//------------------------------// // Amici Perierunt [Remastered] // Story: Apathy // by Pathos14489 //------------------------------// "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the loss of..." The reverend droned on and on. I honestly couldn't bear to listen to that nasally, snarky voice of over–confidence in the false any more than I could listen to Celestia's snarky voice of over–confidence in the false. In fact, if circumstances were different, I would prefer to hear Celestia nagging me. But that's not why I was here. "Now... I understand Ms. Fluttershy has something to say regarding the dearly departed." I was here for a much more sentimental and terribly selfish reason. I sat up straighter, my charmed invisible wings cramping against the wooden bench. I saw an elderly yellow mare with a white mane and a green evening gown dress. It was one of Rarity's later works before she passed away. Though, the only white mare I saw now was Sweetie Belle, now an aged mare with the wrinkles and grandfoals to prove it. She sat with Apple Bloom while alongside Scootaloo, patting her shoulder or giving her little hugs. Poor Scootaloo, she was with Rainbow until the very end. Never was the same either. Then I saw myself. She was sat with Pinkie Pie, dressed up in the most ridiculous set of funeral regalia I could imagine. I had such a ridiculous sense of fashion back then. I scoffed as I brought a hoof up and played with one of the freshly enchanted iron bands in my mane. "Uhm..." Fluttershy's voice croaked like a frog; no one dared utter a word. They all sat, staring a her. "I'm... Not much for public speaking. I never have been." Her voice was silent, but carried over the deafening silence of the Cloudsdale funeral home. I spotted several unicorns casting and double-checking the cloud solidification spell I—Twilight created for the event. It was simpler than casting the cloud–walking spell on all of the several hundred non-pegasi guests, and it took way less magic. "And if Rainbow Dash were still here, she would've hoofed me over the head and made sure I had the b–best speech ready with fireworks a–a–and..." She coughed, wiping her face dry. Though it didn’t really make it much less of a pain getting this many non-pegasi up in the air. She sighed. "But she's not anymore." She sniffed, laying a hoof on the casket that sat behind her, emblazoned with Rainbow’s Cutie Mark. A beautiful design of powdered sapphire, emerald and rubies. It shone like a sonic rain–boom itself. Her brittle bones creaked, I could hear them from here. She didn't have much longer herself, neither did Pinkie. Twilight, the me of the past, she knew that too. "I have a s–song for Rainbow though." She pulled a piece of folded paper from her chest pocket, fumbling to unfold it. Twilight reached with her magic, unfolding it for her. Fluttershy gave her a thankful gaze, mouthing 'thank you' and fixed her eyes back on the paper. She cleared her throat and started to hum. I closed my eyes in appreciation of the only time this song was ever heard by a crowd. The only time she ever sung it for that matter. "Birds," I never thought I'd hear it again. "In the sky." Her voice broke and she coughed as I burned the song and the moment into my memory again, refreshing the details I'd lost and quite simply just appreciating the song. For the second time since I first saw Celestia at the Tree of Harmony, I was thankful. "Carry these words for me." «♦» I took a deep breath as the funeral ended. Rainbow Dash was gone. I regarded Twilight, she was weeping alone, shooing her two remaining friends away. I let the breath out. They only made her more upset, they reminded her that she was never going to have an ordinary life with ordinary friends ever again, that once they were gone she had lost the last of her five amazing friends she made all those decades ago. I remembered the thoughts, but I knew the future. I knew what she might've had in store, the great adventures she would have had, the friends she might’ve made; the love she'd find. But that was gone now too. Celestia had taken everything I cherished from her before she ever knew it would happen. I sighed, closing my eyes. Blink I dispelled my illusion mid–teleport, then opened my eyes in Canterlot castle. I stretched my wings, then sighed while resigning to my room. I fell to my bed, almost passing out instantly. I groaned to the incessant knocking. "Go away." "Okay!" Glowheart yelled through the door. I snorted, reaching and opening the door with my magic. "Oh!" She exclaimed from partway down the corridor, galloping back to the door. She ran inside and slid a couple hoofs as she gasped and awed at my room. "Whoa, this is a Princess's room?! It's..." She looked from the drab drapes to the boring bed, "Pretty." She finally said, completely straight faced. I can agree that the room is the architectural equivalent of flaccid penis. In fact, I felt like Celestia was trying to insult me with this room, perhaps as a subtle way of coaxing me into doing her dirt work. "I know, it’s boring and horrible." I said, rolling over and facing her properly. My hoof fell off the side of the bed. "Did you need something?" She finally looked at me and flinched, "Oh I didn't know you were sleeping! Are you still sleeping? Should I sing you a lullaby now to make sure you keep sleeping? Maybe I shouldn’t be asking you if you’re sleeping...?" She paused, “Maybe I shouldn’t ask myself either…?” She hummed, tapping her chin with a hoof. "Wait, how are you talking if you're asleep?" "Sleeping? Nonsense!" I huffed, sitting up and stretching