The Blood Red Shadowby Bleeding HeartChaptersA Cruel GamePainful SolitudeThe Painful TruthInto the AbyssConfessions of a ShadowAccepting OneselfSomething to HideInvading the MindScary DeductionTrue FriendshipsA Cruel GameCrimson jumped back as he saw that someone else had seen and written in his journal. The curious thing was that the handwriting was identical to his own. "How could somepony manage to find my journal. The doors and window weren't touched. There are no signs of the house being ransacked. This is insane. The only one who could have gotten in so easily and found the journal without any problems, is me." He brooded over these thoughts as he picked up the journal and kept it with him as he cautiously walked downstairs. Crimson searched every inch of the house, looking for anyone else who may be inside. There was nobody else in sight. "I know. My vision spell. That will definately show me if anypony is in here or not." His horn began to glow as Crimson's pupils began to fade, his eyes turning pure white. He could now see perfectly. Any object he now looked at became transparent and any living creature gave off a wave of energy. Crimson searched the house from top to bottom, but he saw nothing. His vision returned to normal as he entered the study once more. After placing the book down on the table, Crimson began to pace across the floor of his study. "I don't understand. This can't be real. Somepony came in here without using the door or windows, found my journal and then vanished without a trace. How is that even possible? I know some unicorns can teleport, but that doesn't explain how they managed to find the journal without turning the house upside down. Its like they knew exactly where it was. More importantly, who would even want to do something like this?!" His thoughts started to become too much for Crimson to handle. He sat down on the floor in the middle of his study, just holding his head in his hooves. "Why did I even write my secrets in there? I should have known they wouldn't be kept hidden forever. I just hope that whoever has seen my journal doesn't tell anypony about what they read. If they all see my inner demons, I could lose the life I've worked so hard to get." Crimson looked up and saw that it was already getting late. He picked up his journal and walked to his bedroom, making sure to close all his doors and windows first. "If they think they can get to this journal again, they are wrong." He opened his bedside table and placed the journal underneath a small pile of various objects to ensure it was hidden from view. Crimson laid his head down on his pillow, facing the bedside table and slowly fell asleep. As the night went by, someone had appeared in Crimson's home once again. They walked up to his room, completely passing by the study and stood there as Crimson slept. "Did you think that you could really hide the truth that easily Crimson? I told you that I would show everypony how much you have been lying to them. Keeping secrets like this is such a horrible thing to do. Don't worry. I'll help you." The mysterious pony cackled as they silently opened the bedside table drawer. "Hiding the truth under a pile of useless garbage? What a waste of that brain of yours." they said as they grabbed the journal, opened it to another blank page and wrote another little message in there. "This should keep you on edge, for now." The pony placed the journal back in the drawer, making it look like it had not been moved at all. They then turned around and walked out of the bedroom, then leaving without a trace. Painful SolitudeCrimson thought about it for another moment and realised that the only one who could have done all this, was himself. "Its the only logical conclusion. I don't know why I'm doing this though. Not like it matters. At least now I know that I have nothing to worry about." He picked up his journal and walked back to the study. "If there really is nopony else reading this, then I can keep writing. Besides, maybe this will help make me feel better." Crimson said to himself as he opened the book and wrote another entry with his tatty old quill. "I don't know what is happening to me right now. Perhaps all the stress and worry is making me believe there is something to worry about. All I know is, I need to keep writing. Its the only thing keeping me calm now. If I don't pour my inner demons into this book, then who knows where they may end up. I can't let people know the truth. If they knew that I merely use them like tools, then my life would be ruined. I can't let that happen. I just hope that I don't go insane from all of this." He closed the book after finishing his entry and put the quill back on the shelf. "Is it safe to put it back on the bookshelf?" he thought to himself for a moment. After thinking it was alright, he put it back in its usual place, assuming that it will be fine there, as long as his deductions were correct. Crimson then went downstairs and carried on with his day. He decided to keep the store closed today, which gave him more time to get his other jobs done. After dealing with his housework, he went out to get some shopping done. While he was wandering around town, other ponies were all looking at him curiously. Crimson could hear them saying things like "Doesn't Crimson seem strange to you?" and "I sure hope he's okay. Apparently he is going through some trouble lately." He chose to ignore the idle gossip and continued with his shopping. He wandered by the local fruit stand and the vendor saw how distressed Crimson was. "You alright kid?" he asked while trying to look Crimson in the eye. Crimson looked away from him. "I'm fine. I just came down here for some more food." He started to put some food into his bag while the vendor just stood there, trying to figure out what was wrong. "Here. Keep the change." Crimson said quietly as he gave the other pony more than enough bits to pay for his food and silently walked off. "I hope that boy gets out from under those dark clouds soon." Crimson finished up the last of his shopping while avoiding conversations with anyone around him. He came back home later to find a seemingly empty house. He put the food away, had a quick snack and walked up to his study again. He didn't know why, but he felt that there was something waiting for him there. The Painful TruthCrimson walked up to the door to the study and heard a noise inside. It sounded like cackling. He opened the door to see a red pony sitting by the window. Crimson was suprised to see that it looked just like him. The only differences were that his coat was darker and his cutie mark was a black feather instead of a phoenix feather. The other pony stood up and looked straight at Crimson. "Hello Crimson." he said as he smirked. Crimson stared at this other pony, assuming that he was the one leaving messages in his journal. "You're the one aren't you? It was you reading my journal wasn't it?!" Crimson shouted, struggling to keep his composure. "Well of course it was me. After all, you did already come to that conclusion." "What are you talking about? I came to the conclusion that it was me doing it somehow. Wait, how did you even know about what I have been thinking? Who are you anyway?!" The other pony was standing there smiling, resisting the temptation to laugh. "Haven't you figured it out yet? Surely you must know who I am by now. The answer has been staring at you in the face for two days. Whatever happened to that brain of yours? Surely you didn't leave it behind when you got seperated from your parents." Crimson was getting angry at this point. This pony was taunting him, and he did not like it one bit. "How dare you?! How dare you bring up that incident!? Don't ever talk about my past! How do you even know about that?! I never told anyone here about what happened all those years ago!" The other pony sat down before continuing his taunting. "You know Crimson, I thought you were actually okay with what happened thirteen years ago. After all, you never had a problem telling people about it on your travels. You were alright explaining it to those two ponies who took you in for a while. I know all about you Crimson. I've been watching you from the very beginning. I know about your childhood, the kidnapping, your parents, your life on the run and your new life here. Surely you can tell me who I am now. Come on Crimson. Show me that you can at least get this one right. I don't want to have to spoil the moment for you. Where's the fun in that?" Crimson was completely enraged now, but at the same time, he felt hopeless. This other pony was sitting there, spilling the contents of his past that he kept a locked secret and he had no idea who or what this pony was. "I don't know. Who are you? Why are you doing this? Please, tell me that much