//------------------------------// // Endings // Story: Hope and Shadows // by dlazerous //------------------------------// Hope and Shadows Chapter 24 “Endings” By Steven Little My Little Pony © Hasbro Demons run when good ponies go to war Shadows will burn beneath the sun, And all that’s evil shall turn and run When good ponies go to war Friendship and magic will kill the lies Night will fall and the dark will rise When good ponies goes to war Demons run but count the cost The battle’s won but the child is lost, Life and Death shall bend their will The damage done and the world lies still When good ponies go to war. “Dusk, Dawn, take Rarity and Cadence and check on Ruby, Spike’s not thinking straight and I think that perhaps Ruby is not so fatally wounded as he might have believed.” Twilight instructed, a set of lavender battle armor appearing on her frame. Unlike Luna’s and Celestia’s protective attire, the magical suit of armor Twilight now wore was not polished but rather reflected the light dully and had more than one spot of corrosion marring it’s surface. After a quick grimace of discomfort, Twilight altered the armor slightly with the addition of two holes along her sides, allowing for her wings to unfurl. Before either her sister-in-law or wife could ask, she answered their puzzled looks. “Clover kept this in the chambers below the castle along with her other prized possessions.” Twilight saw her children starring at her now armored form. “What are you waiting for, get moving.” She told them sternly. Knowing it was foolhardy to argue with their mother, the siblings nodded quickly and ran to where the infant had landed, Tootsieflute, Rarity and Cadence following quickly behind. Using their combined magic, the four ponies were able to completely clear the ruble surrounding the fallen child without causing any further injury “Careful Rarity, don’t move her just yet,” Cadence told him. “Let me check her out first.” “Bowing her head, the Crystal Princess, cast a triage spell that she had preformed many a time on her own son. Standing up, she wore a sad smile upon her face. “The good news is that she’s still alive.” “Oh thank Faust!” Rarity rejoiced. “Now tell her the bad news Aunt Cadence?” Dawn said, already aware of the damage herself. Princess Cadence faltered, surprised by her nieces statement. “She’s injured, badly, and not long for the world if we can’t heal her, soon.” Dusk said, a grim look on his face. “Unfortunately, you are correct but I don’t understand how you two could know that.” Cadence confirmed. “For now, all we can do is ease the pressure on her spine and try to keep her from moving around too much; mercifully, she’s unconscious, I couldn’t imagine a child suffering the type of pain she’d be in if she were awake.” Behind the four ponies, the small battle raged on. Bonbon and Lyra were keeping a henchman busy while Vinyl and Octavia were battering away at any guard who would get within hoofs reach. Kirin, for his part, had several of Blueblood’s forces pursuing him in a vein attempt to capture their King’s favor but the lithe draconequus was too quick for them and easily outmaneuvered the guards at every turn. In a surprise act of coordination, Kirin would continue to swing around three points in the room where Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were waiting to pick off a dimwitted guard as they passed. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Sprinter, and Beaufort battled around Spike, trying to keep the guards away from him but also being mindful not to get in the dragons way. Dinky, Julian, and the rest of the original band of rescuers, along with the ponies they’d rescued, fought back to back in groups of two or three, protecting each other from enemy forces that sought to out maneuver them, each racking up a number of knock out blows. Gertrude and Penelope stayed out of the battle and instead elected to guard the still recovering form of Emerald. After watching the amazing display of combat prowess the green dragoness showed while trying to subdue her own brother, the griffon could not help but admire her. When the fighting broke out, both her and Penelope took up a protective stance next to Emerald, each vowing that no backstabbing stallion would dare get the opportunity to dispatch a warrior of the dragonesses caliber while she lay vulnerable. Blueblood had wasted his opportunity to get away and instead elected to stand and watch the carnage, both cheering on his fighters and berating them when they received an injury. Twilight, Luna and Celestia had fought their way through the guards, it being too dangerous to take to the air with Solar Steel arrows being used, and advanced upon the burned stallion. “This is over Blueblood, your forces will soon be defeated, surrender now while there is still a chance.” Twilight implored him. “You stupid slut, you really think this is over,” he asked, an off kilter sort of grin appearing on his burnt face, his left eye twitching slightly. Twilight’s magic flashed out and took hold of Blueblood by the throat, slamming him against the solid doors of the hall he stood in front of. “Yes, this is over.” She