//------------------------------// // Parting is Such Sweetness // Story: Family Relics: Adventures of the Past and Present // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// Parting is Such Sweetness Everyone on the surroundiung battlefield- pony and Penna alike- could only stare on in shock at the sight of the dead creature before them, with Daring Do standing over his silent, unmoving remainsword quickly spread to the birds and equines still fighting on the battlefield, and soon all conflict had ceased as all the participants gathered to gaze upon the grim scene. "Daring you... you killed him." Rainbow Dash said in horror looking down at the dead villian in shock. "And not in in the heat of battle, you just.. just killed him!" "What did you expect, Dash? A big clamactic battle while we sparred over words?" The old grey-maned mare responded. "Tell me he didn't deserve it, Dash! Tell me that he hasn't time and again hurt and killed hundreds of innocent ponies over the years, and didn't deserve to have his life taken just like that!" "I say, Iwhist I do agree that what you did was nescesscary, old girl." Niblik protested, adjusting his glasses. "But to slay your old foe in cold blood.. well, it does seem a bit, well rather..." "Cold Blooded?" Yearling replied, shoving the ramaining coins that made up the necklace into a bag, and handing them to the troll. "Sorry, but I do think an author has the right to kill her main villian off is she so chooses." The other ponies and Penna could only stare on after her in horror, as the Pegasus trotted her way out of the tents, and back up into the light of day. ... "Well, we were only here because Azutohil was paying us." Cabellerion told them, as he and his pony underlings climbed back onboard his airship. " And now that he is desceased, well there is no reason to remain in this desert. With proper compensation, I'm sure we can be on our way again." "Here." Daring replied, reaching in and pulling a coin out of the bag. The mare made another wish, and instantly the airship was laden down with tons and tons of golden jewels and treasure. Cabellerion stood there with his jaw agape for a moment, before nodding. "I believe that will be a sufficient enough compensation" He reached over, and kissed the aging mare's hoof. "Adieu, Daring Do. We shall never meet again." As the dirgable took off into the air, Yearling and Rainbow Dash found themselves surrounded by a bunch of angry birds with spears. "Uh ohhh.... A.K.? I think they mght be a little mad you destroyed thier holy artefact." Rainbow Dash replied, looking around at the angry tribe surrounding them. "Not a problem." Yearling replied, pulling another coin from the bag with her wing. With another wish, a new necklace made of gold coinsfell on the ground before the chief. "Here you go, as good as new. Athough you might find these coins won't grant your wishes, but they'll be a lot less dangerous from here on out." As the bird chief picked up the necklace, he and his tribe melted back into the ruins, vanishing from the ponies's sight. Niblik walked up to the two mares, and and nodded his head in approval. "Once they realize the dangers of the necklace gone, they will no longer feel the need to stay here, and live in the ruins to guard it." The troll academic told them. "They'll brobaby spread to the oasises in the nearby Screean desert, and start building Penna civilzation anew." "Man, this heat'll probably scroch thier feathers black!" Dsh said with a laugh. "But what about the Wishing coins?" "Here, I believe Niblik would know what best to do with these things." A.K. handed the bag over to the troll. "May they help in your academic research." "I say, this is rather generous of you!" The troll replied gratefully, putting the bag away. "I swaer to you, that I will make sure these coins are never put to ill use!" Atrefacts that powerful can only be of ill use, that's why I'm not taking them back to Equestria." Yearling told the troll, as she pulled out the only coin she had kept, and made a wish. "And I'm going to leave a warning here to any would be treasure hunters, who come looking for the necklace!" And as the troll and the two mares left the ruins, the chamber Where the necklace had been reacted to Yearling's final wish. A red glowing stone appeared on the necklace's pedistal, and penna writing appeared on the slab below it. And as the years and centuries to come passed, the ruins were slowly covered by the sands of time once more... ... "This whole thing was a trap for him." Rainbow Dash noted, flying up beside her friend. "Wasn't it?" As the two Pegasus were flying thier way home, Yearling only flew beside the blue pony silently, ignoring the former harmony bearer's accusation. "That's why you agreed to take Twilight's mission, you planned to lure him in, and use one of the wishing coins to kill him all along." Dash continued. "This was never about saving Equestria, you just wanted to execute Azutohil." "As long as he lived, he would continue to be a threat to all of Ponykind. And I would never be able to hang up my hat." A.K. replied wearily, not looking at the pony who had once idolized her. "Besides, who do you think it was who leaked the thing's existance to Azotohil in the first place, knowing he'd go for it?" "Y-you planned all this?!? All those Penna soldiers died, all those ponies got hurt, all so you could retire?!?" Rainbow Dash eyes went wide, as she looked upon her friend in a way she never had before. "I deserve a chance for a normal life, Dash. I can get married, and have a family now." The old mare snorted. "Azutohil would've caused even more damage, if I didn't stop him where I did." Yearling shook her mane. "Now, just forget about it, Dash. And leave Azutohil buried under the sands where we put him." "You know something, Yearling? You're right," Dash spat in contempt, as she flew on ahead of the author. "Daring Do is only a fincitional character who exists only in your books!" As they flew thier way across the Screean Desert and back towards Equestria, both ponies remained silent for the remainder of the trip home. But back among the shifting sands of the desert ruins, a lone ratling scurried his way across the desert, still clutching a coin that had fallen from the bag when no one noticed. "This could turn out to be very profitable." Omar thought to himself, as he made his way away from the scene of the battle. "Oh yesssss...."