• Published 2nd Jun 2018
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The Mask of Despair and the Face of Hope - Wings of Black Glass



Everyone is the hero of their own story. Maybe, just maybe, that isn't always true. Sometimes, they are the villain.

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The Will to Thrive

“Well, this is depressing.” I looked at the wreck of Sable’s hovel. At this point, it was nothing more than four collapsing walls behind a hill.

“Tell me about it.” Rainbow Dash was still unfolding the messenger birds I brought with us. “At least I’m almost done with these.” I looked around, we were the first ones to arrive, and I didn’t see Sable anywhere.

“It really would have been nice if he told us when he was going be here.”

“I can’t argue with that.”

“Actually, I expected him to be here waiting for us. I guess we will just have to wait for everypony else.”

“There, done! Finally!” Dash crushed the last of the blue origami swans, tossing it over her shoulder. I caught the litter and dropped it with all of its duplicates into a pile for later disposal. Fluttershy giggled as Rainbow Dash sighed in relief; Pinkie was still playing with her note, now sticking it into her hair as if it were making a nest there. We gathered around the makeshift table, sill leftover from the cleanup, to wait for the others. We didn’t have to wait long before Applejack arrived, her note now an orange bow on her hat. Rarity came not long after, with her letter folded into a white flower she had set in her hair.

“Well, we’re all here. Has anypony seen Sable yet?”

“Oh, he showed up this morning just as I opened shop.” Rarity offered the information. “Fortunately I was able to finish his coat last night.”

“New coat?”

“Right, I hadn’t told everypony yet. He was feeling uncomfortable walking around town, what with his…” I pointed to my mark, my meaning clear. “So we asked Rarity to make him a new one.”

“It is not my best work, I admit. But it’s functional.”

“Functional, and tough, is better for everyday wear anyways.”

“Yes dear, it is. But there’s no reason it can’t be fabulous as well.”

“Here we go again…” Rainbow Dash sighed. Pinkie Pie laughed.

“Ah good. Everypony is here.” We all looked up. “This simplifies matters.” Sable was descending slowly, his black glass wings spread wide, his new coat fluttering in the wind. He had something in his pocket.

“What the what!?” Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped, she hadn’t noticed his wings before.

“You got your wings back!” Exclaimed Fluttershy.

“Ooh, Shiny!” Pinkie marveled, and Applejack whistled approvingly.

“You can thank Twilight and Rarity for that.” Sable landed at the head of the so-called table. His wings made a light tingling sound as they fold, almost like a wind chime. Was that a new function or did I not take note of it before? “They found a way to jog my memory.”

“So, Stardust, what was so urgent you had to send these to get us all here like this?”

“I programmed them to get your attention. It seems to have worked.”

“Some of us were in the middle of things before your little birds got in our way.”

“You could have just sent an ordinary letter or something.”

“Yes. But this was more fun.”

“HA! See, I told you!”

“Hang on, back up. What the how did you get wings!?” Everypony laughed, including Sable, I was pleased to note.

“I would be happy to explain, later. At the moment, I have something I need to say.” He backed up a few steps so that he could see the seven of us all at once more easily. Before he spoke again, he took several deep breaths. It looked like he was steadying himself. “First, I want to thank all of you for your assistance, and your patience, with my problem. I know I have not been the kindest to some of you.”

“You can say that again.” Spike had been present for most of Sable’s losses of control.

“I will not.” I blinked, he had to have known that was a joke. “Second.” He looked at them, making eye contact with each in turn. “I no longer wish to have your aid in recovering my old memories.” The response was instant. All seven of us cried out in surprise with exclamations of disbelief or concern. Sable remained silent, and I could tell he was waiting for us to quiet down. I was the first to stop pressing him for answers.

“Did we do something wrong? Did we offend you somehow?” Fluttershy looked like she might be ready to cry. He demanded silence, snapping a wing out to the side.

“Let me explain.” He paused until it was clear we would not interrupt. “I have come to a decision of some importance, and I want everypony to hear this and listen carefully. I know little of my history, my past is gone. What little I do know, provided by Princess Twilight Sparkle, has painted a picture of a lonely and somewhat miserable pony.” The others all looked to me for answers. I shook my head, mouth pointedly closed. “I have examined my feelings regarding that history, and my feelings towards each of you.” Sable waved a hoof in an arc, gesturing to us all. “I have come to the conclusion…” he took another deep breath. “I do not need that life back.” Silence dropped.

“Excuse me?” It was my turn to drop my jaw. Everyone stared at him, stunned.

