Aghhhhhhhhhh... Damn it all...

Should've known it would end like this. I guess you got what you wanted in the end. Only took the end of the world before you could manage it... Guess that's why you were always trying to destroy it all the time, huh?

Heheh... So how does it feel? Killing an old, grey mare who can't even fly? Must feel good, right? Makes you feel like a badass, huh?

Ha! Course I am, 'Zotl. Life's a joke. You and I know that better than anybody.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to make it easy for you.

Come on, then. You wanna take your prize? Earn it.

Whoever you are, stay away! It's taking me over! I can't control it!

Listen, if you aren't gonna run, you gotta kill me!

Kill me, before it's too late! Before it spreads any further!

Do it! KILL ME!

Applejack, everypony... I'm sorry. I tried.

I wasn't strong enough...

Guess this is it. Ain't the way I ever pictured things ending. I'm the last one left now. But I ain't gonna dishonour their memories by goin' down easy.

Alright then. Moment of truth.

I ain't running, ya cowards! I'm right here!

Y'all sure you wanna do this? Ain't too late to back down now.

Fine! C'mon then! Put 'em up! Come an' get the first real fight y'all've ever had in your lives!

We're all beings of stardust in the end.

Something earthly, touched by something cosmic.

Time to return to the stars...

This story is a part of the Borderworld.

I rather like the mysterious tone and ambiguity of the fic as is, and if you do too, you can leave it at that. If you're dying for answers, however, some of the mysteries introduced here actually do have explanations, if you're willing to explore the rest of this universe. I won't be discussing spoilers in the comments, though.

This was just a quick little thing I did. I thought it would be an interesting one-and-done writing challenge. Something to do between other things I'm working on right now. I'll be interested to see how the site responds to this one, because usually my shorter, low effort stuff does really well (or at least better than my real stories). But on the other hand, this isn't a comedy like all my other short stuff, so that adds an element of uncertainty.

I don't know. We'll see.