Legends Never Die: A New Age

by bookhorse125

The Moon and Stars

Izzy Moonbow knew something was wrong the moment Sunny walked into the large room where everypony was all dining on breakfast together. Her head was hanging, her steps slow and sluggish, and her eyes - Izzy did a double take.

Thank hoofness, her eyes were still her friend’s eyes. But they were so full of despair and devoid of hope that she almost didn’t recognize the pony that she had met on the street in Maretime Bay so long ago.

“Sunny?” Hitch asked, drawing everypony’s attention to her. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” The earth pony looked up. “Oh - oh, yeah, I’m fine. Just didn’t get a very good night’s sleep.” She turned to Izzy and said, “Can I… talk to you? In private?”

“Um…” Izzy looked to her friends for support, but they just shrugged. “Sure, Sunny.”

The earth pony led the unicorn into the hallway and away from the guards. She turned to Izzy and said, “Izzy… it’s getting worse.”

She didn’t have to ask what she was talking about. “You mean… the voices in your head?”

“It’s not just voices now, Izzy,” Sunny went on, her voice growing desperate. “Whatever it is, it - its trying to take over. And I - I can’t let it.”

“Then it’s nothing to worry about, right?” Izzy said, trying to convince both of them. “You’re fighting it. You’re still our Sunny.”

“That’s not the worst part,” she interrupted. “Last night… last night it almost did. It fought its way into my head and I just barely got away, and Izzy… I don’t think I’ll be able to get away again.” She lowered her head shamefully as Izzy figured out what she was saying.

“So you…” Izzy started, not wanting to say it out of fear that would make it come true faster.

Sunny nodded miserably. “There’s no hope for me, Izzy. I’m already gone. I won’t be here for much longer - I can feel it. You’re the only one who knows, and I don’t want you to tell anypony else. I know our friends - they’d never accept it. Promise me that you’ll accept it, Izzy. But if they find out - if they try to come after me - it would just put them in danger, and I couldn’t bear that. They would get hurt - whoever this is, they’re like nopony we’ve ever dealt with before. If I… lose myself, keep the others safe… and forget about me.”

Izzy gasped. “Sunny, no. Absolutely not. I am enacting the best-friend-rule: we do not forget about each other.” She took one of Sunny’s hooves and squeezed it tightly, then reconsidered her words. “Well, unless there’s a magic stone involved, but even then we didn’t really forget about each other. And it was because of you that we were able to get ourselves back. Sunny, you’re the glue that holds this group together - you’re the reason we met and the reason we can be friends. You’re the reason I can do this.” She lit up her horn and teleported them both to the outside of the palace, looking out upon the city. “Sunny, the whole reason we’ve gotten this far… is because we’ve had you to keep us going.”

“And you’ll have to keep going without me,” Sunny whispered, putting her hoof on Izzy’s shoulder.

“No!” Izzy protested, stepping away. “What has gotten into you? I know this is the actual you talking, but it doesn’t sound like the actual you. The Sunny I know would stick with her friends through thick and thin, just like you know we’d do for you.”

“You think this is easy for me?” Sunny suddenly shouted, taking Izzy aback. Tears welled up in her eyes and cascaded down her cheeks. “I’m asking the best friends I’ve ever had, the only friends I’ve ever had, to give up on me and basically leave me for dead! I don’t like this anymore than you do, but you’re not the one with a voice in your head, Izzy! You don’t know what it’s like! You never have to look at your hooves and wonder if they’re really yours, you never have fake thoughts put in your head that make you do horrible things that you regret! This is the hardest thing I will ever have to do, but I’m doing it because I love you guys. I don’t want you in danger, and I know now that having me around will only lead to that. I’m sorry, Izzy, but I just - I can’t-” She broke off, sobbing.

“Oh, Sunny…” Izzy whispered, putting her arm around her friend and pulling her into a hug. “Sunny… I’m sorry. You’re right, I have no idea what you’re going through right now. I guess that… you know, you’re my very best friend, and I’m afraid to lose you.” She took a deep breath and proposed a compromise, even though it still made her heart hurt. “I’ll keep the others from going after you… but I won’t let them forget you. And also there is no way you’re leaving of your own free will. Because I will glue you to this very spot if I have to.” She squeezed Sunny tighter, and her friend smiled.

