Sweetie Belle Gains a Soul

by Bad Dragon

47 - Farewell

A voice came from the cave’s entrance, “Are you Clonie?”

“Whaa?” There was already enough on my plate with the voice in my head and Twilight’s ongoing plan to cut off my horn not yet fulfilled. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Clonie’s shenanigans.

“Oh, I’m sorry. We heard you talking and thought you made another Clonie to keep guard so both of us could rest.”

“I don’t need another Clonie. I don’t even need either of you.”

They gasped at that.

“After I face Twilight, I’ll have ponies of Ponyville at my disposal.”

“It’s your fault because you left the post,” Clonie said as she turned to the other. “Now both of us will die!”

“No, it’s yours, you left your post first.” the second Clonie said.

“It’s my fault.” My head drifted down. “I’m to blame for everything. If nothing else, this I know for certain now.”

“Sweetie Belle?” they spoke in unison.

“I don’t know what will become of you two, but one thing is clear. I can’t take you with me to where I’m going. You two are free to do whatever you want, as long as you don’t come to Ponyville. You have no place there. That shall be my domain. Other than that you can live your lives as you please.”

“No…” They both said in unison.

“Now leave!” I turned to a Clonie closest to me. “You! Carry my saddle back to the entrance, and pick up dad’s knife on the way. Don’t take it with you, though. It has somepony’s name written on it. There shall be a need of Prominence for reconciliation after I fulfill the plan. I’m done hiding. Everything ends before the nightfall. Oh, and don’t you dare come back here. I’m bringing this whole place down. Nopony but me should be making an army, and I won’t be needing any distractions. I’ll have myself and the ponies of Ponyville to keep me company and help me fulfill my destiny.”

“We’re the last ones?” one Clonie whispered.

“You won’t make any more of us?” the other one whimpered. “Weren’t we good enough for you? We tried so hard!” They both sniffled and shook their heads.

I snapped at the saddlebag with my mouth and slung it at the first Clonie. She clambered on her hooves and obediently swung the saddlebag onto her swaying body.

“Shoo!” I kicked a pebble at the other one. “I don’t want you anymore. Go away! Both of you! I release you from my service.”

“Sweetie Belle...” one of them said as they retracted backward toward the exit. “We can’t go on without you...”

There were other priorities on my mind than caring for those two foals. I gazed upon the pool. The cave was never my home or a sanctuary. It couldn’t compare with Ponyville. The power it held was also bad. By raising a life, you mark it for death at the same time. I did enough harm already. With the changeling Zex and Zecora sniffing around, it was a liability. The potential for bad was too great to be left alone.

With Clonies out of the way, it was time to bring the place down. I walked to the entrance overlooking The Mirror Pool and took another glance at the dancing reflected light on the walls. It was beautiful, but sometimes looks can be deceiving. I didn’t know how to prevent the bad without destroying the good, so I chose to do it my way.

I charged my horn, producing a ring of energy before me. When I slung it toward the ceiling, I already had a second one in line. I directed them all over the place. The hissing sounds of the disks were soon accompanied by the rumblings of the stones. First, the little ones splashed in the pool. As more of my magic disks penetrated the support, the boulders plunged down.

Just before the cascade cave in, I ran outside. Dust spread all around me, and I could hardly breathe. When it settled a little, I saw my saddlebag at the boulder. Scrapes were engraved into the ground by its side. A layer of dust from the cave made it hard to discern the letters.

I inhaled deeply and blew away the debris. The hoof-made writing before my muzzle had me growl in annoyance. There was just one word: ‘knife’. Beside it was an arrow mark, also scarred in the ground by hoof. It aimed toward a path among the brambles. “Ugh!” I sighed. “What are you foals up to?” I yelled to where the mark directed me at.

There was no response.

Sighing, I trotted through the undergrowth. I wanted the knife back.

A thought struck me, making me stop in my tracks. The direction of the arrow… The area it pointed at... Something particular resided beyond the bushes before me—a place of significance; the area of my past reflections. There had been a reason why I’d made that path through the thorny bushes.

