Purpose
"Put away the ranger... become who you were born to be."
-Elrond
"I feel like a baby," Kindness muttered weakly, trying to blink away her tears. They were still on the floor of Fluttershy's cabin, the mare hugging the abstract as she cried.
"You are upset," Fluttershy said gently, refusing to let go of the abstract. "No one is going to blame you for being upset."
"They are going to blame me for so many other things though." The metallic mare sounded more like a child than an immortal; she idly ran her hoof through Fluttershy's hair, watching as the pink strands fell back down into place. "I don't know how you can stand the sight of me." The buttercream mare opened her mouth to refute the abstract's claim but Kindness steamrolled ahead. "I... I had so many wonderful dreams... I wanted to help you out, give you strength and confidence. I wanted to lift you up and strengthen your heart. Did I do any of that?" Kindness shook her head. "No... all I did was turn you into a monster that enslaved Equestria."
Fluttershy chewed on her lower lip. "Well... you kinda did." She favored the abstract with a small smile. "Here I am, having just confronted you... that is pretty brave, right?"
"Yeah," Kindness sniffed, laughing through her tears. "Maybe. But... but I wanted to do so much more..."
The yellow alicorn pulled away so she could better look the abstract in the eye. "Sometimes you don't get a choice. Sometimes your plans and dreams don't come true... but that doesn't mean everything is bad." Her wings flapped slightly as she tapped down her nerves. "I wanted to be a royal guard."
"R-really?" Kindness said in surprise.
Fluttershy blushed. "My mom is the head of the Pegasi Royal Air Squadron. She... she is so brave and tough and when I looked up at her when I was a foal I always felt safe. I wanted to be just like her." Fluttershy shifted back and forth. "But I take after my dad."
"Your dad?"
"Yeah... he's really quiet and... small. My mom says she fell in love with him because he was the only stallion that wasn't trying to measure up to her." The yellow alicorn smiled faintly. "That's why I went to flight school... I wanted to build up my confidence. It didn't really work, I guess, but I did find my talent." Fluttershy swallowed, jaw working slightly. "When my mom and dad finally found me, I was so afraid they would be disappointed. I thought they'd believe I was giving up on my dream and taking the easy path. I thought she would look at me and just be... disgusted. Do you know what my mom said?"
"What?" Kindness asked.
"She said, 'Flutters,'-" Kindness couldn't help but laugh; Fluttershy's voice had dropped several octaves and took on a slight Appleloosian twang, "-'Flutters, did you know I wanted to be a ballerina?'. I just looked at her in shock and my mom laughed. 'I would practice every day, I was constantly playing classical music in the house, and I wore my tutu every day! Then, one day, I grew several inches in the span of a month... and then several more... and several more.' I just stared at her and she began to nuzzle me. 'I will never be a ballerina... but I can be the most graceful guard in the corps. I can do spins and dives faster than some Wonderbolts.'.
"And that's when I realized that just because your dream didn't come true didn't mean it died. It just... changed. I will never be a guardpony... but I am the protector of all my woodland friends. And I love it." Fluttershy leaned over and nuzzled the abstract. "You can still bring about harmony... you can still help me... you just need to change your dream to fit your reality."
Kindness nodded, sniffing away her tears. "Yeah... I think you are right."
"And as for your first dream... it already came true." At Kindness' look of confusion, Fluttershy smiled. "Faith is back. He has been reborn... he is no longer Doubt. Your brother has returned and while it might not be because of you that doesn't mean there isn't a place for you in his new life. Maybe your dream shouldn't be about saving Faith... it should be about being the best big sister he could have."
The metallic abstract nodded. "You're right, Fluttershy... you are absolutely right." Kindness stood up, a hard glint in her eye. "And I know the first thing I can do to help him and Equestria."
"What's that?" Fluttershy asked bending down so Angel could jump onto her back.
"We are going back to Manehattan... and we are going to get Generosity to see the truth... and we are going to fix this."
~MC~MC~MC~
Twilight was just about ready to chase after Faith, only to find a lasso made of pure energy latched onto her hind leg, preventing her from taking off. "Hang on now, Sugarcube!" Applejack said, her horn glowing as she tugged Twilight back to the ground. "I think that fella needs some time on his own."
"But-" Twilight began.
