All Paths Lead Home

by Mystic

Chapter 8: Do You Remember?

All Paths Lead Home

by Mystic

Chapter 8: Do You Remember?

You can find the chapter with its original formatting here: Chapter 8

---

Dawn. The light broke its way onto the land with a slow crawl. The mare woke with it, her eyes fluttering open as she tried to take in her surroundings. She went through the motions of the morning, tensing her muscles one by one, testing for any injuries, aches or strains. She was sore, but nothing hurt too badly.

They had made it out of Ponyville. They had made it out alive. She could hear the filly breathing next to her in the cold air.

Suddenly, the mare sat up. She looked over to her daughter, concern painted on her face. She reached out with a tentative hoof, hesitant to close the distance between them. Lightly, she felt the filly’s temperature and breathed a sigh of relief. It was still warm, but there was a noticeable difference from the day before. Perhaps more importantly, her coat was no longer covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She was breathing easily, her chest rising and falling gently underneath her blankets.

The mare retreated a little, drawing back away from the sleeping pony.

A soft scream ran its way through her memory: the slave ponies. The mare shuddered, her stomach twisting into ice. She had saved her daughter, but at what cost? She knew the inevitability of the slave ponies’ fates. She knew she could not have done anymore. She knew this, but it did little to settle her thoughts.

The mare stared up at the sky, watching the clouds hang like rotting curtains in the air. She couldn’t make out the light’s source yet, but the fact she could make out the trees proved that it was there. Somewhere.

“Mama?”

“Yes, little one?”

“Just checking.”

The mare looked down at her daughter. “How are you feeling?”

“A little better,” the filly said. She paused, her faced scrunched up in concentration. “A little hungry, actually.”

A small smile broke across the mare’s face. She was successful. She had saved her. “Then let’s get you some food.” She got up, letting the blanket fall off her form and into a small pile on the ground. Her muscles groaned in protest, but she ignored their aches. She was lucky; aching limbs were a cause to thank the Princesses.

She stepped her way through the campsite, watching as the ash swirled gently beneath her hooves. It was dry, loose and even the smallest gust of air caused it to move. It clearly hadn’t rained here for some time. Yet, the mare thought, it was so cold. Her nose was numb, as was any other part of her not protected by her wrappings. As to why it wasn’t snowing, the mare had no idea.

After digging through the saddlebags, the mare returned to the filly with a small bag of seed that they had found in the caves and the bottles of medicine and water. She offered the bag to the filly first. “Eat,” she said softly. “You need to get your strength back.”

This time, the filly didn’t object, and she dug her head into the sack and munched happily on the seeds. The mare watched her carefully, sitting patiently in the ash.

When the filly had her fill, she gave the bag back. “Thank you.”

The mare smiled. “Now you have to take your medicine.”

“But why?” the filly replied. “I already am feeling better. Wouldn’t that just waste it?”

“You have to keep taking medicine to make sure the sickness stays away,” the mare explained.

“Forever?” The filly’s eyes were narrowed now.

“No, not forever. Just until you get better properly.”

Still looking at her mother suspiciously, the filly gave in, gesturing towards the bottles of medicine. The mare passed them and the water bottle to the small pony.

“You want me to do it?”

“It’s good practice.”

The mare watched as the filly struggled with the two caps before finally opening them. She put two pills on the inside of the cap and then swallowed them with a mouthful of water. She coughed a bit, but eventually swallowed the capsules.

“See? You can do it.” The mare smiled at her daughter.

“But why? Why do I have to learn?” the filly asked, passing the medicine and the water bottle back to her mother.

“It’s good to know.”

The filly looked at the mare carefully, but the older pony looked away.

“Ok.”

The mare sighed. “We should go.”

“Where?”

The mare looked north. She could see the peaks in the distance, their shadows looming on the horizon.

“Home.”

---

They couldn’t go straight to the north. That would put them back through Ponyville and back towards an entire town of bandits whose yells still echoed in the mare’s thoughts. No. They couldn’t go in a straight line.

Instead, she climbed up to the top of a small hill to get her bearings. The forest stretched in a semi-circle to the south of the town, its eastern edge running almost all the way to the base of the mountains. A low haze prevented the mare from making out any details, but she could tell that going through the trees to the mountains would be the easiest route. Perhaps there would even be a path that ran through the mountains all the way home. A brief check of the map she had acquired in Ponyville only cemented this plan. It was woefully short of detail, but the mare could see that the forest did run all the way up to the mountains.

Her mind made up, the mare began to walk, angling their direction to the north east. The filly tried to walk too, but the mare soon realised that the small pony didn’t have enough of her strength back for that just yet. The filly just clung to the mare’s neck, the older pony’s body aching in familiar places as she walked with the small pony’s weight for the third day in a row.

The shadows were long, and despite the rising sun, they didn’t change in the slightest. This place was unnatural, the mare concluded. But even then, it was just like every other place in Equestria. There was absolutely nothing living amongst the trees. There weren’t any leaves; there weren’t any plants at all. And it was silent, silent except for whatever sound the two ponies were making and the occasional gust of wind.

As they walked, the trees passed them by. They were bigger here than elsewhere in Equestria. Their thick trunks twisted themselves in convoluted patterns, and their branches reached out like long, skeletal fingers, creaking and scratching in the breeze. The mottled-grey branches were all bare, stained with charcoal and weather damage that left the tears of grime streaking across their bodies. The trees grew close together, forming almost impenetrable walls on either side of the remnants of the small game trail the mare was following. If the mare stared for long enough, she could almost picture grotesque faces carved in the bark. She suppressed a shiver.

It wasn’t long before the mare paused for a rest. She needed water, and she needed to let her muscles take a moment’s respite. They were in a small gully, the trees thinning slightly at the bottom. Running through the bottom of the ravine were a series of small puddles that the mare guessed would have once been connected together as a small stream. Now the mare knew just how cold it was, as several of the smaller puddles had frozen over completely, their murky contents locked in an icy prison.

The mare looked down at the filly after indulging in a small mouthful of water. The small pony was lying on the ash, her head buried in her hooves. The mare could see she was shaking.

“Are you ok?” she asked quickly, panic gripping her like a vice.

“I… I feel fine,” the filly replied, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

“Then what’s the matter?” It wouldn’t have been the first time her daughter had lied about her health. Even if she just didn’t want the mare to worry, the end product of the lie was still the same. She still worried.

The filly looked up gently, her eyes locking onto the mare’s. Whenever her gaze strayed into the trees, the mare noticed she whimpered gently. She was afraid of the-

“The trees,” the filly whispered. “They’re watching me.”

The mare looked around. The trees looked back at her, the twisted and deformed bark forming monstrous faces, the kind ponies only saw in their dreams. At least, that’s where they should only be seen.

“They’re not watching you,” the mare replied. She looked away from the trees. They made her skin crawl.

“They’re looking at me. I can feel it.” The filly’s voice trembled as she failed to hold the mare’s gaze.

The mare walked over and nuzzled her daughter gently. “They’re not looking at you. They’re just trees. Trees can’t watch ponies.”

“But…”

“And besides, what would they do anyway? Trees can’t hurt you. You know that, you see trees all the time.” The mare nudged the small pony gently and she looked up again. “You’re stronger than a tree, right?”

“I’m stronger…” the filly repeated, her voice picking up slightly.

“See,” the mare said, walking over to one of the trees, “look at this one. It looks kind of silly, almost like it’s not very clever.”

The filly looked at the tree very closely before giving a small giggle.

“And this one, look at it, this one looks all sad and droopy!”

The filly chuckled, giggling into a hoof. “You’re right, Mama. These trees do look silly.”

The mare walked back over to the filly, a smile on her face. “See? Nothing to be afraid of at all. You just have to laugh at them and they’ll go away.”

The filly nodded, a soft smile on her lips.

The mare nuzzled her daughter. “Nothing to be afraid of at all…”

---

Just after midday, the mare came across a canyon. Its walls fell into the earth, the rock covered in stains of ash and charcoal. Several trees had been uprooted around the drop-off, seemingly ripped from the ground. Their rotting trunks lay scattered amongst the trees that were still standing. Great gouges had been torn into the stone like claw marks. They were filled with ash, so the mare knew that they were old.

She approached the canyon carefully, listening out for any sounds. There was nothing. She placed a hoof into one of the gouges. It was literally twice as wide as her hoof and about three feet long. There were three of them in a near vertical pattern, the middle one sticking out a little bit further than the rest. The mare took a step back. These didn’t just look like claw marks; they were the footsteps of some terrible creature.

The wind creaked suddenly through the trees, and the mare had to force her muscles relax. She took a deep breath. There was nothing like that alive now.

The mare walked over to the canyon and peered down. The drop plunged into the innards of the earth, but not so deep that the mare couldn’t make out the bottom. It was covered in a forest of bleached trees, their trunks startlingly white and often curved.

The mare’s eyes narrowed. Those weren’t trees; they were bones. She was looking down on the cemetery of either one very big creature or potentially dozens of smaller ones. Or both. The mare could picture it, hundreds of animals driven in no particular direction, desperately trying to get away from the infernal flames, moving with only the need to survive. They would have ran up to the cliff wall and found nowhere else to go. The heat would have eventually forced them off the edge… or maybe they’d forced each other. Which had been first, the mare couldn’t be sure.

