//------------------------------// // 15: What He Has Withstood // Story: Crossed Gears // by TheFoxern //------------------------------// The Other. Copper's heart was racing, pounding in his chest. It was deafening. “The Other?” He was panting softly, why was he panting? What was this sensation inside him? He was staring at that sick grin of hers. Madam Raven. Now she was the Other. He wondered what that even meant. But now, he couldn't help but smile. “Perfect,” he said softly. “Oh?” Her head tilted to the side slightly. “I did not think that I would receive such a welcome from the great Copper Fea-guck.” Copper slowly twisted the blade in her breast, before pulling it out and bringing it down upon her shoulder. “Yes! Perfect!” Stab, stab. “All I have to do is beat you now and this is over!” Hack, slash, stab. Black blood splattered Copper; it burned but he ignored it. “You...really...think...” Copper stopped, his muscles going tight as Raven crackled with something of a mixture of black smoke and electricity as her wounds closed. “That...it...will be that easy?” She was fine. Completely back to normal as though nothing had happened. As though Copper hadn't even grazed her. And the blood felt as though it burned him. “Damn...I was hoping that it would be...” He clenched his teeth, it felt like something was crushing his lungs. “Tisk tisk Copper...” She dragged her claws slowly across his chest as he lifted into the air by his metal leg. “Such rudeness. You should bow before your new ruler.” Copper let out a very dry chuckle. “Bow? You think it will let you rule? You do not know what the Other even is...” “And you do?” Blood trickled down Copper's chest as she dug her claws into him. He clenched his teeth, glaring down at her. “More than you. He's going to destroy everything.” She laughed and withdrew her claws. “Oh please, Copper. What sort of desperation is this?” “It's-” “Silence,” the room boomed with the power in her voice and she smirked at him. “Speaking of desperation...” She ran her tongue over her beak, leaning in towards him. “How did you escape me? What desperate end did you go to? I was so sad...my buffet had run away.” He shuddered and kicked, his hoof connected with her jaw. The magic that held him stopped and he fell to the ground. “Damn it...” He slowly pulled himself up, breathing heavily. That stench...that stench of her's made him sick. “Mmm...shall we find out, Copper?” She dragged her claws across the floor. Copper slowly looked at her. “What-” ~ Pain. That's all there was now. Nothing but pain and the smell of blood. His blood. It had bothered him so much at first, but now he couldn't even focus on it. He couldn't focus on anything except the floor in front of him and even the floor seemed to be losing him. “Oh dear Copper...” Madam Raven now had what was left of his attention. What was left of whatever it was that made up his consciousness. “Delicious as always.” Pain. The pain of his ribcage forcing its way back to where it was supposed to be and his insides coming back. He didn't even cry out anymore. He couldn't. His voice had left already. He closed his eyes once that pain was over. He could hear that black tongue slurping the blood from her claws and the smacking of her beak. “Mmm...such a mess...” Chains crawled over him, shackling him once again. Then the door opened and closed as she left. It no longer mattered how long it had been. It didn't matter. Nopony was coming for him. He had stopped keeping track of the days after two months. He had given up. It wasn't hard to keep track of the days, she always announced... “Dinner time, Copper...” He curled up. “Breakfast, Copper...” His eyes clenched shut. “Lunch time, Copper...” He gasped for breath as he regained his other lung. “I just feel like a little snack, Copper...” A whimper escaped him. It was the only noise he could make anymore. The pain finally subsided as her magic made him whole again. He laid in his blood, breathing heavily as he stared at the wall. Why had no one come? He felt as though he were crying, but no tears came. He had cried so hard and for so long that first time, that he was still sobbing when she came again. Why? Why? Why? ~ Copper coughed and heaved, blood splattered the floor. His legs shook beneath him. Had he thrown up blood? Or was that coughing up blood? He couldn't tell. What he could tell, was that he was sobbing. She had put him back in that little hole. That slice of Tartarus. “Oh Celestia...” somepony said. He looked up, seeing Twilight in the distance, shaking and sobbing. Celestia was crying as well, but she knew what he had gone through. But he had not told Chrysalis and tears ran down her face. “Did you like