"Twilight, she's right," Celestia said softly. She had been nearly knocked onto her backside by the raw confusion and pain that rolled off of Faith.
Rainbow Dash gave the Princess a sour look. "We don't have time for him to take some time! In case you haven't noticed, Fluttershy and Rarity are still puppets of those stupid abstracts!"
"Standing right here," Honesty said dryly.
"...those stupid abstracts!" Rainbow repeated, earning a glare from the red alicorn. "And we also have that Doubt that highjacked Princess Cadence's body to deal with!"
"Don't worry about that!" Pinke said happily. "Cadence is in Faith's body."
Spike blinked in confusion. "Ok... so Faith was once Doubt, but he was originally Faith. When he was first Faith he was in Princess Celestia's head, then after that was in Luna's who then became Nightmare Moon, but she got better, only to stop being an alicorn along with Celestia but they both ascended again. Luna being Nightmare Moon caused Faith to leave and then he became Doubt. He was then in Twilight's head, till he came out, then Twilight made him Faith again and now he has Cadence in his head. Meanwhile, the original Doubt is running around in Cadence's body. Honesty here was in Applejack's body till she convinced him to get out, Loyalty was in Rainbow Dash, then was his own pony, then was Cloudsdale which got blown up, so now Scootaloo, who was Rainbow's general is now the abstract of Loyalty. Kindness is in Fluttershy, Generosity is in Rarity, and Pinkie-"
"Laughter was never me!" Pinkie said happily. "She just made herself look like me!"
Spike nodded, looking a bit frazzled. "Ok... is every pony who they say they are now?" He wagged his finger at all of them. "Because if you aren't..."
"Oooh!" Pinkie said in glee, holding up her hoof. "I am me right now but I am going to be the new abstract of Laughter!" When the others looked at her she merely smiled. "Come on everypony, who else is it going to be?"
Honesty nodded weakly. "She has a point."
Pinkie grabbed Apple Bloom and held her up. "And I preemptively declare Apple Bloom the Bearer of my Element, so she doesn't feel left out!"
Spike sighed. "Alright, is that everyone? Do I have this straight?"
Sweetie Belle nodded. "Seems legit."
And with that, Spike fainted.
"Alright, that happened," Trixie muttered.
Applejack cleared her throat. "As I was sayin'... ya'll need to give Faith a moment ta breathe. He just killed two of his siblings... none of us can even come to imagine how painful that is." Applejack looked over at Big Macintosh who, feeling the same ping of fear AJ did, trotting over to her and nuzzled her. Applejack used her magic to gather Apple Bloom and Granny as well; the Pie family did the same, while Shining bumped against Twilight and smiled softly. "Just... give him time, alright? He will back and ready to fight when he is ready."
"What are we suppose to do till then?" Scootaloo asked.
Honesty turned towards the east, his eyes unfocused as he stared out in the direction of Manehattan. "We fight. We finish this battle and save our friends and family." He glanced at the others. "And then we make Doubt pay for every bit of pain and suffering she has caused."
~MC~MC~M~
He shivered, though it wasn't because of the cold. His metallic flank meant that he didn't feel temperatures like most ponies. The cold made him a bit slower but also more durable, just as intense heat made him feel as if the world was in slow motion while also making him more easily injured by attacks.
Faith stretched out his wings, listening to the metal creak and groan as the snowflakes gathered upon them. All around him was ice, white and endless. No pony lived here, nor deer or bear or peryton. This was a barren wasteland, too far north to support life. It was a place of death that brought only suffering to those that encountered it.
A dark part of Faith's mind couldn't help but point out that such an analogy could be applied to him.
"You're not going to die now, are you brother?"
"Loyalty," Faith whispered, whipping around. He found no sign of his brother and began to wonder if he weren't losing his mind.
"Maybe you are," Laughter called out, giggling in his ear. Faith turned this way and that, trying to find his siblings, only to be greeted with the cold wind and icy snow.
The silver alicorn stiffened when he FELT Loyalty's breath on the back of his neck. He refused to move, fearing that doing so would cause his brother to disappear. "You aren't going to let her win, are you?"
"You are not to blame for our deaths, baby brother." Laughter, for once, was not giggling. No, her tone was solemn while still hoping onto a touch of hope... just how he remembered her, before all of this madness. "And neither is Doubt. We are to blame. We should have done more to help you... but we refused and that gave Doubt a way in."
