CHAPTER FIVE
I once heard somepony say "ponies change, memories don't". That's not true, memories change all the time. They fade, and eventually, disappear.
When you lose somepony, they're gone forever. All you have left is their memory. But with time, that too will vanish, ultimately leaving you completely alone. All you can do is try to hold onto it the best you can and watch helplessly as the hand of time erodes away the only thing you have left.
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Onyx crammed the rest of his supplies into his saddlebags, punching and kicking them inside before quickly snapping it closed before the contents exploded out like a jack in the box.
"Going on an assassination mission. What would mom say about that..." he wonders to himself. Of course he knew plain as day what'd she'd do, she'd kick his ass before coming down here to kick Blackout's ass herself.
He exits the bunks and heads for the commons area where Bruiser and Angel Fire were waiting.
"Ya ready to go?" the stout pony says, loaded down with more supplies than seemed necessary for a simple two-day mission.
"Ready as I'll ever be" Onyx replies.
"Well in that case let's get a move on. We should reach Fetlock by nightfall" the makeshift pegasus says, pulling tight her saddlebags, strap in her mouth.
Onyx's ears perked up. "We're going through Fetlock?"
"It's the quickest way to Fillydelphia. Why, is there a problem?"
"No, no problem." He hadn't thought about home for awhile now, he wasn't sure how he'd feel seeing it again.
They enter the scarcely-lit hallway leading out of the commons area, leaving the compound.
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The trio walk through Howling Forest, dead trees flanking them on all sides. Leaves crunch under their hooves, off in the distance they hear Timber Wolves calling, Onyx figured that was how the forest's name came into being.
"Ya sure you're ready for this?" Bruiser says to the smaller stallion. "It can get a little... intense."
Onyx looks over to him. "Well I'm here, aren't I?"
"We need to make sure you're up to the task" Angel adds. "You're the one who'll have to kill Heart Throb. We can't afford for you to hesitate or falter when the time comes."
His eyes widen. "Wait, why me?"
"Remember, your horn can destroy spell matrices. This unicorn's magic, this isn't some cheap party trick. He's a powerful spell-caster, it would be foolish to assume the job will go according to plan."
"That's usually how it goes" the large blue pony says. "Why ya gotta show up packing 5 tons of military-grade crazy."
"What?"
"The thing 'bout unicorns..." he says. Angel rolls her eyes and lets out a sigh, apparently having heard this logic multiple times over. "They're smart."
Onyx waits patiently for the rest of the explanation, if there was one.
"They think they can outsmart ya, but only because they think you think you can outsmart em. If ya do somethin completely Fruitbat-shit insane, then they don't expect it. Take em by surprise, know what I mean?" Bruiser says, nudging the pony to his right.
"Uh, yeah, Bruiser. Thanks."
"Honestly, how are you still alive?" Angel says to the stallion.
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The afternoon sun shines down on them as they traverse the long and winding dirt road. The path snakes and winds around the rolling hills, the neon-green grass stretching as far as the eye can see. A warm breeze sweeps across the plains, carrying with it the scent of wildflowers. It was a welcome distraction from the thoughts weighing on Onyx.
Maybe he could just take a small detour to see his home one last time. Just a few minutes to walk around, it wouldn't take long. He was more homesick than he realized, every step that took him closer only increased his desire to see his home, the place where everything was simple, was happy.
"I know the temptation" Angel says, breaking the silence. Onyx looks over at her. "But that life is over, the best thing you can do now is move on."
"What makes you think?..."
She continues walking. "I know that look on your face. But take my word for it, what you're planning won't help you find closure. It's just twisting the knife, reminding you of what you've lost." Angel doesn't look back to him as she talks. "I"m speaking from experience."
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The sun was beginning to sink below the hills, the sky was burning a brilliant orange and violet. "We've got about 20 minutes of light left, let's set up camp before it gets too dark" the makeshift pegasus says. They'd been walking all day, they were just a mile or two away from the peaceful hamlet of Fetlock.
They sit around the campfire, Bruiser and Onyx roll out the blankets on the ground as Angel tends to a cast-iron skillet filled with carrots, onions, and various other greens. "Didn't peg you as much of a cook" Bruiser comments.
"I have my own interests, just like you do" she replies, stirring the sauteing vegetables.
"The only things that interest me are splittin' skulls" the barrel-chested stallion proudly states.
"You're not fooling anypony. I found your crochet collection" Angel says in a monotone voice.
His ears fall flat and his cheeks turn a deep red. "What? No, no you've got it all wrong, that's not mine..."
"It's ready, eat if you're hungry." Onyx and Bruiser fought and shoved, racing to the skillet. The blue stallion pushes him out of the way, Onyx jumps up on his back and hurdles over him but is grabbed and thrown back, hooves dragging along the dirt in protest.
Fortunately, Bruiser left some for the rest of them, although his portion was unreasonably large. They sit around the fire, the orange glow shimmering on their faces. Onyx takes a bite and nearly drops the fork. His eyes grow large as he sits there in stunned silence. "...this is possibly the greatest thing I have ever eaten..."
"Where'd ya learn to cook like that? You could serve this in a dirty toilet bowl and it'd still be delicious" Bruiser says, furiously shoving food into his mouth.