the little show?” He did his best to look at Raven. “So much power...I thought I'd treat them to a little sneak peak of what's in store for them,” she said as she grinned at him. Again blood splattered the floor. She had made him relive that. Every detail of it... “You...” “Oh but that's not the part I'm interested in, Copper...” Claws gripped him and he was raised once again into the air. “How did you get out?” He tried to raise his arm. He had to stop her. Not again. He couldn't stop crying. He'd built up a lot of tears since then. No more. He couldn't speak. Never again. ~ He wheezed for breath as his lungs returned. She liked the lungs. And the liver, the heart, the meat from his legs, his tongue and his eyes. The magic was only enough to keep him alive, but barely. Especially when she ate all that she could. How many months had it been? Had it been a year since she had taken him? Was nopony asking where he was? Why had nopony come for him? Where was everypony? No one cared where he had gone, otherwise they would have found him by now. No more. He stared at the floor a moment and struggled to lift his head. He let it fall. The healing magic was gone. It had done its job. The crack of his skull on the stone the third time made his vision blur and blood poured down his face. So close to freedom. He struggled to get higher, lifting himself up. But he stopped, staring at the pool of blood that covered the floor. His eyes wandered to the shackles around his legs and he stared at them. Blood soaked and rusted. He rubbed the blood from his forehead against his leg, letting the blood sink below the cuff. He pulled hard. Then he pulled harder, with all his might. Every ounce of strength he had left. Something went pop and he slumped to the ground. He stared blearily at the shackle that was now a few hooves away. Again he smeared blood on his leg, soaking his leg in his own blood. He pulled and struggled, until it finally gave. That's right...who needs them. He struggled slowly to get back up. Who needs those damned ponies. I'll do it myself. He pushed the door open. He wasn't surprised to find it unlocked. Why lock up the pantry, when your food is so secure... He dragged himself out into the hall. His leg was dislocated, but that wasn't about to stop him. The resolve to live, that's all he needed now. It took several minutes and several falls, before he got to another door and pushed it open. Heat. There was immediate heat and a bright sun, but he didn't care. He pulled himself out into the sun, hot sand under his hooves. The sand was interesting. The sand was a clue. Where am I? He continued forward, looking for any sort of thing that would be of use to him. A loud noise caused him to look behind him at what he had come out of. An airship. One of the biggest he had ever seen and it was taking off. That was unfortunate when he realized where he was standing, because he saw the large propeller in front of him. He knew this type, it used compressed steam to give it an immense boost in power in a matter of seconds. He scrambled to try and get out of the way but hardly made it a few steps before the force of an outlet engine hit him and sent him flying almost half a kilometer; skipping a few times across the dunes. He was lucky to not have died; the softness of the sand had saved him, though the force of the blast and the trip had broken several ribs and a leg. He tried to stand up and slumped into the sand. Make that two legs. Both his back legs and his left was dislocated. But this was nothing. He looked around for some sort of structure as he dragged himself forward. They had to have been here for a reason...for something...there has to be something... “Heeeey!” somepony called out. It took him several seconds before he could actually see the figure coming towards him. “What in tarnation are ya-” the figure froze. It ran towards him, kicking up sand. “Fry mah hide! Ester! Brin' th' wagon on over hyar!” she called out. It was obviously some female pony. “Th' hay happened to ya? Ya weren't on that air ship thingy was you?” He looked at her for a while and then shook his head. But when he tried to speak, he coughed instead and blood splattered the sand. She was holding something over him, shielding him from the sun. A minute later he was being hoisted up onto something by several ponies and vaguely aware of lots of talking as he lost consciousness. When he regained it, he was surrounded by at least five ponies. “Yer awake,” one of the ponies said, leaning over him, before turning away. “Ma, he's awake!” Then he turned back with a smile. “Now don't ya be movin' none.” It wasn't like he could move if he wanted to at this point, as he was