"Did you like your present? I made sure to get a blue one. I know that's your favorite."
I remember giggling. A tree with bright lights on it. Something smooth and round held in my forelegs. A voice that surrounded me.
"You're very welcome. Now come here, sweetie. Give your mother a kiss and a hug."
It drops from my embrace. Something warm and fuzzy takes their place. I feel like I'm melting into it.
"I love you so very much, my dear! You are the most wonderful thing a mother could ever ask for."
My ears tingle as the beautiful voice flows in and echoes in my head. I want to look up, but it feels so good to hold my face against the warm surface.
A hollow sensation appears in my chest. I take a deep breath and shatter the silence. There's a long pause, followed by a deep sigh. The voice returns.
"No, I'm... I'm sorry. Daddy can't come home yet."
My teeth sink into my lips. I try to hold the flood back, but that just makes it hurt even more.
"Don't cry! Remember what I told you? He's keeping the Princess safe."
The words dig up the rest of the speech in my mind before I have to hear it again. Though I know it by heart, it never seems to soften the impact.
"The darkness came. It tried to hurt Her, but... but Daddy did his job, and She was saved."
I see pegasi clad in golden armor as they race toward the sky. I see the Sun falling down to meet them. They follow Her trail and dip below the horizon as they make way for the night.
"She is so proud of him. We all are. He's a hero... our great hero..."
I press my face deeper into the embrace. I want those strong limbs to hold me. I want to hear and feel that strong beat. I want it to give strength to my own heart.
"Don't worry... he'll be home soon."
I feel the caress on my head and back. A warm breath on my hide. The forelegs holding me more tightly.
It hurts too much. I pull away and stare at the ground. I don't want it to hurt. Not tonight.
"Hold me, Smooth Song! Please... lend me some of your warmth!"
But the hollow ache returns. It eats me from the inside out. It feels even worse than being smothered like before. At least then I didn't feel so lonely.
I throw myself between the waiting hooves once more. The lovely voice caresses my ears again.
His eyes burn as they struggle to open. One by one, every limb, every inch of his body returns to his awareness. He tries to move, but it feels as though he's managed to fuse together with the ground itself.
But that can't be true. If I pinch myself, I always know whether it's a dream or not. No dream can make every part of me hurt so much. Not without waking me up.
He waits a little, then tries again. And again. He loses count by the time one of his legs finally responds.
And yet... it can't be real, either. None of this makes any sense...
The pain has made him numb to almost everything else. Only his eyes allow him to take in his surroundings, but all he can see is the pile of dirt and rubble he's sprawled out on, and he can't move the rest of his body yet.
As seconds tick by, strength trickles back into his limbs. With a sigh, he closes his eyes and waits patiently. The memories of recent events flow through his mind in a cavalcade of images.
I saw... a pegasus with a yellow coat and pink mane. She had a lovely voice. We were in a room with rows of pyramids for walls. Everything sounded strange in there.
We went down an empty corridor. I saw an old stallion with a guitar. A bright light. Great masses staring at the sky in awe.
I saw your eyes filled with tears.
The agony only lessens slightly, but it's no longer paralyzing. Taking a deep breath, he braces himself on the pile beneath him, then rolls himself over with one mighty shove. A stab of pain hits his spine as he lands on his back.
Only in my dreams do I get to see such strange things...
He hisses and tries to adjust himself a little, then opens his eyes again. There's a giant hole in the ceiling right above him, a strong light seeping in through it.
Am I dead?
He breathes in, then out. His ribs ache as they expand and contract. Every joint, every muscle, every bone in his body feels both torn apart and perfectly intact.
With a groan, he strains his forelegs to push himself up a little. His gaze travels down from the hole to the scene surrounding him. In the dim light, he can barely make out the features of the chamber, its contents demolished past recognition. A few faint memories are all that he can connect to the sight.
No... I wouldn't still be here then... not unless I'm condemned to haunt this place...
There is a soft whimper, followed by the crackling sound of the rubble being displaced. Feeling the vibrations on his underside, he turns to look and sees a familiar pegasus mare struggling her way out from under a pile of wreckage. Aside from a few cuts and bruises, she appears unhurt, merely entangled.