"I... dabbled in culinary arts for awhile" she responds.
Onyx sets down his plate and stares at her with squinted eyes, Angel feels his gaze on her and looks back at him. "What?"
"...I get it now. It all makes sense. Best grilled food I ever had, a flame for a cutie mark..." he grins and points his fork at her. "You're not a pyro, you were a chef."
Bruiser stops mid-bite, staring at the two.
"Alright fine. My father owned a place called Gryphon's Grill in Manehatten, I used to help him out in the kitchen, happy now?" she admits, sounding a little aggravated her secret was out.
"Yeah, actually."
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Bruiser was snoring heavily, sprawled out like a drunken starfish. Onyx laid there, trying to sleep but wide awake. He looked up at the stars, it was a clear night. He hadn't seen them in a long time, the view from the compound was... lackluster.
The campfire pops and snaps, Angel was still sitting by it. She was poking at the logs with a stick, the embers rose up into the air, climbing higher and higher towards the stars before they burn out and die, vanishing. There was probably a profound metaphor for life in there somewhere, if he was more creative or poetic he could have made something out of it.
He rises to his hooves and approaches her. The glow from the fire reflected off her metal wings and shone in her eyes. "You're still up?" she says surprised.
"Can't sleep" Onyx replies.
They sit in silence, save for the crackle of the fire and chirps of crickets. "What you said earlier today, about not going back home..." the black pony starts, cautiously. "What'd you mean by that?"
She stares into the dancing flames. "...I'd been working for Blackout for around 8 months before I got sent on an assignment to Manehatten, I was set up just a few blocks from the family's brownstone. After I completed the job, I swung by. I knew it was probably a stupid thing to do, but I didn't care. When I knocked on the door, a stranger answered."
She tosses the stick into the fire. "I was an only child. The doctors told mom that she would never have a foal, but after a few years, she got pregnant." Angel gave a small chuckle. "She named me Angel because she said she must have had one watching over her. A few weeks after I died, she hung herself. They said she had a picture of me in her hoof. Dad fell back into the liquor not long after that, can't say I blame him. What he'd been through, it's enough to break anypony."
Angel Fire turns to him, eyes glossy and shimmering. "That's why. Whatever's back there, whatever's left of your old life, it can only hurt you. Leave it behind, and don't look back."
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Angel groggily opened her eyes, the sun wasn't up yet. She gets to her hooves and stretches, neck popping and creaking. She looks around, and immediately notices the black stallion is missing. "Ugh, that damn pony..."
She walks over to Bruiser, who was stretched out on his back and snoring heavily. "Bruiser, wake up" she says, jostling him. He responds with a snore. "Bruiser. Onyx is gone. Get up."
His snore offered a thoughtful and logical counterargument. Finally, she slapped him across the face. "WAKE UP!!!" her voice an ear-rupturing volume.
"AAAUGGHH" Bruiser yells, swinging hooves in every direction. He pants heavily, catching his breath. "What's the matter with you? You tryin' to give me a heart attack?! Y'know some of us are still packing original equipment in there" he says, thumping his chest.
"Have you seen Onyx? He's gone."
"I've been sleeping. I thought you were gonna keep an eye on him?" he says, slowly rising off his blanket.
"He was sleeping when I dozed off, he must have left after I fell asleep" she says, inspecting his blanket. "There's hoofsteps in the dew, he couldn't have left long ago."
"Well you know as well as I do where he's going, so why don't we head over there?" the cobalt stallion says.
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The duo make their way across a field of knee-high grass, a lone house stands in the center. A small dirt path comes from a ruined bridge and snakes to the front door.
It was a modest home, but obviously well-cared for. Flower beds surrounded it, the walls were white and hoof-scrubbed. "Hmph. Can't say I blame him for wanting to come back, whole helluva lot nicer than the compound" Bruiser comments.
As they approach closer, they see somepony moving around inside through one of the large bay windows. It was Onyx, he was pouring something all over the floor.
He exits the front door holding an empty metal can that read "PROPERTY OF RATCHET'S FIX-IT-SHOP" with " WARNING: ACETONE. HIGHLY FLAMMABLE" underneath.
Onyx pulls out a lighter, but hesitates. He looks down at it for a few moments, before looking back to the house. He gives the lighter a flick, giving birth to a small yellow flame. Onyx takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.
He tosses the lighter inside. For a moment, nothing. Then, a whoosh of flame overtakes the entirety of the floor. He stares with pensive eyes as the home is engulfed in flames.
Angel and Bruiser come galloping over. Onyx doesn't say a word, silently watching the fire swallow up the last remains of his old life.
The doorframe marked with notches charting his and his brother's growth over the years, the bedroom the two shared, the living room where they'd spent countless hours either playing or getting on each other's nerves, the walls that had seen so much love, all of it consumed in flames.
"Why would he burn down his own house?" Bruiser asks, his face glowing from blaze.
Angel stares at the midnight-black pony looking into the inferno. "...He's making sure there's nothing left for him to come back to."
The sun rises, peeking over the horizon and casting long shadows across the ground. Onyx turns away from the blazing inferno as the frame of the house collapses. "Let's go. We've got a unicorn to kill."