told him in a voice that did not seem like her own. The burned stallion hoofed at the magical bond that held him against the wall, his back legs working through the air in a pointless attempt to gain leverage while hanging several inches of the ground. “Twilight.” Luna said, putting a hoof on her wife’s shoulder. Twilight could only stare at the stallion that had caused so much misery. “To think, that you could possibly be a descendant of Princess Platinum, my friend.” Twilight said, slowly releasing the hold she had on him. “You’ve taken her castle, a place of warmth and unity and turned it into a place of slaughter. Give me one reason I shouldn’t kill you now?” “Because, Twilight,” Celestia said. “That isn’t you. You are no killer even if many would find the act justified.” “You’re weak, that’s why you won’t finish me, none of you will when it’s the obvious and simplest choice to make, and now you’ve lost your chance. Any moment, the remainder of my forces will finish with you’re pathetic guards outside and come barreling in to protect their King, their God!” He shouted maniacally. “You have truly lost your mind.” Luna stated, shaking her head at the stallions pathetic attempts to save face. “No, I haven’t you treasonous bitch! I finally figured it out, I finally understand. You have power and immortality but lack the drive and will to use it properly.” Blueblood shouted, chuckling like a mad stallion. “But I, I know exactly what this country, nay this world needs! Females need to be treated like the subequine creatures they are! You, all of you are driven by emotions, instinct; I doubt you even have the capacity for true rational thought! Now that I am a God, I will cast all females down to where they belong, groveling at a stallions hoof, praying that you don’t displease your masters, lest you be beaten!” Battering the last remaining guards from his path, Spike emerged from the crowd. A roar of challenge escaped his lips as the purple dragon charged towards his adversary, when Celestia, Luna, and Twilight suddenly blocked his path. “No Spike, don’t do this.” Celestia pleaded with him. “Killing him won’t solve anything, let justice be done upon him.” Luna said, trying to pacify him. Hearing the rumble of what he thought was the hoof beats of his soldiers coming ever closer to the hall, Blueblood flung open the door he had originally entered the room from and stood in it’s doorway. “I win dragon!” He shouted triumphantly. Jumping out into the hall to receive the reinforcement to his personal guard, the would-be king smiled as his stallions rushed to him but as his hooves touched down to the stone, they were thrown into the air as Blueblood’s own soldiers knocked him to the ground and trampled him in an attempt to get away from Prince Shining Armor’s forces. As the stampeding herd of foes rushed over their fallen King, Shining Armor rounded the corner of the hall and brought his troops to a halt just outside the room. After a quick salute to Celestia he barked new orders to his stallions. “Half of you get after those scoundrels, I want them in chains by nightfall, the rest of you with me!” He shouted as he and the remainder of the Princess’s forces charged into the room. Reuniting with his son, Shining Armor and his soldiers would make short work of Blueblood’s elite troops. When the dust settled at the commotion over, Spike stood their, looking down at the broken body of his hated advisory; motionless, unmoving. Behind his remaining good eye, he could feel the searing hot tears of his anger and frustration build. Opening his maw, he let out a roar so loud, all the fighting in the room was forced to stop as any pony within sight of the castle, covered their ears in pain. Even as she covered her ears, Rarity knew what it was; something had happened to Spike and as much as his current state frightened her, she couldn’t let the love of her life suffer. Putting her hooves down she looked to the three alicorns huddled over her daughter. “She’s safe for now Rarity, go to him.” Cadence told her; acutely aware of how torn the white unicorn was at the moment. Spike was furious, his daughter lay dead and the ponies he thought were his family denied him his retribution upon the stallion that had killed her. Rounding on the princesses, the enraged dragon stalked towards them. “You did this,” he shouted. “You kept me from my vengeance! Why did you protect him? Why did you keep me from him? He was right, wasn’t he? He’s a pony and I’m a dragon and you’ll, always protect your own! It’s any wonder I’ve never really been excepted around here!” “Spike, son, please calm yourself, it’s not like that.” Celestia pleaded with him. “Don’t call me that,” he yelled. “I’m not your son, I never was! You pretended to love me; all I ever was, was a plaything to hold your attention for a while before you grew bored with me and gave me to Twilight who treated me like her slave.” “I did no such thing,” Twilight said, defending herself. “You begged Celestia to give you permission to come with me and the only reason I had you do chores was so that you’d grow up to be a responsible and self-sufficient young drake, and you