The Campfire on the Hill
The fire caresses the circle of five ponies with its warmth, even though heat is not the reason it has been built. A female pegasus picks a log up in her mouth from the nearby pile and drops it into the center of the fire as its bloom of orange and red grows and occasionally opens up its tapered bud towards the smoke-struck sky. A female earth pony habitually looks around as if expecting another to join their party.
“Be patient. She’ll be here soon.” a male unicorn assures his friend.
“I just can’t wait to see what she looks like!” she pipes over the distant shriek of somepony. Everypony in the group turns in the direction of the sound but doesn’t move to help.
“It’s sad... isnt it?” an orange earth pony stallion says. Nopony replies but passes around the pot of hot cider to refill their mugs.
“I wonder... how she’ll take it...” the female earth pony muses out loud as the male unicorn magically takes the pot from her.
“She’ll be here soon.” the male unicorn repeats. The female pegasus fans the fire with her wings, helping the bloom of flames grow.
“Is that her?” the female earth pony exclaims as a figure approaches them from the smoke: a shaky unicorn stumbling blindly.
“She’s not the right color unfortunately, Gaze. Just another lost pony... trying to find a place to make sense of herself.” the male earth pony mumbles before a shiver jolts him to his knees.
“Are you all right?” the other ask at different times.
“I’m fine... I still feel... I’m fine.” he assured them as he sits his plot back down on the patch of grass he had lurched from involuntarily.
“Besides... she didn’t take notice of the fire.” the male pegasus goes on to explain. Winter Gaze looks longingly into the distance. Though they sit on a hill, they cannot see far into the valley because of the smoke. The female pegasus finally folds her wings against her back and sits on the grass for a few moments of relaxation. The earth stallion shivers slightly. Everypony stares into the fire: their beacon for the last pony.
There was room for one more: a female unicorn if the pattern was to be followed and the circle completed. Heart Forge, the male earth pony, knew what she looked like. He had seen her before or at least thought he had seen the unicorn they were waiting for.
“Thanks for bringing us the cider, Forge. I haven’t had hot cider in... who knows how long...” the male unicorn says with a smile that doesn’t reach his dark blue eyes.
“You're welcome.” the earth pony says quietly before another lapse in silence. The fire crackles. There is plenty wood left to add to it. They will keep it running until the last pony joins them.
“Let us save some for the final lady.” the male pegasus declares, nudging the pot towards Heart Forge. He nods and take it in his teeth, setting it closer to the fire to keep warm.
“I wonder if it feels cold now?” sighs Winter Gaze with a demeanor betraying her longing. Her neck straightens up as she hears the approaching shouts and sees a figure tumbling towards their fire.
“Is that...?” the male unicorn asks.
“Yes,” Forge declares after a quick look, “Lord Gale, will you help me? She might have difficulty getting here...”
The proud pegasus follows Forge towards the stumbling unicorn. Her eyes are closed. She is clawing her way forward, her hooves tearing up the dew-painted grass as she tries to move, collapsing as her legs shake with exertion whenever she attempts to stand. Her gasps for breath hint at tears in their wavering.
“Celestia! Where are you! I’m over here! Help me!” Forge canters over to dive next to her to place his foreleg across her withers.
“Majesty. It’s all right.” he offers to calm her.
“Where is she? Where’s my sword? My shield... I can't feel my shield! Celestia! Help me!” she sobs, her eyes still closed as she had a fit on the ground, blubbering. Lord Gale lies next to her and spreads his wing to shelter her. Forge brings his muzzle close to Majesty’s ear and her seizing lessens slightly.
“Majesty, you’re safe now.”
“Celestia! Help me! Where are you...?” Forge nuzzles her mane and whispers to her as a lover comforting his beloved.
“Majesty, listen to my voice. Concentrate on my voice. Celestia is safe but she can’t come to you. You’re safe here and away from danger. Just listen to my voice and concentrate on what I'm asking you. Do you feel any pain?”
“Am I wearing my shield still?” she sobbed.
“No, it’s gone. You fought bravely, Majesty.” Forge assures her, caressing her mane with his hoof. She begins to time her breathing to the motion of the hoof running through her hair. As she does her trembling is reduced to a few sporadic shivers.
“I’m injured. I have to go back. I have to find Celestia... I got hit across the face... please help me.” she begs leaning into the pressure of the earth pony's muzzle.
“Majesty, do you feel any pain?” Forge asks in the softest, gentlest whisper, “Please, trust me and open your eyes.”
Majesty twitches and the muscles of her back relax as she opens her eyes to see a group of three ponies waiting at a fire. She lifts her head slightly and Lord Gale stands up, taking his wing back to his side.
“Where am I? I opened my eyes for a second and saw lights... I ran towards them...”
“Come with me. Let’s rest here.” Forge says
“I lost my shield.”
“Don’t worry, Celestia will find it. She’ll... give it back.”
“I need to fight.”
“Majesty, come with me. You can trust me. You don’t have to fight anymore.” Majesty buries her muzzle into the grass between her hooves.
