//------------------------------// // The Cost to Pay // Story: Legends Never Die: The Beginning of Harmony // by bookhorse125 //------------------------------// When Sprout opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was stone. Groaning, he lifted his head, and was startled to find out that even that wore him out. It was like all his energy had been sucked away. He staggered to his hooves and looked around. He was clearly underground, because the only light came from a single torch flickering on the wall, illuminating the trickles of water on the damp stone. Sprout was standing in a cave, slightly elevated over the ground, and everything beyond that was tinted green. He walked forward and realized that was because a sticky green goop had been plastered on the mouth of the cave, keeping him from leaving. Beyond the torch was a long tunnel that sloped upwards into darkness, and he knew that was the way out. It was tantalizingly close, yet it could have been on the other side of the world. “Anypony there?” he asked in a quiet voice, straining to hear in the silence. “Sh,” came a voice that he recognized as Hitch’s. Perhaps he could sense the glare Sprout was sending his way, because he added, moments later, in the same hushed voice, “Everypony’s here.” “Creature,” growled Imara. “Right, sorry,” Hitch corrected himself. “Every creature is here.” He looked around. “Just have to figure out where here is.” “It’s a system of caves and tunnels underneath their main headquarters,” Sunny said, her voice so quiet that they all had to strain to hear it. Sprout wondered if he was the only one who caught the tremor in her voice. “I heard them talking about it one day. They’ve never really had any use for it.” Well, they do now, Sprout thought ruefully. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he saw Sunny across from him, in a cave higher above the ground, the entrance covered in the same sticky green goo. Sprout wished he could give her a hug, she looked so scared. “It’s going to be okay,” he said out loud. “We’ll… we’ll figure this out.” Sunny met his eyes, and he was startled to see that they were glittering with tears in the damp torch light. “How?” she whispered. “How did they know that we were coming?” Sprout fell silent - he felt like he knew, but he didn’t want to tell them about the voice in his head, or what it had suggested. They would think he was a traitor for sure, aiding the bad guys and telling them everything. He wanted to tell Sunny - he knew she would understand - but he didn’t want the others to know. It would just be too awkward. So he kept his mouth shut. Keeping things from your friends? came the voice, louder now than ever. Tut tut, that’s not very honest of you, is it? Sprout’s head jerked up as Permafrost entered the room, flanked by Sour Lavender. The latter looked nervous at being in the same room as the ponies they had just kidnapped, or maybe that the other villains would discover them down here, but Permafrost’s cold eyes were staring straight into Sprout’s green ones, and he knew instantly that this entire conversation was going to be silent. You’re one to talk, he retorted in his head, the mental communication coming naturally to him. Perhaps it was all the time he had spent arguing with his own conscience when he was emperor of Maretime Bay. Permafrost didn’t answer to that, but his eyes narrowed slightly. This gave Sprout encouragement, and he added, You can’t keep us down here forever. We can, and we will, get out of here and defeat you. And nothing you do will ever stop that. Then why are you still here? he asked in a falsely sympathetic voice. As if she had the same idea, behind the two ponies, Imara tried to turn into a tiny bumblebee, to slip out of her cage, but hard as she tried, she couldn’t do it. “My magic!” she gasped, her eyes wide and panicked. “I-it’s gone!” The others gave panicked shouts and hurried to try their own magic - those of them that could try it. Flurry and Izzy’s horns wouldn’t light, none of the creatures could fly, and even Kailani’s necklace wouldn’t work. Permafrost didn’t have to look, but inside Sprout’s head, he said, You see? You can never leave. Unless… Sprout hated his tone of voice, so certain and haughty and all-mighty. Unless what? he growled. I have a proposal. The intensity of the unicorn’s gaze increased ten-fold. I will let your friends go, if… you give up all their memories of you. And leave and never come back. Sprout’s shock must have shown on his face, because across from him, Sunny whispered, “Sprout… don’t do it. Whatever it is, don’t do it. It’s not worth it.” But it is, he thought, his heart sinking horribly. It would be worth it… if you guys got free. He wished more than anything that Sunny was included in this mind conversation, or that she was next to him - he felt his knees going weak, and it took all of his strength just to remain standing. He stared back at Permafrost, and he saw in the unicorn’s eyes that this was what he wanted, and Sprout was determined not to give it to him. He steeled himself and met Permafrost’s eyes. Why? he demanded. Why do you want their memories of me? Why not anypony - any creature else? Oh, please, none of them are desperate enough, Permafrost snapped in his head. Excuse me. Did you just say I’m desperate? Sprout asked indignantly, though, as the unicorn said it, he knew that he was right. Desperate to prove himself, desperate to put the past behind him and forget about it, desperate to show his friends - show Sunny - that he wasn’t a scared, confused little colt anymore, and that he cared about them. He thought of Equestria, thought of how big the world was, and how amazing. All of that would be lost if the Legion of Doom had their way, and his friends were the only ones who could stop it. He had to