My footsteps are heavy, walking on a surface that's not really there. Yet my feet still kick up dust as I push forward. I can hardly see, all the darkness around me is obscuring my vision. There's only two sources of light, one coming from my head lamp, the other creeping off that fiery mass ahead of me. The air is thick, but it's not like I can feel it, and it's not like it's actually there. Air stopped existing awhile ago. A lot of things stopped existing awhile ago. Planets, stars, nebulae, galaxies, time, light, life. Hell not even dark and death take shape in this reality. All thanks to her. It was going to happen eventually though, I knew that. But it didn't stop my stupid ass from chasing after her. Who knows how many years I've been "alive". How many eons I've spent pursuing Sol. Who knows how many epochs and universal time lengths I've spent trying to tie my own god damn shoe. Fuck if I know, I ain't got no laces.
"Sir, I wouldn't suggest getting any closer. Her form is extremely unstable, it could implode and take you with it."
"It's fine, TW_AI. If I'm lucky, exactly that will happen."
Hearing my own voice nearly scares the living shit out of me. It's been so long since I even thought about speaking. And TW_AI hasn't said a word for even longer. Now that I've heard it, I can say it was good to know she was still operational. Operational, now that's a lie. My suits been dead for longer than I have. Piece of junk should've eroded away with all the traveling, yet it still clings to my body like a disease. But even if it is a piece of shit, it's still one of the only things I have left reminding me of my home planet. I think that's Equestria- no- Earth? Fuck if I remember. Half the time I can hardly remember I'm human. Well, I was human anyway. Now I'm probably sure I'm a walking skeleton in a space suit. Who knows? Not me. I haven't seen myself since this all began.
The flaming mass ahead of me pulls its head up slightly to look at me. I wish it hadn't. Those smoldering, sickly eyes are the last thing I want to see. But I'm still glad to see them. They remind me of slightly more happier times, and also the worst times of my incredibly long "life". If you could call it life after the first thirty years or so. The eyes watch me as I get closer, trying to push me away only to find that it doesn't work like that. For the first time ever those eyes are powerless.
Getting closer. Soon I'll be standing over her, having those damn eyes staring up at my heel, or gun, or whatever. But not too soon. I still wanna have a little talk with her. Tell her all I've done to track her down. All the pain I went through in order to see her now. And she'll listen. She'll have no choice but to listen to my story, sit through my own little epic poem. It may not be Homer's Illiad or Odyssey but dammit it's one hell of a tale. Much older too. And I'm also wondering what her story is. I know most of it, hell everyone did back when they were still alive. She sailed across the cosmos, setting fire to any and all life. Who know's why, who cares? Most were just trying to escape the flame, including me at first. But I want to know why. Why she chose to burn away all existence, why she chose to burn away my existence. I hope it's not too late to ask her now.
I sit, rather I collapse next to her. I don't know what I collapsed onto but here I am, on my hands and knees and trying to work my way on my backside. Eventually I manage it, sitting on my ass and slowly bringing my hands into my lap. I've been "walking" for probably something like a million years. The clock on my suit has rolled over countless times and eventually I stopped caring. TW_AI used to keep track, but like I said, she eventually stopped talking and I thought she was dead. TW_AI, originally it was just Twi but she thought it'd be more appropriate to give her a more robotic sounding name. She was always like that.
I slowly turn my head to look at the burning body beside me, an action that probably took a full hour. Her eyes are still looking at me, fiery and wild. They don't burn with anger or hatred, not that I can tell anyway. They burn with some indescribable emotion that only gods and cats can understand. And I don't even think I care all that much. I stare back at them, thinking of what I'm actually going to say. After all it's been so long, who knows if she could even understand me, who knows if she even remembered me. But fuck it, I'll still try.
"Hey."
My voice startles me again, but less than it did before, starting to get used to it. Maybe she is too. God knows how long it's been since she's heard a sound other than cosmic decay. If that even makes a sound. The amalgamation of flame and heat perks up again, trying to smell either the "air" or me. Most likely me. I wonder what I smell like. Probably like sweat, dead skin, and marrow. What does marrow smell like? She stops sniffing about and rests her head on her hooves again. If those are hooves, I'm pretty sure they are but it's hard to tell. It's difficult for me to describe just what exactly I'm feeling here. Of course there's the obvious hatred and disgust. But there's also a tea spoon of pity, a few pints of sorrow, and just a pinch of longing. All of it comes together like some sort of gourmet dish of emotion. Would probably taste terrible, and overpriced. I open my mouth to speak again and this time it doesn't shake my bones. Instead it fills my body with a warmth. I guess it's good to have someone to talk to, even if they're someone I hate.
"Took me awhile to catch up to you. How've you been? Besides sitting here and burning out like a campfire? Nah forget it, I don't actually care. You know who I am?"
The dying flames look at me and I swear to God I've never hated anything quite as much as her. Does she even remember her own name? Does she remember Twilight? Her sister? Hell does she even remember who she is?
"I've been well..." she says with a smile. "How about yourself?"
I nearly lose it all right then and there. If I had no self-control (which is surprising that I still do) I'd be stomping her out of existence. The sound of her voice is enough to shoot every painful trauma into my skull. It's enough to grind my heart into mush and light it on fire. All the pain, all the hate and sorrow comes rushing in at full force. It's much stronger than it was a few moments ago. My vision gets blurry and I'm not even sure if the current situation is even real. Her voice..
"How about me? Lady, you don't know the half of it. I've been crawling through Hell and shit trying to get to you. It's been millions, possibly billions of years! I've seen those close to me die countless times! I've seen entire systems blink out of existence! I've seen you burn across the cosmos, erasing everything in your path! And every moment, every moment I spend awake is filled with crying, screaming, and the chaotic confusion of all the souls that follow me! How've I been? I can't fucking believe you.."
All in all, I've been fine.
"I see. Well, your efforts weren't in vain. You've found me, completed your quest and reached the evil king's throne room. All that's left for you is to act on your hatred."
She smiles at me, the nerve of her. Then she continues on in that sickly sweet voice so befitting of her.
"But, after I'm gone you'll have no one. You may not even die for the next billion years, if you have the luxury of dying anyway. Are you so quick to rush into that existence?"
She's trying to buy time. Time to gather her strength and attack me. I can see through her perfectly like a window. But I find myself not caring. She can't kill me. Well she can, but it wouldn't solve anything. I speak, my voice restoring itself over time.
"Oh you best believe I'm not looking forward to that. But I can hardly give a shit considering what I'm about to do."
"A one-track mind. As always." she says with laugh that echoes throughout the entire universe.
"As always." I reply.
And it's true. There's only been one thought in my mind for the past...whatever years. Revenge.
"Before we get started.." she says. "Tell me about your travels. I'm flattered to be sought by such a devoted assassin. There were a few times when I saw you, but I can hardly remember them now. But I remembering wanting to hear your story back then too. But due to circumstances there was never any time. Please, as my last request, tell me your story."
It's the perfect request. And I'm not in a rush to get to oblivion just yet. After her it'll be completely darkness and I'll be left here to go insane.
"You're damn right I'll tell you."
She smiles, something that fills me with even more hate. It's the smile from all those years ago. Back when everything was milk and honey. Back before she became this. Before I became this.
"Alright Celestia, I hope you're comfortable. Because after this I'm snuffing your disgusting ass out of existence..."