//------------------------------// // Hope // Story: That Which Makes up a Rainbow // by maxxxxxx //------------------------------// “Twilight, what have I done? Why did it have to end like this? The last thing you saw me do was hurt you, the last thing you heard me say was full of hate and lies. No, I don't even deserve to regret anything. I just.. .All I deserve is pain. I feel it all now... It hurts Twilight, it hurts so much.” She spoke softly to herself, laying in the dark. The emptiness she felt before, completely replaced with the dull pain of guilt. She had long since lost the strength to scream or cry, now all she could do was let the pain wash over her as she awaited the death promised by Guilt. Then, slowly, she noticed her shadow growing in front of her. Fear shot through her body and she shut her eyes tight. It's... It's Shield! I'm about to die.. Oh Celestia I'm about to die! Her body began trembling as the presence she felt drew closer, her legs and wings burned with the urge to run, to get away, and she almost tried. She sighed, quelling her shaking body as she again focused on the pain of guilt. No.. that's exactly how it should be. I deserve this ending. I'm ready. Twilight... I- I'm.... “Not yet.” A soft voice spoke up from behind her. Her eyes shot open, a dim flickering light illuminated the darkness, her shadow dancing on the floor. Slowly, she turned to face the source of the voice. It was a young stallion with orange coat and a golden mane. His light blue eyes were light with a certain life that had died from Dash's own eyes. A dull white light filled the expanse that seemed to go on forever. “Who are you? What do I have left? What else could there be left of my heart? Please, just let me lay here, waiting for Shield. I'm ready to accept my punishment.” In Dash's eyes could been seen the pain the raged deep inside of her. She felt it wholly and powerfully. “Rainbow Dash, I am Hope.” For a moment, anger flared in Dash's eyes, but the pain quickly snuffed it out. “How can you still be alive inside me? What do I have left to hope for? I don't want hope. No, I don't deserve it. So just disappear with Love and leave me alone.” She collapsed back to the floor, gazing downwards and ears low. “Rainbow Dash, hope is not about what you deserve it's about what you want. So tell me, what is it you want?” She raised her head, looking deep into his eyes. 'What do I...want?' “I want... to die. I want to pay for what I've done.” “Rainbow Dash, I do not have much time. What do you want?” She began to feel tears building up in her eyes. “I want to die.” “What do you want Rainbow Dash?” She lightly shook her head, tears beginning to roll down her muzzle. “What do you want?” She opened her mouth, her throat was tight, chocked with held back pain and sobs. Hope's face became angry and impatient. He walked up to her, she cowered down beneath him shrinking her appearance. Her lips moved silently, the words dying on her tongue. He shouted at her with a challenging glare. “What do you want!?” “I want it all to be okay!” She looked up at him wide eyed before the sadness overwhelmed her. She bowed her head and cried, weeping at his hooves. He smiled down at her. “Rainbow Dash. Those are the most honest words you have spoken to yourself in a long time.” She continued to cry on the floor. Why is the truth so painful? It hurts so much. I have no right to want anything. I felt so guilty when I spoke, and so sad. “Rainbow Dash, you have both hidden from me and hidden behind me. It's painful to hope when you have nothing to hope for or when you don't deserve hope, and It's easy to hide behind distant hopes of the future. You pushed the painful truth of the present away for the sweet hope of tomorrow. You used me to hide from your pain and what was causing you pain. It's time to stop hiding.” “But, what do I have left to hope for? I hurt the ones closest to me. I pushed them all away. I killed my heart and soul. I can't love or even connect with another pony ever again. I- I can't even feel happy any more.” As she spoke her voice became higher and choked from the tears. She looked up pleadingly at hope, who returned with a look of pity. “Rainbow Dash, He will be here soon. You can no longer use me to hide. When he comes, I will die and soon you will follow.” Dash put her hooves on his, looking up at him from the floor with renewed anguish in her eyes and voice. “Y-you can't... you cant go... I need...” She stopped and her body went limp. “No, I don't deserve to live and I have no reason to go back now. Once you're gone... there will be nothing holding me here. It's been you all along hasn't it? The reason I came this far? The reason I didn't stay in that small dark place when I first came here? The reason I kept hiding and lying to myself? It was because I still had hope. Without you... I can die.” Darkness began rushing slowly growing towards them from all sides like and ominous fog. Dash suddenly felt fear rising in her. This time, he truly was coming for her. “I-I have to know.. why is he doing this? If I die.. so does he.” Hope shook his head in disappointment. “You already know why.” Dash nodded knowingly. She knew, she knew exactly why. I can't handle the truth for even a second, Shield has had to take that pain forever. It's better that I die, for both of us. Hope stepped back from Rainbow Dash, backing up from her. The darkness was licking at his hooves now. “It's almost over, isn't it?” Her voice trembled, despite what she wanted, fear began to take hold. Suddenly, a shield as large as a wagon with an ornate eye at it's center appeared, floating over Hopes head. He smiled once more. “What can I say? Hope is short liv..” All Rainbow Dash could do was watch helplessly and the shield slammed down on top of her hope, cutting him off mid word before all that was left were floating particles of light, quickly consumed by the darkness. “No...” She felt any last glimmer of hope she may have had, die painfully within her. As she felt his presence grow closer, her emptiness was filled with only one desire. Run! She got to her hooves and backed away from the darkness that swept towards her like a tide. “No! No!” She spun around and stretched her wings. However, the moment she took off, she stopped. The void had encroached from all sides. There was no where to run. She had no lies left to hide behind. It was over. She landed on the ground and closed her eyes. She felt an immense, cold sorrow wash over every fiber of her being as the darkness took her in it's grasp. Then, the next things she heard was full of malice, but soft and quiet, because it was right next to her ear. “It's time.”