//------------------------------// // Chapter 25: The End Game, Part 2 // Story: Lost // by Cyanjames2819 //------------------------------// Nebula groaned as he felt his body starting to cool down. It felt like ages since the last time he just sat back and relaxed. He still felt his muscles ach and his mind clouded with images of what he went through with Fluttershy and Playtime. They weren’t that many, but he managed to crack a smiled. He wanted nothing more than to just be with them again and forget what happened to them. As he continued to daydream of the perfect world for his small family, he began to hear murmuring, whispers and voices all around him. Mentally, he was looking around his surroundings before he remembered he was unconscious. So, ever so slowly, he cracked his eyes open to find out everything he looked at was blurred out. He slowly blinked his eyes to get them focussed once more, curious of where he was. The last thing he remembered was going in a shaded alley and rested there to regain his strength, now, he was in a very different place. He then breathed in the cool air through his nose, filling his lungs and letting it all out with a tired sigh. Right now, all he wanted was to rest, nothing more, nothing less. “Nebula?” he heard a feminine voice echo in his head. Who’s voice did this belong to? It sounded familiar, no doubt, but who’s voice was it? “Nebula, are you awake?” there it is again. Who was it? Then I felt a light nudge on my neck. He slowly opened his eyes. Everything was still a blur, but at least it dialed down just a tad. So without moving his head, he started looking around with his eyes. Everything was dimmed down, but he could make out the windows letting in light, as well as the candy colored ponies around him. He then turned his gaze at the entrance door and saw ponies getting in and out with haste. He could make out a few fillies and colts within the sea of mares. He ever so slight raised an eyebrow. Was in the Town Hall? As he blinked a few more times, his vision was beginning to clear as he closed his eyes once more with a light groan. The aching pain covering his whole body told him to just go back to sleep. Just as he was going back into his dreamland to picture the perfect land, he was nudged once more, on his neck again. “Okay, Nebula. You better stay awake this time. We need you.” He half opened his eyes once more to look to his left, only to see honey gold hooves standing by his side. “Come on big guy, stay awake. The Princesses wants to speak with you.” The voice said as the figure nudges him once more on his body with her own. As he became more aware, he felt wet cloths covering his body to cool his body down. It felt heavenly to say the least, but who was this mare anyways? Why did the Princesses want to speak with him? Couldn’t they just wait till he was fully awake and feeling better? They can live for quite some time, they can wait. He groaned, as he tried to move his limp wings. “Whoa, buddy. Stay still, you’re still recovering.” The mare said to him. Who in the world was this mare? Before he could move his neck to look at her, she stopped him by gently putting a hoof on his neck, “Okay, Nebula, if you try and keep moving, you’re going to make it worse for yourself. Here, have this.” When the mare put a hoof on his muzzle, she opened up his mouth, planted something on his tongue and dropped his jaw onto it. When he tasted the honey and the honeycomb itself, a light bulb in his head flickered to life as he knew who exactly this mare was. Sunny then sat down in front of him with a smile on her face and the little bird perched on top of her head. “Good afternoon, Nebula.” She greeted. He looked up to her waste and saw the ripped piece of cloak was replaced with real bandages. He looked down to the wooden floor and started chewing the comb silently. He was glad she was still alive, but all he wanted was to rest and sleep. Again, nothing more, nothing less. As he swallowed the crushed honey comb and licked up the honey that managed to drool from his mouth, he opened his eyes to see four heads hiding behind Sunny, looking at him curiously. He recognized the first three as the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the last one was Fio, wearing her little blue cap. He gently smiled at them, but closed his eyes to rest a little more. His muzzled was than nudged once more, causing him to slowly open his eyes, “Nebula, please. Can you stay awake a little while longer?” Sunny asked, her eyes pleading to him. “N-Nebula?” Fio took a shaky step forward. “Good to see you too, Fio.” His throat was dry and somewhat burning from the lack of water. The honey helped just a little, but nonetheless dry. The little filly then stood beside him, surprise and shock written all over her face and body. “Y-you’re Alive!? Where… Where did you go? Why you look so different now?” her very short tail started to wiggle in excitement, smiling from ear to ear. “Nebula?” Sweetie Belle questioned and looked at her friends for a moment before looking back at him, “You mean Playtime’s-daddy, Nebula?” “Mm… Yes, Sweetie Belle.” He answered and slowly