covered in bandages and splints. “Water...” he managed. He had not eaten or drank anything since she took him. There was no need for her to feed him when it was just magic keeping him alive. But the magic that was sustaining him was fading. A straw was put to his mouth and he drank slowly. Very slowly. He knew not to drink too much, or eat too much. A pony entered through a flap. Now Copper looked around, figuring from what he saw and what was said earlier, that it must be a large covered wagon. “Ya gave us all quite a fright. We wasn't sure if ya'd make it.” He remained quiet, looking at her as he drank slowly. When he felt that he should at least express some sort of gratitude, he said, “Thank you.” “What was you doin' out there darlin'?” She moved and sat down beside him. Copper closed his eyes a moment, his brow wrinkling as he thought. Not of why he was out there, but of what to actually tell them. “I...don't remember...” he said slowly. “Well that ain't good,” she said as she placed a hoof against his forehead. “What's yer name than? You remember that?” “Copper,” he said and hoped that they had not heard of him. “Hm...well, Copper, where ya be from?” “Canterlot...” She whistled and he struggled to get the straw once again. “Well now...ya be an awful long way from home.” “Where is this?” he said, giving up on getting the straw. But one of the other ponies helped him out and he began to drink again. “This be tha outskirts of Equestria. Abouts 'round the Macintosh Hills.” That explained the sand. They must have been close to the San Palomino Desert. What were they doing out there? “Thank you...” he said again and closed his eyes. “Well, I 'spose we'll hafta see what we can do 'bout gettin' ya home,” she said and Copper could hear the smile in her voice. ~ “Ah. So you got lucky.” He hit the ground, with enough force to bounce. All that pain had come back and it took a moment for him to actually be able to move his legs again, forcing them to remember that they were not broken. “Damn...” he said, swaying slightly now that he was standing. He had worked so hard to bury all the memories of that time. Bury them deep. He had been in that little room for almost ten months, being used as her 'buffet' pony. He looked up and glared at her. “Oh? And what's this sudden fire in your eyes now, hm?” She smirked at him, standing tall in front of him. He had remembered something. He survived because he didn't give up. Survived because there were others that came to help him. “I'm still alive.” “Tisk. Not for long.” He hit the wall and was then dragged roughly across the floor a moment before slammed into another wall. Lifted up and then dropped in front of her. “I'm going to kill you, Copper...” She licked her beak and Copper swung upward, slicing her tongue off. “I am sick of that thing.” She recoiled, holding her beak shut as black blood splattered to the ground. “Little bastard,” she said once her tongue had regrown. But she was smirking as she approached. “I have been told not to play with my food...” Copper felt himself lock up, he couldn't move. “But I just can't help it...” Her claws clenched around his throat and she lifted him once more from the ground. He swung, but the blade stopped short. “Enough of that.” The blade retracted with a shink. “I'm quite done with being stabbed,” she said as she squeezed tighter. “Now let's just see...” Her freshly grown tongue licked the blood from her beak. “How hard...I have to squeeze...to crush your wind pipe...” Little lights popped in front of Copper's eyes. He couldn't move. Eventually everything went white and then it went black. ~ He could feel the metal he was laying on and he sighed. “This again?” He looked down at the brass gear he was on and slowly got up. “Honestly this is getting old...I pass out and then miraculously something helps me-” he stopped as he saw what was around him. Black sand as far as the eye could see, under a starless dark sky. “Oh...” he said softly. “So I'm dead...” NOT EXACTLY, came an all too familiar voice. “Ah...so you must be this world’s Death,” Copper could feel that he did not want to look around to find the speaker. YES. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, NO. Copper frowned slightly and then sighed. “All right then...could you explain? And what do you mean not exactly?” YOU ARE NOT DEAD. THIS IS A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE. “All right...” he said slowly. “Now how about the other part? And is there a possibility of you not using that voice?” YES, “but you will not like the alternative.” Copper went rigid; his eyes went wide as they began to flood with tears. Slowly, he turned and looked down at the bright blue eyes of the bloodied filly beside him. Copper could see nothing of color of her coat, or mane, it was simply red and soaked in blood. Her blood and the blood of those around her. “I am your Death,” she said, her voice so soft...so sweet. “Your greatest regret in life. Your inability to save one little filly.” Tears streamed down his face as he sat down, unable to look away. “I...b-but...I...couldn't...” he blubbered. “You could not save me,” she said with a slight nod. “But you tried so hard and did all you could. You picked me out of the rubble and promised to get me out.” “I couldn't do it...if I had gone faster...” He couldn't bring himself to even try to look away. “You went as fast as you could. I was dead soon after you began to carry me. It is far different to see a war first hoof, is it not, Mr. Pony?” “I...I didn't want war...” He grit his teeth. “But it happened anyways...I tried...” “Yes...and you carried my body for so long, only to find me dead.” Words echoed in his head of that time. His own words. We made it little filly. He had been so happy. Little Filly? “I'm so sorry...I couldn't save you...” “I had no chance. There was no saving me.” He had heard her crying, screaming for help. He wasn't even sure what happened. He was in the middle of negotiations and then everything went black. When he woke up, the city was in ruins. He was battered and bruised, but even then...even then he could do nothing. The city had erupted in war. “You were...I couldn't leave you...even though I knew...” He sat there, shaking. “If I could just have gotten you out...gotten you to somepony who could do something...” “I was dead, Mr. Pony. You knew it. I didn't know what death was, but I knew pain.” She gently touched his leg; he could feel the heat of the blood. “But nothing to the pain you know.” “Physical pain is nothing...it's...it's this pain I can't take...” He was surprised he could keep talking. “You could not take it,” her voice was even softer now. “Most ponies would have shut down, given up.” “I did give up,” he mumbled. “No. You kept living. But you couldn't keep going the path you were on. You demanded Celestia retire you now, ahead of schedule. She asked again and again that you tell her why and you refused for the longest time...but when you finally told her, she retired you immediately.” I couldn't save her! echoed in his head. It had been the first time he had ever yelled at Celestia. “I couldn't do it anymore.” He took deep breaths. Her voice was soothing. “But you did do it. You continued, because you wanted to save those still alive. And you've done such a good job.” “I've...I've still killed...so many...” “And saved so many more,” she said. Her touch was so soft. So comforting. “You brought the death of those who would kill others. You know that. Every death has been necessary to save ponies. But not all of it was your fault alone.” He stared into those blue eyes and took a deep breath. “But I am the one who took their lives away.” “You have suffered enough and punished yourself even more for those deaths. No, it does not make it all right, but death happens to everypony. Some later and some sooner.” She smiled slightly at him. “Death is cruel...” he muttered. “Yes, it is. But those who have died, while they are gone from us, will always be with us and will be with us again.” She had moved closer to him and leaned against his leg. “I...I wish that I could have done something...” he said softly, staring at her blood soaked mane. “You can do something now.” She looked up at him and those bright blue eyes caught his attention again. “You're the only one who can stop the Other now.” “I...” He sagged slightly on the spot. “I don't know how...she is...so powerful. I can't...I can't even use The Shattering. There's no time...everything just...happens...” She smiled at him, such a sweet smile. “You will find a way. You always do. That's what you told me.” “Told you?” “When you died. I am your Death. When you killed yourself, you came to me and we talked. And when I told you that they wanted to bring you back and that it was your choice to come back, you told me that you would find a way. A way to fix everything. And so you waited. You spent those four years with me.” “I...I had a choice?” he said softly. She nodded, smiling still. “You always have a choice, Mr. Pony. You knew what had to be done. The work that you needed to do. All the struggle it would take. And before you left, you begged me to make you forget. Forget about our time together.” She looked downward. “You could not be distracted by thoughts of a little filly. You've helped yourself so much more than you realize.” “I will not forget this time,” he said and held her. She