Bathed in Blood and Darknessby GoodKnightChaptersPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4UPDATE: New managementPrologue"The earliest I can remember is, well, the day I first found it. I guess I was really upset about something because I can remember crying on that day. I ran into the nearby forest to be alone. I can't remember it's name, but I remember nopony going into ever because it was dangerous or something. Anyways, I felt really, really sad, but also very angry. I think the reason why may have been like a break-up with a special somepony, or something 'cause that's something that makes you sad and angry at the same time. Right? Or maybe somepony close to me had died. I know that would definitely make me sad, but I'm not too sure on how it could make me angry. I'm not too sure who I'd know that would have died but the more I think about it, the more I think that's what had happened. But then again, why would I be so frustrated? Did they owe a few bits or something? No, it couldn't have been that. I don't think I'm that petty... or maybe I am- er, was... Or maybe... Maybe I blamed somepony else for their death. That makes much more sense to me. Don't get me wrong now. I just don't think it was the other option. I mean, I don't think I was a petty pony back then, but I can't really remember much before that point either. Anything before crying in the woods is just a blank, just like my-- Ooh! Maybe that's why I was so upset. I know that some ponies turn out to be late bloomers, so maybe I was too! And because I was one meant that others would've made fun of me for not finding my special talent yet, which explains why I was sad and angry. I could've been sad that I didn't find my place in the world, angry at the bullies and at myself seeing how I never found my path. I could've been angry at myself too, for the pony's death I mean. Maybe I felt like I hadn't done enough to prevent it; that somehow, it was my fault for whoever died. I may have also just killed them in a raging fit or something and ran away knowing that I done it... on accident, or on purpose-- What am I saying?! I don't like killing ponies... or at least back then I didn't... I think... But, it would make sense then on why it chose me-- Oh! Sorry. I'm just... flustered, is all. I'll get to the point. On that day, I was really sad and really angry. I just wanted to be alone, you know? I didn't really pay attention, not that I could see where I was going. My eyes were really blurry with tears, I guess. I remember walking for a while, until I found a clearing. I was looking at the ground and I felt tired from walking so much. I collapsed right at the edge there, I think, and sobbed for a while. But then I heard something. It sounded raspy and low, like, I couldn't really hear it. It sounded soothing, so I just listened to it for a while. When my tears dried, I looked up and saw it. I remembered it being really ugly looking. It kinda scared me because it looked all fleshy, and stuff. It was also really, really big. It towered over me. I was scared stiff, but it didn't move or do nothing. I just stared at it for a while and I could feel something at the back of my head getting warmer. I guess I had gotten up to get a better look at it because the next thing I realized I was about two inches from it. I don't know what made me do what I did. Maybe I was curious to see if it was fleshy or if it were even real. Maybe my brain acted on autopilot, but I remembered the next part very clearly. I reached up and touched it. For the record, it did feel fleshy, but not the slimy kind. It was more... "alive" than anything. I ran my hoof up the surface, feeling the soft, firm, bumpiness that it had. I then felt it become smooth as it ran over the edge of it. I kept rubbing my hoof back over the middle part because it felt... nice, like... like 'soft warm blanket on a snowy morning' nice. I felt like I was being wrapped in a big, fuzzy, blanket. I didn't know it at the time, but my hoof moved upward at that point. The higher it went, the better the feeling got. The fleshy softness became harder--Not like that! I mean, i-it was soft, but then felt like a bone-- GAH! You get what I'm trying to say, right? Anyways, I reached the top. I had to stand on my hind legs, bracing myself against it to steady my balance. The top was really skinny compared to the rest of it. I felt so amazing. It was as if I were lying in the softest bed in the world. Then, a thought-- no, a voice-- wait, um... Let's just say that something told me to wrap my hoof around it. When I did, the feeling disappeared along with all my other feeling in my body. My eyes were drawn downwards to a portion above my other hoof. I didn't let go. I should've let go. I should've never touched it... but I did. I can never forget what happened next because it won't let me. The next thing that happened was that the flesh had parted revealing a large glowing orange eye opening up. ...I blacked out after that." Chapter 1"Uh-oh..." "WHAT?!" "But that's not possible!!" Nothing. That was the only way to describe it. It was a mixed feeling of weightless and pressure, like floating underwater. In this atmosphere, the mind cannot remain conscious, and all function ceases almost instantly. It was because of this that no one could observe it, or retain it if they