the city hung low in the air, each patrolled heavily by flight squadrons. Each ship had a minimum of twelve squadrons of four keeping guard, even at the dead of night. My name is Rainbow Dash. Fastest flier in all of Equestria, and Royal Guard Captain to Princess Twilight Sparkle. I've been trapped in Manehatten for twelve days, and I'm pretty damn sure that this might be my last. We came here so Twilight could attend a United Neightions summit, but the Griffons have decided to stab first, and ask questions later. I don't even know what pissed them off enough to send a quarter of their armada, but it must have been big. I heard a scream below me. Another citizen was being assaulted by a Griffon soldier. It hurt me to do nothing, but I saw twelve more behind him, watching with crossbows. If I attacked, I'd be dead within seconds. I jumped down, landing silently on a fire-escape just above a group of Griffon soldiers. They seemed to be having an interesting conversation, so I strained my ears to hear them. "Sounds like The Wind Blade is arriving tomorrow," one said. "Aye. I heard it's coming in with the Armored so we can launch a full-scale search and destroy," a second, and rather familiar female soldier replied. "Hey Gatzton. What do you think they're coming in with?" the first asked. "I don't know," the third replied nonchalantly. "Ca'Trice. Gilda. Shut your damn beaks. Loose lips blow up ships," a fourth voice hissed. The four griffons below me were now heading out of the alleyway onto the main streets. I stifled a growl, knowing that my flight-school friend was now my enemy. Inside, my thoughts seethed with rage. A desire to draw blood made itself apparent, but I suppressed it for another time. * "Twi," I called out in a whisper. I saw her head pop up from behind a cubicle wall. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and her mane was in a sorrier state than Pinkie's, but I didn't care. I still saw same-old amazing, beautiful, kind-hearted, egg-headed Twilight. But I was her Guard Captain now. My chance to tell her anything was gone twenty years ago. But that did not mean that I stopped trying to hint at it. "What?" she hissed back, trying to sound fine. "You have to leave tonight. I heard there was a seventh ship headed in tomorrow morning. If you don't scram now, they'll find and kill you," I warned. I knew that with her alicorn magic, she could teleport out of Manehatten, or turn herself invisible. I knew that she still had a chance. "They're hunting Royalty." "We," Twilight whispered, sneaking over to me. "We have to leave tonight." "I can't use magic, Twi. And with the patrols out there, half the fleet would be on my tail," I countered. "The only way out is magic." A tremor shook the building. I heard the echoes of voices resonate up the stairwell, along with the clomping of hooves on concrete. In that moment, I knew both of us were screwed if she didn't get out now. Spies. Fucking spies. "Go." "Damnit, Dash. You're coming with me." "I can't." "You can." "Twilight Sparkle, it is my sworn duty to protect you. I can't go with you. Now get out of here." "Dash!" "GO!" I felt tears running from my eyes. I thought I saw some in her eyes too, but that might have been a blur from my own. She finally seemed to accept the fact that I wasn't budging. I blinked the tears away, absolute calm returning to my face. I took one step towards her, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Twi. I got this. You just worry about you." She wrapped her hooves around me in the single tightest hug I'd ever felt in my life. It felt... Amazing. I felt all of my confidence return to me. My muscles felt charged like thunder clouds. Every inch of fur and feathers felt simply alive. After what felt like an hour, she let go and faded from view. I noticed an ever-so-slight change in my weight. I looked back to see that I was plated in armor made of solid magic. As I turned back to face the door I knew the enemy would be coming from, the squad of griffons I had eavesdropped on burst through it. Each of them held either a sword or crossbow. "Once again, into the fray. From set of dusk till break of day. I likely throw my life away, but for you, I'll take the pain." They charged through the room, jumping over cubicle walls as though they were hurdles. "One more time, against the foe. Into battle, myself I throw. I fight for you alone and so, the greatest fight I'll ever know." I charged against them, the horn on my helmet pointed directly at Gilda. As I silently closed in, one thought made itself clear in my mind. Pinkie, Flutters, Rarity, AJ... Goodbye, my friends. Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle. Author's Note Simple enough. Poem -> Story. I enjoyed converting this one to prose, but I liked the poem better. It was just absolutely fun to write. It felt good to go back and revisit verse. Hope y'all enjoy. <3 DarqFox EDIT: Why? Why Mr. Troll? Why would you downvote my poetry? Why would you do that? Was it honestly that crappy? Do you just not like poetry? Or is it just because you're incapable of producing a story in verse like I have? Is it because you're all just unsuccessful writers that feel the need to bash other people for no reason other than to make your writing not seem as bad? </3 At least leave a reason if you don't like this. Constructive criticism is highly encouraged and welcomed. I strive to be a better writer, and will gladly take tips to better both my verse and prose. :3 </3 DarqFox Passing the Torch (Applejack) <Free-Verse>"Life is not a race," the Rainbow once told me. "But rather a marathon relay. A run through the dark, with naught to light your way but the torch you pass." I suppose she was right. I've been racing through life, eager to move forward. But I've completely disregarded the fact that I have a set distance to run. I never slowed down to run with someone. So when I heard Rainbow died, I realized my greatest mistake. The only one I've ever kept pace with tripped before she could pass the torch. And now I realize that my torch is dead. I've reached the end of my run. I've finished faster than I wanted to. But now that I'm done, I think I'll take a nice long rest, and pass my unlit torch. A sharp wailing filled the hospital, reaching my ears faster than those of the doctors and nurses that were crowding my space in the Maternity Ward. My body was shaking from the shock of giving birth to my first foal. I felt a bit clammy, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to hold my foal. I took as deep of a shuddering breath as I could, trying to calm my nerves and out-of-control brain. It was difficult, but I got my heart to slow down. The doctor holding my foal exited the room, taking it somewhere I didn't know before I even knew if it was a colt or a filly. I wanted to holler at the old stallion, but I knew that my foal would need its shots. Not to mention the fact that doctors don't let ya see your foal till it's peed. I never questioned why. After about ten minutes, I saw the doctor returning with my foal and a proud grin on his freshly washed face. He pushed his way to the forefront of the crowd around me and called out, "It's a colt!" I never would have believed those old mothers'-tales. I used to be skeptic of those stories. How could I have? I was naïve before that moment. But as soon as that bundle reached my hooves, I knew. I looked down to see his face was absolute calm. He had a cyan coat and magenta eyes just like... Rainbow... I thought to myself. I always did wish Rainbow could see my firstborn foal when I had him. But she ran off and got herself killed. Now I just miss her like nopony's business. After all. I never got to tell the one pony I could be my truest self around how I felt about her. But that door has been shut for well over a year now. I guess it was my fault for never saying anything, or not being blunt enough with my hints. "Congratulations!" Rarity's voice squealed into my train of thought, halting it. All four of my remaining friends entered the room, bright smiles plastered on their faces, save for Pinkie, who's smile was wider than her face would allow. I didn't question it. This was Pinkie. "What's his name?!" Pinkie asked, literally bouncing against the floor and ceiling. I thought about it for a moment, before I realized three crucial things I wanted in my son's name. One, I wanted to stick to the family tradition, and name him after an Apple. Two, I wanted to have an affectionate shortened name for him, like my own; AJ. Three, I wanted to instill my memory of Rainbow into my son. The name came to me like a dog to a pony offering kibble. "Rainbow Jester," I blurted out, earning a full chorus of surprised gasps. "My little RJ..." Rarity smiled, placing a hoof on my shoulder. "It's beautiful." "Rarity, with y'all as my witnesses, I choose you to be RJ's godmother. I know you'll bring him up right should something happen to me," I croaked out. * That night, I had insisted on holding RJ through the night so I could comfort him should he wake. But truth be told, I wanted to tell him my story. Especially the bits with Rainbow. I stayed up long past midnight, knowing this was my last chance to spill my guts out to anypony. No sooner did I finish than a nurse walk in to check up on us. I whispered for her to take the baby so I could go to sleep. When she left with RJ, I closed my eyes, accepting what my body had been screaming at me since his birth. Some ponies say you see your life flash before your eyes before you die. Some say you meet Death itself. Some say that you see a light. I didn't see any of those things. I laid my head down, and fell asleep, knowing that my life ahead was but a dream. And as I drew my final breath, I thought of Rainbow, and smiled. Author's Note Thus far, Rainbow died in battle, and AJ died in her sleep after childbirth. Which Rainbow do YOU think she was referring to in the last line? Who's next, and how do they die? Stay tuned, my friends. <3 DarqFox Filled with Fear (Rarity)I was diagnosed with cancer last year. My heart was filled with fear. I felt as though I were hollow. I thought of those I held most dear. Depair so deep, I couldn't shed a tear. And I could hardly swallow. I thought of Rainbow, who died in a fight, and then of the Apple, who died that fateful night, of anguish and glee. I thought then of the child I raised, who each day grew loved and praised. But neither his mother nor I would see. I hung my wig up on the mannequin head on my dresser. I hated having it off, but leaving it on at night would