//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 - Remember Me // Story: Whispers // by Huk //------------------------------// Ponies slowly made their way to the bottom of the palace, carrying the fading Crystal Heart with them - it needed to be recharged quickly, but following what happened, that shouldn’t be a problem. After freeing some ‘servants’ on the way, they ordered them to go and inform the rest of the population to gather near the palace as soon as possible and to bring the children separated by the changelings with them. Emerging from one of the pillars, the group immediately noticed an angry mob nearby. “Your highness!” one of the ponies called, bowing in respect, “one of the changelings is still here!” he pointed his hoof at the nearby crowd. Shining frowned in surprise - their magic should have repelled every changeling from the Empire - before he could analyze the situation a sound of something flying over his head filled his ears. “Fluttershy! What-” Twilight yelled towards the yellow pegasus but was interrupted almost immediately by the loud thud, as Fluttershy landed at the center of the mob. The group quickly galloped towards the crowd trying to comprehend what Fluttershy was up to, when suddenly... “EVERYPONY BACK AWAY!” her scream forced the mob to step back in fear. Only when they arrived near the creature, they realized that the changeling the crowd was about to lynch, was, in fact, the same one that freed them, and helped them fight Chrysalis. She was still alive but barely - her body was mangled, hooves twisted in unnatural angles and some blood was leaking from her muzzle. Apparently, she wanted to morph into Pinkie again, but only half of her body did. “You heard her - please back away,” Cadance said, trying to calm down the crowd. Initially, some ponies wanted to protest, but seeing the alicorns as well as element bearers protecting the creature, quickly made that desire go away - soon the mob dispersed, leaving Xerox and rest of the group alone. *** “Did… it work?” Xerox asked with a weak voice. “Is she gg..one?” Pinkie answered with a small smile. “Yes, indeedy - thanks to you.” “Pinkie… I’m so sorry - she forced me to… to…” tears of shame began to flow from her eyes. “Can you forgive me…?” “Well, duh! Of course, I forgive you, silly!” Pinkie grinned, while gently hugging the changeling. “You pinkie-promised and you delivered - that makes you a friend in my book!” Xerox stopped crying and smiled weakly. “A fr..iend? Really? “ “Of course silly! When you get better, I’m gonna throw you a big party!” “Pinkie...” “There will be streamers and confetti will be flying everywhere!” “Pinkie… I” “Oh silly me! You got my memories right?! Remember those special cupcakes I made for Applejack last year? I will make them for you-” Pinkie’s tirade was interrupted by a gentle poke from Fluttershy - the pegasus sighed heavily and with a sad expression and closed eyes slowly shook her head. "Oh... I..." Pinkie finally got the message, and her mane deflated immediately. For a moment only the heavy breathing of the dying creature could be heard - getting slower and more labored as time went on. Cadance broke the silence. “I am… sorry for everything - we all are, we should have listened to you from the start… please forgive us,” she said with a shaky voice, putting her head down in shame - her action quickly followed by the rest of the group. Xerox smiled weakly. “Don't be a silly filly, now - of course, I forgive you all, what are friends for - we are friends... right?” she ask with fading voice - others nodded, and a weak smile appeared on her face. “I… would like to ask a favor...” “What can we do for you?” Trying to respond she cough up some more blood. “Just… stay with me…” another bloody cough, “please… I’m scared... of dying alone-” "No! It can't end like this!" Pinkie interrupted with teary eyes. "Twilight, Cadance, d-do something... please..." "I'm afraid... It's teensy-weensy too late... for that... even magic has its limits..." Xerox whispered, "but it's OK Pinkie, it's OK..." "No, it's not! You can't just... just..." before Pinkie could finish she started sobbing uncontrollably and embraced Xerox with a warm hug. The rest of the group did the same and sat nearby their new friend - their faces filled with sadness and despair. After what seemed like an eternity, Xerox turned to Pinkie. “Pinkie - I need you to be strong… make everybody happy again.” “I… don’t know if I can…” Xerox looked Pinkie in her sad eyes and started humming softly. “It's true some days are dark and lo..nely And maybe you fe..el sad-” Pinki involuntarily joined in and took over. “But Pinkie will be there to show you that it isn't that bad There's one thing that makes me happy and makes my whole life worthwhile And that's when I talk to my friends and get them to smile...” “Yes… like that. Pro..mise me - promise; you will make our friends hap..py again and… that you will smile too.” Pinkie sighed heavily. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye...” “Okey... dokey... lokey... I think I will take a nap now… so tired…” Xerox closed her eyes and put her head down; with every intake of air her breath was getting slower and slower until it stopped completely a few minutes later. Lying on the cold, palace floor - she looked so peaceful, almost as if she was sleeping. Embracing her body, they let a torrent of tears to soak through their furs, as reality set in. She was gone. “We will never forget you…” they thought in unison, mourning for the lost friend. *** After the ceremony to recharge the Crystal Heart and assessing the damage done to the Empire, the sun was already setting over the horizon - Twilight and her friends decided to wait until the next day before returning home, and Cadance offered them a place in the palace. Twilight was in one of the guest rooms, reading some of her Daring Do books to unwind after the last few days - unfortunately, she knew this one from inside out, and was getting bored already. “Hmm, perhaps there is something else here to read,” she put the book away and trotted to the nearby bookshelf, which was standard equipment of every room in the palace. After about a minute she was disappointed to find out that she already knew all of the available titles - shooking her head in frustration, she turned towards the bed when something sticking from under it caught her eye. “What do we have here…” she said, levitating the object with her magic, “a notebook? No, that looks like… Pinkie’s journal?” Twilight opened the diary and immediately realized that Xerox had written down her whole story. She quickly located the first entry and with a mix of excitement and sadness, started to read. “Last few days were weird, to say the least - oh, and I don’t mean weird like when I used the pond to clone myself, or when Twilight was trying to analyze my ‘pinkie sense’ - I mean super-duper weird! Like when Discord turned Ponyville upside down or when changelings attacked Canterlot…”