The End is Not the End

by Hoofprintz

Cadance : Sorrrow

"She's absolutely perfect, isn't she?" Shining smiled as he held me and his newborn daughter in his loving embrace. She slept peacefully in my forelegs, wrapped comfortably in a soft silk blanket.

"She's so much more than that." I was exhausted from the ordeal, but I wanted nothing more than to enjoy the arrival of our precious little foal. "She's an alicorn..." She was the first. A natural born alicorn had never appeared in Equestria. It was hard to believe that such a thing could happen, even moreso that she'd come to my husband and I.

"It's crazy isn't it?" he nuzzled the top of my head with his muzzle. "Guess it comes with having a mother as amazing as you."

"Don't sell yourself short, Captain Armor," I kissed him on the cheek. He chuckled merrily.

"Have you thought of a name... further than just Heart, I mean," he asked. We'd discussed possible names since I first found out I was expecting and in the end he'd decided to leave the decision mostly in my hooves. I suggested Heart and he loved it, but it wasn't exactly a proper first name.

"Not yet... what about you?"

"Well..." he thought deeply for a second. "When Twily was a foal she was a little twister full of energy... and she didn't even have wings back then." I stared at him in disbelief. "Yeah, Mom wasn't too crazy about twister either," he laughed, his pearly whites shining in the light of Auntie Celestia's bright sun. "See, this is why I've never been allowed to pick names." I pushed his face away playfully with a hoof.

"It's close to a good name," I smiled. "Hey, what about..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Flurry?" I shook her lightly, but she didn't respond. She'd completely lost consciousness.

Still... there's a cha-

"Cadance?" Auntie Celestia's trembling hoof on my shoulder felt like a gavel being slammed down in a courtroom. As if a judgment had just been made final and fate was sealed. As my aunt's coughing got worse I felt the urge to turn and try to help her, but I didn't. Because I couldn't. Flurry's needs were much more severe than anything else was at the moment.

"Tia," Aunt Luna called her sister over to herself. Auntie Celestia stepped away from me for a moment, the former whispering something quietly to her coughing elder sister. I began casting a magnification spell.

I just have to find the source of the problem and get rid of it... and then everything will be-

"Cadance?" It was my younger aunt's turn to interrupt my efforts.

Why won't they just let me tend to my daughter? Can't they see she needs me?

"Aunt Luna, I know you have something important to tell me, but Flurry is in real danger. Can't it wait until I stabilize her?" I turned to the dark alicorn, tears streaming down her face, but a stern look etched into her features. The snap of her wing against my cheek was so sudden I didn't even see it coming. The impact was sharp and burned something fierce. The blow knocked more out of me than just my pride.

"Cadance... she is gone." the strike combined with my aunt's words finally reached the recesses of my mind the two of them had been trying to get to. What I'd been thinking about seconds ago immediately halted. I stared at my aunt with wide, disbelieving eyes as I rubbed my cheek with a hoof. She was still crying, but the firmness in her expression remained, as if she would slap me again if I still didn't understand her. Her sister sat behind her, her own gaze not meeting mine. She looked sad as well. "I am sorry, Cadance... I am... so sorry." Aunt Luna didn't look away. Instead, she grabbed me and pulled me into a tight hug.

"I don't... what's...?" I spoke into her mane, still not fully comprehending the atmosphere of devastation.

Why? What's going on?

When she let me go I turned and the weight of the situation finally crushed me like an avalanche. "F-Flurry?" I looked down at my only daughter, my little heart. Her eyes were closed and she was covered in a black substance and... "Fl-Flurry!?"

Blood. So much blood.

The room began to spin as my mind slowed to the point of ceasing.