You made it? Good for you... I think our painter friend wasn't so lucky...
The thought makes him pause for a moment, puzzled by how he can be aware of such things. Meanwhile, the mare manages to free herself from the concrete blocks that trapped her hind legs. She notices him lying nearby and turns to him with a confused expression. Her mouth moves, but no sound manages to reach him.
The experience leaves him baffled. All of his senses, save for his hearing, seem to have expanded beyond an equine level. His body of flesh and blood now feels as though it were a mere fraction of a much greater entity. Its "limbs" are spread throughout the chambers surrounding them, allowing him to sense every other occupant, alive or otherwise.
He lifts up a forehoof and stares at it in awe. The ever present ache is accompanied by a most peculiar sight: every inch of his skin is releasing a constant, ethereal glow, not unlike the one pouring in from the hole above.
His attention is drawn to the opening once more. At a mere glimpse of the sky, he feels an otherworldly strength flowing into his limbs, as well as a great urge to set them in motion. Taking a deep breath, he pushes himself off the pile of rubble and stands firmly on his hooves. His legs tremble a bit, but they manage to keep him steady as he reaches for the ceiling and braces himself.
Smiling, he then turns to the mare one last time.
"Thank you again," he whispers, even though he can no longer hear. "I'll see you on the other side!"
Her eyes widen, and she calls out desperately as he grabs the edges of the hole and hoists himself up. His muscles scream in agony, but the pain does not slow him at all, and the other end is only a short climb away.
Within seconds, his snout pokes out of the opening and into the world beyond. A whiff of fresh air, the first in so long that he can hardly remember, caresses his nostrils once he takes a deep breath. The aroma of fresh, green grass after a light summer rain is the first reward of his escape. It urges him to struggle even harder.
Once the rest of his body makes it out of the hole, he sprawls out in the middle of the grassy field, then buries his face in the ground to take deep whiffs of its heavenly scent. His head feels light, and his mind is ecstatic from the sensations.
With a hearty laugh, he rolls onto his back after a while and looks up. The sky is pitch black, and the stars are all but gone, yet the view almost blinds him. Bright, string-like apparitions are spread across the heavens, stretching as far as his eyes can see. They shine with a light that rivals the sun itself.
Do you think I should follow them?
Entranced by their glow, he stares at them motionlessly for a while. The strings feel as though they are calling to him, begging him to let them show him the way. Feeling an urge to move once more, he slowly gets to his hooves. He glances up again, and by tracing their path across the sky, he finds that the lines all meet in one point on the horizon.
Without hesitating for a moment longer, he sets off toward it.
-----
"Which story would you like me to read for you, sweetie?"
"Mmmm..."
"How about this one? 'The Three Little Fillies'?"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Okay... then which one?"
"Da one wit' da piper and da rats!"
"Okay, sweetheart! Just settle down now."
"Yay! Thanks, mom!"
"Let's see... hmm... 'Once upon a time there was a town called Haymelin...'"
-----
He starts off with a light trot. In the odd haze created by the strange lighting in the sky, he cannot see very far, nor very well. The field seems quite empty, though occasionally he does notice a few large trees and even what look like the outlines of houses in the distance.
But he does not stop for any of them. With every step he takes and every glance at the lines that guide him, the anticipation grows in his spirit. He wills his legs to move faster, and they obey. The ache is still felt throughout his body, but it doesn't slow him in the slightest.
Hold on, Mother! I won't be long now...
-----
"Come on, kid! Don't give up now! Just give it a more gentle strum."
"Ugh! I can't stand it! This stupid thing sounds horrible..."
"Really? Wow, that's news to me. Here, let me try."
"Fine, whatever. You're good, I'm not. I'll never learn how to play it."
"Neither did I..."
"Huh? But you're playing it right now!"
"Yep. But I never learned how. I'm just playing it."
"But... but that's... how did you...?"
"Want to try again?"
"Um... I guess..."
