Where All Paths Cease
The trees sighed as the autumn breeze bent their weathered, wooden bones. Each momentary gust triggered a monsoon of lively scarlet and opulent purple; some of their faded, frail forms finding their way to an equally frail, faded pink face. She giggled at the childish leaves and giddily blew them off of her muzzle. Once they were airborne, she kept them floating in the sky for as long as her debilitated lungs would allow; it took all of five seconds for gravity to win the battle, but Pinkie was not bothered by the results in the slightest. An excess of giggles cascaded out of her wrinkled mouth and she found herself having to lean against a nearby spruce tree. Her laughing fit was relentlessly bombarded by the effects of aging; her lungs simply were not as strong as they used to be. She leaned her head back and felt the rough bark caress her sore neck. Was that how her skin felt? Was she like a tree? She felt another giggle threatening to break free of her diaphragm, but no amount of nostalgic bliss could trick her brain into letting it escape. The sound of popping joints echoed through the sea of coniferous trees as the pink mare tried to balance on her arthritic knees. Dawn was looming and she still had a long way to go.
Despite her age, Pinkie still managed to make her biannual trips to the spot: Once in spring and once more in autumn. She had to leave far earlier than she used to; sometimes leaving as early as the day before the spectral phenomenon was set to occur. In her youth, she could bounce down the path and reach her destination in all of thirty minutes. Now, she was lucky if she could hobble there in thirty hours. Still, she would always make it to the fork in the road, right as the crickets’ crescendo was reaching its apex. The Sun would peek over the distant peaks of the Azure Ridge Mountains, see the pink earth pony waiting idly, a feverish glaze to her blue eyes, and release the dazzling display of delectable defervescence that cooled the debilitating and scorching grief that always threatened to break through the party pony’s floodgates. She would leave Ponyville wearily, and return completely invigorated. However, despite these bizarre shifts in emotion, nopony raised an eyebrow: To them, it was simply Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.
As she wandered down the path less traveled by, the pink mare briefly veered off, into a sea of flowers. She began to pick some of the wild and colorful plants, analyzing each specimen with the eye of an artist. One by one, she chose the four most vibrant species she could find, and carefully gripped them in her teeth. She was about to continue on her journey when she remembered that she was missing a flower. She let a disdain sigh escape her lips; for the first time she was going to have to pick five. She scanned the patch with teary eyes, and settled on a pulchritudinous lilac. Its leaves, a vivacious combination of purple and pink - a perfect fit. She added another flower to her bouquet, another name to the epitaph, and trotted further down the path to alleviation.
She reached the crossroads on cue. A faded orange glow was hovering above the horizon, increasing in intensity at a snail’s pace. The crickets were hidden amongst the brush, tuning up their spindly legs, waiting to begin the first movement of their masterpiece. It was a symphony that only one pony would ever hear, but a cricket never asks for a sold out crowd or a tidal wave of applause; a cricket simply supplies resonant beauty to a world that so desperately needs it. If she could, Pinkie would shake the hands of the crickets, but alas, she could simply whisper words of thanks and hope that the musical insects appreciated them. She reached the invisible barrier she had drawn in the dirt so many years ago and stood silently on wavering hooves: Sitting down would do nothing more than send a lightning bolt of pain through her nerves.
As she waited, alone, nature whispered to her. At first she tried to ignore it, but it soon reached a decibel level so immense that she had to pay attention; the birds squawked out soliloquies, the blowing wind provided the vowels, the rustling leaves sang out in nouns and a sudden warmth of unknown origin bathed her in a gentle shower of enkindling verbs. None of them spoke actual words, but the tone and pronunciation got the message across. Pinkie looked to the east, at the source of life that hung just out of sight, and knew what she had to do. Her blue, wet eyes turned their focus to the impenetrable barrier and she inhaled deeply. With a hop, skip, and a jump, she lifted her still-hesitent left foreleg, and pierced the veil. She did the same with each one of her limbs, and before she knew it, she had completely immersed herself in the void she had avoided for so long. She gave one last look to the world she had always known, before turning around and trotting down the path to a world she would learn to know.
