Chapter 78: Whole
Firefly was not the pony to cut through the rubble and finally dig up Lilac's shelter. This time she obeyed Luna's instructions, staying well back from the magical excavation. She had nothing like the power the Alicorn could wield, and getting into her way only gave the princess more to distract her.
At least the whole mine hadn't collapsed, or else they might never have found their way to Lilac's shelter in time. It was only one specific room, which Risk's dad had called the “throne chamber.”
Even from the entrance, Firefly saw signs of death in this place. A thick coating of rotten meat and bits of bone emerged between many of the rocks, which thankfully didn't leap out and try to attack them. Like someone had tipped over the machinery in a meat-packing plant, halfway through dissecting an animal. The smell burned her nose and eyes, far worse than being near the Watcher's final moments.
Then the princess discovered a dome of rock, melted together from bits of crushed debris. That was when Firefly fluttered over, through the maze of excavations. The princess stopped beside it, tapping one armored hoof against the side.
A few seconds later, somepony tapped back, urgent. The princess drew her sword again, gesturing with it. “Back up, Firefly. I sense living ponies within, but I may be deceived. If I see a demon wearing another's body, I will still cut her down.”
Firefly backed up. She already had a good sense of when she could get away with pushing Luna's instructions a little, and when she couldn't. This was not the time.
“I am cutting through!” Luna shouted, directly at the stone shell. “Back away from this side!” She counted down, then cast her spell. She ripped a pony-sized hole in the rock, while leaving the rest of the dome untouched. It was still holding up part of the ceiling, after all. If she weakened it any further, it might just come down on their heads.
A pony emerged from inside, hacking and spluttering. It was Little Risk, covered with dirt and slime. He stumbled over to the princess, then froze, staring at her. His mouth hung open, but he was much too afraid to speak. The princess waved her sword at him, impatiently. “The exit is behind us. Go.”
He went, but only a few steps. Like Firefly, he waited to make sure the other occupants made it out.
A pony emerged, carrying another on her back. Iris Vale looked even worse than Risk, with cuts and burns all over her coat. Whatever happened to her was nothing compared to Lilac Empathy.
The filly lay limp on her back, as bruised and bloody as any of the other ponies here. But none of those looked like they had been half-transformed into something.
Lilac had a bony horn emerging from her head, longer and sharper than most unicorns. She had wings now too, hanging limply down her sides.
Firefly whimpered and looked away from the painful sight. Never in her life had she seen wings in such bad shape, not even in the anatomy textbooks she studied at school. The feathers were a mismatch of different colors, like they'd been borrowed from a dozen different ponies. The rest of her wings were scabbed over and bleeding, the flesh raw.
Oh god. This must be what Luna meant about knowing a demonic messenger when she saw one. Her friend must've lost against the demon after all!
“Stars above.” The sword sagged in Luna's grip. Instead of attacking, her expression turned to pity. “What happened to her?”
“The Watcher thought he could bring back the ancient Alicorns.” Iris continued over to the princess, then stopped. She showed none of the usual deference ponies gave to their rulers. Maybe she was in too much pain to be afraid. “He couldn't. This was the result.”
The night princess's horn glowed. Even without a horn of her own, Firefly felt her attention on Lilac. She must be searching for the Unmade parasite in her soul. This was the moment—the last time Firefly would see her best friend alive.
The princess slid her sword back into its sheath. “She resisted the Unmade a second time? How?”
Iris chuckled. “My daughter has been doing things other ponies thought she couldn't since she was a filly. Must just be used to it by now.”
The filly twitched on her back, her head turning towards them. She opened one eye, which settled on Firefly. “Hey, Firefly. S-sorry I... left you out of this one.”
“No problem,” Firefly whimpered. “I forgive you. This time.”
“Don't try to speak,” Luna said. “Your war is over, child. Rest now. You will be okay.”
“Oh.” Her smile widened, and she whimpered again. “C-could someone send a wreath to the Good Folk for me? Made of wintergreen and... lilies...” She slumped again, unconscious.
“Do I even want to know what the filly means by that?” Luna asked.
“No,” they all answered, practically in unison. “Don't ask.”
There was much left to do in Willowbrook over the days and weeks that followed, of which Firefly was only a small part. But she had no desire to be part of the royal audit and eventual occupation of the city, rooting out the influence of the Lightless Star wherever it was found.
Firefly was part of that, and Lilac would've been too, if she wasn't in the hospital. With the cult's leaders dead, there were few left to speak from authority. But everypony remembered the nameless, unborn gods. By their voice of authority, the cult could finally disband.
Firefly didn't care about all the details. All kinds of changes were coming to the city—a transitional mayorship, replacements for all the police and other civic officers. A revision of the old laws. They meant it gradually, but Canterlot clearly intended to rip up any trace of the Lightless Star, wherever they remained.
Some ponies resisted, and others went missing in the night, fleeing with their secret doctrines into forbidden places. Solving all that wasn't Firefly's problem. She was just a filly, and more than happy to go back to living like one. Equestria would solve its own civic problems.
