All That Remains

by Draconian Soul

Back Down Memory Lane

“And then I reupholstered some of her furniture before leaving the other day. I hope that it’s actually comfortable. If someone was to buy the cottage, I wouldn’t want them to sit in something uncomfortable.”

Rarity nodded. “My, you really have spruced up the place. I can’t wait to see what you have done with it.”

“Yeah, me neither.” I was lying of course, but I needed her to stay happy. I don’t know why, but her happiness seems to complete me. Maybe it was the reason I couldn’t tell her no. I couldn’t bear see her hang her head low in disappointment.

The atmosphere of the crowded town depleted as we headed towards the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. It was peaceful and quiet here, a perfect resting place for ponies who didn’t know the mare I used to spend some time with. Butterflies flew through the air, birds chirped giving their harmonious tunes, and a few forest animals ran along the path as we entered the domain of my dear friend, Fluttershy

Even now, I find it hard to say her name. She was such a kind, gentle soul, broken down in depression when the fear of death hit her. I know that feeling all too well. Or, in a sense, I know why she feels that way.

“Wow, this is beautiful,” Rarity said with gleaming eyes, walking through the almost mystical walkway. “It’s like it’s been touched by an angel!”

“Thank you, Rarity. I try my best.” I don’t know where that remark came from, but it was something unexpected in my former state of mind.

Rarity shook her head and rolled her eyes, failing to withhold her elation. It was strange. We weren’t just having idle, dull conversations inside the boutique. We were walking and talking. It was something I avoided doing with her since we lost our dear friends. Was she trying to tell me something? Have I tried to keep her confined and trapped in that place for far too long, and she is embracing her freedom? Am I the dragon keeping the princess locked in her castle? Just assuming that made me cringe.

As we walked closer and closer to the cottage, my legs felt heavier and heavier. It was all too soon. I give myself time to avoid sending myself into another episode, but with Rarity around, the demons were just waiting to call me, lurking inside that cold, empty place. It’s a shame that I viewed it that way. A place surrounded by natural beauty, plants all around and the sound of birds and animals breaking the silence with their harmonious tone should not be tainted by such poisonous thoughts.

We reached the front steps, and her face glowed with nostalgia. I could see her eyes glisten, with tears threatening to escape her. She held them back, refusing to show any signs of weakness and smiled at me.

“It looks just as I remembered,” she said, scanning the home with her aging eyes. “I wonder what you have done with the interior.”

“Only one way to find out,” I said, opening the door. I held my hand out, gesturing her to enter. “Ladies first.”

She proudly trotted in. “Always the gentledrake, aren’t you, Spikey Wikey?”

I blushed and responded with a simple, “Of course,” before closing the door behind us. The only light inside of the house was that of the rays beaming through the windows, illuminating the house in orange splendor. The floorboards were slightly creaky but sleek. Besides the furniture, it was an empty, lonely house.

Rarity looked around, taking in the atmosphere. I can only hope she had pleasant memories of this place before Fluttershy passed away. All I had was the memory of her final breath. I just came to assist her in her final hours, helping around the cottage because she felt weak. During the middle of the day, I sat her down on the couch, and decided to make some tea to relax her a bit. Things were going well, and the afternoon was going well.

When I returned with the cups of tea, I found her lying on the couch, motionless. I prayed that she was just sleeping. That she was just tired and needed a little rest. As you age, you tend to need more rest than before. That’s what I wanted to believe. The reality is that while I was away, while I was taking my time making a beverage that I could have put aside to assist her, her pulse stopped. I remember sitting there, waiting for something to happen, for some movement.

I sat there for two hours, tears rushing down my face. That’s the last memory this house held for me. I wonder what memories Rarity had of her? What her last memories of Fluttershy? It made me wonder if her state of mind was more stable than mine.

"Hey, Rarity, wanna sit down for a bit?" I pointed towards a couch. "You don't have to stand up if you don't want to."