“Am I in shock? Am I injured? I thought I was hit. Why don’t I feel pain? I was so tired...”
“No, no you’re not injured. You fought well. You’re out of the smoke now... It’s safe.”
“But... they need me to keep fighting.” she says to the grass, her voice trembling.
“You fought well. Rest with us for a bit... Trust me.” Majesty’s jaw shakes as tears fall from her eyes and trail down her muzzle.
“I... I can’t move...” she sobs. Heart Forge carefully slides under her and stands to carry her on his back. She trembles suddenly once or twice but does not fall from him. He carefully kneels down again in front of the fire and she pushes and pulls herself off to sit close next to his side. He reaches out again and drapes his foreleg over her withers as she trembles again continually.
“What are you... what are you all doing here?” She asks the group of ponies.
“We were waiting for you.” Winter Gaze says with a heartwarming smile.
“You... you sound familiar...”
“I’m Winter Gaze... I was the statue for Curiosity.” she says with a bright smile.
“Who... who are are you?” The male pegasus stands erect before bowing elegantly.
“I am Lord Gale of the House of Thunder, firstborn of Lord Gust and Lady Tempest before the time of Cloudsdale and the Meriweather Republic. I was the representation of Justice in the Royal Garden. Pleased to meet you, Mistress Majesty Song, representation of Bravery.” Majesty gives an attempt to return the gracious introduction but ends up closing her mouth and giving a faint nod. The male unicorn had already poured a hot cup of cider for Majesty and set it down for her before he introduces himself.
“I’m Midnight Hymn,... son of Captain Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza... I came from Canterlot...”
“I remember you as a small colt...” Majesty declares in wonder. He nods.
“Yes, and I represented Hope.” he adds. Majesty nods nervously. The female pegasus steps forward.
“I’m Aeriel Steam. I fought during the Meriweather Revolution. I represented Diligence in the garden once it was all over.” she says before turning back to the fire and fanning it twice with her wings. Majesty nods.
“So... now that you’ve told me who you are... can you tell me something?” Majesty asks, standing shakily to her feet. Everypony looks at her warily.
“What is it?” Forge asks.
“Why are none of you fighting!?” Majesty screams at them. They all look away or hang their heads. She is sobbing in her rage now as she glares at each and every pony in the group. They look to each other, their own eyes full of tears or uncertainty. Forge finally gets the courage to speak.
“Majesty... we... can’t fight anymore.” he says gently to her. She huffs angrily.
“What do you mean we can’t fight? There’s still a battle going on... Just because you’re unwilling...”
“We’re not.” Aeriel interjects, still looking away.
“Why... why can’t we fight?” she demands. Forge nuzzles her temple.
“Majesty, I think you need to sit down again...” he gently suggests.
“No!” she shouts, “No! Don’t you dare do this! Don’t you dare tell me I can’t fight! I can fight! I was put here to fight! Don’t you dare tell me...” she sobs as Forge places a gentle kiss on her cheek.
“You fought bravely... just like your statue name...” he whispers to her.
Slowly, Majesty’s legs bend to settle her back into the grass. She stares into her cup of hot cider as Forge pushes it closer to her.
“Drink this. It helps...” he assures her. She takes a few short sips through her tears, letting the steam dampen her muzzle and warm her insides.
“But... how is this possible?” she asks with a sniff.
“I don’t know...” he stops and pulls her close to himself when she shudders from within.
“What was that?”
“That’s you... your body... letting go.” A shriek rose from the battlefield and Majesty turned her head towards the sound.
“How long... does it take? To... to accept...” she stops and lets a small whimper escape into her mug of cider. Forge rubs her back in a circular motion.
“It’s different for everypony...” Midnight Hymn admits, “But... it does come... more easily when you... choose to accept.” Majesty turns her head again to the smoke she came from.
“I keep wanting to rush back in... I’ve only known... I want to fight...” she turns to Aeriel who is putting the fire out, “What are you doing?”
“We just needed the fire until everypony got here... we can go now.” she explains.
“Go?... Go... to... eternity?” Majesty asks.
“Yes!” Winter Gaze pipes with enthusiasm.
Majesty looks back at her cup and slowly finishes the last of the delicious cider, closing her eyes to enjoying it despite a scream sounding miles away. It was a luxury that had been handed out to everypony last night... as a reminder that many of them might not return to celebrate the extra joys in life.
Forge takes his leg from her back and stands up in unison with her. The other ponies watch her but are turned to go farther up the hill to the crest. Majesty controls her breathing and takes a step forward, moving each individual hoof. The others take that as their cue to begin their journey they have been waiting at the fire for.
Heart Forge, Compassion, stops when Majesty no longer moves to catch up to the others. She turns aside and stands, facing downhill towards the smoke. The battle isn’t over. She wouldn’t see what happened at the end.
She turned to look at the Stallion who nuzzles her mane. They look at each other solemnly and then back at the cloud of smoke concealing the fight in the valley.
“All those years... all that time of waiting... being ready to fight... was I... useless?” she asked.
“You would have fought even if we had all abandoned you.” he pauses a moment between thoughts, “But... because you didn’t give up on us... you didn’t fight alone. I... trust that will change everything for the future.”
