//------------------------------// // Lailoken // Story: A Glimmer of Hope // by Gordon Pasha //------------------------------// Lailoken was a gifted pony. Everypony said so. He had gotten his cutie mark at an early age. The oaken staff was taken as a sign that he was meant to join the druids, an ancient and mysterious order that had long ago chosen to make its home in the Everfree Forest. While rumors were often told about them in whispers, wild rumors of dark rituals and bloody sacrifices — how else could a pony possibly survive the Everfree other than by appeasing whatever malevolent spirits were native to the place? — most ponies just saw the druids as natural healers. They were reputed to have an unsurpassed mastery of shrubs and herbs, and nopony this side of the Neighgyptians knew more about how to make concoctions capable of healing the body and soul. Lailoken was destined to be a druid. It would mean leaving the Crystal Empire someday. Someday was still quite far off, as far as Lailoken was concerned. The druids did not like taking colts into their ranks. The wise old elders of the order regarded any pony too young as barely more than a foal, incapable of the attentiveness and discipline which the life of the forest required. Maturity was an important druidic characteristic. So Lailoken would remain in the Crystal Empire for a while. That pleased him because, truth be told, he had never been outside the city’s borders. He knew no other world than the verdant lands which the Crystal Heart kept safe from the chill and cold. He did not want to know another world. At least, not yet. But even though he remained in his crystalline homeland, he was not given a free pass by the druids. Lailoken was expected to spend the next few years before initiation developing his talents. The best place to do this, Lailoken soon found out, was the Crystal Empire’s premier place of healing, the Hospital of the Crystal Heart. Here, he could use his ever-increasing knowledge of herbs to make healing remedies for the sick and the injured. It was here he met Radiant Hope. The day had been the most memorable of his life. Only the day he had received his cutie mark could compare and then only at a considerable remove. For while that day had brought the highest joy a young colt could experience, this day would initiate Lailoken into the kind of joy that signifies the life of a stallion. He had been working in the potions lab. The day was slow, and so Lailoken was amusing himself by mixing the herbs he had collected and the potions he had brewed into ever newer and more wonderful concoctions. He was carefully observing a particularly promising admixture when his supervisor gently rapped a hoof on the open door.. “Lailoken,” she said. “We have a new volunteer today.” Lailoken hated being disturbed. But he had to keep on the supervisor’s good side. The pudgy crystal earth pony was normally quite agreeable, but was known to have a secret mean streak which other ponies called forth at their peril. As Lailoken looked up, the supervisor said, “She needs to be shown the ropes. Normally, I’d do it. But I’ve just been called to an important meeting and I suspect it’ll take all day. Can you show her around, please?” She made it sound like a favor being asked, but Lailoken understood it to be a command. He nodded ruefully. He hated this already. All he wanted was to be left to return to his potions. That is, until he saw the pony who came in behind his supervisor. Her lavender coat seemed to sparkle and gleam and reveal new facets as it reflected ever-shifting beams of light. The shimmering blue ripples of her hair were like so many waves lapping gently upon each other within the confines of a crystal-clear sea. Her blue eyes resembled the rich vault of the sky on a particularly lustrous summer day. At least, what he could see of her eyes, as one was partially obscured by the way her hair hung down over one side of her head, giving her an air of sweet innocence. Her whole body was like a vast field of luminosity She was, in short, the most beautiful pony Lailoken had ever seen. “This is Radiant Hope,” said his supervisor. “Miss Hope, this is Lailoken.” Hope gave him a shy smile. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “Same,” Lailoken answered. It was all he could answer. He had wanted to say more, to offer up some clever witticism that would win her approval and her favor. But he knew that if he opened his mouth for too long, he’d have started drooling. And that would have been embarrassing. “I’ll just leave you to it,” the supervisor said as she made her exit. “Be sure to show her everything, Lailoken. Take your time.” Lailoken grinned. He would take his time. He would take as much time with Radiant Hope as he possibly could. “That’s an interesting cutie mark,” Hope said. “What is it?” “Just got here and you’re already checking out my flank?” Lailoken mentally kicked himself. Stupid! But Hope laughed. It was not a nervous laugh and it was more than just polite. She sounded as though she actually found it funny. “It’s nothing like that, silly!” she said. “I was just curious what it meant.” “It’s the type of staff druids use in their ceremonies,” Lailoken said as he leaned back in his chair, trying to look relaxed and debonair. “Don’t mean to brag, but I’m in training to become one of them. A druid, not a staff. You know what a druid is?” “Do I!” Hope responded. “I know all about druids! They’re the ones who commune with fairies!” Fairies? Fairies? Lailoken had heard quite the druids accused of quite a few outlandish things. But most of them involved constructing large stone circles in alignment with the sun and moon. That and overindulging in cider from time to time. No pony, as far as he knew, had ever gone so far as to say the druids talked to fairies. Hope’s eyes widened and she seemed ready to burst with excitement. “Do you think you’ll meet any fairies?” she asked. Lailoken felt a burst of anxiety. There was no attractive way to answer this question. “I… Uh, to tell the truth, I’m not really sure what I’ll be doing as a druid. That’s why I’m here, so that I can learn some stuff before I have to go to the Everfree and join them.” “Wouldn’t that be so cool, if you did, though!” Hope continued, undaunted. “If you could actually meet real, live fairies! Oh, I’d give anything to be able to do that. It would be so exciting!” “Yeah, exciting,” Lailoken said, not very excited. He desperately wanted to change the subject to anything not fairy-related. “But what about your cutie mark? That looks interesting.” Lailoken mentally kicked himself again for making it sound as though he was checking out Hope’s flank. Which he totally was. But she didn’t need to know. “Oh, this?” she said modestly. “It’s not much, I know. I haven’t had it for too long. It means that I’m going to be a healer.” “A healer, huh? I guess that’s why you ended up volunteering at this place.” “Yep. I used to just heal ponies around the orphanage where I grew up, but Ms. Chestnut said I needed to quote unquote ‘expand my horizons.’ So I came here.” It was a simple enough statement. Too simple, as Lailoken learned. Working alongside Hope over the next few weeks, he discovered that she could do far more than just help heal ponies. She could heal anypony of anything. Alone. Without needing a doctor’s assistance and without needing Lailoken’s potions. The days when Hope came to volunteer, Lailoken usually found that he had even less work to do than on the day he met her. Actually, he often had absolutely no work to do at all. Which was perfectly fine, because it meant he could follow Hope around during her rounds and chat her up. And she was always happy to chat. Lailoken had never known a pony to be able to talk so much. Hope talked about the orphanage, about work, about things that were happening around the empire, Princess Amore, her extensive ‘knowledge’ of pixies and fairies and, well, anything that popped into her head. She could speak for hours, practically in conversation with herself, with him only able to offer a word or two at brief, opportune moments. There were days where he just stood there in silence, amazed, listening to her go on and on. Not that he was complaining. She could go on and on for the next thousand years, and it would be okay with him. Lailoken was in love. There was only one problem. Whenever Hope talked, it was not long before another name came up — Sombra. Sombra this and Sombra that. Sombra lived with her, shared everything with her, grew up with her, knew her like nopony else. Lailoken had not been too bothered by this at first, since he assumed Sombra must be another girl at the orphanage. But then he mistakenly responded to one of Hope’s statements by referring to Sombra as, “she.” Hope had chuckled. “Sombra isn’t a she, silly,” she had said. “He’s a colt!” A colt? A colt? Lailoken had been in a bad mood for the next week. Hope had noticed but, bless her heart, she never could tell what had suddenly made him stand-offish. Nor did she let it affect her much. She just kept talking and talking and talking. Hope’s friendliness and enthusiasm remained infectious. And Lailoken wasn’t mad at her — well, not per se — so they were soon on the best of terms again. Except for the fact that a ghost now seemed to hang over them at every meeting. A ghost Hope was completely unaware of, but one whose presence Lailoken felt with increasing discomfort. A ghost named Sombra. Lailoken decided that he had to find out more about who this Sombra was. Maybe if Lailoken could discover what Hope saw in this