//------------------------------// // old Chapter 7 // Story: Fulfillment // by Amaranthine Thought //------------------------------// Gentle woke to sunlight streaming through gossamer curtains.  Birdsong could be heard, and a gentle peace surrounded her, white walls around her.  She stared at the light for a moment, confused.  Where was she?             Then she recalled.  Rarity had carried her to the hospital.  And at some point during the trip she must have fainted.             She groaned; she hurt, but the pain was much, much less than before.  Her chest didn’t have that stabbing sensation anymore, and her leg was in a cast.  Her barrel was wrapped in bandages, fresh and clean.  Though… something was wrong, and she wasn’t quite sure what it was.             One ear flicked up upon hearing ponies talking nearby, coming closer.             “It is possibly the most horrific thing I have ever seen.”             “It does sound real bad.  An ya really think it happened like that?”             “The trauma is indicative of that.  In all honesty Applejack, The filly shouldn’t even be alive.  That kind of injury is simply not survivable, though she is recovering very nicely right now.”             “Well… Hey.  I think th mite’s awake.”             Gentle moved her head and saw Applejack standing next to Nurse Redheart.  Redheart left, but Applejack headed over.             “Nice ta see that yer up.  We were right worried about you.”             “…Who are you?” Gentle asked.             “I’m Applejack, pleasure ta meet ya Gentle!”  She smiled, and then hesitated.             “An if ya don’t mind… what th hey happened ta you?”             “My… my leg?”             “I was kinda more worried about yer horn.”             Gentle blinked, and one hoof went to her forehead.  Her mane was gone.  She felt bandages up there instead.             “I mean… unicorns… whoa!”             Gentle heaved the blankets over her head, nearly hyperventilating.  Her mane was cut!  Somepony had stuck a bandage there!  Somepony saw that her horn was gone!             “Calm down!  It’s jus fine!”             “It’s not fine!” Gentle yelled from under the blankets.             “An why not?” Applejack asked, making Gentle hesitate.             “… Because… Because you’ll… everypony will hate me.”             She didn’t see it, but Applejack gave her a look.  “Listen; there ain’t nopony here that’ll hate ya because ya got some… bad injury.  It don’t even look so bad.”             Gentle didn’t say anything for a long moment.  And then she carefully peered from under the blanket at Applejack.             Her mane had been cut after she had been brought to the hospital.  Her horn was gone, and the wound hadn’t healed.  That had been discovered fairly swiftly, and the type of injury was simply… unbelievable.             By every appearance, it had been ripped off of her, not cut, and recently considering it was still bleeding.  Unicorns did not survive horn trauma like that.  And yet, Gentle had.  It was a true mystery to the doctors that had tried to care for her, particularly when they added in the other injuries.             “…Really?”             “Well, ya should probably leave th bandages on till it stops bleedin, but otherwise, nopony’ll care.”             “…Where’s Rarity?” Gentle asked.             Applejack frowned a little.  “She’s at her home.  I don’t know what’s wrong with that mare these days.  Didn’t visit ya once either…”             “How long have I been here?”             “Bout a week.” Applejack said, “But yer doin real good.  Recoverin jus fine.”             “Oh, right.  I got a letter from Rarity for ya.”             Applejack handed her a little folded note, and Gentle opened it and read:             I don’t think I can say sorry; I feel I have done too much, inflicted too many… memories.  But I think I might understand your fears, and it is with that in mind that I’m telling you this:             I am not going to do anything unless you ask me nicely.             I won’t do anything to you that you tell me not to.             And I won’t do anything to you that you don’t tell me to.             You are in control of yourself.  For good, for bad, in health, or in pain.             You get to make the choice from now on.             Because I won’t.  And I’m not going to let anypony else either.             But I do want to hear the rest.             And thank you for everything you did for her.             Rarity             Gentle blinked, and Applejack, reading over her shoulder frowned.             “That no good…” she muttered.  “I was wonderin about that.”             “Wondering about what?” Gentle asked, still staring at the note, reading and rereading it over and over again.             “Somepony went to th mayor an made certain that ya were rege… called a mare, an not a filly.  An now I think I know who.”             “Yer doin much better, but now, everypony’s hooves are tied.  Even fer adoption or other kinds o help yer gonna need.”             “Everypony?”             “Yep.  Even Twilight’s.  I should know, I went an checked.”             Applejack was upset over that.  She couldn’t believe that rarity would be so… apathetic toward a filly and gone to such length to make sure that other ponies couldn’t help her either.             Gentle on the other hoof…             She felt… happy.             Three centuries of being dragged after Emptiness.  Never having a choice.  Never being allowed to do anything that Emptiness didn’t want her to do or being forced to do something, be that something she wanted, or something she hated.  Never once being able to control her own life.             And Rarity had given her control.  Even in her concern and sorrow and care, she had given Gentle her fate and walked away.  And made sure that nopony else could do something for her.  For good, or bad, Gentle got to choose. It was the greatest gift Rarity could have given the filly.             Gentle, looking at the note, knew that she could trust Rarity.  Rarity felt horrible for hurting her, and yet, Rarity wasn’t going to do anything more about it.             Unless Gentle asked.             She noticed that she was crying, and wiped at her eyes, Applejack noticing soon.             She frowned a little more.  “It’s alright.  She’s… jus a little messed up right now.  Her little sister’s been missin fer a while an she’s jus overcome wit… somethin.” she finished, eyeing the note.             “I… I spent almost two weeks in fear…” Gentle said, sniffling.  “Hiding.  Watching.  Terrified that… that I was going to be trapped again.”             Applejack looked confused as Gentle sighed, mostly speaking to herself.             “I should have gone quicker.  I should have knocked on that door the very first day.  Sweetie told me… but I was too afraid.”             “But now… now I don’t have to fear.  Because she’s gone forever, and nopony is going to take her place.”             “Especially not Rarity.”             Gentle gave a tiny giggle, and then stopped, shocked.  She hadn’t laughed once in three centuries.  And then the thought that she hadn’t brought another giggle, and then she just collapsed in laughter, happy and joyful, Applejack wondering what was going on.             A great horrible fear had been taken from her by Sweetie.  She had removed the pain and suffering of three centuries.  She had taken the chains of Emptiness from Gentle.             And now her sister had demolished its shadow and was trying to heal the bruises.             Gentle was free.  Finally free of Emptiness, and the horror that the mad unicorn had given her.  It was like the long night had ended, and she was finally, finally standing in the light of day.             She no longer feared.             She eventually calmed, and smiled at Applejack who still looked baffled.             “When can I go and see Rarity?” she asked.             Applejack started.  “Ah!  Um… I think th cast kin come off in two or three days.”             Gentle nodded.  Two or three days.  She could wait.             After all, it was her choice now.