at least. The mysterious pony stood up once more. "How about another hint instead? I wrote it down in your journal." He stood aside and revealed the open journal on the table. Crimson slowly walked over and glanced down at the page. There were three words written on the page in front of him. "I am you." Into the Abyss"What in Equestria is that supposed to mean? How can you be me? I'm me." Crimson was completely confused now. He had no idea what this cryptic message was meant to mean. "Isn't it obvious? I'm the real you. I'm the Crimson that you've been hiding away from the world. All of those things you write in that journal, are the words that gave me life." The other pony pointed straight at the journal with his horn, as if to tell Crimson to look at each page. Crimson responded by scanning through each one, taking in the memories of years and years ago. "Don't you see yet? I was born from that book. The dark secrets you wrote down all poured together and I was the result. I am the real you. Accept it Crimson. You haven't even got a choice now." Crimson slammed the journal closed and glared at this other pony, refusing to accept what he was saying. "There is no way I'm going to believe you! I know who I am. You're nothing but a fake. You're... not me!" Those last three words felt like music to this mysterious pony's ears. "Heh. You still refuse to accept the truth. Its like you want to live in ignorance. In a world shrouded by fog. Well its not going to be possible now. I have been given life to lift the fog covering your lies. Face it Crimson. You're the fake here. I am the true Crimson Breeze! I am... Bleeding Heart!" The floor underneath Crimson and Bleeding Heart began to turn black, as did the walls around them. Crimson didn't know what was happening, but was unable to escape. He tried to move, but could not even take a single step. The door had vanished. The windows had disappeared. All that was left was darkness, and the blood red pony in front of him. "Where are we?! Let me go!" Crimson shouted in frustration. "We're in my world now. It should be very familiar to you. You see it every single day." As Crimson was about to interject, the floor changed from black to white. He looked down to see words written all over the floor. After examining them for a brief moment, he realised that it looked like a page from his journal. "We're inside my journal?!" Bleeding Heart just chuckled for a moment before responding. "Please tell me you're not actually suprised. I did tell you that this book of yours gave me life." "Just let me out of here. This isn't where I belong." "You can try to run if you really want. Its not like you can leave without my permission. I brought you here and only I can let you leave." Crimson was so angry, but knew that lashing out would only make it worse. This other pony was clearly too powerful anyway. "What are you anyway? Nopony I know is capable of magic like this." Bleeding Heart smirked. "You really want to know? Fine. I'll tell you that much. I am a Shadow, the true self. I am the manifestation of all of your true feelings, so now I'm going to make sure everypony knows what kind of individual you really are." Crimson started to back away slowly. "Nopony will believe you're me. As long as I'm around, I won't let you do that." Bleeding Heart started laughing maniacally. "What makes you think you're going to be around to stop me?" "What are you going to do, kill me so I can't stop you?" "No. I won't kill you. I need you alive. After all, you can find peace in death. If you're not alive, you cannot suffer if I show everypony the truth. Besides, I can always kill anypony who gets in my way. As for you, you're staying here. Excuse me while I go and reveal the truth. Farewell." Bleeding Heart continued his laughter as he faded away into the shadows, leaving Crimson trapped in the journal, his inner demons surrounding him. The horrible memories began to resurface in his mind, and he collapsed on the floor, screaming in agony. "Don't do this to me! Let me out! I can't take this anymore!" Confessions of a ShadowIt wasn't long until Crimson found Bleeding Heart. After all, Crimson just had to think of places he normally went. He found him in the centre of town, talking to the two ponies that he kicked out of his shop a couple of days ago. He walked up slowly, to avoid drawing attention to himself. He thought it was best that Bleeding Heart didn't see him, until he was ready to make his next move. Crimson crouched behind a stack of hay bales and listened to what Bleeding Heart was saying to them. "I suppose I owe you both an explanation as to why I closed up the shop early and kicked you both out. It is rather rude to do such things after all." Crimson's teeth clenched as the thought of Bleeding Heart posing as him echoed in his mind. "Well we were concerned about you. You seemed really distressed and we thought we could help." the older of the two ponies responded. The two mares looked at him curiously, wondering why he was doing this. "Well the truth is that I was so full of guilt..." "Don't you even think about saying another word!" Crimson shouted as he jumped out from behind the bales. "What if I did? What could you possibly do to stop me? All I'm doing is telling these two ladies the truth you were hiding from them. Is that so wrong?" Crimson stared at Bleeding Heart, not moving a single inch. "This is none of your business. They do not need to know. I'm sorry you two, but the pony standing next to you is not who you think he is. He isn't me. I am." Bleeding Heart chuckled. "Are you still sticking to that lie? You know the truth already. I told you before. I'm you and you're me. We're one and the same!" he laughed as his horn began to glow. The journal in Crimson's bag floated out and landed in front of Bleeding Heart's face. "What book is that? It looks pretty special." said the younger of the two mares as she gazed at its engraved cover. "This book my curious little pony, is a journal, and a special one at that. This book contains all of the things that Crimson has been hiding from you ever since he moved into this town. His past. His true feelings. Its all in here!" The older mare looked at Crimson with disappointment in her eyes. "Is this true Crimson? Have you been lying to us?" she said, looking down. "I thought you were my friend. Friends don't keep big secrets like that." Bleeding Heart was clearly enjoying the situation as the smirk on his face was clearly not going anywhere. "Its sad but true. He's been lying to you. Thats why I'm here. I'm here to show you all the truth. To reveal the secrets and hidden truths that Crimson has kept locked up all this time." His horn began to glow brighter and Crimson's hooves became shackled to the ground, stopping him from moving. Crimson tried using his own magic to release him, but he couldn't cast a single spell. "Oh those shackles absorb magical energy of those that they imprison. You're not going anywhere." Bleeding Heart said as he opened the journal and read out one of the entries. "I don't know why I even bother with these ponies anymore. None of them know me yet they still act as though they do. Why do they see me as their friend. I don't know about them, nor do I care to find anything out. I don't need friends. These ponies are just background noise to me. All they're good for are passing time with light, meaningless conversation and giving me money so I can afford to live off my own back." Bleeding Heart closed the book as he walked up towards Crimson. "How could you do this?! They weren't meant to know!" Both of the mares were standing there in shock. "Is this how you really saw us? You never wanted to be friends? You know Crimson, we're not angry with you. We're just disappointed. Not because you don't care about making friends. Its because you tried putting on a fake personality." They turned around and began walking away. "Just don't speak to us again." "Well Crimson. See what happens when you lie? You actually began to care about them didn't you? Well now look what happened. You ruined your friendship with them because you were dishonest. How does that feel Crimson? Does it sting? Does it burn? Tell me. I'm dying to hear your pathetic excuses." Bleeding Heart released Crimson's shackles and stood in front of him, looking into Crimson's eyes. "I want to know why." Bleeding Heart looked a little puzzled. "Why what? What explanation could you possibly need now?" Crimson stood strong, refusing to cower to his Shadow. "Why did you do all of this? You're nothing but an evil, heartless monster. What possible reason could you have for making me suffer like this?!" Bleeding Heart just stood there for a moment, and then began to speak, knowing Crimson would not believe his words. Despite this, Bleeding Heart