"Don't sweat it, kid! Just play. We've got all the time in the world..."
-----
He shakes his head in disbelief. The sheer length of his sprint seems impossible now even to him, yet his movements are still fluid, and his breath is steady.
This is not me... this is not my power...
Mountains, forests, rivers, and entire cities rush past in the corners of his vision. The masses who have been awakened by the lights in the sky can only stare in shock at his relentless advance.
I remember this... the feeling of strength inside me...
He can almost feel the dry, crumbling wood among his hooves. The cool touch of the metal strings. Their buzz as his hoof brushed against them. The air itself vibrating from the cheers of the monstrous crowd around him.
The only thing to elude his memories is their sound.
It's keeping me here... it's giving me strength for one final effort... I cannot stop now...
He shakes his head again and presses on.
-----
"Stop! Please! Let me go! What do you want? I didn't do anything!"
"Tear it down! Tear it down! Tear it down!"
"Please! I've got children at home! Let me go!"
"Tear it down! Cast them out! Tear it down! Cast them out!"
"Listen to me! You don't have to do this! I just want to go back to them! Please!"
"Tear it down! Cast them out! Tear it down! Cast them out!"
"No! Please stop! Let me go! Help! Let me— AAAAHH!"
"Tear it down! Cast them out! Burn them all! Tear it down! Cast them out! Burn them all!"
....
"That's right... throw all those worms out where they belong!"
"Smooth Song! Is that you?"
"Mother?"
-----
He cannot hear them anymore. Not even inside his head. But he can still feel them. That sickening tingle in his bones, the same one that he felt every time he heard them scream. The same chattering in his teeth from those crunching sounds the victims made as they hit the stone.
He remembers the excitement it made him feel. His music seemed to intensify with every thrashing form that was pushed out a window to plummet to its doom.
Now he feels nothing. An all-consuming nothing that eats away at him with every passing second. The sensations that affect him now are its first symptoms. He has denied those ponies the chance to walk the Earth, and he knows he will have to join them soon.
His lungs burn, his legs ache, and his eyes are fixed on the brightness in the distance.
No. Our time hasn't run out yet.
-----
"Patient number thirty— ugh, I can't do this... Smooth Song? That's your name, right?"
"..."
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, um... in case you forgot it since the last time..."
"..."
"Great! Well, uh... it says here that... you have a great talent when it comes to, uh... playing music? Something about a special power that allows you to, uh... 'control the emotions of the audience'?"
"..."
"They say there was a riot. The crowd stormed the town hall. They attacked those inside and burned the place to the ground. Over a hundred injured. Thirty-seven dead..."
"..."
"Don't you want to talk about it?"
"..."
"Ugh, this isn't going to work... no, don't bother restraining him. I'll... I'll try to bring in a friend tomorrow. Maybe she can help."
-----
He can see her smile. The way her forelegs tugged awkwardly at her long, pink mane. Her big, aquamarine eyes shining with hope and compassion. Her firm stance as she held them off, then led him down the corridors to meet his fate.
It was the greatest kindness you ever did for me. I can never repay you.
A chill passes through his spine when he remembers her Stare. He knows that she despises such power, perhaps even more than those who fell victim to it. But she would not abandon him, not even when he asked. Not even while he unleashed something that made the Sun tremble in Her home.
I hope you live a long and happy life. I hope you meet better friends than I ever was...
-----
"Smooth Song! We have to stop! You're hurting yourself!"
"Where are you, Mother? I can't see you!"
"It's too loud! We'll have to find another way! Get out of there!"
"No... no, it can't be!"
"What is it? Is she—"
"No! Please don't tell me... open your eyes, Mother! Open your eyes for me! Please!"
"We'll find her! I promise you! We'll find your mother! My friends will help! Just get out of there!"
"Wake up, Mother! Please! Don't leave me now! Wake up!"
-----
There's a strong stab of pain in his chest. Unlike all the other agony he feels, this one penetrates his shell of indifference, making him cry out and nearly fall over.
