The Son of infinity

by Krystl_Fae

Chapter 15: MISTAKES

Always Trust Your Gut

Andromeda

"C'mon, Andy! Let's go, let's go!"

"Slow down, Cadenza. You'll rip my leg off."

Cadenza had been extremely excited to visit Canterlot with me today, so much so that she had shown up at the door just as the sun was beginning to rise. I don't know if she had even slept last night, or whether her apparently boundless excitement had kept her awake all night in anticipation.

I personally don't get what the big deal is. Sure, it's rare for me to leave the safety of the castle, but it's just Canterlot. I'd been living there most of my life, and know the city streets off by heart. But Cadance didn't really care, I think she was just happy we were spending time together outside the castle. Her extroverted nature probably clashed with staying inside the castle all the time. I kinda feel sorry for her.

That said, she could at least run a little slower so that I wasn't struggling to keep myself off the floor while being pulled along at the insane speeds she was moving at. It was almost like she was trying to avoid something.

We travelled from the castle to the art museum first. We didn't go inside yet though. Our plan was to grab some ice cream and sit in the park for a while before heading in. Cadenza had apparently really thought out what she wanted to do today, and I thought it was a pretty decent plan, from what little I knew of it so far. I'd never been to a museum before, and always wondered what lay inside the grandiose building housing what was apparently hundreds of priceless artworks.

From there, it didn't take long to reach the ice-cream stand. Cadenza had dragged me along for the ride, again, and my joints were starting to get pretty sore. Cadenza went to go over to the counter and order something, when she turned back to me.

"Hey, Andy? Why not go over to the park and find us a nice spot? I'll get the ice-creams."

I nodded and headed across the street to where the park was.

I felt a brief headache when I was halfway across, and had to apologize to some ponies I'd bumped into when I accidentally stopped. I didn't hear the faint click up the street. I didn't feel the tingling of familiar magic I'd known for as long as I can remember... but my instincts had, and they were causing a nervousness I couldn't describe. Anticipation, but not for something good... it was as if I was on high alert.

I found a sunny spot near a tree, and turned around to look over at Cadenza to make sure she'd find her way over. I didn't particularly know if she wanted to sit in the sun or under the shade of the tree, so I just kind of waited as she finished paying and headed over towards me. Nothing was out of place, and everything seemed to be going fine, but I felt like something was off.

My usual sense of foreboding I get before leaving the castle had been worse today than ever before, not that it mattered. It was probably because I didn't know what to expect. With Twilight and Spike we were just going to the park to meet Twilight's brother. The familiar presence of at least the two others I knew was comforting. With traversing Dark Canterlot, I'd lived my entire life in the shadows, and knew every detail off by heart. Spike's presence only helped calm my nerves. But this time I was with only one friend, and travelling to places I'd never been before inside Canterlot. It was likely just nerves... or maybe it was Cadance? ... Was I... do I have... I- I honestly don't know.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and gave Cadance a wave as she crossed the street towards me, carrying the ice creams in a cardboard holster. She smiled and waved back and

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Nothing... that was all that could go through my head.

Nothing, and yet so much at the same time.

Hows and whys swirling in an endless vortex that overwhelmed my senses and brought me back to reality.

A voice broke through my veil of darkness, like a beacon in the gloom.

"...not looking good. I'm afraid..."

The beacon was lost as I tuned it out, but another appeared in it's place.

"Thank you, doctor Remedy. I..."

"It's okay princess, I won't tell if you can't take it."

Mum nodded, on the verge of tears. My cheeks were already stained with tear-tracks, having cried my way to the infirmary.

I could only just recall the events of the last few minutes; the runaway cart travelling at impossibly high speed, the crunch of broken bones, the weight on my back as I ran for the castle, the blood on the pavement...

...and now the dull, rhythmic, echoing "bip"s of the machine at my side as I sat there, unable to cope with the situation around me. My mind shutting down from an overload of stimuli. In my hooves I held on weakly to Cadance's hoof. The bips became slightly out of phase. They were gradually slowing down.

I could hear the doctor talking to mum again, though I only caught a few phrases.

"...won't hold out... I'm sorry... have anything to say... time to say goodbyes... have much longer..."

The verdict was clear, and death was imminent. I could almost feel the cold chill of his gaze in the room, as if he were standing quietly in the corner, waiting for his moment to take yet another life beyond the folds of this mortal coil.

I could hear each breath become slightly more... "jagged", if that makes any sense. As if they were raspy, but not quite that rough. Not like sandpaper, but not a gurgle either, just somewhere in the middle. It was all I could focus on to keep the incessant, constant, droning bips out of my head. Their presence a constant reminder that another life would soon be lost to this world.

I felt mum put a wing over my back. It was supposed to be comforting, but I could feel her trembling. In my peripheral vision I could see her barely holding herself together as a flood of tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

I could tell she was saying something, but I could barely hear her. The haze in my mind clouding my thoughts as the consistent bips of the machine echoed around inside my head, permeating my skull like a hot knife through butter.

She leant over and began speaking again. She was saying goodbye. I... I didn't want this to be the end... everything had only just begun...

"Y...Y......"

I could barely bring myself to speak. Every word threatening to devolve into sobs, every sentence threatening to release the tears held at bay.

"Y-you can't... you can't let go now... you can't give up-"

My voice cracked, and only broke down more as I tried to speak.

"Y-you promised we'd go see the art museum, remember? That we'd... we'd go and see the Griffish Isles together, remember? You promised that, w-when we were older, you'd show me everything I'd missed; missed out on. We-... I can't do this alone..."

Twilight, who was standing on the other side of the bed, turned and began sobbing into her brother's coat as he held her tightly, barely holding himself together. Celestia had tears falling from her face as she watched me talk.

"Please, Cadenza... y-you promised you'd always be there for me, remember?" I said, looking down on the bloodied face of my dying friend. "Please, you can't... you can't go now! Please, Cadenza, you- you promised."

-BIP- -BIP- -BIP-

"Cadenza, please... don't leave me... don't let go; you promised...."

-BIP-

-BIP-

-BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Author's Note:

I have cried when imagining this scene before. I have openly wept as I played the scene over in my mind.

This does not do it justice.

But until I have an epiphany, this it shall remain.

With all due excitement for finally getting this scene written after years of speculative imaginings,
Krystl Fae

Comments

[UnamusedWaffle]

I could hear each breath become slightly more... "jagged", if that makes any sense. As if they were raspy, but not quite that rough. Not like sandpaper, but not a gugle either, just somewhere in the middle.

Did you mean "gurgle"?

[Krystl_Fae]

10778175
Again, thanks! I didn’t proofread this after I’d written it. XD

[Krystl_Fae]

Just noticed I left my author’s notes in at the begining of the chapter... buck.

[Revluc_The_Pony]

That last part.

[UnamusedWaffle]

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I assume that was just a random string of characters???
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Witchery]

The pacing in this chapter needs work. The transition for the big event in this chapter is very jarring. I had to re-read it a few times to actually make sure I didn't miss it.