my wings again. "I'm perfectly awake.” She nodded, grinning brightly at me. "Okay!" “Again, allow me to ask once more.” I stared. "What do you need?" I think I want a hayburger. She turned to her side, showing off a dictionary strapped to her back. "More words." She said simply, grinning even wider; her face could only grin a tad more without splitting in half I'd venture to guess. Princess of Super–Cool–Words is sounding ever more likely and the thought was terrifying. I hummed in thought. "Maybe later." I really want a hayburger. She pouted, almost literally deflating. She vaguely reminded me of Pinkie Pie. "Wanna go grab some food? I know a great place." I trotted past her, slowing for a moment as I tried to work out which decade I was in. "I think." She gasped and quickly followed, "But you're supposed to be a secret Princess! How will you be a super secret Princess if you go eat with other ponies?" With a little reverse engineered changeling magic of course. “Secretly of course.” I closed the near forgotten door. “I'm the Princess of Secret-y Secrets you know. I, and I alone among the princesses, know how to go out in public without drawing attention to myself." I leaned down and winked at her. "Don't you think I'd get bored sitting up here with Sun Butt and the Grumpy Gamer all day?" Her mouth formed an 'o' before she kept pace. "Oh okay!" I led her onto a balcony, Canterlot Castle had a lot of pointless balconies, it made it look fancy. I peeked off it, humming at the city below. "Yep. It's there." I leaned down and booped her nose with my glowing horn. Pop! "Whoa!" She jumped back, looking around the restaurant. I popped my neck. Color shifts were fine but shape shifts always left me with a cramped neck. "Princess Magister?" Glowheart spun in place, her expression slowly growing more and more panicked. "I'm a secret remember?" I winked at her, revealing my true eye color for a moment before I blinked it away. She gasped, her eyes widening. Did I ever mention how beautiful Glowheart's golden eyes were? Once upon a time she was considered the most beautiful mare in the country because of those eyes. Nodding quickly and zipping her mouth with her hoof, she winked back. Gah. That looked weird. Winks are weird, I’m not gonna do that anymore. "So... What kinda food do you want?" I gazed over the menu, teleporting Celestia's coin purse to me—not like I had any money after all. «♦» "Wow really?!" Glowheart and I had long finished our food, but we kept buying refills and milkshakes, occasionally paying for everypony in the restaurant to eat as much as they wanted—Oh! And the best part? Telling stories. "What happened next?" She chirped while slurping her fifth-teenth milkshake. I took a sip from an iced tea. "So when May Bell found out what I did, she made a this insane sweater for–" I paused my story, glancing around. Something felt wrong. Bum Bum... Everything felt wrong. "Magister?" I turned my head and stared. I could feel it coming, closer and closer, nearly here. "What's wrong?" My horn glowed as I cast a far sight spell, my vision left my body, flying high and through the walls of the restaurant. My sight swam across Equestria until I saw it. Hellfire and death painted the land, the sky itself bled and screamed; faces of the never screeched in agony as their souls were torn to bits. I broke the spell, jolting as my vision returned painfully; you're not supposed cut the spell off mid-use but ehh… Too much time and not nearly as interesting. My disguise faded and collapsed, my height and color returning. Glowheart looked up at me, concern clear on her face as she stood up. "We have to go.” "What's going on? You look worried—Is something bad happening?" I smile. “Nothing you should be worrying about, sweetie.” I rested a hoof on her shoulder. Pop! "Find her! And find Starlight Glimmer if you can’t!" Celestia yelled, waving a hoof to send off a pair of Pegasus guards. Her magic was vigorously writing letters, green flames scorched around the ceiling, grabbing letters no later than the instant they were sealed, sending them far away. "You felt it too." It sounded like a question, but it wasn't meant to be. I trotted up beside her, but she refused to meet my gaze. "I was right." "I don't need you to be smug about it." More letters scattered out in puffs of green fire and smoke. "Twilight has gone missing." She marched out to the balcony, pausing the letters and gazing out as if to find her herself. "What's... Going on?" Glowheart vocalized her visually obvious confusion. “I'll tell you all about it later, but the gist of it is Princess Celestia is less mature than you are.” She nodded slowly, twitching an eyebrow up. I touched my horn to her head, "Don’t fear, my little pony. All is safe." I told her, channeling my magic into her. Her eyes twitched, then shut. She was gone in the tiniest flash and with a sound like distant clapping hooves as her afterimage folded up and swirled into itself, almost without an instant passing. "Are you going to help?" Celestia asked, walking up beside me. “I just lied to a foal." I tilted my head. “Not just a foal, my student. I just lied… To my student.” I glanced back at her. “Is this how it felt?” I snorted. “It was so easy, and here I was hoping it was a big heart ache in it’s own right, but you just took the easy way out.” “Now isn’t the best time for this, Twilight.” She sighed, turning away; magic grabbing more and more parchment as she trotted over to her desk. I went to the balcony anyway. "Her spell likely would've held—at least for a little bit longer—if you hadn't gone for