An unbidden thought crossed the mare’s mind, causing her to move back from the cliff. Were ponies any different from those animals? She had seen what happened at Canterlot. She had seen ponies throw themselves and their loved ones off the edge of the city in an attempt to escape. Would their bones still lie at the foot of the city, lying forgotten like a forest of tombstones?

Perhaps in that moment, she had already seen why ponies were the way they were. She had seen the true nature of ponies before they even knew what was happening to them.

The mare couldn’t look any longer. She turned away from the cliff, heading along its length toward the east.

“Mama?” the filly asked.

“It was nothing,” the mare replied quickly. “I just thought I saw something.”

“Like what? Something bad?”

“…No.” The mare sighed.

“Then what?” the filly asked, suspicion still colouring her voice.

“I thought I saw something good,” the mare lied.

“Oh…”

The mare noted how the small pony didn’t even bother guessing what it was. Even she couldn’t really come up with anything.

They fell into silence, letting each other stew in their own thoughts.

---

It is cold. But the mare doesn’t mind, because it’s not too cold and she is far too excited anyway. Plus, she is wearing a brand new scarf. The purple fabric, emblazoned with gold patterns, flutters behind her as she runs. Her mother gave it to her a few days ago for Hearths Warming.

Snow covers the ground around her in thick drifts. As the mare runs through it, her hooves sink deep into the fresh falls. All of the trees’ naked branches are covered in a thin layer of powder.

Her parents should be waiting for her at the lake. That’s where they told her to meet them anyway. She runs through the park towards her parents. She loves the snow.

Her ice skates clink loudly around her neck as she runs. She loves after school during winter as she gets to do all kinds of really fun games. The mare doesn’t really like the cold, but she puts up with it so she can play the games.

She crests a small hill, and the lake appears beneath her. Several ponies are standing around chatting amicably and even more are already speeding around the frozen body of water. A huge smile breaks on the mare’s face and she sprints down the hill towards the pond.

“Mom, Dad!” she cries as she reaches the bottom.

Her parents look up from lacing their own skates onto their hooves. The mare’s not quite sure how they do that; she still needs to get them to help her, after all.

“Hey!” her dad calls back. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Silly! You told me to come!”

Her dad laughs and her mom rolls her eyes. “Are you ready to go skating?” her mother asks.

“I got my skates right here,” she replies. She lowers her head and lets the skates slide off her neck and fall on the ground. She stares at them for a moment before looking back up at her mother.

“Would you like a hoof?” her mother guesses.

“Yes, please…”

“Dear, would you mind?” Her dad nods and moves over to help the mare with her skates.

Before long, she is all buckled up and ready to go. Shakily, she gets up on her hooves, trying to keep her balance on the thin blades. She’s always a bit wobbly, and even more so when she hasn’t skated for a few days.

She looks up to her mother, but the older pony is staring off across the pond.

“Mom!” the mare says. “Mooom? Are you ready?”

“What? Oh! Oh yes, I am ready!”

“What were you looking at?”

“I thought I saw something,” her mother replies slowly.

“Saw something? Like what? Is it something good?”

“You might think it’s something good.” Her mother looks down at her with a small smile on her face, her eyes twinkling.

The mare is confused. “What do you me-?” Her mother interrupts her with a small gesture towards the side. The mare looks over across the lake, searching for what she was hinting at. She gasps. “Spades!” she yells as loud as she can. “Spades!”

The small colt looks up bewildered, still trying to tighten his own skates. He has strap in his mouth and one leg stretched at a very odd angle. The mare lets out a small giggle. “Oh, Spades…”

She walks straight over to the lake and puts a hoof gingerly onto the ice. Her right hoof jerks out a little when it hits the ice, but she steadies it before putting more weight onto it. When she is confident that she isn’t going to slip on the ice, she starts to push herself forward, moving her legs down and out in an alternating rhythm to move. By the time she reaches the other side of the lake, her confidence has doubled and she skids to a stop by the colt who looks up as she arrives.

“Hey.” He pulls on a strap.

“Hey there!” she replies, smiling hugely at her friend. “Are you ready to go skating?” She had no idea that he would be here, but now that he was, she didn’t bother to consider that he might have never shown. He was here now, and that was the important thing.

“Almost.” With a small grunt her tugs on the last strap before flicking the clasp close with a hoof. “There! I reckon that just about does it!”

The mare beams. “Let’s go skating then!”

Spades nods, a smile on his own face. He gets up, wobbling just like the mare did when she first tried about a minute ago.

“Come on…” the mare huffs impatiently, watching the colt struggle. Spades shoots her a look.

Now firmly on his hooves, Spades walks over to the ice. Just like the mare, he tests his weight slowly at first, slipping and sliding on the thin blades.

“Well, let’s go then!” the mare says happily, turning around. She pushes forward eagerly, and her skates grate against the ice with a hiss.

Just as she is building up speed, she throws a brief glance back over her shoulder. Spades is awkwardly wobbling his way forward. He is stepping more than he is skating.

“Down and out, Spades. Down and out!”

“I know, I know!”

He starts to pick up momentum, and the mare nods appreciatively. Just as she is about to look back around, Spades’ skate strikes a gouge in the ice, sending his skate spinning around, the clasp clearly not done up properly. He yells loudly as his balance is completely thrown, and he tumbles to the icy ground.

The mare quickly skates back over. “Spades! Are you ok?”

“I’m ok! I’m ok!”

The mare tries to stifle a giggle. “Silly.” She helps him get back on his feet – after tightening his clasp up properly.

“I could do it last year…” he says sullenly.

“And you can do it this year,” the mare replies. “Just follow me.”

“Down and out?”

“Down and out,” the mare affirms.

He sighs. “Well… here goes nothing!” He pushes forward, and promptly falls flat on his face again, his legs splaying everywhere.

This time, though, the mare doesn’t bother to hide the laughter.

---

The river gushed loudly in front of them, sending shockingly cold spray into the air. Thin sheets of ice hugged the banks in the slower moving shallows, reminding the mare just how cold it really was. The water was the same colour as the clouds – grey and polluted looking.

The mare was just packing up her materials after filling up the water bottles. She was never sure just how effective the still was at keeping the poisons out of their drinking water, but so far they were ok. She offered the filly a small mouthful who accepted it silently. The filly had decided that she wanted to walk for a bit by herself, and the mare had obliged. Her back was beginning to really hurt.

After taking her own small mouthful, the mare packed the bottle back inside her saddlebags. She slung them over her back and tightened them, pulling hard on the worn strap until it hurt.

“We have to go over that, don’t we, Mama?”

The mare looked up. The filly was staring at the lone tree trunk spanning the width of the river. The wooden bridge was starting to rot, the process sped along by the constant contact with the water. It wasn’t ideal. In fact, she was tempted to keep walking down the back until she found something… safer. But the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, and a fog was starting to make itself known in the depressions of the earth. She wanted shelter, and to do that, she had to keep moving forward, or go back.

“Yes. Don’t worry. It’s not very far.”

The filly didn’t reply, staring dubiously at the tree. The mare walked over to it, keeping her hood down despite the spray getting in her mane. She placed a hoof onto the wood and it held. Emboldened, she placed another, and then another. When she was standing completely on their impromptu bridge, she turned back to the filly.

“See? It’s fine.”

The filly’s eyes narrowed, but she followed her mother onto the tree. The mare began to walk, placing each hoof slowly down onto the slimy trunk. She looked back over her shoulder and saw that the filly was doing the same, her face scrunched in concentration.

Beneath the two ponies, the river rushed underneath them hungrily. The bubbling water filled the air with its drone as it flew by. Occasionally, the mare would see flotsam or jetsam caught amongst the river’s fury.

She breathed a sigh of relief when her front hooves hit dry land. “See?” she said, jumping forward. “Nothing to worry about.”

She leaped forward, and to her horror, the tree shifted slightly, groaning under the rapid change in weight. The filly screamed, launching her body towards the beach, knocking into the mare. The mare stumbled, disorientated.

She spun around, only to find the tree in almost exactly the same spot. It had barely moved. She looked down to the filly, who was breathing heavily on the pebbled riverbank.

The small pony looked up, her face torn between annoyance and remorse. “Don’t… do that,” she said slowly.

“Sorry…”

The filly got to her feet, her legs shaking ever-so-slightly.

“Are you sure you still want to walk?” the mare asked, concerned.

‘Yes. I can walk.”

“Really?”

The filly looked her mother in the eyes, her mouth set in a straight line. “Yes.”

Understanding, the mare nodded. “Ok.”

The filly took a step, but then stopped, looking back to the mare. “Where are we sleeping tonight?”

“We have to find somewhere.”

The filly started to walk, roughly following the direction they had been walking before they stopped. “Ok.”

---

The castle loomed up into the rapidly darkening sky. The crumbling stone towers were wreathed in a thick fog, the moisture obscuring the fortress’ outline. It stood in the middle of what almost appeared to be an island, separated from the mare by a moat of sorts – a canyon that fell away sharply into an impenetrable abyss.