face it - he hadn’t really ever contributed much to the group. It was always Sunny, was always Hitch, was always Izzy, Zipp, Pipp who saved the day. He just sat on the sidelines and… did what? Offer moral support? Waved pom-poms in the air and shouted cheesy chants that didn’t actually do anything to boost their morale? It would be worth them forgetting about him if they could save everything else. And he thought of Sunny - amazing, powerful, hopeful Sunny who had never given up even when everything seemed awful and terrible and out of reach. Sunny, who had run off with a unicorn to a pegasus city while her hometown wanted to arrest her. Sunny, who showed everypony that they didn’t have to be afraid of each other. Sunny, who brought back magic and the better world that she had always dreamed of. Sunny, who had reached her friends even when they had completely forgotten about her and seemed completely lost. Sunny, who escaped the Legion of Doom’s clutches and found other tribes because she cared about creatures she hadn’t even met yet. Sunny, who had given him a second chance. Who had forgiven him for everything. Who had promised that she would never give up on him. Suddenly, there was a new presence in his mind, somepony who hadn’t been there before, and yet felt extremely familiar. Sprout. That voice was familiar as well. Don’t do this, Sprout, Sunny pleaded with him. Please don’t do this. It’s not worth it. We’ll find another way, I promise! Sprout stole a quick glance across the cavern and met Sunny’s eyes for a brief second, and in that one look, he knew everything that she was thinking, and he almost faltered, because he wanted to stay here, with her, forever and ever, but if he did that… they would never get out of here. The world would be destroyed. He forced his gaze to meet Permafrost’s and instantly, all of the warmth that he had felt from Sunny vanished. Well? the unicorn demanded. What’ll it be? Meeting the frosty pony’s icy eyes with his own steely green gaze, Sprout said, Yes. Fine. Do it. A smirk crawled across Permafrost’s face, and he lit up his horn. It shone bright, distracting everyone’s attention from their failing magic to this frosty blue glow that enveloped them all. It grew brighter and brighter until they all had to look away, lest they be blinded, and he could sense that their minds were being wiped of all memories of him, something that the unicorn should know very well. He tried to ignore the way his heart sank when he thought that his friends would no longer care for him… Sprout looked across the cave at Sunny and said, I’m sorry. And she nodded, and everything was all right. Then everything went white and disappeared. He gasped as he woke up. A loss of equilibrium still haunted him from the instantaneous teleportation, and it took him a while to collect his thoughts and calm his racing heart. Once he could see clearly again, and the sense of dizziness that lingered had cleared, he looked around. No longer standing in a dark cave covered with sticky green goop, he was standing knee deep in mud in a swampy area surrounded entirely by trees. He struggled to the edge and pulled himself onto dry land, wiping the muck off his hooves and legs with a disgusted expression. “Uck,” he muttered to himself. Then he remembered what had just happened, and his heart sank down to his hooves. Sunny. Hitch. Zipp. And everyone else. Were they okay? Had Permafrost kept his word and gotten them to safety? He glanced at the sun to get his bearings and ran off into the trees, getting smacked in the face with branches the whole time, but he didn’t care - he had to get to his friends. He had to see if they were alright. He had to know if they still remembered him at all. Eventually, he heard voices up ahead and skidded to a slow walk, creeping forward unseen until he saw the zeppelin between the trees… and in front of that, Sunny. She was pacing back and forth in front of the grounded ship, looking nervous. Just seeing that she was okay was enough to calm Sprout’s racing heart, and he let out a relieved breath. Sunny looked up, instantly on her guard, and Sprout melted back into the shrubbery, trying to conceal himself. If Permafrost had gotten them out, then he must be telling the truth about the other part of the deal… Still, he couldn’t help trying to reach out to that connection he had felt earlier… Sunny? he asked tentatively. In the clearing, the mare froze and rubbed at her head, a confused expression on her face. “Sunny?” came Hitch’s voice, and the stallion came barreling into the clearing, looking relieved to see her. “Oh, thank the stars,” he murmured, running over to her and pulling her into a hug. Sprout felt a flare of jealousy that he didn’t fully understand. When he saw her face, he asked, “Sunny? Are you alright?” “Yeah,” she hurriedly assured him. “I just… I thought I heard Sprout in my head.” “Sprout?” Hitch asked, his eyes narrowing. “Where is he?” He glared at the bush opposite him as if he thought it would magically produce him. Sprout felt his heart sinking. So Permafrost had been telling the truth. He slipped away and followed the sun until he was well away from his friends. Now where would he go? He couldn’t go home, he couldn’t follow his friends without danger of being found… But now that he had seen the Legion of Doom himself, he didn’t want to sit back and do nothing. The answer came to him. He could go to the Everfree Forest and join the creatures - the other outcasts - there. At least until this whole thing was over and he could run away to one of the other kingdoms and hide there, where his friends would never find him, and he could forget… forget about them. Yes. As much as he hated it, that did seem like the best option. Leaving his old life, and his friends, behind him, Sprout turned and ran.