Rarity shook her head. "Oh, I couldn't possibly defile her furniture like that. I wouldn't want whoever decides to purchase this estate to have to deal with a sunken chair. Fluttershy deserves the best representation for her place.”

“It’s fine, Rarity,” I insisted. “I can easily fluff the couch out if I need to. You shouldn’t be on your hooves for too long.”

She glared at me with intensity, crossing her front hooves. “Just what are you trying to say?”

I gulped, shifting my eyes around. It was foolish to consider Rarity unable to do anything for herself because she was old. She deserved much better treatment than that. I frowned and looked down towards the ground in shame, kicking my feet.

“Sorry. I wasn’t trying to imply anything. I just wanted you to be comfortable here.”

“Well, I couldn’t very well be comfortable knowing that I would ruin the value of this home by messing up your hard work to keep it in shape. It would be a disservice onto them to do so.”

“I guess.” I glanced up at her, waiting for another reaction. “So, what did you want to come here for? I mean, most of the animals have moved out since then, and even the small critters that used to reside here don’t come inside anymore. It’s just an empty… lonely house.”

“Which is in dire need of cleaning.” My head perked up and I looked wide eyed at her. “I mean, no offense, Spike, but this place could use a little bit of dusting. I can feel the particles on the bottom of my hooves! Oh, and this air. It’s so stuffy and—” Her nose scrunched. She wiggled it around before letting out a loud sneeze. “Let’s just say that we could do a little bit of spring cleaning here to make this place more appealing to those who are planning to move here.”

It shouldn’t have been that surprising that Rarity was on top of the cleanliness. If it wasn’t for her sagging, wrinkling skin, I wouldn’t have been able to tell she had aged. Her personality was still intact.

But still, “We”? She wanted to clean with me? I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. She might have been lively, but I still worried about her fragile body. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if she got hurt.

“Rarity, that’s not necessary,” I told her as she ignored me and continued finding clothes and dusters. “I can do all of the work. You don’t need to—”

She cut me off with her hoof, looking sternly at me. “Spike, I don’t want to hear any ifs, ands, or buts about this. I might be old, but I’m functional, and I don’t want you breaking your back trying to take care of everything yourself.”

I wanted to say something against this, but she had already made things clear. She wanted to work. She wanted to assist me on the task at hand and do some maintenance on Fluttershy’s old cottage. When I nodded, a warm smile graced her face. The confidence she had displayed was second to none. I couldn’t say no to a determined face like that, no matter how much I thought it would be for her benefit. It wasn’t like I couldn’t offer her a break when I felt she was pushing herself.

“Okay, if you really want to help,” I began, “but there isn’t much to do, and I don’t want you overexerting yourself. How does an hour of work sound?”

She nodded her head. “That’s perfectly fine, deary.” She lifted the feather duster she found with her magic and gestured for me to follow suit. “Now let’s get as much done before that hour comes. We have quite a bit of work to do by then!”

There really wasn’t much we had to do, but I didn’t dare tell her that. I was starting to come to the conclusion that she just wanted the memories of the friend. In fact, I was certain that was the case. But why, and for what reason? We would talk about the past, yes, but it wasn’t common for her to want to go to the empty home of her friend and help clean it. I was puzzled, and slightly frightened. I’ve heard stories of those who want closure before they pass away. Was this her coming to terms with things?

I avoided thinking about that for the rest of the hour, but instead made sure she was stable enough to work. I gave her task that weren’t too demanding, like dusting tabletops or making sure all the silverware was straight. They were trivial task, I know, but I refused to let her hurt herself, especially in a home that was the final resting place of Fluttershy.

I did all of the challenging tasks, such as moving furniture around and straightening picture frames on the wall, along with Rarity telling me how to do my job. I shook my head and rolled my eyes with a smile forming on my face. It’s strange how an extra body can turn a house filled with silence and dread into one of livelihood and hope. Before, I could only see the darkness that shrouded the house. The empty feeling that I felt every time she showed up. Now, I can see the light beam through the window, and shine through the house with warm rays.