"Cadance!?" I heard a voice from somewhere in my vicinity, but it was slow and distorted. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Everything around me spun faster and faster. The next thing in my vision was the cold hard floor before everything faded to black...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I didn't sleep. I didn't dream. There weren't even any nightmares to greet me, just the blackest darkness for an incalculable duration of time. When I was finally able to force my eyes open, I found myself lying in my bed within my chambers. I was... tired, like I'd just laid down and hadn't gotten a wink of sleep after the most exhausting day of work.

"Your Highness!?" The voice that came from my right was soft, kind, and very familiar. Starless Night of the Rainbow Guard slumped next to me in a chair. The unicorn mare had been crying, her kind golden eyes puffy and bloodshot. Her long purple mane was disheveled and looked like it hadn't been cared for in months. There was only one pony I wanted to see more than her right now.

"Starless... where's my daughter? I need to speak with her," I rubbed my head with a hoof as I pushed myself up to a seated position. I had a fierce headache that wouldn't stop pulsing. I really just wanted to lie back down and try and get some sleep, but I had to talk to Flurry. I wasn't sure why... but for some reason I had to see her right now.

"Your Highness..." Starless couldn't bear to continue looking at me, her voice faltering. My head pounded even harder as the past came flooding back to me in an instant. Auntie Celestia and I had gone to Canterlot. We'd been attacked by the evil magic there. We'd narrowly escaped and teleported back to the Crystal Empire.

Flurry...

I felt nauseous. My whole body going numb as I began to go limp.

"Starless... my aunt's... they... they were able to... to help her... weren't they? My... Flurry... she's not..." I couldn't lift my head to look at her. I already knew the answer. I could still see her, could still see her lifeless body in my mind. The terrible image refused to go away. Starless didn't move an inch or say a word. We were both quiet for what felt like hours.

"I'm so sorry, Your Highness." she said after the eternity of silence, but still remained statuesque. I couldn't get it out of my head. The way she looked when I'd last seen her. The wound. The darkness that would not let her go. I slowly lowered myself back down onto my bed. "Your Highness?" Starless lifted her head at my sudden movement.

"Forgive me, Starless, but... I don't think I'll be able... to..." I couldn't even finish my sentence. The love of my life had been gone for far too long. Now my little heart was gone. She was the one who'd kept me going. She was my life.

And now... now she was...

When Shining Armor had died I had to move on, had to keep living for something, for somepony. Flurry was that somepony, but now... now there was nothing left for me to live for. I would never love anypony like I'd loved Shining Armor. I'd never love anypony like I had my Flurry. They were gone. My life was gone... My life no longer had meaning.

"I... I understand, Your Highness..." I could see Starless reach out to me out of the corner of my eye, but she withdrew before she made any contact. After a few moments she spoke again. "If... if it's alright with you... I'd like to stay here... by your side, Your Highness."

"Do as you wish," I turned away from her as I pulled the blankets over my body. I wouldn't be able to sleep, but I wasn't about to move from the spot. I stared at the wall, praying that by some divine intervention my own life would be mercifully taken away as well. I didn't want to be here anymore. Every day I'd woken up so that I could spend time with my daughter. Watch her grow, teach her new things, laugh with her, but I couldn't anymore.

Never again.

I wanted to bawl my eyes out, but for some peculiar reason, I couldn't. Not even a drop of sorrow would come. It made me so frustrated.

Why can't I cry?

Was I really so heartless?

"Thank you, Your Highness," Starless said, though it was more of a whisper to herself. I couldn't say how long she watched me or how long I laid there. At some point I lost myself to the darkness. Yet again sleep evaded me, no dreams, no nightmares. When I opened my eyes and turned over I found Starless asleep in her chair.

I don't deserve devotion like yours, Starless.

I couldn't even protect my one and only daughter. I used a spell to teleport my friend back to her quarters, directly into her bed. Just because I was in a terrible state didn't mean she should be suffering like me.