knew that if he didn't tell Crimson this now, his goal would never be fulfilled. "The fact that you assume I am evil suprises me. Just because I am a Shadow, shrouded in darkness, you think I am here to cause nothing but pain. Think for a moment Crimson. You may have suffered, but because I brought you into the journal and showed you what your lies can do to others around you, you have begun to open your eyes to the truth. That was my purpose. To make you see that the reality you hid away in a dense fog needed to be released. You endured the pain and because of that, you have grown one step closer to facing yourself. Now Crimson, one last task remains. To put the past behind you, you must accept the one painful truth. I am you. Once you accept this fact, your suffering shall end. So Crimson Breeze... is there something you wish to tell me?" Accepting Oneself"So Crimson Breeze... is there something you wish to tell me?" After asking him this, Bleeding Heart stood ther silent, waiting for Crimson's response. If he accepts the final truth and faces himself, Crimson's suffering would end. If he doesn't, then the fog covering his reality will never lift and he will continue to pour his secrets into his journal. Were he to do this, Bleeding Heart would have no choice, but to repeat this chain of events, causing Crimson more suffering. After a few moments, Crimson looked up at Bleeding Heart and began to speak. "You know something? I think I finally understand it all. You did this to ultimately help me. I suppose that teaching lessons the harsh way is sometimes the only way to get the student to learn. You showed me something. All of my secrets and lies became something that only caused me pain. You may be a Shadow, but the things you did were not completely evil. After looking at the events that took place over the past few days, and then hearing what you said just now, made me realise that I shouldn't be hiding my past or just throwing it away, nor should I toss my friends aside. They really cared about me. I know that now thanks to you." "You're finally going to open your eyes aren't you?" Bleeding Heart said with a genuine smile. "Yes. I am going to see the truth and embrace it. My precious journal became nothing but a tool to create you, another side of myself." Crimson looked down at the open journal laying on the ground, the pages stained black with the hidden truth. He closed the journal and looked at the emblem on the front. It reminded him of his childhood life in Canterlot and for the first time, he smiled at those memories. "Bleeding Heart, its true. You... are me." At that moment, Bleeding Heart began to glow and started to fade. "Well done Crimson. Not only did you allow me to fulfill my purpose, but you faced yourself and conquered your Shadow." Crimson noticed he was fading while he walked towards Crimson, smiling. "What's happening to you? Why are you fading away?" He stopped right in front of Crimson and placed his ghostly hoof on Crimson's back. "This is what happens when somepony conquers their Shadow. You accepted the fact that you and I are one and the same. Now that you have, you and I will unite. After all, I am just an extension of you." Crimson smiled, realising that this was what Bleeding Heart wanted all along. "Oh and one more thing." Bleeding Heart was now almost completely gone. He looked like a cloud of pony-shaped smoke. "I'm proud to say that I am you." At that moment, Bleeding Heart was no longer visible. He had truly vanished, but Crimson still felt a presence around him. Knowing that the words Bleeding Heart spoke were true, Crimson started walking home, knowing that from now on, he no longer had to live a lie. As he walked, the light from the sun shone down upon him, which filled Crimson with hope. That night, he went to bed after writing one last entry in his journal and leaving it open on his bedside table. While he slept, Bleeding Heart's spirit emerged from Crimson's body and noticed the journal sitting there. He looked over at the page it was open to and saw two words written down. After reading those words, he smiled and faded back into Crimson's body, knowing it was a message just for him. "Thank you." Something to HideCrimson Breeze always had something in his life that held him back. For most of it, it was a small group of ponies chasing him endlessly in pursuit of money. Crimson may not have had any himself, but his parents did. After all, his father was a business tycoon from Canterlot, which made his family a big target for thieves. Crimson never blamed his father for what happened. He may now have to live on his own, but he always was one to look on the bright side. He enjoys the life he has now, especially since those kidnappers have finally stopped chasing him. After being released from the things that chained him down, Crimson finally thought he could enjoy life to the fullest without anything trying to interfere. Little did he know that something was there to get in his way, and it was something Crimson never expected. It was just another evening to him. Crimson closed up his store and walked the small distance home. Although it was only five minutes or so, he found that it was just enough time to reflect on things that seemed to lodge themselves in his mind. Lately he had been concerned about finding who he really was. There were a lot of things Crimson felt he didn't know about himself. He wasn't sure of what they were, but that uncertainty seemed to get to him sometimes. Its why he now spends his evenings trying to find out. His small time for reflection had come to an end as he approached his front door. His horn began to glow and a key emerged from his bag, which then slid into the keyhole and unlocked the door. Crimson walked inside, pushing the door closed with his back hoof. He then propped his bag up on the hook next to the door and headed upstairs to his study. Crimson walked through the doorway, lit a few candles and sat down by the window. "Just how I like it" he thought to himself. He stared out the window and watched the evening sky turned dark as the sun slowly vanished on the horizon. "Sometimes the simplest things can be the most enjoyable." He said as the sun finally vanished from view, making way for the moon to fill up the night sky. He turned his head away from the window and pulled out a thin black book from the small bookshelf next to him. He placed the book down on the table and stared at the cover for a brief moment. It was engraved with his name and his family's crest. "This book contains my deepest thoughts. I feel that the more I add to it, the more I shall soon discover who I really am." He opened the book and scanned through the pages. They seemed to go on forever, dating back to when he was just a young colt, storing all of his memories, deepest thoughts and emotions. "I guess its time to add to the book again" he said as his favourite quill floated over to him. It was worn and tattered, but still very precious to him. Crimson dipped the quill into the ink, turned to a blank page, and began to write. "My life's rhythm is now more stable than ever. I'm happy on my own. The time I spent with my parents was so troublesome. I love them, but they were forcing me into a life I did not want to live. I'm not cut out for the ritzy life. I guess you could say those kidnappers helped me escape, but I digress. Now that I'm living by myself, I'm actually happy. The ties I have to society are better off severed. I don't need anyone. Not anymore. Friendship isn't something I need in my life now. Hopefully those around me will begin to realise that. If not, I may just have to show them." "There, that's another page filled. The things I write seem so dark now. Still, better in the book than out in the open." Crimson closed the book and placed it back on the bookshelf. He placed his quill back in the ink and carefully set it down on the shelf. "I'm glad that writing in that book seems to help me. When I write in it, all the pain I feel just seems to slip away" he thought to himself as he blew out the candles and walked out of the study, closing the door behind him. He wandered to his bedroom as it was starting to get late. He climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep, the light of the moon shining down on him through his window. As Crimson slept that night, unbeknownst to him, someone else was in his home. Inside the study, someone was sitting there, reading Crimson's precious journal. "Heh. You thought you could hide this from me?" They picked up the journal and walked to Crimson's bedroom. The intruder stood there in front of Crimson's bed as he slept there, unaware that someone else was in his room. "I can't wait to show your friends what you're really like. Its unbecoming of somepony like you to hide