MLP A New Generation 2: The Last of The Alicorns

by TwiShine45

Chapter 25

Meanwhile, in another part of the cold, dreary cell, Sunny Starscout took an emotional inventory. Oh, there were a lot of them, to be sure. But one that was not present…was happiness. She’d never felt more bereft of joy in her entire life. A great pain rose in her heart, one that she had not known before. All of her friends were going to die, their adventure ending with head and hoof stones, and she blamed herself. She had failed, and she continually reminded herself of this. Whatever magical force had given her a horn and wings had obviously made an incorrect decision, and now her friends would be killed because of it.

The images of Zipp, Pipp, Hitch, and Izzy screaming as their blood ran red on the floor assaulted her mind. She grit her teeth together as buckets of tears fell down her face. What was worse, a horrific self-doubt plowed its way through each successive picture. It told her that she did this. In fact, when her visions turned to Luster herself, she saw her face superimposed over Scarlet Wing’s evil ruler. This reinforced her depression, and she collapsed against the stone wall, sobbing. Her emotions fell in on her soul, and she couldn’t bear the weight of it all alone. She desperately needed a friend.

Thankfully, Hitch was right there, just as he’d always been. She looked up at him as he offered her a hoof. He didn’t say anything, but smiled warmly and seemed to want to be near her. She really wanted to be close to somepony right then, so she took his hoof and pressed in beside his flank. The ensuing conversation became a whisper, something so tender that only the truest of hearts could have heart it. Luckily, one could find no truer hearts than those that resided in Sunny and Hitch. Sad though she was, Sunny was still extremely thankful to have her oldest friend beside her.

“…I was never meant to lead,” she said, in a voice that would make the old stone statues of Canterlot melt from sheer despair.

“Yes, you were,” Hitch whispered back.

“How could I?” Sunny asked in complete anguish. “These wings…this horn…they’re all a joke! I wasn’t able to answer any of our questions. I’ll never find out what happened to my mother, to Phyllis’s husband, to…to anypony. These woods will forever remain a mystery to those in the dark about Scarlet Wing, and we’ll become nothing but footnotes in a textbook. ‘These five brave ponies disappeared into the ether, never to be seen again!’ That’s what they’re gonna say about us, Hitch! We’re no heroes…we’re just disappointments.”

Hitch used a hoof to tenderly guide Sunny’s face towards his own. “How long have we been friends, Sun?”

“Since foalhood.”

“Right,” Hitch said with a nod, “and during that time, have I ever thought of you as being a disappointment?”

“Well…I guess not,” Sunny said.

“Not only have I never considered you as such,” Hitch said, “but I’ve always considered you my best friend. That’s never gonna change. Sunny, sometimes the world doesn’t work out the way we want it to. But that doesn’t mean you label yourself as a disappointment.”

“But I’ve caused this!” Sunny exclaimed lowly. “You’re all gonna be suffering terribly all because I asked you to come on this wild adventure to answer a question about my mother that, in all honesty, could probably have just been resolved back in Maretime! I asked you out here, Hitch…all of you…and now I have to watch you bleed.”

“…which is something we’re happy to do for our cause,” Hitch said.

“I…it is?” Sunny asked, eyebrows raised.

“Sunny, you taught us all the value of friendship,” Hitch said with a smile, “and it’s something we’re willing to go to the grave defending and honoring. Scarlet Wing or no Scarlet Wing, we’re friends, Sunny…and nothing’s ever gonna change that.”

Sunny looked deep into Hitch’s amber gaze, trying to read what she found there. There was an overwhelming sense of pride, but not pride in himself. He was genuinely proud of her. She was taken back to their times as foals, playing together. These visions were a sight better than her previous ones, and she basked in their warmth. She saw herself and Hitch, joyously romping about the streets of Maretime Bay. Their school days had been especially wonderful, featuring many happy trips down slides and ecstatic rides on seesaws. As they’d aged, they’d often come together after various events to be sources of comfort, reassurance, and encouragement.

She remembered, once, she’d gotten stood up by a rather handsome young colt. He’d asked her out, and she was thrilled at the invitation. For, after all, he was the most popular colt in their school. If she were to become his special somepony, not only would she be happy romantically, but she could also get her message of peace among ponies out faster. It seemed like the perfect plan! But, alas, she’d gotten herself all gussied up…and then nopony came to the door. She wanted a minute, five minutes, thirty minutes, an hour…but nothing happened. She remembered crying into her father’s shoulder, thinking that all her plans had been absolutely smashed.

However, the next day, Hitch took up her defense at school once he found out what happened. He chewed out the colt who’d dared stand up Sunny. When the colt confessed that he wanted to make an example out of “that weird filly who thought ponies should all be friends,” Hitch went nuts. He beat the colt within an inch of his life, thus earning himself a minor suspension from school. The principal went easy on Hitch, as he, too, had seen how poorly the colt had treated Sunny. Ironically enough, both Hitch and the principal did not see things the way Sunny did. But it didn’t matter. Their friend and charge, respectively, had been horribly mistreated.

Back in the present, Hitch cocked his head at Sunny. “You’re…staring at me.”

Sunny started. “Oh, sorry! I was just thinking of that time with that colt who stood me up on purpose.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember him. Tug Boat was his name, I believe. He works at the docks in Maretime now.”

“I really don’t care, to be honest,” Sunny said. “All I care about was…well, was what you did, Hitch. You’ve always been there for me, even when we were on the complete opposite side of an opinion.”

“But I was wrong, Sunny, and you showed me that!” Hitch said with a smile. “That’s what makes you a great leader, and the best friend a pony could ever ask for. I can’t imagine my life without you in it, Sunny!”

This revelation was too much for Sunny’s sadness, and the sunshine broke through. She leapt at Hitch and threw her hooves around his neck. Suddenly, in the moment, they both realized what they meant to each other. Their lips met, starting off an avalanche of fireworks in both ponies’ minds. The cell fell away, and they floated in the midst of some kind of beautiful environmental limbo. Within it, there were no problems. There rested only a deep love, one that they’d felt for each other all along, but they’d been too scared to talk about. Hitch finally knew the pony he was meant to be with, and Sunny knew what it took to have confidence in herself and her ability to love and lead others. All it took…was one spark.