57. Laughter
Scholar Arc
Year 11, Month 7, Day 18
A series of impatient knocks could be heard echoing through the painfully empty house. All the blinds were drawn, giving the living room a desolate feeling.
"Open up Atlas! I know you're in there!"
Outside, Blue Current was busy assaulting the door to Atlas' flat with an annoyed look on her face. Crimson was standing behind her, watching his wife with a small amount of concern. Atlas much to the concern of his friends had holed himself up as soon as he was discharged from the hospital a week ago. Crimson had agreed that his behavior was unhealthy, but was much more willing than his wife to give Atlas more time to grieve.
His wife seemed to have other plans.
"Come on, honey. I know you're upset about all of this, but why don't you just let him be for now?" Crimson said in a feeble attempt to placate his wife.
"No," she said, immediately shooting him down. "We haven't seen him for over a week now! I know he must feel devastated, but this is just getting ridiculous. We can't help him if he doesn't let us!"
"So you're trying to force your help on him?" Crimson asked incredulously. "What if you only make things worse?"
"It does sound bad if you put it that way..." Blue Current relented a little. "But I just can't bear letting a friend suffer through something like this alone! All of us are sad about Belle's death, but we’ve been there for each other to help heal the wounds. I'm afraid that if we let Atlas do this alone... we might lose him as well..."
Crimson watched as his wife adopted a sad face and looked to the ground, defeated. He was pretty sure that that was impossible, even if Atlas truly wanted to do something drastic. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised to learn that his friend at least tried to kill himself once or twice since Belle's untimely departure. A little piece of knowledge that had been gnawing at the back of his mind for the past week.
Of course, he had tried to support his friend as best as he was able to, and when Atlas was still kept at the hospital it looked like it was working at least a little bit. All of Atlas' friends and co-workers had come to visit him, even some high ranking guards had stopped by to commend him on helping during the attack. In hindsight, he really should've seen the signs, because no sooner than Atlas has stepped through the door to his house, he’d slammed it before locking every bolt.
"I'm sure that won't happen, Atlas is stronger than that." Crimson said in an attempt to reassure Blue Current, pulling her into a hug. "He just needs some more time, and maybe somepony that doesn't try to rip off his door."
That got a little laugh out of her, calming down Crimson as well. "Besides, I think he enchanted his door anyway..."
It was entirely possible that every entrance to Atlas' home was secure against breaking and entering. Whether that was the case before Belle's death or a recent addition, he couldn’t tell. But he was sure that as long as Atlas wasn't ready to talk, there was no way to get through to him. He was simply too stubborn at times like this.
"I guess we'll just have to wait," Crimson said sadly.
"I guess you're right."
They both looked at the offending piece of wood that was separating them from their friend who was suffering, leaving them both helpless at his doorstep. Turning around, they started their way back to their own home, where Blue Current made a decision.
She would wait until Atlas decided to come out of his hole. And when the time finally came, she would be there. No matter how long it took.
--------------------------------------------------
Atlas turned on the spot he was currently standing at. He was living on the floor in their living room. No, that wasn't right. His living room.
From his new position, he was able to see the dining table, empty and lifeless as it was. From time to time he thought he’d caught a glimpse of Belle, just sitting there, enjoying a hearty meal, but he knew it was just the fabrication of a wishful mind. Another thing he was able to see, was several dark spots in the kitchen.
It wasn’t long after he got home that he first took his life. The kitchen knife actually did a pretty good job even though it was starting to get a bit dull. At the time he though his plan was borderline genius.
Since he had access to Tartarus, he'd just kill himself and go to the afterlife. There, he could snatch up Belle's soul and bring it back, or, if that didn't work, at least talk to her one last time.
Shame it didn't work. At all.
He’d forgot in his haste to get there that his entry into Tartarus was entirely dependant on whether or not Hades pulled his soul down. Apparently, Hades had no need for a meeting so soon after they last met, so the only thing he got to experience was waking up in a puddle of blood after an extended period of nothingness.
He didn't let it end at only one try though. Determination and sadness led him to commit the gravest of all sins again and again, until he just couldn't do it anymore. All it did was spread more blood on the kitchen floor; blood, which smelled absolutely rancid by now. With a heavy sigh, Atlas got up from the floor and wandered over to the kitchen. He regarded the admittedly gigantuan pool of blood with indifference, but started to clean what he could with a lot of water and a rag.
