Remember the Dawn...

by The Crimson Harbinger

An End, Once And For All--Part I

The Great Abyss felt very proud of herself as she watched the mare struggle helplessly in her grasp, trying in vain to escape her inevitable death, a sight that her eyes had seen many times in the past months. She then brought her axe down, an early sense of victory beginning to build up inside her. Finally, she would be rid of this nuisance, this pony that had managed to beat all odds and continue breathing. She closed her eyes and waiting for her favorite part, the satisfying crunch of ice crushing skull, and smiled as she heard it. But she then felt excruciating pain running up one of her arms and her eyes snapped open.

"Foolish whelp!" She roared, thinking Starblazer had somehow gotten a weapon without her noticing, but soon realized that it was not Starblazer that had caused her pain. In fact, Starblazer was no where to be seen, and in her stead was only a small pile of blue dust and the Abyss's axe, embedded in her own arm. "NO!" She roared, mostly of pain and anger as she dislodged it from her arm. Why was this mare so hard to kill? She was no different than the others, mortal, weak, and most of all, broken. What was this force that favored her so much so as to whisk her away from any danger she faced? It was then that the Abyss became interesting in the blue dust. She brought her wounded arm closer to her facing, examining it closely. At first in had no significance to her, but the more she looked, the more she felt like she had seen something similar...something very, very similar. And then she remembered. A smile broke across her face once more, and a soft chuckle escaped her icy lips.

"Clever," she hissed, gently brushing the dust off her tentacle. "How very clever." Perhaps she had been granted one last opportunity to dispose of Starblazer, and this time she would not waste it torturing her. No, she decided that every second Starblazer lived was suffering enough, and would kill her swiftly and without mercy. This time, Starblazer would die, and neither herself nor any other could save her.

.........................................................................................................

Starblazer felt a wave of nausea role over her as the world spun into focus, her entire field of vision blurred a dull shade of blue. She gagged as she began to cough up bits of melting ice, her body shuddering as she did so.

"Uhnn," Starblazer moaned half-heartedly between coughing fits, "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Please don't." A familiar voice spoke, and Starblazers' head jerked up as she recognized her voice, but soon regretted the motion as she felt her nausea strengthen. "I just cleaned in here, and I would prefer for it to stay that way for as long as possible."

"You?!" Starblazer exclaimed, breathing heavily.

"Yes! Me!" She replied cheerily. "Well, assuming I'm the one you're talking about, that is."

"You're the AI from the transit car, right?" Starblazer asked, feeling a little better as she struggled to her hooves.

"Transit car? What transit car?" Confusion was heavy in the AIs' voice.

"The one that I was on, you were there, and we were attacked by the Abyss. Don't you remember any of that?" The room lay silent for a moment before the AI responded.

"I think so. I think..." The lights that weren't already out in the room began to flicker as the AI struggled to finish. "I think I'm supposed to be..."

"Be what?" Starblazer said eagerly, sensing that she didn't have much time left to speak to the AI.

"Dead." She finished grimly. "I am very sure that I died in the attack."

"So...why aren't you?"

"I haven't the slightest idea. Oh well, apparently life goes on. Although, I sense. Oh no, Star, you're-"

"Hurt?" Starblazer finished for her. "Yeah, I got pretty beat up out there."

"That's not...yeah, yeah. That's what I was saying."

"Is something wrong?" Starblazer asked, knowing that something was definitely off.

"What? Oh, no. Nothing's wrong, it's just..."

"Just?" Starblazer prompted. The AI sighed, seemingly defeated by an opponent she never really engaged.

"Starblazer, I'm sorry. I really am."

"Sorry for what?" Starblazer almost yelled the question.

"I'm very truly sorry. Please, can you forgive me?"

"Forgive you for what? What aren't you telling me?!" Starblazer screamed, but received no answer. Suddenly, as if someone had flipped a switch somewhere deep inside her mind, she felt anger build up. She had come so far, and lost so much, and here she was, defeated, alone and for what? So another seemingly supernatural force can play with her like a sick foal with a broken toy. She felt tormented, tortured, and any wish for an end brought only more pain and suffering. And then, as if the Author Faust herself wished to torment her further, she heard the Abyss' voice call out to through the darkness.

"Well, well. What is this, hmm?" Suddenly the ground beneath Starblazer thrust upwards, slamming her already aching body into the ceiling, forcing a moan from Starblazer's lips. "I knew you would be here, foal."

"Of course you did," Starblazer growled, her voice wavering. "In fact, as far as I know, you've rigged everything!"

"Your notion is quite...intriguing. Please, continue." The Abyss cackled, pressing down harder on her.

"You, you knew I was coming. From the moment my ship's engines died, to right now, you've always known where I was and what I was doing." Starblazer explained, struggling for breath beneath the Abyss's hold.

"And I am led to believe you know how I did this?" The Abyss asked skeptically. "And do not mistake my questions for stalling, pup, for I intend to kill very, very soon." Starblazers' answer didn't come immediately, as she was preoccupied with throwing up what little substances were left in her stomach.

"After, after you were banished from Equestria, you became like all the others Celestia had banished." Starblazer was momentarily interrupted by a coughing fit. "A pony's tale. It was said that you could only return if somepony brought you back with them. And so you waited, waited for the right moment, the right ponies, everything!" She went into another coughing fit, this one drawing up blood. The Abyss laughed.

"Well done, Starblazer, well done indeed. Although, you did leave out something very, very important."

"And what, pray tell, is that?" She said weakly before coughing again.

"Why, only the biggest part my dear." She pressed down harder on Starblazer, cracking a few ribs as she did so. "The only thing holding me back, the reason that I needed you and your little AI." The Abyss paused, grinning widely before she continued. "The means of my return."

"I'm pretty sure I included that. You should really listen better in the future." Starblazer smirked before the Abyss applied yet more pressure down on her.

"Whelp!" She roared. "There is no future for you!" With that, she released Starblazer, who fell to the floor below with a sickening thud, before the Abyss raised her arm and brought it down on her, crushing her with it's icy weight.

Author's Note:

First two-part chapter! *Squee!* But seriously though, things are really heating up for Starblazer, or at least, they were. Or are they still? I won't tell you. But one thing is certain: we are drawing nearer to the ending, my friends. I hope to finish the last few chapters very, very soon. Also, thanks for sticking with me for this long. I know my long and random breaks between updates becomes almost unbearable and annoying at times, and I promise I'll try my best to shorten the time from update-to-update.

Comments

[dancing mop]

Bah, everyone has long, unpredictable breaks between updates nowadays. Don't sweat it!