Memories of a Star

by Karach

Epilogue

"You're wrong, sister." A cheery, familiar voice I haven't heard in eons reaches my ears. "Quite the contrary. There is no permanent death in this universe. Every form of conscious life is immortal."

I open my eyes, then close them, then rub them with my hooves, then open them again. The vision I was so afraid might turn out to be a dream, remains before my eyes. The three ponies I missed so much, praying every day for nothing more than to see them again, stand before me.

My lips quiver as I open my mouth and close it, like a fish taken out of water, struggling to articulate my feelings with words.

"Luna? Terra?" I finally struggle out. "Mo...Mother?"

The three alicorns smile at me. My hooves trembling, I reach out one to touch Luna's snout.

She closes her eyes, turning her cheek towards me. "I can assure you, this is no dream." She winks. "Trust me, I would know."

My hooves react on their own, passing behind my sister's cheek, embracing Luna in a hug so strong I fear I might break her neck. As tears of my joy flow into her coat, Terra and Mother join our embrace.

"I missed you all so much..." I manage between the sobs.

Mother caresses my mane with her gentle hoof. "As did we, honey. But the laws of the universe are strict and intransigent. The living can't meet with the dead. Not until their life flickers away and their souls leave their bodies."

"So I'm dead, after all?" I ask, not bothering to untangle from Mother's legs.

"If you were, would you be able to ask that question?" Mother smiles. "It is only your body that has died. Your consciousness—your soul—remains."

I crack an eye open, looking up at Mother's gentle smile. I never want to leave her again. "How come you're dead too? Aren't you an immortal god?"

"Me?" Mother's delicate laugh reverberates through the eternal plane. "Heavens, no. I was but a single life on my home world, one of many billions at that. Mortal, like my little ponies living under Terra's sky."

Luna peaks from under Mother's wing. "Was your life really that short?"

"Compared to you, celestials –" Mother boops Luna's muzzle with her hoof "– it was definitely much shorter. But it doesn't really matter how long you live, does it? What matters, is how you spend the time you are given."

"What will happen now?" I hear my own voice.

"You won't be dead for much longer, sweetie." Mother caresses my mane with her wing. "The endless cycle of life and death will soon begin anew. Like a phoenix rising from its own ashes, so will the universe draw its next breath in a fiery explosion. And when it recreates, it will be up to you whether to inhabit it again and enlighten it with your light."

I share a glance with Luna and Terra. No words are necessary as we reach an understanding. It seems our decision had been made long ago. I bury deeper into mother's coat. "Of course we will."

Mother's hoof travels through my mane as I bask in the warmth of her and my sisters. "Then the ponies who have left, will have a place to return to as well. I'm so proud of you, my little ponies."

I peek out from under mother's wing, like a shy foal afraid to ask her a question. "Will you join us then?"

Mother's clear giggle reverberates in my ears like the song of thousand nightingales, filling my heart with warmth. "I will have my own world to return to. But I promise to visit you from time to time."

"I already can't wait." Luna says, burying under mother's other wing.

As we share a laugh, basking in our warmth, I feel the stream of consciousness that we are all being part of—the pool of life so vast and infinite, I feel like a tiny drop of rain which has fallen into an ocean.

And the ocean is full once again, all life gathered together—ever alive, never dead—waiting for their universe to recreate, for their stars and planets to be born again so that they, too, could return.

The perfect cycle of life and death, fractal in its nature, the same regardless of the scale considered. The true immortality.

As our consciousness merge together for one brief moment, I can touch every being that has ever lived. As they can touch me.

And we are one, a pool of immortal souls, sharing our consciousnesses for the briefest of moments, before the universe bears anew in a...

FLASH

In an instant, a period of time shorter than it takes for a fleeting thought to manifest in a pony mind, a universe is born—a void, cold and empty.

Ready to welcome new life in it.

Comments

[Swissy]

Wow. I loved this story, really, I did. It was a short, bittersweet emotional rollercoaster and I loved it. Thank you for this wonderful adventure!

[Karach]

5345731
Thank you, then, for taking your time to read it. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Celefin]

I thoroughly enjoyed this, very nicely done.
Oh and thanks for getting the celestial life cycle as correct as still fitting for a good story.
Good work, good work. Thanks for sharing.

[Karach]

5521300
Thank you, I'm very glad you enjoyed my little astronomy lesson.

[Europa]

You made me cry... have a like and fav.

[Karach]

5756884
As long as you think the story deserves it (despite them tears). Thanks!