With a groan, he quickly balances his gait and presses onward. His eyes widen as they turn to the sky once more. The light of one of the strings flickers, then fades out altogether. At the same moment, another stab of pain hits his chest.
Mother? Please help me!
His gait slows somewhat as the odd strength starts to drain from his limbs, and the glow his body emits begins to dim as well. The hollow feeling inside him grows steadily.
I'm scared! This is wrong! This has to be a nightmare! I just want to wake up!
He grits his teeth and breathes hard while he struggles to keep running. The fatigue that miraculously eluded him so far is slowly creeping back into his body. Every bit of him pleads him to stop. To rest. To give in.
But if I do... I'm afraid that I might lose you...
Just as he is about to lose hope, his heart leaps when a familiar sight emerges on the horizon. Straight ahead, less than a few miles away lies the city by the sea, its every minute detail revealing itself as he quickly covers the distance.
He can clearly make out the point where all the lines converge. The small hill just on the outskirts at the far end. The top floor of a small apartment at the summit.
Hold on, Mother!
Another stab of pain hits him. Another string winks out of existence. He screams his lungs into the half-lit haze around him, but all he can feel is grinding in his throat. After having craved it for so long, there's nothing else in the world that he hates more than silence.
He notices an odd flicker in the light above, this one not bringing any pain. His gaze travels up again, the brightness making him squint. His jaw drops once his eyes manage to adjust.
A swarm of winged creatures circle in the sky above him. Tens of thousands. Their bodies shimmer in the light of the strings, the outlines no longer hidden by the steadily dying glow.
It's them... Her enforcers. The Sun wishes to reclaim Her throne of light.
Whatever their intentions may be, they do not reveal it, and not one of them dares to draw any closer. They simply circle around high above while keeping pace with him.
It doesn't matter now. I won't have time to meet Her...
The blows come in quick succession at this point. He feels no individual doses of pain, just a continuous, agonizing drain of strength. The strings snap one by one as they sustain the note its own creator cannot hear.
Streets, homes, curious onlookers become a silent blur as he runs past them. He no longer allows himself to look away from his goal. Only the fading of the light shows him how little time he has left.
I wish we could have seen it, though. One last time. It's always beautiful to watch Her rise...
The building he approaches is but an empty, old husk. The front door bursts open as he slams against it. Dust, decay, and old mementos of a busy life await him inside.
Without stopping, he immediately rushes for the stairs. The steps blur together. His legs are all but falling out of their sockets. Every flight feels like it rips a chunk out of him. He can hardly breathe by the time he is near the top floor.
Every level looks the same: closed doors, empty hallways, and dust. Whatever memories they may hold, he cannot allow himself to linger. The light streaming in through the windows in the stairwell is almost gone.
Don't let go now! I'm almost there! Just give me a little more!
His head rises above the final step. The door he seeks is straight ahead, calling to him. Time seems to slow as he approaches it.
Don't let go! Don't give in! Just let me—
The last of his strength drains away in one sudden wave of nausea. He coughs up his air as his body slams into the floor. The hollow sensation rushes in to consume the rest of him.
The final string had snapped.
With a furious groan, he stretches out his forehooves. He wills them to try and reach the door. Tears fill his eyes, and his teeth grind on each other from the effort. No matter how hard he wishes to ignore it, his mind screams it repeatedly: it is over.
"Mother! I'm... I'm sorry..."
His eyelids slip shut, and his hooves drop to the floor. He succumbs to the inevitable darkness.
But it does not take him just yet. He opens his eyes again. Something feels strange. He had expected there to be no light, but the door before him is still bathed in it. In fact, the light from the window behind him seems to be growing stronger. It inches across the floor toward one of his forehooves, and he feels warmth touching it when they finally meet.
It's Her... She's watching us...
A smile tugs on his lips. The last of his air escapes from his lungs. He keeps his eyelids open, but the darkness will no longer stay out of his vision.
Just before the void envelops him, his ears twitch. A faint melody trickles out from beyond the door.
"Hearts filled with love Our angels above So blessed and true.
"When night comes around You'll hear the sound They're all singing to you..."