Once she was gone I laid in bed yet again, staring up at the ceiling. I was still so very tired. I took a deep breath before magically lifting the blankets off of myself. I tried to get up, but my legs were weaker than I thought they'd be. I couldn't stand. I got back under the blankets and pulled them back over myself with a sigh. A light tapping came from the door to my room. I didn't have the strength to call out or reply to the knock. The door was slowly pushed open by my Aunt Celestia after I hadn't answered for a long enough time.

"C-Cadance?" She smiled a lifeless grin at me as she walked up next to my bed. She sat in the chair Starless had occupied minutes ago, or at least what I assumed to be minutes earlier. We stared at one another for a moment before tears began to form in the corners of her eyes as her countenance fell.

"Don't," I said bluntly before turning away from her.

I don't want to hear it.

I already knew what she was going to say.

"Cadance, it's all my fault," she sobbed. "If I hadn't-"

"STOP!" I tried to shout, but I was too weak, too tired. It worked anyway. I flipped over to look her in the eye. She sniffed, still crying. "Auntie... it isn't your fault, I don't blame you at all."

"B-but-"

"I'm not a foal, Auntie. Neither was Flurry. We made our own choices. We could have denied your request. We could have told you to leave our home. I don't..." I tried to be much more kind with these words.

It really wasn't her fault.

If Flurry were here instead of me, I knew she wouldn't blame my Auntie Celestia either. "Please don't hold this against yourself, Auntie. Please." She took her time to reply. I could see her warring internally over whether she should feel accountable or not. Finally, she spoke...

"I'll... I'll try," she wiped away the tears with her foreleg. "I'll do my best, Cadance."

"Pinkie promise?" I tried to smile, but one just wouldn't come.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." I could detect the attempt at enthusiasm in her voice, but it was more hollow and cold. She sighed before continuing. "Luna is in shambles, she hasn't stopped crying since... I... I don't know what to do, Cadance. We're trying to lead the empire, but we're not its true rulers. Your ponies need you, Cadance. They need their princess." I pondered her words for a long while. With Flurry gone and me bedridden there really was no one else to rule. But if my subjects could see me in my current condition, the empire would fall to pieces anyway.

"I'm in no condition to lead anypony or anything right now, Auntie," I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Cadance, you don't have to apologize. I think I can finally understand," she placed a loving hoof on mine.

"Understand?" I asked, puzzled. She smiled an authentic smile this time before explaining.

"I never knew how it felt... losing a family member, I mean. When Twilight's parents died and when Shining Armor passed away I couldn't comprehend the pain that you, Flurry, or Twilight felt. I tried to console you all, tried to make you feel better, but... you can't. Nothing anypony can say or do could make me feel better. I want Flurry back. I want her here right now," she closed her eyes tight, a great deal of pain gripping her. "It hurts more than anything I've ever experienced. I've lost countless friends and each time their passing hurt. But this? I want to crawl into bed right next to you and just... die. My granddaughter..." she started to bawl again.

"Auntie..." I squeezed her hoof in mine.

"I shouldn't have-"

"AUNTIE, NO!" Another attempt at a shout, another failure. Her eyes shot open regardless of the low volume. "You Pinkie promised," I squeezed her hoof in my own. She squeezed back.

"It's hard... when you have so much power... when you're the day itself, but you can't save those most important to you." I knew how she felt. I was an alicorn too. "Luna and I are different than you and Twilight, Cadance." When she said that it seemed like she'd read my mind, but that wasn't possible... I think. "We've been around for so long, seen so many things, done so much, failed so many expectations."

"Auntie, we all fail. I needed Twilight and her friends to save the empire so many times just like you needed..." She suddenly looked ashamed, before turning away from me to hide that fact. "Auntie?"

"I allowed all of that to happen, Cadance," was all she said, confusing me considerably.

"Allowed? What does that mean?"

"Luna and I could have dealt with Sombra easily. Tirek, Discord, Chrysalis, the others... I let them go through with their plans. I let them appear to be bigger threats than they actually were," she'd stopped crying, her face now even more full of regret.

"Why would you do something like that?"