simply mar the beautiful recreation of my once glorious mane. I levitated over my bandana, wrapping it over my head and neck where there were no curly violet locks of hair. I had covered nearly every mirror in my boutique, unable to stand the sight of myself after chemotherapy took my precious mane from me. The only ones that weren't covered by various fabrics were the ones I used to see the mannequins from all perspectives. I'd felt myself getting weaker. It was gradual, really. One day, I'd be able to make it to the market in ten minutes, a month later, eleven. But I never really paid mind to the slow decline of my health. I paid more mind to being happy, and making my remaining time count. I often sold off gems to the treasury so I could donate to various charities. I made all sorts of outfits for fashion shows that donated proceeds to charity. I volunteered with Sweetie Belle at local soup kitchens almost every weekend. Sweetie usually had disappointment in her eyes when we didn't go volunteer. To her, it had become our Saturday thing. I visited the Apple family often, bringing little RJ with me so Applebloom and Big Mac could see him. Every Sunday, I'd dress nicely and go out to the orchard to visit, where I'd hear the latest escapades of the Cutie Mark Crusaders from Applebloom, and get a big hug from Big Mac. I never told them of my limited timeframe, but the hug always comforted me. Every Tuesday, I'd go to the spa with Fluttershy, and uphold our weekly tradition. She often spaced out, but I didn't mind. I understood that the recent deaths had taken their tolls on them all. And with Fluttershy's inability to come out of her shell, I think she took the most damage. But every week, Tuesday would roll around, and I'd put on the happiest smile I could muster without turning into Pinkie, and tried with unmatchable vigor to infect Fluttershy with my smile outlook. Even if I knew that I was going to die and end up hurting her more. I laid down upon my bed, gently tucking myself beneath the covers. I levitated a piece of parchment and a quill before me, looking over the words I had scrawled upon it. I looked it over with such attention to detail that I could have caught a spelling mistake from Twilight. Once satisfied with it, I rolled it up neatly, sealing it shut with a violet ribbon and a red wax seal of my Cutie Mark. I set it down upon the nightstand from whence it came, a peaceful yawn escaping my lips. "Rarity? Why have you been wearing a wig for the past two months?" Sweetie asked as we walked back into the boutique from the soup kitchen. The question crashed into me like Rainbow Dash into Twilight's library. I paused to find the words. "Don't you dare lie to me." "If there's anything I learned from AJ, bless her soul, it was the importance of honesty. I'm going to be inconceivably blunt with you, Sweetie. And I already know you won't like what I'm about to tell you," I answered, holding back a tear as memories of the late apple farmer flooded my mind. "I've been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer." The silence that ensued was like the deafening roar of an angry manticore. One could hear a pin drop in Canterlot in it. Her face froze into the most painful expression of absolute horror. My heart wrenched. "The doctors are putting me through chemotherapy to try to treat it. Even so, I have an estimated four percent chance of beating this," I continued, desperate to keep the silence at bay. "Sweetie, I'm dying." If the news of my diagnosis hadn't shattered her heart, then that last statement surely did. Tears had begun flowing from both of us. She immediately lunged forward, hugging me tighter than Pinkie could ever hope to, tears of absolute heartbreak staining my shoulder. It took a week of constant checking on her, and hundreds of attempts of teleporting through the wall before Saturday rolled around. I, in a very frustrated and spontaneous act, bucked down the door, ripping it clear off its brass hinges. I finally sat down and cleared everything up, and convinced her to come out to the soup kitchen with me. Things never returned entirely to normal, but it was better than slipping food on a tray through a foal's door at mealtimes. In all honesty, I believe I was able to shape Sweetie into the mare I dreamed I could be. Stunningly beautiful, loyal, compassionate, honest, and most importantly of all; generous. I snuffed out the candle on my nightstand, darkness returning to the room. I laid my head down upon the pillow, my thoughts turning to my late friends. I wondered where they had gone, and if I would see them when I joined them in death. I thought of Sweetie Belle and little RJ. I thought of Twilight and Fluttershy and Pinkie. I thought of the Apple family and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Oh how I'd miss them. I closed my eyes, clearing my mind. As sleep came to me one final time, I let a smile curl up on my lips. Author's Note Well that was blunt. I mean, even the poem just immediately told you how she died. I really tried to just stab you guys immediately with the poem, telling you that she had cancer. But my real focus was on that slow twist of the knife in your gut. I wanted to squeeze tears out of you like sponges. I was really going for the feels. Let me know how I did. :3 Anyway, I'm off to go kill the next pony. Toodles! <3 DarqFox This particular segment is dedicated in loving memory of my old middle school band teacher Mr. Jones, who died of pancreatic cancer a year or two ago. God bless his soul. He was the greatest man I've ever met. He's inspired year after year of students with an unmatchable love of music. Myself included. When You Need Me Most (Fluttershy)I've thought about life a lot, I have. And Death I'm beginning to fear. I know not where he waits for me, but I know that he is near. Three of my friends have gone away, but the one I love is still here. And though she may be far away, and doesn't need me now, I know she'll have a moment of doubt. I cannot explain how. A thousand years, I'll wait for her. I have to time this right. For if I should wake too late, she'll fail to see my light. I know a way that legend knows. To sleep a thousand years, I toast. I drink the vial and lay down to rest, to awaken when you need me most. I held the vial up to the light. Inside the fragile glass was a transparent liquid that I knew contained an answer. My friends were dying, one by one. So young they all were... It was never meant to be their times. But Death is an apathetic thing, he is. He cares not if you're the most adorable little bunny, or the fiercest dragon. If you aren't an alicorn, he'll come for you eventually. He came for Rainbow... For Applejack... For Rarity... At least Twilight was safe... Yes. She was safe. I wasn't, and Pinkie wasn't. But Twilight was. That's why I was still okay. I had a dream last night. A rather peculiar one that I remember vividly every detail as though it were an actual event that happened just moments ago. I saw Twilight return to her library alone at the peak of midnight. I could see the sadness in her eyes. She teleported inside, looking around. I saw her staring at a knife with a sort of longing that I had often shot her way... It made me nearly burst into tears right then. I wanted so badly to scream to her. To call out and make her put it down... I relived all of my friends' deaths through their eyes... I killed seventeen griffons before I was shot by a crossbow as Rainbow... I felt the pain of childbirth, and the unfathomable love of mother to child through Applejack's eyes... I suffered through the pain of the most untreatable cancer as Rarity... But I was able to take the pain. It was nothing compared to watching Twilight contemplate killing herself. No. Those were bee stings to being roasted by a dragon. I looked back at the vial, swirling it slowly. I had gone to great lengths to learn how to brew it, and it took me several tries to get it right. But I finally had it. My way of traveling time. My way to be there with Twilight, to the horrid, bitter end. Or at least... That was the plan... The Millennium Slumber potion. The single most powerful non-lethal poison one could brew. It literally put you to sleep for a thousand years with one vial. One, teenie-tiny little vial, and I could wake up when Twilight had lost all hope, and be there for her... I knew I was being selfish, but I knew that if I didn't do this, her heart would be unable to handle the heartbreak for very long. I took one final glance at the vial, uncorking it. I snuffed the last candle in my home. Knowing that Pinkie would likely come visit tomorrow, I shed one tear at the pain that I knew I'd cause her. I tilted the vial back, ingesting the poison that would set me to sleep for one thousand years. With my will at my bedside, and the candles out, I let the poison do its work. I lost sensation from my wings and hooves first, the numbness creeping towards my pounding heart. I wiped my tear with a numb hoof, doing my best to appear as though I had died in my sleep, rather than by poison. As the numbness reached my heart, I closed my eyes. I let my mind open up to a thousand years of dreaming that everything was fine. That my friends were alive and well. That Twilight and I were together... With my last breath for the millenium, I whispered into the night, "I'll meet you once again, someday," in the stray hopes that she could hear my prayer and understand why I did this. To me, it was the only way to be there when she needed me most. Author's Note I'm not quite happy with this one. I much prefer the poem for this one, and it definitely says everything a helluva lot better than the story did. But this is about as good as I can force this one to be. Hope you enjoy. This opens the door for Pinkie and Twilight, and a seventh one for what happens when Flutters wakes back up. Will she wake up in time? Or will the heartbreak of losing her friends be faster than Flutters anticipated? Stay tuned! <3 DarqFox Upside and Down (Pinkie Pie)Upside and Down I can say without a doubt, that I'm more sane than ever before. I can tell you that I'm not two ponies anymore. I killed the other me. I've regained control. I've sent Death away with her soul. Four of us died and yet you smile, grinding my mind like clipper and file. So go ahead and wear your damn smile. I'll watch with a frown. I'll turn that sick smile of yours upside and down! It was early that day. I was quite deflated. My mane wasn't flat, but it had lost its poofiness. Three of my friends were dead. True, I