“Are you coming?” Aeriel calls behind them.
“Yes, just give us a moment.” Forge calls back. He turns himself uphill again but looks back to watch Majesty turn her body but not her head. They stand there: facing uphill to eternity, with their faces turned back. A breeze blows and Majesty catches the scent of smoke. Her barrel expands as she breathes in deeply, her eyes closed again.
“I just wish I could have said good-bye to her...” she states to the air. Her eyes open and linger on the valley. Screams, more frequent, reach her, but she can’t go back.
Majesty turns her face towards the crest of the hill again and walks with Forge upwards to eternity.
The End
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well then.
i did like this 1 shot.
sad but really full of emotions.
thank you for this
999798 Thank you
Statues was an exploration of bravery, duty, and sacrifice. Majesty gave up everything to fight in a war that might never come. This, though, seems a bit unnecessary. By showing that the statues were needed, it makes what Majesty did seem..... Not shallow, just... Less noble. She had an option, a decision to make. If she refused and ran away, whatever, there might not be a war. If there was, and she wasn't around, a lot of innocent ponies would die. By becoming a statue, if there wasn't a war, she'd have given up everything for nothing.
Also, I didn't really get very much emotion from this. I mean, I'm usually a rock. I rarely feel compassion or sympathy for characters, but when I feel it, I feel it. I had a lot of emotions going through me by the end of Statues, but this..... I felt complete detachment from a character I had grown to like.
I'm really not sure what the point of this fic is, in other words. If it's closure, I really don't think Statues ever needed it. Some things are best left open ended, you know?
Still, it was well-written, and aside from the complaints above, it's a pretty decent story. Certainly above average.
4 Applejacks-failing-to-have-an-emotional-reaction out of 5.
999959
do you like xplay by any chance.
lol
999959 Honestly, I just got the mental image in my head and felt I had to write about it. I don't always write to make a person cry or feel fear, happiness, or extreme emotion. Sometimes I write to create an image.
It was supposed to be about death and dying before you finish what you lived to accomplished. It's about having to leave life before you feel ready. I probably should had expanded a little bit but I wasn't quite sure how after I wrote it out.
I'm still a writer in progress. lol
1000018 I guess I can understand that. It DOES actually make a lot of sense, after reading it a second time. The theme was just a little bit muddled. To quote the Nostalgia Critic, "ASK ME WHAT IT MEANS! ASK ME WHAT IT MEANS!"
Good try, though.
1000070 lol! thanks.
1000076 Holy shit, since when does the Featured box have 10 slots? INB4 news post!
1000087 I know! I noticed it too! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/lolface_Celestia.png AWESOME!!!
1000017 I have no idea what you're talking about!
Will you write about what war they are fighting?
And about all the others that were by the fire?
1000178 All in good time :).... which may be a long time but yes I do plan to explain it all later.... and some other things.
Interesting story.
Normally I would find something witty to say, or really anything else to say, but today just isn't that kind of day.
whatever. thumbs up from me.
1000388 lol. No problem. thanks
Reading this while listoning to ' black hawk down end credits' really tore at my heart. I'll be sure to keep this in mind when I get water boarded next week.
1005068 good luck! Have you been maced yet?
1005716 Maced? No, but one things for sure, it will suck.
1006011 Yeah...
I liked this story. I do expect to see some type of explanation about what led up to this. If you don't plan on writing something about you could always tell me what you like to think like before. I always like to know!
1014012 I do plan on writing a story in the future. lol
1014035 Ahh even better! I know I have been off and on here for a while but I always keep an eye out for your stories and even print them off and show my friends. I just love your stories. I could possibly do cover art for you in the future if you ever need it. I have gotten handy at doing so it seems.
1014040 Really? That would be awesome! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Scootaloo_lolface.png I might actually take you up on that in the future
But... you serously print out my stories to show your friends?... wow
1014099 Yes I really do. They are amazing and my friends love them. Just ask any time and I will gladly try to help you.
1014129 ok thanks! I'll let you know!
1014135 Anytime!
all i can say is....MAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAORMAOR
cuzz i love reading these stories........and since you will be writing more for the "Statues Saga"(thats what im gonna call it)i will continue to read them
1047000 slight clarification: there is no direct sequel to "Statues" but there will be one coming up to explain when they are used. So it's not an actual series but call it what you want :P
1047633
ah i see........
1048684 eee-YUP!
Hmm, I'm left feeling like there was more to this. Like this is an excerpt from something much bigger. Reading that you were hoping to write a story that tells the events that are going on lifted my hopes on this
Whether it will happen, time will only tell.
This seems like this is ending in the middle of the main event. The finale battle is taking place and the story ends right in the middle of it without anything explained other than we won't know the outcome of the battle. I like this actually. Not every warrior comes back from battle. There are those that go in to a battle and never find out the outcome because they were killed in the middle of it. This was both sad and touching.
~Have a good one.
1082829 thank you. Yeah... it is somewhat abrupt. lol I may come back in the future and change that.