"For Twilight," she shook her head in denial. "No, that's not the truth. I did it for myself."

"How so?" I really wanted to know what she meant, but she looked truly ashamed and that made me want to hug her instead of discussing this topic further. Regardless, I'd continued to question her.

"I'd intended to make Twilight the ruler of Equestria. To have all the responsibility of ruling fall squarely on her shoulders, so that I could... Letting her handle the problems that cropped up was the first step in fulfilling that plan. If I had not done that... if I'd have just stayed the leader none of this would've-"

"Auntie... is this what it's like for you? Do you... do you really have so much weighing on you all the time?" She didn't answer me, instead choosing to remain silent. She didn't just blame herself because she'd asked for our help. She blamed herself because of the choices she'd made decades, almost a century ago.

Regretting the choices you made so far gone and done. What a terrible life that must be.

"Auntie, you can't do that to yourself. None of us could've foreseen this outcome. You're not God. If you were, I'm sure none of this would've happened," I stroked her hoof gently. She only sighed in response.

"Cadance?" she looked at me with utter despair in her eyes.

"Auntie?"

"Why am I such a failure?" Her question made me flinch. "I came here to comfort you, to make you feel better, if even just a little. And yet here you are... here you are comforting me," she shook her head in joyless irony.

"You're anything but a failure, Auntie. You-" she interrupted me, holding up her hoof in protest.

"Thank you, Cadance. But at this point, anything else you say will just feel like you were reinforcing my perspective." I wanted to argue, but decided against it. I could definitely see why she felt the way she did, but it was very self destructive and I didn't want her to have such ugly feelings. As she got to her hooves and walked to the door she coughed dryly.

"Auntie, are you sti-"

"If I bring you something, will you eat?" she said without turning my way, clearly not wanting to address that topic. I didn't want to eat. I wasn't hungry. My stomach hurt, but not from a lack of sustenance.

"I'll... try," I turned away from her.

"Pinkie promise?" she asked.

"No." I pulled the covers over my head. Before she left she said one last thing.

"Cadance... We're going to have the funeral later today. It would mean a lot if you could..." she didn't finish. As she left the room a final disappointed sigh escaped her lips. With her gone my thoughts floated back to my daughter and the despair of being alone returned immediately, pressing me down into the bed like a ten ton anvil. I couldn't go, I just couldn't. I shut my eyes and prayed for even a modicum of relief.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The meal my aunt had brought me tasted like ash in my mouth. An orange, a slice of toast with butter, and a cup of apple juice. The drastically different flavors that all filled my mouth made me retch and tasted the same, like I was eating filth from a trash bin. I managed to force it all down for my aunt's sake. It didn't help that she'd sat down and stared at me until I ate at least a little. Lying in bed caused me to contemplate just how long I'd been there. I'd forgotten to ask somepony and I knew they'd expected me to get up at some point. Unfortunately for them, I didn't intend to get up ever again. My stomach and body still hurt and my headache would not stop pestering me. Whenever I made an attempt to sit with my hooves on the floor my body shook uncontrollably, as if it were aware of what I was trying to do and forced me back down. The ceiling didn't change, even if I looked at it for hours.

Or has it been days now?

Knock Knock Knock

The sound at my door drew my gaze away from the ceiling.

"You may enter," I called out. The door was coated in a black aura as it was slowly pushed open and Starless Night stood meekly in the doorway. She looked much better than before, her beautiful mane brushed and flowing down past her shoulders. I can't say seeing her made me happy... I don't think happiness would ever come to me again, but it was good to see she was in better spirits.

"Your Highness... may I?" she waited just outside the door with a sheepish look on her face. I nodded my consent and she smiled slightly as she trotted into my room, magically shutting the door behind herself. She took a seat next to me before silence ensued. Apparently, no one knew how to deal with me or my situation. There had been so much irritating silence over the last few conversations I had, I was beginning to grow accustomed to it. "I'm glad you ate," she folded her forelegs in her lap uncomfortably.
"How long have I been in bed?" I asked, changing the subject. The food had been terrible. I'd done what auntie asked. I didn't really feel like talking about the dreadful experience.

