//------------------------------// // Clinging // Story: The Fall of Spike the Dragon // by Wrangle Wolfe //------------------------------// Pull yourself together! Hope... just shut up... why aren't you dead yet. B-because... I can't give up on you... Spike. Could you just leave me alone? Not gonna happen! You really believe everything will be fine if I stop this? Of course I do! You're one ignorant fool. "Wh-what? You're an element of harmony! How could you give up on us?!" "Listen, sir, there's nothing we can do. He's too overpowered and we can't fight him." A stressed Rarity sighed for what must have been the tenth time as she had the same conversation with a different pony. "Use that big rainbow beam you usually use! Do something! Save us!" The citizen pleaded. "We can use the elements of harmony when ONE OF THE SPIRITS IS DEAD!" Rarity yelled into the stallion's face. He and the surrounding ponies zipped their mouths shut. "Now, alert everypony else in Manehattan, NOW!" The ponies nodded dumbly and ran into the city to let everyone else know of the tragedy that nobody could've ever expected. Several ponies yelled, others cried, some refused to believe what they had been told. The news began spreading like wildfire as the group of ponies traveled around Equestria to give ponies the bad news. It had come to the point where it was known before the element bearers and their friends could let the next town know. Ponies would crowd around them and throw things at them. Rumors of them siding with the enemy and not caring about the defenseless citizens had already been formed. It angered them. They felt a fire that they had never felt before, deep inside themselves. But, instead of fighting the civilians, they slinked into the shadows where they wouldn’t be seen or heard. “Listen here, yall.” Applejack spoke up after a long moment of silence, They were in the corner of a dark alley somewhere in Vanhoover. “News has prob’ly spread all ‘cross Equestria by now. I dunno ‘bout yall, but I’m goin’ home to mah family to see if they’re alright. Yall can come if ya want to.” She got up and walked away. Everypony stared for a moment before Rarity sighed. “I guess there’s no hope for Equestria, but I’ve still got to look after my sister. I bet she’s scared and distraught, so I must be on my way.” Rarity said as she followed. Pinkie pie, who hadn’t said anything for an eerily long period of time, simply stood up and followed Rarity and Applejack. “I need to see if the animals are okay.” Fluttershy spoke up. “Gotta check on Cloudsdale.” “Gonna see if any of my belongings are intact.” “...” Time said nothing as everyone got up. "Time... Why don't you come with me bud? I know how you feel... Empty and worthless. But you've gotta move on." Noteworthy said with a sympathetic look on his face. "I-I can't move on... I just can't..." He cried. "It's gonna take some time... a lot of time... but life moves on. You've gotta move with it. I'm not rushing you or anything, I know this is gonna be tough on you for a while. Just... be careful. You've got a whole life ahead of you." He said to the whimpering stallion. Time nodded and stood up. "Now come on. We're gonna take a nice, long walk." Noteworthy said, walking away as Time Turner followed. I could hardly believe it. Everything was going as planned! I've taken control of this sorry dragon, I've risen higher than anyone else ever has! I am the ruler of this pathetic land! I laughed as loud as possible, so everypony who could hear would cower in fear. Everypony knew I couldn't be stopped. I was practically invincible! Even that weak so-called 'God of chaos' couldn't come close to stopping me! As I wandered around Canterlot, smiling as I looked at all of the destruction I had caused, I heard a noise. I turned my head in the direction of it and really listened. It sounded like... crying. More specifically, a foal crying. After looking around a bit, I saw her. She was a pink earth pony with a dark grey, almost black mane. She wailed as she hugged two ponies who looked similar to her. One stallion with a grey mane and a red coat and one white mare with a black mane. They were bleeding heavily and appeared to be dead as the filly's tears fell onto them. She looked back at me and flinched, crying harder. "Wh-why did you do this mister monster?" She cried. "Why did you make them go away?" I looked down at her and stared. What was I doing? I have no heart! I should just squash her into nothing! I don't even know this little filly. She means NOTHING! "They're in a better place, little filly. This world... is very dangerous." I told her. "B-but how will I make it out here? They're not here to help me!" She whimpered. What's this feeling? Whatever it is, it's bothering me and it needs to go away. "...Come with me." Wait... what?! "You'll help me?" She sniffled, rubbing her eyes. I nodded and walked away, hearing her hoofsteps behind me. What did I do? I didn't want to do that! I wanted to crush her! I couldn't let you do that. Dammit Hope! You've been a thorn in my side for far too long! Why aren't you dead yet? I'm not giving up, you monster! Burn in hell! Only after you do, coward! Coward? Me? Ha! You think you're tough, taking control of an already weakened mind? I'm ignoring you, weakling. With that, I made my way to Celestia's castle. It needed a makeover.