The mare looked up the mass of stone and masonry. The parapets and spires looked like they had to struggle against time itself to stay upright. The castle was huge, at least two-hundred feet wide, and even in its ruined state, it flew up into the sky, the broken towers revealing winding stone staircases inside.

The fog lent the area a general sense of unnaturalness. It crawled along the forest floor, plunging off the side of the cliff before rising back up again towards the castle, obscuring it from view.

To the mare, the castle was shelter. She just had to get to it.

She walked up to two wooden support poles sticking out of the ground by the canyon’s edge. They were charcoaled with stained metal rings encircling them in several places. The mare could see the loop where the rope would have been tied. This would have been, once upon a time, her bridge across. Now it was gone.

“What was this place, Mama?”

“I don’t know. It looks like a castle.”

“Just like the Princesses had…” the filly said, slightly awed. She had seen pictures of the Canterlot palace in the mares of harmony book. Despite the castle’s condition and the dissimilar decor to the castle in Canterlot, the filly was still clearly impressed.

“I am not sure…” But even the mare couldn’t deny that the architecture of the towers bore a resemblance to those in the royal palace.

“Are we sleeping here?” the filly asked.

“If we can get in,” the mare replied.

“Why don’t we go around?”

The mare paused. The canyon seemed to encircle the castle, but she had to admit, she couldn’t see where it joined. Maybe there was a back way in.

“It’s worth a shot.”

They followed the moat around the edge of the castle, the oppressive wall of trees on their right. As they walked, the fog seemed to grow thicker, coiling itself into thin wisps as it moved. It almost looked alive.

At back end of the castle, the canyon end abruptly. The drop just finished, leaving a narrow land bridge to the castle. Stretching across its length was a crumbling wall with a black portcullis set into its dilapidated structure. It was about ten feet high, the stone was smeared in soot and diseased looking, covered in what looked like mould. The mare knew that it couldn’t be, though. Even mould didn’t survive in the open elements, only in enclosed spaces. The gate in the wall was open, the metal twisted and rusted, leaving a narrow pathway through.

The mare approached the gate slowly, feeling the fog creep around her hooves. The wall cast a long shadow that plunged the two ponies into darkness. Crumbling masonry littered the ground, parapets and furnishing that had fallen off of the defences.

“Do we go in?” the mare asked softly.

“I… I don’t know.”

The mare looked skyward. She couldn’t make out any source of light. Night was approaching and it was approaching fast. She inhaled softly.

“We don’t have a choice. We need someplace to sleep.”

The filly nodded, looking past the mare and towards the ruined fortress.

Together, they walked through the gate, following the faded remains of a path. Their hooves seemed to make no sound as they walked, altogether muffled by the creeping fog. The mare kept throwing her glance around, watching for the slightest signs of movement. Apart from the white haze, there was nothing.

They were moving through what appeared to have once been gardens. The mare could see cracked bricks when the fog shifted, arranged in circular fashions around the bed of ash. Dead trees were set in lines that curved through the castle grounds, two on either side, just how they were with the path the mare was on. These trees were different to the ones in the forest surrounding the castle. These were thinner, the bark less gnarled and twisted. Even though they were burnt and lifeless, they looked neater. More purposeful.

To the mare, they looked like the trees of somepony’s home.

The garden ended abruptly against the castle’s walls. To their left the fortifications had crumbled completely, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble lying amongst the fog. Next to the damage was an enormous empty frame. The mare could still see the great rusted metal hinges clinging to the stone’s edge.

Sharing one last glance with her daughter, the mare crossed the castle’s threshold. She found herself in a huge entrance foyer that seemed to stretch the entire length of the castle. The ceiling soared above her, even further in places were the roof had caved in. The fog seemed reluctant to enter the fortress and so the mare was able to see the marbled floor clearly; it was broken into neat squares, punctuated occasionally by loose cracks that snaked their way in convoluted patterns.

Windows were set evenly on both sides, their gothic frames empty. Small metal struts lay scattered on the floor around them. There wasn’t any glass, though.

On all of the walls, stone pillars offered structural support and decoration. Most of these had broken, leaving piles of rubble on the floor. The mare could see why parts of the roof had collapsed. Snaking along the walls were thin, black tendrils, the bodies of vines long since deceased.

Walking through the entrance lobby, the mare could see a large number of doors spread out on either side. In two places staircases spiralled up into higher floors or down to lower basements. One of these had collapsed completely, tearing a huge chunk of the wall with it.

The mare could see that the entrance foyer ended with large and bare wall, broken only by a single lone door that had been blasted open, its rotting frame lying in several pieces. The mare paused. She could see a statue of sorts lying in the room beyond, a weird combination of small pillars and pedestals.

Her curiosity piqued, the mare approached the door. Her hoof-steps echoed loudly as she walked, hers and the filly’s the only sounds in the empty castle.

Through the door, the mare found the statue. It was a circle pedestal, with six spoke-like struts coming off the top. A large circle of stone finished the sculpture off, several cracks running through its bulbous body. In front of the monument was a small pile of stone shards.

The mare walked up to the statue, examining it. It was bare, except for some strange symbols etched into the base of the circle. The mare looked a little closer. There were six of them, each one lined up with one of the spokes. A rainbow and a cloud, three butterflies, some balloons, three jewels, three apples, and finally, a star surrounded by what looked like sparkles.

The mare froze. She had seen those symbols before. They were sitting in a book inside her saddlebags right now. She motioned to the filly to come over and look. Curiosity etched on her face, the filly obliged. The mare waited while the small pony scrambled onto the mare’s back to get a better look. She heard the filly gasp.

“Mama!”

“I know.”

“The story book was telling the truth!”

The mare smiled. “I know.”

“They were real!”

“They were.” The mare grinned again as the filly got down. “They were,” she said again.

“I…”

The mare was speechless too. This castle looked completely different from the one in the book. Well, not completely, but different enough. The mare looked around. The Nightmare had stood right where she did now, casting terrible spells at Twilight as she defeated her with the magic of friendship.

Defeated her. Twilight Sparkle and the mares of harmony had defeated her. Defeated one of the greatest evils the world had known with friendship. The mare started to laugh. Her whole body shook and her lungs ached as she coughed and spluttered against the waves of mirth that struck her again and again.

The filly looked on, her face a mixture of concern and fear. “Mama…?”

The mare continued to laugh. Her cackles were growing quieter, turning into sobs. She reached up with a hoof; her eyes were burning. Pulling away, her hoof was wet.

“Mama? Why are you crying?”

The mare looked around at the crumbling castle. Despite the poor light, she could see the burned and dead trees in the distance through the broken windows. She could just make out the sky, bruised and brown, choked with ash. She could smell the dust, the charcoal and the decay.

Still crying, the mare looked to her daughter. “No reason. Just tired.”

The filly frowned. But she didn’t say anything, instead coming over and nuzzling her mother. “I’m tired too, Mama.”

“I know.” The mare returned the nuzzle, slowly regaining control of her emotions. There was a bitter taste in her mouth.

“We can be tired together!”

The mare smiled at her daughter, her smile weighted with an aching yearning. “Yes, we c-” She stopped herself. “Let’s find somewhere to sleep.”

The filly nodded helpfully. “Ok!”

Together, they left the room, leaving the statue behind them in the crumbling castle.

---

They spent what little light they had left searching through the other rooms in the castle. They were all completely empty. The only furniture that was left was made out of stone or metal, and even then it was all cracked or rusted through.

The mare noted that even though there was the occasional scorch mark, the entire fortress seemed to be devoid of any serious fire damage. It was just… old. So unbelievably old. The mare knew that it had been ancient back when the mares of harmony had been alive. Now it was seemingly old as time itself. For all the mare knew, she could be right.

They settled for the night in what looked like had once been a library of sorts. Stone shelves reached as high as the roof, their surfaces completely empty save for dust. There was nothing.

Resting behind a small pile of rubble near a corner, the mare prepared dinner by the lantern’s soft light. The two ponies ate it soundlessly, staring out into nothing. It was silent apart from the occasional clink of a metal spoon or the quiet sounds of chewing. The mare focused very hard on her food.

After dinner, and when the filly had taken her medicine, the mare wrapped her in a blanket before doing the same for herself. She didn’t offer to read the filly the mares of harmony book like she normally did. The filly didn’t ask, either.

The mare lay down on the cold floor, holding the blanket to her body as close as possible. The lantern was out, plunging the castle into an impenetrable darkness. To the mare, it was welcome. In the darkness, she tried not to think. She tried not to think about Scarlet Quill, or the cult members, or the stallion, or the slave ponies back in Ponyville. She just tried to breathe. Slowly, in and slowly out. Breathe.

“Mama?” The filly’s voice sounding out into the oppressive silence like a bell.

“Yes?”

The small pony paused, letting silence creep back into the world. Then, “You’re my friend, Mama.”

“I… what?” the mare asked.

“You’re my friend,” the filly repeated, her voice firm but tentative at the same time.

“I… I…” She breathed slowly. “And you’re mine,” the mare said at last.

“Good.” She sounded happy.

The mare wasn’t sure if the small pony remembered their conversation on the plains outside Manehatten. It had been about a week ago. It felt like so much longer now. A lifetime. But that’s what time was now. Every day was a lifetime.

