Stolen Fire

by Tzelael

Epilogue: The Great Work

Stolen Fire

by Tzelael

Epilogue: The Great Work

__________________________________________________________________________

Three Days After the Everfree Fire

Pinkie Pie trotted down the streets of Ponyville that afternoon and hummed to herself. It was a clear, sunny day with only partial cloud cover. A few bandages were wrapped around her torso, though her gait was as bouncy and lively as ever. The doctor said her recovery was nothing short of miraculous, but she'd better keep the bandages on, just in case. She waved at all the ponies she passed, each of them greeted her with their usual warmth.

She stopped for a moment and sat down by the edge of the road. Looking up at the sky, she took a deep breath, the first she’d taken in a long time. After she stared up for a few seconds, she saw a rainbow streak burst through some of the clouds.

“Oooh! Hi Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie waved her foreleg excitedly at her. The weather pony stopped for a moment, then landed in front of her friend.

“Hi Pinkie. Taking in some fresh air for your first day out?”

“Oh yes! Spending all that time in the hospital was awful! I couldn’t talk or sing or run or spend time with my friends– unless you all came over, which was really, really nice of you but–” Pinkie’s sentence was interrupted by Rainbow Dash’s hoof on her mouth.

“Easy there, Pinkie. You don’t want to blow out your lungs on your first day back out, don’t you?”

“Mm-mm!” Pinkie shook her head and playfully kept her mouth firmly closed. Pinkie got back up and continued her walk. Rainbow Dash took off, flying near the bouncy earth pony at roughly the same speed. “How’s your burn, Rainbow Dash?”

“Eh, it wasn’t anything to worry about. Nothing a bit of aloe vera couldn’t cure.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes suddenly shifted back and forth nervously. “Uh... At least, from what Twilight told me! Yeah. She told me to use the aloe thingy on the burn.”

Pinkie was puzzled by her reaction for a moment, then trotted onward.

“Where are you headed?” Rainbow Dash asked as she kept pace.

“Fluttershy’s. I heard since she got out of the hospital for those burns, she’s been really down in the dumps...”

“You heard what happened, right?”

“Of course... And I feel really bad that Stitches is gone, too, so I had a great idea!” She pulled out a folded piece of paper. It looked like spots of ink had bled through the back of it. “I talked to the other girls about paying her a visit and decided I should read her and everypony else the letter that Stitches wrote me! I already read it, and I think he meant it to be for all of us.”

Rainbow Dash almost questioned Pinkie’s reasoning, but decided against it, if only because she wondered what it was the letter could say.

“Besides... From what I’ve heard about how Fluttershy is doing, I don’t know that it’d make her mood any worse...”

****

Applejack walked to the library– she let Big Macintosh take over the stand for a while. Evidently, he didn’t remember having taken over for her previously, and naturally expressed confusion when his sister phrased it as “Hate to leave you hangin’ again, but could ya mind the store? I’ve got somethin’ to take care of.”

Of course, he agreed without complaint. If there’s one thing Applejack was grateful for, it’s that her brother would take on the hard jobs whenever he could without question, though she took note of the fact that he didn’t remember that she asked before.

“Far as I’ve seen, the days Stitches was here were a blur to ‘em. None of ‘em seem to rightly know what happened, ‘cept for the young ‘uns... And us.” She stopped for a moment and saw a white unicorn standing in front of the library door.

“Rarity?”

“Oh, hello, Applejack. I was just about to drop this back off...” Rarity pulled out the alphabet book that she and Fluttershy had borrowed four days ago.

“Huh... Did ya use that to...”

“Yes... Such a pity, he was learning so quickly, too...” Rarity choked slightly. She swallowed before she shook her head and put on a smile. “Are you going to Pinkie’s get-together with Fluttershy?”

“Yup. I figured she could use the company. Jus’ thought I’d drop by Twi’s to see if she’s comin’, too.” Suddenly, the door opened, with Twilight in the entrance.

“Oh, hi girls. Come on in.” She stepped back and allowed the two to enter. On one of the desk, there were piles of books, most of them particularly old ones with yellowed pages. Standing nearby was a tall figure dressed in black and white stripes and golden bands around her neck and hooves.

“Heya, Zecora.” Applejack tipped her hat to her. “Almost forgot ya were livin’ with Twilight ‘til things at your house are all better.” The zebra replied in her normal, rhyming meter.

“My hut was consumed in the flare.

I’m living here while it is under repair.

I’d have done the work myself anyway,

But the ponies’ help, I would not turn away.”

“I’ve been doing a bit of research on alchemy, trying to understand most of its inner workings.” Twilight gestured to the zebra with a smile. “Zecora’s been a big help, since she seems to already know a lot about it.”

“It’s only right that, while under your roof I sleep

I should do my best to earn my keep.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to. I was glad to have you to teach me something new!” She bowed her head. Twilight then turned to Applejack and Rarity. “I’m guessing you’re here to take me to Fluttershy’s?”