We continued working on the house for the alleged hour, probably a little longer as time was lost with both of us, before I decided it was an opportune time to stop.

“Rarity, the hour has passed,” I said. “We should stop for the day.”

“Oh, but I still see a little dust on the tables. Oh, and what about the kitchen? We can’t possibly leave the kitchen all dusty!”

Wasn’t that just like Rarity. Her neat freak nature tended to keep her going and wanting to continue a task that wasn’t even necessary. The Element of Generosity she was, and I love her for it. There goes that word again. Love. Fighting my feelings was getting harder and harder, and I was becoming more and more confused because of it. I didn’t know at the time how I felt about her. All I knew was every time I thought about her, I started to feel funny.

“Rarity, I can handle it from here,” I said, walking closer to her. “You don’t need to overexert yourself like this, especially when there isn’t much to clean. Besides, I work on this cottage every other day. I will make sure that it will stay in shape.”

Rarity lowered her duster, sighing. “I’m holding you to that, Spikey Wikey.”

We exchanged a short glance at each other, basking in the accomplishment of completing the task at hand. I smiled at her, in the same, dopey vein that I did when I was sma… well… younger. Her effects on me were merciless. Something else was also merciless at the time.

My stomach. It hadn’t been one hours since we last ate and already my stomach was purring. I blushed, looked up at Rarity and scratched my head. She crossed her legs and gave me a sly look.

“And you said you weren’t hungry back at the eatery. Seems like your stomach is punishing you for your stubbornness earlier.”

I watched as she laughed at me, groaning a little, but enjoying her enjoyment most of all. When the laughter died down, I coughed into my claws and shifted my eyes away from her.

“Well, I guess I could use a little pick me up. Nothing too big though. Don’t want to get even bigger than I already am.” I tapped my stomach, watching it jiggle from the stimulation.

“Then how about the Sugarcube Corner,” Rarity asked.

“S-Sugarcube Corner?” My throat felt dry and lumpy. I could barely manage being here, and now she wanted to go over there? It felt too soon, too sudden. It had only been ten years since she had passed, and going there only made me feel empty.

She was either oblivious to my concern, or just wasn’t caring, because she still graced me with that ever so hopeful smile. “We could get us some pastries to snack on for a while. Then we could just enjoy our little lunch under the shade tree by Sweet Apple Acres.”

It was like somepony dropped a bomb on me. This was a lot to take in at one time, and being surrounded in the presence of the previous areas was something I didn’t think I was mentally prepared for. But she was so hopeful, so free spirited and happy. My emotions were battling with hers, and I wanted hers to triumph over mine. Yet at the same time, I knew I wouldn’t be able to last another day ignoring my own. At that very moment, I prayed she wouldn’t find out about my intentions.

Once again, I nodded and said a simple, “Sure.” We trotted towards the door, with me leading her out, and left the cottage. As we walked away from the house, I did something I never did before. Something that I would never have thought I was capable of before.

I turned back. I looked at the cottage and parted with it in a warmer situation that I normally would have found tormenting. I guess going back was enough to make me face my demons head on without any issues. It was also thanks to Rarity that I was able to tackle them head on. I finally no longer blame myself for what happened to Fluttershy. While saddening, there was nothing I could have done about it. But still, going to the Sugarcube Corner? Sweet Apple Acres? I felt like this was happening way too fast, and I wanted to slow down. I wasn’t allowed that breather today. She made that perfectly clear.

The walk towards Sugarcube Corner was livelier than the walk to the cottage, thanks to Rarity’s lively mood. The trip also was shorter. It didn’t take us any time to get there, and when we did, we were oddly enough greeted by the new management.

“Hiya, guys! Not often I see you twice a day, Spike. And Mrs. Rarity? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you around.”

Ah, Velvet Cake. One of the remaining members of the Cake family. The children of Pound and Pumpkin keep the bakery open and lively, refusing to let the family business die out. Their efforts were laudable, and quite rewarding. They managed to keep the business running, even without their parents monitoring them at all times. I, of course, helped with that quite frequently.