"You are giving her one now, Faith," Loyalty said. "You are letting your actions cause yourself to feel doubt. But that is not who you are. You question, yes, you ponder and think... but you don't doubt. Not anymore. You are Faith and that is what you should feel now... faith that you did the right thing and faith that we are both at peace."
"I want to believe this..." Faith murmured to himself. "I want to believe you are really here..."
"Faith is daring to believe that which you can not see," Loyalty stated. "You have suffered, brother... for a thousand years you suffered. You have done terrible things but you made it out the other side... and with reward. You have friends that care about you, allies willing to fight side-by-side, a brother who has opened his eyes to your strength and goodness, and two mares that love you and will continue to love you no matter which you chose."
"I'd pick both... more fun that way," Laughter giggled.
"So, tell me baby brother..." the winds whipped about and for that moment he saw in the whirling snow his brother and sister whole once more, "...is this the final act of the great Faith, lord of the gray? Or is this merely the first step towards your destiny?"
Faith shut his eyes, his wings trembling for a moment. “You… you think it is that easy?” He whipped around, the snow clinging to him and the wind biting into his flank. He sought out the voices, but found himself still alone. “YOU THINK IT IS THAT EASY!?!” His face contorted in rage. “A thousand years! A thousand years I have lived! Not existed, not dwelled, but lived… truly lived! No rest, no sleep, no pause… a thousand years! I was there when this world was twisted and broken under the maniac games of a mad god! I saw one of the most heroic mares I’ve ever known become the very monster she wanted to destroy… and I stood by, impotent as two sisters, so full of love, tried to kill one another with tears in their eyes.” Faith shook, tears of his own rolling down his cheeks. “I stood by ponies so full of dreams and ambitions and hopes and WATCHED THEM DIE! They died without achieving their dreams, their lives reduced to dust! I witnessed towns fade away, piece by piece, until only I remained… only… me! I know of knowledge that would have saved so many that was lost to the sands of time and screamed in silence as good mares and stallions gave up when I knew they were one step away from achieving greatness! And yet… and yet… and yet I have also seen good, haven’t I? I must have, right? I have witnessed the strength of friendship between ponies who had no right to even meet. Love that should have been snuffed out only burned brighter and it blinded me and yet I could not turn away. I have seen the weakest become heroes and the those that should have lived simple lives become champions. I heard songs that are only remembered by me and seen places that no other eye has ever looked upon. I know things no one would ever understand and I have lost things none of you will ever understand! Is that not enough? What more is there to give? To do? WHEN AM I ALLOWED TO REST? TELL ME THAT? WHEN IS IT ENOUGH?!? WHEN CAN I REST!?! TELL ME! HOW IN THE NAME OF EXISTENCE HAVE I GONE ON?! WHAT HAS KEPT ME GOING?!? WHAT AM I… what do I… believe…”
Faith looked up, eyes shimmering with tears, his face a beautiful mask of dawning revelation. He began to laugh even as he cried, the ice cracking as he began to flap his wings. He rose in the air, turning towards the south, towards Manehattan. Black and white magic swirled around him as he turned his energy upon a great rising mountain of ice. The sound of the frozen world being reshaped filled his ears and still he laughed and cried.
He understood now… he remembered why he had held on… and he knew now what gift he would give to them all.
The world exploded in light as Faith rocketed towards Manehattan… towards Doubt…
Towards his destiny.
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So Faith and Doubt are about to have a face off. Damn,
Huh. I don't imagine Kindness' plan will go too well...something tells me Generosity is too far gone.
One thing...please don't have everything here, Kindness' turn, Laughters death and Faith's rejuvenation to ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL be part of Doubt's super -duper unstoppable plan. That would be a bit ludicrous, making Doubt to be a 'Mary Tzu'. You know what that is, right? Besides, it's high time everything went wrong for Doubt.
pinkie....
faith?? what are you doing???
O.O
*slow applause*
great chapter! for some reason i doubt that faith is actually going there to fight at the moment, reason is that you've been throwing curve balls at us the entire time, would be a bit to foreseeable if he went there to fight all shounen style
although, since it's foreseeable that you will not take the action which is the most foreseeable, wont doing the most foreseeable action be the least foreseeable action
also, it's really sweet to see that most of twilight's friends as well as most of the abstracts are slowly seeing the error in their ways and turning to the 'good' side.