With each step that Pinkie took, the Sun rose another inch in the sky. She had trotted over a multitude of hills, past an innumerable amount of trees and felt a constant, welcoming breeze blow through the crevices of her lively mane. There was little consistency in the world around her, but she either didn’t notice, or didn’t care: Oceans would appear out of nowhere, before vanishing a couple of steps later, and the grass and trees would vanish sporadically - being replace by an endless plain of sand and cacti. None of this made any logical sense, but to the pink mare, logical sense was a fallacy that she had dismissed long ago. This was a world of wonders.
She passed through swamps, deserts, forests, and, most importantly, memories. She walked past the rock farm she had grown up on, she walked past Sugarcube Corner, she walked past the library, Sweet Apple Acres and everything in between. She saw faces, too: Her parents, her sisters, the Cakes and every pony she had ever laid eyes on. They were all smiling, and she felt the unstoppable urge to hug each and every one of them, but they all motioned for her to keep moving down the path. It wounded her heart to pass them by, but she also knew that her destiny lay somewhere further down the road.
The world around her grew dark, as a swarm of coniferous trees formed a thick canopy above her. Even the sun could not pierce the darkness, and yet, despite her fears, she continued to smile, giggle and walk. She was now bounding down the layer of sediment, with rejuvenated youth coursing through her veins: For the first time in fifteen years, she was bouncing. With each bounce, she felt younger, and with each blink of her blue eyes, the darkened world began to increase in clarity. She was cackling like a foal in a candy shop: Her revived lungs providing her boundless glee with an endless supply of oxygen.
And then, the path ceased.
She was standing outside of a castle she had ventured to many years ago, with the five friends she had held closer than any pastry. She squealed in delight and ran into the main hall with an infectious jet-stream of laughter trailing behind her. When she had entered these halls, many seasons ago, it had been under much more dire circumstances; there had been no laughing, smiling or talking. The walls were mildewed and crumbling, and a sense of dread had hung in the air. However, now it looked like the castle of royalty: Every square inch of rock was encrusted with untarnished gold and the only aura the air carried was that of undiluted happiness. Pinkie knew where she was: Exactly where she wanted to be.
Princess Celestia, the matriarch of the Sun, was sitting in one throne, while her sister, Princess Luna, sat adjacent. Both of them beamed down at the pink mare with the warmth of a mother. Pinkie was too excited to speak and relied on her glowing blue eyes to do the talking. The regal sisters seemed to completely understand the pink mare’s silent, enthusiastic questions, and they both nodded simultaneously. Celestia motioned to a nearby door, and the pink pony vanished in a flash. As she flew through the door, the sixth crystal in the chandelier that hung above the thrones, illuminated. The Princess’ looked at each other and sighed; this generation, the most productive generation they had seen in millennia, had reached its inevitable, bittersweet conclusion.
Twilight Sparkle was in the midst of the climax of yet another story when Pinkie barged into the courtyard. Normally she would let any hugs wait until after she had finished the chapter, but the joy of seeing her old friend proved to be too much for the unicorn to resist. She laid her book down and embraced the earth pony in the strongest hug she could muster. Tears of happiness sprung to the eyes of each mare as they laughed and sobbed together. The hug could have lasted for eternity and, for all the two ponies knew, it may have gone on for that long, but eventually the mares split apart. They still had four more ponies to see.
The other reunions were equally warm. Applejack wrapped the partier in a strong bear hug that threatened to crush her ribs. Rarity had no qualms with hugging Pinkie, despite the fact that the earth pony was covered in mud, sap and countless other detestable things. Fluttershy had practically tackled the pink mare, the delight of seeing such a close friend after so many years overpowering her typical, timid behavior. After picking herself off the ground, Pinkie began to scan the sky for the familiar rainbow streak she had longed to see for decades. However, the cloudless sky was completely empty. Pinkie let out a forlorn sigh and looked to her friends, praying that they would give her positive news.
The four mares smiled at the pink mare and Fluttershy pointed towards a nearby hill. Pinkie couldn’t even enunciate her of excitement and gratitude, and she barreled up the hill, leaving the others in a cloud of dust; she hastily made a mental note to apologize later. The hill was tall, but sloped gently, and she made it to the pinnacle in ten seconds flat. She looked out, over the endless valleys of golden fields, pristine lakes and awe-inspiring mountain ranges. In the distance, she saw a brief distortion in the sky. She squinted, and could barely make out the form she had been waiting for for years.