came back. Anything with intelligence that would find their way there almost never came back. A mind that cannot remain conscious is a mind that is lost. Without the mind, the body cannot function, and without the body, the soul has no vessel. Essentially, life stops living. Consequently, all those who returned to the living, breathing, waking world had tried to named or describe this place in vain. Purgatory, the eternal abyss, the void, hell, heaven, the afterlife-- not one describe it properly. Ironically, it was the living that came close to describing it. It also happened to be the only one to stick. Since then, any those who had traveled here and made it back had "near-death experiences." Even then, it could not completely describe it, for this place was more than the fine line between life and the afterlife. As much as the ones returning and those who have not been, it could never be simplified into terms so basic. If the intricacy could be described through something so simple as word of mouth, then all meaning of the place would be lost. Almost no one ever made it back, And those that do never came back in one piece... Chapter I Everything invaded her senses all at once. The sudden tidal wave of senses brought the pony to her knees. Her head throbbed mercilessly. She had the sudden need to breath and did so in ragged, short and infrequent bursts. Her body ached terribly and felt like lead. Colors became too vibrant, making eyelids clamp shut. The scents she could smell and taste on her tongue were incredibly acrid and bitter. Nerve receptors quickly shut themselves off in a desperate attempt to withstand the tsunami. "Twilight, jus' what th' hay happened?!" The sound fell sharply on her ears, folding back in pain. A ringing quickly replaced it, though more sounds could be understood. "I-I don't know! Maybe something went wrong!" "Uh... guys? The bad guy's still alive!" The pony's hearing and breathing slowly came under control, though the pain still pounded in her head. She made an audible groan of discomfort as a heavy hoof rested against her temple. "Where in Tartarus am I?"Her eyelids squinted open revealing several surprised looking mares. None of them looked familiar to her and yet all were similar expressions of apprehension. Her body still ached, but she needed... confirmation? Was that it? It had to be, but for what? So many questions... "H-hey," she groaned reaching out. "Can you-" She stopped as her extremity came into focus. What lay before her was something completely foreign to her. "WAH!" the enemy squealed leaping backward. She stared wide eyed at the strange looking appendage. it looked and felt too weird. She began to hyperventilate as questions began pouring out. "Wh-what is this? Where am I? Who are you?!" Her panic stricken voice escalated, but her eyes never left the arm where her hoof was supposed to be. Twilight Sparkle's brow furrowed in contemplation. Silence fell over the six mares eyeing the startled, bloodstained mare. "D-did it work?" whispered Fluttershy. Her eyes were tightly shut. "I... uh..." Rarity was at a loss for words. "I'm... not sure...?" Fluttershy peeked from her makeshift hiding place and wanted to shriek, but fear trapped it in her throat. She merely shivered and hoped that it didn't look at her. Pinkie Pie's face twisted into confusion and trepidation. She didn't need her Pinkie sense to tell her that something was wrong, not like using-her-element-to-defeat-her-wrong, but more like something-is-definitely-not-right-with-this-picture. Did she leave the oven on? No, she shut it off this morning. Did she remember to feed Gummy? Yes, also taken care of this morning. Her mental checklist complete, she analyzed the situation. Best friends find the bad guy. Bad guy says stuff. Elements activate. Then... "Hmmm..." she contemplated. Was it the super-meanie-mcmeanie-pants-villain? It had to be, but what was it? On gut feeling and blind courage, she took a few steps towards the azure mare. Twilight stood silently watching both mares closely. "H... hey,' she hesitantly called out putting on a small weak smile. She could feel Rainbow Dash's 'what-the-hay-are-you-doing?!' stare boring a hole in the back of her head, but she didn't care. "What's your name?" "Huh?" the azure mare pulled her attention from her alien appendage to find a pink mare in front of her. "What's your name?" she repeated. "Oh... Oh! It's-!" the azure mare could not finish that sentence. "Uh... it's..." The meaning escaped her. She looked down, her mind desperately searching for an answer. "Don't cha have a name?" Pinkie asked humorously. She still felt terrified addressing this mare, but she needed to be brave. "N-no..." the azure mare admitted looking away ashamedly to Pinkie's surprise. "Oh..." was all Pinkie could reply with. Twilight decided to make a mental note of it. She then made her way past Pinkie and stopped when she was directly above the mare. She ignored to her best ability to ignore the... substance that stained the mare's coat while also trying to project the same air that her mentor had. She knew she had succeeded when the mare below shrank back. "Do you remember anything?" she inquired coldly. "Uh..." the azure mare mumbled under her gaze. "Anything. Anything at all?" She lowered her head to eye level of the frightened mare. "No... Should