“Maybe one day I will recover those memories.” He shrugged. “And maybe not. That past is gone. The only thing left is this wreck behind me.” He pointed using his right wing at the hovel’s ruins. “That past is no longer important. What is, is my future and my friends.” I felt such a wellspring of pride towards him. I glanced around; Fluttershy was on the verge of tears again, this time joyful, everpony else was smiling. “I was alone, and miserable, and lost. But I don’t have to be anymore. It’s true, I don’t know where I am going, but I don’t have to go down that road on my own. And so…” He turned around now, facing the hovel. A familiar static charge filled the air.

“Sable, what are you…?” He snapped both wings high to attention, requesting silence so he could concentrate. The ground rumbled, static sparked visibly around Sable’s body. A neon blue glow, Sable’s magic, surrounded the hovel’s wrecked roof and walls. He raised one hoof, and the wood and stone of Sable’s old home rose into the air. First the roof, and then the walls and failing foundation ripped out of the ground. The ruins collapsed into each other, swirling and mixing into a ball of building materials. He closed his eyes, and I saw sweat beading on his forehead. The spinning orb of stuff started to transform into shapes, gaining limbs and forms faintly familiar. A moment longer, and Sable slowly let his hoof down, setting the sculpture into the place where his home had once stood and let out a held breath.

“Is that… us?” Rainbow Dash’s disbelief was justified. What used to be Sable’s home was now a mess of stone and wood, formed into crude facsimiles of six ponies and one dragon holding an eighth figure in the air. They shared some vague similarities to my friends and me, but only crudely. The character at the top was apparently supposed to be Sable, although its head was misshapen and its wings crooked. Pinkie Pie laughed loudly and fell to the ground; Rarity made an aghast face, Applejack wrinkled her nose. Even Fluttershy looked embarrassed for him. The horn of the Sable figure and the wings of one of the Pegasi fell off and splashed into the pond.

“Well… that looked better in my head.” He sighed. “You know what. Better idea.” Sable ripped the entire, terrible, sculpture back into the air. I half expected him to try again. Instead, Sable compressed the horrible thing into a ball and with a vigorous stomp thrust the mess into the ground. He buried the ball of old house and bad statue deep into the soft soil, the hole quickly filling with muddy water from the nearby pond. Sable turned back towards us, his face a stoic stone. “Let us never speak of that again.”

“Sorry, Sable, but not a chance.” His veneer cracked, and he smiled. It was good to see him with a sense of humor for once. “It’s the thought that counts.”

“But wait, there’s more.” He cleared his throat, taking a potion from his pocket. “I had hoped this to be a bit more solemn, but well.” He waved at the hole where his hovel once stood. Pinkie Pie was still laughing, rolling over in her mirth. “I will stumble on the road ahead; I will fall and make mistakes.” He walked over to the burned willow. “I hope I can count on you all to help me stand tall again when I do.”

“Nothing would make me happier.” He nodded sincerely towards me and poured half the potion onto the base of the tree. The dead and burned bark glowed, the limbs started to grow thick and sturdy. The tree groaned and reached high, towering over us all. Branches sprouted long trails of leaves, which draped down around us like a veil all the way to the ground. Pale leaves shimmered like back-lit crystal. Pinkie stopped laughing, mirth replaced with awe.

Sable flung the potion bottle wide, spraying the liquid all over the ground around him. Large flowers, in a hundred varieties and colors, bloomed all around us in a glorious affirmation of life. Among the lustrous garden I spotted a single magenta lily. Some of the droplets of the potion even landed on the leaves of the willow, which sprouted its own flowers among its branches, lit by the sun they shimmered like stained glass. It was like a cathedral inside the willow’s veil.

“It’s beautiful!” I had to agree with Rarity.

“Thank you.” He bowed, using his wings to give the motion more flourish. “In case it wasn’t obvious, the…” He gestured to where the house had been, and his hideous statue buried. “Represents my past and this.” Now he used both wings to indicate the cathedral tree around him. “My future.” Everyone took a few moments to explore the garden, and then Sable spoke again. “I have one more request for today.” We all looked over at him, standing at the base of the willow. “Pinkie Pie?” He looked at the pink pony, peering at him quizzically as he smiled playfully. “Think you could find a party cannon?”


“It sounds like he has something of a romantic side to him.”

“I guess he does. I didn’t notice that.”

“That really is a remarkable decision he made… Twilight, what’s so funny?”

“Oh, sorry, you said the same thing at the party. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me.”

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