“Hi, Velvet.” I waved at her, walking towards the building. “I know you aren’t used to seeing me here more than twice a day. We’re just here to pick up some stuff for our little picnic today.”

“Ah, so a little down time with the misses?”

I blushed, and Rarity chuckled because of my discomfort.

“We’re just spending a little quality time together,” she said with a smile. “It’s been a while since we actually went out and did anything together, so I just wanted to get some fresh air and rest under the shade tree.”

Velvet smiled and nodded. “Then you’ve come to the right place then. We have plenty of things that you could take with you for your trip. Come on in! My brother should be able to handle the work while I clean up.”

Rarity curtseyed. “With pleasure, Mrs. Velvet.”

She led us into Sugarcube Corner, which had the usual customers either picking up packages or eating inside of the lobby. The cashier in question was the son of Pumpkin Cake, going by the name of Lemon. He was a spunky stallion, much like his great aunt. Sadly, that made it harder for me to come by here often.

“Hey, Spike!” He jumped over the counter and greeted me, extending his hoof to shake my claw. “It’s so unusual for you to come here more than once! Happy to see me again?”

He bore that wide, eager grin that he would always do, even more ecstatic that I was here again. I was both confused and flattered.

“You know, Lemon, he might come back a little more if you would stop acting like some schoolgirl with a crush every time he comes by,” Velvet teased.

“What? I can’t be excited about the coolest dragon on the planet coming to visit!?”

That little stroke of my ego was enough to send a warm smile on my face. Lemon sure had a way with words, which I was always grateful to hear. He was one of the reasons my days aren’t completely depressing. Until I remember the resemblance, and was reminded of my old, dear party friend.

“And he even brought one of the remaining elements with him! How can I not be happy?”

Good way to kill the mood right there, kid. I wanted to correct him, to say she is the last of the elements. I didn’t have the gall to do so, nor did I want his happy disposition to be ruined by my cynicism.

Rarity giggled. “Now now, I’m not that important.”

“Not that important? You’re a hero to Equestria!” Lemon grabbed the attention of everypony inside the lobby, most of them chuckling at his unprofessionalism. Velvet was flushed in embarrassment. Rarity and I couldn’t help but smile at the endearing colt. He walked up to Rarity and grabbed her hoof, kissing it. This made my grin shrink. Who gave him the permission he casually walk up to my lady and kiss her hand?

And what grounds do I get to call her my lady?

“Oh, how charming,” Rarity said.

“How, barf inducing!” Velvet stuck her tongue out, feigning sickness. “You’re going to make all of our customers sick one day with your flamboyant actions, then how will we keep the income rolling?”

“Make them sick?” Lemon laughed and trotted towards his sister, putting his hoof around her shoulders. “I be these customers enjoy my ‘flamboyant nature’ because I don’t act like such a sourpuss all the time!” He grabbed Velvet’s mouth with his front hooves and stretched them out, forcing a smile to form on her face. “It’s Ms. Grumpy Wump here that’s gonna scare away all the customers. Come on! Put on a smile!”

Rarity watched with wide, amused eyes. “My, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. You sure do resemble—”

I froze up, tense as ever. I wanted to tell her, No, don’t say it! I can’t take that kind of memory right now. Please stop! Please…. stop…

“I get that sometimes,” Lemon interrupted, trotting in place. “I don’t know if I need a reminder of a pretty rad pony that influenced my behavior, isn’t that right, Spike?”

This is one of the reasons I like Lemon. While he might be eccentric and energetic, he can read emotions like no other. I’m glad too. Though thinking about it now, hearing her name might not have been as bad. It mainly hurt because I remembered how hurt she was. She had to watch every one of her friends die before her. The party was ending. Things were becoming still, and the depression drove her to the brink of despair.

When her final hour came, she tried to smile. But it was forced, and hopeless. I think she lost that ability to feel anything after our friends began to waste. Makes me wonder what would have happened if she was still here and not Rarity.