But perhaps she did remember. It wasn’t really important.

“Thank you,” the mare whispered.

“Mama?” the filly whispered back.

“Yes?”

“I love you, Mama.”

“I love you, too,” the mare replied. “I love you, too.”

The mare smiled, rolling over to face the filly, invisible in the darkness. That was ok, though. She was still there. She inhaled deeply, letting the air fill her lungs. The mare closed her eyes. Things weren’t right. Things were far from it. But she was smiling.

Breathing considerably easier and still with the faintest hint of a smile on her face, the mare fell asleep.

---

A thin shaft of light burned the mare’s eyes, forcefully awaking her from her slumber. She rolled over, ignoring her rumbling stomach. Her thoughts wandered, ticking over her senses one by one. She paused. Shaft of light…?

The mare bolted upright, her eyes darting to and fro, searching. Her expression fell. There wasn’t any beam of light. It must have been a dream. There was nothing but visibility, a light with no clear source illuminating the stone walls around her in cold clarity.

Sighing, the mare got up. She walked over to their bags and fished out the water bottle. She indulged herself in the smallest of sips, despite the fact she had filled it only the day before.

Placing the bottle up against the bags, the mare checked her daughter’s temperature. It was lower again now, almost back to normal. By tomorrow, Celestia and Luna willing, she should be back to good health.

The filly woke soon after, completing the next step of their morning ritual. This morning, though, she smiled at her mother. The mare returned it with warmth.

After breakfast, the mare got the filly take her medicine for what the mare hoped would be one of the the last times. She was pretty much better, after all.

The two ponies packed away their things and left the stone library. The filly didn’t ask where they were going. She knew exactly where they were heading. And the mare did too. There was only one place left for them to go now. They were so close. So very close.

The two ponies made their way through the castle, following their memories for the exit. The whole place seemed a little lighter in the morning air. Perhaps it was the lack of fog out of the windows. Either way, it made the mare feel a little more comfortable.

Back in the entrance hall, the mare crossed it quickly, making for the large door. Without the fog covering the ground, she could see its broken form lying on the stone floor. The double doors had been split into multiple pieces, rent apart along the ancient metal supports artistically hammered onto its structure. The wood was a little burnt, but other than being in several pieces, relatively intact.

A soft clicking sound brought the mare crashing back down to reality. She froze, her heart hammering in her chest. The filly had heard it too, standing as still as a statue, not even a breath coming from her lips. The sound disappeared, moving away from them. It had been coming from outside, to the left of the entrance.

The mare motioned for the filly to climb on her back, which she did immediately, carefully avoiding making too much noise. When she was hanging on securely, the mare crept towards the entrance, listening with perked ears.

At the doorway, she paused, inhaling deeply. She could hear somepony, or something moving. It was moving slowly and away from the door.

Adrenalin coursed through her body like lightning, and her her muscles tingled with anticipation. She took a deep breath, letting the strength from the air fill her muscles. The filly squeezed her neck tighter, and the mare jumped out. She landed on the cold ash, her position low and ready, ready to run, lash out or…

“Hello.”

…Talk.

“You were quite loud back there,” the pony said. He had his back turned to the mare, staring out across the gardens into the forest beyond. His coat, where it was visible behind reinforced barding, was a golden colour. His matching mane and tail was tangled and filthy. Saddlebags rested on his flanks as did a long tube that the mare couldn’t see properly.

The mare snorted, not raising her guard.

The pony sighed, shaking his head. He turned slowly, his movements designed not to alarm. He turned, and the mare gasped. It was a pegasus.

“My name is Heavens,” he said slowly, calmly.

“You’re a pegasus,” the mare said softly, not quite believing her eyes.

“I was, yes.”

“What do you mean?”

In answer, Heavens spread his wings. But now, they weren’t wings. Not anymore. The flesh was scarred and disfigured, twisted and deformed. It looked burnt, but burnt a long time ago, with the skin never quite healing. There weren’t any feathers, but the mare could swear in places the flesh had melted around some. “I am not a pegasus anymore,” he said softly.

“I…” The mare was speechless. She felt the filly shift on her back.

Heavens took a step toward them. His body shuddered, and he grimaced slightly. The mare tensed, her eyes staring daggers into the other pony. Heavens was armed. That tube was a sword – of griffon make judging from the handle wrapped in dark bands of leather designed to accommodate talons.

“No closer,” she growled.

“Mama…” the filly whispered into her ear. “He’s hurt.”

“What are you doing out here?” the mare asked, ignoring her daughter.

“Hiding.”

“Hiding? From who?”

“From those monsters in the town.” His voice was harsh.

“Monsters?”

“They enslave ponies. They force them to build or do… other things. They aren’t ponies anymore, so they’ve forfeited the right to live. They’re monsters.” The pegasus shifted his weight, wincing as he did.

The mare frowned. Forfeited the right to live? “Why are you hiding from them?”

“Because I fight them, and a couple of days ago was a bit rougher than usual.”

“What? You fight by yourself?”

“Yes. By myself. Who else would fight with me?”

The mare didn’t miss a beat. “So where’d you get that sword? That’s a griffon weapon.”

Heavens watched her calmly. “I found it.”

They held each other’s gaze for a moment. “You should go,” the mare said slowly, evenly. She didn’t think she would have to confront him; he seemed ok. But there was blood on his hooves. He was a killer.

Heavens’ face fell a fraction. The filly shifted around again. “Mama,” she pressed, “we need to help him! Please!”

“You don’t have to help me,” Heavens said quickly.

The mare stared at deformed pegasus while he stared back. His expression didn’t move, but the mare could see… something within his eyes.

“Please… not like last time…”

The mare winced, her stomach clenching tightly.

“How injured are you?” she asked quietly, cautiously.

“Not too bad. I just need to clean some of these cuts properly. My leg is already getting better but…”

“I have some antibiotics,” the mare offered.

Heavens’ eyes lit up. “You do? How did you find any?”

“I took them from the Ponyville hospital.”

The pegasus raised an eyebrow. He looked… impressed.

“We have food, too. Lots of it. You could have some,” the filly offered, her voice shaking.

“Quiet!” the mare hissed.

“But, Mama…”

“I have a little food,” Heavens said.

“I…” The mare was at a loss. Her mind screamed at her to force him away. He wouldn’t be fast, she hoped. She could make him go away. But the filly’s words still reverberated around her skull. What would the mares of harmony do? What would they do? “Come inside,” she said eventually. “I’ll look at your cuts.”

She watched him as he started to walk towards the doorway. He paused when she didn’t move as well, but she just stared back. Realisation dawned in his eyes, and he kept walking. He was to be in front at all times.

The mare directed the pegasus towards the room with the plinth. They walked through the empty foyer, their hoof-steps echoing loudly. Neither of them spoke.

Once inside, Heavens deposited his saddlebags and other barding onto the floor. He pointedly stepped away from them, putting the dais between himself and his weapon. The mare nodded, appreciating the move.

“Ok, lie down, please.” Heavens did as he was told, still not saying a word.

The mare set down their saddlebags. She withdrew the bandages, the sanitary wipes and some of the antibiotics. She didn’t want to have to use them, but they were there just in case.

She examined the pegasus’ body closely. It was covered in scars, and not all of them cuts. Blotches of pink flesh where the fur refused to grow back properly covered his entire body like a terrible skin condition. There were numerous shallow and fresh lacerations scattered all over, but none that looked too serious. But one gash on his shoulder was still open, the flesh covered in a dry mat of blood. The mare winced when she saw it and started cleaning there first.

She opened up several of the clean serviettes, tearing through the plastic coatings. They had been the kind they had given at fast food restaurants. Now they were probably the cleanest materials left in the world. They were a commodity, and not to be parted with lightly.

The mare began cleaning away the dried blood around each of the cuts, leaving them pink and raw. She could see that he had clearly attempted to clean these himself, judging by the rough smears of dried blood matted in his coat, but the mare could only guess what with. Whatever it was, it hadn’t done a lasting job.

Heavens sat quietly the entire time, only wincing occasionally when the mare applied a little too much pressure. The filly sat nearby, watching them both silently. When she was done, the mare sighed before passing the bottle of antibiotics over to the pegasus. The gash on his shoulder looked dangerous. It hadn’t gone bad yet, but it might.

“Here, take these.”

Heavens looked at the bottle carefully before opening it. He paused. “There are hardly any left.”

The mare looked at him for a moment before standing back up and walking back over to their bags, putting away her materials.

“Thank you.”

The mare stopped in her tracks. “You’re welcome,” she whispered.

The filly smiled.

---

The three ponies sat around the stone statue, all of them sharing a single can of beans. The mare watched the pegasus closely, but she was starting to feel slightly more relaxed around him. He hadn’t attacked them. He hadn’t tried to steal anything and run.

It was his can of beans they were eating, too.

He had, however, started to talk. “Where are you headed?”

“Home,” the mare replied. Her voice was a lot gentler now, but she tried to avoid using too many words. Simple. Simple was safe.

“Home?” Heavens raised an eyebrow, but the mare didn’t elaborate. “Where have you come from then?”

“Up north.”

