//------------------------------// // 9-E: Sanguis // Story: Remnants, Forgotten. // by AnkhOmega //------------------------------// Sanguis. She was getting tired. She had to do it now, if she didn't release the spell soon her shield would break. She knew the spell didn't have enough power, it couldn't have and she didn't have enough left in her to make up the difference. She was going to fail. Unless she took more blood. That might work, the blood did enhance the spell, it might just amplify it enough to work if she could take enough. She dragged her vision over to the collapsed form of Applejack, the crimson liquid flowing out of her forelegs might just be the thing that could save them, if she could gather up enough into the symbol... “Hold on!...I can do this!” she yelled over the thumping explosions impacting her shield and the roaring flames charring the area. “Just stay with me!” She pulled more out, flowing it into the thick floating symbol and holding it steady, gathering up smaller pools in the air, supplementing the main, streaming it around and pressing them together, linking each symbol and holding them in place. Applejack's heart pumped so very fast, almost as if it were eager to send the vital fluid out, but she felt so tired. She just needed to sleep. To let it all go quiet for a moment. Just a moment of rest. She felt very, very still. Twilight's horn flared bright enough to compete with the fire washing over them, a brilliant spot of purple light held for just one moment before the spell was unleashed. She burst her shield, flinging the fire away momentarily and knocking a salvo of shots off course moments before an unbelievably intense wave of crimson energy exploded forward, washing over the machines and the destroyed forest. To any who could see, a burning red cone was visible for a mere moment, bathing the land in a bright burst of red in the middle of the night. It drew the eye and confused the mind as it burst forth from the middle of a forest and spread out for the slightest moment before fizzling out, disappearing into the dark night sky. Twilight fainted. ..//.. “What in the name of Celestia was that?!” Rarity cried out moments after the Crimson wave had winked out of existence. “Was it Twilight?” Fluttershy asked softly, still only mildly shivering after hearing the far off and rapid explosions. “I'm going to find out!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, taking off and darting towards the woods before anyone could object. “I hope they're al-” Rarity began, turning to the other as she talked. She stopped herself when she noticed the look on Pinkie Pie's face. Pinkie looked like she were about to cry, her mane hanging down and subdued in colour. “Pinkie?” “...No...No no no no no...” Came her response, as Pinkie curled up and covered her head under her forehooves. ..||.. An hour passed before Twilight could raise herself, groggily and shakily rising to her metal hooves. She looked around slowly, careful to not aggravate the building ache in he head. Her vision wasn't helping her avoid a migraine, as her new eye had evidently cracked and she was having significant trouble seeing past the spider-webbed fractures. Luckily for her the her sight was coming from behind the glass, and was still working along with her overlay. She hissed out a delighted, scratchy and rather synthetic laugh when she noticed the five gigantic statues standing in a semi-circle in front of her, their stony forms still pointing their weaponry at her. She had done it. They were no longer going to hurt anypony. She closed her eyes gently and tried to call out for Applejack, but all that came from her throat was a buzzing static. She blinked a few times while she tried to cough, speak, or even shout. But nothing came out of her mouth except for static. She sighed in annoyance, just another thing to try and fix, and looked around, trying to spot her companions. Unfortunately, she found them. She found the Core Unit first, laying on the ground and half petrified, inactive and stationary on the floor. I guess I used a little too much...must have spread back a bit. She thought to herself. She found Applejack next. Laying completely motionless on the floor, her hat knocked some distance away. She hobbled over as quickly as she could and immediately began checking on the orange mare. She wasn't breathing. She didn't have a heartbeat. She was cold. “...!” Twilight attempted to shout, ignoring the pain in her head as she shook Applejack violently. She screamed quiet static as her eyes began to water, begging her to wake up, pleading with her as she throttled the lifeless body. She began to sob, her voice broken and full of static as tears streamed out of her one natural eye. She clutched Applejack's cold form to herself as she cried. Twilight didn't even flinch when she heard Rainbow land noisily behind her. “There you are! Jeez' this place is a mess...” the prismatic pegasus said, looking around. “Woah...That them? They're kinda creepy...Oh, not interrupting anything am I?” She said with a coy smile when she noticed Applejack in Twilight's arms. It was then that she finally noticed that weird sound in the background. The one that she couldn't quite place. She looked over to the two mares, Twilight heaving and Applejack staying oddly...still. “Twilight?....” she whispered, approaching slowly. She saw the tear stains down Twilight's cheek and the lack of breathing from Applejack. “Oh no...” ..//.. It was raining heavily. The ground was soggy around the three graves, one freshly dug and swiftly turning to mud. It had been a very fast week, not that Twilight would have been able to tell. The funeral had been quick and Applejack had been buried near her parents. Her friends had lamented the loss, some spoke, some cried, some tried to remain positive. Twilight couldn't speak, she hadn't felt up to it even if her voice wasn't still broken along with her eye. She had remained deathly silent, not even trying to communicate when both Princesses came to try and talk to her in person. She had spent the week on that hill, staring at the gravestone and the hat hanging from it, watching the flowers wilt. Occasionally she would look at her hooves, and begin to cry, collapsing into a ball. She was blaming herself. She had killed her. She had taken too much and ended her life, and she couldn't even tell anyone that she was a murderer. Spike had asked, and she had tried. She had screamed and yelled, but all that he heard was static. She had sat there for a week, staring until the days blended into one big mess. Staring as her friends tried to get her to move, or eat, or cover her with a blanket. Staring as the Princesses asked her for help when three more of the machines arose. Staring as she heard the sounds of one of the machines assaulting Ponyville. Staring as her friends begged her for help. Staring as she felt something stomping up the hill. Staring as she was flung away by the force of an impact to her side. Staring as the life faded from her. Staring eternally as the world ended.