"It's been about forty-eight hours since..." she trailed off. Tip-toeing around it wouldn't get us anywhere.

"Has she... was..." It was so difficult that it felt like my heart would stop if I continued. "Flurry's..." I wasn't able to complete my question. It still didn't feel real. I still wasn't "sad" in the traditional sense of the word.

Why can't I cry? Why am I not depressed? Why does it just... hurt?

My body hurt. My head hurt. My heart hurt. It was all just pain. Literal, physical pain.

"It was beautiful, Your Highness. She..." tears began to slowly flow down her face. "She looked so peaceful," she cried freely. The thought didn't make me happy, but for some reason I knew it was good. And then I said something I hadn't expected to.

"I couldn't attend, Starless," I looked her straight in the eyes. "I couldn't..."

"I understand, Your Highness. I think your aunt's do as well. Neither of them could speak. Princess Luna had to leave... No parent should have to bury their foal." She paused, I think gauging if I might react poorly. Much to her surprise, I didn't react at all. She was right. "Ignitia... I don't think she'll ever be the same. I don't think the empire will ever be the same," she finished as her gaze fell. Once again she was correct. The Crystal Empire's leader was dead inside and there was no one else to take her place.

I failed my subjects. I failed my land. I failed my family.

"Why are you here, Starless?" It may have sounded harsh, but it wasn't meant to be. It was a genuine question, though my bitterness may have come through unintentionally.

"I..." It looked like my question had really hurt her. It wasn't my intention and her sudden expression of sadness made me feel even worse. "Your Highness... Princess Cadance... Cadance... you're my best friend and I can't stand seeing you like this." I laid back down and closed my eyes. I didn't know what to say to her. It meant a lot to me that she would use her feelings for me. That she'd care so much about me, but it wouldn't bring Flurry or Shining Armor back to me.

"What do you want from me, Starless?"

"I don't know," she sighed, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. "Grief takes much longer than a couple of days to go away, but you're stronger than this Cadance. You always have been."

"You know what gave me strength, Starless? what made me strong?" A chuckle with no mirth is a truly pathetic sound. She didn't reply because she knew what the answer was. "Flurry. My strength is gone, Star. My LIFE is gone." I turned away from her. "I don't know if... I can't be strong anymore. I just want to die." She began to sob, my selfishness cutting her deeply. I heard her stand and rush to the door.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I can't..." She closed the door behind herself as she left me to myself and the darkness.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Still, I could not sleep. I couldn't even lose consciousness anymore. I stared at the door, thinking only of my departed family.

If only I hadn't agreed to help.

The ugly thought of blaming Auntie Celestia tried over and over to creep into my mind and build a nest there. I had to fight it away every couple of minutes. I'd thought carefully about my decision to help as I'm sure Flurry had. Twilight was my main reason for acting and I think she was Flurry's too.

Why had she tried to save her? Didn't she invade the empire to...

Knock Knock Knock

I was jerked out of my thoughts by the quiet sound from the door. Instead of saying anything I used telekinesis to open it. Aunt Luna stood at the door, an awkward grin on her face. It was easy to see she'd been crying quite a lot recently.

"Hello, Cadance. I pray I am not intruding." She didn't come in, I suppose waiting for my permission to.

"You could never intrude, Auntie. come on in," I stared at her with lifeless eyes. Nopony's presence could make me happy except Shining or Flurry's. Aunt Luna entered my room slowly, closing the door behind herself. "You can take a seat if you'd like," I gestured toward the chair that still sat next to my bed.

"That is quite alright. I must be prompt, Cadance. Tia and I have much to do tomorrow and I must get to bed soon, it is quite late."

"Oh?"