things from your friends, or whatever you see them as. Enjoy your calm life while you can. Its about to get much worse." They dropped the book on his bed and walked out of the bedroom. When Crimson awoke the next day, he saw the book laying next to his pillow. "How did this get here? I remember putting it back last night." He scanned the pages, revealling that nothing had been done to it. "Well at least the book is ok. I sure hope nopony read this thing. My life would be ruined if anypony found out about it." Crimson got out of bed, placed the book back in his study and prepared for another day at his store. The whole time he was working, the only thing he could think about was his journal. Did someone read it? Would they tell anyone? Those thoughts kept eating at him. He decided that tonight, he would start taking better precautions. He didn't want more chaos in his life. Especially chaos of this magnitude. Invading the MindThe day slowly went by, Crimson constantly thinking about what could happen if the contents of his journal were laid bare for all to see. "I can't stand this any longer. I need to go home and get these bad thoughts out of my mind." There were still two customers in his store, but Crimson didn't want to stay there any longer. "Sorry, but I'm about to close up shop. I need to attend to some important business." he said to the pair of ponies looking at him curiously. "You don't normally close up early. Is something the matter?" one of the ponies asked while walking up to him. "Its... not something I really want to discuss. I realise this is inconvenient, but I must insist that you leave." Crimson said bluntly, trying not to be offensive to them. "Well alright. I hope you can deal with whatever it is that's bothering you." the other pony said as they both headed out the door. Crimson watched as they both walked away, and he could see the looks of concern on their faces. "Why do they even care?" he wondered as he locked up the storage room door. "Its not like I'm close to them. I just don't get it." Crimson walked out of the store and locked up the doors, putting the keys in his bag. He started walking home much faster than usual, and this time he didn't use the time to reflect. He could only think about the journal and the secrets that lie within it. As he came to his front door, he quickly unlocked it and ran inside, slamming the door behind him. His worries were now causing him to act in a more reckless manner. He left his bag lying on the floor and dashed up to his study. He opened the door to find his journal lying on the table. "What? How did it get on the table?! I specifically remember putting it back on the bookshelf where it always goes." He ran downstairs and checked his front door. There were no signs of the lock being broken or even tampered with. Considering Crimson had the only keys, this began to worry him more. "How could anypony get in here? All the windows were locked." He checked all the downstairs windows. All of them were bolted shut just as he left them. He ran upstairs to check the ones on the second floor. Those too were all untouched. "So somepony got in here without using the door or the windows. How is this even possible?!" He walked up to the table cautiously and stared at the journal. It was open to a new page. Only two words were written on it; "Hello Crimson." Scary Deduction"Looks like it hasn't been opened. Better check and make sure." he said as he opened the drawer, seeing that the journal was still hidden from view. Crimson moved the things in the way and pulled the journal out of the drawer. Gazing at the black book that held all his pain, he opened it up and flicked through the pages, examining each one carefully. After passing the page with the words "Hello Crimson" on them, he found that there was another message to him. This one was a little longer and it scared him more than ever. "Still confused Crimson? I'm sure that by now, you would have been able to see who is looking in your journal. I'll give you a hint. You already know who it is. You even said so yourself. I'll be sure to visit you again soon. Oh and be sure to lock your doors again tonight. I don't use them anyway." Crimson sat there, frozen in fear. He dropped the book and it landed on the floor with a small thud. He held his head in his hooves again, trying to prevent himself from losing control. He went downstairs to try and get some breakfast, hoping it would calm him down. He barely managed to eat a thing. Crimson then went to his living room and just sat down on the sofa near the corner of the room. He placed the journal next to him and tried to gather his thoughts. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the fact that someone had been able to know exactly what he was doing and also knew all of his deepest thoughts and feelings. He laid down on the sofa, holding the journal close to him. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. I need to know who it is that is reading my journal. I don't care who. I don't care why. I just need to know. This is driving me insane. Perhaps I can figure this out. Surely there are enough clues now." He sat up again and looked at both pages with the messages written on them. "Alright. The handwriting is almost identical to mine. Although this could be coincidental, it is something to consider. Secondly, there was no forced entry into my home. The doors were not damaged and the windows had not even been touched. After all, I am the only one with the door keys and the windows cannot be locked from the outside. Had they entered through either, I would have noticed immediately. There is the possibility of a unicorn teleporting in, or using a similar method, however this does not explain everything. There were no signs of the house being ransacked on any level. Its as if they knew exactly where my journal was the whole time, even when I moved it to my bedside table drawer. With this in mind, only somepony who saw me last night would know. However, I looked through the whole house and found nopony here. Considering that once again, no signs of anypony entering or exiting this house have been found, this shows that there is absolutely nopony who could have done this. Well, nopony except one." True FriendshipsAfter the pressure had become too much for Crimson, he passed out, still within the journal he had filled with his most painful memories. He needed to find somewhere safe. Somewhere he could escape from these nightmares. He already had to endure the kidnapping once. He didn't want to endure it again. His unconscious body was shivering, showing how scared Crimson really was. Hope was lost for Crimson now. He was convinced his life was truly over. All he wanted to do was let the shadows take him and put an end to his misery. While he was still unconscious, he heard a familiar voice. "Come on Crimson. Wake up! Please, just wake up." He recognised it instantly, even in his current state. "Crimson, you're like a brother to me. Wake up and get out of this nightmare." It was the voice of a pony Crimson had become very close to over a short amount of time. "Don't you remember me? Its me, Zaber." Crimson's shivering began to stop. "We're not gonna let you suffer like this. We're your friends." He began to wonder who else was with him. He then heard another voice. "Crimson? Why are you still sleeping? Its the middle of the afternoon. Seriously though, wake up." Crimson's eyes twitched a little, but didn't open. He recognised this voice too. He knew who she was, but it wasn't enough to awaken him. "Please Crimson, wake up. If you do, I'll show you my new drawings. I know how you always liked looking at them." He was fully aware of his surroundings now, but Crimson still couldn't move. "Aren't you gonna wake up for me? You do recognise me don't you? I'm Prism Smile, remember?" Crimson nodded very slightly. "Very good. Now open your eyes and get out of this nightmare." Crimson struggled to do as Prism Smile said, but he gave it his all. Slowly but surely, he broke the boundaries of his subconscious mind and managed to regain full control of his body. Being driven by the voices of those two ponies, he managed to open his eyes. "Ugh. What happened?" He took a quick look around him and started to gather his thoughts. "Well if I'm still in this journal, I need to find a way out." He stood up and looked around for an exit. "Hmm, nothing here. No exits? I'll just make my own!" His horn began to glow and the darkness underneath him began to fade. A bright light soon enveloped him and when it cleared, Crimson was standing in his study, with the journal on the table. "Perfect. Now to find Bleeding Heart and stop him from ruining my life!" Crimson grabbed the journal, put it in his bag and ran out the door to go and find Bleeding Heart.
