The Price of Failure

by Humanity

Chapter 12

It’s been two days since Rarity came home and… I… I just don’t know what to feel. I know she would never lie to me about anything like that, but… James? He’s dead? How can that be? I just don’t see how…

Today felt so…empty. I woke up on the sofa like usual, but…the place felt lifeless. Just a dreadful atmosphere. Was Rarity even awake at the time? I looked out the window. A bit cloudy. And the air pressure… I could feel that it was going to rain. I went into the kitchen, but… I felt no hunger. I did not feel the urge to cry and I probably should’ve eaten something. But…what was this feeling?

I felt the need to go outside for a while. I know Rarity would be fine without me for a while. I wandered through town as a light drizzle started to come down. I just wandered aimlessly. I came to the western edge of Ponyville. And soon, I was gazing at it. The Everfree Forest. My former home…and prison.

I could feel my eyes starting to moisten. For so long… Centuries. Maybe even a full millennium. I had been confined to Sunny Town along with the murderers who pummeled Ruby to death. And I know for certain they are still out there. Probably still blissfully unaware of their sin.

“Are you OK, Mitta?” I heard a child’s voice speak from next to me. When I looked, I found Ruby herself looking up at me. Still the same little ghost child I’ve known since the day after her murder. And the only friend I ever knew until…he came.

“I… I don’t know, Ruby.” I said quietly. I had been filled with sorrow for so long over the centuries before I finally started to age again. Had my mind just become…accustomed to sadness and loss? I wanted to cry. I wanted to feel as bad as Rarity does right now. But I just couldn’t.

Ruby tenderly nuzzled me, her head resting on my shoulder while I draped my head over her. “I heard… And I feel it. He’s not in this world anymore, is he?”

I guess I should’ve known. Being a ghost, Ruby is more attuned to supernatural forces than those among the living. And surely she too must’ve known something had happened. “Then…he’s really gone?”

My old friend looked up at me with her glowing yellow eyes. She frowned, showing far more maturity and understanding of the situation than any child ever could. “Yesterday… I hid on a train that was going to Canterlot. I wanted to see what happened. And… Canterlot a really pretty place. Lots of fancy things you don’t see down here. But…I looked around. And…I found the place, Mitta. It was a mess. Like maybe a hydra got into a fight with a dragon.”

Some sort of battle happened? And it involved someone called Discord, from what I was told. “I didn’t see anyone out there. But…I felt it. It was still lingering. His spirit had been there before. Someone… Well, more than one person was there. They must’ve moved on though because I didn’t feel them anywhere. But I… I think I felt one of them. It felt broken… Like it didn’t have any hope left. I think that presence was James. I… I don’t even know what happened to him, but… He’s not in this world anymore, Mitta. I just hope wherever he is, he’s happy…”

So it’s like Rarity said. Gone… I nodded and gently nuzzled my little friend. “Thank you, Ruby. Um… May I ask for some privacy? I need a minute.”

“OK, Mitta. I’ll go let Rarity know you’re out here.” And off she went. I was alone once more.

I looked back at the Everfree Forest ahead of me. I never want to ever set foot in there again. But as I gazed at it, I remembered. For so long, I was trapped in there. And every night, I would see the curse take hold of me and everypony else in Sunny Town. A reminder of the consequences of my choice.

After the first century, I had resigned myself to my fate. No one ever came to the village. There was no hope of ever being freed of the curse as long as the others refused to recognize what they did as evil. And then, after who knows how long, I saw him. The first human visitor in centuries. Before the curse was cast, I heard that the humans of this world had vanished. But there he was, standing tall above me. I warned him of what was going to happen at nightfall. And he only barely got out of there in time just as the curse took hold. And when he saw my rotten undead form, he was understandably startled. But he then did something I never expected anyone to.

He held me. Embraced me. I had forgotten what it’s like to receive compassion. And that human saw past my undead form for who I really am. My first friend in…over a thousand years. He left as I warned him to never return. I was alone again with only Ruby to provide me occasional company. And it remained that way for months. But then the day came where my newest friend did something I couldn’t have seen coming. He returned.

The armor he wore was beautiful. A dark blue with pure white wings, I almost thought he was an angel from the heavens. And he might as well have been. Because that night, he rescued me from my prison. He came back not to visit, but to save me. And he did. In a spectacular display of divine justice, he destroyed every last cursed murderer in that hellish village and led me through and out of the Everfree Forest. I felt so scared when I stood before the princesses in Canterlot. Especially when she showed herself. The one who cursed me in the first place. Princess Luna.

But she was not the one to release me. It was her other half. Nightmare Moon. But I was still frightened of what may occur. James held onto me. He was there for me as the curse was removed. And that night… I felt myself truly breathe for the first time in ages. I was free. And my savior is… Was…

It was only then that I felt the tears come. Only after reminding myself of everything that had happened did my heart finally feel it. I fell to my knees. My vision was a blur. I buried my face in my arms as it finally registered with me what I had lost. He was gone… My friend and rescuer. He gave me so much, even if he felt he did little. I finally have a true home with wonderful friends. I know I’ll probably never find my so-called ‘cutie mark’, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’m free. I have people in my life who care for me. And the one who probably cared most is…

Even now as I write this, I still don’t feel like I’m feeling the full force of the shock. My memories are one thing, but I guess… Some ponies have to see it to feel the full weight of the horror. But it still doesn’t feel right. It feels like a part of me wants to scream, but is being gagged. I will have to wait until this Sunday. When I can finally say goodbye…

Comments

[FireRockStar473]

Nice chapter. James must've been REALLY close to Mitta in order for her to cry. But still like it. Hope to see more in the future.

[Mad Library Scientist]

Well, that takes care of the somewhat loose end that was Ruby.

[InfernoRage008]

Damn. Ruby's pretty sneaky, then again she's a ghost.

Though, what of NM? Surely she gets a say in the matter.

[Humanity]

5074652 She will. Give her some time.

[InfernoRage008]

5074767 Oh sure, give her time, to actually plan on our imminent demise.

Seriously, it feels like she'll explode in our faces, instantly killing all of us.

[Kage no Brony]

5075317

Hmm... Nightmare Nuke?

KA-BOOM!