Thankfully there was no carpet in the whole flat, so the stains weren't that bad. It took him the better part of an hour of constant scrubbing until he was left with nothing but a few discolored cupboards and the horrible smell. Admittedly, it wasn't that bad anymore, but it still bothered him. He popped open the windows and let some fresh air inside.
As Atlas' stomach growled, it reminded him that he’d ate nothing since beginning his suicide marathon. Seeing as starvation was the one thing he didn't really want to experience again, he made his way over to their fridge. Something Atlas had fashioned together himself, using his ice magic and some runes which worked surprisingly well. He could probably make a fortune if he started selling them, but all the money in the world wouldn’t fill the hole in his heart.
Cracking open the magical wonder he found it to be empty. Same with the cupboards and even his secret stash. With a heavy sigh he resigned himself to his fate. If he didn't want to starve he had to go outside and purchase some food. Maybe he'd even visit his friends, maybe.
He approached the door and slowly opened it with his magic, the bright sunlight immediately assailed his eyes causing him to flinch back. The next moment greeted him by something heavy crashing into him, throwing him backwards into his fortress of solitude, and all he could see of his assailant was blue.
----------------------------------------------
Blue Current let out a huge yawn. Her eyes were transfixed on that damned door that had been taunting her for days now. Just behind it was a friend who was hurting, and there was nothing she could do about it except wait. And wait she did, camping out on the roof of the opposite building. She’d taken some time off work and started most of her days staring down the wooden frame from her perch.
Oh, how she would've loved to just tear it down so that she could at least keep Atlas company if nothing else. What he was doing was not healthy. There was no doubt in her mind that Atlas was affected the most by Belle's death, and the only cure for sadness was spending time with friends. Granted, some ponies said that time would heal all wounds, but having friends on one's side could speed up the process immensely.
She opened up the little bag of snacks Crimson had brought by earlier and took a look at its contents. After careful deliberation, she pulled out a small sack filled with crackers and began munching on one of them. Her gaze flicked back to Atlas' front door and she regarded it with mild annoyance. She'd been up here for almost four days now, and he still hadn't come out yet. It was starting to annoy her even more than it already did, and she wondered if she should try to unleash her fury on the door again.
Just as she pondered the merits of another assault, the door cracked open revealing a gray unicorn shielding his eyes from the sun. She immediately dropped her crackers and took flight, swooping down to crash into Atlas and wrapping him in a tight embrace as they flew back into his home together. A few happy tears found their way to her face as she simply hugged the struggling unicorn on the floor.
"Huh? What? Let go of me!" Atlas protested, doing his best to fight off his unknown assailant.
“Please don’t ever do something like that again.” Current whispered into his ear. “I was so worried when you wouldn't come out.”
"Blue Current?" Atlas asked tentatively.
Her words had struck a chord with him, as he remembered Belle saying something very similar to him long ago. In fact, the situation was eerily similar to back then as well. He had just committed suicide for the first time and Belle scolded him for it when she was sure that he was okay. The memory brought a small smile to his lips, as he remembered how much she cared about him, even when they barely knew each other.
"Yeah, it's me," she replied.
"Could you let go of me? It's kind of uncomfortable..."
"Just a little bit longer..."
Atlas gave up his struggle, allowing Blue Current to embrace him. What came as a surprise, even to himself, was that he actually enjoyed feeling the warmth of another pony again. It was like a ray of sunlight in the bleak existence his life had become recently. After a while, Blue Current let go of him and got up, offering her hoof to Atlas, who was still lying on his back. He accepted her help and she pulled him up into a standing position.
Barely a moment of composure passed before Blue Current proceeded to smack him upside the head.
"That's for making all of us worry so much," she said as Atlas rubbed the spot she hit.
"I'm sorry..." Atlas said sincerely.
He was so busy wallowing in self pity that he completely forgot about his friends, and how they'd feel if he completely cut off his ties with them like he did. Meanwhile, Blue Current looked around the living room with an expression that reflected the disgust she felt at what she saw.
"Atlas, this place is a mess!" She scolded Atlas. "And, ugh... what's that smell?"
Blue Current put a hoof in front of her nose in an attempt to block out the smell, and scanned the room for anything that could be causing it. The suspects were a great many, since almost every surface was covered in some sort of garbage. She quickly gave up on her search and instead let her gaze linger on Atlas, which disgruntled her even more.