closed his eyes for a moment before opening them once more. “Where yah been all this time?” Apple Bloom asked. “Hunting the mare who hurt Fluttershy…” he answered tiredly. “Did you find her?” Scootaloo then went in with the conversation. He looked up at Sunny, the mare made a nervous smile, “Well, sweeties, he did, but he had to help me get better. I got hurt when Nightmare hit me.” She gently patted her side. “He was a very good help.” “O’ course he’s a good help!” Apple Bloom said, “He saved practically everypony in Ponyville!” the little filly then looked at him, marched over and wrapped her little fore hooves around his head for a hug, “Thank yah very much for saving our home, Nebula.” Then, the rest of the fillies went over to him and gave him their own appreciation hugs. He smiled and just let them do their thing. “You’re welcome.” He replied weakly and closed his eyes with a smile. As the fillies released him, he opened his eyes to see Fio perking up and looking at her new friends, “We should tell Fluttershy and Playtime! They would want to see him again!” she said happily. “Yeah!” the trio yelled back. Before Nebula could protest, they all split up and started scurrying about the building and out the doors. His mind started to race about all the possibilities that would happen if he saw them again. As he thought about more, panic started to take over his body as he started to lightly pant, looking around the building to hide himself in. He winced as he lifted his right arm up and then the other, planting them firmly on the stage floor. With one push, he turned himself around and faced the backstage entrance. As he tried again, a hoof rested down on the base of his neck gently pushed him back down. “Nebula, Stop Moving! You’re in no condition to do so!” Sunny commanded. “Now stay still and rest. You should stay awake though, you still need to see the Princesses.” She sat down beside him. The little bird flew off her head and landed down on his, “Now, Nebula…” she spoke in a calmer tone, “If you’re okay with it, can you tell me what’s wrong?” she asked. After a few moments of silence and Nebula continuing heavily breathing, the little bird pecked him on the head to get him back. He blinked and started to slowly calm down, closing his eyes while he did. He took a couple more breaths before he sighed. “I… I first met Miss Fluttershy in an open field being charged at by Nightmare’s Shadow Wolves. I took care of her and carried her back to the cave we were in before we got to Ponyville. I never knew what her expressions were but pain, till she started showing and telling me about them, wanting me to smile. When I was carrying her back to Ponyville, I met her friends searching for her. They tried to stop me and take Fluttershy from me, but she was in my care and mine alone. I saved one of her friends, Miss Rarity, from one of the wolves as we walked through a dirt path. When we arrived, I teleported to the Hospital with her help, leaving the rest alone. I stayed with Miss Fluttershy, keeping her company when her friends didn’t come by, waiting for her to heal.” He then closed his eyes. “An then what?” Sunny said calmly. “Her voice…” he said, tears starting to form on his closed eyes, “Her voice haunted me so… then… then it was whisked away…” he opened his eyes, “By then, I knew I had to stay with Miss Fluttershy to keep her safe and sound. After she was healed up, the sisters came by and took us to Canterlot.” He then smiled, “That’s when her voice came back, asking me to have fun with me. So I used a dummy as the body and a compressed diamond as the heart. Full with as much power as a small star. I put them together and Playtime was born. I and Miss Fluttershy took her in as her caretakers.” “But then…” she said. “You came…” he said, “The wolves attacked the town, so I went, but I failed to realize Miss Fluttershy was out of the safety of the shield surrounding her home.” He stared blankly at the curtains, “I failed to keep her safe… unharmed… happy…”he winced and lifted up his clawed hand, “That’s when I turned into this… Thing… I scared; I scared my daughter to death.” Her closed his eyes once more and let the tears slide down. “I… I failed them…” “No you have not.” The two looked back and saw Celestia and Luna standing on the stage, “You saved them. Just you like saved my sister.” Luna smiled and bowed her head, and bandage wrapped around her neck, “Thou has saved our lives, Nebula. We thank thee.” She spoke in her old tongue. He just stared at them for a moment before he replied, “Are they okay?” Celestia smiled, “Miss Fluttershy and Playtime are safe and sound.” She answered in her motherly tone. “They’re eating at the Sugardcube Corner at the moment with Rarity, don’t worry.” “Oh…” they all looked at the base of the stage and saw Rarity, Fluttershy and Playtime resting on her mother’s back. The unicorn smiled and chuckled nervously, “A-am I in trouble?” her smiled cracked. Fluttershy’s eyes blinked on over to Nebula and was a little surprised to see him awake with a small bird perched on top of its head. He didn’t look directly at her, more like past her as his eyes half