i know The End

by The Red Parade

Moonbend

The smell of rain and ozone hung heavily in the air.

Rarity knew that the forecast called for chilly, rainy weather. The puddles on the floor and the layer of water which covered everything seemed to prove that. Everyone seemed to be staying at home today, judging by how empty and quiet the streets were.

There was still time before the sun set, however, and Sweetie Belle never did seem to mind the rain.

She stood at the stairs of the playground, staring at the bright yellow slide with a longing look on her face.

“Sweetie, darling, you’ll get wet,” Rarity called, tightening her scarf against the wind.

“No I won’t!” cheered Sweetie Belle. “I’m wearing a raincoat!”

Rarity couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Still, I don’t want you to be wet when we go home. You shake yourself like a dog and just ruin my rugs.”

“Okay, Rarity,” Sweetie answered, coming off of the play structure. “Can I sit on the swing at least?”

“Fine, darling,” Rarity answered, rising from the park bench like the summer sun over the hills. She lit up a heating spell, warming the seat and turning the water to steam.

Rarity knew that Sweetie was still young and eager for a cutie mark. If she had to indulge her sister like this, then what was the harm?

Sweetie settled down onto the uncomfortable rubber, gripping the chains with her hooves as the structure sank under her weight.

Rarity smiled, trotting up behind her and gently pushing her sister with a hoof. “We can’t stay for long, though. It’s getting late.”

She looked around the park, noting how empty and quiet it was. Not even the squirrels or the birds were out there, leaving behind a waterlogged world of unused seesaws and slides too soggy to use.

Sweetie began gaining momentum, and she gained a little more distance with every push that Rarity gave.

It was nice, finally spending time with her sister. Their timing didn’t always line up well, as Sweetie would often be off with her friends when Rarity was free and vice versa.

Something tugged at Rarity’s mind. Something felt… off, although she couldn’t place it. She looked around the playground again as the sun began to fall deeper over the horizon, at the empty benches and mounted metal trash cans.

“So how did gardening go?” Sweetie asked, her voice growing closer as she swung back towards Rarity.

“Hm?”

Sweetie giggled, her laugh growing distant as Rarity pushed her away again. “Your letter! You said that you were going to try gardening when you got back.”

“Oh, yes, I suppose I did,” Rarity mused. “I… never did get around to it.”

“But you’ve been home for awhile now.”

Rarity grit her teeth at that. “Yes, I have.”

“So did you just never get around to it? Like playing the guitar, or learning pottery, or studying weather patterns and birdwatching and--”

“I get the idea,” Rarity snapped, shoving Sweetie harder than she intended.

If Sweetie was hurt, she didn’t show it.

“I’m just saying, Rarity.” Sweetie’s voice grew closer again. “It kind of feels like you’re trying to carve a new pony out of stone every time you come back.”

Rarity frowned, her own voice dropping low. “Well, so what? I’m allowed to try to feel whole again, aren’t I? Am I allowed to romanticize my own life, and dream of all the fantasies I never had because it’s far too late to bring them forwards?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Sweetie answered, and Rarity growled and shoved her away again.

“Half of my life is gone now, darling. You really don’t understand, do you?”

“How can I,” Sweetie asked from far away. Rarity looked up to see her in the air, far away and distant. “If you never let me know?”

Rarity pursed her lips at that. “Well… I suppose that’s fair, but why should I tell you? It’s… it’s far safer if you aren’t privy to my troubles.”

“Safer for you or for me?” With every word, Sweetie seemed to continue her arc, rising higher and higher into the air.

Rarity’s jaw fell open in shock. “I…”

Sweetie giggled, and as Rarity watched, she reached the crest of her swing and began to fall back towards her.

“Sweetie, you have your own life. You have your own friends, your own jobs. You don’t need to waste time on me,” Rarity said, desperate without a reason. “It’s better if you just leave me well enough alone.”

But her words lost the fight with gravity, and Sweetie fell back towards her.

“You can’t keep pushing everyone away, Rarity. You’ll never get over your fear of loss that way,”

Sweetie came to a stop in front of her and hopped off the swingset, the dying sunlight almost reflecting off of her cutie mark. She offered Rarity a smile.

When had Sweetie gotten so tall?

“Do you ever dream of being home?” Sweetie asked.

Rarity blinked, recognizing something familiar in those words. “What?”

“Do you ever think about living a quiet life?”

She opened her mouth and closed it, the playground suddenly feeling like a foreign place.

Wasn’t it raining a few seconds ago?

Rarity stumbled over to the bench and almost collapsed into it.

Sweetie followed behind her, as vibrant as ever.

“I had to go, Sweetie,” Rarity muttered. She looked to her right and noticed a bright blue bird laying still and lifeless on her right. It made her want to cry.

“I know, I know, I know,” Sweetie replied. “I still miss you sometimes, though.”

Rarity nodded absently, unable to pry her eyes away from the dead bird. It reminded her of Fluttershy.

Her ear twitched as there was an awful, creaky roar from nearby. A chorus of warning sirens began to caw, like a flock of crows on Nightmare Night. Their roar filled the sky with a force strong enough to block out the sun.

Rarity instinctively looked up at the partly-cloudy sky that was void of life. A gust of wind blew through her mane, sending it flapping through the wind like a banner of courage.

Sweetie blinked, ear flicking at the noise but otherwise undisturbed.

“I can’t go down here, darling,” Rarity said. She felt like she would cry. She felt like this conversation was slowly going to kill her.

She felt like rain.

Shakily, she stood up from the bench. Sweetie Belle made no motion to stop her.

The wind picked up, sending stray leaves flying past her face. “You… you should go,” Rarity choked out. “To where it’s safe.”

“Is anywhere safe?” Sweetie asked.

Rarity didn’t answer.

She set forth, but each step felt muddled and slow. Rarity bit down hard on her lip as her eyes began to sting, and the wind picked up its assault in earnest. She saw the bird swept away on her right, heading off on its last flight.

The roaring of the sirens cut through for a second, but the wind drowned it out without much effort.

Rarity pushed forwards, her teeth chattering and her heart roaring.

There was a light breaking through the clouds, where the sun used to be.

She had to catch it.

But the wind picked up and she felt her rear hooves leave the ground.

Rarity didn’t know where she was anymore.