“Yes, and I also thought I should drop this back off.” Rarity held out the alphabet picture book. “Fluttershy told me to give it back to you when she was receiving treatment for those awful burns...”

“Well... Thank you very much for giving this back, Rarity.” Twilight took the book and shelved it. She sighed heavily when she remembered exactly why they were going to visit their friend. “I’ll be back later, Zecora. Feel free to do whatever you feel like. If you need anything, let Spike know.”

Zecora only nodded as the three ponies left the library. After Twilight shut the door, they started on their way to Fluttershy’s house.

“So, uh... Whatever happened to that Flamebearer fella’, anyway? I never heard much about him after the fire.”

“I actually just got a letter from Princess Celestia. She said that Princess Luna found him in the forest and handled the arrest herself.”

“Did they lock ‘im up?” Applejack asked almost eagerly.

“They’re still taking him through his trial process.” Twilight took a deep breath before she continued. “They had to treat him for his injuries before they could start, though the Princesses are thinking that he’ll be declared legally insane and put under constant surveillance while he spends time in a mental hospital.”

“Well, that’s certainly fair,” Rarity scoffed. “Stitches gets incinerated and the mad-pony who caused all this misery to begin with gets treatment in a comfortable room in a hospital.”

“Rarity, the decision isn’t final yet,” Twilight pointed out. “They still need to consider the reckless endangerment to life and the fact his actions may have killed hundreds of other creatures, Stitches included.”

“There’s no question about it, is there? He did kill many creatures! He ought to be punished most severely!”

“Nopony’s found any bodies, so they don’t know for sure.”

“Oh, maybe that’s because they were burned to ash.”

“Alrigh’, simmer down!” Applejack shouted as she stood between them and held out her hooves. She turned and looked at Rarity. “Twilight’s just the messenger here, Rarity. Like she said, the decision ain’ even made yet.” Applejack turned to Twilight next and tipped her hat again. “Sorry, Twi. Rarity’s just upset about this whole mess, an’ I’d be lyin’ if I said I wasn’, too. I really hope Flamebearer gets what’s comin’ to him.”

Rarity suddenly straightened out her mane, sighing heavily. “I’m sorry for lashing out like that, Twilight. Applejack’s right, I’m just... Upset.”

“It’s alright, Rarity... We all are. It’s why we’re going to this meeting to begin with.” Twilight sighed. She looked up and saw the cottage in front of them.

“We all need each other, now.”

****

Fluttershy sat by the window and stared out in silence. Her animals had all been returned to her by Applejack when she recovered. She briefly looked at her bandages, then simply turned back to the window. The burns were still tender, but she paid them little mind. She’d already fed her animals for the day, and everything around her seemed to tell her things should be back to normal.

But they weren’t. It didn’t make a difference if it was three days or three years. She’d seen somepony she cared about engulfed in flames, and she could never forgive herself for it. She had only been saved by Rainbow Dash at the last minute, but Stitches wouldn’t have gotten such help.

She slumped down and curled up on the floor. There was a series of knocks on the door. She curled up tighter and didn't bother to respond to them. The knocks on the door continued, and this time, a voice called from the other side.

“Fluttershy!” It was Pinkie. If ever there was a time Fluttershy felt less like being cheered up, it was now. Before she could contemplate that any further, she was being shaken by Angel Bunny, who seemed particularly concerned for her. He pointed at the door and firmly thumped his foot against the ground.

Fluttershy rose to her hooves. She shuffled toward the door, then opened it up. She found her other five friends there, smiles on their faces. She was unable to muster one herself.

“Oh, hi girls...” Her voice barely went above a whisper.

“Hello, Fluttershy.” Twilight peered inside the house and smiled lightly. “May we come in?”

“I’m afraid I wouldn’t be very good company...” Fluttershy shrank away from the doorway.

“I think all of us can use some time together, don’ you?” Applejack asked as she took off her hat.

“... Okay...” Fluttershy backed away and let them inside. The five ponies walked in, stood in a circle in the living room and exchanged glances. An uncomfortable silence hung over the air for a few seconds before Pinkie spoke up.

“So Fluttershy, I was thinking that everypony in our group is feeling sad, and I was feeling sad in the hospital, but then I read that letter Stitches wrote and I felt better! I think he meant it for everypony, so I thought I’d read it to everypony.”

“I already know what he wrote... I helped him write it...” Fluttershy backed down and looked away. Rainbow Dash walked over to her and tilted her head.

“How much did you help him?” Rainbow asked.

“Well... I just helped him decide what he wanted to say and with some words that were hard for him to spell... He told me he wanted to try and finish it on his own.”

“I think you– and everypony else– needs to hear what he says to us!” Pinkie declared as she unfolded the paper.