"We are going to return to Canterlot. One way or another we are putting an end to this mess." She was suddenly consumed with a determination that was beyond any I could comprehend.

"Aunt Luna, I don't think Twi-"

"I know," she lifted a hoof. "Celestia and I have spoken at length. Twilight Sparkle tried to help save Flurry... to be perfectly honest, that confounds me."

"It was the book," I said without thinking. It sounded laughable, but it really was the truth.

"I am aware. Tomes have proven to be exceptionally dangerous in my own past experiences. I may not have believed you or Celestia had I not read so many books prior to being possessed by the Nightmare. They nudged me in that direction... even if they had not intended to do so." She stared at the ground for a moment before looking directly at me. "We will get to the bottom of this, Cadance. We will bring your real sister back if it is the last thing we do... for you... and for Flurry," a tear fell from her face.

"Thank you, Aunt Luna." I knew that was exactly what Flurry would have wanted. She loved Twilight more than anypony. She'd have wanted her to be saved more than anything... even her own life... and that's why she was gone. "Forgive me... for not-"

"Do not despair, Cadance," she knew what I was going to say. "Take all the time you require. Grieve. Celestia and I have. We will handle this, I swear it. On my honor as a princess and your aunt," she offered a heartfelt smile. If I was feeling normal it would have reassured me to no end.

"Thank you," I lifted my mouth as far as I could into a smile. It probably wasn't very convincing, but she brightened at the effort. My aunt walked up to the side of my bed and gently kissed me atop my head.

"Rest well, Cadance. May your dreams be full of peace and joy." As she exited the room I was endlessly thankful that she hadn't apologized. I was tired of it.

It wasn't their fault.

It was the entity in the book that had taken her away from me.

'Oh, Flurry..." I sighed.

"Mom?" The all too familiar voice that came from somewhere inside the room made my heart stop.

"F-Flurry!?" I sat up, my energy instantly restored.

"Hey Mom! Can you hear me? It's me Flurry!"

Author's Note:

I could've done this chapter a lot better. I could've done the depression and sorrow a lot more impactful, but I hate doing that to Cadance so I kept it less powerful. I hate putting any of the girls through bad stuff, but I still think this chapter did a good enough job at expressing her sorrow. I really like that initial scene with Armor.

Comments

[TheHumanWriter]

*BEEEEEP*••• “This is the emergency broadcast system for the kingdom of Equestria and its overseas territories. This is not a drill, this is not a test. Canterlot has fal-“ *BZZZT*

*BZZT* •••••• “We h-have received word that the Equestrian Armed Forces has failed t-to turn the tide- •••••*BZZZT*

*BZZZT* ••• “All citizens are recommended to evacuate to the cities of Baltimare, Las Pegasus, Vanhoover-“ ••• *BZZZT*

*BZZZT* ••• “Canterlot, LEVEL 10; Ponyville, Level 7; Appleloosa, LEVEL 8…” ••• *BZZZT*

*BZZZT* ••• “I repeat, evacuate to the Crystal Empire and Zebrica! I-If that isn’t possible, go to the major ports across the coasts! The Royal Navy-“ ••• *BZZZT*

*BZZZT* ••• “In the next hour, this news station will turn responsibilities to the Emergency Broadcast Network. From several sources, it has been confirmed that Princess Flurry Heart of the Crystal Empire has been… k-killed…” ••• *BZZZT*

*BZZZT* ••• “Where are the Princesses?! THEY LEFT US HERE TO DIE!!! TO FREAKING ROT!!!” ••• *BZZZT*

*BZZZT* ••• “…You know, before all of this insanity started, I was about to fall away from my faith in God. However, seeing what has happened and the valor and heroism of my fellow ponies and other creatures, somehow, my faith has been strengthened like never before!” ••• *BZZZT*

-Davidtin

[Hoofprintz]

11773187
Your comment is kind of this song...

Still one of my favorites to this day.

Freaking mega-spells.