With heavy steps, I forced myself further, dreading what the small clearing before me harbored.

When I drew the last branch before me to the side, I saw it—a hole in the ground, with a pile of dried up earth beside it.

There was writing in front of it; the thin red letters cut into the soil. It was as if the earth itself bled a message for me to read.

With clenched teeth, I stood above. A tear dropped from my muzzle onto the scribbling before me: ‘we’re sorry’.

Between the writing and the hole laid the knife. It was covered in red.

I walked in an arch around the bloody message and peeked in the hole. “Dammit, Clonies! I didn’t give you permission to die!”

There was no answer. Their voices were snuffed out by the death I had brought in my wake.

“I wanted to give them life, but I only brought them death. Oh, why does life have to be so ironic?” My eyes closed as the cursed horn charged up. I felt the heap of earth with my channels.

The pile slid into the hole, covering it completely. There was more of the earth than the hole could take. A hurdle formed above it.

I opened my eyes and gazed at the knife. Even in their last moments, they thought of me, yet I had done nothing to earn their adoration. I was never as close to them as I should have been. I wasn’t connected enough—to myself.

They wanted me to have my dad’s knife. It was stained and dirty. Leaning down, I picked it up in my mouth. I could have just floated it with magic, but avoiding Clonies’ essence on the knife would feel too dismissive and impersonal to them. My clones deserved far better than what I offered them. Yet there was no way to fix the stains of my past. Their thick blood smeared over my tongue. I could taste it. The blood of my kin. The harm that I had brought about.

With teary eyes, I made my way to the stream. On the other side, I saw big hoof prints in the sand. Zecora’s no doubt. Beside me were more hoofprints. I put a forehoof in one of them, and it fitted perfectly. I sniffled while I slowly laid the knife in the water.

My mouth was still full of blood. I had an urge to spit it out, but the blood wasn’t of the sort I could just push aside. The blood of my kin was too profound to be thrown away, so I swallowed it, instead.

I took a few sips of the ice-cold water. Yet the taste of death on my tongue could not be washed away so easily. It remained as a reminder of what I have caused. A testimony to my dark past.

A distorted reflection beckoned at me from the stream. The face before me kept swaying as the water rushed by. I could hardly make out the shape, but the red horn was plain, all the time. An exhausted sigh escaped me. “I don’t even recognize myself anymore. At what point do I end and the darkness begins? Is it even me who’s saying this? Who am I? So confusing!”

There was one thing that was crystal clear, though. The twilight zone I was in was unacceptable. I had to put a stop to the insanity. It was the only way to prevent losing even more of myself. If I wanted to keep at least some of me, I couldn’t stay in hiding for much longer. I had to seek out my nemesis.

In a haze, I looked up then immediately shut my eyes, squeezing the gathered tears out of them. What I was about to do was sad, indeed. Yet, I was no longer afraid. I pressed my lips together and opened my eyes with determination. It was clear what I had to do.

There wouldn’t be any turning back for me that time around. I was going to end it, permanently.

With a hoof, I wiped the last remains of the blood from my daddy’s knife. I carried it in my mouth to my saddlebag. When I opened it, I saw a neatly folded Towelie lay inside. An opened sheet lay on top of it. I knew it wasn’t I who had taken the time to tidy up my bag. It must have been Clonie’s caring work.

I stashed the knife in the sheet and closed the bag. With a basic levitation spell, I swung it on my back. When I did that, my lips moved by themselves. “Where do you think you’re going, little foal?”

You again… I’m going to visit The Princess of Friendship. The unfinished business with Twilight taunted me. I sought a resolution. My gaze shifted in the general direction of Ponyville. The Twilight zone I’m in ends today.

“She’s beaten you once, foal. What makes you think she can’t do it again? Do you presume learning one spell will give you an advantage? She knows hundreds more!”

After I deal with Twilight, I still want there to be Ponyville left. This spell is perfect for my needs, everything else would just stand in my way.

“Don’t you understand foal, I’m trying to protect you!”

And I’m not going to let you. You’ve done more than enough protecting. I won’t allow you to help me anymore! I’ll do the deed myself!