The cyan pegasus swooped through the clear sky with the grace and intensity of a true athlete. She looped through the troposphere and ascended towards the heavens. She stopped at the zenith and dove back towards the earth. Pinkie felt her smile grow, and she began to bounce in anticipation.
An explosion of rainbow-light overtook the sky, and Pinkie’s already curly mane was blown back in the shock wave. Her smile grew and grew, and she could see a rainbow-streak heading straight for the hill.
Rainbow Dash landed just a few feet away from her, signature smile plastered on her lips. Pinkie could not control her gaiety, and the pegasus was on her back in a second, a shaking ball of pink clinging to her chest. Rainbow smiled at the sobbing pony and gently patted her quivering back until the tremors of grief and happiness subsided. The pegasus gently pushed the earth pony back and their eyes locked for the first time in a lifetime; two sets of quivering irises, painted with tears of elation. The other mares had made it up the hill by this time, and they all watched the scene of jubilation with their own misty eyes. One by one, they each trotted up to Pinkie and Rainbow, and formed a tight-knit circle of loving embracement. They held each other close as the Sun and Moon shone with insurmountable luminosity, and somewhere, off in the distance, a symphony of crickets were reaching yet another movement in their eternal concerto.
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D'aw! Thank you for another great chapter!
dam son....just...dam
I liked it... :D
a manly tear was shed
your killing me man
but its a good pain
*sigh*
good story
kthanxbai
Things were bad, but now they're good ... FOREVER!
That is one quality story. It is not overbearingly sad, but just enough to cause a single many tear to be shed. Beautifully done my fellow writer, I salute your greatness!
*sigh* At least it was a happy ending... Of sorts.
*made a note.
other than that, incredibly good, if very, very sad.
but yeah.
Wait so here is what I got from the story and what was happening.
Princess Celestia and Luna has to seal the elements of harmony some place but they got to chose when they would leave but they wouldn't see their freinds until they got sealed in with them.
I'm pretty sure my interpertantion of that was wrong but their was no explaination to what exactly was happening so could we get one?
Absolutely wonderful, Razed. I love your descriptions dearly and I hope to see more of your writings in the future. But for now, I shall simply think about and maybe reread what is already here.
I do have to say though that I didn't quite get as much of an impact compared to Where All Roads Lead, but that's just me. Either way, they are both great.
189983
I believe what was happening is that the others had already passed on and Pinkie was the last to go. She picked the five flowers as colors of each of her friends, or simply the number of them. She regained her young self as she passed through to death. Celestia and Luna are the ones who essentially greet them (and maybe give a personal heaven) and the crystals of their chandelier represent each one; Pinkie being the sixth and last. Either all six in fact did get put together after their passing, or Pinkie Pie's personal ending is for all of them to be together.
That's just my personal interpretation though so don't take it completely.
190142
That is a perfecter interperatation of it. I think that is really what it means.
Usually, whenever I read a story on this site, I simply enjoy the brief distraction, maybe give a laugh or two, and move on. The pleasant joy of reading will linger for an hour or two, making the tedious routines of study and homework seem a bit brighter, filling an otherwise bland day with a happy, cheerful light. But, like most things, the sensation will eventually fade, my memories of the story slowly fading as my mind is ever assaulted by new discoveries and facts.
Sometimes, I come across a piece of writing that resonates with something deep within me, a story filled with meaning, a tale of hope, of joy, of sadness. In these rarer cases, I'll be sure to take some time out of my schedule, and leave a well thought comment, expressing my thoughts on the story's theme, praising the author's writing style, and perhaps pointing out a few areas that could stand to be improved a bit. Experiences such as these, though their potency fades over time, never truly leave me; they're always floating around somewhere in this quagmire of ideas and recollections that I call my mind.
And sometimes, every once in a thousand chapters, I'll come across a story like this one. One so beautiful, so gripping, so powerful, that I, in all honesty and sincerity, feel a tear brought to my eye. For every one of these occurrences, I find that I have nothing to say about the story itself, no criticism or compliments to offer, other than to emphasize my undying adoration for it.
This is, by my standards in any case, a masterpiece of writing.
In closing, iTunes happened to bring this song on at the moment Pinkie Pie took those first few steps: Song of Skaia I think it fit the mood quite perfectly.
190178
Wow... I'm flattered. Truly I am.