I?" she replied cautiously. Twilight sighed and raised her head. "Wait here, and don't move," she instructed before turning away. She motioned for the pink pony to follow as the rest of the group huddled together. The azure mare was curious to know what they were talking about but she didn't want to make the alicorn more ang-- "Wait! She's an alicorn?!" Sure enough, she was indeed an alicorn. New terror swelled within her, but she wasn't sure why. In the end, she remained still, silently pondering. It was all too confusing. She knew things, but at the same time didn't know anything. She knew that she could speak, smell, touch, taste and see. She knew what an alicorn was, what ponies were, and that she herself was a pony. At the same time though, there were so many more questions than answers. She couldn't remember anything. There was a blank spot taking up what would be her memory. Why? How?! How could she know so much and remember so little? Meanwhile, the gathered ponies exchanged varying expressions. Rainbow Dash spoke up first whispering, "Don't tell me you believe her, Twi..." Twilight closed her eyes, causing the rest of the group to focus on her. "I don't know, but if I do know anything, it's that the elements had some sort of effect." She opened her eyes to most of her friends wearing skeptical looks or opening their mouths to say something. "We can talk about it later. Right now, we need to get her someplace where she can't cause anymore harm." The ponies nodded in agreement. "I can keep her in the library for no-" "Nuh-uh! No way!" Rainbow interrupted. Twilight gave her tired look of annoyance. "We are not taking her back to Ponyville! You heard what the princess said! She-" "We'll talk about it later," Twilight restated, emphasizing each syllable. "Right now, the only place that we can keep her under watch is in the library." Rainbow prepared to argue, but stopped after the fierce glare that Twilight gave her. Dash shivered in angry frustration. Her rage was clearly visible and it contrasted greatly to Twilight's current façade. "Fine!" she growled. The huddle disbanded as Twilight walked back to the mare. The azure mare remained as low to the ground as possible. "Can you move?" The mare paused but slowly stood. Standing on the... thing was awkward. She met the alicorn's gaze and shrank back. "I-I think so..." "Good. Follow us, and please don't try to escape," Twilight turned and began walking towards a tree line. "Tree line?" She began to observe her surroundings for the first time. She stood in the center of a grassy knoll that seemed to stretch on forever. In the distance, she could see some dark grey clouds, but her attention was brought back to the began of the forest. Looking at it caused her to shudder. Her train of thought was derailed by colorful maned Pegasus landing directly in front of her. The look in her deep red eyes were filled with intense contempt. "Listen, you..." Rainbow Dash began in a hushed growl. "Don't even think of trying anything funny or else-" "Are ya comin' or not?" Applejack hollered from the front. Dash glanced back for a moment, but looked back at the azure mare. She took to the skies with a huff. Taking a cautious first step, the mare began walking steadily behind. The tense air was cut by a shrill war cry, as Rainbow Dash slammed head first into the azure mare. they both tumbled into the dirt. Dash quickly collected herself from the recoil, and jumped atop the off-guard mare. She pinned her down with all her might. "DROP THE WEAPON!" she shouted angrily, forcing pressure around the throat. "What?! I don-" Her sentence was cut short as she felt a pair of hooves close around her windpipe. She saw the same look as before amplified tenfold. Her ears began to ring and chest burned for air. Tears welled in her eyes and the ringing gradually increased. There was an audible thump, and the ponies stared on in disbelief. Even though the sword had been dropped, Rainbow Dash did not release their prisoner. Quiet fear gripped the five friends watching Rainbow Dash strangle their prisoner. Eventually, Applejack broke from her daze and charged into Dash. The pegasus recovered, never taking her eyes off the sputtering azure mare. Before she could move, Applejack blocked her path. "That's enough!" she shouted. Dash looked around her friend, feeling eager to finish, but was blocked again. "Let it go, Dash!" Rainbow paused exchanging a silent conversation with the orange cowpony. Eventually, the blue pegasus relented. Nothing else passed between the two, because there was nothing more to be said. Meanwhile, the azure mare gasped for more air, wincing at the pain around her throat. She noticed something off to her side. Lying in the dirt was... something. She recognized it and didn't. Was that what they were talking about? It had to be, but what was it? Why did she think she was holding it? "So many questions..." Before she could ask, it was enveloped by a reddish aura and lifted overhead. She followed it over to the alicorn whose horn was aglow. Her eyes were icy and unreadable. The gaze made her uncomfortable. She looked away, and quickly caught up with the rest of the group. As they entered the forest, the azure mare had a feeling that it would be a very long walk. Chapter 2THUMP! The azure mare fell flat onto the ground. Tiny pieces of foliage