have Spike, you have.” “Shut up, you’re lying, you’re trying to confuse me!” “This isn’t you Spike, this is not the dragon that I have come to know and love as a member of my family,” Luna said quietly as she approached her nephew. “I’ve seen firsthoof how much your family loves you and while I may have questioned my sisters actions about adopting you, it did not take me long to realize that you had nothing to prove to me, it was I who had to prove me worthiness to have a nephew as caring and as special as you.” Falling to the floor, Spike grabbed his head with his claws, trying to shut out the voices of the ponies talking to him. Between those trying to calm him, the shouts of the last of their enemy being chained up, and the final throws of the battle echoing down the hall, the noise was maddening to the dragon’s heightened senses. Cutting through all of it was a tender voice that sounded like crystals, gently chiming against each other in a soft breeze. “Spike,” Rarity said quietly. “Spike, come back to me, please. I need you to come back to me.” Tears were falling unashamedly from the unicorn’s eyes. “This isn’t you, you would never have accused your mother of betraying you, and deep down you know she stopped you for a reason and it had nothing to do with Bluebloods well being. She did it for you. If you had killed him, no pony would ever see you as anything but a mindless beast but she saved you from that, she loves you very much Spike, we all do, please come back to us.” Spike opened his eye and beheld the divine vision of his beloved wife, his mass slowly decreasing as his rage subsided and turned to sorrow. “But, Ruby…” he trailed off, not being able to finish through his renewed tears. “Ruby is alive,” The white unicorn told him. “She’s hurt but the Prince and Princess are doing everything they can for her. He couldn’t believe his ears, his daughter was alive. Looking to each of the ponies around them he could tell that they were happy that he wasn’t yelling anymore but they still kept their distance, something was wrong; he could see it in their face. Looking back at his wife, he could see the tears in here eyes as she looked at him. Reaching out to comfort her, he stared in shock as she flinched away from his blood soaked claw. The shock was not that she flinched away but because his claw was soaked in blood, Equestrian blood. Looking down his arms and across his chest, he saw his damaged scales soaked in the blood and gore of numerous ponies. His remaining pupil shrunk to a pinprick as he began panicking. Looking around the room, he found his sister to one side, unconscious and covered in gashes, bites, and claw marks that only he could have made. All around the large chamber, Spike found pony after pony dead, torn asunder by his own claws. In the back of his head, he heard Blueblood’s voice talking to him. “You did this monster. You’ve murdered ponies, tore them apart with your bare claws. Even your sister lies at deaths door because of you. How many more have to die to satisfy you? What, was all this because you lost your temper, what happens when you lose it again, because you know you will. Will you kill your friends next, your family? I know, it’ll be your kids, one day they’ll frustrate you a little to much and poof, they’ll be gone.” The voice inside his head laughed maniacally. “No, no, no no no, I didn’t, I couldn’t…” Spike trailed off, continuing to look around the room. “I did this, Blueblood’s right, I am a monster; I’ve murdered so, so many. I don’t want to be a killer; I don’t want to hurt anypony. Banish me, he pleaded from his mother. “Banish me, imprison me, kill me, something but keep me away from everypony.” The look of utter shock was stamped on Celestia’s face, she could not believe the sight of her tortured son kneeling before her, begging the worst thing imaginable from her. “I can’t do that Spike, I wont. You are my son and what happened here today is not your fault.” “Please,” Spike said, curling into a ball as he finally regained his normal size. “Please, you have to protect everypony from me, I’m a monster, I’m a monster, I’m a monster…” The thoroughly defeated dragon repeated over and over again, gently rocking back and forth. “The poor boy is loosing what’s left of his mind.” Julian said, walking up to the Celestia with Dinky right beside him. “Princess, take your son back to the castle, clean him up and comfort him, surround him with things and pictures from times when he was happiest. He’s going to need some professional help after all this but for now the best thing is to get him away from here and try to calm him down. Kirin, you should probably go with her, she’ll need your support almost as much as Spike will need hers’.” The Draconequus nodded. In a flash of light, he, Celestia and Spike, disappeared from the room. Now that Shining Amour and his troops had finished rounding up the scoundrels in the employ of Blueblood, and all immediate threats had been dealt with, Rarity’s mind once again shifted to that of her newborn. Twilight, Luna and all of the other parents in the room raced to keep up with Rarity as she charged off to where her foal was