No, that thought shouldn’t brush my mind at the moment. Nothing depressing should. The goal is to stay happy for her. No tears, no sadness. That would have to be on my own time. Besides, I was too hungry to worry about that at the time. My stomach continued talking to me every second I didn’t request anything. I coughed and looked at Lemon, who was still prancing in place like a child hyped up on sugar.

“While I would love to chat with you guys a little longer, we’re planning on a picnic under… Sweet Apple Acres. Have anything that would be good lunch meals?”

Lemon swiftly ran towards the counter, scanning the library of pastries and food. He stuck his tongue out, brushing his hoof on the glass to find us something to eat. It didn’t take him too long to look up at us with wide eyes, and a smile as wide and pearly as ever.

“Oh, we have some freshly baked crullers for you guys, as well as some nice sandwiches if you want any! What does the Mrs. like? Does she like hard? Soft? I bet she’s a hard candy fanatic! Most of the elders I met are!”

I rubbed the back of my head, choosing my next words carefully. “While… that might be a strong assumption there, Lemon, yes... she does enjoy hard candies.”

With that, Rarity puffed her cheeks, and looked at me with malice in her eyes. I was almost certain she was messing with me, but I was too jittery to take that risk at the moment. I’ve seen her when she’s angry, and I know her well enough to know that she could still knock me down a peg, even at her age if she wanted to. Magic is something, that’s for sure. I won’t make a joke about her waning eyesight after getting hit in the face with a rock.

“Oh, than how about these chocolate candies with a strawberry center? Velvet thought it up! She’s really good when it comes to making treats!”

Velvet smiled and nodded. “Somepony in this family has to. You tend to goof off more than actually help in the kitchen.”

Lemon grabbed his chest, cringing while laughing at the same time. “Oh sister, such a low blow! I do help a ton! Sure I might eat some of the batter before we actually bake the ingredients, but didn’t I make Spike’s favorite ‘Super Triple Chocolate Chip Deluxe Cookie’?”

“I suppose you did, Lemon,” Velvet said, rolling her eyes playfully and continued attending to the customers. “I’ll give you that, at least.”

Lemon smiled, before cocking his head to the side as if he was thinking about something. “Oh yeah, that reminds me!” With that, he slammed a batch of those cookies in question on the counter. To this day, I don’t know where he pulls these things out of. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled it out of thin air, honestly. The spirit of Pinkie Pie lives on in this child.

Pinkie. I wouldn’t have been able to say her name comfortably before today. I can’t shake that feeling that I have to be merry for the sake of Rarity around others. Was that what she was trying to do? I didn’t know at the time. However, there was one thing that I did know.

Those cookies were looking extremely appetizing.

“Uh, Spike? Manners.” Rarity pointed towards my mouth, noticing that I was drooling over the delectables in front of my face. “I’m glad that you are eager to fill that chubby little tummy of yours, but you have to keep some decency about you, darling!”

She was right. Saliva was pooling down my lips uncontrollably. Strange how this had to happen now, with Rarity in my presence. She really did have that effect on me. I wiped my mouth quickly to avoid further embarrassment and cleared my throat.

“So, how much will those… delectable treats cost?”

“Oh, they’re free!”

“Heh, cutting into my pockets, huh? Well, I guess that’s fair. You did work hard on—” I paused before reaching into my pockets, confusion brushing my face. “Wait, what did you say?”

“I don’t think too many people have the stomach that you do! Ponies would complain about getting a ‘heart attack’ eating these, if you could believe that! Also, you’re my favorite customer here, so I don’t mind giving you some of my special cookies for free!”

“Well, that’s nice of you,” Rarity said. “Though, I wouldn’t do that too often. Don’t want him to get the impression that you’re trying to imply he’s tubby.”

Rarity had already implied that, but I didn’t say anything against her assumption. She reached into her small bag again and tried to take out some bits to pay for whatever she was going to order. I was going to say something against this, but she glanced at me, confirming her determination to pay for this instead of me.