tickled her nose as she stood. Lagging behind she trotted up with the rest of the group... Or at least tried to. She tripped once more on the odd appendage. The first few steps into the forest had been easy, but now as they progressed eeper and deeper, the mare couldn't tell where she was placing her... "hoof." This had been a challenge in itself. It would bend in entirely odd angles and would snag itself on roots. It took all of her attention to keep up with the strange group of mares. She would've donated more time and focus to it if there were any left to give. The group was moving far too quickly for her liking. She was in no place to object though, as these mares gave her an uncomfortable silence. That was another thing. "Who are they?" she thought to herself. "I don't know any of them. Are they... what's the word? Friends? They don't seem like it." Her thoughts were paused as an alabaster unicorn glanced back at her with a look of anxiety. Farther ahead, she could see that the alicorn was carrying the thing from earlier. She had no clue as to what it was, but if the alicorn had taken it, the thing had to be important. "These ponies seem to know me, and yet none of them have used my name," she thought. "A friend would use your name if they knew it, right? Should I come up with a new one? I don't want to get a bad name. Knowing my luck, someone already knows my name. It'd probably be Oddball, or Uniqua. Better yet-" THUMP! "Right. Focus." She quickly righted herself and trotted ahead to catch up. After many hours of stumbling, the Azure mare saw the trees become more and more sparse. She stood behind the purple alicorn and saw that beyond it was a simple fence line and trees all in rows. The word orchard sprang to mind as she looked upon it. "Twilight," she heard someone call. She turned to see that orange mare had was waving the alicorn over to a group huddle. She attempted to follow but stopped after she saw the nasty glare that the orange one gave. She waited, and waited... and waited... After ten minutes, and some rather discouraging groans and sighs, the group finally split up with a few of them leaving the forest while others stayed behind. Among the ones who had stayed were the alicorn, the rainbow and the orange one. All were silent and staring at her. Each individual looked at her differently, yet every one made her feel uneasy. The rainbow one hovered impatiently in the air, as if it were waiting for any reason to charge at her. The orange one scanned the outer treeline, but kept glancing back to her. Each time she did, it conveyed a neutral look. Meanwhile the purple alicorn also held a neutral gaze, but at the same time, the azure mare felt... wrong. It was as if she were a piece of meat being judged for the quality of her existence. Above the alicorn, the sharp fleshy thing floated overhead. It was sharp, and looked very heavy. "Sword..." she mumbled, thus breaking the silence in the air. No sooner did she say it did the world around her become unbearably quiet. The gazes of the mares focused on her in an instant. She began to feel a feeling of pure dread welling up inside her. "Maybe I was wrong... she thought with her eyes shifting between the three of them. "Maybe... I have no friends..." The azure mare silently prayed that she wouldn't be here for too long. Night fell much too slowly for the mare. Her body had grown sore. She guessed that it was from falling face first through the forest. Even her odd appendage was worn out. Her eyelids were heavy with sleep gradually coaxing them to close. Just as she was about to nod off, a rough voice commanded her. "Get up," it stated with disgust. She opened her eyes and attempted to stand. Her limbs could barely manage it, and she found herself being quickly ushered along. "Left, right, left, right," the mare thought to herself whiule trying to keep up. The orange mare and alicorn were leading from the front while the rainbow mare watched from behind. No word passed between the mares. However, the orange one nodded in signal to something before leaving them and into the darkness. That was something she noticed. The glow of magic was just enough to illuminate the area dimly. Another thing was that the path they were taking was much smoother. In the veil of dim light, she could somewhat make out shapes. Buildings came to mind, and so they must be called. Despite the identification of them, the azure mare did not recognize them. Her ears flicked as a foreign noise occured behind her. The pegasus had left as well, for when she looked, the rainbow was no longer there. She briefly wondered where they were going, but fatigue soon overpowered it. The alicorn led her to a buillding that was different from the rest she had seen. The alicorn stoped for a moment before the threshold before gingerly opening it with magic. She stepped to the side and made only a simple gesture with her hoof. Taking the hint, the azure mare entered. The room was pitch black, but as the alicorn stepped inside the room slowly illuminated with light. The azure mare would marvel at this, but she felt so tired. SHINK! The mare snapped her head towards the startling noise to discover that the sword now sat within the floor. The alicornlooked at her with a wavering look. She seemed uncertain, but still had an air of indimidation about her. "Upstairs, last