"You look absolutely horrible," Blue Current said, not sugarcoating her words at all. "We need to get you cleaned up."
Saying Atlas looked horrible was an understatement. Since he’d locked himself up, he had completely forgone any sort of care for his body. His mane and tail were tangled and dirty, and his coat was one big assortment of stains. If someone didn’t know him they’d undoubtedly think he was a squatter.
Atlas wanted to rebuke something, but found himself being dragged limply along as Blue Current started pulling him outside, throwing the door closed behind them as they went. Whether he liked it or not, Atlas was due for a spa treatment. They could worry about the mess in his flat later.
-----------------------------------------
Atlas sighed and closed his eyes as he submerged his body in the hot spring water of the spa. Blue Current had dragged him halfway across the town to her favorite spa and had insisted on a full treatment, which she would pay for.
On their way, Atlas was subjected to many odd stares, as unicorns left and right recognized him, no doubt wondering how he ended up so filthy. At first he was reluctant, but the treatment was remarkably rejuvenating, his sorrows momentarily forgotten as he soaked in the steaming water.
"So, what have you been doing all this time?" Blue Current said breaking the silence between them from her position to his right.
Just like that, Atlas' mood soured as he adopted a scowl.
"Mostly pitying myself," Atlas replied, a bit disgusted at his own behaviour now that he looked back on the past week.
"You know we would have loved to help you through this, right?"
"Yeah..." Atlas admitted, the conversation going back to silence.
Ever since Crimson told him about Belle's fate he felt like he was dead inside. The time between then and now seemed like a blur, the memories of what happened hazy at best. He had retreated inside of himself so much that it felt like he’d barely functioned on auto-pilot. He could consider himself lucky that Belle always kept their kitchen well stocked, or he would have needed to leave his presumed safe space a lot sooner. Now that he thought about it, that probably would not have been such a bad thing.
Atlas stole a quick glance over at Blue Current who had her eyes closed and seemed to be completely relaxed. A small smile crept onto his face and he closed his eyes once again, going back to mindlessly relaxing with a friend.
----------------------------------------------
Blue Current led Atlas out of the spa, the latter now looking clean and full of energy. A stark contrast to the pony who went inside just an hour ago.
"Thank you, I really needed that," Atlas said.
"Don't mention it," Blue Current replied. "That's what friends are for after all."
She shot him an honest smile, making Atlas feel guilty for the way he’d acted. The loss still pained him greatly, but he definitely felt a little better. All it took was a friend who made sure he understood that while he may have lost someone important, he wasn't alone.
Atlas stomach rumbled a not so gentle reminder that he’d forgone food for a week. Since Blue Current practically dragged him all the way to the spa he hadn't had the chance to eat something yet. Blue Current seemed to notice as well and suggested going to a nearby restaurant with a smile on her face. Atlas agreed and followed her through the winding streets of the Crystal Kingdom until they turned a corner and the buildings started to look vaguely familiar.
As they turned into an alley Atlas realized why. A bit further down he spotted Apple Bee's restaurant. While they didn't go there as often as they used to anymore, due to the increased distance, it was still a special place for him and his friends. They entered to find it practically devoid of customers, not really a surprise considering it was usually dead at this time of day.
Sitting down in one of the booths off to the side they both patiently waited for somepony to come out to serve them. It didn't take long until Apple Bee himself poked his head out of the kitchen, apparently having heard them entering.
"Blue Current! What a joy to see you again!" He bellowed with a large smile, apparently not being able to see Atlas since the booth blocked him from his view. "It's been some time, are you alone today?" He asked as he moseyed over to her location.
"Not exactly," Blue Current replied. "I've brought along one of my friends."
She pointed over at Atlas who sat across from her, causing Apple Bee to adopt a curious look. He rounded the corner and as soon as he spotted Atlas who sheepishly waved at him as a greeting, he let out a gasp. The next thing he knew was that he was buried in a sea of red, as Apple Bee pulled him into one of his trademark hugs. The red stallion as huge as he was usually meant that the hugged pony would practically disappear within him.
"Oh, I am so, so sorry for what happened to poor Belle!" Apple Bee said. "How are you holding up?"
Apple Bee released Atlas from his fleshy embrace to give him a chance to talk.
"Kind of better, I think?" Atlas ventured.
His emotions were in turmoil, and he wasn't completely sure how he felt at the moment. On one side he was still grieving, but on the other he was happy to finally reconnect with the outside world. There was also guilt and shame mixed in, resulting in a cocktail of emotions that broiled within him.