She was there to greet the hospital car when it returned from Canterlot, carrying a familiar pegasus inside. Well—he looked like a pegasus. He was her father again, right down to the glasses. There were scars around his throat, and patches of missing fur that persisted even in his transformation.
Firefly didn't care. She embraced him, and didn't try to hide her tears. “They healed you?” she asked, wiping away at her face. “Even though they know...”
He held her with a wing, until she was ready to let go. Then he removed something from around his neck, turning the little medallion around. It had Princess Luna's cutie mark stamped into the metal, along with a seal. “SMILE IDENTIFICATION #18302”
“I thought they would kill me,” he admitted. “After the invasion. I wasn't there, but I know... plenty of ponies died. I didn't expect them to be forgiving. But I was wrong.” He turned the necklace back around, then tucked it into his disheveled shirt. “I'm required to wear this at all times, and there are some... forms, an interview every six months. But that's it.”
He had a bit of a limp, but Firefly was there to support Septum out of the train. But to where? They'd made it out of the train station before she stopped in place, realizing what she should've from the beginning. “Wait. We don't... have anywhere to live. I... destroyed our house.”
Septum stopped beside her. But for as bleak as she felt, she saw no despair on his face. Instead, he pointed straight up into the air. “While I was in the hospital, I met an old friend of yours. When she heard we'd lost our home after defying the Lightless Star, she was... well, look.”
Firefly looked. She only saw the underside of a cloud, flying a little lower than usual. With... several ponies pushing it. She recognized that rainbow tail anywhere.
How many incredible things could she see in a short few minutes. “Why would she be here?” Firefly asked, baffled. “She's important, I'm...”
“You made friends,” he said. “That's how I ended up here in the first place. Anyway, we talked. I told her about how you always wanted to live up in a cloud-house. We couldn't before, when I had to change identities all the time. But since I won't be doing that anymore—I think it would be fine. With precautions. You know as well as I do how dangerous a cloud-house can be, if it isn't properly secured.”
Firefly flung her forelegs around him again, hugging him as tightly as she could. Then she stood up, launching herself into the air. She flew straight up, leaving the train station behind. Nopony noticed, or if they did they didn't care. Her father remained behind, though he never could've kept up with the speed she set. Firefly flew up so fast she felt the air curving out in front of her.
But only for a second. She slowed as she neared that obvious low-hanging cloud, with the firm yard around it. Did being made of clouds make it easier for ponies to give it as a gift, or harder? It was easily as elaborate as most buildings she had explored, with multiple stories, large windows, and even a pool out back. Through the ice windows the building was already furnished, albeit with a look that was too clean and perfect. Something fresh off the assembly line, more than a place ponies actually lived.
“Woah, slow down!” A familiar mare let go of the cloud, letting the other two take over. She met Firefly in the air, trailing her path up past the building. “Can't fly so fast around a house, you know that! Don't want to smack through the floor into somebody's bathroom.”
Firefly stopped a short distance from her, looking away awkwardly. The mare had no such reservations, and gave her a brief squeeze. “Guess you've had a rough few weeks, huh?”
Firefly nodded tearfully. “Things have been... tough. At least since the Lightless Star tried to kill me. Lost everything that night and—” She sniffed, wiping her eyes with a foreleg. “Wasn't sure if I should stay in Willowbrook or not. If there was anywhere in Equestria that would have me.”
“That's the beauty of a cloud-house.” Rainbow turned her to the side, then guided her onto the front lawn. It was big enough for a pony to run around, without rails or anything to separate it from the open sky. But anypony who could walk up here could already fly. “No matter where in Equestria you go, there's always room in the sky. Just don't park right over somepony's fields, or their house.”
Firefly took a tentative step up the path. Cloud buildings were firmer than the wild variety, enchanted to remain stable rather than puff away. There was still faint moisture under her hooves as she walked, impossible to avoid when she was in the sky. At the same time, it was so wonderfully soft—
“Dusty says you brought this house up here.”
Rainbow nodded. “Don't make such a big deal out of it. All of Equestria is talking about the ponies who were brave enough to stand against the evil cult when nopony else would. When they heard that one of those was a filly, and the bad ponies tried to kill her... I wasn't the only pony who wanted to help you. All I did was pick it out, and tell them what you liked.”
She lowered her voice, whispering into her ear. “I hope it's okay if I didn't have them fill your house with old chairs. You didn't care about all those, did you?”
She giggled. “Not even a little. I'm good with normal.”
“Great!” Rainbow clasped her around the back with a wing, then waved at the house. “Let's take the tour! We're almost in position anyway, the weight of a few more ponies won't slow it down. Come on.”
Firefly had never owned anything this nice. The inside might be made for a small group of ponies, but that didn't mean it was empty. The cloud house was already filled with everything a pony needed to make it their home.
Her own bedroom was on the top floor, with an open balcony for easy coming and going and signed Wonderbolts merchandise on the walls.
“Yeah, I had it passed around,” Rainbow said, lingering near the largest of these. “I may've let slip how talented you were. I'm sure somepony will be expecting you to try out in the next few years. Maybe I'll even be your instructor.”
Firefly thanked her again, but she didn't cry until she got to the closet.