door on your right," she said with authority. The azure mare stood with a tired expressionwhile absorbing the instructions. After a moment, the alicorn gestured to something behind her. With hesitation, she looked and found a staircase heading up. With a small pause, the mare sauntered up the steps, having long stopped trying to concetrate on her footing. THUNK! She missed a step, causing her head to greet the stair with a violent clash. She did not fall however, as her appendage had instinctively grabbed onto the stair. If she were more attentive, she might have wondered about the new experience, but with her tired mind accomplishing little more than simple instruction, she continued allt the way up. Once at the top, she followed a hallway until she reached an open doorway. Inside was a dark room with perhaps the first comfort she ever truly relished: a bed. With little hesitation she fell upon the mattress with an aching body. Feeling sleep take her all too quickly, she let out a large sigh and closed her eyes. Chapter 3After watching the mare climb the staircase, Twilight stood a moment in silence. Her mind was focused on channeling her magic up to the guest room. Upon feeling her presence pass through it, she let out a shallow breath. Her horn lit up in a brighter aura as she concentrated on casting spells from afar on something she had no sight of. The magic varied from wards of protection to binding charms. They all had the theme of keeping things safe and secure, or in this case locked away and kept out of trouble. After the series of spells were casted, Twilight turned her attention towards other things. She would need to return the Elements of Harmony to the Tree of Harmony as quickly and safely as possible. She removed the Element of Magic from her head and walked to a shelf and stored it within a glass case. She would also need to get the prisoner transported to Canterlot to be properly stored away in solitary confinement. There would have to be a trial. After all, there- Suddenly, her mind went blank for a single moment. It was truly an uncommon event, but not very noticable to the alicorn. She did not know why she looked at the sword either. The blade was curiously made, albeit morbidly. She approached it with a morbid curiousity. Swords were uncommon to be wielded by anypony. Spears were generally the weapon of choice, but they were only given to royal guards and the like. Twilight inspected it closely. It was certainly more than uncommon. If a blacksmith made it, they certainly were a horse of a different color entirely. The longer she gazed upon it, the more dread and curiosity filled her mind. Then, she outstretched a hoof to touch the surface. "Eew..." She whined quickly recoiling from it. A red splotch stained her foot. No doubt it was blood. With a sigh, her horn lit up and in pop, the alicorn vanished, leaving the room to dim ever so slightly. As the room dimmed, the sword seemed to fade into the shadows of the room... The next morning, the mare within the guest room awoke with a groan. Her eyes squinted open in the dark bedroom. The curtains were drawn, but she could see the sunlight striking it from the outside. The azure mare stretched upon the bed before attempting to roll out of it. She was shocked to discover that instead of falling to the floor in soreness, she landed upon all four legs. With a shrug, the mare began to explore her dark confinement. She began to name the things as she came across them. "Cabinet, dresser, bed, night stand..." she thought to herself. She didn't know how or why she knew these things, she was at least a little used to knowing and not knowing. She paused. There was a sheet thrown over something. Curious, she pulled the sheet off and stumbled back at what she saw. It could've been a mare once upon a time. A long, yellow mane flowed out of her head and was grown to an unnaturally long length. Hanging from it were two greyish crystals, which seemed to draw her gaze to the eyes. Over one eye was a deep scar. The eyes themselves were a deep amber. She then notices the horn. It looked quite demonic and evil. Her gaze slowly fell to to another deep scar across the chest. The right hoof seemed to be engulfed by some sort of parasitic claw that reached all the way to her shoulders. On the other hoof appeared to be like a cuff on a suit. Following down the ragged coat, she came across the flanks. Completely blank. The rear hooves reminded her of a pair of boots. It took the confused mare to finally find the tail. It seemed to be stained an ugly, crimson color, just as ragged looking as the rest of her. She registered the once-covered furniture as a mirror. This was her reflection. This was her. "Wh-what am I?" she said, reaching up to touch the horn. She jumped, expecting it not to be real. She then gently traced her scar, and slowly tried coming to terms that she looked like a monster. Twilight reappeared in a flash of light. Her mane was unkempt, with strands sticking out every which way, and her eyes tired. In her magical grasp, a piece of parchment floated before her as well as a twitching quill. The morning light illuminated the room and cast itself upon the weapon lying in the corner. All throughout the night, her mind was abuzz. She filled out the paperwork for a prisoner shuttle as well as a trial date. As much