//------------------------------// // Closing Act: Not Deserved // Story: Friendship is Failure #12- Amending Hearth's Warming // by DakariKingMykan //------------------------------// CLOSING ACT It began to snow all around, and Shining Armor, he honestly didn’t know what to think or say. Sure that all was pretty awful stuff, but he couldn’t turn on his father like that. “I never told your father any of this, and I never wanted him to know.” said Helper “I didn’t want him to feel any guilt or shame, and I didn’t want to be reminded of it either… but now thanks to your sister and your whole family, I’ve never felt so hurt in my life!” Shining Armor still couldn’t believe that this pony before him had suffered so much, but he still didn’t know what to tell him. What was there to tell him? Then, despite Helper being an Earth pony, he began to sing to a song describing his woe, and like magic, four images seemed to appear before him, each one representing a spirit of some-pony he could have been… #1: A renowned founding father of engineering in magic; dressed in a white lab coat and wearing glasses. #2: Captain of the Royal Canterlot guard; all dressed in the fancy armor Shining Armor wore. #3: Twilight Velvet's groom all dressed in a black tuxedo. And #4: Himself as a Colt with his Cutie-Mark again, and how it used to be when he was friends with Night Light. [Helper] Here on the eve of Hearth’s Warming, On that night the darkness and pain were swarming And fallen from the love and friendships band The screams of pain were heard across the land There wasn’t much to gain, only to lose. [Helper #3] The loss was harsh, and not what we did choose Facing all the problems that did stand, [Helper] The tears and cries did spread across the land [Helper #2] The world was shattered, and sealed our fate [Helper#4] Buried in snow which fell at a fast rate With cold winds, and a whispering so sad [Helper #2] We knew we’d lost all things that we had had All others basked in light, and we did not [Helper#1] We prayed for miracles before the shot... Across the skies with stars that shined so bright [Helper #2] We sang again the song with all our might Silent Night… no sound was heard [Other Four] Through peace and faith there still exists the word… [All Five] All’s lost, all’s gone, all dreamers as they stand [Helper #2] On Hearth’s Warming Eve day in all the land. [All Five] And on the day of Hearth’s Warming the light had shone And we all felt it was time to move on But nights were long and restless and getting out of hand [Helper] ‘Cause my heart had died on that eve in the land. [Helper #2] Silent Night… no sound was heard [Other Four] Through peace and faith there still exists the word… [All Five] All’s lost, all’s gone, all dreamers as they stand [Helper #3] And those young ponies sing… [Helper #2] And their spirit still rings… [Helper] For the hurt and the pain it brings… [All Five] In Aaaa-Aaaa-All the la-a-a-a-a-a-and! Sleep in Hearth’s Warming peace! The song ended, and the other four images faded into the darkness, and Helper… he wasn’t moving anymore. He didn’t even blink his eyes. “Helper…?” Shining Armor said to him. Helper didn’t respond… he just keeled over! Shining Armor gasped, and he put his head to Helper’s heart… …Nothing! “Please No!” Shining cried, and in a desperation, he gave Helper’s sore leg a huge slap with his hoof hopping he’d react and scream in pain… but he didn’t, not a flicker! He was gone; died of a broken heart from so much inner trauma and pain, as well as the pain from his leg. Devastated, Shining Armor cringed and he pounded the ground angrily! Other ponies approached him; it was the rest of his family and Spike. They had long since spotted them, thanks to Twilight and Cadance and had been standing away from the two. They had heard the entire story and Helper’s song. “Is he…?” Twilight fretfully asked, and her brother turned to face his father and regrettably shook his head. Velvet gasped softly, putting her hoof to her mouth. Her tears began to fall instantly. Cadance and Twilight stood shocked, and Spike… he decided to take little Flurry away from the scene, not wanting her to be near this saddening sight. As for Night Light, he approached Helper’s body. After everything he had just heard and how upset and angry Helper was, it was no wonder he was gone. He never told him, not wanting to hurt him, and now, they could never talk about it and even hope to resolve any problems with it all. Overcome with grief and guilt at the loss of his old friend. Night Light could only scoop the body up in his arms and actually hug it as he cried softly, “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry!” He meant it too, he never wanted to hurt his friend, and though Helper was not very polite and such things, he felt he didn’t deserve to die. The entire family was heartbroken. It was a very sad Hearth’s Warming for them all, and when Twilight’s friends had heard what happened, they expressed their sadness and apologies to Twilight and her family. “That’s just so heartbreaking!” cried Pinkie, and she really meant it. “A guy dying on Hearth’s Warming?” said Rainbow “That’s… I can’t even put that into words.” “And to think…” sobbed Rarity “He only distanced himself because he never wanted to hurt your father or your family.” Twilight wiped her eyes, and hugged her friends. She needed it, “Thank you all for caring.” she said. This was a real eye-opener for herself, her family and everyone else involved. Just because it was Hearth’s Warming didn’t mean it was a happy one… not for every-pony, and they would always have to consider that just because it was Hearth’s Warming didn’t mean strange and terrible things wouldn’t happen. “How’s your dad takin’ it?” asked Applejack. “Not very well.” replied Twilight “He and my mom wanted to go out on a long, long walk, and search through their feelings. My Dad still blames himself for all this.” “It’s not his fault at all, Twilight.” Spike said, “He couldn’t help it that your mom loved him, and what happened to Helper’s leg was still just an accident.” Twilight knew he meant well, but she shook her head at him and repeated her father’s words, “Knowing all this doesn’t stop the guilt and nightmares.” Twilight felt bad for Helper, and while she agreed it was unfair the way he had it so bad, she would never go against her father, just like her friends wouldn’t go against her. They wouldn’t hate Hearth’s Warming either, they didn’t want to make the same mistakes Helper did and let the bitterness get to them. “Will you and your family be okay?” Fluttershy asked. Twilight nodded sadly, “We will be. It’ll be hard, but it’s just one of those things we’re going to have to live with, and in a way at least Helper doesn’t have to suffer anymore.” Her parents were strolling through a cemetery on the far outskirts of Ponyville where Helper had been buried, but they wished no public service given, since nobody really knew him at all, and they wanted to keep this amongst themselves. Velvet laid a bouquet of flowers on the memorial stone, which read, “Helper Soul” “Unfortunate Soul: May he finally be at peace.” Her husband looked down grimly at the stone, still feeling horrible for all this, but even after all that had happened the past few days; he still did and would always think of Helper as a friend. Under all his bitterness he still retained some morality; the way he donated to charity, and didn’t wish to bring his pain upon others. “Sleep well… my friend.”