fellow, he could make himself more attractive to Hope and steal her away. Some other ponies who had once lived at the orphanage had also gotten jobs at the hospital, and Lailoken was able to grill them for info. In the least obvious way, of course. “So, you know anything about this Sombra that Radiant Hope is always talking about?” he asked a pegasus from the orphanage one day. “Why, you want to ask her out and afraid he’ll get jealous?” the pegasus responded. “Just curious,” Lailoken lied. “Curious, nothing else.” The pegasus shrugged her wings and went back to what she was doing. “I didn’t interact with them much. Nopony did. We all thought they were a bit weird. She was kinda loopy, but other than that, she was alright, I guess. But Sombra. There was something wrong with him.” Suddenly, Lailoken was alarmed. “What? What was it?” “I don’t know. Just… just something…. There was something not right, some sort of energy he gave off or something. All of us could sense it. All of us except Hope. But then, they always did seem made for each other.” “What do you mean?” “Those two always just seemed like they were in their own little world. Like nopony else mattered. They were such weirdos. We all agreed that it’s better to just stay away from them.” Lailoken had laughed at the time, until the pegasus flashed him a ‘No, I’m serious,’ look. “You should stay away from them too,” she said. “Trust me.” Lailoken did not trust her. Lailoken continued digging. He asked everypony he knew that had lived at, worked at, or ever even been to the orphanage. It was always the same story. Nopony could say what was wrong with Sombra, exactly — other than the fact that he was not a crystal pony and didn’t look much like other types of ponies, either — but they all felt that there had to be something. It was there, even if they couldn’t explain it. This was becoming an obsession, Lailoken knew there was something here, but every lead was a dead end. It was taking over his thoughts. Whenever he and Hope where together, Sombra was all he could think about. If she talked to long, he would find his thoughts wandering back to the pony who stood between him and everything he wanted. This was why he almost didn’t hear Hope when she informed him that she was considering applying for the Royal Academy in Canterlot. “Do you think I should do it?” she asked. “Do I?” Lailoken responded, refocusing his attention on her. It was a difficult question. It would probably mean that she would leave the Crystal Empire. Maybe she would return someday, maybe not. Lailoken was obviously not thrilled. Even though he had only known Hope for a short time, he was afraid to lose her from his life. But, then again, he too would be leaving the Crystal Empire, possibly never to return, in a few years’ time. And he could see the potential that was inside of Radiant Hope. Her destiny was clearly much larger than the bounds of her homeland and she deserved the chance to seek that destiny beyond its ice-fringed borders. It would be selfish to deny her this opportunity. “Of course, you should apply! You have such a talent for healing ponies. You’re one of a kind. You’ll get in, no problem. And can you imagine what it’ll be like to learn from the Royal Sisters themselves? I mean, it’s not as cool as learning from the druids, but still!” Hope laughed. “That’s what everypony tells me. I guess I should do it, then.” Then she gazed deeply into Lailoken’s eyes. Lailoken felt his heart start to race. “You know,” she said, “I’ve never told this to anypony except Sombra, but I’ve always wanted to be a princess. Ever since I saw myself as one in the Crystal Heart.” “You saw that in the Crystal Heart?” Lailoken asked, amazed. He had heard the Crystal Heart had such power, but he had never tried it out for himself. After all, he had practically always known he’d be a druid anyway. Everypony said so. What did he even need to see? “In that case, you definitely need to go for it!” he said. “Just think! I’ll be able to tell ponies that I knew a princess before she was famous!” Hope pulled Lailoken into a giant hug. She was quite strong and Lailoken was well-aware that all his innards felt like they wanted to scream. But her coat was soft and her body was warm, and she did not seem to mind being so close to him. Lailoken’s heart palpitated even more rapidly. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” she said as she let him go. “Wait till I tell Sombra that I’m going to do it! I’m going to apply!” Lailoken felt an immediate change of mood. “Yeah, Sombra. I’m sure he’ll be so excited.” She did apply. And then not too long after came the acceptance. It was hardly unexpected, at least from Lailoken’s perspective, but that’s when things really went crazy. Sombra suddenly disappeared. Nopony knew what happened to him, least of all, Hope. Some ponies said he had just up and decided to leave the Crystal Empire and seek his fortunes elsewhere. (After saying so, they almost invariably added “Good riddance!”) Hope never believed it. But she was at a loss to explain Sombra’s disappearance. It weighed on her; just as she prepared to make the largest transition she had ever known, her best friend had vanished and was no longer there to support her. Into the void stepped Lailoken. He should have been happier. But he wasn’t. He could tell Hope was not the same pony she used to be. She was suddenly quiet and reserved. No more marathon conversations with herself. Some days, it was a miracle when he was able to get a simple "yes" or "no" in response to basic questions. She did not much seem to care about anything. The lives of other ponies and the minutia of the medical business no longer provoked any interest. Even healing the sick and injured, the thing which usually seemed to fill her with the most happiness, did nothing to help. Hope still did what she could, but in a perfunctory manner. When she most needed to focus on her healing magic, she Invariably seemed distracted and made simple little mistakes that she should never have made. Lailoken was worried. He decided to talk to Hope about it. Maybe he could help her feel better. Maybe he could even score some brownie points. But, of course, he already knew what the problem was; Sombra. Still, he had to ask. “Is everything okay with you?” he said to Hope as they were finishing their shifts for the evening. It was twilight, and the sun’s departure had caused a beautiful red glow to fill the sky. This was in the morning of Celestia and Luna’s reign, before Luna’s fall, when the whole world seemed to shine with promise. Hope had looked like she wanted to cry. She clearly needed to unburden herself but something seemed to be stopping her from doing so. She almost seemed to fear giving an answer, afraid to face her true feelings. But Hope didn’t lie. Lailoken knew that. She never would. Whatever she was feeling, she would tell him the truth, in her own time and in her own way. Lailoken was willing to wait. “It’s… it’s Sombra,” Hope said at last. Figures, Lailoken thought. “It’s just, he’s been gone from the Crystal Empire for so long now, that I’m worried.” This was an understatement, Lailoken could tell that Hope was far more than worried. “He’s a big boy,” Lailoken said, trying to sound reassuring. “I’m sure that he’ll be alright. He probably just needs some time alone. Once he’s had enough, he’ll come back.” Hope didn’t seem able to comprehend the idea. Indeed, she seemed very near panic. “Time alone? How much time does he need? He’s been gone for weeks! And why? The Crystal Empire is his home. He’s never been away from here. I’m afraid for him out there.” Lailoken got closer to Hope. “I know it’s hard,” he said, “but he has to make his own decisions in life. He’s not your responsibility.” “But he is!” Hope responded, her voice becoming high and strained. “He is my responsibility! He only has me and I only have him. We’ve always looked out for each other.” Lailoken put his hoof on her shoulder. “Well, maybe it’s time you had other ponies to look out for you.” Hope pulled out of his grasp, utterly oblivious. “Other ponies…. They mean well. They just don’t understand us.” That was like a dagger in Lailoken’s heart. “Don’t understand you?” he said, a trace of anger in his voice. “What do you mean, we don’t understand you? I understand you, Hope.” Hope smiled at him wistfully. “You only think you do. You don’t really.” Lailoken turned his head away so that he could roll his eyes. I really know how to pick ’em, he thought. “There’s been something wrong with Sombra since the day we went to see the Crystal Heart,” Hope lamented. “That was the day I saw that my destiny was to become a princess. He saw something… something else. I don’t know what it was. He’s never talked about it. But it upset him. He didn’t think I knew he was upset. But I knew. I could see it. I kept waiting for him to finally tell me, all these years. He never did. And then I got my acceptance letter and he just disappeared.” Yep, I really do pick some real winners, Lailoken thought. In hindsight, he probably should have checked the girl’s baggage before falling head over hooves for her. But it was too late. Whatever Hope had gotten herself into with this Sombra character, Lailoken was certain he could get her out of it. He was a gifted pony, after all. Everypony said so. “Look, Hope, I don’t know what happened to Sombra,” Lailoken said, subtly moving into her personal space. “I don’t know why he left. But I do know that, if he doesn’t come back, he’s crazy. He’s crazy if he’s going to leave this place when there’s a girl like you