as she loved Equestria and the world moreover, the bureaucratic system was annoying. She kept rereading the parchment over and over again. The prisoner escort would be to pick the offender... in one week. That was one whole week of attempting to keep a dangerous and lethal enemy in her guest bedroom. She was brought out of her thoughts by her flashing. After a moment, she remembered. The confinement spells. With a more energetic gallop than pinkie Pie, she ran up to the door f her guest room. From there, she heard a gentle knock as well as the door handle being turned. "E-excuse me....? Hello? Is anypony there?" a voice from inside called. Twilight stood frozen, her horn blinking still. "P-please, I just need to use the mare's room." "...would a genocidal maniac ask to use the bathroom? And would they be this shy?" her logical side thought. "Of course she would be! This is a trap!" The devil's advocate in her shouted. "She's going to leap out at you and pop your head off like a grape!" "But she didn't do that last night..." "She was outnumbered and the elements of harmony must've weakened her!" "She must've been outnumbered before then..." "Um, Hello?! Elements! Beam of rainbows! Weakened!" "Weakened how though?" "...what?!" "The elements were used to expel Nightmare Moon, but also freed Luna..." "No. Nonononononononono!" "They imprisoned Discord in stone, and did not destroy him." "Stop it. Stop it right now. She's evil!" "The Elements didn't imprison her... which means..." "Fine! Be that way! I'll just sit here and wait to say, 'I told you so.'" "Oh please!!!" the mare behind the door whined. "I really have to go!!" Twilight shook her head out of her thoughts. The library was completely silent apart from the doorknob being jiggled. The alicorn princess took a moment to compose herself before letting out a calming breath. She then unlocked the door and opened it. She gave her best placid expression and said in a calm voice, "Follow me..." Chapter 4"Whew..." the azure mare sighed before exiting the bathroom. "I didn't think I'd.. make..." The Azure mare stared at the alicorn with a bewildered look. "What is it?" Twilight Sparkle faltered a little beneath the gaze of the odd mare. She didn't let it her façade slip however. She would need to maintain it if her little plan would work. The plan in question wasn't the most well-thought out or even the most safest. In summary, she only had a week's worth of time (thanks to the beaurocracy of Equestria which she thought she needed to sort out personally) to try and reform and/or teach the very, very dangerous enemy living under her roof to be a good pony. "Your horn... is blinking..." the azure mare stated flatly. The alicorn looked up to her appendage and sheepishly smiled. She licked her hoof and gently put the magic out as if it were a candle. "There," she said with an air of satisfaction. "Better?" "Sure..." the Azure mare awkwardly replied. "S-so... I guess it's back to the room, right?" "Er... not quite..." Twilight said, regaining her façade. She turned to lead the unnamed mare and continued. "I thought that you'd maybe like some breakfast..." "Breakfast?" the mare echoed in confusion. "I... Um... Are you sure?" "...Why wouldn't I be?" Twilight asked carefully as she descended the staircase. "Well... I kinda thought that, from last night, that..." the prisoner stopped at the staircase, uncertainty in her expression. "I thought that you just didn't like me." The alicorn winced internally. The way the mare sounded was sort of accusing in a way. As if it were her fault that... She calmed down and tried to stick with her plan. No matter how guilty this mare could be, Twilight had to give her the benefit of the doubt. The elements didn't send her to the moon or encase her in stone. Therefore, this must be an incident similar to Nightmare Moon's defeat. "Logic, Twilight," she thought to herself. "Stick to the logic and carry on." "Well, that was for... er... You looked like someone who is in a lot of trouble," the princess called to the top of the staircase. She waited for her prisoner to follow. A thought crossed her mind, and she asked, "What's your name?" "Um..." the Azure mare looked down the flight of stairs. She remembered from last night how she couldn't exactly walk, especially when it came to the stairs. "I thou-ah! Ow! Ack! Oof!" Twilight stood and watched the mare fall down the stairs and land at her hooves in a heap of embarrassment and pain. She had to resist the urge to reach out to her and offer her some help. After all, reformation aside, this was still a very dangerous mare. Instead, she asked, "Are you alright?" "...yeah," the mare sighed. She stood up with groan, but seemed no worse for wear. "I... I thought I told you, or... somepony that I can't remember." "Hmm..." Twilight hummed thoughtfully. "I thought that... never mind. Breakfast, right?" "Yeah." In Twilight's eyes, the mare seemed a little too chipper for having just fallen down her entire staircase. She made a mental note of it. In the kitchen, Spike the dragon was already frying up some pancakes. He stood on a stool and wore his chef's cap and apron. When he heard the sound of hooves, he turned to say hi to his caretaker. He barely got out, "Hey," before he found himself looking at another mare, then being whisked off into another room by Twilight's