"Tell you what," Apple Bee said, "let's get some good food into you. That always cheers me up! On the house of course."
With those words he trotted off towards the kitchen, busily calling out for his cook to 'rev up those frying pans'. Atlas chuckled upon hearing the enthusiasm behind the announcement. At least Apple Bee seemed to be the same, no matter what happened. It didn't take long for him to return with two plates of what looked like some sort of pasta with vegetables mixed in.
"Eat up! There's more where that came from, so if you're still hungry after this just let me know," Apple Bee pointed out.
"Will do, thanks," Atlas replied before greedily digging in.
It had been a while since he had a proper meal, he didn't really put any effort into his cooking while he was holed up. He devoured the pasta like a glutton. Blue Current regarded him with an odd look before asking Atlas a question which confused him greatly.
"Would you like to talk about it?"
Atlas furrowed his brows in confusion, she hadn't really brought it up all day, and her sudden inquiry blindsided him. He noticed that his cheeks were wet and he brought a hoof up to check what was going on before realizing that he was actually crying.
The pasta tasted great, as he could practically taste the love that went into its creation. It reminded him of Belle’s cooking, it simultaneously made him happy and sad. He wiped his eyes dry with a napkin, before making an audible snort an a attempt to keep any mucous from escaping from his nose.
"No... no, thank you," Atlas replied. "Not yet..."
"Alright, if that's what you want."
As the silence settled back in they both went back to eating their food, Atlas ate at a much slower pace this time. His head was filled with memories of Belle. How she would wake him up each morning with a smile on her face with a delicious breakfast already waiting for him. How she'd wish him a nice day at work and plant a kiss on his cheek before he left.
The cute smile she had whenever he told her of Doc Brown's antics in the lab. How enthusiastically she'd tell him of the new things she'd learned from White Mallow. He could hear her laughing, which sounded like the most heavenly chiming crystal bells. Or how she'd always draw little hearts on the notes she left for him whenever she couldn't be there when he came home in the evening.
Memories of his time with Belle flooded his mind as he lethargically ate his noodles. He didn't even realize that he'd finished his meal and was basically just forking up air into his mouth with an absent look on his face. A blue hoof softly shook his shoulder propelling him back to reality again, and Atlas looked to the side to see Blue Current standing next to him.
"Come on, it's getting late. Let's get you home," She said with a look of pity on her face.
Atlas simply nodded and got up from his seat, following Blue Current outside and waving Apple Bee goodbye, who returned the gesture enthusiastically. The sun was indeed already setting in the distance, painting the horizon with a slew of deep orange and reds. They made their ways through the streets in complete silence. Atlas was still caught up in his memories, while Blue Current was thinking about what she could do to help her suffering friend. She came to a sudden stop and turned around to face a surprised looking Atlas.
"Before we go home, I'd like to take you to one more place," Blue Current said. "If that's okay with you?"
"Sure," Atlas replied devoid of emotion.
He was actually dreading the moment where he'd have to be alone. Now that he’d spent some time with one of his friends, he was practically afraid of going back into his fortress of solitude. Blue Current nodded, satisfied with Atlas' answer and started leading him in the opposite direction.
Soon enough they entered a part of the Kingdom Atlas was wholly unfamiliar with. It was a huge city after all, making it almost impossible to know where everything was for one pony. Current was leading him towards the outskirts of the town, though, indicating that they were making their way towards an earth pony district.
The buildings were starting to thin out, the space between them gradually increasing. He could spot a few private gardens and families spending the evening together at tables they'd set outside. Soon enough, a large hedge came into view, seemingly stretching for as far as Atlas could see, and Blue Current was steering him towards a gate that lead to whatever was contained within.
She pushed it open, the hinges moaning in a plea for somepony to oil them before entering as Atlas followed closely behind her. Once he passed the threshold of the hedge he was greeted with a sight all too familiar and he immediately realized where Blue Current was leading him.
Rows upon rows of stones of all shapes and forms were neatly placed on the ground and he could barely make out the writing on the nearest ones. It was definitely a graveyard, and there would only be one reason that they would be here. Atlas gulped and stopped, his legs locked up on him refusing to move. He definitely didn't want to be here right now.
