//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: ... then somepony will come to help // Story: Always there for you // by Rising Shine //------------------------------// "Why? Why are you helping me so much? I knew you only for days and you tried so much for me already ... I don't deserve it." Hope rolls her eyes, her face still barely to see. "Everypony deserve a chance in my eyes. I sended the application to the ice cream company in Las Pegasi for you. But it's weekend, so don't expect an answer soon. I'm sure their taking you." "If you say so ..." Ice walks out of the building. Hope sighs and let herself fall on the bed. "I will help you, until you can stand alone on your 4 hooves again ..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Why am I not surprised?" Short after Ice was out of the building, she feels raindrops falling on her. "Stupid pegasi ..." Ice starts walking trough the city, while ponies looking at her. Not a surprise, after she was in the newspaper, because of her nearly jumping from the building. "Can you guys stop staring?!" Some winces, others just looking away, while she keeps walking on the walkway. Everytime it's raining, her heart brakes more, because it reminds her, that Vanilla loved to be outside, playing in the rain. Ice lowers her head, tears starting to run down on her cheeks, but she doesn't cry ... there is nothing left to cry in her. There is nothing left for her future. The only reason she still breaths, is Hope, that mysterious mare, who want to help her. She knows as good as nothing about her and still she know, she can trust Hope. When she looks up, she noticed, that she straight walked into the newly opened "Mane-Green-Park". A big park with a lake, a lot of nature and places for fillies and colts to play around. She notices parents walking out with their kids, to get out of the rain, but her eyes where locked on two ponies. A mare and a filly, playing and running in the rain, jumping on rain puddles and laughing happily. Ice let out a little smile, imagine the two ponies where herself and Vanilla, playing outside back home. It took over 10 minutes to realize that she just standed there, watching the two playing. She shake her head, only to notice, that the ponies aren't there anymore, mayby walked home now too, because the rain starts to get more. Ice sighs sadly and keeps walking, nopony out there anymore. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now hours ago, the rain still dropping to the ground and most ponies still already saved from the rain. She doesn't care at all, until somepony pushes her away. "Watch out, where ya walking, pony!" The impact of the push was strong enough to let her fall on mud next to her. "Exactly, that's where you belong, scum. Laying in mud, like earth ponies should be!" Ice is lying just on the maud, her body covered with it and tears running down, when the unicorn kicks mud onto her face. She doesn't care anymore, that's what she is afterall, mud. She closes her eyes. Just put me out of this cruel world, why wont nopony just end m- With a splash, something lands next to her in the mud. She open her eyes to see the same unicorn in it. "The only scum right now here, is you!" Hope is standing next to the mud, glaring to the unicorn, who looks surprised by the sudden attack. "Go already, you dirty-!" Beforeshe even could end, the unicorn stands up and runs away. Hope walks to Ice and helps her up. "You okay?" Ice just looks to the unicorn, running away, before something in her head makes *Click*. It's the same unicorn, that stole the money for Vanilla's class trip. Not even caring for Hope right now, she start galloping fast to the still running unicorn. The unicorn slowly calms down, stopping to run and just walk again, before he get pushed hard to the ground. "Ouch, hey-!" Ice just glares down to him with hate in her eyes. The unicorm whimpers, Ice raising her hoof to punch the hay out of him. "You tought I wouldn't remember you, huh?! You stole our bits, remember me?!" His eyes widen, his body shaking in fear. "Yeah, yeah, now fearing me, huh? Wasn't you just the big unicorn who pushes me into mud and laughing at me?" "I-I'm really sorry, please. I needed the money to live, or I would had kicked out badly for my failure. And years ago, I failed hard. I'm sorry for everything I did in the past, please don't kill me!" Ice feels a hoof stopping her own hoof to punch him. "Let him. He suffered enough. Just look ..." Hope motions to Ice to look on him closely. His horn has several cracks, making it impossible to use any magic anymore. On one of his eyes, the color faded, saying that he can't see on this eye anymore and he has a scar on his chest. "You told me how bad your life was, Ice. Told me about everything in your life. Now look to him. He suffered, had to fight to survive. He isn't a bad pony ... life just forced him to be one." Ice slowly stands up from him, her glare now filled with pity. "Go ... get your flank moving, before I decide different!" The stallion directly stands up and runs away. "You did good, letting him leave, Ice. He got enough problems to care for ..." "I ... guess ..." Hope shakes her a little. "You look wet. We should go home now, before you get a cold." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Days later "Sis, help me!" Vanilla cries loud, sinking more and more into the black mud." "Exactly, that's where you belong, scum. Laying in mud, like earth ponies should be!" "Vanilla!" Ice tries as best as possible to reach her hoof, but everytime she get's close, a black tendril slaps her hoof away from Vanilla. "You promised me to be always there, sis! You liar!" "Vanilla, I'm not lying! I want to help you!" Ice cries loud, but every attempt to get her get's stopped. "LIAR-MPFHHH!" Her head and hoof sinks into the mud. Red glowing eyes appear instead in the darkness around, somepony laughing evily. "Your next, pony." Tendrils catching her hooves, making her unable to move, slowly sinking into the black mud, while the red eyes forming under them sharp teeth, grinning to her. Tears running down, more and more sinking in, her hind legs, tail, belly, chest, neck ... when a light appears out of nowhere. The light pushes more and more darkness away, until she get blend by pure light. When she finally can see again, she finds herself on a pure white ground, no darkness, no black maud, only a silhouette of a mare, slowly walking to Ice. "Don't fear, I will help you ..." Hope smiles, slowly pulling her hood away, slowly maki- "Ice?" Ice winces, breaking trough her dream. She feels herself covered in sweat, but safe on her bed. "Nightmare again?" Hope stands next to her bed, looking worried. "I-I'm fine ..." "The mail came, as I said, they are ready to give you the job there. Their in a crisis and need any help of somepony to bring them out with new ice creations. The payment is the triple from what you told, was in your previous job. Congratulations." Ice blinks. She can't believe, that somepony would give her a job. "T-Thank you ..." "For what?" Ice jumps out of the bed and hugs Hope tight. "Bucking everything. You gave me a place to live, you helped me get a job, you showed me, their ponies out there, who has it worser then me. You don't know me and still you care for me. If there is anything I can help you with, tell me." Hope just shakes her head. "Nope, nothing. But ... your nightmares, you told me and the one you probably had right now. I think it's time." "T-Time?" Ice looks confused. "Time to let go from Vanilla. The nightmares will come over and over again, if you wont let go from her. You can't accept the fact, that she is dead, gone, forever. And from what you told me, I know where to do so." "But ..." Hope pulls out two train tickets, to her old home. Where she lived with Vanilla. Where she loved Gear, where they all played in the rain ... where the cave is, Vanilla died ... "It's time to go back, to finish with the past. What happened, happened, Ice. Nopony ever can change that. But you can make a different, by letting go. Remember the past, but live the future." Ice just stands there, slowly nodding. "Good. The train comes in 2 hours. You can do it." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It looks like I remember it ... Ice looks around to her old home. Tears running down, by the ammount of flashbacks, the good and the bad ones. She take a deep breath and starts walking with Hope, where once her house was. It's raining a little, but the sun shines trough some free spots. After all the time has passed, a new house is standing in replacement of her old, burned house. The outside looks mostly the same as back in her past, just with different decorations from the new owner. She notices the tree nearby, that like a wonder, survived the fire back then. She walks to it, when her eyes widen. Scratched on the tree was a big heart, with something standing in it. ICE + VANILLA BEST SISTERS FOREVER ALWAYS TOGETHER ALWAYS THERE FOR EACH OTHER "W-We did that, when she was 6 ..." She feels tears running down again, when somepony walks to them. "V-Vanilla?" Ice frowns ... it's Gear. "W-What do you want, go away ..." "I-I will, but if you already here ... I'm sorry. I had enough problems to deal myself back then. Whatever reason I told to leave you, was a lie. I couldn't stand my