magic. "Would you excuse us for a moment?" Twilight asked in a so-not-nervous-at-all voice. The azure mare nodded and walked into the kitchen. Twilight Brought the drake into the main library and spoke in a rushed, hushed whisper. "I know what this may look like, but do not panic. She's just a normal pony." "Um--" "Trust me Spike," Twilight said a little forcefully. Spike simply looked on with a worried and confused gaze. The mare forgot that Spike hadn't been informed of the living arrangements... or even who the mare is. With a sigh, she briefly explained, "When we went to confront the force known as Nightmare, we used the elements. She..." Twilight paused, looking over the room. The sword had not moved from it's spot, but the way it simply sat in the library unnerved her. The thought of a potential hazard, coupled with the potential evil, made her quite nervous. She threw an illusory spell over the blade and began to fret over the minor untidy details about the room "Who... is she Twilight?" Spike asked with a look of concern. "Well... she was what was left after... after the Elements..." Twilight explained with a sheepish smile. "Please don't freak out!" Spike stared into the kitchen silently. He was very surprised looking, but beyond that his expression was unreadable. Twilight stopped what she was doing and slowly approached the tiny dragon. "So... sh-she's...?" the drake stuttered with a gesture of his claw. "Yes..." Twilight replied with a soft voice. "She'll only be here for a week. Then, the guard will take her to Canterlot to await trial." "...only a week?" Spike asked wit a worried glance to his mother-figure. "Only a week." Twilight hugged the drake to her gently, stroking his spines reassuringly. "... you have a plan?" Spike asked after a moment. "Yes," the alicorn replied with a sigh. "It might work, but I need you to play along until then. Can you do that, my number one assistant?" "I guess... but..." Spike pushed away from Twilight. "I just want you to know... that I expect a nice, big gemstone under my pillow after all this." "Oh Spike..." Twilight laughed softly. "Sure..." "Ok. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to those pancakes," he said, walking proudly into the kitchen. Twilight gave one last look over the library before letting out a sigh of worry. She hoped everything would go according to plan. Meanwhile, Spike's proud march had devolved into a somewhat scared scurry back to the stool. He kept his eyes on the skillet, and tried not to seem to noticeable: an art form that he did pride himself in. He glanced occasionally to the mare at the table. From behind, she looked like a normal mare. Her bright yellow mane hid most of the strange and almost alien features about her body. His eyes stared for a moment before a sharp grumble snapped him out of the trance. "Darn it..." she sighed. Spike, now curious, picked up a plate of pancakes and brought it to her. "Here," he said hesitantly. "H-hope you like pancakes..." He casually glanced at her. Upon spotting the claw, he felt a slight chill go up his spine. Upon further inspection, a fork lay adjacent to it. Meanwhile, Twilight stood just beyond the threshold, watching and listening. "I think so..." the azure mare hummed. She tried picking up the fork, only to have it clatter onto the table. She tried once more to pick up the silverware only to fail once more. "Grrr..." "U-uh, hey!" Spike said nervously, getting the full attention of the mare. "Wh-why don't you use your magic?" He swiped away a drop of sweat on his brow nervously. The last thing he needed was an angry, lethal pony on his claws. "Magic?" the azure mare echoed in confusion. "W-well, yeah. You are a unicorn..." he explained with a sheepish chuckle. The Azure mare thought for a moment and looked back to the fork. She stared at it for a long time, concentrating on it. After nearly giving herself a headache, she let out a long sigh. "I don't think I have magic..." she said with a little disappointment. Spike, feeling a slight pang of guilt, thought for a moment. "Look here," he said while grabbing another fork. "Just hold it like this..." "Um..." She carefully grasped the fork and attempted to mimic Spike's own claw. "L-like this?" "Yeah," he said with a little smile. "Now take it and just cut a little bit of the pancake off..." Twilight watched the entire ordeal from the other room. She stood in deep thought, observing the mare closely. She made note of several things about the prisoner. For one, she could not use magic. Twilight noticed the horn, but it was unlike any horn she's ever seen. The princess also distinctly remembered her using magic the day prior. How could she use magic then, but not now? Questions like these swirled around in her mind. After a few seconds, she decided that she needed more information about the mare before she could make any conclusions. With a deep breath and a very well practiced smile, she entered the kitchen to join her assistant and her temporary house guest. UPDATE: New managementSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Prologue"The earliest I can remember is, well, the day I first found it. I guess I was really upset about something because I can remember crying on that day. I ran into the nearby forest to be alone. I can't remember it's name, but I remember nopony going