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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
The City of Regret
Regret was dying. A failure in the sector three towers had caused a rupture in the paradoxical wall and reality was rushing in, in a tidal wave of destruction. Whole districts were vanishing before Twilight’s eyes as the darkness pressed in on the city. There would be no survivors.
She had to admit, it had been a remarkable stroke the part of the Hornless rebels. Sabotage had destroyed seven third tier towers, across two sectors. Three tier two towers had also failed, or at least, not activated in time to prevent the onslaught from penetrating deep into the heart of the city. Faster than even the most desperate pony could run reality swept across houses, down streets and leapt over the district walls. The final layer or arcane towers were spinning up, but they wouldn’t come on-line in time.
Regret, was dead.
“Goddess,” a guard interrupted. Twilight glowered at the unicorn. She didn’t know his name, she rarely found it in herself to care. “We found the Hornless Mare.”
“Bring her to my castle.”
“But--”
“THE CASTLE!” Windows shattered beneath Twilight’s rage. The guard set off at a blind gallop and Twilight swept after him.
Central Command was utter bedlam, with unicorns rushing around as if their tails were on fire. Twilight ignored them, breezing past panicked ministers, crying fools and guards deserting their posts by the hundreds. There was little point trying to comfort them, it would all be over soon.
The last frantic plea faded away as she crossed the threshold into the inner sanctum. The village of Ponyville lay spread out before her, bucolic in every sense of the world. Ponies idled about, with no idea the world was ending beyond the triple layered armoured walls of their pastoral bubble. A few glib words to explain her hurry was all it took to ease her passage and in just a few moments she reached her castle.
Pinkie Pie awaited her there, in heavy manacles, her chains held by six stallions from Twilight’s personal guard. For the first time in millennia Twilight paused at the threshold, taken aback. Then, shaking her head, she approached.
“Why, Pinkie? Didn’t I give you everything? We are friends, aren’t we?”
Pinkie Pie just hung her head. “Maybe we were, once. I’ve seen outside, Twilight. When were you going to tell us about the city? When were you going to tell us about the towers that kill by inches if you get too close. Was reality itself trying to stop you not a hint that you were doing was a bad thing?”
“ENOUGH!” Twilight bellowed, stamping a hoof hard enough to shatter the enchanted crystal floor. “I saved you!”
“I died, Twilight. I died centuries ago, and having known us all for so long I can tell you, we died happy.” Pinkie sighed. “Couldn’t you have just let us die?”
“I did.” Twilight began to pace. “A thousand years, Pinkie. That’s how long it took to figure out immortality, and by then I was the only pony who even remembered your names. I failed. I didn’t save you, even time travel wouldn’t save you, it would just cause a paradox.”
“And you’ve been burning forty tons of unicorn horns a day to hold off that paradox,” Pinkie Pie interjected. “I know. And it’s over.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. She had to admit that her initial calculations had fallen short. As the paradox had built, more and more unicorns had been required to hold off reality. “It was worth it.”
Pinkie shook her head. “There’s no laughter in your world. Just pain, propped up by devotion to five long dead mares. It wasn’t worth it.”
The first overpressure waves of reality struck them, tearing the stallions from their hooves and rocking Pinkie Pie to the core. Twilight’s ethereal mane barely flickered as unreality crumbled. She watched the mare she’d rescued from time as a foal, who’d grown up on a rock farm, waver. The millennia of living in peace at the centre of Regret, deep lines of a life long lived etching themselves on her face.
“I have no regrets,” Pinkie said, softly, her voice ancient and haggard.
Reality washed over them all, leaving Twilight alone before an ancient monument.
Time had long since erased the engraved cutie-marks.
She had to admit, it had been a remarkable stroke the part of the Hornless rebels. Sabotage had destroyed seven third tier towers, across two sectors. Three tier two towers had also failed, or at least, not activated in time to prevent the onslaught from penetrating deep into the heart of the city. Faster than even the most desperate pony could run reality swept across houses, down streets and leapt over the district walls. The final layer or arcane towers were spinning up, but they wouldn’t come on-line in time.
Regret, was dead.
“Goddess,” a guard interrupted. Twilight glowered at the unicorn. She didn’t know his name, she rarely found it in herself to care. “We found the Hornless Mare.”
“Bring her to my castle.”
“But--”
“THE CASTLE!” Windows shattered beneath Twilight’s rage. The guard set off at a blind gallop and Twilight swept after him.
Central Command was utter bedlam, with unicorns rushing around as if their tails were on fire. Twilight ignored them, breezing past panicked ministers, crying fools and guards deserting their posts by the hundreds. There was little point trying to comfort them, it would all be over soon.
The last frantic plea faded away as she crossed the threshold into the inner sanctum. The village of Ponyville lay spread out before her, bucolic in every sense of the world. Ponies idled about, with no idea the world was ending beyond the triple layered armoured walls of their pastoral bubble. A few glib words to explain her hurry was all it took to ease her passage and in just a few moments she reached her castle.
Pinkie Pie awaited her there, in heavy manacles, her chains held by six stallions from Twilight’s personal guard. For the first time in millennia Twilight paused at the threshold, taken aback. Then, shaking her head, she approached.
“Why, Pinkie? Didn’t I give you everything? We are friends, aren’t we?”
Pinkie Pie just hung her head. “Maybe we were, once. I’ve seen outside, Twilight. When were you going to tell us about the city? When were you going to tell us about the towers that kill by inches if you get too close. Was reality itself trying to stop you not a hint that you were doing was a bad thing?”
“ENOUGH!” Twilight bellowed, stamping a hoof hard enough to shatter the enchanted crystal floor. “I saved you!”
“I died, Twilight. I died centuries ago, and having known us all for so long I can tell you, we died happy.” Pinkie sighed. “Couldn’t you have just let us die?”
“I did.” Twilight began to pace. “A thousand years, Pinkie. That’s how long it took to figure out immortality, and by then I was the only pony who even remembered your names. I failed. I didn’t save you, even time travel wouldn’t save you, it would just cause a paradox.”
“And you’ve been burning forty tons of unicorn horns a day to hold off that paradox,” Pinkie Pie interjected. “I know. And it’s over.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. She had to admit that her initial calculations had fallen short. As the paradox had built, more and more unicorns had been required to hold off reality. “It was worth it.”
Pinkie shook her head. “There’s no laughter in your world. Just pain, propped up by devotion to five long dead mares. It wasn’t worth it.”
The first overpressure waves of reality struck them, tearing the stallions from their hooves and rocking Pinkie Pie to the core. Twilight’s ethereal mane barely flickered as unreality crumbled. She watched the mare she’d rescued from time as a foal, who’d grown up on a rock farm, waver. The millennia of living in peace at the centre of Regret, deep lines of a life long lived etching themselves on her face.
“I have no regrets,” Pinkie said, softly, her voice ancient and haggard.
Reality washed over them all, leaving Twilight alone before an ancient monument.
Time had long since erased the engraved cutie-marks.