//------------------------------// // Had Enough? // Story: Sister Dearest // by SuchAFoal //------------------------------// Dinky fidgeted nervously under the guard's stare. She had been taken from the orphanage and told that the princess wished to speak with her. She was nervous but, she wouldn't let her mother's murders know that. She would be brave...brave for her mother. She didn't care...she had nothing left to lose. She started up toward her captors and then towards Celestia's throne. The goddess smiled down at her and motioned for her to move closer. She did as commanded, but did not return the smile. "My dearest Dinky Hooves. I'm so glad to see the orphanage has treated you well." 'Well?' Dinky thought savagely. "Misery and loneliness have treated me better." Celestia rose from her throne and advanced toward her. Dinky flinched, reflexively, when the goddess raised her hoof. Celestia barely noticed and wrapped the filly in a hug. "I'm so sorry for your loss." The Princess muttered into Dinky's ear. " I want you to know that the one responsible for your mothers murder has been dealt with by me, personally." Dinky gaped at the princess as she was released from their embrace. Dinky's vision went red and she glared at the princess. Celestia, unaware, continued. "And, from now on, you will live here in my palace. I will raise you as my own daughter." Celestia smiled and looked down at her new "daughter." Her smile faded when she relized Dinky was not so "enthusiastic". Dinky rose onto her hind legs and slapped Celestia with her forehoof. Tears welled up in the grey filly's eyes. "You had to have it all...well, have you had enough?" Dinky screamed, tears flowing freely. "You greedy little bastard, you should have let me die too" Several of the gaurds grabbed her and she thrashed, trying to lunge at Celestia. "I HATE YOU! I hate you! I hate you...." She sobbed as the guards dragged her away. Celestia rubbed her stinging cheek and stared in bewilderment at the young pony. Dinky shook from her sobs and sank to the floor. "You will never be my mother...." Dinky muttered from the floor. Shining Armor motioned for the guards to take her away and ushered the princess back to her throne. She sat there and wondered what she had said. She looked to see that Shining Armor had left and the only pony left was Flak. He didn't move for a time, but finally walked toward the throne. He sighed and stared back towards the direction Dinky had exited through. "This will take time, but she will come to forgive you. I promise." "I know, Flak." She admitted in defeat. " She's right though; I can never replace what she has lost." He nodded and replied. "You can't raise the dead, but you can comfort the living. She needs time to grieve.....and so do you. So for now I will look after her and you just rest." He moved to leave and heard something he hadn't expected. "Thank you for caring. I know I don't deserve your kindness, but thank you." He froze mid-step and whipped around to face her. He grabbed her face in his hooves and his lips met hers. She blinked and blushed crimson. Flak then broke the kiss and stared into her blinking eyes. "I always wanted to do that." He smirked. "I see a side to you that everypony seems to ignore. Those drops of sunlight in your hair and those beautiful eyes remind me of the dawn on a cold winters morn. We all have a chance to change and I see that in you." She stared at him and wondered what the sensation she was feeling was. It was like some small furry creature was tickling her stomach and she felt light headed. He blushed, but his eyes glimmered with unspoken glee. He closed the narrow gap between them and hugged her. She returned the embrace and realized something awful. She was falling for this pony. He looked into her eyes and whispered "I will always be here for you, even if you can't see me." He smiled and nuzzled into her neck and she sighed. Flak stroked her mane softly and laughed. "You have no idea how much I love you." She gasped and jerked away. She glared at him, wings flared. "Leave my presence....NOW!" She yelled at him. He flinched from her sudden hostility and backed away. "But.." He started. "LEAVE!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, rising into the air. She could see tears forming in his pained eyes as he turned to leave. The door to the royal chamber shut noiselessly behind him. Celestia sank back into her throne and let her tears flow. She encased herself in her wings and cried herself to sleep. ~*~*~*~*~ "What? He not your type?" Whispered a voice from the darkness. "Shut up..." Celestia moaned. She sat in a circle of light with blinding darkness all around her. The voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once. "You know....He really does love you." The voice cooed from the darkness. "Does he? He lies just like all the rest....so why should I care what he feels...." Celestia hissed in rage. She rose and glared into the empty void. "Oh poor pitiful Celestia. So lonely and misunderstood; If only we could be as brave as you." Mocked the voice. "You runaway like a frightened filly in a thunderstorm. So afraid to open up and love another. I hold no empathy for such a cruel being as you." "Stop" Celestia moaned, hurt. An image of Flak crying swam into view before her. "He is such a good pretender." "Stop!" The princesses vision blurred at the sight. Fresh tears stained her muzzle. "I wonder.....if you died would he even care?" "STOP!!!!! I get it....okay...." She sobbed. She reached her hoof towards her chest. " I love him and I'm so scared that he might leave; Just like my sister and just like my parents. How can I love a mortal when even eternity doesn't last." From behind the image a mirror appeared. Celestia stared into the mirror and looked at herself. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and her mane was in disarray. Then, the image began to fade and in it's place sat Celestia in a wedding gown with Flak at her side and Dinky holding a bouquet of flowers. "A mortals life may be fleeting, but the joy they find can last even an eternity. All you have to do is open your heart and stop running away, Celestia" the darkness whispered. Celestia smiled at the sight and sighed. "He must hate me now" She breathed, defeated. She lowered her gaze and stared at her golden slippers. Suddenly, a shadow began to form on them. Celestia looked up from her hooves and gasped. "You rejected me and I still love you." Smiled Discord. She blinked several times and sat in horror at her old foe. "But...you...frozen...how?" She managed, bewildered. "Oh, that! the Chrysalis Queen saved me. She is quite lovely. We are to be married soon. I do hope you will come and be my best mare." He smiled, a twinkle in his eye. "I once loved you and you rejected me. Now I stand before you as a monument to your sins. Haven't you had enough of this?" "I don't know how to love though. What if I hurt him?" The goddess wavered in her resolve. "You will just have to try....you won't know unless you try?" He laughed. She stared at him and smiled too. He was right. "It just doesn't seem right that I should find happiness after all the pain I have caused." she admitted, unsure. "Honor their memory. Your sister only wished for you to finally find your happiness, wherever it might be." Discord said, sagely. "This is your curse, Celestia. Enjoy it as I have mine." He cackled wildly and burst in a dazzling display of light and sound. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Celestia jerked awake, her wings unfurling. Her sun was raising and sunlight was filtering through the stain glass windows creating beautiful displays on the floor. At the edge of the light slept a silver guard clad in golden armor. His auburn mane shined in the colorful sunlight. He had returned while she slept; always keeping guard over her. She smiled and walked down towards him and lay down. "Thank you so much." Celestia whispered nuzzling him. She lifted her wing and embraced him."I love you, Flak." There she slept; letting go of her fears and letting herself feel vulnerable for the first time in millennia. ~*~*~*~*~ (note from the author: If you notice an error don't hesitate to inform me. Also, I will have an image for that last bit in the next week. I want to write a Discord X Chrysalis fic, but I have two others already. bleh ^_^. maybe as an epilogue to this who knows.)