closed with a tired expression. But then he slowly smiled, “Good day, you two.” she reeled her head back in surprise to hear his new, deeper voice. He then looked up at the mare sitting beside him, “This is, Sunny… she brought me back home.” He said looked back at them both and asked, “How are you both?” “We’re okay.” Fluttershy answered, slowly beginning to smile back at him. From the inside, she just wanted to throw herself at him and smother him with kisses and hugs, but the only thing that was stopping her from doing what she wanted was the little filly on her back. Playtime shifted around on her back with a small whimper. Nebula’s smile then faded away and curled his head away from them, sliding his scaly neck across the wooden floor. At that moment, the mare’s lower lip started to quiver from her broken heart. Her chest started to heave quickly, then something snapped inside her mind… she had enough. She suddenly sat down, letting Playtime slide off her back with a small yelp, hopped up on the stage and stumped over to the dragon with an angered face and teary eyes. She nudged Sunny out of the way and the little bird flew off his head, surprised by the yellow Pegasus angered expression. She put a hoof on his head and forcefully made him face her. Nebula’s eyes went wide, surprised by Fluttershy’s anger. “I am getting tired of you running away from me, Nebula.” Her tone was stern and tried to hide the rage building up inside of her. “And don’t you even DARE!” she yelled and everyone nearby flinched, the ponies inside the building looked towards them, “Don’t You DARE Look Away From Me!” she commanded with a glare and Nebula nodded fearfully. Fluttershy didn’t care if she was making a seen in front of every single pony in the building, she was just too tired and hurt of her dragon. “Miss Fluttershy. You might…” the Princess of the night was stopped dead as she saw the glare the little yellow Pegasus was giving her. She lowered her head and took a few steps away from her, seemingly remembering to never mess with family matters with other ponies. Fluttershy looked back at Nebula and stared at him for the longest of time, daring him to look away, but he didn’t. He stayed with his word like he always had before all of this ever happened. She knew her old dragon was somewhere inside there; she just needed to break the wall that separated them from each other, also seemingly scaring their little filly. In away, she was giving this old being, her dragon, a helping hoof to tear down this unwanted wall between them. For just a split second, she noticed his slit pupils quiver, opening up and forcing itself back to its serpentine self. She was so close, yet so far. “M-mommy?” She tore her gaze away from him and looked over to the source of the voice. She saw Playtime hiding behind Celestia’s hind leg, latching her little fore hooves around the Alicorn’s leg. She looked back and forth between Nebula and Playtime, debating whether to comfort her little filly, or stay with the tired dragon and try to get her Nebula back. While the mare in front of her was distracted, Nebula closed his eyes to see what condition his core was in. Just as he entered, all he felt was his weakening body, his stored magic dangerously flowing out of him. When he opened his eyes, he saw his core beginning to form dark spots like it was bruised by multiple hits. And to his horror, the crack was now half round the sphere, and constantly spewing out his stored energy. As he examined and calculated his own invisible death clock, he came to a conclusion he only had five days left to live. Five days… five short days… the thought just continued to ring throughout his mind like a broken record. He wanted to stay and live the rest of his life with his small family. He wanted to see his little Playtime grow to a fine young mare, he wanted to grow old with his Miss Fluttershy… he wanted to live. But what can he do? Then it hit him. He stored his magic on other things… all he had to do was take his energy back from the ones he shared them with. Spike can do without his growing abilities, not much but it should extend his lifespan to a month. Little Fio has none of his gifted energy, but… that leaves… Playtime. He shook his head violently and perished the thought of take her life just to save his own hide. The life belonged to her and hers alone. He started pondering hard, the Princesses can only do so much, their sun will expand his life to a whole thousand years, but this world needs their sun, the moon as well. So just a month it is. He’ll need to find Spike, or rather let some pony else find him for him. When he reopened his eyes, he saw he was in Fluttershy’s embrace. He felt her tears streaming down from on top of his head, down to his muzzle and pooled around his lower jaw on the floor. She sniffled, “I want him back, Nebula.” She sniffled once more and tightened her grip around his head. He achingly moved his right arm and rested the palm of his clawed hand on one of her hind hooves, “I’m here, Miss Fluttershy…” he said, “I’m back home.” When he looked up, his eyes widened as he laid his eyes on the dangling, glowing stone