“Up north? With the pilgrimage?”

It had always been a strange word. It was the wrong word. They hadn’t been pilgrims. They had been refugees. “Yes.”

He paused. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” the mare replied.

They fell into a silence, neither of them looking at anything in particular. This time, though, it was the mare who broke the quiet. “What about yourself? You always fought the bandits in Ponyville?”

Heavens snorted. “No. This is a new crusade. I have only been going at this for a couple of months now.”

“Why? Why do you do it?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Somepony should. Somepony should make those ponies pay for what they are doing to their slaves.”

“But… how?”

Heavens frowned. “I can’t free them. They’re too well guarded for that. I can only raid their supply scouting parties and wear them down.”

“Wear them down?”

Heavens held her gaze for a moment, and then looked away. The mare could have sworn his eyes appeared… sad.

“I think you do a good thing,” the filly said suddenly.

Heavens watched her closely, a small, but sad, smile on his face. “You think so?”

“I do,” the filly affirmed, nodding. “You want to help those ponies.”

The mare felt a twinge of jealousy at the filly’s words. Or was that guilt? Perhaps it was both.

Heavens snorted quietly. “I suppose I do.”

They fell quiet again, the silence filling up the world. “How are you still… alive?” the mare asked quietly. “There aren’t any pegasi left…”

“Luck?” He snorted again. “And not good luck, either. I didn’t die because I couldn’t fly. It’s as simple as that. I lived when I stopped being a pegasus.”

“How did you hurt your wings like that, then?”

Heavens was quiet for a moment, staring off into space. “At the beginning, the first day of the end. When Cloudsdale burned.”

“It burned?” The mare had heard rumours. Nopony had seen it, though. Or at least so she had thought.

“Completely. That morning it was hot, and there were clouds everywhere. And then… the roar started, and when it started everything began to shake. We all looked to the sky, and the clouds started to catch on fire. The sky just burned, and all of the clouds disappeared, burning evaporating into steam so hot that it burned us alive. The entire city was just gone in less than an hour. It was gone and everypony… everypony died.”

“But… how?”

He shrugged. “Does it matter?”

“It should…”

“Well, nopony knows. Or anything else I have met, for that matter. It was the end. That’s it.”

The mare looked away. She stared at the pillar where the elements had first been found, or at least the room they had been standing in. Would they have changed anything? Could they have fixed the world and saved everypony? Of course they couldn’t… of course…

“You said that this was a ‘new crusade’. What did you mean?”

This time it was Heavens who looked away. “I try to help ponies,” he said softly.

“Help them how?”

“In whatever way I can.” He looked back up. His eyes were wide, and sad. They almost looked pleading.

“At least somepony is.”

Heavens looked appreciative for a moment before looking away. “So,” he said quietly. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Where did you come from? How are you still alive? Being alive these days is rare.”

The mare nodded slowly. It really was. “I was at Canterlot.”

“I? Not we?”

“She came after.”

“Ah…” He paused. “Canterlot fell away though…”

“Not all of it.”

“Just the part where everypony lived,” he said. It was sarcastic, but there wasn’t a trace of sarcasm in his words. They were blunt. Blunt and empty.

“Not everypony,” the mare said softly. “Just most of them.”

---

The world is shaking. It’s shuddering like a pony trapped within an icy tomb, unable to escape. The entire building is rocking backwards and forwards while the roar gets louder and louder. It’s everywhere, eating away at every other sound in the world.

The door bursts open and her husband sprints inside. He is wearing saddlebags, and they’re bulging with canned food or water. “Come on!” he yells. “We have to go! Now!”

“W-what’s going on?” the mare asks. Her voice is trembling, and it’s not just from the vibrations coming from the earth.

“I don’t know!” her husband shouts back. His eyes are wide and wild. The mare shrinks back from them. “Come on!” he yells. “Now or we’ll die!”

The mare whimpers softly. An orange glow has started to seep in through the closed curtains. Their possessions appear sickly and deformed in the light. The mare can make out the newspaper headline on the coffee table, ‘Princesses Call Emergency Meeting’.

“Please! Please…” The stallion stares at her pleadingly, his entire body trembling. “We have to go.”

“Where?” the mare asks. Her voice is nothing compared to the roar. A resounding boom shakes the earth, sounding just like thunder. It isn’t thunder, though.

The stallion’s face sets. He stares at the mare grimly. “Follow me.” He turns and sprints out the door.

The mare looks around for a second, and then follows him. They sprint down the stairs, and burst out of the house and into the open air.

She freezes, her mouth gaping in terror. The world is painted in shades of red, orange and yellow. The shadows dance in a demonic tandem with the shuddering earth.

“Keep moving!” her husband yells. “Don’t stop! Just follow me!” He takes off through the streets, twisting around the bodies of ponies as they run. Everypony is screaming. Everypony is watching the sky. Nopony is running in the right direction. Except for them.

They make their way through the streets of the city, and the mare becomes more and more lost. Are they heading towards the mountain?

The screams increase in intensity. The mare looks around.

Fire.

It is falling from the sky as streaks of light, striking the buildings with small explosions. Smaller pieces seem to float down lazily, igniting everything and anything it touches. Some of the houses are on fire, and some aren’t. The mare doesn’t look, she just keeps running.

Huge cracks are opening in the pavement. With ear-shattering groans, the very stone itself starts to tear. The mare sees the first of the buildings crumble in an implosion of dust, masonry and fire. There were more screams.

“We’re almost there!” her husband shouts. He looks out of breath. The mare doesn’t feel a thing. Just the heat. It’s radiating off of everything.

Her husband suddenly changes direction. They are running upwards, slowly ascending the city’s various levels. Ponies are still around them. Some appear to be running towards the royal palace. Some aren’t running at all. Some are lying on the ground, their flesh still sizzling from the flames.

Smoke is filling the air. It is hard to breathe. The mare keeps her head low to the ground and runs. She doesn’t look around, or up, she just runs forward.

The city ends abruptly against the mountain side. Some of the buildings are embedded into the cliff itself, and it’s to one of these that the stallion heads towards. He ducks through the open courtyard of what looks like a complex of inter-locking houses and keeps running towards the mountain. There is a door cut into the cliff-side like a gaping wound.

“The springs,” he gasps. “Where we get the water to fight fires… this way.”

“Where does it lead?”

“Past the underground lake? All the way to the other side of the mountain. We will be safe there.”

The mare pauses to catch her breath, looking back towards the city burning city. They have climbed a long way since starting; the mare can see the city stretched out below them. She can see the cracks. She can see the fires. She can see the ponies. She can also hear the screams. A few pony-shaped black specks are falling from the sky.

An explosion rocks the earth, knocking the mare to the ground. She staggers upright, coughing loudly. A horrendous screech fills the air, the sound of countless tonnes of stone protesting and screaming in pain. Suddenly, the city shifts. The mare can do nothing but watch as an entire section of the city, the better part of the residential bloc, begins to crumble away.

The ponies below are still screaming. The section falls away completely in an explosion of fire and stone. A shock wave ripples through the lower levels, sending buildings and ponies flying.

“We have to go!” the stallion yells. “Now! We have to go!”

The mare stares down at the city in dismay. The air shimmers around the palace, expanding outwards like the ripples on a pond.

“Now!” her husband screams, pulling her along.

The mare takes one last look at the burning, crumbling city, and then turns into the black doorway.

Suddenly, the world goes quiet.

---

They spent the remainder of the day doing nothing but resting. The mare hadn’t spent a day not on the move in… she couldn’t really remember. The days blurred. Walking, running, crawling. They were always moving, they were always heading towards something. Or away.

The mare dozed in the corner while Heavens spoke with the filly about his experiences in Cloudsdale before the end. Her voice was so excited. The mare felt another pang of jealousy shoot through her body.

“So then they’d race around the course?”

“Yup. They would all take turns to go through all of the obstacles and to see who was the fastest. Of course, they gave you extra points if you made it look good too.”

“Look good? Like what? Fly prettily?”

The pegasus laughed. “Kinda. They used to do tricks. Add in extra loops or cool stunts.”

“Extra loops? That was cool?”

“Well, you have to see it to know that it’s cool.”

“Mama?” the filly asked. “Was it cool?”

The mare looked at the filly carefully. Then, she smiled. “Yes. It was cool.”

The filly smiled back.

“See?” Heavens said defensively. “I told you.”

Before long, the day had slipped away between their hooves. And the mare didn’t care. For once she didn’t feel tired or sore. The dark and the fear weren’t as strong. It was just like a bad memory or a dream now.

As the shadows started to crawl along the castle’s floor, the three ponies retreated back to the library to sleep. The mare cooked up dinner, and they ate it under the warm light of a lit candle. The fog had returned and was creeping along the forest floor like floodwater. It broke against the walls of the castle like waves on an island, flowing around it, but unable to puncture or overwhelm it.

Heavens finished his food far faster than the mare or the filly. He glanced around the library. From afar, he examined very shelf in detail, his eyes lingering over every burned book with an unreadable expression. Eventually, he broke the silence.

“You said you were going home… is that out east?”

The mare paused. “Out east?” she said. “No, it’s not.”

“Oh. Funny, most ponies who I am not hunting are going east. Not that that’s many of them.”