Since we're talking about music, this is the song I was listening to while writing Where All Paths Cease. It's the song Glosoli by Sigur Ros. I actually tried to time the chapter with the music. Link.
And thank you for such a wonderful comment. It really touched me
188057 Oh god... If I saw that I'd probably just break into tears upon reading the description...
But hang on a sec! You aren't a terrible fan for writing a story like this! Sure, it's sad and it deals with the death of a much-loved character, but that's not necessarily a bad thing! *COMMENCE CHEESY RANT* I mean, we never really appreciate something, or somepony (or even somebody) until they're gone. A story like this teaches us to treasure what we have, because there'll come a time when that's taken away from us. Stories like this can prepare us for such a time, and teach us to appreciate what we have, and how to deal with the loss of a treasured object/pony/person. That' lesson stands as true in real life as it does here, I think. *END CHEESE*
...Now how's that for a friendship report?!
Also, brohoof for having Under Pressure as one of your favorite songs! ^_^ /)*(\ ^_^
Incidentally, have you seen Grosse Point Blank? If you haven't seen it, I'd recomend that you watch it. Brilliant movie, with a brilliant soundtrack to match.
190740
Simple typo, will be fixed in a jiffy
190529
It would be a good friendship report... If it wasn't TARDDDDY!
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/134/620/130441009012.png?1308103147
Back to magic kindergarten you go!
Just kidding, thanks for the comment!
190892
mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw1590-132392424740.png
That is the scariest fucking thing I have ever seen in my life.
Also, you're welcome.
You got me misty eyed with this. Good job my good man.
So is Pinkie's body just laying there at the crossroad?
...wow
once I clued in to all the implications, and how they tied in to the last chapter, manly tears were shed.
Amazing story, if a bit depressive
This was true delight to read! Sad very much so, but still heart worming.
(Personal life moment, skip if you want) This story reminds me of what I'm going threw now. I'm just about to leave to go to college. Yes this is exciting but still... I'm leaving what I know and love behind. My family, friends, comforts... Everything! But still, I can't hold on to everything... Things change... But I'll always have memoriz... And that's a pritty darn good thing to remember!
Sorry about the sad moment there... But this story just got me to spill it... Amazing story again. Can't wait to read your next one!
192256
I know how you feel. I mean, I'm a sophomore in college, and even now, whenever I'm about to pull out of my driveway to return to the campus after a visit with my parents, I get this urge to just shut off the car, and just stay with my parents as if I were a child again. But, as you said, you've gotta move on; you never know where this path will take you
Anyways, good luck with college, and thank you for reading this tale.
192881
First. This story is purposefully ambiguous: The reason why Twilight and Pinkie are the only one's there, why Rainbow has a memorial pathway, what the rainbow is, etc. That's for you to decide. I have my own interpretations of the events of this story, but your interpretation is equally valid.
And, second. This is the end. I like the way I ended the story, and I feel like, if I continued on, it would do more harm than good.
Thanks for reading
its an emotional piece, it doesn't need details, its not about the hows, its about how one pony copes with losing her friends. its beauty is in its simplicity.
very touching
I don't know if my heart can take much more
Very impressive. This premise is quite resonating if it is done well, and you have done just that. Simple, but yet beautifully executed. I enjoyed this a lot, so thank you.
Keep up the great work!
193160 It would still be nice to see the authors interpretations.
*sniff sniff* You're a bastard.
Stop writing so damn well.
It's making me cry manly tears.
Because you're a bastard.
193160
you know that thats not nice? i would accept it if there were like 3 possible ways what happened. but i already found more then 20. this is not "room for interpretetions" its a cliffhanger. and to make it even worse a cliffhanger which will never be solved. for example i will tell you 3 different possibilities of what happened to rainbow etc. and these 3 are very different and all make sense.