just inches above his snout. Fluttershy leaned back with a big smile on her face. Her lips quivered as she saw his eyes back to their normal blue selves. She leaned back down and planted a gentle kiss right on his forehead, “Welcome home.” She whispered. “M-mommy?” she looked over to her little filly and smiled as she saw Playtime moved closer to Celestia’s fore hooves. She leaned her head out to get a better look at the tired dragon, “I-is he gonna be okay?” she asked fearfully. She couldn’t see the creature’s eyes as he had them closed. He looked beyond tired to her and it looked like he was having a hard time keeping himself awake. A yellow hoof then waved her over, her adoptive mother at her, “Sweetie, come over.” she asked in a motherly tone. Playtime’s nerves eased a little as she heard her mother wasn’t angry anymore at the dragon. She gently took a step out and ever so slowly advanced towards her mother wary of the tired dragon. When she was half way from reaching the mare, she quickened her steps and hid herself behind her, hugging her back tightly. When she peeked out, she saw the dragon slowly opening his eyes. He blinked and looked at her. The little filly started to shake in fear, but Nebula just smiled, “Good to see you, Playtime.” He greeted, holding his smile. “Mm… Huh… H-hi.” She stuttered. “Did you get hurt?” he kept his tone low, so not to scare her off. “N… n-no.” His smile widen just a bit, “Good…” he said gently and slowly reclosed his eyes, but kept on his smile. Little Fio then scurried up the steps from the side of the stage with a small group of familiar ponies flowing close behind her. Twiligth and her friends were all a little surprised to see their guardian now awake from his slumber. The little filly sat down on her haunches within the little group, panting with a big grin. They all looked at the small filly with questioning looks, but Fluttershy, Celestia and Nebula smiled at her. Once she caught her breath, she trotted over to the resting dragon, took off her cap, revealing a small patch of purple mane on top of her head, and placed the cap on Nebula’s head. She sat down on her haunches, adjust the cap on his head carefully and then smiled at him. “There. Now you look cool.” She nodded once, proud of her work. “Um… what’s your name, dear?” Rarity asked the filly sitting beside Nebula’s head. Fio looked back at her, staring at her for a few moments before she smiled, “Fio!” she answered happily and patted Nebula’s head with her small hoof, “Nebula, helped me from being sick in the Hospital.” “Sick?” the unicorn questioned. She nodded happily, “Uh-huh! My mane and tail started falling off when I was…” she scrunched up her little muzzle for a moment before her eyes brightened up, “When I was four!” The mares were all taken aback by her, some putting a hoof in front of their lips to hide their gaping mouths. “W-what did you have?” Rarity asked once more. “Um… I think it was… can… cans-her-Cancer!” she replied happily, proud of herself for remembering such a big word. The stage was silent for two whole minutes, the mares gapping at her with wide eyes. Fio stared at all the mares for a few moments before she giggled, “You all should look at your selves!” she giggles once more. Before anyone could say anything more, Nebula looked up at Fluttershy. She looked down at him once she noticed movement and smiled down at him. Her smile then slowly faded away when she noticed concern written in his eyes. “What’s the matter?” she asked quietly, slightly leaning down to him. “I don’t have much time, Miss Fluttershy.” He answered. Her eyes suddenly got wide and sprung up to her hooves, suddenly throwing Playtime into their air and landing flat on her back. “What!?” she yelled, fear once again flooding her mind. “B-but you look okay!” she searched his sides to find anything they might have missed. “What’s the matter?” Twilight stepped in, worried for both her friend and the dragon. “I have five days…” Nebula answered, closing his eyes. “What? What does that mean? What did he mean, Twilight?” Rainbow set her hooves down on the wooden floor and looked at her friend. The lavender mare looked at the resting dragon, “What do you mean, Nebula?” Fluttershy stopped beside his head, looking down at his for any hope, “It means I only have five days left on this planet…” he answered. “What!?” they all yelled. He rolled over his hand to show his palm, “Everypony connect… I have something to show you.” He said weakly. Fluttershy gently rested her hoof on his hand and everyone else either connected by reaching out with their hooves or wings. Once they all did, everything they saw slowly became darker with each passing second, then completely black. After a moment, the inky smoke seemed to be blown away and revealed an empty space, surrounded by a cloud of purple smoke. When they heard the gasp of Fluttershy, they all looked ahead and saw in horror as they saw a severely cracked sphere spewing out sparkling lavender smoke. “W-where are we?” Rarity asked. “His core…” Fluttershy whispered in terror. The Princesses looked at the now standing dragon across them, “Can we help with