A Cruel GameCrimson jumped back as he saw that someone else had seen and written in his journal. The curious thing was that the handwriting was identical to his own. "How could somepony manage to find my journal. The doors and window weren't touched. There are no signs of the house being ransacked. This is insane. The only one who could have gotten in so easily and found the journal without any problems, is me." He brooded over these thoughts as he picked up the journal and kept it with him as he cautiously walked downstairs. Crimson searched every inch of the house, looking for anyone else who may be inside. There was nobody else in sight. "I know. My vision spell. That will definately show me if anypony is in here or not." His horn began to glow as Crimson's pupils began to fade, his eyes turning pure white. He could now see perfectly. Any object he now looked at became transparent and any living creature gave off a wave of energy. Crimson searched the house from top to bottom, but he saw nothing. His vision returned to normal as he entered the study once more. After placing the book down on the table, Crimson began to pace across the floor of his study. "I don't understand. This can't be real. Somepony came in here without using the door or windows, found my journal and then vanished without a trace. How is that even possible? I know some unicorns can teleport, but that doesn't explain how they managed to find the journal without turning the house upside down. Its like they knew exactly where it was. More importantly, who would even want to do something like this?!" His thoughts started to become too much for Crimson to handle. He sat down on the floor in the middle of his study, just holding his head in his hooves. "Why did I even write my secrets in there? I should have known they wouldn't be kept hidden forever. I just hope that whoever has seen my journal doesn't tell anypony about what they read. If they all see my inner demons, I could lose the life I've worked so hard to get." Crimson looked up and saw that it was already getting late. He picked up his journal and walked to his bedroom, making sure to close all his doors and windows first. "If they think they can get to this journal again, they are wrong." He opened his bedside table and placed the journal underneath a small pile of various objects to ensure it was hidden from view. Crimson laid his head down on his pillow, facing the bedside table and slowly fell asleep. As the night went by, someone had appeared in Crimson's home once again. They walked up to his room, completely passing by the study and stood there as Crimson slept. "Did you think that you could really hide the truth that easily Crimson? I told you that I would show everypony how much you have been lying to them. Keeping secrets like this is such a horrible thing to do. Don't worry. I'll help you." The mysterious pony cackled as they silently opened the bedside table drawer. "Hiding the truth under a pile of useless garbage? What a waste of that brain of yours." they said as they grabbed the journal, opened it to another blank page and wrote another little message in there. "This should keep you on edge, for now." The pony placed the journal back in the drawer, making it look like it had not been moved at all. They then turned around and walked out of the bedroom, then leaving without a trace.
Painful SolitudeCrimson thought about it for another moment and realised that the only one who could have done all this, was himself. "Its the only logical conclusion. I don't know why I'm doing this though. Not like it matters. At least now I know that I have nothing to worry about." He picked up his journal and walked back to the study. "If there really is nopony else reading this, then I can keep writing. Besides, maybe this will help make me feel better." Crimson said to himself as he opened the book and wrote another entry with his tatty old quill. "I don't know what is happening to me right now. Perhaps all the stress and worry is making me believe there is something to worry about. All I know is, I need to keep writing. Its the only thing keeping me calm now. If I don't pour my inner demons into this book, then who knows where they may end up. I can't let people know the truth. If they knew that I merely use them like tools, then my life would be ruined. I can't let that happen. I just hope that I don't go insane from all of this." He closed the book after finishing his entry and put the quill back on the shelf. "Is it safe to put it back on the bookshelf?" he thought to himself for a moment. After thinking it was alright, he put it back in its usual place, assuming that it will be fine there, as long as his deductions were correct. Crimson then went downstairs and carried on with his day. He decided to keep the store closed today, which gave him more time to get his other jobs done. After dealing with his housework, he went out to get some shopping done. While he was wandering around town, other ponies were all looking at him curiously. Crimson could hear them saying things like "Doesn't Crimson seem strange to you?" and "I sure hope he's okay. Apparently he is going through some trouble lately." He chose to ignore the idle gossip and continued with his shopping. He wandered by the local fruit stand and the vendor saw how distressed Crimson was. "You alright kid?" he asked while trying to look Crimson in the eye. Crimson looked away from him. "I'm fine. I just came down here for some more food." He started to put some food into his bag while the vendor just stood there, trying to figure out what was wrong. "Here. Keep the change." Crimson said quietly as he gave the other pony more than enough bits to pay for his food and silently walked off. "I hope that boy gets out from under those dark clouds soon." Crimson finished up the last of his shopping while avoiding conversations with anyone around him. He came back home later to find a seemingly empty house. He put the food away, had a quick snack and walked up to his study again. He didn't know why, but he felt that there was something waiting for him there.
The Painful TruthCrimson walked up to the door to the study and heard a noise inside. It sounded like cackling. He opened the door to see a red pony sitting by the window. Crimson was suprised to see that it looked just like him. The only differences were that his coat was darker and his cutie mark was a black feather instead of a phoenix feather. The other pony stood up and looked straight at Crimson. "Hello Crimson." he said as he smirked. Crimson stared at this other pony, assuming that he was the one leaving messages in his journal. "You're the one aren't you? It was you reading my journal wasn't it?!" Crimson shouted, struggling to keep his composure. "Well of course it was me. After all, you did already come to that conclusion." "What are you talking about? I came to the conclusion that it was me doing it somehow. Wait, how did you even know about what I have been thinking? Who are you anyway?!" The other pony was standing there smiling, resisting the temptation to laugh. "Haven't you figured it out yet? Surely you must know who I am by now. The answer has been staring at you in the face for two days. Whatever happened to that brain of yours? Surely you didn't leave it behind when you got seperated from your parents." Crimson was getting angry at this point. This pony was taunting him, and he did not like it one bit. "How dare you?! How dare you bring up that incident!? Don't ever talk about my past! How do you even know about that?! I never told anyone here about what happened all those years ago!" The other pony sat down before continuing his taunting. "You know Crimson, I thought you were actually okay with what happened thirteen years ago. After all, you never had a problem telling people about it on your travels. You were alright explaining it to those two ponies who took you in for a while. I know all about you Crimson. I've been watching you from the very beginning. I know about your childhood, the kidnapping, your parents, your life on the run and your new life here. Surely you can tell me who I am now. Come on Crimson. Show me that you can at least get this one right. I don't want to have to spoil the moment for you. Where's the fun in that?" Crimson was completely enraged now, but at the same time, he felt hopeless. This other pony was sitting there, spilling the contents of his past that he kept a locked secret and he had no idea who or what this pony was. "I don't know. Who are you? Why are you doing this? Please, tell me that much at least. The mysterious pony stood up once more. "How about another hint instead? I wrote it down in your journal." He stood aside and revealed the open journal on the table. Crimson slowly walked over and glanced down at the page. There were three words written on the page in front of him. "I am you."