so first the "equestria at war" theory. equestria was in war with another country (it doesnt matter which one) and rd sacrificed herself so equestria could end the war. and aj rarity and fluttershy werent there because they died in the war/didnt had time or whatever. 2. the "protection" theory. celestia or another important pony was attacked by a assasin and rd fought the assasin and defeated him but died from her injuries from the fight. why the other werent at the memorial pathway is most likely because they didnt had time/didnt want to. now the 3. . this theory is strange but still works. the .... "cupcakes" theory. rd gets killed by the evil side of pinkie (like in the fan-fic cupcakes), then the evíl side of pinkie gets destroyed by celestia, pinkie wasnt accused for murder because it was her evil side and she doesnt remember what happened when she was the evil side. and the memorial pathway is there to remind ponies that even in equestria evil things exist and to make the ponies remember rainbow dash. and because it was pinkie pies fault she is always there at the memorial pathway when the rainbow comes. thats too many theories to choose one from. oh i could add the "my little dashie" theory too. when rd got back into the normal world her years of living in equestria and her years of living on the earth got added and she died from a heart attack when she aged 15 years in less then a second. the memorial pathway is there to remind the ponies of equestria that magic can also be bad and that you have to be careful. i excuse for grammar/spelling mistakes, i kinda have a very heavy headache right now. and english isnt my native language. anyway i have more theories then only these 4 but i think these are enough.
202979
I just posted a more in-depth explanation on my blog. Hopefully it answers your questions.
My views on this story is very similar to yours Razed. I am not a religious person in most cases. I think when you die you get to choose your own heaven, whether it be with your friends forever or to go to any place non-fiction or fiction or any combonation of the two. Your heaven is your heaven live it how you dream. Pinkie in this case just chose to be with her friends forever, with all their personalities in tact. Very good job with this story I shed a manly tear.
203139
ah ok. that explains alot. it solves the cliffhanger, decimates the number of my theories from 57 to 2, and makes your story go up in my list of best sadfics and fanfics. now you are number 2 on best sadfics and number 7 out of all (i count multiple stories which all are in the same story line as 1, otherwise my list would be 2 times as long as now) anyway good work with your fanfiction.
Well i must say. That was beautifully well written. A little hard to follow at some points, but still a very good story. The full circle of catharsis is emphasized here very well. Brilliant job, my fellow writer, brilliant job.
Well, RazedRainbow, I finally read it. I said I would, and I did.
I thought I'd cry, but I guess I was wrong about that bit. Wanna know why?
Well, it's because, in the end, I didn't see this isn't a sad story!
The mane six haven't gone away; they're just ready to go on another adventure, in a new world!
(Ehh... Guess that was kinda cheesy... But so what!)
All of five stars for perfect writing, and leaving me with a hopeful feeling in my sternum, or whatever that weird part down there is... Sphincter? Bronchioles? No wait, that's in the lungs... Anyway...
I'm sitting here in my town's library borrowing their wifi and praying that no one notices me crying my eyes out...
Thank you...
Lovely, simply lovely.
I have but one qualm with the state of stories here on Fimfiction. There's not enough happy and ever so much sadness.
Keep up the great writing
100 COMMENTS
EDIT: I just now realized that somepony deleted their comment (or two) and this comment is now #98... woops
250425
Wow... the fuck was I thinking there?
That's going to be changed
I'm not crying because it's sad, I'm crying because that was beautiful... :')
At least they're all together and happy in the next life *sniffle*.
so good!
great work.
...and I think to myself.... What a Wonderful... World.
Oh my... This made me cry!
Its wonderful, I'll add it to favs this instant! 
I just have one flaw that I have to point out. The term 'bi-annual' doesn't mean "twice a year". It means "every 2 years". 'Bi' means 2, and 'annual' means yearly. So 'bi-annual' means "2 years". The term you want to use for "twice a year" would be 'semi-annual'.
Nitpicking aside, It was a great chapter and a great story.
I think this is what really happens, when you die. At least, I hope it is. I comfort myself whenever somebody I know is lost by telling myself I'll find them again, someday, and this story resonates with me because of that. Thank you, you've given me a reason to cry.
I was feeling kind of depressed prior to reading this story. Now I feel really depressed. Serves me right for reading a fic tagged sad while I'm not feeling too well, I guess.
I swear, pieces of my soul are rapidly running out from these sad fics.
Thank you, for such a great fic and making me cry. I seriously need to cry more in my life.
Excellent job. I really enjoyed Pinkie Pie's transition, and the crystal lighting up in the throne room was a nice touch, as was then notion of that generation being the most accomplished, because was all know that the Mane 6 will never be beat.
That was really sweet
Thank you for writing this fantastic story.
I cried, this was a touching story, and I' glad I took the time to read it.
Manly tears were shed this day.