did have hundreds of friends, but this was different. Three of my best friends were dead. No more parties with them... No more epic adventures with them... No more fun at all with them... I had attended too many funerals in the last three years. My fur was starting to become as black as the gown I had worn to Rarity's funeral just four weeks ago... I shook the thoughts from my head. I was on my way to the spa to uphold Rarity and Fluttershy's tradition. After Rarity passed away, Fluttershy kept going to the spa, every Tuesday. I decided to join her so she wouldn't be alone. But those are memories I didn't want to see. I had to put on a smile. Maybe she'd see through the fake smile I was steeling myself to wear. Maybe she'd be able to help me find my real smile again. Five minutes past nine. She was late. I chalked it up to needing just another moment of rest. Ten past nine. I tapped my hoof impatiently as Angel. Twenty past nine. I was beginning to worry. Maybe something was wrong. Perhaps an emergency had come up with one of her animal friends. I decided to investigate. As I meandered the Ponyville streets, I saw dozens of happy faces, all smiling at the nearly cloudless day. I tried to smile with them, but couldn't. It just felt wrong to smile so soon after Rarity passed... The smiles that usually added to my own, now hurt to look at... They made my stomach churn, and head droop. They made me want to cry... But I didn't. I finally reached Fluttershy's cottage, which was a great deal quieter than usual. I looked around, barely lifting my head an inch. I saw no animals nearby. Where I'd usually see all manners of different creatures, I saw absolutely nothing. I knocked timidly at the door. I heard no response. I knocked again, a little louder. Nothing. I opened the door, carefully poking my head inside. I looked around, seeing nothing out of place. All of the pictures were freshly dusted, the books were organized in a similar manner to how Twilight would, and there were fresh greens in Angel's bowl. Even her mask was dusted, hanging upon the wall majestically. But that wasn't important at the time. I quickly made my way up the stairs, the silence making me shake. Somehow, I knew what was behind her bedroom door before I opened it. As I reached to open it, I felt tears threatening to burst, and my mane flattening itself further. I had already begun fearing the worst. And suddenly... Something just... clicked. Twilight was responsible for this. Rainbow died defending her, causing Applejack to make a bold decision that she would never have done if Rainbow were still around at the time. Everything was a domino effect from there. It just started making sense. It never felt wrong, blaming Twilight. It never felt wrong. It never felt like I was lying to myself. It never felt like I was ever wrong. I wasn't blaming a friend. I wasn't even blaming my best friend. I was seeking justice... I was seeking revenge for her systematic murder of my friends. So I hatched an idea. Why not turn her smile upside and down? Since she was a princess, and I was supposedly her friend, why not destroy her image? Why not let her know that I hated her? Why not show her how I felt about all of this why not let her feel my pain why not lether experiencethepain thatIwas feelingatthatmomentwhynotwhynotwhynotwhynot... Why not kill them all? I asked myself. Without a counterargument to offer myself... That's what I planned. * There were seven ponies stuck to the wall, wrapped in colorful streamers and other party decorations. Solid icing as strong as concrete bound them to the pink wall of Sugar Cube Corner. I smiled with glee as they struggled to escape. I almost dropped my cake-knife, I was smiling so much. It felt great to smile again. I looked upon each of them. I knew their names, but refused to acknowledge that. Ponies that were nearby panicked, running like ants from a sudden drop of water. As I closed in on the furthest left pony, I giggled with pure joy, earning a muffled attempt to scream in terror. I gently ran the knife along the pony's throat, the cutting edge running perpendicular to the way it was supposed to. The muffled screams soon became nothing more than whimpers. I laughed happily, slicing the pony open. As the blood dripped from the new opening, I felt a little bit spray over my face. It felt amazing. With that feeling driving me forward, I sprinted along, holding the knife sideways. It cut each one open systematically at the throat, leaving beautiful red neckties on their bodies. I turned to look behind me for new friends. I saw a young colt staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth. I could feel his fear. I could taste it. It was absolutely delicious... Better than any cupcake I'd ever tasted. I felt a tiny pinch in my flank. I turned to see a Royal Guard with a tranquilizer musket, and fell over. Dreams let me continue where I left off, Twilight watching from above, helpless. I proudly showed my hatred, and with every last ounce of my boundless energy, I began to turn her smile upside and down. Author's Note Note#1: The moment where there are many words unspaced are supposed to be there. It's there representing the jumbled thoughts in her mind. Note#2: The poem for this one was especially fun for me to write. It really gave me a STORY to write. A story that was challenging. Pinkie HATING a pony? And TWILIGHT no less! That was hard. But SSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOO FFFFUUUUUUUNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!! I just have to shout out to a few of my supportive stalkers that keep me writing. Midnight: First, closest, and quietest stalker. Lokey: A dash of hater for my day. Because everyone needs a stalker that kinda dislikes you, but still finds you worthy of being stalked. Kaii-Leiko: Somehow my absurdly dark and grotesque humorous comment on his story provoked him to stalk me. He's been giving me some advice on what to do with Night Mare's Knight. Thanks for being awesome enough to stalk me! :3 I strive to be worthy of your watchful eyes. <3 DarqFox Incoming Twilight poem: NEXT! Stay tuned. Passing On (Twilight)I step inside my one-time home, a silent place of study. I am the last alive, it seems, I have faded back to nobody. I look upon the pictures and tomes, I see the friends I knew. I look back at my now blurry dreams, and remember the pain I went through. I remember the Apple, honest and strong, I remember she never could tell a lie. I remember the Rainbow, who dove in headlong, for her friends, she'd proudly die. I remember the Diamond, a true Rarity, her beauty only matched by the size of her heart. I remember the Pie, sweet as can be, defying physics was her signature art. But I remember the Butterfly most vividly of all, Kind, and gentle, but fragile as glass. But for me, up to a dragon she'd stand tall, She was my gold. The world was brass. Leaving her was hardest on me, and now it's too late. She's a thousand years gone. I look at the knife, and now I see, It's time I thought of passing on. I landed softly in the soft hours of twilight where everything was gray and indistinguishable. I relished in the fact that no one had seen me land, and that my guards were not following me. I looked around, seeing the image of desolation upon the Ponyville streets. I smiled, opening the door of the Golden Oaks Library, which had grown significantly over the past thousand years. I stepped inside my one-time home, a surge of nostalgia flooding me. I remembered when I first arrived in Ponyville, regarding this hallowed place as naught but a silent place of study. Oh, how truly stupid I was. I looked around the dusty old place, seeing everything in its original place, save for the scaled distances from the tree's growth. I gazed upon the pictures and tomes, seeing myself in a few of them. I saw my friends, all of whom were now a thousand years dead. Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity... Fluttershy... Pinkie... All of them were dead. Just when I had learned to get my damned nose out of those accursed books and actually interact with ponies, Celestia took it all away. She gave me wings, and dragged me back to Canterlot. I got to visit Ponyville for the funerals, but that was it. Just when I found love... She took it away. My mentor, my mother-figure had dragged me away from my fairy tale. From my 'happily ever after'. From my chance to feel what I'd dreamt of feeling since I was a filly, and to this day. I let a tear drip to the ground, the near-inch thick coat of dust absorbing the tiny gem of liquid despair. I smiled sickly as the tears overflowed, and joined the pioneer in the dust. That was the first time I'd shed tears in over seven hundred years. It was just... desolate in that old library... The last time I cried, I was reliving a recurring nightmare, watching Fluttershy drink poison despite my screams and pleas. I watched her for a week as she brewed the poison herself, some of the deadliest ingredients all fermenting into the single deadliest poison one could brew, and proceed to drink it, all in one night of dreams. I relived this nightmare exactly ninety-one thousand three-hundred and twelve times in a row. I wondered how I took the pain every night, but then I remember calling in a favor from Luna, asking her on the night that should have been the ninety-one thousand three-hundred and thirteenth time to suspend me in blank-space instead of my subconscious dreamscape. And for those next seven-hundred and fifty years, I sat in blank, empty, amorphous space that I could neither change, nor bend, nor break. It saved me from the snap that I had seen coming. But it was inevitable. I snapped on the day that should have been my three-hundred sixty-five thousand two-hundred and fiftieth night of that dream, flying here on my Celestia-be-damned wings that cost me my friends. I trotted through the dust, casting a quick spell to collect the dust in one spot. I ended up in the small kitchen area, where a bowl of wax fruit stood upon the table, attempting to trick somepony into taking a bite. I looked around, seeing that the toaster was in the exact spot I usually left it, as were the plates and silverware, and other such items. But my eyes paused as I noticed the change in place of one knife, which was no longer sticking out of the wooden block, now entirely absent. With curiosity, I pulled each knife halfway out of the block to determine which were present, so I could deduce which was absent. Within a minute, I had concluded that the cake-knife