Into the Abyss"What in Equestria is that supposed to mean? How can you be me? I'm me." Crimson was completely confused now. He had no idea what this cryptic message was meant to mean. "Isn't it obvious? I'm the real you. I'm the Crimson that you've been hiding away from the world. All of those things you write in that journal, are the words that gave me life." The other pony pointed straight at the journal with his horn, as if to tell Crimson to look at each page. Crimson responded by scanning through each one, taking in the memories of years and years ago. "Don't you see yet? I was born from that book. The dark secrets you wrote down all poured together and I was the result. I am the real you. Accept it Crimson. You haven't even got a choice now." Crimson slammed the journal closed and glared at this other pony, refusing to accept what he was saying. "There is no way I'm going to believe you! I know who I am. You're nothing but a fake. You're... not me!" Those last three words felt like music to this mysterious pony's ears. "Heh. You still refuse to accept the truth. Its like you want to live in ignorance. In a world shrouded by fog. Well its not going to be possible now. I have been given life to lift the fog covering your lies. Face it Crimson. You're the fake here. I am the true Crimson Breeze! I am... Bleeding Heart!" The floor underneath Crimson and Bleeding Heart began to turn black, as did the walls around them. Crimson didn't know what was happening, but was unable to escape. He tried to move, but could not even take a single step. The door had vanished. The windows had disappeared. All that was left was darkness, and the blood red pony in front of him. "Where are we?! Let me go!" Crimson shouted in frustration. "We're in my world now. It should be very familiar to you. You see it every single day." As Crimson was about to interject, the floor changed from black to white. He looked down to see words written all over the floor. After examining them for a brief moment, he realised that it looked like a page from his journal. "We're inside my journal?!" Bleeding Heart just chuckled for a moment before responding. "Please tell me you're not actually suprised. I did tell you that this book of yours gave me life." "Just let me out of here. This isn't where I belong." "You can try to run if you really want. Its not like you can leave without my permission. I brought you here and only I can let you leave." Crimson was so angry, but knew that lashing out would only make it worse. This other pony was clearly too powerful anyway. "What are you anyway? Nopony I know is capable of magic like this." Bleeding Heart smirked. "You really want to know? Fine. I'll tell you that much. I am a Shadow, the true self. I am the manifestation of all of your true feelings, so now I'm going to make sure everypony knows what kind of individual you really are." Crimson started to back away slowly. "Nopony will believe you're me. As long as I'm around, I won't let you do that." Bleeding Heart started laughing maniacally. "What makes you think you're going to be around to stop me?" "What are you going to do, kill me so I can't stop you?" "No. I won't kill you. I need you alive. After all, you can find peace in death. If you're not alive, you cannot suffer if I show everypony the truth. Besides, I can always kill anypony who gets in my way. As for you, you're staying here. Excuse me while I go and reveal the truth. Farewell." Bleeding Heart continued his laughter as he faded away into the shadows, leaving Crimson trapped in the journal, his inner demons surrounding him. The horrible memories began to resurface in his mind, and he collapsed on the floor, screaming in agony. "Don't do this to me! Let me out! I can't take this anymore!"
Confessions of a ShadowIt wasn't long until Crimson found Bleeding Heart. After all, Crimson just had to think of places he normally went. He found him in the centre of town, talking to the two ponies that he kicked out of his shop a couple of days ago. He walked up slowly, to avoid drawing attention to himself. He thought it was best that Bleeding Heart didn't see him, until he was ready to make his next move. Crimson crouched behind a stack of hay bales and listened to what Bleeding Heart was saying to them. "I suppose I owe you both an explanation as to why I closed up the shop early and kicked you both out. It is rather rude to do such things after all." Crimson's teeth clenched as the thought of Bleeding Heart posing as him echoed in his mind. "Well we were concerned about you. You seemed really distressed and we thought we could help." the older of the two ponies responded. The two mares looked at him curiously, wondering why he was doing this. "Well the truth is that I was so full of guilt..." "Don't you even think about saying another word!" Crimson shouted as he jumped out from behind the bales. "What if I did? What could you possibly do to stop me? All I'm doing is telling these two ladies the truth you were hiding from them. Is that so wrong?" Crimson stared at Bleeding Heart, not moving a single inch. "This is none of your business. They do not need to know. I'm sorry you two, but the pony standing next to you is not who you think he is. He isn't me. I am." Bleeding Heart chuckled. "Are you still sticking to that lie? You know the truth already. I told you before. I'm you and you're me. We're one and the same!" he laughed as his horn began to glow. The journal in Crimson's bag floated out and landed in front of Bleeding Heart's face. "What book is that? It looks pretty special." said the younger of the two mares as she gazed at its engraved cover. "This book my curious little pony, is a journal, and a special one at that. This book contains all of the things that Crimson has been hiding from you ever since he moved into this town. His past. His true feelings. Its all in here!" The older mare looked at Crimson with disappointment in her eyes. "Is this true Crimson? Have you been lying to us?" she said, looking down. "I thought you were my friend. Friends don't keep big secrets like that." Bleeding Heart was clearly enjoying the situation as the smirk on his face was clearly not going anywhere. "Its sad but true. He's been lying to you. Thats why I'm here. I'm here to show you all the truth. To reveal the secrets and hidden truths that Crimson has kept locked up all this time." His horn began to glow brighter and Crimson's hooves became shackled to the ground, stopping him from moving. Crimson tried using his own magic to release him, but he couldn't cast a single spell. "Oh those shackles absorb magical energy of those that they imprison. You're not going anywhere." Bleeding Heart said as he opened the journal and read out one of the entries. "I don't know why I even bother with these ponies anymore. None of them know me yet they still act as though they do. Why do they see me as their friend. I don't know about them, nor do I care to find anything out. I don't need friends. These ponies are just background noise to me. All they're good for are passing time with light, meaningless conversation and giving me money so I can afford to live off my own back." Bleeding Heart closed the book as he walked up towards Crimson. "How could you do this?! They weren't meant to know!" Both of the mares were standing there in shock. "Is this how you really saw us? You never wanted to be friends? You know Crimson, we're not angry with you. We're just disappointed. Not because you don't care about making friends. Its because you tried putting on a fake personality." They turned around and began walking away. "Just don't speak to us again." "Well Crimson. See what happens when you lie? You actually began to care about them didn't you? Well now look what happened. You ruined your friendship with them because you were dishonest. How does that feel Crimson? Does it sting? Does it burn? Tell me. I'm dying to hear your pathetic excuses." Bleeding Heart released Crimson's shackles and stood in front of him, looking into Crimson's eyes. "I want to know why." Bleeding Heart looked a little puzzled. "Why what? What explanation could you possibly need now?" Crimson stood strong, refusing to cower to his Shadow. "Why did you do all of this? You're nothing but an evil, heartless monster. What possible reason could you have for making me suffer like this?!" Bleeding Heart just stood there for a moment, and then began to speak, knowing Crimson would not believe his words. Despite this, Bleeding Heart knew that if he didn't tell Crimson this now, his goal would never be fulfilled. "The fact that you assume I am evil suprises me. Just because I am a Shadow, shrouded in darkness, you think I am here to cause nothing but pain. Think for a moment Crimson. You may have suffered, but because I brought you into the journal and showed you what your lies can do to others around you, you have begun to open your eyes to the truth. That was my purpose. To make you see that the reality you hid away in a dense fog needed to be released. You endured the pain and because of that, you have grown one step closer to facing yourself. Now Crimson, one last task remains. To put the past behind you, you must accept the one painful truth. I am you. Once you accept this fact, your suffering shall end. So Crimson Breeze... is there something you wish to tell me?"