“Why? What’s out east?”

“You haven’t heard?” The mare’s expression seemed to answer his question. “Rumours. Whispers. Some say there is something good out there. Some even say there are small settlements of good ponies – just like before.”

The mare frowned. “I have heard that before.” That’s what drove them north barely a month or so ago. That’s what killed so many.

“Me too, but this time, the ponies aren’t coming back.”

“They didn’t up north, either.”

“You did.”

The mare snorted softly. “Just.”

“Besides, the bandits and slavers aren’t going east, so that’s a plus.”

“I heard them talk about that,” the mare said softly. “They said that there was something bigger than them, that it wasn’t safe for ponies.”

Heavens watched her closely. “Who knows?” he said at last. “Does it matter? It’s the thought that’s the important thing.”

The mare nodded slowly. “I guess you’re right.”

“I think it sounds real.”

Both Heavens and the mare turned to look at the filly. “You do?”

“I do. I think there would be ponies trying to live happily. Just like the mares of harmony.”

“The mares of harmony?” Heavens asked.

“Yes,” the filly answered. “It’s my favourite story book.”

Heavens looked away for a second. “Yeah, I know the one.”

The mare frowned at the pegasus, but he didn’t say anything else. In fact, they all fell silent, watching the shadows in the corners of the room.

An hour later, the filly fell asleep. She curled up within her blankets and wrapped her tail around her small body. The mare reached down and kissed her head, brushing her mane with a gentle hoof.

“Where’s the father?”

The mare looked at the pegasus sharply. It was a stupid question. The mare knew he knew it was a stupid question. He looked away apologetically.

“Gone.”

Heavens nodded, conceding. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” the mare said with a soft sigh.

“How do you keep her safe?” he pressed. “How do you keep her alive?”

The mare thought for a long time. “I am not sure. I just have to, so I do it.”

The pegasus’ brow furrowed. “But in all this… how? She’s so innocent. She’s… hopeful.”

The mare smiled a soft smile. “Because she’s everything we lost. That’s why.”

“I…” Heavens looked away. The mare didn’t quite catch his expression. He didn’t look up for a long time. “Perhaps she is,” he finished gently.

“She’s everything. I just pray to Celestia and Luna every day that they let me keep her safe for one more day. I pray that they let me bring her one day closer to a life where she can live like we used to.”

“What? You think the Princesses will help you do that?”

“Who else would?”

“Anypony else. The Princesses are dead. They are dead and burned. We all know that.”

“Do we? Maybe they are somewhere else.”

“Then why leave us to suffer? How can they watch us destroy each other and do nothing? How can any of us – how can anypony watch all of this and do nothing?”

“I don’t know,” the mare whispered.

Heavens snorted. “That’s the end of days. We know nothing. All we know is the destruction of everything we had once loved. For once we are seeing ponies as they truly are – the monsters that they hid away from the sun, that they hid away from Them.”

“Do you really believe that? Do you really believe that this is what ponies really are?” The mare spoke quickly, quietly. She needed to hear. She needed an answer from somepony that wasn’t herself.

He was silent for a long time. “Yes. I do. There are too many of them to think otherwise. I used to give them a choice. I used to tell them they could set the slaves free, or even just leave them alone and live peacefully. But none of them chose that. They all chose to fight. The idea of trying to survive without inflicting misery was so difficult for them, they chose to fight and die. How can I see that and not believe what I believe?”

“You kill them.” It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t even a condemnation. It was a statement.

Heavens looked away. “Yes.” This time, though, the mare did see his face. His eyes were scrunched shut, and his lips were pulled taut.

The mare wanted to reach out and touch him. Tell him… something. Tell him anything. But there was nothing. Instead, she sat there quietly, not speaking a word. The mare watched the flickering candle. She watched as it cast a small bubble of visibility onto the stone shelves.

Eventually, she broke the silence, “I can’t believe that there isn’t any good in ponies anymore. I can’t believe that. I just can’t. How can I look at my daughter otherwise? How can I look at how she smiles, and how all she wants is for everypony to be happy? How can I look at her want nothing but everypony to be like the mares of harmony and not see the beauty? I look at her and I see beauty. I see everything that we used to have, and I see it come from something born after the end. How can I believe that there isn’t any good in the world? How?”

Heavens was silent, so the mare continued. “I see her and I see the good in ponies. If I see the good in ponies, I pray that They are still watching us. I pray that They are still watching us and They see her and They care for her. I can’t do everything alone. I just can’t. I need Them watching over me… I need Them watching over us.”

Heavens finally looked up. His eyes were pleading. They were begging something from the mare. “But how can you do it? How can you see everything and still be able to believe that?”

“I don’t.” The mare thought back to everything. She thought back to the slaves in Ponyville, to the pony trapped in the cage, to the stallion outside Manehatten, to the cult members in the cave, to the small pony she had threatened. She thought back to every single thing she had done. “That’s why I pray. That’s… why I pray.” She turned her gaze to the filly who was still sleeping soundlessly. Her chest rose and fell with each breath and she sniffled once. The mare smiled.

“She’s just like...” The words were so soft the mare didn’t even think she had heard them. They were the mere ghosts of speech, and they were carrying so much weight.

“Who?”

Heavens didn’t reply, and the mare didn’t ask again. “We should sleep,” she said.

The pegasus nodded once, his expression unfathomable. The mare’s heart ached when she saw it. She had seen that look before.

She laid down next to the filly, pulling a blanket around her body tightly. Heavens did the same on the other side of the candle. He looked away, facing towards the wall. The mare reached out slowly and blew the light out, plunging the world into darkness.

---

It is dark. The mare can only just make out the massive hedges in front her. They stand tall and imposing, walls of shadow that form complicated patterns of right angles. The mare knows this place; it’s the maze.

The two ponies had made their way through the Canterlot gardens after returning from the theatre. The mare assumes that it is a date. It had been really nice, too.

“And we are here why?” she asks.

Her husband smiles. “Fun.”

The mare looks around at the grounds. The rows of decorative plants line themselves up neatly in clear sections. In the darkness, they look like vague and murky shadows, their colours indiscernible, but the mare can smell the fresh scents in the air. She inhales softly, breathing in the smells of the garden.

“So…? We are just going to run in?”

The stallion takes a couple of steps forward. He looks back and smiles mischievously. “Something like that.” He winks and then runs into the maze of hedges, leaving the mare behind.

The mare sighs softly before taking off after him. She runs through the rows and rows of walls flanking her on either side. Her husband’s tail stays just out of reach, flicking around corners just as she rounds the one before it. If she really wanted, she could catch him, but she doesn’t. She can’t stop smiling.

Their path is lit by a silvery glow emanating from the sky. It casts a mystical light onto the world that turns the various white flowers clinging to the hedge walls luminescent. The mare only looks at these quickly, but her hoof-steps become lighter when she does.

Her husband is starting to slow now. How he knows where he is going, the mare has no idea. Perhaps he doesn’t. She decides it doesn’t matter. He wants this and she wants to make him happy.

The mare rounds a corner and almost runs straight into the stallion. He is standing in the middle of an open pasture. Statues dot the grassy meadow, their forms eternal reminders of heroes and lessons past. A gazebo sits in the middle of the grass, the white wood glowing in the light. It is decorated with organic patterns carved into the eaves of the roof like vines on a wall.

Before she can say anything, the stallion walks towards the structure. The mare follows silently, curious as to what he has planned.

They step up the small set of stairs and walk into the middle of the gazebo. The stallion turns and smiles at the mare. In the shadow, the mare can barely make out his features. His eyes are lost to pits of darkness. But the mare can see him smile warmly.

She opens her mouth to say something, but he stops her with a tender hoof. He beckons her over to the wall of the pavilion, and she walks over with him. Together, they stare out over the field of statues, over the hedges with their glowing flowers, and over the golden city in the distance. He looks up, and the mare follows his gaze.

She gasps. The moon is sitting in the sky silent and ethereal. It bathes the world with light, just enough to reveal the beauty of shadow, just enough to show the mysticism and wonder of darkness. Next to their moon are millions and millions of stars, each one a sparkling beacon set against a velvety back-drop.

The mare cannot tear her eyes away. Not now. Not with him so close, his breathing intermingling gently with her own. Not with the canvas of shadow above her, awash with the barest hint of silver light, the sequins of white shining elegantly against the darkness. They are not the stars tonight, they are their stars.

She feels her tail being intertwined with her husband’s and she smiles. She feels his gentle gaze and she looks down to meet it. In the light, she can see his eyes; they are staring at her emphatically yet with a warmth that sends a flush of happiness spreading through her entire body. He is smiling softly, one corner of his lips higher than the other. She contemplates saying something, but she doesn’t. She doesn’t need to. She just stares back, a smile on her face, sharing the moment.

The mare smiles because in that instant, in that moment of time, nothing, absolutely nothing needed to be said. For in the darkness, and in the shadow highlighted by moonlight, there was beauty.

---

Perfect. There were not many moments that the mare could call perfect. Was that one of them? Maybe before the end. Maybe before what happened. So was the memory tainted now? Does his absence make the memory mean less? Is it no longer perfect because of everything that had happened, because of every mistake or choice?