“Listen, filly! Give me a bit more time to achieve full control, and we’ll make short work of Twilight. It will be a special day, I promise. Stick with me, little filly, and you’ll witness a glorious future coming our way.”

I didn’t want to wait. My special day was supposed to be that very day and not some time in an undefined future. I was sure of it because I had been counting down the sunsets in anticipation of its arrival. It was my birthday! I was in the midst of it, and yet, it felt like the worst part of my life.

I should have been celebrating it with everypony, but instead, I was in exile. All the ponies who should be cheering me on were in Ponyville, oblivious to my hardships.

They wouldn’t be ignorant of me for long, though. I would take control of my destiny. It had always been traditional to receive gifts on a birthday I intended to break the tradition. On that day, a celebrator would become the gift-bringer.

And it just so happened that I had a very special present set up for Twilight. My gift was unique, and its nature was such that I could only give it away once. What I would contribute of myself would be delivered in the flesh. It was too personal to be passed in any other way. I was determined to give her a piece of my mind! She was about to get what was coming to her. I just hoped she liked surprises. A sharp circular source of my power had her name written all over, yet I knew it would catch her off-guard.

I shook in anticipation as I looked at the path ahead of me. Before the day’s end, the ponies would learn that I wasn’t just a thorn in their sides. I was so much more, and I intended for them to witness my decrowning first-hoof. Looking back, I caressed my cutie mark with a hoof. My lips puckered as I turned forward. I knew of the sacrifice the future demanded of me. One cruel act would allow me to set up a hoofhold in Ponyville once again.

Author's Note:

Don't forget to participate in the [url=Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter.

GDoc

Comments

[Bad Dragon]

Comment section minigames for the Farewell chapter of the story Sweetie Belle Gains a Soul. Anypony can play them in this comment section of this story.

GAME 1
Does this story remind you of a song that you know? If yes, post it in the comments in the following format:
- Chapter of the story that this song is relevant to.
- A link or embedded Youtube video of it.
- Percentage of correlation (0% being an unrelated song, 100% being a song written exactly for this story).
- A reason why this song reminded you of this story or the excerpt of the lyrics.

Gretchen - Fading — Correlation: 50% (Lyrics)
Staring at my reflection I'm becoming numb — I barely recognize this thing that I've become

Lacuna Coil - Kill the Light — Correlation: 45% (Lyrics)
The light outside the darkness — Is not too far away

Stratovarius - I walk to my own song — Correlation: 45% (Lyrics)
I'm walking the streets and I hear what you say — Advising me telling me how to play — I know your name it's called Mr.Mean
You think you know what is better for me — Holding me lectures of how I should be — Shrugging my shoulders I leave you behind

Disturbed - Decadence — Correlation: 45% (Lyrics)
Then you slowly recall all your mind — Why, your soul's gone cold, and all hope has run dry — Dead inside

Within Temptation - Paradise — Correlation: 45% (Lyrics)
What about us, — Isn't it enough? — No we're not in paradise — This is who we are — This is what we've got — No, it's not our paradise — But it's all we want — And it's all that we're fighting for

GAME 2
Record yourself reading this story aloud. Upload your mp3 to MLP: Audiobooks, for instance, and paste the link to your audio or video in the comments.

[Kichi]

How Ponylike are the clonies? I mean, will they grow like normal ponies or have any foal? Maybe they could join the Pinkie clones

[Bad Dragon]

9786796 They're the exact copy of Sweetie Belle, minus all the mystical magic energies.

If they were still alive, they could probably grow old and form families and stuff. Unfortunately, they got killed like Pinkie clones. It's just the way of things, I guess.

[Kichi]

9786809
Well, we know there is at last ONE pinkie clone that survived, that appeared in a episode...

[Walabio]

No more Clonies. The last 2 Clonies joined the murdered Clonies.

[Bad Dragon]

9787120 Well, there's a chance that one Clonie survived, but I wouldn't bet on it.

9787338 Indeed. It seems Equestria isn't ready to give equal rights to clones yet.

[Aether Spark]

9787120
Which one?