here waiting for him.” Hope stepped back a few steps. Foiled again. “But you’re going to leave,” she said. “You’re going to join the druids.” “Well, maybe I could be persuaded not to,” Lailoken said with a furtive smile. “For the right reasons….” Hope looked both shocked and incredulous. “But… but it’s your destiny! You can’t turn your back on your destiny!” Lailoken let out a cocky laugh. “Who says I can’t? Destiny isn’t ever going to be the boss of me! It’s like I’ve always said, we make our own destiny.” “I’ve never heard you say that,” Hope said quietly. Then her eyes glazed over a little. She seemed to be caught up in her thoughts. Lailoken had to think fast before he lost her completely. He felt that this was his moment — their moment — and he wasn’t about to squander it. Putting his hooves to her shoulders, Lailoken gazed deeply into Hope’s eyes. “Don’t worry, Hope,” he said. “I’m sure everything is going to turn out alright. Sombra will be fine. You’ll see. He probably be back before you know it.” “Thank you,” Hope said, a sense of relief in her voice. “And, you know,” Lailoken said, leaning his head in close to Hope’s, “you don’t have to go through anything alone, just because Sombra’s not around. I’ll always be here for you. You’re never getting rid of me.” Lailoken kissed Hope. Whatever he had dreamt it would be like, it wasn’t. Mostly because Hope tore herself away before anything could really happen. “Hope?” Lailoken said. Hope looked back over her shoulder at Lailoken. Tears streamed down her beautiful face. “I’m… I’m sorry…. I can’t,” she said. And then she broke into a gallop. “Hope, wait!” Lailoken called after her as she galloped away. But it was no use. Hope was gone. Lailoken kicked a stone with his hoof. “Guess I really messed that one up,” he said. “I guess you did,” came a voice. A deep, dark voice. Lailoken looked around but saw no one. “Who said that?” he asked. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but it’s not very funny!” Then he saw, out of the shadows, come a pony as dark as the shadows. This pony was wearing a cloak, but quickly pulled it down to reveal a curved red horn and eyes that glowed a malevolent combination of green, red, and purple. “You must be Sombra, am I right?” Lailoken said. He did not know how he knew. He just did. Great, the boyfriend’s here. Lailoken could probably expect a beating now. He was starting to feel afraid. Whether it was from the prospect of serious injury or just because of the strange dark aura the guy let off (or both), Lailoken didn’t know. But he knew he couldn’t let Sombra see how afraid he was. Jealous boyfriends could smell fear, after all. He would have to put up a brave front. “I don’t think we’ve ever met,” Lailoken said. “But I feel like I know you. Hope never stops talking about you.” “You’re going to wish we had never met,” Sombra said. His voice was low, but the rage was palpable. Before Lailoken knew it, he had been thrown against the nearest crystal wall, with such force that he was certain he had put a dent into it. And, before he had a chance to even process the blow, Sombra was up against him. The ugly curved horn was getting close enough that, should he move just a little, he would lose an eye. It oozed an inky black substance which seemed to such the light out of the air around it. “How… how do you do that lighting effect with your eyes and your horn?” Lailoken asked. “Is that some new kind of magic?” “Something like that,” Sombra said with a sneer. “Maybe you’d like to experience it first-hoof.” “Hey, buddy, easy!” Lailoken said. “I’m a friend of Hope’s. She wouldn’t want you to hurt me, would she? She’s been awfully worried about you—” “Don’t mention her name!” Sombra snapped as he smashed Lailoken against the wall once more. “You hurt her, just like everypony has hurt her. Just like everypony has hurt us.” “Hurt her? I didn’t—” Sombra’s eyes flared with a dark fire. “I saw you! I saw you forcing yourself onto her!” “That wasn’t… that wasn’t what it looked like!” Lailoken said in panic. “That shouldn’t have happened. But Hope and I are friends. I would never do anything to hurt her.” “Yes,” Sombra said, “you never will.” Before Lailoken could reflect on all the ways he did not like the sound of that statement, Sombra’s horn was firing up with dark energy. Sombra held Lailoken helpless against the wall, almost choking the life out of him. And then, the energy erupted from Sombra’s horn. The blast hit Lailoken dead-on. All was fire. That was the only way to describe the feeling inside Lailoken’s head. Nothing made sense. Nothing was rational. Lailoken could not even put together a coherent thought. All that he knew was that he was in pain. Pain so severe that he could not even comprehend the outside world anymore. It was all a jumble of