The mare doesn’t know. She just doesn’t know. She tries so hard to know, to understand, but she can’t.

The mare woke. She kept her eyes closed for a moment, listening. She could hear a faint breeze outside. She could hear the steady rhythm of another’s breath. It was quiet, easing in and out of the air. It was too quiet.

The mare flicked her eyes open, casting them around in front of her. There was an empty space. Heavens. Heavens!

She got up, her eyes darting backwards and forwards. He couldn’t have. He wouldn’t have!

He was gone.

She dashed over to their bags, her heart pounding. “No, no, no, no,” she whispered. “Please, no!”

The bag in which she kept their food opened easily, the draw string loosening in one smooth motion. She thrashed at the opening, looking desperately inside.

She saw cans. All of them. Not a single one missing. They were all still there.

The mare sat down heavily. “I…” She breathed a sigh of relief, staring around at the empty room. The filly still slept silently, totally oblivious to the mare’s actions.

The room was empty. Heavens was gone. The mare frowned, casting her eyes downward. He was here, and then he was gone. She smiled sadly at the cold stone floor, ignoring the feeling settling on her like a fog. What was it? Guilt? Jealousy? It gnawed at her insides. She felt…

The mare walked over to the sleeping pony. Inhaling the cold air, trying not to choke on her own shaking breath, she nudged the filly awake.

“Wh- Mama?” the filly asked sleepily, blinking.

The mare didn’t say a word; instead, she leaned down and nuzzled her daughter.

The filly returned the gesture. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. “He’s gone.”

“Yes, he is,” the mare said in a voice she hoped was louder than a whisper.

“He left us.”

The mare nodded.

“Ok.” They sat there for a moment, not saying a word, just being near each other.

Eventually, the mare knew they needed food. They had to keep moving today. They were close now; home was not far away. They had to keep moving.

She walked over to the saddlebags again, intent on something to satisfy the gnawing in her stomach. The bag was already open from where she had left it earlier. She reached in and fished around for a jar, looking for anything simple and dry to eat. She stopped. There was a piece of paper in this pack, its crumpled surface folded neatly into a square. The mare kept all of her paper in the other bag. All of it. She fished it out and smoothed the wrinkled page against the floor so she could read it.

‘Thank you. For everything.

Heavens’

She stared at the message for a long time. The filly didn’t comment. She just watched. The mare read the scrap of paper one last time before folding it and putting it inside a pocket. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t even think about putting it away. She just did.

They left soon after, leaving the castle behind for their memories to enjoy. The forest loomed around them oppressively, the trees reaching out towards the ponies as they walked along yet another game trail. The fire had sealed paths like these for eternity. They would remain until the forests themselves turned to dust, and there weren’t any trees left at all. Then there wouldn’t need to be a path anyway.

They were striking north east again. Following the concave of the forest as it made its way to the foothills of the mountains. From there the mare wasn’t sure. She hoped there would be a mountain trail she could follow that would take them through to home. The map was unhelpful as soon as she entered the forest or looked towards the mountains. She didn’t want to set out along the Canterlot Valley if she could help it. Not after Ponyville.

The day wore on. The light passed overhead, moving from horizon to horizon, locked in a habitual movement that the mare wasn’t sure was intentional. The shadows lengthened with it, first facing west, then east.

They stopped at around midday for a drink. They sat in the ash, resting against the burned trunks of long dead trees. The mare wasn’t hungry, and apparently neither was the filly. They took their luxurious sip of water, and packed it back in the bag, securing the straps back up tight. The mare looked to her daughter, and she stared back. Her eyes… they were colder. Older? They were different.

“Are you ok?” the filly asked.

“Yes, I am fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” The mare paused. “Are you ok?”

The filly gave a small smile. “Yes, Mama. I am fine.”

“Good.” The mare turned and walked towards the looming mountain range. It was closer now. Maybe less than a day’s walk from the foothills.

The mountains speared upwards like the jagged teeth of some dragon, coiled in a wreath of cloud that crawled its way down from the sky. All of them were connected by a large body of gullies and ridges that bulged like overfilled saddlebags, forming the bulk of the peaks. The mare hoped that it was in that slightly lower ground where she would find a path.

They continued on as the afternoon began to tick by. The looming mountains drew closer with each step, becoming larger and larger, framed always by a shroud of grey clouds.

The trees had begun to thin. They were still there, smaller now and growing further apart. The trunks lost their faces, and instead started to look like every other tree in Equestria. The mare almost started to feel like she was home. She laughed bitterly at the thought, and the filly looked at her, but she said nothing to explain.

The mare stopped. The filly halted next to her, staring at the offending obstruction. They could see a road through the trees, the path cutting through the forest like a river. The surface of the road was obscured by piles of ash, but the mare could still see the black tar beneath. A dense thicket of trees bordered the highway, and a ledge jutted up to the right of the mare’s position, running along the length of a hill.

“Where does it lead?” the filly asked.

“Probably to Ponyville.”

“But where else?”

“I am not sure. I could check the map.”

“Don’t worry.”

“Are you sure?”

The filly looked up at her mother for a moment. “Yes, I am sure.”

The mare nodded, looking away. She could see the faint outline of a haze of black and brown on the horizon to the west. That would be Ponyville. She was thankful to see just how small it was. They had come a long way.

She stepped down from the rise and walked down to the road. The ash stirred beneath her hooves, and the wind hissed slightly. The ground descended subtly, running down an embankment to the road. The path was bordered on the either side by a small ditch.

They stepped onto the road and stared down its length. It ran in a perfect straight line from east to west. It was empty, framed on both sides by trees.

The mare sighed and crossed the road. Their destination was still further north. The wind stirred. A branch cracked. A branch… the mare froze. There was a flash, and the mare screamed as fire shot up and down her back leg.

“Get them!”

The bandits spewed out from the thicket of trees opposite the two ponies. They charged up the side of the ditch, brandishing weapons in their mouths or within faint magical auras. The mare could see a unicorn step out of the trees behind them, already readying another spear.

“Run!” the mare screamed. “Run!”

Ignoring the agony gripping her leg and the spike of metal buried deep inside her, the mare tried her best to run down the road. The ditch slowed the bandits, giving them a head start.

The filly slowed down, coming to skidding halt that sent the ash flying, her eyes wide in fear. “Run, Mama! Run!”

The mare limped forward as fast as she could. A hiss shot past her ear as another spear barely missed the filly. The bandits were so close, only twenty feet. They weren’t going to make it.

“Run! Go!” she yelled. “I’ll hold them! Run!”

The filly stared at her for the briefest moment, her eyes frozen in fear and horror. The mare turned to face their attackers. She put as much weight as she could on her back hooves and readied for a kick. She faced the bandit and snarled. His eyes lit up, and he froze. The other ponies all stopped too, their vision locked on something just behind the mare.

The filly screamed, her voice cutting through the sudden silence like a thunderbolt. “Heavens!”

A blur shot past the mare and slammed into the pony directly in front of her. The figure braced its hooves against the bitumen as the other pony went flying backwards. A curved sword glinted in its mouth.

“Heavens!”

The pegasus charged the fallen pony, swinging his weapon in a sweeping arc. There was a cry, and the bandit slumped.

The other attackers looked at each other… and charged.

“Run!” This time the voice was stronger, louder, male. Heavens flicked his head, neatly sidestepping a clumsy thrust with a spear as he brought his own weapon to bear on his assailant in a neat slice. She pitched forward, a gash running horizontally across her neck, her eyes shocked and confused.

The mare turned and sprinted as fast as her legs would carry her. A warmth had been spreading from her leg, and each step sent a wave of agony shooting through her entire body. The filly ran beside her, easily keeping up with the limping mare.

There was another scream behind them. Another soft thud.

The mare’s vision was starting to blur. Her leg felt sticky and unresponsive. She stumbled.

“Come on, Mama!” the filly pleaded, shooting backward glances. “Please come on!”

The mare gritted her teeth, the spear shifting inside her leg as she ran. Her vision was going. Going. Going. She collapsed, the darkness seeping in from the corners of the world.

“Mama!” The scream was so loud. There was another one, this one entirely incoherent. The sound was filled with fear. It was a dying scream. There was another.

The darkness was winning, gloating as it held off from its final victory. The mare tried to reach out further down the road with a hoof, but another wave of pain struck her. She slipped and fell off the edge, the shadow embracing her eagerly.

“Heavens!” Was the one of the last things she heard. “Help her please!”

Another scream.

“Mama!”

And then darkness.

---

A/N: A massive thank you to Sessalisk for editing, and an equally big thank you to everyone for reading. Questions? Comments? I appreciate feedback of any kind, so please let me know how you are finding it! I shall see you for chapter 9!

Comments

[Mystic]

496316 I'm glad you're liking it so far! Sorry if my answers are a little vague; a lot of stuff isn't explained for a deliberate reason, or I hint at stuff later on.