2430165 It will, Right after everything goes according to his plan.
2430208
Long as the plan isn't too ridiculous.
2430208
Correction: after everything LOOKS like it's going acording to plan.
Pinkie... don't breakthe fourth wall, please...
I have a feeling that Flutters and Kindness' plan isn't going to go so swell. I bet Doubt will help Rarity and Generosity overpower them and force them into the final fight against their friends/family.
I love this story, and I love it everytime it updates!
Hmmm...well my idea on the whole abstracts has taken a full on paradigm shift. I used to to hate them whole-heartedly but thanks to your epic story weaving ability I find myself actually somewhat sympathizing with them. Except for Doubt because she is still a complete bitch and as for generosity...well...that is left to be decided.
Great chapter as always though the whole monologue by Faith at Loyalty and Laughter was one massive wall of text; an epic wall of text.
I think Discord should become the new laughter just to mess with everything, that would be a great twist
2430332
I considered breaking it up but decided to keep it because I wanted the feeling that Faith was at the end of his rope and he was ranting at the ghosts in his mind, speaking so quickly he wasn't even considering what he was saying, which leads to his revelation (that, and what he did in the ice mountains, will be revealed later)
I see the abstracts as being a bit like the Guardians of the Universe... they are one emotion/idea and that is all they know but when they end up joining with ponies it screws with their heads. It is a sensory overload. Some, like Faith, fall... but also get better. Some, like Doubt, go mad.
2430260
actually, she didn't break the fourth wall, she just stated the obvious.
2430236 The plan is to make Faith suffer horribly for trying to take her identity and life. And now has forced Faith to kill off 2 of his siblings that he loves deeply. I think her plan is working, tho not as good as she thought at first, it is working.
so Twilight, rainbow dash, applejack, fluttershy, and rarity are alicorns. Pinkie is her normal self but its assumed she will become an abstract and trixie is still not an alicorn. Am I right?
And now the story is drawing closer and closer to the final, epic showdown! Oh this going to be so awesome!
The scene where Faith is talking to the ghosts of his mind kinda reminded me of the scenes in Star Wars where Luke Skywalker is talking to Obi Wan Kenobi's ghost. Also, it's really great to see that most of the abstracts are on the good side and that most of Twilight's friends are back.
Now...for the final fight everypony! Doubt and Generosity vs. everypony else!
LETS GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEE!
- Super-Brony12
Fluttershy is fully of so much win.
Pinkie Pie as the new Abstract of Laughter?
...
...
...
*curls into a fetal position in the corner, whimpering and shivering*
I bet Pinkie Pie's alicorn powers will come to her at the very moment when everyone is least expecting it, which would be right in the middle of an epic showdown when Doubt somehow overpowers Faith.
I can imagine Doubt's reaction when the very element she assumed would break Faith now turns on her:
"What?! This is cannot be!"
"Oh Doubt you silly filly if there's one thing you should know about me it's that you'll never be able to understand me. I'm so random that even I don't always know what I'm doing."
"But you have only now become an alicorn! Why did it take you so long to reach your true form?!"
"Because you weren't expecting something like that to happen in the middle of a fight. Well now you'll learn the hard way to expect the unexpected."
"You can't stop me!"
"You're right I can't. But I'm not alone I've got all the other abstracts here to support me."
"That's stupid, you're stupid, stop being stupid!"
"You know something Doubt why are you always so serious? I think it's about time you learned how to smile!"
2430809
"That's stupid, you're stupid, stop being stupid!"
"You know something Frieza why are you always so serious? I think it's about time you learned how to smile!"
"Frieza!?"
"Sorry, I mean Doubt!"
2430913 Exterminate! Exterminate!
this well not end well
2430938
But I wasn't quoting Doctor Who. I was quoting Dragon Ball Z Abridged.
Let see, we got Fluttershy and Kindness going off to try to convince Generosity/Rarity to stop this madness...
We got an emotional Lord of the Gray charging toward Doubt all by himself...
Pinkie is going to be the Abstract of Laughter and she make Apple Bloom her bearer...