Blue Current noticed that Atlas stayed behind and backtracked towards him, gently pushing him forward and in the right direction. She sidled up to him to let him know that he wasn't alone, but otherwise remained silent. Atlas moved along with her in a daze and she could feel him slightly shaking as they passed by hundreds of graves. They finally made a turn, and walked down one of the rows where they could spot an orange stallion with white hair sitting in front of one of the graves.
He lifted his head when he heard the duo approach and regarded them with two milky empty eyes. Atlas immediately recognized him as White Mallow, which could only mean they had reached their destination.
"Who is it?" He asked weakly, his voice lacking the energy it usually carried, making him sound just as old as he looked.
"It's Blue Current," she replied. "And I've brought Atlas with me."
Meanwhile, Atlas' eyes were slowly drifting towards the headstone that White Mallow was seated in front of. The stone in question mimicked the appearance of Belle’s cutie mark, a heart with a cross in the middle, and bore a freshly cut epitaph. He didn't want to look at it, but still, his eyes were inexplicably drawn towards the writing that was carved into it.
"Atlas? Is it really you?" White Mallow asked, ripping Atlas' attention away from the grave.
"Yeah..."
White Mallow stood up and felt his way towards Atlas with one of his hooves. As soon as it made contact, Atlas found himself once again in the loving embrace of a friend.
"It's good that you decided to come outside again," he said softly. "Acceptance is the first step towards recovering."
White Mallow patted him on the back a few times before backing off again. He pointed towards a small box on the ground next to the headstone, a note tucked underneath it.
"I actually came here today to leave this for you to find, for when you finally decided to visit," White Mallow explained. "It's something Belle left behind at our workplace. She would have wanted you to have it."
Atlas regarded the small box with curiosity. What could possibly in there that White Mallow wanted to return to him?
"I'll just leave you two alone now," White Mallow said. "Be sure to come visit me, once you feel up to it."
Atlas was pulled in for another short hug before White Mallow started to trot away, navigating his path perfectly along the graveyard. Meanwhile, Atlas’ attention was inexorably pulled towards the box on the ground. He levitated it over to him along with the note that told him that the box and what was inside was for him, and that it was left there by White Mallow. Gently, he lifted the top off and took a look inside. He levitated the single item out from within before bringing it in front of his face to take a better look at it.
It was a photograph.
Photography was still a relatively new concept, and therefore, expensive. He could still remember the day Belle dragged him along with all their friends out of the city to take this particular picture. She was so excited about the whole thing that she wouldn't shut up about it until they all finally caved and went with her. Belle insisted that she would pay for the whole thing, but in the end they ended up splitting the bill seeing as they couldn't just let her take such a big hit to her savings.
They all stood there, happy as could be, smiling towards the camera with the lonely mountain in the background. A single tear fell upon the picture, as Atlas vision started to blur and his chest tightened. He slowly looked over towards the headstone and read its inscription.
Here lies
Charity Belle
Loving wife and friend
May the memory of her smile give us the strength to carry on when we need it most.
Atlas was hit with the full realization that Belle was dead, and there was nothing he could do to bring her back. Up until now, he had hung unto the slight sliver of hope that he would be able to do something. He was technically a god with access to the afterlife. Denial had settled into his mind, and thinking back he hadn't even cried once since he got the news. He was very upset in the hospital, but no tears were shed.
Now, though, everything came crashing down on him and he started to bawl his eyes out, collapsing in front of his dead wife's grave. His body was wracked by violent sobs when he felt somepony embrace him from behind, and the sound of faint sniffling tickled his ears. He leaned into Blue Currents shoulder for support and let his tears flow freely.
------------------------------------------------
The nearly full moon hung in the clear night sky. It allowed for his light to illuminate the world far below it in a soft glow. All the ponies were asleep by now, resting from their daily activities in the moon's cool embrace. All, but two.
Atlas and Blue Current were still at the graveyard, both of them had barely moved in the past two hours. Atlas had finally let his bottled up emotions out, and he had cried until he just couldn't anymore. Now his body only occasionally shivered from a mixture of feeling cold and being exhausted. Blue Current had stayed with him the whole time offering moral support and a shoulder to cry on, a shoulder that was now drenched with his tears.
"It just hurts so much..." Atlas said, his voice hoarse.
"I know..." Blue Current said softly. "I know..."
"What am I supposed to do now?"
"I don't know," Blue Current replied, looking up towards the stars. "I guess we'll just have to figure it out as we go."
"Will it ever stop hurting?"