was missing. I put the knives back in the block... At least... I tried. One knife, despite my spell guiding it back to rest in its home, slowly crept forth from the block, pulling itself free of the wooden prison. I deactivated the levitation spell, and walked away, hoping to hear a light tap of the knife sliding back into the block. But as I walked away, I heard the knife clatter noisily on the kitchen floor. I looked back, seeing the knife on the solid wood floor of the kitchen, seeming to beckon me closer. I looked at the pictures on the walls and shelves, remembering my friends. I looked back at the knife. It whispered to me. It whispered in my ear as though it were right behind me. It begged me to use it. It beseeched me. I didn't see anything wrong with the notion of its implications. I was depressed. Had been for over one-thousand years. I thought of my friends, standing at the gates of heaven, or wherever it is everypony goes when they die, waiting for me. I thought of Rainbow, patroling from the air in her Captain's Armor, waiting to see me and tackle me with full force. I thought of Applejack, waiting patiently whilst talking to her son. I thought of Rarity, who would be gossiping with any who'd listen about what I'd been doing over the past millennium. I thought of Pinkie, who I'd never heard from or about since Rarity's funeral. Somehow, she had just... poofed. It was like she never existed. And then there was Fluttershy, who drank poison after Rarity's death. I read her will, and did my best to accompany her wishes, no matter how strange they were. Like her request to be left in her home instead of being buried, and her request that her home be locked from the outside, but able to be opened from the inside. And though quirky, I fulfilled the requests, never really questioning them. I thought then of her, waiting for me at the gates of heaven, standing silently vigilant. I thought of her beautiful mane, her adorable quirks like hiding behind her mane, her heart-menting smile... I longed desperately to join her... With her in mind, I lifted the knife to my neck with magic, clutching a photo of her between my hooves and my heart, steeling my mind to draw its last breath... Author's Note This was actually the first poem for this volume that I wrote. Chronologically, anyway. It was fun to write, and made my friends shiver and feel bad. I made my normally cold-as-stone friend CRINGE. That is a difficult feat. So. Will Twilight go through with it? Or will Fluttershy wake up in time? All of this and more in the next and final chapter. I will have to deviate from my little theme of putting the poem up, then the story. I will not have a poem for the next chapter. The next chapter is solely there to wrap up loose ends and kill those two off. How I end up doing so: All shall be explained in due time. "Everyone will die. It's just a matter of when, where, and how." -unknown <3 DarqFox End of the Line (Twilight & Fluttershy)------Fluttershy------ Slowly, feeling crept back into my body, sharp pain enveloping my heart as I felt it return to its normal tempo. The warmth of feeling flooded forth from my heart, wrapping me in a cocoon of comfortable heat. As my mind defogged itself, I remembered where I was, or rather, when I was, and where in this when I needed to be. I felt my heart lurch in my chest, dragging my body out of bed with it. As I had anticipated, my bed was now my coffin, which was half open. I stepped down from the coffin's elevated position, stretching my old stiff muscles and joints. I flared my wings, testing them as Rainbow would before a big competition. But then again, I had a reason to fly fast now. I knew that Twilight was in her library, thinking of where her now infinite life was going. I knew she was doubting herself. I felt the evil in the knives from miles away, though I'd never know how I knew any of that. I grinned as Rainbow would have before a race. With one great flap of my wings, I felt stronger than Applejack, and faster than Rainbow. I trotted to the door, opening it to the approaching twilight. A cold wind gusted at me, nearly lifting me from the ground, but I didn't care. I stepped outside into the frigid not-quite-dawn air, mental peace filling my mind like a cup of calm lavender tea. Closing the door behind me, I took off in the twilight. I flew faster than I ever had in my life. I felt the sound barrier pushing against me, keeping me from breaking it. I squinted to see, my eyes watering from the cold wind. I pushed as hard as I could as I saw Twilight's Library in the distance, approaching incredibly quickly. When I judged that I was about one-hundred meters away, I flared my wings open to decelerate before I splattered against the wall like paint on a canvas. However, I did not slow enough in that one-hundred meter interval to not crash. Pain shot through me like liquid fire as I slammed into the wall of the library, a resounding thump echoing in the early morning air. ------Twilight------ Thump. Tock. The knife fell from my enchanted grip, stabbing into the wood floor. Tears followed swiftly after, landing silently on the wood. My lungs quickly filled themselves, the chilled air stinging my throat like a swarm of wasps. Sobs wracked my body, uneven and irregular. Tock-Tock-Tock. The gentle knock on the door echoed through the library, forcing more tears from my eyes. I stood up, against my desire to just lay there and cry, and sluggishly trudged to the door. It took me a minute to walk three meters. When I finally came to the door, I pulled it open without paying any attention. The next thing I remembered was being on the ground beneath a mass of yellow, the feeling of another pony on top of me making my mind run rampant. A loud bawling filled the once quiet library, the voice of it chilling me to my bones, and raising the fur on the back of my neck. And that was when it hit me like a brick. "Fluttershy...?" I managed to croak out. I didn't believe myself. Why would I? She'd been dead for a thousand years. The single most heart-breaking face soon came into view, her tears flowing freely and her lips dragged down with a crushing frown. She forced a smile, and hugged me tighter. "..B-But... You're s-sup-posed... to be..." "It's okay, Twilight," she whispered softly into my ear. Her warm breath tickled, making my ear twitch slightly. "I'm here for you now." Everything that had been troubling me at that point melted away as we lay there in the closest embrace I had ever experienced. The world outside ceased to exist, the library but a limit to our own universe. The knife in the floor's whisper was drowned out by the silent exchange of warmth between us. Nothing was wrong with the world. All was at peace. And I was still in love. "I love you, Fluttershy..." ------Fluttershy------ The words overwhelmed me with joy, stimulating my mind like a splash of ice-water to the face. The mare I loved loved me. I bit my tongue to check if I was still asleep, and was happy to find that I was indeed awake. I smiled with overwhelming happiness, an electric charge building up in my body. Without even thinking, I leaned in and kissed her. I kissed Twilight Sparkle, and it was absolutely amazing. I could barely find the words to describe any of it. The feeling of her wonderfully soft lips against mine, moving in perfect sync with my own nearly stopped my heart. The rush of love being exchanged nearly suffocated me. But I enjoyed every sensation... It just felt perfect. We pulled away, each inhaling deeply to satisfy our burning lungs. My eyes opened but a sliver to look at her beautiful face, and assuming I was lucky, gaze into her eyes. And lucky I was. Her eyes froze me solid and melted my heart. I couldn't move a muscle, yet my heart pounded on all the same. My breath shook, for reasons unknown to me. "How did you..."Twilight asked in a low whisper. Luna bless her. She just couldn't comprehend. "I drank a potion that set me to sleep for a thousand years," I told her, placing a quick peck on her cheek. I mentally grinned, knowing that she'd ask— "But why?" She asked, right on cue. "I don't know. I just knew you'd have this moment of doubt," I answered as best I could. "I knew the only way to save you now was to be there. So here I am." "Why me?" she inquired from nowhere. That one, I had not seen coming. I thought for a second, before starting, "You're perfect. You're smart, beautiful, strong... and you're as kind as I strive to be every day." I smiled as my heart filled in my mind's blanks. She smiled with me, the sun now beginning to peek into the library. ••••••Sixty years later...•••••• -----Twilight------ The evening sun poured through our cottage, lighting the tree-home up with warm hues of oranges and yellows and browns. I smiled to myself, laying on the couch with Fluttershy, whom I had cast an anti-aging spell on. Though she didn't look it, she was now one-thousand and ninety-eight years old, assuming one counted her thousand-year comatose. We had spent sixty amazing years together, enjoying everything life had to offer. There was nothing that we hadn't already done. A peck on the cheek snapped me from my mental ramblings. I smiled, looking down at the adorable pegasus who was my wife. I pecked her on the lips with a smile. Or at least, I tried to. Her lips locked to mine, preventing any movement to retreat. Not that I wanted to. But as with all sweet things, the kiss came to an end, her lips parting hesitantly from mine. "I think it's time for us to go to bed, love," she whispered into my ear. I smiled, agreeing with a silent nod.Our day had been long and tiresome. And though she looked young and fresh as a daisy, she was just like other elderly ponies. We got up, slowly as we always had, no real rush to do anything. We went about our evening routine, brushing our teeth and the like. It wasn't long before we found ourselves lying in bed together, waiting for sleep to come. I felt her heartbeat beneath my hooves as I held her close to me. I felt her chest rise and fall with each breath she took, each one becoming slower and more controlled. My heart and lungs mimicked hers. As sleep took both of us, I remembered the spell that I had cast upon us. I felt it finally coming into play. I felt her heart grow weaker, slowing down with each moment, my own following suit. I smiled peacefully, feeling Death take her. And I followed. The End Author's Note And so, everypony died. I much enjoyed this particular fic, and I hope you did too. Aww who am I kidding. CRY SOME MORE! <3 DarqFox Cry some more.