sense and emotion and pain. All of his senses were fighting each other for primacy, and the light and the sound and the feeling of the wall behind him, all of it was too painful to endure. When Lailoken fell to the ground, it did not even register. It was just more pain. But somewhere in the pain, Lailoken heard Sombra’s voice. “No one will ever hurt Hope again.” How long he lay there, nopony could have told. Especially not Lailoken, his mind torn apart. But slowly — or so it seemed — the chaos and the clutter began to coalesce. The random lights took form, first becoming strange shapes, shapes like Lailoken had never seen before. And then, they became figures. One was Sombra. The other was Princess Amore. Lailoken could not hear what they were saying. Sound was still too much of a cacophony. But he could see them. He could see Princess Amore trying to calm Sombra and Sombra, furious, refusing to be calmed. He saw Sombra unleash once more the fiendish power of his hideous horn. Princess Amore’s face was frozen Into a grotesque expression with mouth hanging open in what looked more than a gasp and less than a scream. It would never change; she had become stone. Sombra stomped his hoof. Amore was no more, shattered into ten-thousand pieces. “No!” Lailoken howled. And then it was gone. All that Lailoken saw was the street in front of him. But it had been real. Somewhere in his addled mind, Lailoken knew that it was real. It had been more real than anything he had ever seen with his eyes. And he knew he had to stop it. So, despite the pain, despite the burning that seemed to consume every inch of his being, Lailoken forced himself to crawl. He crawled slowly, painfully, but purposefully. He had to reach the Crystal Palace. But when he finally arrived, Lailoken’s eyes were met with the very thing he had put all of his broken body and spirit into preventing. Just as he pulled himself to the rim of the Crystal Dais, he saw Sombra stamp his hoof. The hideous statue that had once been the beautiful Princess Amore shattered and scattered to every corner of the world. Hot, burning tears streamed down Lailoken’s face. He saw Sombra, triumphantly surveying his dominion, and he knew that the Crystal Empire had a new sovereign. And he saw Hope, standing right beside Sombra. Hope? Hope? Even in his maddened state, she still meant something to Lailoken. Surely, she would fix this. But she did not. She and Sombra seemed to be… talking? After all that Lailoken had just witnessed, that Hope has just witnessed, nothing had chanced. She had still not given up on Sombra. And Lailoken knew. He had never really understood Radiant Hope at all. But then, the world started to change again. Hope was still there, Sombra was still there. The Crystal Empire was still there. But it was not the same. There was Hope, hidden underneath a cloak, stealing the Crystal Heart. There she was, restoring Sombra to full health and power. There were Celestia and Luna, petrified just as Amore had been. There was Sombra, unleashing a horde of dark, demonic creatures onto to poor inhabitants of the Crystal Empire. There was much slaughter and destruction. And then, there was Sombra and there was Hope, surrounded by these monsters, who all paid them deference. And a voice rang out, “All hail Emperor Sombra and all hail Empress Hope!" And then, in a flicker, Sombra was gone and Hope was alone. Again came the voice, "All hail Radiant Hope, the Empress of Equestria!" Lailoken was so struck by terror and the weight of it all, he did not even realize that he had gotten to his hooves and had been backing away from the Crystal Palace. But now he ran. He shrieked and he ran. Ran to the very outskirts of the Crystal Empire. Ran into the white vastness beyond. “I eventually found my way to the Everfree Forest,” said Lailoken. “Some part of me must have remembered the druids, and thought that they could help me. If they could or not, I never found out. They took me in, but they thought my madness was sacred. They though that some spirit of prophecy had possessed me so that it could communicate with them. And so they kept me, tended to me, and all of them came running whenever I began to babble about the things I was seeing in my head. But they never tried to help me. None of them. I was stuck as this prisoner until, after a few hundred years, the last of the druids passed away and the order became extinct. And I was left alone.” Hope could only look on. She did not know what to say. The only appropriate emotion was horror; horror at what Lailoken had gone through, and horror at her part in it. Hope could barely wrap her mind over what she had heard. She could only imagine how Lailoken must be feeling. Finally, she managed a small, “I’m sorry.” And then, collecting herself somewhat, she