Accepting Oneself"So Crimson Breeze... is there something you wish to tell me?" After asking him this, Bleeding Heart stood ther silent, waiting for Crimson's response. If he accepts the final truth and faces himself, Crimson's suffering would end. If he doesn't, then the fog covering his reality will never lift and he will continue to pour his secrets into his journal. Were he to do this, Bleeding Heart would have no choice, but to repeat this chain of events, causing Crimson more suffering. After a few moments, Crimson looked up at Bleeding Heart and began to speak. "You know something? I think I finally understand it all. You did this to ultimately help me. I suppose that teaching lessons the harsh way is sometimes the only way to get the student to learn. You showed me something. All of my secrets and lies became something that only caused me pain. You may be a Shadow, but the things you did were not completely evil. After looking at the events that took place over the past few days, and then hearing what you said just now, made me realise that I shouldn't be hiding my past or just throwing it away, nor should I toss my friends aside. They really cared about me. I know that now thanks to you." "You're finally going to open your eyes aren't you?" Bleeding Heart said with a genuine smile. "Yes. I am going to see the truth and embrace it. My precious journal became nothing but a tool to create you, another side of myself." Crimson looked down at the open journal laying on the ground, the pages stained black with the hidden truth. He closed the journal and looked at the emblem on the front. It reminded him of his childhood life in Canterlot and for the first time, he smiled at those memories. "Bleeding Heart, its true. You... are me." At that moment, Bleeding Heart began to glow and started to fade. "Well done Crimson. Not only did you allow me to fulfill my purpose, but you faced yourself and conquered your Shadow." Crimson noticed he was fading while he walked towards Crimson, smiling. "What's happening to you? Why are you fading away?" He stopped right in front of Crimson and placed his ghostly hoof on Crimson's back. "This is what happens when somepony conquers their Shadow. You accepted the fact that you and I are one and the same. Now that you have, you and I will unite. After all, I am just an extension of you." Crimson smiled, realising that this was what Bleeding Heart wanted all along. "Oh and one more thing." Bleeding Heart was now almost completely gone. He looked like a cloud of pony-shaped smoke. "I'm proud to say that I am you." At that moment, Bleeding Heart was no longer visible. He had truly vanished, but Crimson still felt a presence around him. Knowing that the words Bleeding Heart spoke were true, Crimson started walking home, knowing that from now on, he no longer had to live a lie. As he walked, the light from the sun shone down upon him, which filled Crimson with hope. That night, he went to bed after writing one last entry in his journal and leaving it open on his bedside table. While he slept, Bleeding Heart's spirit emerged from Crimson's body and noticed the journal sitting there. He looked over at the page it was open to and saw two words written down. After reading those words, he smiled and faded back into Crimson's body, knowing it was a message just for him. "Thank you."
Something to HideCrimson Breeze always had something in his life that held him back. For most of it, it was a small group of ponies chasing him endlessly in pursuit of money. Crimson may not have had any himself, but his parents did. After all, his father was a business tycoon from Canterlot, which made his family a big target for thieves. Crimson never blamed his father for what happened. He may now have to live on his own, but he always was one to look on the bright side. He enjoys the life he has now, especially since those kidnappers have finally stopped chasing him. After being released from the things that chained him down, Crimson finally thought he could enjoy life to the fullest without anything trying to interfere. Little did he know that something was there to get in his way, and it was something Crimson never expected. It was just another evening to him. Crimson closed up his store and walked the small distance home. Although it was only five minutes or so, he found that it was just enough time to reflect on things that seemed to lodge themselves in his mind. Lately he had been concerned about finding who he really was. There were a lot of things Crimson felt he didn't know about himself. He wasn't sure of what they were, but that uncertainty seemed to get to him sometimes. Its why he now spends his evenings trying to find out. His small time for reflection had come to an end as he approached his front door. His horn began to glow and a key emerged from his bag, which then slid into the keyhole and unlocked the door. Crimson walked inside, pushing the door closed with his back hoof. He then propped his bag up on the hook next to the door and headed upstairs to his study. Crimson walked through the doorway, lit a few candles and sat down by the window. "Just how I like it" he thought to himself. He stared out the window and watched the evening sky turned dark as the sun slowly vanished on the horizon. "Sometimes the simplest things can be the most enjoyable." He said as the sun finally vanished from view, making way for the moon to fill up the night sky. He turned his head away from the window and pulled out a thin black book from the small bookshelf next to him. He placed the book down on the table and stared at the cover for a brief moment. It was engraved with his name and his family's crest. "This book contains my deepest thoughts. I feel that the more I add to it, the more I shall soon discover who I really am." He opened the book and scanned through the pages. They seemed to go on forever, dating back to when he was just a young colt, storing all of his memories, deepest thoughts and emotions. "I guess its time to add to the book again" he said as his favourite quill floated over to him. It was worn and tattered, but still very precious to him. Crimson dipped the quill into the ink, turned to a blank page, and began to write. "My life's rhythm is now more stable than ever. I'm happy on my own. The time I spent with my parents was so troublesome. I love them, but they were forcing me into a life I did not want to live. I'm not cut out for the ritzy life. I guess you could say those kidnappers helped me escape, but I digress. Now that I'm living by myself, I'm actually happy. The ties I have to society are better off severed. I don't need anyone. Not anymore. Friendship isn't something I need in my life now. Hopefully those around me will begin to realise that. If not, I may just have to show them." "There, that's another page filled. The things I write seem so dark now. Still, better in the book than out in the open." Crimson closed the book and placed it back on the bookshelf. He placed his quill back in the ink and carefully set it down on the shelf. "I'm glad that writing in that book seems to help me. When I write in it, all the pain I feel just seems to slip away" he thought to himself as he blew out the candles and walked out of the study, closing the door behind him. He wandered to his bedroom as it was starting to get late. He climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep, the light of the moon shining down on him through his window. As Crimson slept that night, unbeknownst to him, someone else was in his home. Inside the study, someone was sitting there, reading Crimson's precious journal. "Heh. You thought you could hide this from me?" They picked up the journal and walked to Crimson's bedroom. The intruder stood there in front of Crimson's bed as he slept there, unaware that someone else was in his room. "I can't wait to show your friends what you're really like. Its unbecoming of somepony like you to hide things from your friends, or whatever you see them as. Enjoy your calm life while you can. Its about to get much worse." They dropped the book on his bed and walked out of the bedroom. When Crimson awoke the next day, he saw the book laying next to his pillow. "How did this get here? I remember putting it back last night." He scanned the pages, revealling that nothing had been done to it. "Well at least the book is ok. I sure hope nopony read this thing. My life would be ruined if anypony found out about it." Crimson got out of bed, placed the book back in his study and prepared for another day at his store. The whole time he was working, the only thing he could think about was his journal. Did someone read it? Would they tell anyone? Those thoughts kept eating at him. He decided that tonight, he would start taking better precautions. He didn't want more chaos in his life. Especially chaos of this magnitude.