I'll Ever Know (Rainbow Dash)Once again, into the fray, from set of dusk till break of day. I likely throw my life away, but for you I'll take the pain. One more time, into the fight. Take this chance. Leave here tonight. For you to die just isn't right. My life to lose is my glory to gain. One more time, against the foe, into battle myself I throw. I fight for you alone and so, the greatest fight I'll ever know. I looked down from the smoky cloud I stood upon. It was much tougher beneath my hooves than I would have liked, but that wasn't important. What was important was the fact that Manehatten was entirely besieged by the Griffon Armada. The six airships that surrounded the city hung low in the air, each patrolled heavily by flight squadrons. Each ship had a minimum of twelve squadrons of four keeping guard, even at the dead of night. My name is Rainbow Dash. Fastest flier in all of Equestria, and Royal Guard Captain to Princess Twilight Sparkle. I've been trapped in Manehatten for twelve days, and I'm pretty damn sure that this might be my last. We came here so Twilight could attend a United Neightions summit, but the Griffons have decided to stab first, and ask questions later. I don't even know what pissed them off enough to send a quarter of their armada, but it must have been big. I heard a scream below me. Another citizen was being assaulted by a Griffon soldier. It hurt me to do nothing, but I saw twelve more behind him, watching with crossbows. If I attacked, I'd be dead within seconds. I jumped down, landing silently on a fire-escape just above a group of Griffon soldiers. They seemed to be having an interesting conversation, so I strained my ears to hear them. "Sounds like The Wind Blade is arriving tomorrow," one said. "Aye. I heard it's coming in with the Armored so we can launch a full-scale search and destroy," a second, and rather familiar female soldier replied. "Hey Gatzton. What do you think they're coming in with?" the first asked. "I don't know," the third replied nonchalantly. "Ca'Trice. Gilda. Shut your damn beaks. Loose lips blow up ships," a fourth voice hissed. The four griffons below me were now heading out of the alleyway onto the main streets. I stifled a growl, knowing that my flight-school friend was now my enemy. Inside, my thoughts seethed with rage. A desire to draw blood made itself apparent, but I suppressed it for another time. * "Twi," I called out in a whisper. I saw her head pop up from behind a cubicle wall. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and her mane was in a sorrier state than Pinkie's, but I didn't care. I still saw same-old amazing, beautiful, kind-hearted, egg-headed Twilight. But I was her Guard Captain now. My chance to tell her anything was gone twenty years ago. But that did not mean that I stopped trying to hint at it. "What?" she hissed back, trying to sound fine. "You have to leave tonight. I heard there was a seventh ship headed in tomorrow morning. If you don't scram now, they'll find and kill you," I warned. I knew that with her alicorn magic, she could teleport out of Manehatten, or turn herself invisible. I knew that she still had a chance. "They're hunting Royalty." "We," Twilight whispered, sneaking over to me. "We have to leave tonight." "I can't use magic, Twi. And with the patrols out there, half the fleet would be on my tail," I countered. "The only way out is magic." A tremor shook the building. I heard the echoes of voices resonate up the stairwell, along with the clomping of hooves on concrete. In that moment, I knew both of us were screwed if she didn't get out now. Spies. Fucking spies. "Go." "Damnit, Dash. You're coming with me." "I can't." "You can." "Twilight Sparkle, it is my sworn duty to protect you. I can't go with you. Now get out of here." "Dash!" "GO!" I felt tears running from my eyes. I thought I saw some in her eyes too, but that might have been a blur from my own. She finally seemed to accept the fact that I wasn't budging. I blinked the tears away, absolute calm returning to my face. I took one step towards her, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Twi. I got this. You just worry about you." She wrapped her hooves around me in the single tightest hug I'd ever felt in my life. It felt... Amazing. I felt all of my confidence return to me. My muscles felt charged like thunder clouds. Every inch of fur and feathers felt simply alive. After what felt like an hour, she let go and faded from view. I noticed an ever-so-slight change in my weight. I looked back to see that I was plated in armor made of solid magic. As I turned back to face the door I knew the enemy would be coming from, the squad of griffons I had eavesdropped on burst through it. Each of them held either a sword or crossbow. "Once again, into the fray. From set of dusk till break of day. I likely throw my life away, but for you, I'll take the pain." They charged through the room, jumping over cubicle walls as though they were hurdles. "One more time, against the foe. Into battle, myself I throw. I fight for you alone and so, the greatest fight I'll ever know." I charged against them, the horn on my helmet pointed directly at Gilda. As I silently closed in, one thought made itself clear in my mind. Pinkie, Flutters, Rarity, AJ... Goodbye, my friends. Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle. Author's Note Simple enough. Poem -> Story. I enjoyed converting this one to prose, but I liked the poem better. It was just absolutely fun to write. It felt good to go back and revisit verse. Hope y'all enjoy. <3 DarqFox EDIT: Why? Why Mr. Troll? Why would you downvote my poetry? Why would you do that? Was it honestly that crappy? Do you just not like poetry? Or is it just because you're incapable of producing a story in verse like I have? Is it because you're all just unsuccessful writers that feel the need to bash other people for no reason other than to make your writing not seem as bad? </3 At least leave a reason if you don't like this. Constructive criticism is highly encouraged and welcomed. I strive to be a better writer, and will gladly take tips to better both my verse and prose. :3 </3 DarqFox
Passing the Torch (Applejack) <Free-Verse>"Life is not a race," the Rainbow once told me. "But rather a marathon relay. A run through the dark, with naught to light your way but the torch you pass." I suppose she was right. I've been racing through life, eager to move forward. But I've completely disregarded the fact that I have a set distance to run. I never slowed down to run with someone. So when I heard Rainbow died, I realized my greatest mistake. The only one I've ever kept pace with tripped before she could pass the torch. And now I realize that my torch is dead. I've reached the end of my run. I've finished faster than I wanted to. But now that I'm done, I think I'll take a nice long rest, and pass my unlit torch. A sharp wailing filled the hospital, reaching my ears faster than those of the doctors and nurses that were crowding my space in the Maternity Ward. My body was shaking from the shock of giving birth to my first foal. I felt a bit clammy, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to hold my foal. I took as deep of a shuddering breath as I could, trying to calm my nerves and out-of-control brain. It was difficult, but I got my heart to slow down. The doctor holding my foal exited the room, taking it somewhere I didn't know before I even knew if it was a colt or a filly. I wanted to holler at the old stallion, but I knew that my foal would need its shots. Not to mention the fact that doctors don't let ya see your foal till it's peed. I never questioned why. After about ten minutes, I saw the doctor returning with my foal and a proud grin on his freshly washed face. He pushed his way to the forefront of the crowd around me and called out, "It's a colt!" I never would have believed those old mothers'-tales. I used to be skeptic of those stories. How could I have? I was naïve before that moment. But as soon as that bundle reached my hooves, I knew. I looked down to see his face was absolute calm. He had a cyan coat and magenta eyes just like... Rainbow... I thought to myself. I always did wish Rainbow could see my firstborn foal when I had him. But she ran off and got herself killed. Now I just miss her like nopony's business. After all. I never got to tell the one pony I could be my truest self around how I felt about her. But that door has been shut for well over a year now. I guess it was my fault for never saying anything, or not being blunt enough with my hints. "Congratulations!" Rarity's voice squealed into my train of thought, halting it. All four of my remaining friends entered the room, bright smiles plastered on their faces, save for Pinkie, who's smile was wider than her face would allow. I didn't question it. This was Pinkie. "What's his name?!" Pinkie asked, literally bouncing against the floor and ceiling. I thought about it for a moment, before I realized three crucial things I wanted in my son's name. One, I wanted to stick to the family tradition, and name him after an Apple. Two, I wanted to have an affectionate shortened name for him, like my own; AJ. Three, I wanted to instill my memory of Rainbow into my son. The name came to me like a dog to a pony offering kibble. "Rainbow Jester," I blurted out, earning a full chorus of surprised gasps. "My little RJ..." Rarity smiled, placing a hoof on my shoulder. "It's beautiful." "Rarity, with y'all as my witnesses, I choose you to be RJ's godmother. I know you'll bring him up right should something happen to me," I croaked out. * That night, I had insisted on holding RJ through the night so I could comfort him should he wake. But truth be told, I wanted to tell him my story. Especially the bits with Rainbow. I stayed up long past midnight, knowing this was my last chance to spill my guts out to anypony. No sooner did I finish than a nurse walk in to check up on us. I whispered for her to take the baby so I could go to sleep. When she left with RJ, I closed my eyes, accepting what my body had been screaming at me since his birth. Some ponies say you see your life flash before your eyes before you die. Some say you meet Death itself. Some say that you see a light. I didn't see any of those things. I laid my head down, and fell asleep, knowing that my life ahead was but a dream. And as I drew my final breath, I thought of Rainbow, and smiled. Author's Note Thus far, Rainbow died in battle, and AJ died in her sleep after childbirth. Which Rainbow do YOU think she was referring to in the last line? Who's next, and how do they die? Stay tuned, my friends. <3 DarqFox