problems and your problems at the same. I'm an idiot to let go from the mare I love ..." Ice looks unsure to Hope, but she nods. "Forgive and forget ... i-it was in the past, I did mistakes too. We should see it as a break to find ourselves, Gear. I still love you and guessing from your blush you still love me. You want a second try?" Gear just stares, before nodding. "I would love too." "Good. I will meet you later then, okay? I have ... one last thing to do." He nods. "Thank you, Ice. I wont disappoint you again, never ever." "I know. Ready, Hope?" She nods. "You can do it, Ice." They both start walking out of the village, heading to a cave. Even after 23 years later, it was still standing, still unused since then. Ice walks in, Hope following. A grave is standing, exactly on the spot, where Vanilla lived her last minutes. Vanilla Cream 14.01.2011 - 09.03.2019 Always be remembered, by the loving souls of her friends and family, for that she find peace in the world beyond ours. "Vanilla ... I'm so sorry ..." Ice starts to cry, before Hope puts a hoof on her. "Let it out, let it go, let her go ..." Ice keeps crying, for seconds, for minutes, for hours. She let out everything she has in, crying all the tears out she surpressed in the last 23 years inside her, the feelings, the past, Vanilla. Hope stands and waits, not stopping her. It was around evening, when she let out few snifs. Her eyes are red and wet from crying, but she doesn't cry anymore. Hope notices and walks to her. Ice let out another sniff. "Thank you for everything, Vanilla. For beeing part of my life ..." "Same to you, Ice. For always beeing there for me, when I needed you." Her ears perk up faster then light, turning around. Only Hope was standing there. "V-Vanilla?" Hope smiles and finally pulls her hood from her head, revealling her face ... Vanilla. "You promised me, to be always there for me and you where all my life. You stayed with me and made my life worth it. I enjoyed every second with you, Ice, the good and bad ones. And I also promised to be there for you, remember? I don't brake promises." Ice just stands there, unabe to believe what she sees. "V-Vani-nilla?" Vanilla gives her a hugs. Ice feels the warmth of her caring, but her body is cold and dead. "I was here to help you get back on your hooves. As you feel, I'm not alive. I'm a ghost, to help you back up, when you where down. I only can stay like this, until my promise is done. Remember me, but don't live me. I'm gone, but I'm with you. You deserve a good life, as you gave me once back in the past. I got te chance to help you getting it. Don't waste everything. I am waiting for your arrival, but when the time has come to say good bye ... not by jumping of a building. Promise me, promise me to stay until your time passed by." Ice hugs her tighter. "D-Don't leave ... not again ..." Ice feels hr cold hoof on her chest. "I'm gone, but there, in your heart, I'm still there, for you. Promise me." Ice pulls back and wishes her tears away. "F-For you ... I-I p-p-promise ..." Vanilla smiles a little. "Thank you, I know, from now on, it only goes up in your life. My promise is done, my time to leave has arrived. Thank you for beeing the best sister I could had wished for. Your stronger then you think. Good bye, Ice, until your time has come." "Vanilla ... thank you ... for beeing always there for me ..." She closes her eyes and feels a cold, but caring kiss on her cheek. When she opens her eyes, nopony was in the cave anymore. Tears running down again her cheeks, but this time, they are filled with happiness and proud ... proud for having such a wonderful sister. "Best sister ever ..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 46 years later "Everything alright with you?" Ice lays in her bed, looking to the mare, who cares for the old ponies in the building, smiling. "Everything is fine." The mare smiles, nodding and leaving Ice's room. Ice looks to the desk next to her bed and takes one of the pictures. She and Gear kissing on their wedding 43 years ago. She put it back and takes another photo from the desk. On it a pic from an old Gear smiling. 24.09.1995 - 10.04.2076 "Miss you, my love." She kiss the photo and putting it back on the desk. She then picks the third and last photo on the desk. A young Ice smiling, while a young Gear kissing her cheek and a young Vanilla stretching out her tongue happily. A tear runs down her cheek, holding it tight on her and letting out a happy sigh. She close her eyes slowly, slowly drifting away into her last sleep, the one, she will never wake up from, the one, who brings her to the ones, she loved, her parents, Gear and Vanilla, forever ...