added, “How did you survive outside the Crystal Empire for a thousand years?” “The same way you did, I suppose,” Lailoken said. “The Umbrum’s dark magic not only cursed me with madness, cursed me with prophecy, but also cursed me with immortality. Immortality without eternal youth. I kept getting older, but I couldn’t die. At least, not until the day my visions showed me I would die. Today.” “But what happened?” Hope asked. “In your visions. Maybe if we knew, we could stop it from happening.” Lailoken closed his eyes and a look of pain crossed his face. “I can’t remember. It’s gone. But, I know that if the visions say it is going to happen, it will happen.” “You told me once that we can make our own destiny,” Hope said. “I thought of that when I chose to leave the Royal Academy and go looking for Sombra. You gave me the courage!” “And look what happened,” Lailoken said scornfully. “I was wrong. Wrong about all of it.” Hope wanted to argue. But she did not know how. Maybe he was right. “I spent a thousand years looking for you, Hope,” Lailoken said. “The visions, they showed me that you were out there. But I never could find you. They didn’t actually show me where you were and what had happened to you, so I never found you. Until the day, not too long ago, when I saw a vision of you in Seaddle. So, I came there to find you, and got locked up in that accursed hospital. But, destiny wills out, and you were there. Except you didn’t even recognize me!”. Hope could not blame Lailoken for being upset. She knew well the pain of having other ponies let you down. “I’m… I’m sorry…” she said, “but you’ve changed so much!” “I needed you to heal me, and you didn’t even recognize me!” “I tried to heal you, but the Umbrum magic was too strong! I didn’t realize what I was facing!” Hope put her hoof on Lailoken’s shoulder. “But now we know. And I want to help you. I know I can’t make up for everything that’s happened to you over the past thousand years, just like nopony can make up for what’s happened to me. But we’re friends, and we can get through this together.” Lailoken swatted her hoof away. “Don’t you dare touch me!” “Lailoken?” “Don’t come near me. I don’t want anything to do with you. Radiant Hope. What a name. I wonder what your parents were hoping for when they gave you such a name. I’m glad they didn’t live to see what you became.” “I know you’re angry at me. I probably deserve it.” Hope’s voice became firm. “But you don’t have the right to say that to me! Nopony does.” Calming down, she began to approach Lailoken again. “I’m sorry. You’ve been through a lot and I shouldn’t have snapped like that.. But I just want to help.” Lailoken backed away from Hope He stared at her like she was the mad one. “Hope, you’re a monster. You can’t help me.” “I know I did things that you can never forgive,” Hope said. “But I’m trying to be better now.” “You can’t,” Lailoken said. “You’re a monster. Maybe you always were, I don’t know. You can try to be better, you can try for redemption. And maybe it’ll make you feel better. But it is not going to change what you are.” “Lailoken, please….” Hope pleaded. “Just stay away from me,” Lailoken said. “You just stay as far away from me as you can! Whatever time I have left, I just want to spend it in peace!” “But where will you go?” Hope asked. “I don’t know, and I probably shouldn’t tell you if I did,” Lailoken said. “But maybe I’ll go see the sights, take in a tour of famous places or two. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do after recovering from a thousand-year bought of dark magic-incurred madness? Maybe I’ll stop by the Empress of Equestria and try to clear my head. With how long that ship has been around, I’m sure there are some dark spirits lurking around. I’d fit right in!” “Lailoken, please just let me try to help,” Hope said. “You’ve done enough already,” Lailoken said, his voice dripping with contempt. “Everypony who gets close to you ends up badly. It may be too late for me but I’m not going to let you hurt me anymore. This is one aspect of my destiny, maybe the only one, which I can still control.” Hope wanted to plead more, but there was no appeasing Lailoken. He left her. Hope thought about using her teleport spell to appear in front of him, but she knew it would make no difference. His mind was made up. He would not let her save him. “I’m sorry,” Hope whispered into the chilly gusts of the night wind. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save your life. I’m sorry I couldn’t be the mare you needed me to be.” The wind picked up, emitting a howl as it tore through the city streets. Hope barely noticed. All she could do was keep her eyes on the place where Lailoken had been. She wondered, What could his life have been if it not for me? What would Radiant Hope do now? Read on.