was so small and felt so fragile. She giggled softly as she hugged him. “There's a lot you still need to do.” He took deep breaths and closed his eyes for the first time. “I know. But I do not want to go back...not yet.” “You have time,” she said softly. “Though not much here...” “I am so sorry...” “It's all right Mr. Pony. I'm just happy you survived.” He looked down at her. “Do you know what my regret was?” He shook his head slowly. “No...” “You,” she said as she placed a hoof onto his cheek. “You were my biggest regret. Not knowing if you made it out.” A smile crept onto his face. “And...what was your next biggest regret?” She smiled wider. “That I never got a puppy.” He laughed softly, nodding. “I'll...I'll remember that. “The next time I see you, I want you to be happy,” she said, with a slightly stern tone. “And it better not be anytime soon.” He took a deep breath as he looked off into the distance. “I can't promise that. But I will try.” “Try hard.” He smiled a bit. “I...” He was unable to look away from her again, especially when she looked up at him. “I never...found out what your name was...” She smiled at him. “I can't tell you something you don't already know, Mr. Pony.” He nodded slowly and sighed. “I figured as much...but I had to try...to see if I could do...anything...something...” There were several moments of silence before she spoke again. “You have withstood so much.” He had been enjoying simply looking at those eyes. “I...it has not been easy.” She shook her head. “No. It has not. You have gone through so much...but it took all of that to get you to this point.” “Everything I have gone through...” He was starting to realize that she was simply a voice for thoughts that he couldn't manage to think. “I-” he hesitated as a thought came up into his head and he sighed. “And I have Nightmare to thank that I made it this far...” “She broke you.” “But she did so in a way that made me stronger...made it so that I could withstand this sort of emotional trauma...and come back from it...because I have to...” He ground his hoof into the ground, gritting his teeth. He hated to admit it, but he would have broken long ago if it had not been for Nightmare. “But...how do I win?” “I cannot tell you,” she said as she leaned more against him. “You know what happens?” He said as he opened his eyes. “I know what could happen. I am your Death, therefore I am Death. I know all. I know all that was, all that will be, what could be and what would be. You will find a way, because that is what you do. And if you don't, everypony will die.” “I don't know what to do...” he said as he clenched his eyes closed. “You will. You always figure it out, Mr. Pony. You've helped ponies and in turn they've helped you. It all comes full circle, Mr. Pony. You need to help yourself. You have done nothing but help yourself, more than you realize.” He kept his eyes closed, trying to think. More than I realize, he thought. I always figure it out in the end. But I get help so often... Then it occurred to him; what he had to do. ~ His eyes snapped open. “Oh good, you're awake, I-” Shnikt. The magic around his leg shattered and he sliced off her arm. He hit the ground as she screamed and took several steps back. He got back up with slow, deliberate motions. That was what he was fighting for, he had to remember that. He was fighting to save ponies. “Again with the hand...” she grumbled as she flexed her newly grown hand. Copper looked at where the hand he had cut off had been. It evaporated into black smoke as he stared at it. He was tired and he was still crying. He took a deep breath, as he stared her down. “Raven...Other...it doesn't matter anymore.” She arched a brow, smirking at him. “Oh? And why is that?” “It doesn't matter...because the outcome is the same.” He looked up at her and took a deep breath. “It doesn't change the fact that I have to beat you.” She smirked at him and stood in front of him. “Oh? And you think that you can?” “Yes.” He buried the blade into her chest once again, gritting his teeth as he did. “Urk...oh Copper...you think that you can beat me...by just...stabbing me?” She grabbed hold of his arm, but he continued to push. She stared at him as she was forced backwards. “No.” It had taken all that he could muster, but he had done it. After all, if he had done it once, what was stopping him from doing it again? He rushed forward and tackled her through the rift he had made. They had gone through and he panted softly as he looked down at the hard dirt under his hooves. He looked back through the large crack in the air at Twilight, Celestia and Chrysalis, all of whom stared at him. He took a deep breath and called out, “I'm sor-” Snap.