Xenophilia: Further tales.

by TheQuietMan

55: A dtáinig ariamh an ghealach is an ghrian.

A dtáinig ariamh an ghealach is an ghrian
Chapter published 27th Jan 2014

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Crabapple Cove - Mainland Equestria’s most easterly point.
Early Autumn 1224 AC

A long sandy beach, the sun has long set, dusk quickly follows it on its way, darkness falls. Muted stars and a tiny sliver of a low waning moon hanging just over the horizon offer little in the way of light.

On the beach, not far from the water’s edge, a wrapped body lies atop a pyre. Large logs stacked in such a way as to create a tower reaching towards the sky.

Lyra and Lero stand alone by the pyre.

“I thought there’d be more ponies here with us.”

“They have each been here already, their respects have been paid. We will be the last to see her on her way.”

The night deepens, pitch dark except for the flaming torches forming a loose circle around the pyre.

Lyra lights her horn, a crisp white glow. Along the beach, to the north, another horn alights, illuminating a pegasus and a unicorn. To the south another horn glows, a unicorn standing there, a pair of earth ponies standing close by. They huddle together, their silhouettes become one.

In the fields behind them more horns come to life, each unicorn flanked by more ponies; unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies, all watch in respectful silence. Students, masters, family and friends; each have come to bear witness, to be present as this tale long told draws to a close.

A ripple of light moving outwards, more horns alight, like fireflies awakening for the evening, each group further away than the last. Within minutes there are more than a hundred glowling horns, out in the fields, along the coastline, upon hill and dale. They stretch as far as Lero's eyes can see.

From the furthest of these pinpricks of light, bright beams lance out, connecting the individual points into lines. From one to another the connections bounce, from horn to horn, creating a vast web of light. Within minutes the web of magic connects to a single horn... Lyra’s.

“From the first embers to the last, from stardust to starfall, from the source we came and to the source we will return. With arcane fire we return our sister to that from which we all came. We will not grieve for her, for we will meet again one day.”

From Lyra’s horn a bolt of energy surges forward, powered by a hundred others. The light strikes the wrapped body, engulfing it in magic, encasing the still form in a ball of roaring blue flames, dancing and writhing in the rapidly cooling night air.

“As night falls, so day dawns. As fire dies, so does it shine forth. As we end, so we begin; in silence, and in darkness, and the embrace of all things.”

Wherever it touches, the ball of flame does its work, pulling apart the recently departed at the thaumic level. Flesh and blood breaks down into molecules which in turn break down into their component elements. Solids dissolve into liquids or sublimate into gasses, liquids become vapours before dissipating into the air. The vast potential energy stored within the mortal vessel is freed from its bonds, the magic once held in the deceased mare's core now free to spread to the four corners of the globe.

“River flows to the sea and all is one. Light burns stone to dust and all is one. Tonight our sister returns to the centre of all. Tomorrow we will forge a new path so that we might once again reunite.”

After just a few seconds of blinding light, the body is no more, just echoes and whispers of what was once a great and noble unicorn floating away on the cool night breeze.

Across the night air comes a song of farewell, words that have no need of meaning carried by more than a hundred voices. A symphony of joy, and of honour, to have had their world graced by such a pony. A celebration of hearts touched by a long life well lived.

In time the voices fade away, the song has been sung, the past is left to be just that.

And the rest is silence.

Author's Note:

I’ve been trying to write a sub-1000 word chapter in less than an hour (I'm a reeeeally slow writer) for a while now. Finally managed it - though Archonix did add a few lines for me.

Comments

[General Spritz]

But who was pone?

[Taliesin of the Forest]

A dtáinig ariamh an ghealach is an ghrian

dat's ma jam!

[reginaldg]

3853295
Who, indeed. Methinks this chapter's point is more the ceremony than the pony. And given the timeline, everypony important is probably still alive.

On the other hand, Lyra's the leader here, and it makes mention of "students [and] masters," so perhaps this is one of her teachers. One of them passed away in Divided Rainbow, and although that's not really the same timeline, if the horseshoe fits...

[Obsidian]

I suspect the pony in question was Lyra's old Still Way master. The cop who took Lyra under her wing.

[Flink]

3853390 3853545
Thanks, I was wondering (and worrying) too. Now that you point it out, the hints are there:

River flows to the sea and all is one. Light burns stone to dust and all is one. Tonight our sister returns to the centre of all.

... definitely Still Way.

Lovely.

Also, typo: "nIght". Also, sentence 4 ("Large logs") is a sentence fragment missing a verb, and sentence 1 ("A long sandy beach") is a sentence fragment / run-on / ... thing.

[Biker]

I like, this was good.

[JimboTex]

A ripple of light moving outwards, more horns alight, like fireflies awakening for the evening, each group further away than the last. Within minutes there are more than a hundred glowling horns, out in the fields, along the coastline, upon hill and dale. They stretch as far as Lero's eyes can see.

Relevant video:

And the rest is silence.

Been reading Hamlet lately, dear author?

[Morphy]

3853581

Indeed! It's getting harder and harder to motivate myself to read new chapter when I know... I know... that I'll be struggling with the feels as some pony dies, or everypony gets all emotional and weepy remembering some pony who died.

My god, enough with the crying and grieving.
What ever happened to the good times?
What about new life rather than snuffing it?
Please?

Surely there has to be light at the end of the tunnel.
(And not the 4:15 Friendship Express about to run you over)

[Super_Big_Mac]

3853581 Aye, but that's the thing. The tragedy helps to round it all out, otherwise Equestria would be too similar to a full on paradise, and therefore not as interesting to see a character like Lero in.

I think part of the problem is that the winter is sometimes called the dead season, and that's why more tragedy is being written.

After all, you don't say "In the dead of Summer."

[Admiral Stoic Rum]

ah, so this was Lyra's master,

[ScrambledCrackers]

I keep wishing there were a way to give a positive vote for individual chapters.