//------------------------------// // I'm Sorry... // Story: The Modern Ponetheus // by Hex Mark //------------------------------// How long had I been asleep for? I do not remember ever going to sleep, nor do I remember a bed or even a night-time. The first thing I ever knew was a cool, soft breeze flowing inside of my body. My chest had risen, then fallen for what felt like the first time in ages. I felt so stiff, did I sleep for too long? "No...no no, this is all wrong.." A purple alicorn asked as she looked over at the creature lying on the table. The monstrosity, created by a moment of weakness and acts of depravity. The being that lay on its side, stirring as it opened its eyes for the first time. The left eye was as blue as a sapphire, the left as green as grass. Its azure right wing and butter left wing stretched slowly. Opening its mouth, the creature let out a very soft, almost inaudible yawn. With a silky mane, colored more than any rainbow, and pearl while horn peeking from underneath. Princess Twilight Sparkle was driven by grief as she did the unthinkable; she had taken the corpses of her long-passed friends, and through a combination of science and magic, attempted to bring them back to life. Necromancy was heavily frowned upon in Equestria, and what Twilight did was no exception. She could only be thankful to Celestia that the creature did not have the combined minds of her friends. What would they think of her? Their best friend having stooped so low and lumped them all together like this? The Princess did not wish to think about such things, but her chest burned so long as she stared at her own creation. What have I done? What have I done? I have to set things right! Set them right.. Princess Twilight Sparkle approached her creation, staring down into its hetero-chromatic eyes. A trembling hoof on its cheek, the alicorn was nearly in tears.This thing...why did I make it? It is only an insult...one big insult... "Mo...ther?" the creature asked, stunning Twilight, who stared silently for what felt like an eternity to the two of them. An eternity for Princess Twilight to ponder. Pinkie Pie...Applejack...Rainbow Dash....Rarity...Fluttershy...please forgive me...I am such a fool.. I can't...I can't let this thing live...I can not let this insult to my friends stand...I will destroy it...and this entire place....I must erase all knowledge of this being's existence... The Princess began to justify one of the most difficult decisions of her life. Her horn began to glow, a single tear flowing down her face. "I'm sorry..." were the only words the creature heard as she brought a hoof to the creature's eyes, slowly closing the lids. The crackling of flames stirred it from its second slumber, the strange pony opening its eyes as it looked around. Falling flat onto its belly, the creature's eyes remained wide open. Everything was on fire. Its heart began to beat faster and faster as the creature tried everything within its power to stand up. In-front of it lay a heart shaped locket. It picked it up, holding the chain in its mouth. It was compelled to hold onto it, and the creature looked at the golden heart. Is this...Mother's? it asked itself without speaking, slipping the locket around its neck with feeble magic. What's happening? it wanted to ask, but it could not speak properly in the inferno as its wobbly legs began to support it. It flinched the moment some of the flames licked its cheek. An unwelcome kiss, something it could not comprehend. Its shambles turned into a slight stumble as it worked its way across the room. The stumbling stopped the moment it reached the door. Grabbing the knob proved to be the worst idea it had so far, flinching as it blew on the burnt hoof. This...is a door...isn't it? it wondered, pressing its unharmed hoof against the wood. The wood itself was hot, but it was not yet consumed by the flames. It would not just be pushed open, and he couldn't grab the door knob. With a grunt, it began slamming on the door with its hoof, blinking when the door was knocked clean off its hinges, providing the creature an escape from the inferno. It was now or never! The conglomerate rushed out of the burning shack, only looking back as the glow of the flames accentuated the stitches on its body. Bringing a hoof to the heart-locket, the creature stared at the heart once more. Dual-colored eyes fixated on the locket, the creature sighed softly. "Mo..ther..." it barely spoke before nodding to itself as it glanced to its side. There was a town just barely visible from where it was standing. A few images flashed in the eyes of the pony, if it could even be called that. Its wings folded closed as it held its head, teeth clenched for a few moments. "What...was..?" it asked, although no pony was around. It mattered not to the creature, who slowly walked towards the dirt-beaten path, glancing at the far-off town in the moonlight. "I'll go..there.." it reasoned with itself as it began to walk. At the creature's slow pace, it would take quite some time to get to its destination. The town it had its sights on was Ponyville, which had been home to Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends for almost their whole lives. It was a town that would spell out the beginning of the story of a facsimile, a by-product of the grief of a single mare. The story of a creature that wanted nothing more than to find its mother, to find an answer to a single, compelling question. "Why are you sorry?" [To be continued]