With the exception of the last one, things are not going to end well. Especially if Doubt is with Generosity/Rarity. Great job with this chapter, it is rather interesting that the two spirits finally see the grand error they had made.
C&Cs:
[All cases of ‘alicorn’...]
> Capitalize ‘alicorn’.
...is this the final act of the great Faith, lord of the gray?
> Capitalize ‘lord’ and ‘gray’.
Faith shut his eyes... what do I… believe...
> Wall of text.
2430809 But your expecting it, hell i think everyone in the story expects her powers to pop up right in the middle of a big fight. well exept pinkie.
"Four of your hats say doubt is gonna win!"
"...........sure why not! In fact I'll give you a strange machina also!"
"Wicked!"
I couldn't think of anyone better suited to become the new Abstract of laughter than Pinkie Pie <3
2431180 Mecha Freiza said that in the latest episode.
There's also this gem of a line "Lord Frieza. The F**k?!"
*sees wall of text*
derpicdn.net/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTIvMDYvMjQvMThfMzNfMjBfMzgyXzE4OTYwX19zYWZlX3BpbmtpZV9waWVfcmFyaXR5X2FuaW1hdGVkX3JlYWN0aW9uX2ltYWdlX2l0X3F1b19zX2JlYXV0aWZ1bF9qYXdfZHJvcCJdLFsicCIsInJlc2l6ZV9naWYiLCIyNTB4MjUwIl1d/18960__safe_pinkie-pie_rarity_animated_reaction-image_putting-your-hoof-down_jaw-drop_it-quo-s-beautiful.gif.gif
FAITH'S BACK, BABY!
2430158
Something tells me, if that's the case, Kindness will help Faith fight Generosity That is, if they're there at the same time. Otherwise Kindness will either best G herself, or be bested. Or she'll walk directly into a battlefield.
2432338
Actually, the best little gem is "move your bitchin' bitch ass bitch"
this song will be playing in my mind until the final battle
(brought to you by miracle of sound
aka Gavin Dune)
[youtube=http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9feUxKIqKmg]
2432338
oh yeah. the new episode. I forgot all about it. I can't wait till DBZA Vegeta finds out his son killed Freiza and his dad in like, two minutes. He's either gonna trow a bitch fit, or rub it all up in Goku's face.
2432886
ACTUALLY the best line is
Krillin: who else just thought of Frieza with boobs? Really? am I the only one?
Vegeta: Yes! *thinking: He must never know.*
2433678
Well yes, that... wait a minute... DID YOU DRINK THE LAST HETAP?!?
2433745
*whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop*
TIME FOR EPIC ABSTRACT BATTLE OF HISTORY: FAITH VERSUS DOUBT!
2433678 Oh yes that line.
I think Clyde will become the new abstract of Laughter. A version that I see of laughter is safety, to keep everyone happy and safe, to calm down those in their times of trouble. The father of Pinkie probably (for lack of a better phrase) contains those ideals perfectly.
2437473
Well...I got that much actually from the story itself. What I don't get is the 'random' number of twenty scenarios Laughter was supposedly put through. Why twenty? If they have all millenia even with a 'limited time' for outside observers, wouldn't it make sense to torture her more? Or just less?
I also mentioned that all of that could have been a ruse from Faith. I mean, how cruel would it be to make Laughter THINK that she lived through twenty cases of murdering everypony and then finding out that she has only been tricked? It would be the most severe and ironic blow to an abstract that did exactly the same thing to Faith with the foal he never had.
Then again, I COULD overthink it simply. I just find the fixed number of twenty (which could have been a lie in itself as I stated) is pretty suspicious with all the rest of the explanation.
The part with Flutthershy and Kindness was interesting and I really liked that part. Faith's portion was also interesting though no have no idea what will come next.
2430737
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Ooooooo..
This gun be good. *Makes popcorn*
2437563
I don't want to answer how many times Faith did put Laughter through the ropes, as that would ruin the theme of the chapter.
This story made me realize how impatient I can be. XD
2439101
And you don't need to. I just wrote down what I thought was the strangest part of the whole chapter to me. As long as you continue writing, there is a chance that readers like me can figure out why this exact number was written down. After all, even though the story should wrap up pretty soon, not all of it is written.