//------------------------------// // Letting Go (12) // Story: Ascended // by BlackWing //------------------------------// Letting Go It is now mid August. The entire time between the funeral and up till now, Nightshade was barely seen by anyone. Everyone else still had duties to take care of, but with Pinkie running the Sugar Shack, and maple season over, he didn't have anything to do. He spent a lot of time inside, and when he went out, it was to help AJ get ahead, and he would do it at night, for the peace and quiet. Sitting on his roof, he felt a familiar presence, and looked to see Luna behind him. "Hello Nightshade." "Hey Luna." He replied sullenly. "How are you feeling?" She asked. "How do you do it?" He answered her question with one of his own. "What do you mean?" Luna didn't understand. "You live for thousands of years, while other ponies rarely see a hundred. All your friends, family, loved ones. Everyone who matters to you will die, and you'll be left all alone. Sure, you've got your sister, so she'll always be there, but what about everyone else?" "We have been separate from the majority of Equestria since birth." She explained. "So, your parents knew what kind of lives you'd lead, and to protect you from the pain of loss, stopped you from having friends, lovers, because they knew that they'd just die, and in heart ache, you would as well?" He asked. Luna just nodded. "The thing is, I'm the same as you now. I'll live forever, or, at least as close to forever as possible. I have friends, loved ones, ponies who I call family. After Scoots, I can't help but feel it's all too much. One day, they'll be gone, and I'll still be here. What then? Do I move on? Find new friends to replace the old ones? Find another lover? Or do I stay stuck in the past, never forgetting those who I cared for, even though I'll never see them again? They wither and die, and pass on, into the sky, where I can never go. I will never see them again until I die." He said, sitting there, weeping. "Yes, but even yourself, Celestia, and I will die one day, just as our parents did. We simply have drastically more time than everypony else. The day the stars rain down, the earth quakes, the moon turns red, the sun, black, and the world itself ends, we shall as well, and then we will meet them there." Luna was speaking in a soft tone, trying to comfort. "We have our royal duties, and we must perform them, no matter what. We cannot afford to be stricken with grief, as we would become lax in our misery. I envy you, you have friends, family, and one whom you love. I will never know that feeling. It is better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all." She looked sad. "What of Celestia? There is her nephew, the prince, and her student, Twilight. You cannot tell me that she will not feel pain when they pass." Nightshade asked. "Celestia decided that it was wrong to stay away from love, from family and friends, and began to interact with the others, despite knowing her fate. Those of us who choose to deny our fate, must be strong enough to face the pain that comes from it." Luna said. "Which is why she's stronger than both of us. You who decided to accept your fate, and I, who's fate was changed. When the time comes, I don't think I'll be strong enough to face the pain." He cried. "When that time comes, know that I will be here for you, a shoulder to cry on. Maybe we'll be strong enough to face that pain together." Luna winked, before taking off into the sky. She flew back for a moment. "By the way, Blueblood was asking about when you were going to take him camping. There's only two weeks left in summer after all." "Tell him to drop by in a week. It'll be good to get out, and take my mind off things. I gotta go tell Big Mac, Spike, and and Rainbow. "Such wonderful chaos. I think it's about time to make my grand return...... Okay, maybe after a quick nap." Nightshade was waiting in front of his house, where the camping group were supposed to meet. Rainbow Dash was already there, with her standard coach equipment. She was the unofficial 'camp' councillor. They saw Big Mac approach. "Glad you could make it." "Eeeeyup. Since you been pullin three time your weight at the farm, we ahead of schedule, and I get to take a break, since mah sister went to the beach with 'er friends a few weeks back." Nightshade didn't go to the beach with them, he was much to depressed. He still wanted them to go, because they also needed to get out. It was only for the day, but they needed it. Spike walked up, looking manly. "Hey bro, glad you're here." "You know I wouldn't miss this for the world." He said, Firebolt coming up behind him. "Good to see you here too. Note to self, set up camp by the river." He was starting to get his humor back. "Ha ha, very funny." She said, snuggling up next to Spike. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walked up. "Nice to see... wait, what? The two of you?" He was genuinely surprised. "Yes, the two of us. Our parents said we needed to 'get out more'." Diamond said, annoyed. "Well, you're welcome here either way. Oh look, this is getting better by the second." He said as Twilight walked up. "Really? I didn't think you liked this kind of thing." Rainbow asked. "Well, Seeing how much healthier Spike is, I figured it would do me some good. Too many late nights in the library have made me, well, heavier, and not in a good way." She said blushing. "Besides, it would be a good chance to learn about the nature of the Everfree. Not much is really known about all the different stuff in there." "Well then get your fat flank in here!" Rainbow laughed. Twilight looked like she was going to say something, but then just accepted the criticism, head hung low. Blueblood arrived in a chariot, and with him, two griffins, both around 10 years of age, looking to be twins. "Ah, finally the guest of honor! And who have we here?" Nightshade said, crouching down to the griffin pair. "We're Switch and Scratch." they said in unison. "So wait, which one is which?" He was confused. "Never mind, I'll never remember the difference, so from now on, the two of you are one unit. You work together on everything, you go everywhere together." "We do that anyways." They joined the group and laughed. Blueblood had the ponies at the chariot empty a bunch of supplies on the ground. "Whoa whoa whoa buddy. What do you think you're doing with all that... stuff?" Nightshade asked. "Well. I went to the library and......" He started to explain before being cut off. "You took Twilight's method of learning about things. Reading. Well, it's good that you came prepared, however, we won't be using any of it. No tents, no firewood, no hairdryers, no shampoo. Oh, you brought an ax? We can use that. Good thinking. You brought food? While that is the basic of any survival situation, we won't be needing it. There is plenty of food in the forest, we can grab it for ourselves. Would you two be so kind as to take the rest of this back?" He said, handing the chariot ponies some bits for the extra trouble. They were happy to oblige. Seeing all his supplies flying away, supplies that were going to keep him comfortable this whole week, Blueblood began to sweat, and gulped hard. "Ahh, don't be so worried Princy, you'll be fine. Remember, I lived in this forest for a long time, follow me and you'll all be fine." Diamond and Silver were surprised, and quite happy. They would be camping with the prince? That was like a dream come true. "Oh, I've been meaning to ask, where is that little filly of yours? I'd like to meet her." Blueblood had no idea. Nightshade sat on a log, looking depressed. "Something I said?" He was oblivious. Rainbow flew up to him, and whispered in his ear. "You heard about that human invasion? Back in the middle of summer? One of them....." She gulped, and started to cry. Scootaloo was her flying partner after all. "One of them, did something unforgivable." Blueblood thought. There were only one crime that could be considered unforgivable. Murder. "Oh, I, I didn't know." He said, honestly feeling for his first true friend, who cared about him not because of his title, but because of who he really was. "It's alright, just, don't bring it up again. It's a really soft spot. She was, my friend too. I was practically her idol. We don't want this whole week to be full of crying ponies." Dash had taken to wearing her wonderbolt pin in her hair. Ever since he came back and put it there, she couldn't bring herself to go out without it, and Rarity often saw her looking at herself with it in store windows. It was definitely having an effect on her personality. Alright, listen up you ponies, griffins, and whatnot! I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in Equestria! I'm co-hosting this campout. If you have any questions, you either ask Nightshade, Spike, or myself. We've been here plenty of times, and we know what's going on. You do not touch anything, eat anything, or go anywhere without a partner, and without our approval, YOU GOT THAT?" Rainbow went into full coach mode. She also wanted to get attention off Nightshade so no one would ask him what was wrong. It still hurt her as well, but she had to be strong, and couldn't let other's see her break down. "Come on Shady, get your head in the game. The point of this was to get out and have a bit of fun, right?" Dash said, putting her hooves on her shoulders. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks Dashie." He teased her a bit. She just took it in stride. "Let's get started, shall we?" Nightshade stood up, Spike at his right, and Dash at his left. Twilight, Diamond and Silver, Blueblood, Mac, Switch and Scratch, and Firebolt all stood in a line before them. "Listen up campers. The Everfree forest is dangerous. There are hungry monsters, and poisonous plants. Many things are beautiful, but also deadly. The forest is strange. Clouds move on their own. Strange wind and mists blow. If you do not know the way, you can easily get lost. It is actually a lot like my homeworld. Before you all ask, yes, I am an alien. I won't explain anything more about it, because we'll be here all day. Okay, so, when I come up to you, I want to all to say a little about yourselves. I don't really care about history. In this forest, nobody is better than anybody else. We work together to survive. Since Spike, Dash, and myself have been here before, we know what's going on. Listen to us, and we can guarantee your safety. Spike, please continue." Nightshade was finally taking charge. "Rule number 1, ASK. If you don't know what something is, don't assume. Pretty blue glowing flower? Poison joke. Dash stepped in it, and woke up the next morning with her wings on backwards. You don't know what it is, we do, so ask us before you go touching anything okay?" The dragon barked, used to doing Twilight's checklists. "Rule 2, Stay together. If you get lost, you're survival chance drops by over half. Stick with your buddy. We'll pick buddies in a minute. You don't even go to the bathroom alone." Dash continued. "Rule 3, Teamwork. We are to work together to find food, gather supplies, whatever. Lots of things that are impossible alone become easy when you have someone else." Spike went on. "Rule 4, Don't die." The three camp leaders looked at the group with sinister grins. "If an extreme situation arises, do not hesitate to call for help. If you find yourself attacked by a manticore, call us, and we'll deal with it. We'll explain more on the way, time's a wasting!" Rainbow said with excitement. "Okay." Nightshade began. "It's time to pick your buddies. I'll be doing the picking, so, one at a time, tell us a little about yourselves." He stepped up to Firebolt. "Even though I already know some of you, the others do not, and this is a perfect time to get to know each other better. You first." "I'm Firebolt. I'm a unicorn who's always dreamed of flying. When I feel any strong emotion, I burst into flame. I can also control fire to some degree. Unfortunately, all my magic comes out in flames, so I can't do many of the things normal unicorns can. I learned to do things the earth pony way." She started. "Good, okay, next." He went to Twilight. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia. I've studied magic for year, and am a bit of a prodegy." She said, trying to be modest. "I'm physically weak, and don't know much about surviving, so I'm here to better myself." "Good. That's perfect. Who you are, your strengths, and your weaknesses. Okay, next." He walked up to the griffin twins. "We're Switch and Scratch, and we're twins. We do everything together. Even though we're young, we can already fly, and we're strong too. Umm. I'm fine, but he's a bit brainless sometimes." They said, pointing at each other. "Good, nice to meet you. Next." "I'm Diamond Tiara, my father is Filthy Rich, the business owner. I, umm, know about resource management?" "That's good. It's alright. Looking at others is easy. Looking at yourself is hard, even with a mirror." "I'm Silver Spoon, my mother is Sterling Silver, the geologist. I know about precious metals and gems." "Alright, that might be helpful." "Ahm Big Macintosh, but ya'll can just call me Big Mac. I work Sweet Apple Acres. Eeeeeeeeuuuuummmm?" He was trying to find something else to say. "It's alright Mac, I'll continue. He's strong enough to easily pull a house, and he doesn't talk much, as you might be able to tell." Twilight giggled. "And I am Prince Blueblood, nephew of Princess Celestia. I am learning politics so that I may one day run Equestria. Admittedly, I don't have very much in the common sense department." He said, head hung low. That was all the campers. "I'm Spike, a dragon. I've been Twilight's library assistant for years. 