The sun was still rising over the city, and the two friends sat to watch it, glittering golden rays of light spreading across the city and casting everything in a dazzling glow.

“Remember when we first came here?” Sunny asked in a low voice. “Just a couple of ponies hoping to find out how magic worked?”

“Ah, those were the good old days,” Izzy sighed contentedly.

Sunny gave her a strange look. “Um, I seem to remember us getting thrown in prison while Maretime Bay roused itself into a miniature army. What about that was good?”

“Well, it was definitely not the best time ever,” Izzy admitted, “but I was with you guys. So that made it worth it. Also, though it may have been quite the calamity, at least it wasn’t a magical calamity. That seems to be all we’re dealing with these days.” Sunny chuckled. “What about those new crystals?”

“The Elements of Harmony,” Sunny explained, taking a deep breath. “Yes, they’re gone. Stolen, I know that for sure. Only a very powerful pony could have figured out a way to break those spells you cast. I went back to my lighthouse last night to look for clues, but… that was where it found me.”

“Okay, that’s it,” Izzy decided in a final voice. “I am self-appointing myself your personal guard. Anywhere you go, I go. You clearly have a knack for getting yourself into very dangerous situations.”

“So do you! And, well, all of us,” Sunny amended. “Besides, that’s exactly the kind of thing I don’t want. I’m worried that you’ll get hurt. What I’m dealing with… it can’t be solved with glitter.”

“Everything can be solved with glitter,” Izzy contradicted, tossing her head.

“I’m sure you would find a way,” Sunny conceded, patting her friend’s hoof assuringly. “But not in time for me, I’m afraid.”

“Can we please not talk about this?” Izzy pleaded, and Sunny nodded. The topic of possibly being taken over by an evil voice inside your mind that would result in your friends having to let you go into danger alone and quite possibly not come out did tend to put a damper on your conversation.

“Sunny!” Hitch called as he ran towards them. He skidded to a stop and paused to catch his breath. “We’ve been… looking for you…” he gasped, looking between her and Izzy. “What were you doing?”

“Just watching the sunrise,” Izzy said cheerfully, gesturing to the view before them.

Hitch didn’t look convinced. “Sunny, can I talk to you?”

She nodded, turning to Izzy. “Go check on the others, personal bodyguard,” she said in a teasing voice. “I can guarantee that Hitch can do nothing to hurt me. Now, if he had his animals, on the other hoof…”

“Excuse me?” Hitch interjected, looking wounded as Izzy left, laughing. “Do you not think I am dangerous at all? And why is Izzy your personal bodyguard and not me?”

Sunny shrugged. “She was self-appointed.” She patted his hoof. “And you can be very scary.”

“Thanks,” he muttered, plopping down beside her. “Sunny… what did you really come out here with Izzy for?”

She fell silent. “I… I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh.” He took a deep breath and said what he really meant to say. “It just feels like, ever since all three pony tribes reunited and magic returned… you and Izzy have been… inseparable. And I remember, when we were foals, that used to be me. I just… I feel like I’m losing my best friend.”

Sunny was silent for a heartbeat before speaking again. “I’m sorry, Hitch. I didn’t mean to. I just… you will always be my friend, Hitch. And whenever I need a very scary personal bodyguard, I will call on you, if it makes you feel any better.” She grinned and stood up. “Now come on. I want to ask Pipp if we can go to McWings again today. Because their smoothies are delish.”

“Forget magic crystals,” Hitch added with a smile, also getting to his hooves. “We could probably unite the world on McWings smoothies.”

Author's Note:

Last one for today.

Constructive criticism is appreciated. Thank you for reading!

Comments

[Yoshifan30]

It looks like things are getting much much worse for sunny and she told Izzy about the voices in her head is getting much stronger and sooner or later she will lose her mind and will by cozy glow which Unfortunately they don't know who it is is he will make a promise that she will help her no matter what happens and hopefully it will not come to it that she will forget her friends or anything like that let's just hope it doesn't come to that well we'll find out next time