Filled with Fear (Rarity)I was diagnosed with cancer last year. My heart was filled with fear. I felt as though I were hollow. I thought of those I held most dear. Depair so deep, I couldn't shed a tear. And I could hardly swallow. I thought of Rainbow, who died in a fight, and then of the Apple, who died that fateful night, of anguish and glee. I thought then of the child I raised, who each day grew loved and praised. But neither his mother nor I would see. I hung my wig up on the mannequin head on my dresser. I hated having it off, but leaving it on at night would simply mar the beautiful recreation of my once glorious mane. I levitated over my bandana, wrapping it over my head and neck where there were no curly violet locks of hair. I had covered nearly every mirror in my boutique, unable to stand the sight of myself after chemotherapy took my precious mane from me. The only ones that weren't covered by various fabrics were the ones I used to see the mannequins from all perspectives. I'd felt myself getting weaker. It was gradual, really. One day, I'd be able to make it to the market in ten minutes, a month later, eleven. But I never really paid mind to the slow decline of my health. I paid more mind to being happy, and making my remaining time count. I often sold off gems to the treasury so I could donate to various charities. I made all sorts of outfits for fashion shows that donated proceeds to charity. I volunteered with Sweetie Belle at local soup kitchens almost every weekend. Sweetie usually had disappointment in her eyes when we didn't go volunteer. To her, it had become our Saturday thing. I visited the Apple family often, bringing little RJ with me so Applebloom and Big Mac could see him. Every Sunday, I'd dress nicely and go out to the orchard to visit, where I'd hear the latest escapades of the Cutie Mark Crusaders from Applebloom, and get a big hug from Big Mac. I never told them of my limited timeframe, but the hug always comforted me. Every Tuesday, I'd go to the spa with Fluttershy, and uphold our weekly tradition. She often spaced out, but I didn't mind. I understood that the recent deaths had taken their tolls on them all. And with Fluttershy's inability to come out of her shell, I think she took the most damage. But every week, Tuesday would roll around, and I'd put on the happiest smile I could muster without turning into Pinkie, and tried with unmatchable vigor to infect Fluttershy with my smile outlook. Even if I knew that I was going to die and end up hurting her more. I laid down upon my bed, gently tucking myself beneath the covers. I levitated a piece of parchment and a quill before me, looking over the words I had scrawled upon it. I looked it over with such attention to detail that I could have caught a spelling mistake from Twilight. Once satisfied with it, I rolled it up neatly, sealing it shut with a violet ribbon and a red wax seal of my Cutie Mark. I set it down upon the nightstand from whence it came, a peaceful yawn escaping my lips. "Rarity? Why have you been wearing a wig for the past two months?" Sweetie asked as we walked back into the boutique from the soup kitchen. The question crashed into me like Rainbow Dash into Twilight's library. I paused to find the words. "Don't you dare lie to me." "If there's anything I learned from AJ, bless her soul, it was the importance of honesty. I'm going to be inconceivably blunt with you, Sweetie. And I already know you won't like what I'm about to tell you," I answered, holding back a tear as memories of the late apple farmer flooded my mind. "I've been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer." The silence that ensued was like the deafening roar of an angry manticore. One could hear a pin drop in Canterlot in it. Her face froze into the most painful expression of absolute horror. My heart wrenched. "The doctors are putting me through chemotherapy to try to treat it. Even so, I have an estimated four percent chance of beating this," I continued, desperate to keep the silence at bay. "Sweetie, I'm dying." If the news of my diagnosis hadn't shattered her heart, then that last statement surely did. Tears had begun flowing from both of us. She immediately lunged forward, hugging me tighter than Pinkie could ever hope to, tears of absolute heartbreak staining my shoulder. It took a week of constant checking on her, and hundreds of attempts of teleporting through the wall before Saturday rolled around. I, in a very frustrated and spontaneous act, bucked down the door, ripping it clear off its brass hinges. I finally sat down and cleared everything up, and convinced her to come out to the soup kitchen with me. Things never returned entirely to normal, but it was better than slipping food on a tray through a foal's door at mealtimes. In all honesty, I believe I was able to shape Sweetie into the mare I dreamed I could be. Stunningly beautiful, loyal, compassionate, honest, and most importantly of all; generous. I snuffed out the candle on my nightstand, darkness returning to the room. I laid my head down upon the pillow, my thoughts turning to my late friends. I wondered where they had gone, and if I would see them when I joined them in death. I thought of Sweetie Belle and little RJ. I thought of Twilight and Fluttershy and Pinkie. I thought of the Apple family and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Oh how I'd miss them. I closed my eyes, clearing my mind. As sleep came to me one final time, I let a smile curl up on my lips. Author's Note Well that was blunt. I mean, even the poem just immediately told you how she died. I really tried to just stab you guys immediately with the poem, telling you that she had cancer. But my real focus was on that slow twist of the knife in your gut. I wanted to squeeze tears out of you like sponges. I was really going for the feels. Let me know how I did. :3 Anyway, I'm off to go kill the next pony. Toodles! <3 DarqFox This particular segment is dedicated in loving memory of my old middle school band teacher Mr. Jones, who died of pancreatic cancer a year or two ago. God bless his soul. He was the greatest man I've ever met. He's inspired year after year of students with an unmatchable love of music. Myself included.
When You Need Me Most (Fluttershy)I've thought about life a lot, I have. And Death I'm beginning to fear. I know not where he waits for me, but I know that he is near. Three of my friends have gone away, but the one I love is still here. And though she may be far away, and doesn't need me now, I know she'll have a moment of doubt. I cannot explain how. A thousand years, I'll wait for her. I have to time this right. For if I should wake too late, she'll fail to see my light. I know a way that legend knows. To sleep a thousand years, I toast. I drink the vial and lay down to rest, to awaken when you need me most. I held the vial up to the light. Inside the fragile glass was a transparent liquid that I knew contained an answer. My friends were dying, one by one. So young they all were... It was never meant to be their times. But Death is an apathetic thing, he is. He cares not if you're the most adorable little bunny, or the fiercest dragon. If you aren't an alicorn, he'll come for you eventually. He came for Rainbow... For Applejack... For Rarity... At least Twilight was safe... Yes. She was safe. I wasn't, and Pinkie wasn't. But Twilight was. That's why I was still okay. I had a dream last night. A rather peculiar one that I remember vividly every detail as though it were an actual event that happened just moments ago. I saw Twilight return to her library alone at the peak of midnight. I could see the sadness in her eyes. She teleported inside, looking around. I saw her staring at a knife with a sort of longing that I had often shot her way... It made me nearly burst into tears right then. I wanted so badly to scream to her. To call out and make her put it down... I relived all of my friends' deaths through their eyes... I killed seventeen griffons before I was shot by a crossbow as Rainbow... I felt the pain of childbirth, and the unfathomable love of mother to child through Applejack's eyes... I suffered through the pain of the most untreatable cancer as Rarity... But I was able to take the pain. It was nothing compared to watching Twilight contemplate killing herself. No. Those were bee stings to being roasted by a dragon. I looked back at the vial, swirling it slowly. I had gone to great lengths to learn how to brew it, and it took me several tries to get it right. But I finally had it. My way of traveling time. My way to be there with Twilight, to the horrid, bitter end. Or at least... That was the plan... The Millennium Slumber potion. The single most powerful non-lethal poison one could brew. It literally put you to sleep for a thousand years with one vial. One, teenie-tiny little vial, and I could wake up when Twilight had lost all hope, and be there for her... I knew I was being selfish, but I knew that if I didn't do this, her heart would be unable to handle the heartbreak for very long. I took one final glance at the vial, uncorking it. I snuffed the last candle in my home. Knowing that Pinkie would likely come visit tomorrow, I shed one tear at the pain that I knew I'd cause her. I tilted the vial back, ingesting the poison that would set me to sleep for one thousand years. With my will at my bedside, and the candles out, I let the poison do its work. I lost sensation from my wings and hooves first, the numbness creeping towards my pounding heart. I wiped my tear with a numb hoof, doing my best to appear as though I had died in my sleep, rather than by poison. As the numbness reached my heart, I closed my eyes. I let my mind open up to a thousand years of dreaming that everything was fine. That my friends were alive and well. That Twilight and I were together... With my last breath for the millenium, I whispered into the night, "I'll meet you once again, someday," in the stray hopes that she could hear my prayer and understand why I did this. To me, it was the only way to be there when she needed me most. Author's Note I'm not quite happy with this one. I much prefer the poem for this one, and it definitely says everything a helluva lot better than the story did. But this is about as good as I can force this one to be. Hope you enjoy. This opens the door for Pinkie and Twilight, and a seventh one for what happens when Flutters wakes back up. Will she wake up in time? Or will the heartbreak of losing her friends be faster than Flutters anticipated? Stay tuned! <3 DarqFox