being watched after. The white unicorn’s world came to an abrupt halt when she saw the ponies trying to help her baby, her small body struggling to take in every breath. “Is she going to be okay?” She asked Dawn, her voice full of hope. “Her injuries are very bad, but if we can get her to a doctor soon, she just might…” “No, she won’t,” Dusk said, cutting off his sister. “I’m sorry Aunt Rarity but she’s passing to the next world.” “Dusk!” Twilight shouted “There is no point in sugar coating it,” He responded coldly. “Ruby has five, maybe six minutes left, I suggest you say your goodbye’s.” “That’s a horrible thing to say Dusk,” Tootsieflute said, seeing a completely different side of her coltfriend. “I’m the one with medical training here and I say she still has a chance so you’ll pardon me for saying, but you have no idea what you’re talking about.” A dark shadow seemed to cover the alicorn stallion, obscuring him from view. A slight wind came up and the darkness enveloping him started to swirl about him like a dust devil. When the shadows finally parted, the stallion they knew as Dusk, no longer stood there; instead they saw a skeletal pony cloaked in a ragged black, death shroud. Using his magic, he pulled a five-foot staff from beneath his cloak. Pounding the butt of the stave against the floor, a long sickle blade erupted from the top, showing it to be a scythe. Everypony gasped and took a step back. “I know exactly what I’m talking about.” The Prince said, his voice sounding much more ominous. “Did you think that I was joking when I said I was the pony of death? Did you think I was lying when I said that I could feel the ponies that die around me?!” He asked, his voice getting louder. “Do you think I enjoy being this, that it doesn’t hurt me everytime I have to deliver a foal to judgment or straight to Elysium?” “Kharon?” Twilight asked. “But, you can’t be Kharon, he’s been…” “Ferrying souls for the last few millennia and is retiring.” Dusk told his mother. “I began to take over his job shortly after getting my cutie mark. As it turns out, Dawn is doing the same for Demeter though I think the old mare is departing too quickly from her post.” “Please,” Rarity begged. “Please don’t take my baby.” “I have no choice,” the skeletal pony said, the remorse he felt, apparent in his voice. “I’m sorry, Aunt Rarity, it’s time.” Dusk angled the blunt end of stave toward the dying infant only to have it suddenly knocked away but his sister’s ivy wrapped hooves. “No Dusk, I won’t let you take this one!” She shouted. Dawn had undergone a transformation of her own; she was taller, ivy vines had wrapped themselves around her legs and barrel. The young Princess’s mane had turned blond and was festooned with flowers of every type while her tail looked like that of a lion, long and white with a tuft of blond hair at the end, her fetlocks took on an unshorn appearance, scarcely covering cloven hooves. To all in attendance she did indeed look like a younger version of the mare Demeter that all of them had seen in one ancient picture or another. “You’ve taken too many foals away from me Dusk, I won’t let you take another!” “I didn’t take anything from you, I was just doing my job and as much as I hate it, I have to do it.” The skeletal pony replied. “I was too weak and too late to save the others but I won’t let you take Ruby, she’s our cousin for Sleipnir’s sake!” Dawn argued. “So just because we’re related, we give this one a pass? You know what happens if a soul isn’t removed after the body dies, is that what you want!?” Dusk shouted. “No, of course it isn’t,” Dawn said solemnly. “But after all the death and all the pain, there has to be something good to come from this. Sleipnir wont notice if a tiny spark like Ruby doesn’t show up.” “You know better than that and you know what will happen if we even attempt to stop this.” Her brother told her. “Wait, you mean you can help her, you can keep her from dying?” Luna asked. “There is a way, yes, but it comes at a price,” Dusk said. “A high price.” “I know,” Dawn told her brother. “But it’s a price I’m willing to pay.” “And what about them?” The skeletal stallion asked indicating the ponies that had gathered around now that the danger was over. “What about our family, what about Dinky and Tootsieflute?” “What about us?” Dinky asked, starting to feel ignored by the events before her. Taking a long look at the mare she loved, Dawn turned her head aside and closed her eyes, tears slowly falling down her cheek. “Yes, I’m still willing.” Taking a last look at Tootsieflute, he turned his head away as well. “So be it.” Dusk’s horn lit up in an unnatural red color instead of the more bluish color his magic usually took. Angling the blunt end of the stave toward the motionless infant, he moved it in a small circle across her chest. Stopping just millimeters above her body, the collected ponies gasped as a spectral set of claws reached up and grabbed hold of the stave. Lifting gently, the apparition of Ruby floated with it. Dusk reached out with his magic a fastened a leash of energy to her so she would not float off. Ruby’s soul was content enough to swim around the air