It was filled with all kinds of beautiful things, more than enough to make up for all the ancient dresses and gowns lost when the storm took her home.
“Th-this is... wonderful.”
“A friend of mine collected all this. Some of it is for your friend, the, uh... the one with wings now. You can work that out between yourselves. But the flight suit is yours, don't give that one away. You can wear it the day you try out.”
She nodded. Firefly didn't have the heart to tell her that Lilac Empathy would never wear anything in this closet, even if their sizes still matched. She hated wearing anything that made her obviously look like a girl.
She could still offer, when the time came. “Do you think Equestria will... do anything about my friend?”
“You mean will the princesses?” Rainbow corrected. “After she heals? Keep an eye on her, mostly. So long as she doesn't go around claiming that she's actually whatever the cult believes in, some ancient goddess come to rule again—she should be fine.”
She stalked over to the balcony, opening the wide window-doors to let in a breeze. It was chilly, the way the air always felt this high up. Firefly was plenty adapted to the cold, so it didn't bother her.
“You're not those things, are you?” Rainbow Dash added, almost as an afterthought. “The Lightless Star were wrong?”
“They were wrong,” Firefly said. “Lilac and I are... we're from the same place as those old gods were. But we're not them. I don't really understand more than that. I'm just a filly, that's all I ever want to be. Well—maybe a Wonderbolt. We'll see if I measure up.”
“I'm sure you will,” the mare said. “Now the important question, before your dad flies up here.” She lowered her voice again, wrapping one wing around her shoulder. “When do you ask her out?”
Her ears flattened, tucking behind her head. “She's not interested in mares. She has a boyfriend. I guess that means I've moved on. She's not the only cute pony in Willowbrook. There's another filly, with the prettiest wings you've ever seen. Wider than an Alicorns, black and white like a swan. I've thought about... dunno. If our school ever does formals again, I'll ask her.”
Rainbow released her. “Well that's... I guess it's good, on the whole. So long as you don't live your life full of regrets. Don't live in fear of what might happen. Ponies tried to tell me what was and wasn’t possible too, but they were always wrong! Whatever you want your life to look like, you're the pony who has to go out and make it that way. We both know you can do it.”
She giggled. “Thanks, Miss Dash. All this... it's more than I could've ever asked for.”
“Well, I mean it this time. If something else goes wrong, write me a letter. Don't break in anywhere. There's probably a simpler and less fun way to do things.”
“I promise.”
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I guess the vial of Septum's blood was destroyed in the mines. Glad to see he's not going to jail or being a subject of experimentation, but with what he did to help after the attack on Firefly, he's earned a chance at a quieter life
Hopefully Lilac recovers well and maybe her wings and horn will develop properly and she can actually use them. Don't know if Celestia and/or Luna will recognize her as a princess or not, but she is wearing the uniform, so to speak.
I also get the feeling we're near the conclusion of this little tale.
We're getting near to the end. With Firefly's life being settled, we just have to see how Lilac will adjust to her new life. It'll certainly be easier without any cults or demons getting in the way.
At least firefly and her dad have a new home. The Lightless Star is mostly gone and given what happened they few that fled have little chance of finding new members if they even last long enough to attempt it.
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This is a Starscribe Story. Are we near an end or only half-way through? Looking at you Message in a Bottle.
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"End of Chapter 1"
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If you look at Starscribe's blogs, he's been talking about how Willowbrook's approaching an ending for a while now, so this is it... Sadly. Well, unless that mystery commissioner hires him for a sequel! (I can hope >.>)
There's still some things left to explore. Like that floating alicorn fortress. We've had some clues about reincarnation etc, surely there's something there...
Yeah, she definitely should've realized that from the beginning if this is weeks after the final confrontation. Where has she been living in the meantime?
Still, a lovely denouement. Looking forward to whatever's left now that these two have a chance to live relatively normal lives. Though with Lilac, that "relatively" is doing a lot of heavy lifting...
This story is very much winding down, though there's certainly enough plot threads for a sequel.
I'd still like to see how well Lilac recovers and what the Princesses have in store for her. Celestia said she'd have to sacrifice, but she's been beaten down plenty enough.
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I think I recall Starscribe saying that this story was nearing the end.
This is a good, fun story. Well done.
Although wouldn't both of the two sisters also be S.M.I.L.E. SCP numbered assets? They are technically outer dimensional entities. They are along the same lines as SCP-343 (GOD) But because of their Cult, they would probably not be considered Class: Safe, but rather Class: Euclid.
Monk <Object Class: Thaumiel>
Hmm.
Also, so does that mean no return to Earth?
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They decided not to go back to earth a LONG time ago.
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(waiting for Firefly, maybe ? )
Speaking of that fortress, wonder is Dash gave that info to Daring or a higher up (spitfire/Celestia) or is she going to confirm it's still there before doing so ...
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And given time travel shenanigans, I have a pretty strong feeling that, barring the help of someone who REALLY knows what they're doing, earth may be infested with Unmade..,. Or worse, gone.
Could be worse ways to handle known friendly changelings.
Well, it's good to see that SMILE still infuriates me.
SMILE couldn't have made it any more conspicuous? Ah well, freedom will come later.