Upside and Down (Pinkie Pie)Upside and Down I can say without a doubt, that I'm more sane than ever before. I can tell you that I'm not two ponies anymore. I killed the other me. I've regained control. I've sent Death away with her soul. Four of us died and yet you smile, grinding my mind like clipper and file. So go ahead and wear your damn smile. I'll watch with a frown. I'll turn that sick smile of yours upside and down! It was early that day. I was quite deflated. My mane wasn't flat, but it had lost its poofiness. Three of my friends were dead. True, I did have hundreds of friends, but this was different. Three of my best friends were dead. No more parties with them... No more epic adventures with them... No more fun at all with them... I had attended too many funerals in the last three years. My fur was starting to become as black as the gown I had worn to Rarity's funeral just four weeks ago... I shook the thoughts from my head. I was on my way to the spa to uphold Rarity and Fluttershy's tradition. After Rarity passed away, Fluttershy kept going to the spa, every Tuesday. I decided to join her so she wouldn't be alone. But those are memories I didn't want to see. I had to put on a smile. Maybe she'd see through the fake smile I was steeling myself to wear. Maybe she'd be able to help me find my real smile again. Five minutes past nine. She was late. I chalked it up to needing just another moment of rest. Ten past nine. I tapped my hoof impatiently as Angel. Twenty past nine. I was beginning to worry. Maybe something was wrong. Perhaps an emergency had come up with one of her animal friends. I decided to investigate. As I meandered the Ponyville streets, I saw dozens of happy faces, all smiling at the nearly cloudless day. I tried to smile with them, but couldn't. It just felt wrong to smile so soon after Rarity passed... The smiles that usually added to my own, now hurt to look at... They made my stomach churn, and head droop. They made me want to cry... But I didn't. I finally reached Fluttershy's cottage, which was a great deal quieter than usual. I looked around, barely lifting my head an inch. I saw no animals nearby. Where I'd usually see all manners of different creatures, I saw absolutely nothing. I knocked timidly at the door. I heard no response. I knocked again, a little louder. Nothing. I opened the door, carefully poking my head inside. I looked around, seeing nothing out of place. All of the pictures were freshly dusted, the books were organized in a similar manner to how Twilight would, and there were fresh greens in Angel's bowl. Even her mask was dusted, hanging upon the wall majestically. But that wasn't important at the time. I quickly made my way up the stairs, the silence making me shake. Somehow, I knew what was behind her bedroom door before I opened it. As I reached to open it, I felt tears threatening to burst, and my mane flattening itself further. I had already begun fearing the worst. And suddenly... Something just... clicked. Twilight was responsible for this. Rainbow died defending her, causing Applejack to make a bold decision that she would never have done if Rainbow were still around at the time. Everything was a domino effect from there. It just started making sense. It never felt wrong, blaming Twilight. It never felt wrong. It never felt like I was lying to myself. It never felt like I was ever wrong. I wasn't blaming a friend. I wasn't even blaming my best friend. I was seeking justice... I was seeking revenge for her systematic murder of my friends. So I hatched an idea. Why not turn her smile upside and down? Since she was a princess, and I was supposedly her friend, why not destroy her image? Why not let her know that I hated her? Why not show her how I felt about all of this why not let her feel my pain why not lether experiencethepain thatIwas feelingatthatmomentwhynotwhynotwhynotwhynot... Why not kill them all? I asked myself. Without a counterargument to offer myself... That's what I planned. * There were seven ponies stuck to the wall, wrapped in colorful streamers and other party decorations. Solid icing as strong as concrete bound them to the pink wall of Sugar Cube Corner. I smiled with glee as they struggled to escape. I almost dropped my cake-knife, I was smiling so much. It felt great to smile again. I looked upon each of them. I knew their names, but refused to acknowledge that. Ponies that were nearby panicked, running like ants from a sudden drop of water. As I closed in on the furthest left pony, I giggled with pure joy, earning a muffled attempt to scream in terror. I gently ran the knife along the pony's throat, the cutting edge running perpendicular to the way it was supposed to. The muffled screams soon became nothing more than whimpers. I laughed happily, slicing the pony open. As the blood dripped from the new opening, I felt a little bit spray over my face. It felt amazing. With that feeling driving me forward, I sprinted along, holding the knife sideways. It cut each one open systematically at the throat, leaving beautiful red neckties on their bodies. I turned to look behind me for new friends. I saw a young colt staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth. I could feel his fear. I could taste it. It was absolutely delicious... Better than any cupcake I'd ever tasted. I felt a tiny pinch in my flank. I turned to see a Royal Guard with a tranquilizer musket, and fell over. Dreams let me continue where I left off, Twilight watching from above, helpless. I proudly showed my hatred, and with every last ounce of my boundless energy, I began to turn her smile upside and down. Author's Note Note#1: The moment where there are many words unspaced are supposed to be there. It's there representing the jumbled thoughts in her mind. Note#2: The poem for this one was especially fun for me to write. It really gave me a STORY to write. A story that was challenging. Pinkie HATING a pony? And TWILIGHT no less! That was hard. But SSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOO FFFFUUUUUUUNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!! I just have to shout out to a few of my supportive stalkers that keep me writing. Midnight: First, closest, and quietest stalker. Lokey: A dash of hater for my day. Because everyone needs a stalker that kinda dislikes you, but still finds you worthy of being stalked. Kaii-Leiko: Somehow my absurdly dark and grotesque humorous comment on his story provoked him to stalk me. He's been giving me some advice on what to do with Night Mare's Knight. Thanks for being awesome enough to stalk me! :3 I strive to be worthy of your watchful eyes. <3 DarqFox Incoming Twilight poem: NEXT! Stay tuned.
Passing On (Twilight)I step inside my one-time home, a silent place of study. I am the last alive, it seems, I have faded back to nobody. I look upon the pictures and tomes, I see the friends I knew. I look back at my now blurry dreams, and remember the pain I went through. I remember the Apple, honest and strong, I remember she never could tell a lie. I remember the Rainbow, who dove in headlong, for her friends, she'd proudly die. I remember the Diamond, a true Rarity, her beauty only matched by the size of her heart. I remember the Pie, sweet as can be, defying physics was her signature art. But I remember the Butterfly most vividly of all, Kind, and gentle, but fragile as glass. But for me, up to a dragon she'd stand tall, She was my gold. The world was brass. Leaving her was hardest on me, and now it's too late. She's a thousand years gone. I look at the knife, and now I see, It's time I thought of passing on. I landed softly in the soft hours of twilight where everything was gray and indistinguishable. I relished in the fact that no one had seen me land, and that my guards were not following me. I looked around, seeing the image of desolation upon the Ponyville streets. I smiled, opening the door of the Golden Oaks Library, which had grown significantly over the past thousand years. I stepped inside my one-time home, a surge of nostalgia flooding me. I remembered when I first arrived in Ponyville, regarding this hallowed place as naught but a silent place of study. Oh, how truly stupid I was. I looked around the dusty old place, seeing everything in its original place, save for the scaled distances from the tree's growth. I gazed upon the pictures and tomes, seeing myself in a few of them. I saw my friends, all of whom were now a thousand years dead. Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity... Fluttershy... Pinkie... All of them were dead. Just when I had learned to get my damned nose out of those accursed books and actually interact with ponies, Celestia took it all away. She gave me wings, and dragged me back to Canterlot. I got to visit Ponyville for the funerals, but that was it. Just when I found love... She took it away. My mentor, my mother-figure had dragged me away from my fairy tale. From my 'happily ever after'. From my chance to feel what I'd dreamt of feeling since I was a filly, and to this day. I let a tear drip to the ground, the near-inch thick coat of dust absorbing the tiny gem of liquid despair. I smiled sickly as the tears overflowed, and joined the pioneer in the dust. That was the first time I'd shed tears in over seven hundred years. It was just... desolate in that old library... The last time I cried, I was reliving a recurring nightmare, watching Fluttershy drink poison despite my screams and pleas. I watched her for a week as she brewed the poison herself, some of the deadliest ingredients all fermenting into the single deadliest poison one could brew, and proceed to drink it, all in one night of dreams. I relived this nightmare exactly ninety-one thousand three-hundred and twelve times in a row. I wondered how I took the pain every night, but then I remember calling in a favor from Luna, asking her on the night that should have been the ninety-one thousand three-hundred and thirteenth time to suspend me in blank-space instead of my subconscious dreamscape. And for those next seven-hundred and fifty years, I sat in blank, empty, amorphous space that I could neither change, nor bend, nor break. It saved me from the snap that I had seen coming. But it was inevitable. I snapped on the day that should have been my three-hundred sixty-five thousand two-hundred and fiftieth night of that dream, flying here on my Celestia-be-damned wings that cost me my friends. I trotted through the dust, casting a quick spell to collect the dust in one spot. I ended up in the small kitchen area, where a bowl of wax fruit stood upon the table, attempting to trick somepony into taking a bite. I looked around, seeing that the toaster was in the exact spot I usually left it, as were the plates and silverware, and other such items. But my eyes paused as I noticed the change in place of one knife, which was no longer sticking out of the wooden block, now entirely absent. With curiosity, I