2 years back, me and Shade were forced into the Everfree by a mob of mares during mating season. I've been coming here ever since. I'm fireproof, can breathe fire, and know everything there is to know about organization." The dragon introduced himself, glaring at Twilight. "And I'm Nightshade. I'm strong, fast, can fly, heal almost any wounds, and know the forest like my own face. I'm a quick thinker, and know what to do in tense situations. I can do almost anything, so when the time comes that I DO need help, I'm way too stubborn to ask for it, or accept it. I take failure especially hard, and need to learn to rely on others a bit more. Just because this trip is meant to help all of you, it doesn't mean it won't be helping us. There is always time to learn." "And I am Princess Luna. I raise and lower the moon, bringing night. I am skilled in magic, but I don't get out much, and need to learn to socialize." "PRINCESS?" Twilight yelled. Everyone else just looked shocked. "Oh, I hope you don't mind if I tag along, do you Shady?" She teased. Nightshade just face palmed. "I guess it's fine. I hope you know this isn't just some camping trip though. It's survival training. It's designed to make you strong of mind, body, and soul. To overcome your weaknesses, and discover your strengths. There will be no free rides. In this forest, we are not who we are on the outside. While we three are the camp leaders, we are campers ourselves, and will be pulling our own weight. We're headed into the forest, once we make camp, we'll sort you all out. Until then, everyone takes a piece of this tree bark. Do NOT lose it. If you get in trouble, just howl like a wolf. Don't ask why, and pray you don't have to use it." The group entered the forest, and found their way to a clearing, near the river. On the way, the three leaders whispered to each other, discussing how to split the campers up. "Okay, so now that we're here, here's how it's gonna go. We've got a lot more campers than expected, so we're gonna have a little game. More like a competition, and a simulation at the same time." Dash began. "That's right, we camp leaders will split you up into teams, so that each team has a varying skill set. Then, we each set up different camps in an area around this clearing. We won't know where the other camps are. All we'll know is where here is, as well as our own camp. We'll come back here each night, and discuss things. Now this isn't only survival, but also a test of character." Spike added. "It's not really a competition, since everyone can win. In fact, we're hoping everyone will win, since losing means you died at some point. Of course, we're here to make sure that doesn't happen. The only other way to lose is if you can't stand the forest anymore, and bail out." Nightshade said with a grin. Everyone but Luna, Firebolt, and the griffin twins were getting a little nervous, what with all the talk of not making it through the week. "Okay, Firebolt, you're with Dash. I got Twilight, and Spike, you get Luna." Nightshade began. This wasn't a casual retreat, they needed to focus, and couldn't do so with Spike and Firebolt going gaga over each other. Putting Twilight with Spike or Dash wasn't any good, because Dash was her friend, and Spike was basically her servant. He didn't want Luna, since he was sure that she actually was coming on to him, and that would just make everything awkward. Luna was immature, and putting her with Dash screamed failure. "Okay, I get Blueblood, and one of the griffin kids. Nightshade, you get Mac and Silver. Spike, you get the other griffin and Diamond. Dash sorted the rest of them according to their plan, not wanting to waste any more time. "But, I thought we were gonna be together?" Whined the griffin twins, as well as Diamond and Silver. "We changed our minds. Having a close friend is great, but the four of you need to learn to cope otherwise. They may or may not be there for you at points in the future. Let's see if you can work as well with others as you do with yourselves." Spike explained. "With this setup, there is a nice even spread of skills. Spike, and Firebolt can make fire, and I'm sure Twilight knows a spell for that. Twilight, Luna, Diamond, and Silver can use magic, although the fillies not as well as the other two, meaning they'll have to work harder. Mac is strong, and I'm sure once Blueblood get's into things, plus having magic is an advantage. He'll be right up there. Silver knows about the ground, so you'll have an advantage there, and the griffin twins can fly." With the teams made up, they would spend the night at the clearing, and in the morning, begin their adventure. In case it was too confusing, these are the groups. Nightshade: Twilight, Big Mac, Silver Spoon. '1 flyer, 2 magic, 2 strength (Nightshade is fly+strong)' Spike: Luna, Diamond Tiara, Switch. '2 magic, 3 flyer, 2 strength (Luna counts as all three, and spike is fly+strong)' Rainbow Dash: Firebolt, Blueblood, Scratch. '2 flight, 1 magic (Firebolt doesn't count) 2 strength (RD and FB)' Taking their special skills into account, as well as the fact that Diamond and Silver are weak magic users, this counter balances Twilight and Luna's magical strength. There is also at least one kid on each team, and all the leaders can fly.