Invading the MindThe day slowly went by, Crimson constantly thinking about what could happen if the contents of his journal were laid bare for all to see. "I can't stand this any longer. I need to go home and get these bad thoughts out of my mind." There were still two customers in his store, but Crimson didn't want to stay there any longer. "Sorry, but I'm about to close up shop. I need to attend to some important business." he said to the pair of ponies looking at him curiously. "You don't normally close up early. Is something the matter?" one of the ponies asked while walking up to him. "Its... not something I really want to discuss. I realise this is inconvenient, but I must insist that you leave." Crimson said bluntly, trying not to be offensive to them. "Well alright. I hope you can deal with whatever it is that's bothering you." the other pony said as they both headed out the door. Crimson watched as they both walked away, and he could see the looks of concern on their faces. "Why do they even care?" he wondered as he locked up the storage room door. "Its not like I'm close to them. I just don't get it." Crimson walked out of the store and locked up the doors, putting the keys in his bag. He started walking home much faster than usual, and this time he didn't use the time to reflect. He could only think about the journal and the secrets that lie within it. As he came to his front door, he quickly unlocked it and ran inside, slamming the door behind him. His worries were now causing him to act in a more reckless manner. He left his bag lying on the floor and dashed up to his study. He opened the door to find his journal lying on the table. "What? How did it get on the table?! I specifically remember putting it back on the bookshelf where it always goes." He ran downstairs and checked his front door. There were no signs of the lock being broken or even tampered with. Considering Crimson had the only keys, this began to worry him more. "How could anypony get in here? All the windows were locked." He checked all the downstairs windows. All of them were bolted shut just as he left them. He ran upstairs to check the ones on the second floor. Those too were all untouched. "So somepony got in here without using the door or the windows. How is this even possible?!" He walked up to the table cautiously and stared at the journal. It was open to a new page. Only two words were written on it; "Hello Crimson."
Scary Deduction"Looks like it hasn't been opened. Better check and make sure." he said as he opened the drawer, seeing that the journal was still hidden from view. Crimson moved the things in the way and pulled the journal out of the drawer. Gazing at the black book that held all his pain, he opened it up and flicked through the pages, examining each one carefully. After passing the page with the words "Hello Crimson" on them, he found that there was another message to him. This one was a little longer and it scared him more than ever. "Still confused Crimson? I'm sure that by now, you would have been able to see who is looking in your journal. I'll give you a hint. You already know who it is. You even said so yourself. I'll be sure to visit you again soon. Oh and be sure to lock your doors again tonight. I don't use them anyway." Crimson sat there, frozen in fear. He dropped the book and it landed on the floor with a small thud. He held his head in his hooves again, trying to prevent himself from losing control. He went downstairs to try and get some breakfast, hoping it would calm him down. He barely managed to eat a thing. Crimson then went to his living room and just sat down on the sofa near the corner of the room. He placed the journal next to him and tried to gather his thoughts. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the fact that someone had been able to know exactly what he was doing and also knew all of his deepest thoughts and feelings. He laid down on the sofa, holding the journal close to him. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. I need to know who it is that is reading my journal. I don't care who. I don't care why. I just need to know. This is driving me insane. Perhaps I can figure this out. Surely there are enough clues now." He sat up again and looked at both pages with the messages written on them. "Alright. The handwriting is almost identical to mine. Although this could be coincidental, it is something to consider. Secondly, there was no forced entry into my home. The doors were not damaged and the windows had not even been touched. After all, I am the only one with the door keys and the windows cannot be locked from the outside. Had they entered through either, I would have noticed immediately. There is the possibility of a unicorn teleporting in, or using a similar method, however this does not explain everything. There were no signs of the house being ransacked on any level. Its as if they knew exactly where my journal was the whole time, even when I moved it to my bedside table drawer. With this in mind, only somepony who saw me last night would know. However, I looked through the whole house and found nopony here. Considering that once again, no signs of anypony entering or exiting this house have been found, this shows that there is absolutely nopony who could have done this. Well, nopony except one."
True FriendshipsAfter the pressure had become too much for Crimson, he passed out, still within the journal he had filled with his most painful memories. He needed to find somewhere safe. Somewhere he could escape from these nightmares. He already had to endure the kidnapping once. He didn't want to endure it again. His unconscious body was shivering, showing how scared Crimson really was. Hope was lost for Crimson now. He was convinced his life was truly over. All he wanted to do was let the shadows take him and put an end to his misery. While he was still unconscious, he heard a familiar voice. "Come on Crimson. Wake up! Please, just wake up." He recognised it instantly, even in his current state. "Crimson, you're like a brother to me. Wake up and get out of this nightmare." It was the voice of a pony Crimson had become very close to over a short amount of time. "Don't you remember me? Its me, Zaber." Crimson's shivering began to stop. "We're not gonna let you suffer like this. We're your friends." He began to wonder who else was with him. He then heard another voice. "Crimson? Why are you still sleeping? Its the middle of the afternoon. Seriously though, wake up." Crimson's eyes twitched a little, but didn't open. He recognised this voice too. He knew who she was, but it wasn't enough to awaken him. "Please Crimson, wake up. If you do, I'll show you my new drawings. I know how you always liked looking at them." He was fully aware of his surroundings now, but Crimson still couldn't move. "Aren't you gonna wake up for me? You do recognise me don't you? I'm Prism Smile, remember?" Crimson nodded very slightly. "Very good. Now open your eyes and get out of this nightmare." Crimson struggled to do as Prism Smile said, but he gave it his all. Slowly but surely, he broke the boundaries of his subconscious mind and managed to regain full control of his body. Being driven by the voices of those two ponies, he managed to open his eyes. "Ugh. What happened?" He took a quick look around him and started to gather his thoughts. "Well if I'm still in this journal, I need to find a way out." He stood up and looked around for an exit. "Hmm, nothing here. No exits? I'll just make my own!" His horn began to glow and the darkness underneath him began to fade. A bright light soon enveloped him and when it cleared, Crimson was standing in his study, with the journal on the table. "Perfect. Now to find Bleeding Heart and stop him from ruining my life!" Crimson grabbed the journal, put it in his bag and ran out the door to go and find Bleeding Heart.
