//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: As It Begins, So It Ends // Story: The Dimensional Traveler's Guide To Rainbows, And Other Troubles // by benxlabs //------------------------------// Chapter 10: As It Began, So It Ends As happy as I was, in those golden days, spending my time with Rainbow, all dreams must end. A year had come and gone, and the scouring rays of the summer sun were once again roasting the streets. Today was the day, the magical day that granted wishes, and destroyed dreams. Today was the holy grail of magic. If miracles were to happen, they would happen this day. If tragedies were to happen, they would happen this day. It had started with a simple jog through the woods. As we ran through forest shade, a cool wind whipping past our hair, I had teased Rainbow about her clothes. She was still wearing the outfit I had first purchased for her, that one day we had gone shopping. She still wore those sky-blue shorts, she still wore that white t-shirt. And as for me? Well, I was happy too. I don't really think my dad really got what happened with me, but I don't really care, and I don't think he does either. I was back at home, I was back with my family. The look in my mom's eyes, when I finally called her by that word, it was something that made me smile, but tears came to my eyes nonetheless. I'm such a wimp. As we ran through those woods, the woods in which Rainbow came into this world, the woods in which she was, we came upon a strange clearing. No trees grew in this small patch of grass. The sun seemed to perpetually shine down upon this area, and it seemed undisturbed by wildlife, untouched even by the eyes of man, until now. I almost felt bad looking at it, as if I was desecrating some holy sanctuary. As the sun's rays shone down on a small pool of water in the center of the clearing, as the sun rose into the sky, reaching its climax in the blue kingdom of air, the water shimmered, and began to glow. As we stepped closer, Rainbow's hand gripped mine harder than ever. In the pool, was reflected not us, not the sky, not the trees, but the familiar homes of Ponyville. I gazed into the pool, and I saw, there, was Twilight, her majestic horn glowing with her magic. Her eyes were clenched shut with effort, and I could see fine beads of sweat rolling off of her brow. She seemed to be mouthing something, even as she strained with her spell. "Come back to us, Rainbow." I heard a small gasp beside me. "We miss you." Rainbow Dash dropped to her knees next to the pool of water, in the middle of that oasis in the forest. Her tears rippled the surface of the water, temporarily distorting Twilight's image. "You egghead, I miss you too!" She shouted into the pool. And yet, Twilight simply kept on mouthing those words. As the ripples in the pool slowly subsided, a strange mist began to rise off of it. A rainbow-colored mist. It wrapped around Rainbow, caressing her in its soft embraces. As if it was natural, Rainbow began to extend a hand towards the pool. "Rainbow..." I whispered, almost inaudibly. But she heard me. Smiling sadly, she just looked longingly at me. "I-" She began, averting her eyes. "Go home, Rainbow." Her eyes widen as her mouth slightly drops. Her mouth begins to question. Why must you do this to me, Rainbow? Maybe it's the mist, maybe it's the humidity, maybe it's just my sweat, but my vision starts getting a bit wobbly. Something wet rolled down my cheek. I hastily wiped it away, trying to preserve at least a shred of my dignity. Rainbow turned her face back towards the pool. Her eyes reflected the rainbow-colored reflections that represented her home. "Say it one more time." What? "Let me...let me hear your voice...one more time..." She drifts off as her voice cracks. And just like that, she selfishly put all the pressure on me. What was I supposed to say? I clenched my fists, stifling all the complaints, all the things that I wanted to shout at her. Don't go! I wanted to scream at her, to rip her away from that portal. Stay with me, please! I didn't care if I was being selfish, I wanted her to stay by my side. But I can't say that, can I? That would be uncool of me. She was my personal tormentor, all the way to the end, she acted as my personal demon. She was going to hurt me to the end. But. No matter where I was, no matter what I got myself into, no matter what I said to her, no matter what I did, She was the one, she was the only one to stand by my side, she was the only one by my side through it all. I took away her wings, I took away her dreams, her ambitions, her wishes. Now, finally, she would be getting those back. Her friends, her hopes, her life. It wouldn't be fair of me to take it away again, would it? "Rainbow. Go home." I couldn't squeeze anything else out. Another peep and I would have put the last straw on my back. As she turns around to face me, one last time, the pool behind her begins to glow with a golden light. She smiles, with her trademark confidence. Tch. Why? My teeth ground together. She was still the same girl I had met that fateful day last year. As the golden glow of the portal began to spread outwards, enveloping the entire oasis in its heavenly light, she said only one thing. "I'm gonna miss you, even if you were a dumb loser." Her words echoed through my mind as she fell backwards towards that golden glow. The entire clearing is filled with a blinding light. But the light isn't harsh. It's soft, and even warm. I feel all the tension in my body fading away, and I feel as if I have become detached from my body, a floating consciousness. But this time, I was among a sea of emptiness. A lone soul brushed against mine. It could only belong to one pony. I'm not as sad as I should be. After all, nothing golden can stay, right? I guess I kinda guessed this would happen. It's not like I thought she was going to stay with me forever, forever by my side. But, I guess I wanted her to stay by my side, for maybe just one more day. When I finally opened my eyes, only an empty clearing greeted me. The pool of cool water was now crystal clear, and as I leaned forward to look into it, I saw only my own face gazing back at me. But I see the sun glowing in the background, behind my head. The sun's beams bounced off of the crystal pool and split into every color of the rainbow. A rainbow, lighting up the forest with its loud splendor. I smiled. At least she left something for me.