"Maybe, maybe not. I don't think there's a way to know for certain. But I'm sure that Belle would want us to move on."
"Yeah, she never really was one to linger in the past." Atlas said, a smile creeping its way onto his face. "She always lived in the present, facing the future only as it greeted her."
"I think we could learn a lot from her," Blue Current said. "If you ask me, the most important thing is to face tomorrow with a smile. Live each and every day like you mean it, and just give it your best."
“Just like Belle always did…” Atlas reminisced.
“Exactly,” Blue Current said. “Do you remember how she tried to cheer you up when you were nervous about your valedictorian speech back at school? The things she did just to make you smile…”
“I was actually concerned about her health at one point,” Atlas had to laugh at the silly memory.
Belle had tried absolutely everything in an attempt to take his mind off the speech. From telling him jokes to tickling him, everything was tried. She actually swallowed one of his quills on accident after one of her more acrobatic hijinks in his room, and he had to rush her to the hospital.
"Huh, I actually feel just a bit better after that," Atlas chuckled while wiping away a stray tear. "I guess it's true that laughter is the best medicine after all."
Atlas felt a great deal better upon realizing that even though he couldn’t bring Belle back, that he would always have the memories of the good times with her. He doubted that he would ever forget Belle, and he was sure that some of the pain would always remain. But as long as he had his friends at his side, he felt like he could be happy nonetheless. As long as he had friends, he would never truly lose his smile.
Atlas sucked in a shaky breath as a familiar wave of power washed over him, causing his eyes to momentarily flash a bright blue. In that moment he felt more connected to his friends than ever before. And, even though it was faint, he felt like Belle was still at his side warming his soul while watching over him from the sidelines.
Atlas smiled and got up on unstable hooves, Blue Current rising with him. He regarded Belle's headstone with newfound conviction and a fond smile on his face. His horn lit up and he could clearly see the runes he was about to etch into it in his head. With a flash of magic, an array of runes appeared, following the outline of the headstone and forming a heart. He charged them with his magic, making sure to use his pink mana, until the runes started to glow a soft pink.
The array would ensure that the headstone would never break or get dirty, as long as the runes remained charged. With another spell, Atlas picked up the picture of his friends and integrated it into the stone, at the center of the newly formed heart. The photograph would keep her company so she wouldn't feel lonely. Until, one day, her friends would join her with a smile on their face, as she welcomed them into a warm home.
Atlas turned around with a smile on his face, Blue Current walking beside him. Yes, no matter where they went, they could always rely on a friendly face helping them along the way. No matter what, their friendship was a bond that would transcend the boundaries between worlds. He truly felt happy for the first time since he received the news of Belle’s death, vowing to send his friends off with a smile when their time came.
Even if he would never be able to join them.
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This gave me big league feels, as well as a sadness boner.
So you failed the challenge? I recommend starting it over
Altas, the alternate identity for Atlas.
Was really into the moment, then the last sentence kicked me in the dick.
7987099 Shhh don't tell Orthoros that I missed that.
I'm sitting here in front of the story page, and I'm not sure I can muster the strength to click the newest chapter. Because I liked Belle, she was cool and I was happy that despite the fact she knew Atlas was immortal and the implication that he'd outlive her, she still chose to pursue him romantically. Albeit I was slightly miffed when you phased her out of the story somewhat as Atlas moved through the college arc, the brief moments in passing that she's mentioned or interacts with Atlas was great that he in turn, had been earnest in returning her feelings.
Though you killed her off, I had to see this in another perspective. Princess Platinum has been born, the countdown for the unification draws near for every year that she grows, and in the canon timeline it's a Chancellor Puddinghead, not Belle's mother that steps up to represent the earth ponies. Meaning at some point she dies and without Belle to succeed as an heir, the possibility for a power vacuum creating powerful factions and strife is a likelihood.
This was a good chapter and I can't wait to see what Atlas with do to try and keep his friends for as long as he can.
Feelings were felt in this chapter.
7987127 SHHHH.
After reading this I listen to a handful of sad songs, it was interesting.
on another note, this is a good chapter, not many can write emotions like sadness without exaggerating it a little too much, but you didn't. ẅ
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a1/ac/49/a1ac49d5f6944edc11046c58536a3583.jpg
This makes me like u less for doing this to him and us
Dammit I almost didn't cry, then that damn picture scene popped up
Almost every story that I'm following is updating with sad chapters... Why yu do dis...