“Okay...” Fluttershy barely whispered into her hoof, but tried not to make eye contact with anypony there. Pinkie Pie cleared her voice and held out the letter and read it aloud.

“Dear Pinkie Pie,

Thank you for playing with me and giving me a name. I’m really, really sorry that you got hurt and hope you get better soon. I think all of your friends will go see you, so I want them to hear this, too. All of you, Fluttershy and her friends, did more for me than anypony ever has. You did so much for me and I really wish I could do something for all of you. I’m sorry bad things happen when I’m here, but I hope you know that this has been the best time I’ve ever had.

Love,

Stitches”

Rarity and Fluttershy’s eyes watered at the letter, while Rainbow Dash and Applejack bowed their heads in respect. Twilight finally spoke up.

“It sounds like he was really grateful that you came into his life, Fluttershy.”

“Yes...” Fluttershy choked out while a tear ran down her cheek. “Yes, it does.”

“P.S.: Do you know what these mean? I see them when I’m asleep but I don’t know what they are.” Pinkie stopped abruptly and looked around. “Oops... Didn’t mean to read that far. What do these mean, though? I know the left one is his cutie mark, but the others...”

Fluttershy perked up at the post-script. “I don’t remember him telling me anything about that...”

“Wait, let me see that.” Twilight looked over Pinkie’s shoulder. Rainbow Dash started to hover over Twilight, and saw a sequence of four symbols at the bottom of the page.

“Huh... Those look kind of familiar,” Rainbow Dash said as she put her hoof to her chin.

“I was studying alchemy symbolism with Zecora a little bit ago. I think...” She looked at Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, may I have something to write with?”

“Um... Sure.” Fluttershy ran through the house, found a quill and an inkwell, and gave them to Twilight. She dipped the quill in the ink and wrote a word beneath each of the symbols in order.

“Lead... Mercury... Sulfur... Gold...” Twilight pondered the symbols a bit further. She looked up pensively.

“So it’s just a list of... Stuff?” Rainbow Dash asked when she landed behind Twilight.

“No... Zecora told me that the arrangement of alchemical symbols is just as important as the symbols themselves. Let’s see...” She placed her hoof on the first one.

“Lead means ‘Imperfection,’ something that’s flawed and needs to be changed...” She trailed her hoof to the next symbol with each explanation. “Mercury is an agent of change, the mediator between the flawed base and a higher substance... Then there’s Sulfur, the symbol of a transcendent force... And then Gold, the perfected end product.” Twilight then moved her hoof back to the beginning and read it like a sentence.

“‘The imperfect base shall be changed by a transcendent force to become a higher substance...’” Twilight’s eyes suddenly widened in shock. “... The Great Work...”

“What’s that, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, the rest of the group just as confused as she was.

“The Great Work. It’s an alchemical concept transforming something from lower and mundane to something higher, like turning Lead into Gold, or creating life from something inanimate, or–”

“A being like Stitches becoming a real pony...” Fluttershy suddenly blurted out in realization. Out of sheer impulse, she got up and ran out the door toward the burnt-down Everfree Forest. She ran through it and wove through the trees that were now completely bare.

The Everfree was far easier to navigate now, yet the forest still seemed darker than Ponyville was. The other five ponies followed her through the forest. They stopped when Fluttershy reached the river. Many of the trees here were charred black, a good number of them felled in a large area. Fluttershy looked around, and sighed heavily in disappointment.

“I... I’m sorry... I don’t know what I expected to find here...” She hung her head and began to walk away from the river, back toward Ponyville.

“It’s alright, sugarcube... Ain’ nothin’ wrong with havin’ a little hope once in a while.” Applejack and the other ponies walked with her back to town. While they did, they passed by a tree, one of the ones that still stood near the shore, with a set of four symbols carved into its trunk.

Lead, Mercury, Sulfur, Gold

Author's Note:

At the end of the road, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to arcum42 and MidgeMannequin for shaking their heads at some of the dumber parts of my writing and making sure I don't make an idiot of myself.

Of course, I thank my readers, the people who commented, for both of you, like the Mane Six to Stitches, make this whole exercise bearable. Thank you all, and I hope you enjoyed this story!

Comments

[easymac]

well done

[Raziel Lupercal]

I wish you luck stitches may you achieve your great work.

[Snow123]

*reads the story intro before reading the story proper*

... Friggin' Disquiet, man. It's an awful thing for anyone, anypony in this case, to experience. The Created are Hated, and the mortals are helpless before the whims of the universe to cause them misery.

This is a reason Joseph Buck, one of the Wretched, pursues the Refinement of Copper.

[Snow123]

And thus closes this chapter on the life of Stitches, Wretched, Promethean, poor pony without yet a true soul.

You are a good pony, Mr. Stitches. May you one day complete you Pilgrimage, hopefully keep your old memories of Promethean-hood, and return to your friends. Godspeed. *salutes*