1. Most of the survivors just call it 'the end'. As for the cause, you shall have to read on and find out!
2. Supplies are a big part of it. A lot of it was built on a cycle of control and an attempt to maintain some security of territory and supplies. Numerous factions (you will see some of the ones that really led to society falling apart in chapter 3) appeared in the immediate aftermath. Having different factions naturally creates a politics of difference or an 'us' and 'them' mentality. And as everyone knows, difference has a tendency to breed conflict, and conflict snowballs. There is some other stuff, but it is explored later!
3. A fair few ponies did survive the cataclysm. I mean, it still would be considered an extinction event, but enough did survive to allow them to try and hold society together. They failed.
4. Yup, not a single plant is still alive. (Otherwise the ponies would have a food source!) Everything is dead. As for the ground itself, most of it is ash, but in some places where the ash is naturally thin then there would just be dirt. Of course, since it has been almost ten years, most of the dirt is ash anyway at this point. And you're right. Lung diseases and the like are incredibly common. See a future chapter for details.
5. Unfortunately due to the themes associated with the lack of description, I'm not gonna be able to answer this one just yet! Ask me again at the end of the story and I might, haha.
6. That was a dream, and not accurate as to what actually happened. It was exaggerated symbolism, not a memory. When you read on you will know that the mare's dreams are particularly... vivid, haha. Interestingly, chapter 8 has a memory of the day of the end, but I'll let you get to that yourself.
7. Ponies were a little more industrialised before the end than what they are during the show. Canned goods were incredibly popular for their ease and variety, and so tonnes of the stuff were in pretty much every settlement across Equestria. Other than that, anything they can get their hooves on.

And yeah, I think that's about it! Thanks for the comment, and I really hope you like what's to come!

[Mystic]

496341 Oh yeah, I totally agree with you, haha. I have a huge amount of headcanon for what happened to the Princesses during this, but unfortunately, I can't explain it! Siigh. Maybe when the story is over I will, haha.

And the dragons are an interesting one. I actually mention them in other chapters, I believe. The few that survived fled. As for where... well that would be telling, wouldn't it?

[Lunar Revelation]

496500
Glad to see that you've thought these things out, though not necessarily surprised; wouldn't expect anything less
In light of the canned foods thing, the migration and cities have more weight; after all, the most supplies would be in cities, even if it was a bunch of people bartering. Also, that means 'the end' is even worse than indicated- even there's a lot of it, it's still limited. Not to mention limited resources wouldn't help a collapsed society going savage.

My mistake on the description of the cataclysm; I thought it was supposed to be a memory . Looking forward to the rest of the story and the reveals. Thanks for answering my questions, and as usual, have a nice day Now for chap. 2!

[Tundara]

I know it is unrealistic and foolish, but I am still holding out hope for a happy ending to this story. Maybe the Mare, Filly, and Heavens find the Elements of Harmony in Canterlot's ruins and use them to breath life into Equestria. Or maybe an adult Spike rescues them, taking them to a secluded oasis he's created. I don't know. Something. Anything. But happy.

[Mystic]

496912 I'm glad you're liking it! I have actually finished it, and it's currently at ten chapters! So only two left to be released. As far as dragons are concerned I believe that they can live for a couple thousand.

496947 Have hope! Hope is a wonderful thing! Either way, I hope you like it!

[Cyborcat]

A few pony-shaped black specks are falling from the sky.

I cringed at that--made me think of 9/11.

Anyway, another awesome chapter. I'm glad they found another "good pony". Helps break up the monotony if nothing else (not that I was finding it monotonous, just saying that change can be a good thing ^.^)

[Mystic]

500889 I actually used a lot of disasters as reference for the events of 'the end'. It's pretty brutal stuff.

Ahh Heavens. Yeah, he is pretty important to the pacing, particularly as we're moving into the last couple of chapters!

[Tehflah]

I've been hinging on updates since I saw this on EqD around chapter 5, been hooked ever since.

Only just now actually made an account on here. The story is really sad, but always well written. Fantastic job so far! I just hope the same as Tundara. They've been through so many hardships that I really hope something good comes from all of it.

I have a few comments I could make, but I'm going to hold them until the end because I'm not sure if they'll be answered in time.

Again, wonderful story!

[Mystic]

500998 I am really glad you're enjoying it! Also, the ending isn't too far off, so hopefully you like how it does end! I'm looking forward to hearing any questions or thoughts when it's all over, as well.

Thanks for the comment!

[ungodly]

So is the end going to be explained in more detail? Its so mysterious, what exactly is it? I get the feeling it was the either the sun releasing a burst of energy or something to do with a earthquake that made every volcano on Equestria erupt. Its probably been explained already, but there has been so many awesome chapters so far i probably easily missed it

[Mystic]

501510 Well, now that we've hit chapter 8, and the memory of the end has been and gone (which has the most detail given), I can safely say this:

It's a mystery. Haha. I'm sorry and I know that this must be incredibly frustrating (and I'm really sorry for that), but I have left it incredibly vague deliberately to try and force the reader to fill in the gaps with their imagination. So in other words, if that's what you think, then no one can say you're wrong. (Well... except for me, but I'm not going to do that!)

The reason I don't say specifically what happened is because the mare doesn't know and because the story is from her perspective, the audience only knows what she does. Since she doesn't know, unfortunately neither does the reader. They just try and survive.

Thanks for the comment!

[Scripture]

FINALLY got to reading this chapter! And I am both wondering several things... Although, I actually think I know the cause of the end~ I thought about it a bit and I must say, if it's true, then you indeed have thought of a really good idea! Of course, this is what I think and I highly doubt that you did it

Also, there were a few grammar and tense mistakes that stood out to me in the story, just a heads up on that front.

Besides that tho, loved the chapter both as a sort of pick me up for the mother and filly, CEPT the end obviously... So sad!

Last note, If you didn't give an official name to the filly, i would call her Hope after that chapter. It suits her well! Idk, just random thinking

[Mystic]

512962 Hey, I am glad you're using your imagination in coming up with your own reason for why the world has ended! That's what I hoped people would do.

Also, I am sorry about the grammar stuff; I shall have to pick through it a bit more carefully!

And next chapter... oh boy. Next chapter. I hope you're ready, haha.

[Mystic]

515920 Well I am thrilled you are enjoying it like you are! I personally think I got better as I went a long, so hopefully you'll continue to enjoy it as you go!
The cult members are an interesting one, and you are very right in looking at just how far they have fallen. The fact is that I can see ponies from the show becoming lost in a cult fervour. They are prone to group think and losing control to crowd emotion, and so I took that one step further and turned it dark. And to me it fit really well with the setting, the loss of all hope, and the desperation that followed.

Yeah... I have a really bad habit of de-constructing beautiful things.

[Lunar Revelation]

515998
Good thing I keep up two tabs for my account, between reading and comments. Anyway, the cultists here were particularly interesting for me for two reasons; one, my goal in the long run is to eventually gain a psychology Ph.D, so anything addressing things like crowd mentality and/or how good intentions can become twisted under the right conditions are among my favorites . Two, Cultists are seriously creepy. Related to number two is that we know Discord exists, and if he was released last time because of the princesses losing connection to the elements and three fillies fighting near him, imagine what end of the world, the bearers dead (I'm assuming this isn't one of those cases where they become immortal), and extreme discord between ponies could do. Mind you, far all we know, the end did kill him...not to mention that I don't see what would be left for him at this point; it seems most ponies are already where his mind rape put the mane 6, so that wouldn't be much fun- though in my opinion, he's capable of far worse than we see in the show, going by the ponies in a huge fire screaming-anyway. I personally can't wait to see how all this resolves since it could practically be anything...I hold on to my hope it's not a scenario where everything just dies- I've never been a big fan of no hope left endings.

P.S. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to listen to those spontaneous group songs about friendship and stuff (sung by extremely colorful ponies) the same again, you monster

[Mystic]

516086 Oh boy, haha. To me Discord is... well... hopefully you'll stick with me long enough to read some of my other projects coming out in the next month or so. Then you'll see my version of Discord.

So much fire.

And yeah, I ruined the group songs for myself! I can't see it as anything but examples of group think. And of course my mind goes straight to how dark I can make that.

[Scripture]

515747

Oh god... Now I'm scared sh**less...

DON'T DIE MOMMY MARE!

(although I'm secretly anticipating it immensely )

[Tehflah]

517062
I know right. I just want them to come out of this okay
Manly tears might be approaching in the next chapters I fear...

[Lunar Revelation]

Weird, several of our past comments are here. Anyway, that...wasn't what I expected. I figured they would eventually meet a pegasus, but this wasn't really how I thought it would go. However, I did like the introduction of a sort of 'paladin' (not religiously, of course, but he matches the type other wise), especially the part where he doesn't steal their food. I have a feeling he's going to die, though. Also, I think I see much foreshadowing in this chapter when it comes to the princesses, but we'll see. Oh, and I like that parallel to Pinkie Pie near the beginning- now I'll have to look back through previous chapters and see if there's the same for the other bearers, you bastard Another amazing chapter, another well-spent hour.

P.S Now that I've cleared up a few things- and have found proper music- I will be active again. I know you probably didn't notice I was gone for a week or two (after all, I'm just another fan/wannabe reviewer), but a thousand apologies nevertheless. Things happen, and I WILL finish this story. Actually, I need to check whether chapter ten was the end or not. Anyway, see you in chapter nine! Oh, yeah, have a nice day