something as stupid as removing the center of the history for pretty much the entire planet before properly testing the spell wouldn't crack under pressure." "That's where it all started though, Trottingham..." From her tone alone I could hear her hatred of my beloved city. "It’s where Starfield will be born. She's the one who would've tempted Twilight into building that… Thing.." I heard her round on me, but I remained turned away. Her hoofsteps grew closer. "She was my friend." I muttered, “Make no mistake, I acknowledge that I am almost entirely to blame. But what you did is a thousand times worse.” Celestia slammed her hooves onto the balcony next to me, trying to catch my attention. "She was the reason everypony died!" I looked away from her, my voice turned to a low hiss. "And now you’re the reason everything else in the universe will.” I snickered, “How does it feel, Celestia? Trotting in my shoes?” I glared at her, my lips souring into a crooked frown. “How does it feel to be a murderer of worlds? Of nations never heard of by ponykind, of species never thought possible? The harbinger of death across a trillion worlds and a trillion histories?” I snorted, “I killed my people, I won’t deny that. But at least I didn’t destroy everything like a spoiled brat. ‘If I can’t have them, no one can’! Is that what you were thinking?” She stared at me, her mouth moving in strange ways, her tongue curling to words, but the sounds never coming. I scoffed, closing my eyes. Blink I didn't need to listen to her talk about things she'd never, ever understand. She doesn't even know what kind of monster she's prodding with a pointy stick, she didn't know what I had to go through in the past. "Princess!" Glowheart sat up straight on her hospital bed, "You're back!" She then noted my expression. "What's wrong?" Why is she still staying in a hospital? It’s obvious she doesn’t need additional care, why is she still here? Another plot by Celestia to make me grow closer to her? "Clear your face of worry, little one. It's bad for your complexion." Observant little filly, always was. "It's nothing you would understand, child." I said as I summoned a dictionary. "Would you like to learn something else now?" Reading away my troubles, like usual. Some things never change. Her expression told me though, and I dismissed the dictionary back to the library. "You could 'teach me' about what's wrong." She said with a frown. I shook my head, she always was a stubborn mare, definitely made quite a few mules blush. "Just two old mares getting under each other's' skin. Celestia is doing something really irresponsible and wants me to help." She tilted her little head, likely wondering how a Princess, much less Princess Celestia could mess up on such a grand and utterly stupid scale. "Why won't you help? At least if you helped you could make sure she didn't mess up too badly." "That's not how things like this work out a lot of the time." I sighed. "It's not my job to be her keeper, she took that job from me a long before you were crawling." I rested a hoof on her shoulder. "Perhaps you should rest instead, there's a long day ahead tomorrow, I'm sure." She frowned but nodded. "Okay, Princess..." She almost whined, but laid down as I magicked the covers over her. I leaned down and nuzzled her cheek, "Have lovely dreams, my little pony." I sighed, raising up to my usual standing height. She smiled, "Goodnight, Princess." Wait. My ears twitched. Bum Bum... My heart seized, fluttering violently. I threw my gaze towards Trottingham, though my eyes only saw a wall, my soul and magic felt the world falling apart; feared the devastation. My breath hitched as a shock wave ravaged the castle, the stone and mortar crumbling from the violent vibrations of the earth shattering underneath it. Cra—crunch! My ears swiveled up faster than my head could, the ceiling was collapsing. Glowheart. I quickly looked back to the panicking filly, reaching my hoof towards her. Then I felt oddly warm, kinda like right when you get out of a hot chocolate shower. The heat spreading from the skin of my face just a little before dissipating into a sickly, sticky cold. I couldn't move my hoof—I couldn't feel it for that matter. Trying to force it spiked pain up my foreleg. I flinched slowly, my lungs heaving puffs of powdered castle. I could feel the clouds of dust and debris scattering in front of my face, but I couldn't see them. I vaguely heard the sounds of screaming guards and panicking royals, among the shifting of several tons of stone and rubble, but above all those other noises in the distance, I heard dripping. Then I felt dripping as something warm dropped onto my muzzle, splattering and burning my wide, unseeing eyes. I yelped, quickly moving my head out of the way and rubbing my face against the first dry and unhurt part of my body I could find. The pain from before felt like lightning as it ran up my leg again, but I stifled the reaction as best I could. My iron bands thumped against my neck, sticking for but a moment. I remembered myself and sent an assload of raw magic into my horn, unable to think through the pain for the equations needed for a proper light spell at the moment. My horn lit, illuminating everything in a purple haze. Almost everything was purple, the crags of stone from the ceiling and the boulders crushing my legs. Except red. I saw red everywhere that wasn’t purple. Red on my crushed legs, red on my chest, I felt red coating my face and I saw red dripping down in the dull golden eye in front of me. «♦» “It kills me sometimes, how people die.” ― Markus Zusak