I did NOT expect Charity Belle to be Laughter.
Sucks that Hades is not on speed dial.
I wonder if the gates to Tartarus are discovered by Atlas?
7987099 Don't forget his cousin Atlatl
This hit me so much harder than it should have, seriously as someone who hasn't cried since middle school I have to say this got me real close. He's gonna have to get used to watching the people he loves die and that hurts me in a very real way.
I'll comment on this.
You really got Atlas's grief down. I genuinely believed it, hell I felt it. This chapter moved me pretty hard, and you did an very good job that should be commended.
Bad idea to read this in public, but it didn't get a tear from me! I'm afraid this story cannot be added to my list of stories that made me cry. Maybe in the future it will, it's certainly good enough. It certainly got close this time.
When Belle first came in I thought she was Celestia for awhile (Or at least going to become Celestia). Guess I got that one wrong
The feels. Oh the feels. Its so sad, so incredibly sad. We don't even know how to express our feelings at this time.
Also, we noticed the picture at the bottom doesn't have Atlas's cutie mark. Just saying.
Damn, that was a good chapter. You've made me care about your characters and feel their grief. Good job man!
7987833 you weren't the only one
That right there is the real tragedy.
Dude...... You almost had ME in tears! I almost never cry!! The last time I had a true bawl....... Go check out the video link I posted a few months ago in one of my blogs.
EDIT: >>HERE IT IS<<
I'm ok. Totally not crying because this was sad. Nope. What's that? Tears? Sorry must be mistaken.
I should probably go dry my face.
From the rain.
Yes. Rain.
Not bad author. A few scenes could have been handled a tiny amount better with their wording to give a greater impact, but, overall, this is better than most anything I could write. How you handled his sorrow was pretty good, and weaving the tidbits of laughter into the seams really accents a sad chapter like this well.
An amazing use of story, and sidestories, to bring home points and emotions.
A pretty darn good job my friend.
7988100 Immortality can be a right arse, eh?
So they actually found a body? Well there goes any hope that he created the time spell now, being the future Starswirl and all.
Well this story's gone to pasture just have to find another
Not going to lie, I'm major league sad we didn't get some slice of life-y chapters of them as a married couple before she died.
There is, of course, a difference between feeling oneself and feeling hatred for oneself.
I think this chapter earns you a bonus point! i believe you're at 4, now.
Um... When Blue Current and Atlas actually talked-talked to each other? Like, on-screen? This whole "reliable friend" business come out of nowhere, just as Belle's romance.
I hope he doesn't try Human transmutation, like from FMA, to try and bring anyone back... Runes sound like a good way to go about that, is all I'm saying.
Many feels have been had this day.
Bear
Its
Bore
You're missing a space there.
Belle's
7987127
7987266
Uh, yeah hey about that
7998083 Damn those lazy editors! They drive me to insomnia!
7998083 noted and added, thanks.
also, I blame Azriel and Soren
Well, those of us that recall the flash-forward chapter 1 knew this was coming sooner or later, but it was still an amazingly well-done tear-jerker. Also says something good for Atlas that it doesn't even occur to him to attempt necromancy... or invent it if it doesn't exist to be attempted yet.
So Atlas learned how to cope with grief, learned how precious life is, and the healing power of laughter.
Let's hope he also learned that if he had finished the dragoness when she was too injured to fight back, he wouldn't have had to say this goodbye. The lesson there is that if you have to take someone down, ensure through one means or another that they can never be a problem again (such as by removing one of the dragoness' wings if you're not pragmatic enough to just kill it).
Man, it'd be sad as hell if the characters started graying out in the picture as they die in the story.
7987099 Alternate Ass. Altas.
Personally, I prefer our Ass over the editors un-creative, colour inversed evil OC's Ass. But the story has a lot of good Ass in it either way.
..Stop giggling.
Ran out of chapters
Nah, suicide's only 7th-circle. And if you come back, it doesn't have the same meaning.
gargantuan OR gigantic
Hmm. +1 affinity?
i teared up when atlas was looking at his wife's tombstone.
Very sad right now.
This chapter still has me tearing up. Also if this whole story is him telling his story to the mane 6. I could imagine more then a few of em bawling (see Rarity for example) their eyes out
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH THE FEEEEEELSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THEY HURT!!!!!!!
Not even kidding that last line made me bawl my eyes out...