anything?” Celestia asked him. He looked at them with solemn eyes, then looked back at his core, “Try if you want…” he answered. The sisters looked at one another and aimed their horns at the spewing sphere. As they started concentrating, ribbons of light escaped from the tips of their horns and advanced towards the core. They started wrapping around the damaged, cracked sphere, mending the impurities, but once they came across the flooding magic, they were stopped by the roaring torrent of magic, causing it to burn away in a chain reaction. The Princesses gapped at in awe, “How is that possible?” Luna said. “Your power is not mine. I can only heal to take back what’s mine.” He answered. Suddenly, they all opened their eyes; now back in Ponyville’s Town Hall. They looked down the dragon with wide eyes, “W-why didn’t you tell us you got sick?” Fio asked with trembling lips. “I was going after Nightmare. I didn’t have time.” He answered. “W-what did you mean by ‘Your power is not mine’?” Twilight asked. “I can only heal from an energy source that I gave, Miss Twilight. Young Spike; is one of them. If I take back what’s mine from him, I’ll be able to stay a little while longer. He won’t be able to manipulate his growing abilities anymore, though.” He replied. The lavender mare looked at her rainbow mane friend, “Rainbow, go find Spike and take him back here.” She ordered. “Way ahead of yah, Twi!” she leaped up to the air and dashed out the building, leaving a rainbow streak in her wake. “Um…” he moved his hand away from the mare and gaze up at Fluttershy. She was looking back and forth between Playtime and him nervously, biting down on her lower lip. “She has so much to live for, Miss Fluttershy… keep her safe.” He said but then looked at her necklace, “But I must tell you about you’re necklace.” He finished. She looked down and lifted the small glowing stone in her hoof, “What does it do?” “If you’re strong enough to crush it, it’ll grant your wish. Riches, a house, love, and many more.” He answered. “Y-you mean… I can wish for anything?” she looked down at him, hope and happiness rising with each second. When he nodded, she quickly took her necklace off and set down on the floor. “Mommy, what are you doing?” Playtime asked urgently, “That’s from daddy!” he wrapped her little hooves around her neck tightly, trying to stop her mother from crushing the stone. Fluttershy stopped from raising her hoof as she heard Playtime whimper on her back. Playtime’s fears might have died down, but she still didn’t know the dragon that rested beside them. She looked back at her daughter and lightly nudged her head, “Sweetie?” she whispered to her. Playtime looked up at her with teary eyes. Fluttershy looked down at the tired dragon, the filly following her gaze, “Do you know your daddy’s name?” she asked. “N-no.” she sniffled. “His name was Nebula, dear and he hadn’t left. He saved us from the bad monsters from the forest.” She said to her and nuzzled her cheek. “W-where is he?” she sniffled once more and gently rubbed her eyes on the mare’s coat. Fluttershy looked down at the resting being, “Daddy’s very tired and sick, sweetie. If I don’t help him, he’s…” he swallowed, “H-he might never come back.” she forced back a tear and breathed in to stay strong. “Where is he?” the filly asked again. Fluttershy rested down and scooted herself closer to the dragon, rubbing her cheek against his warm neck, “His name’s Nebula, s-sweetie.” She sniffled and wrapped her neck over his. “Deh… d-daddy?” she blurred out. “I’m home, Playtime… I’m home.” He answered back with a raspy voice. Playtime slid down from her mother’s side and slowly trotted over to the dragon’s head, his eyes open and looking at her with loving gaze. She moved closer to him, her little lips starting to quiver. “Daddy?” He smiled at her, “Daddy’s back, dear.” Fluttershy answered for him and nuzzled his cheek while embracing his neck with her hooves and wings. Just when the little filly latched herself to his head, a blood curdling scream echoed into the hall. Everyone flung their heads towards the entrance and saw a dark smoke slithering towards the stage at breakneck speeds and wrapped its forming tentacles around Nebula’s tail. He summoned up his magic and pulled off Fluttershy and Playtime from him. He was then yanked, but he dug his claws into the wooden floor to stop it from dragging him away. His muscles burned and screamed at him to just let go, but his instincts told him otherwise. “Daddy! No!” Playtime screamed. He looked ahead and saw Fluttershy and Playtime just about getting up to help him. He looked around and saw that the others were about to do the same thing. A sudden yank dragged him across the stage, Nebula leaving splintered claw marks on the stage. Just as he opened his eyes, he saw the necklace on the floor, unmoved since Fluttershy put it down. He reached up with one claw, levitated the stone off the floor and started going towards him with the metal lace dangling and waving. Just as the stone got to him, he clutched it tightly, and another yank made him lose his footing on the stage, flew across the hall and flung outside.