R and R in Ponyville

A Friendly Visit

Pinkie went out to search for the other two ponies. She had not gone to far when she came across the crying Fluttershy who was walking along and it wasn't to long after that when Rainbow Dash was spotted. Seeing their condition was no better than the others in the town, she figured the best thing she could do was to get them back to Twilight as soon as she could.

As she walked along, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. As she turned her head, she saw there was nothing there. Had she really just imagined something? She thought she might have when she saw it in the corner of her other eye, so she got up on her back hooves. “Come out here you meanie! I can take you!” As she turned, her countenance dropped. She saw what it was that seemed to move around her.

Walking out of the shadows was Gilda the Griffon. At first, she gave a second glance, but had to break away eye contact when Rainbow Dash started crying even more. When she turned back around, Gilda was in front of her. The pegasai began to cower as she began to speak. “Well, if it isn't the party pony herself.”

Pinkie looked at her. “Gilda, we are kind of busy right now. I need to get my friends here too...” She was cut off by a roaring yell from the griffon.

“Friends? What do you know about friends? Because of you, I lost my best friend, and she never really liked you all that much. If they were, then they wouldn't have broken your heart on your birthday, now would they have” The Griffon began surrounding her. This moment gave the Pink earth pony enough of a gap to run in. She began to take off from the two in an attempt too flee the lion-eagle.

As she took off down a side alley, she saw that she was pinned. She turned around to see Gilda approaching from behind. “Well? What do you have to say, dweeb”

Pinkie began giggling like a crazy-pony. Gilda was absolutely confused as to what was going on, so she looked at her. “Why are you laughing? Have you gone insane?!”

“No,” Pinkie said, “But you really need to be a better actor to fool me, Remorse.”

The blue pony shifted out of the griffon form and into his usual state. “How in Equestria did you figure it out? I used sore points in your life. I disguised myself as something that caused you pain. How did you see through me?”

“That's easy, dolt colt. You mentioned what happened in my birthday party, but Gilda was never around for that.”

“So, what are you going to do? Hmm?”

She began to walk past him. “I am not going to do anything. I am going to take my friends and see Twilight. The guessing game was fun. We need to do it again sometime. Now it's time to make my friends smile again.”

He turned to face her. “Too bad it will fail.”

She turned to look at him, “What?” As she spoke, Revenge jumped up behind her and got inside her head.

“Oh, quite simple. Once I touch ponies, they never come out from under the depression I put them under.” He never broke his lonely tone. “It's a sad existence they live now. It's a shame too. It didn't take either of them long to fall into the husks they became now.”

Pinkie felt the anger rise inside of her. As she jumped at the young looking male, Revenge jumped out of her head. She took a swing at the sorrow causing equine as he jumped back and hit her. The strike threw her off long enough for him to escape. “I just hit a pony,” He said almost sounding like he was going to cry. “Yet another sorrow.” He took off down the street leaving Pinkie Pie there who was now coming to her senses.

“Oh no. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, sad, forever?” She was just on the verge of crying as her hair began to fall straight.

*********************************

Remorse stopped running as Revenge walked up to him. With his gruff, and slightly infuriated tone, he asked, “What did you do to stop this one. I mean, just less than an hour ago, you were at a complete loss as what to do.”

The smaller brother looked at the beast. With his usual tone, he spoke up. “Oh,” he said, “I was at a loss and thought that I may have found a mare who was impervious to my ways, but then I remembered that my personal favorite way of getting a pony sad.”

“That is?”

“With the other two, one of them was sorrowful for something they never forgave themselves over and the other was sorrowful for something they had done. This one needed a little push, so I did probably the cruelest thing I could. Have them dwell on things that they can't fix.”

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Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie. “Wait... he what?!” She couldn't believe what she heard. Once you fall into Remorse's trap, there is nothing anyone can do to get you out? At first she didn't think that was possible. If that was the case then most of Ponyville was done for. “Pinkie, don't you think he could have been lying?”

“Maybe, but after what I did, I think he may be right.” The Pink pony said as she laid on the ground poking it with her hoof.

“Yes, it was wrong for you to attack him, but that could have been Revenge.”

“Yeah... but its still unlike me.”

Twilight looked at her friends. She couldn't believe it. These were not the friends that she had spent the last several years with. It couldn't be, but sure enough, here they were, depressed and fighting with each other, and what more, Trixie was scarred away. If Remorse got his hooves on her, then she would feel awful, and she knew he was going to try.

She thought back over the past few years. When Trixie first came, she was a bragger. The second time she came was not much better, enslaving Ponyville and banishing her to the Everfree Forrest. Above even that, she willingly forgave her. She had wanted to be her friend, yet now she was having a hard time convincing her friends to do the same.

Just then a knock was heard at the door. Twilight turned and looked. There was a shadow of someone there. They were a bit taller than your normal pony. She quickly got down, forgetting about the two mares she was holding with her magic, who promptly began fighting as soon as they were freed. Twilight could do nothing else but groan and start heading for the door. As she opened it up a little bit to see who it was, she was a bit confused.

Standing at the door, was Zecora. The zebra was standing there looking behind her shoulder. When she turned around and saw Twilight, she made a sigh of relief. In her think brogue, she spoke in her usual rhyme. “Ah, my friend, It''s good to see you again. If you would allow me, may I come in?” she said.

Twilight looked at her. “Sorry, things have been a little hectic lately to the point that we don't even know if we can trust you. You might be the pony Remorse in disguise.”

“I know that you may not trust me, you don't want to be deceived.”

“But we don't want to turn you away if you are the real one.”

Zecora thought for a moment then spoke. “Remember the time were banished from here. I gave you some advice quite clear.” She leaned in. “If Trixie's tricks have you in a fix, Combine your magic, and use the six.”

Twilight looked at her and opened the door. “Quick, come in.” She entered quickly. “What are you doing here in town?”

“I heard Trixie came back and changed, but when I arrived, everything seemed quite strange. I came to see how she was doing, but when I arrived, everything was quite gloomy.”

“That's because of the two villains that have come here. Revenge and Remorse are brothers who have been wrecking havoc on us all day.”

“I saw them in the town squarere, the smaller one tried to mock me there. They used a evil from my childhood, they almost won, but fast I stood.”

“How did you beat them. I thought it was impossible.”

“The only ally Remorse can get, is the one who holds on to past regret. Revenge is similar in his own way, he uses those who wrongs repay. As long as one truly holds either in their heart, then that is where their damage can start.”

“But what about my friends. As far as I know, each were doing fine until they came along.”

“Yes, on the outside they look quite torn, but that's because inside, each harbored a storm.”

“You mean, though they had each seemed happy, each had something they held onto?” Zecora nodded in agreement to what Twilight had said. “But then, what about Revenge and Remorse, where did they come from?” Just then, a sound came from Spike as her belched out a scroll.

“Twilight! Letter from the Princess,” he said as he ran up with it.

“Well then, let's see what she says about them,” Twilight said as she opened the scroll.

******************

Trixie had been running for several minutes and had just gotten outside the city before she collapsed and began really crying. The blue pony was right. Her past had caught up to her and now she was paying for what she did. Everyone held onto bitterness and was now taking it out on her. She was truly alone.

As she lay there crying, she felt a presence right by her and a hoof on her back. She turned to look at the pony. “You were right. They all hate me. I hate me, and now I am alone.”

“You don't have to be,” Remorse said, “I can accompany you. As I said, I make the perfect traveling partner.” She looked at him and with tears in her eyes, she nodded because she was to choked up to say anything. “The best part. I never leave.”