//------------------------------// // Chapter LVIII: Ragnarök // Story: As I'm Falling to Pieces // by Pinkamena Diane Pie //------------------------------// Chapter LVIII: Ragnarök The sound of the single bullet faded away into nothing. Slowly, Lightning pulled his head out of the mud. The pouring rain washed away the dirt almost instantly, but he still shook his head to clear more of it. He slowly got to his feet, looking around. He felt his heart drop when he saw it. The single Hunter, number eight from the group, was laying dead a few feet from them, fore-leg outstretched, like it had just thrown a blade. Blood was mixing with the dirt and water around it, and it was clearly dead. “Hey, Phoenix, that was a pretty good sh--” a noise behind him made him stop short. He turned, looking at Phoenix, who just stared back at him, eyes wide as ever. He dropped his gun, and it fell to the ground with a splash. “Phoenix! What is it?!” Phoenix looked down, as did Lightning. Then, Lightning saw it. “Oh, Celestia no...” The steel hilt of the blade the Hunter had thrown was emerging from Phoenix’s stomach. Blood was falling from the wound, soaking his lower half. His breathing was rapid and shuddering. He looked up from the knife, back to Lightning, and he collapsed on the ground. “No!! No, no Phoenix!” Lightning yelled, his heart breaking. He galloped to him, dropping down into the mud, rain falling off his muzzle. Phoenix had curled into a ball around the knife, and he was coughing. Lightning helped him lay out normally. Phoenix looked up at him, shaking violently. “I...I didn’t think it was...going to end like this.” he said, voice quiet. “No. You aren’t going to die.” Lightning said, looking around for something to help him. “We are going to get you out of here.” Lightning, I am going--” “NO!!!” Lightning yelled, tears falling from his eyes, mixing with the rain. “You can’t leave....you can’t...” he said, his voice breaking. Phoenix licked his lips, taking a deep breath. The ground around him was turning red, but the determination is his eyes showed he wasn’t done yet. “This is it, Lightning.” he said, looking up into the rain. “I had a good run, but you have to go on. Don’t die because of me.” He coughed loudly, and his lips turned red with his blood. The smallest of pain strained smiled appeared on his face. “I never thought it would end like this. I thought we were gonna die together doing something incredibly stupid.” Lightning smiled down at him. “This is incredibly stupid, Phoenix. But you aren’t going to die! You are coming with me.” He looked around again, but there was nothing. “CORAAAAA!!!” he yelled, as loud as he could. “Somepony help!!” Phoenix touched his shoulder, bringing his gaze flashing back down. “There is anypony coming.” he said. “Just, listen to me, OK?” Lightning nodded, his whole body shaking. “Tell them I died saving you, not for some stupid reason. Tell....tell Celia I am sorry. So, so sorry. I never wanted this to happen. If you are still around when she is born, tell my daughter about me. I don’t want her growing up not knowing who her father was...” He took a deep breath, pausing for a minute. “I don’t know if the spell will end after I die, but if it doesn’t, get Core to remove it. I don’t want to be buried. Too many ponies have been buried. I want to be burned.” he said, looking au at Lightning. Lightning could see how much he wanted this, and he nodded along. Take my ashes and spread them at San Foalsisco, where I grew up.” “I know you were planning on a home out here. I can just ask this; Take care of celia. She will be lost after this. You take care of her, alright?” Lightning nodded. “I will. Don’t you worry.” Phoenix nodded, light starting to leave his eyes. “I thought of a name for her, my daughter.” he said, looking up at the sky again. “Cinder. I think that is a beautiful name.” He took a single breath, and his fore-leg fell off Lightning’s shoulder. Lightning nodded down at him, his one true friend. “No...no Phoenix please.” he said, blinded by tears. “Don’t leave..please come back! Please...” He fell on Phoenix’s chest, tears breaking through the dam. He didn’t know how long he was there, but eventually he was brought back by somepony’s voice. “I heard you yelling. What is--” the voice was cut short. Lightning looked up through foggy eyes. Cora was standing on the edge of the clearing, hoof over her mouth. She opened her mouth, but Lightning just nodded. He stood up and walked over to her. She let out a single sob and fell into his embrace, crying into his mane. He let go of her, making sure she was steady, then he walked back over to Phoenix’s body. He pulled his tunic over his head, covering Phoenix;s torso with it. Then he grasped the hilt of the blade and pulled. It came free, his blood dripping from it. Lightning looked at it, almost ready to throw it into the forest, but he held onto it. He knelt down, sliding his fore-legs under Phoenix’s limp body. He lifted his off the ground, turning back to Cora, tears still falling. “Let’s take him home.” He said. “Home one last time.” ***** “This war has been won by the strength and courage of all of you combined!” Luna’s last speech still rang through his mind. He didn’t want to think about it, but driving through the barren Wastes, it was all he could think about. “Today, an enemy fell, and we took another step towards peace and harmony once more!” The crowd had cheered, but none of them did. They just looked up at the princess. “While it’s true that we had our casualties,” she looked directly at them when she said that, “compared to what could have happened, they were the best we could have hoped for.” That was when Lightning left. He didn’t turn to look, but the others told him that Lunar dropped his armor and weapon at Luna’s hooves, then turned and followed him out. He turned and looked out the window. Lunar was flying next to them, as he didn’t want to sit in the car. He and Lightning met eyes, and he nodded, understanding exactly how he was feeling. Lightning looked over his shoulder, back into the car. Cora, sitting next to him, as silent as she had ever been. The rest sat in the back. Twilight’s shoulder and arm were a mess of gauze and tape. By the time she had been brought, Cora was magically, and physically, exhausted. She hadn’t been able to heal it, so she did the best that she could with cloth and stitches. But other than Twilight, they each seemed to be fine. But the most significant change, was Rarity. She seemed more calm, like the anger and hatred had left her. While she was as somber as the others, Lightning could tell she was a changed mare. she looked up and saw him looking. She gave her weakest smile, but then it was gone. Lightning turned back to the road. It was getting light, and Lightning could see the mountain ahead, with the Bunker silhouetted against it. Lightning didn’t know how he was going to do this, but he had too. When they were in reach, he had cora tell the Bunker to get Applejack and Celia. When she tapped off the communicator, she turned back to Lightning. “How are you going to do this?” he voice small and monotone. Lightning shook his head. “I don’t know.” Finally, they reached the top of the of the mountain. Applejack and Celia were waiting. Lightning’s heart fell into his stomach when he saw that Celia was no longer pregnant. She carried a small pile of blankets in her front legs, and she beamed as they rode up. Lightning pulled it to a stop a few feet from them, and they piled out. Applejack ran, as fast as she could, over to him. She embraced him, burying her head in his shoulder. “Thank Celestia you are safe.” she said. She broke away and looked up at him. She saw the look on his face. “What is it?” she asked. Lightning shook his head, pointing around at the eight of them. Applejack finally realized. “Oh no..Oh god..” tears filled her eyes. Lightning rushed forward and embraced her, kissing her on the cheek. He let her go again, turning to look for Celia. She was still standing by the Bunker door, waiting for Phoenix. Lightning took a breath, and walked towards her. The blade, which he had kep, was burning a hole through his bags. He pulled it out, holding it in his front hooves like a prized sword. Celia turned to him, a curious look in her eyes. “Where is Phoenix?” she asked. Lightning handed her the blade, pressing it into her hooves. Then he just shook his head as the realization struck.