pulled each knife halfway out of the block to determine which were present, so I could deduce which was absent. Within a minute, I had concluded that the cake-knife was missing. I put the knives back in the block... At least... I tried. One knife, despite my spell guiding it back to rest in its home, slowly crept forth from the block, pulling itself free of the wooden prison. I deactivated the levitation spell, and walked away, hoping to hear a light tap of the knife sliding back into the block. But as I walked away, I heard the knife clatter noisily on the kitchen floor. I looked back, seeing the knife on the solid wood floor of the kitchen, seeming to beckon me closer. I looked at the pictures on the walls and shelves, remembering my friends. I looked back at the knife. It whispered to me. It whispered in my ear as though it were right behind me. It begged me to use it. It beseeched me. I didn't see anything wrong with the notion of its implications. I was depressed. Had been for over one-thousand years. I thought of my friends, standing at the gates of heaven, or wherever it is everypony goes when they die, waiting for me. I thought of Rainbow, patroling from the air in her Captain's Armor, waiting to see me and tackle me with full force. I thought of Applejack, waiting patiently whilst talking to her son. I thought of Rarity, who would be gossiping with any who'd listen about what I'd been doing over the past millennium. I thought of Pinkie, who I'd never heard from or about since Rarity's funeral. Somehow, she had just... poofed. It was like she never existed. And then there was Fluttershy, who drank poison after Rarity's death. I read her will, and did my best to accompany her wishes, no matter how strange they were. Like her request to be left in her home instead of being buried, and her request that her home be locked from the outside, but able to be opened from the inside. And though quirky, I fulfilled the requests, never really questioning them. I thought then of her, waiting for me at the gates of heaven, standing silently vigilant. I thought of her beautiful mane, her adorable quirks like hiding behind her mane, her heart-menting smile... I longed desperately to join her... With her in mind, I lifted the knife to my neck with magic, clutching a photo of her between my hooves and my heart, steeling my mind to draw its last breath... Author's Note This was actually the first poem for this volume that I wrote. Chronologically, anyway. It was fun to write, and made my friends shiver and feel bad. I made my normally cold-as-stone friend CRINGE. That is a difficult feat. So. Will Twilight go through with it? Or will Fluttershy wake up in time? All of this and more in the next and final chapter. I will have to deviate from my little theme of putting the poem up, then the story. I will not have a poem for the next chapter. The next chapter is solely there to wrap up loose ends and kill those two off. How I end up doing so: All shall be explained in due time. "Everyone will die. It's just a matter of when, where, and how." -unknown <3 DarqFox
End of the Line (Twilight & Fluttershy)------Fluttershy------ Slowly, feeling crept back into my body, sharp pain enveloping my heart as I felt it return to its normal tempo. The warmth of feeling flooded forth from my heart, wrapping me in a cocoon of comfortable heat. As my mind defogged itself, I remembered where I was, or rather, when I was, and where in this when I needed to be. I felt my heart lurch in my chest, dragging my body out of bed with it. As I had anticipated, my bed was now my coffin, which was half open. I stepped down from the coffin's elevated position, stretching my old stiff muscles and joints. I flared my wings, testing them as Rainbow would before a big competition. But then again, I had a reason to fly fast now. I knew that Twilight was in her library, thinking of where her now infinite life was going. I knew she was doubting herself. I felt the evil in the knives from miles away, though I'd never know how I knew any of that. I grinned as Rainbow would have before a race. With one great flap of my wings, I felt stronger than Applejack, and faster than Rainbow. I trotted to the door, opening it to the approaching twilight. A cold wind gusted at me, nearly lifting me from the ground, but I didn't care. I stepped outside into the frigid not-quite-dawn air, mental peace filling my mind like a cup of calm lavender tea. Closing the door behind me, I took off in the twilight. I flew faster than I ever had in my life. I felt the sound barrier pushing against me, keeping me from breaking it. I squinted to see, my eyes watering from the cold wind. I pushed as hard as I could as I saw Twilight's Library in the distance, approaching incredibly quickly. When I judged that I was about one-hundred meters away, I flared my wings open to decelerate before I splattered against the wall like paint on a canvas. However, I did not slow enough in that one-hundred meter interval to not crash. Pain shot through me like liquid fire as I slammed into the wall of the library, a resounding thump echoing in the early morning air. ------Twilight------ Thump. Tock. The knife fell from my enchanted grip, stabbing into the wood floor. Tears followed swiftly after, landing silently on the wood. My lungs quickly filled themselves, the chilled air stinging my throat like a swarm of wasps. Sobs wracked my body, uneven and irregular. Tock-Tock-Tock. The gentle knock on the door echoed through the library, forcing more tears from my eyes. I stood up, against my desire to just lay there and cry, and sluggishly trudged to the door. It took me a minute to walk three meters. When I finally came to the door, I pulled it open without paying any attention. The next thing I remembered was being on the ground beneath a mass of yellow, the feeling of another pony on top of me making my mind run rampant. A loud bawling filled the once quiet library, the voice of it chilling me to my bones, and raising the fur on the back of my neck. And that was when it hit me like a brick. "Fluttershy...?" I managed to croak out. I didn't believe myself. Why would I? She'd been dead for a thousand years. The single most heart-breaking face soon came into view, her tears flowing freely and her lips dragged down with a crushing frown. She forced a smile, and hugged me tighter. "..B-But... You're s-sup-posed... to be..." "It's okay, Twilight," she whispered softly into my ear. Her warm breath tickled, making my ear twitch slightly. "I'm here for you now." Everything that had been troubling me at that point melted away as we lay there in the closest embrace I had ever experienced. The world outside ceased to exist, the library but a limit to our own universe. The knife in the floor's whisper was drowned out by the silent exchange of warmth between us. Nothing was wrong with the world. All was at peace. And I was still in love. "I love you, Fluttershy..." ------Fluttershy------ The words overwhelmed me with joy, stimulating my mind like a splash of ice-water to the face. The mare I loved loved me. I bit my tongue to check if I was still asleep, and was happy to find that I was indeed awake. I smiled with overwhelming happiness, an electric charge building up in my body. Without even thinking, I leaned in and kissed her. I kissed Twilight Sparkle, and it was absolutely amazing. I could barely find the words to describe any of it. The feeling of her wonderfully soft lips against mine, moving in perfect sync with my own nearly stopped my heart. The rush of love being exchanged nearly suffocated me. But I enjoyed every sensation... It just felt perfect. We pulled away, each inhaling deeply to satisfy our burning lungs. My eyes opened but a sliver to look at her beautiful face, and assuming I was lucky, gaze into her eyes. And lucky I was. Her eyes froze me solid and melted my heart. I couldn't move a muscle, yet my heart pounded on all the same. My breath shook, for reasons unknown to me. "How did you..."Twilight asked in a low whisper. Luna bless her. She just couldn't comprehend. "I drank a potion that set me to sleep for a thousand years," I told her, placing a quick peck on her cheek. I mentally grinned, knowing that she'd ask— "But why?" She asked, right on cue. "I don't know. I just knew you'd have this moment of doubt," I answered as best I could. "I knew the only way to save you now was to be there. So here I am." "Why me?" she inquired from nowhere. That one, I had not seen coming. I thought for a second, before starting, "You're perfect. You're smart, beautiful, strong... and you're as kind as I strive to be every day." I smiled as my heart filled in my mind's blanks. She smiled with me, the sun now beginning to peek into the library. ••••••Sixty years later...•••••• -----Twilight------ The evening sun poured through our cottage, lighting the tree-home up with warm hues of oranges and yellows and browns. I smiled to myself, laying on the couch with Fluttershy, whom I had cast an anti-aging spell on. Though she didn't look it, she was now one-thousand and ninety-eight years old, assuming one counted her thousand-year comatose. We had spent sixty amazing years together, enjoying everything life had to offer. There was nothing that we hadn't already done. A peck on the cheek snapped me from my mental ramblings. I smiled, looking down at the adorable pegasus who was my wife. I pecked her on the lips with a smile. Or at least, I tried to. Her lips locked to mine, preventing any movement to retreat. Not that I wanted to. But as with all sweet things, the kiss came to an end, her lips parting hesitantly from mine. "I think it's time for us to go to bed, love," she whispered into my ear. I smiled, agreeing with a silent nod.Our day had been long and tiresome. And though she looked young and fresh as a daisy, she was just like other elderly ponies. We got up, slowly as we always had, no real rush to do anything. We went about our evening routine, brushing our teeth and the like. It wasn't long before we found ourselves lying in bed together, waiting for sleep to come. I felt her heartbeat beneath my hooves as I held her close to me. I felt her chest rise and fall with each breath she took, each one becoming slower and more controlled. My heart and lungs mimicked hers. As sleep took both of us, I remembered the spell that I had cast upon us. I felt it finally coming into play. I felt her heart grow weaker, slowing down with each moment, my own following suit. I smiled peacefully, feeling Death take her. And I followed. The End Author's Note And so, everypony died. I much enjoyed this particular fic, and I hope you did too. Aww who am I kidding. CRY SOME MORE! <3 DarqFox Cry some more.