“I would like a few of those candies you were talking about, along with several sliced sandwiches if you don’t mind. Extra daffodils on about five of them.”

“Would you like anything to drink with that, too? Maybe a pitcher of lemonade?”

Rarity shook her head. “I don’t think that will be necessary. What do you think, Spike?”

Why was she asking me? Was she looking for some kind of confirmation for her choice? It made me question it a bit, but I knew one thing. They made some really delicious beverages, though that’s not surprising seeing that we were in Sugarcube Corner.

“Actually, don’t you think that we might be a little parched after eating? I think it would be safe for us to have at least something to drink.”

She looked at me pensively, tapping her chin, and remained stoic. It made me nervous, and a lump formed in my throat. I had no idea if she was actually pondering on my idea or questioning it. I also didn’t know why I was so on edge about her looking at me after I responded to her truthfully.

“I suppose you’re right, Spike. I wouldn’t want to be thirsty after eating.” She smiled and pulled out several more bits, making me feel all the more guilty for suggesting it. “This should cover it, right?”

He counted the bits, flipping back the extra money perfectly into her bag. I could tell that she was impressed by this performance. I was too when he first pulled it off. His aim is near perfect. His enthusiasm, was quite soothing.

“And now, this should be enough! Be right back!” He zipped off into the back room, disappearing from our vision. It didn’t take too long for him to return, but he wasn’t behind the counter like before. He was right behind us, smiling widely. I always wanted to question how he could do that. I never did due to how pointless I knew it would be.

“Here you go!” he exclaimed, basket dangling in his mouth. “A basket full of fun and yum! All for you and Mrs. Rarity!”

I grabbed the basket and nodded to him. “Thanks for that, Lemon.”

He bounced around. “No! Thank you for showing up more than once today! Please, don’t make this a rare occasion!”

Rarity looked at me, crossing her legs and smiling slyly. “Yeah, Spikey Wikey. Don’t leave the poor kid’s request unanswered.” Both of them gave off a pathetic face that made my heart sink, and Velvet’s head shake. What kind of heartless dragon would I be to say no, especially to faces like those?

“Only if you have those cookies waiting for me every afternoon,” I said.

“Deal!” With that, he bounced back behind the counter, waving towards us. “See you two soon!”

Velvet led us out of the door, smiling softly. “Please do come by more often, Spike. Despite how annoying Lemon can be, I do agree that you shouldn’t make this a rare occasion. You’re practically family to us. Without your help, we would have been able to keep our grandparents business afloat.”

Every time they thanked me for that, I felt warmer inside. I wouldn’t let such a memorable place fall. I couldn’t do that to my friends. That sense of pride alone kept me coming back to see how they were doing, and with my fear beginning to wane more and more, I started to feel like I could make more frequent visits. Maybe, visit as someone other than a customer.

“Of course,” I told her, winking. “I have to keep you sane somehow. I know how your brother can be.”

She laughed, holding her chest with her front hoof. “You don’t know the half of it!” She turned towards the door, looking back at us one final time before entering the shop again. The door closed, and the two siblings continued on with their life.

It’s amazing how fast they could adapt to losing a loved one, or how long it took me to get over mine. Even Rarity seemed to be doing better than I was. I was ashamed of that weakness.

“Oh, I can’t wait to get off of these old hooves,” Rarity said, shaking her front hoof. “Shall we move on?”

“Whatever you wish, my lady.” I walked by her side, leading her to my next emotional challenge. Sweet Apple Acres was still as beautiful as ever, but the memories still haunted me. However, I needed to do this. For both me and Rarity. My dear friend, Applejack. It’s been a while since I visited your burial ground.

Comments

[Violet Shimmer]

[Xx soul sorrow xX]

They were trivial task, I know,

it should be tasks

[Akiba]

Urk.

[Razalon The Lizardman]

Who gave him the permission he casually walk up to my lady and kiss her hand?

Hoof

Without your help, we would have been able to keep our grandparents business afloat.”

Wouldn't