By and by

by Bysen

*click*

Clyde had stood there long enough, it was time to leave. After the tussle he didn’t know which way he’d come from. He could take a guess and start walking but that could lead him miles off. Or he could just pull out his compass. Pinkie still sat by her lover’s side, crying into his body, Blinkie right beside her offering what support she could. Clyde had always preferred Blinkie and Octavia’s straight hair to Pinkie’s curly hair… so why did it hurt him so much to see Pinkie’s hair straight like that now?

He took a look at his compass, the needle was pointing in almost the opposite direction he’d thought his home was, good thing he hadn’t just started walking. He took one last look at his daughters. He wanted to say something about Pinkie being better off but couldn’t bring himself too. He just began walking.

After crossing the camp he realized that even though he’d fought with Bysen, he hadn’t gone this far from where he’d enter, yet the compass was pointing for him to go right across the camp. He took another look. It was correct, however, the needle was shaking slightly. He took a few more steps and it began again back and forth. A few more stepped and it began to spin chaotically.

He leant down, with a deal of effort due to his age and having just been in a rather intense fight. Or intense on the system if not the body. He dug a small hole, maybe a few centimeters down before he hit rock. "No...?" he recognized it as he moved the compass to it and it spun wildly: iron rich lode-stone. “It… can’t be…” he whispered before yelling “We’ve struck it! Rock! Glorious rock!” he cheered.

Blinkie turned to look at him but Pinkie didn’t even acknowledge him. Judging by the bones lying around the perimeter of the clearing, a stone this big and this close to the surface would pull rocks up left and right in this spot for decades! It’s what he’d been looking for. The farm was saved. And Pinkie was saved! She wasn’t going to be taken and he could support her once more. He could support Octavia and Blinkie too!

“All the pain that buffalo caused… at least it wasn’t for nothing.” he sighed to himself. But despite Pinkie not acknowledging him, she still heard what he was saying.

“How… how could you?...” she whispered and finally turned to her father who wasn’t even looking at ‘that buffalo’. “You killed him… you killed him! You!... YOU!!!” Pinkie ran at him top speed, tackling him to the ground “I’LL KILL YOU!!!” she shouted, a hind leg on either side of his chest as she swung both forehooves into his muzzle, over and over.

“Pinkie!” Blinkie shouted as she tried to pull her sister off of her father. But only got smacked away herself.

“YOU MISERABLE PIECE OF SHIT!!!” Pinkie yelled more. If she kept up beating him much longer she would kill him. And she knew it, and stopped. Sitting there on his chest, she looked him in the eyes. “Why… why did you kill him? Why did you take him away from me…”

“He was...” Clyde stopped as he sputtered up some blood. “going to take you away from me…” and Pinkie punched him once more. Before taking her hooves to her face and screaming into them, letting out all her pain. Or at least trying to.

“He wasn’t taking me… he wasn… you did… I wanted to leave you… you! You drove me to this… I hate you, I hate you! I HATE YOU!!!” she screamed and drew her hoof back but didn’t swing. Instead, she reach over and grabbed his rifle. “I’ll kill you! You killed Bysen! You killed Bysen and I’ll kill you!” she pushed the barrel against his chest, right over his heart.

“Pinkamena. Dian…” Clyde said but was cut off. He was afraid, not of death, but of death by his daughter’s hooves.

“THAT’S NOT MY NAME!!!... my name is Pinkie Pie… not even that, it’s just Pinkie. I don’t want anything to do with you!” she cried. He’d tried to use soothing old words… all they’d done were brought out more hatred towards him.

“Don’t do this Pinkie!” Blinkie pleaded.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Pinkie barked back, not even looking at her.

“He’s our father…” was all Blinkie could answer. In fact it was the only reason she could think of that he shouldn’t be killed. But it wasn’t enough for her sister. Pinkie , turned her head she scrunched her eyes close and pulled the trigger.