until she caught site of her mother at which point she attempt to get to the white unicorn. Halfway there, the tether grew taunt and pulled Ruby back to Dusk. Rarity was so shocked at what she was watching, she could do nothing but stand there and watch her daughters ghost, float around in the air, desperately trying to reach her. “Not yet Ruby.” Dusk said. “Just sit here and be patient, you’ll be with your mommy soon enough.” The stallion said, placing the spectral foal on his back, where she merrily waited, waving at all the ponies that were staring at her. While everypony was focused on Dusk, Dawn began the arduous task of keeping Ruby’s body alive while also repairing the damage that had been done. “Mothers, I need you’re help.” Dawn told her parents. “Her neck is broken in two places and her skull is cracked in a few spots and it’s pushing in on her brain. It’s delicate work repairing this kind of damage.” Luna and Twilight stepped forward. “But Dawn, she’s dead,” Twilight said. “I know you want to help but you know that once something is dead, it can’t be brought back.” “She’s not dead in the sense that you know it. Her body does not function because of her injuries and because Dusk has sort-of removed her soul to keep it from harm.” “Sort of?” Octavia asked? “Yes, Dusk is acting as a conduit for her soul so the body can take it back afterwards but I am keeping her lungs breathing and her heart pumping; as long as I can do that, I can keep the biological functions of her body alive. Cells are still dividing, blood is still pumping, and her lungs are still breathing. Managing all of her biological functions as well as my own are taking a toll on my magic and I need you to lend me yours temporarily so I can heal her wounds.” “We can do better than that my daughter,” Luna told her. “We will heal her ourselves, you just concentrate on keeping her alive.” Luna and Twilight both stepped up, enveloping Ruby in their magic. The task before them was painstakingly delicate and took what felt like hours. Little by little they moved each shard of bone back into place in the infants spine, careful not to damage her spinal cord. The fractures in her skull were treated with an equal level of care, all the while, Ruby’s spirit sat on Dusks back, sucking a claw and watching her mother. While the alicorns focused on healing the foal, Julian called the attention of his daughter. Walking over to the prone form of a trampled Blueblood, Julian asked a single question of the yellow pegasus and light blue unicorn, tending to the wounded around the room. “Is he dead, will he live?” His voice was calm and impassive. Fluttershy gave a light shudder but answered anyway. “Yes, he’s alive but only barely.” “Can you stabilize him, enough for transport?” Julian asked, his voice remained emotionless. “We have other ponies in need of our help and to be honest, after what he did, I wouldn’t waste the time on him.” Tootsieflute told him, the anger palpable in her voice. Julian glared at her then gave out a weary sigh. “My dear, you are a healer, your skills belong to the injured and the dying regardless of who at what they are, please try to remember that and answer my question.” “Yes, yes he can be stabilized but why, what are you going to do?” Fluttershy asked. “Then please do so,” the chestnut stallion told her. “Dinky, as soon as they’re done, please bring him outside.” “You didn’t answer my question Julian, what are you going to do?” Fluttershy asked. “I’m going to give him what he wants.” He said as he calmly walked out the door. The two unicorns and the pegasus sat there and watched as the chestnut brown earth pony strode out of the room. They were shocked, Dinky double so for she had never seen her adoptive father act like this. He didn’t get mad; he never even raised his voice; this pony that had fought gods and demons side by side with her mother. “How can he be so calm when his own family was threatened with death and torture?” Tootsieflute asked. “I’m sorry Dinky but this guy your mom married has some serious issues.” “You’re wrong, you are so wrong Tootsieflute. Even now, after everything Blueblood did, all the lives he’s taken either directly or indirectly; I feel sorry for him.” “What, why?!” The light blue unicorn asked. “He’s made my father angry.” She answered simply, picking up Blueblood in her telekinetic field and following her father out the door. The guards had already finished rounding up the remainder of Bluebloods forces and evacuated all the injured and were gathering the dead for proper burial when the alicorn twins finished their work. Having repaired the damage to the infant’s body, Dusk ever so gently returned Ruby’s soul, letting it gently sink back into her mortal form. The ponies gathered around, waited on baited breath. Gradually the small foals eyes opened and she began to cry. “It is done.” Dusk announced. “Good bye.” And then they were gone. No fan fair, no noise, not even a blip of light to indicate how they managed their departure; Prince Dusk and Princess Dawn were simply gone, even their hoofprints had vanished from the stone floor, as if they had never set hoof in the castle at all.