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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
A Spectre Hangs Over Her
Applejack looks around. It does little good, as everything is pitch black. She reaches forward with her hoof, but can't really feel anything. She knows she's standing still, but she can't feel anything under her hooves. At least, she [/i]thinks[/i] she's standing...
Then, a sound catches her ear, like a sucking wind. Though she still sees nothing, somehow she knows She has arrived.
The Spectre draws near.
"So, this is it? The, uh, end?"
No.
"Oh! Good... So... what's goin' on? Why am I here if I'm not... y'know..."
You have received what We refer to as the second chance.
She thought 'we' had been pronounced differently. "We? Who are you?"
You could call me an ... incarnation of Harmony. Some have referred to me as a Spectre.
"So then, Miss Spectre..." Applejack started, testing the name. "What does a 'second chance' entail?"
It's quite simple: We show you visions of your life, and you decide if you want to return to the mortal realm. After which, if you choose to return, you will remember nothing of our encounter.
"Well, o'course I wanna go back! There's nothing you can show me to change that! There's too many things to do... too many things left to... I have to go back."
That is not how it works; you must watch and wait. Let us begin.
"Wait, wha—"
A young orange filly with a three-apple cutie mark runs through the rain. She trips, and her pursuer is upon her, an off-white pegasus filly.
"Yeah, lay in the mud, like a good mud pony!"
"Git offa me!"
"Make me!"
An older Applejack looks on, tears threatening to leave her eyes.
"Why are ya showin' me this? That was so long ago..."
The Spectre draws near.
For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I don't choose the visions.
"Let's just move on to the next one, if you don't mind."
As you wish.
Applejack's body lay in a coma on a hospital bed. Applejack also looks on, invisible to the world and incorporeal.
"Wake up, Applejack! You can't d—" Applebloom stopped herself.
"You can't leave me! I can't lose you too... not after..." she trailed off, sniffling.
"I'm sorry, sis. I'll be back with you soon! I promise!" This time the tears were fully formed, falling freely from her face.
The Spectre draws near.
She does not speak.
AJ wipes her eyes. "Please, let's go..."
She obliges.
An old orange mare hobbles to the top of a hill. She takes off her brown cowpony hat and puts it to her chest. Before her are four tombstones.
The younger mare dares not guess whose they are.
"I understand now... why you think I would leave. This..." She stops, searching for the right words. "This is hard. But, look at me. Er, her."
The older pony is smiling. "Hey, there. Just thought I'd drop by, see how ya'll are doin'. Y'know I've got another grandfoal on the way?"
She looks down, tears forming. "I just wish you could be here t' see it. I miss you and I love you all so much, and I never said it enough..."
Grannyjack gives a moment of silence, and AJ takes this time to speak. "I am strong, and I know I'll get through this. I‒" she stopped, choking back tears. "I've made my decision. Is this the last vision? Is it over?"
The Spectre draws near.
Not quite.
The Spectre moves swiftly toward Grannyjack. She lifts a hoof‒which She suddenly seems to have‒and Grannyjack trips and falls to the ground.
"Granny!" A red pegasus filly comes running up to the scene. "Help! Somepony help!"
"What did you do!?" AJ nearly keeps her voice level.
This is your fate if you choose to return. You will never rise from this spot of your own accord.
So the choice is yours: to die in peace, surrounded by friends, or alone on a hill, surrounded by their remains.
There it is: the final test. She understands, now more than ever, what she has to do.
"I'm going back. I have to live my life, all the way to the end." She glances at the body on the ground, the little pegasus sobbing, the mare trying to pull the foal away. "However it may come."
She obliges.
Then, a sound catches her ear, like a sucking wind. Though she still sees nothing, somehow she knows She has arrived.
The Spectre draws near.
"So, this is it? The, uh, end?"
No.
"Oh! Good... So... what's goin' on? Why am I here if I'm not... y'know..."
You have received what We refer to as the second chance.
She thought 'we' had been pronounced differently. "We? Who are you?"
You could call me an ... incarnation of Harmony. Some have referred to me as a Spectre.
"So then, Miss Spectre..." Applejack started, testing the name. "What does a 'second chance' entail?"
It's quite simple: We show you visions of your life, and you decide if you want to return to the mortal realm. After which, if you choose to return, you will remember nothing of our encounter.
"Well, o'course I wanna go back! There's nothing you can show me to change that! There's too many things to do... too many things left to... I have to go back."
That is not how it works; you must watch and wait. Let us begin.
"Wait, wha—"
A young orange filly with a three-apple cutie mark runs through the rain. She trips, and her pursuer is upon her, an off-white pegasus filly.
"Yeah, lay in the mud, like a good mud pony!"
"Git offa me!"
"Make me!"
An older Applejack looks on, tears threatening to leave her eyes.
"Why are ya showin' me this? That was so long ago..."
The Spectre draws near.
For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I don't choose the visions.
"Let's just move on to the next one, if you don't mind."
As you wish.
Applejack's body lay in a coma on a hospital bed. Applejack also looks on, invisible to the world and incorporeal.
"Wake up, Applejack! You can't d—" Applebloom stopped herself.
"You can't leave me! I can't lose you too... not after..." she trailed off, sniffling.
"I'm sorry, sis. I'll be back with you soon! I promise!" This time the tears were fully formed, falling freely from her face.
The Spectre draws near.
She does not speak.
AJ wipes her eyes. "Please, let's go..."
She obliges.
An old orange mare hobbles to the top of a hill. She takes off her brown cowpony hat and puts it to her chest. Before her are four tombstones.
The younger mare dares not guess whose they are.
"I understand now... why you think I would leave. This..." She stops, searching for the right words. "This is hard. But, look at me. Er, her."
The older pony is smiling. "Hey, there. Just thought I'd drop by, see how ya'll are doin'. Y'know I've got another grandfoal on the way?"
She looks down, tears forming. "I just wish you could be here t' see it. I miss you and I love you all so much, and I never said it enough..."
Grannyjack gives a moment of silence, and AJ takes this time to speak. "I am strong, and I know I'll get through this. I‒" she stopped, choking back tears. "I've made my decision. Is this the last vision? Is it over?"
The Spectre draws near.
Not quite.
The Spectre moves swiftly toward Grannyjack. She lifts a hoof‒which She suddenly seems to have‒and Grannyjack trips and falls to the ground.
"Granny!" A red pegasus filly comes running up to the scene. "Help! Somepony help!"
"What did you do!?" AJ nearly keeps her voice level.
This is your fate if you choose to return. You will never rise from this spot of your own accord.
So the choice is yours: to die in peace, surrounded by friends, or alone on a hill, surrounded by their remains.
There it is: the final test. She understands, now more than ever, what she has to do.
"I'm going back. I have to live my life, all the way to the end." She glances at the body on the ground, the little pegasus sobbing, the mare trying to pull the foal away. "However it may come."
She obliges.