into ever because it was dangerous or something. Anyways, I felt really, really sad, but also very angry. I think the reason why may have been like a break-up with a special somepony, or something 'cause that's something that makes you sad and angry at the same time. Right? Or maybe somepony close to me had died. I know that would definitely make me sad, but I'm not too sure on how it could make me angry. I'm not too sure who I'd know that would have died but the more I think about it, the more I think that's what had happened. But then again, why would I be so frustrated? Did they owe a few bits or something? No, it couldn't have been that. I don't think I'm that petty... or maybe I am- er, was... Or maybe... Maybe I blamed somepony else for their death. That makes much more sense to me. Don't get me wrong now. I just don't think it was the other option. I mean, I don't think I was a petty pony back then, but I can't really remember much before that point either. Anything before crying in the woods is just a blank, just like my-- Ooh! Maybe that's why I was so upset. I know that some ponies turn out to be late bloomers, so maybe I was too! And because I was one meant that others would've made fun of me for not finding my special talent yet, which explains why I was sad and angry. I could've been sad that I didn't find my place in the world, angry at the bullies and at myself seeing how I never found my path. I could've been angry at myself too, for the pony's death I mean. Maybe I felt like I hadn't done enough to prevent it; that somehow, it was my fault for whoever died. I may have also just killed them in a raging fit or something and ran away knowing that I done it... on accident, or on purpose-- What am I saying?! I don't like killing ponies... or at least back then I didn't... I think... But, it would make sense then on why it chose me-- Oh! Sorry. I'm just... flustered, is all. I'll get to the point. On that day, I was really sad and really angry. I just wanted to be alone, you know? I didn't really pay attention, not that I could see where I was going. My eyes were really blurry with tears, I guess. I remember walking for a while, until I found a clearing. I was looking at the ground and I felt tired from walking so much. I collapsed right at the edge there, I think, and sobbed for a while. But then I heard something. It sounded raspy and low, like, I couldn't really hear it. It sounded soothing, so I just listened to it for a while. When my tears dried, I looked up and saw it. I remembered it being really ugly looking. It kinda scared me because it looked all fleshy, and stuff. It was also really, really big. It towered over me. I was scared stiff, but it didn't move or do nothing. I just stared at it for a while and I could feel something at the back of my head getting warmer. I guess I had gotten up to get a better look at it because the next thing I realized I was about two inches from it. I don't know what made me do what I did. Maybe I was curious to see if it was fleshy or if it were even real. Maybe my brain acted on autopilot, but I remembered the next part very clearly. I reached up and touched it. For the record, it did feel fleshy, but not the slimy kind. It was more... "alive" than anything. I ran my hoof up the surface, feeling the soft, firm, bumpiness that it had. I then felt it become smooth as it ran over the edge of it. I kept rubbing my hoof back over the middle part because it felt... nice, like... like 'soft warm blanket on a snowy morning' nice. I felt like I was being wrapped in a big, fuzzy, blanket. I didn't know it at the time, but my hoof moved upward at that point. The higher it went, the better the feeling got. The fleshy softness became harder--Not like that! I mean, i-it was soft, but then felt like a bone-- GAH! You get what I'm trying to say, right? Anyways, I reached the top. I had to stand on my hind legs, bracing myself against it to steady my balance. The top was really skinny compared to the rest of it. I felt so amazing. It was as if I were lying in the softest bed in the world. Then, a thought-- no, a voice-- wait, um... Let's just say that something told me to wrap my hoof around it. When I did, the feeling disappeared along with all my other feeling in my body. My eyes were drawn downwards to a portion above my other hoof. I didn't let go. I should've let go. I should've never touched it... but I did. I can never forget what happened next because it won't let me. The next thing that happened was that the flesh had parted revealing a large glowing orange eye opening up. ...I blacked out after that."
Chapter 1"Uh-oh..." "WHAT?!" "But that's not possible!!" Nothing. That was the only way to describe it. It was a mixed feeling of weightless and pressure, like floating underwater. In this atmosphere, the mind cannot remain conscious, and all function ceases almost instantly. It was because of this that no one could observe it, or retain it if they came back. Anything with intelligence that would find their way there almost never came back. A mind that cannot remain conscious is a mind that is lost. Without the mind, the body cannot function, and without the body, the soul has no vessel. Essentially, life stops living. Consequently, all those who returned to the living, breathing, waking world had tried to named or describe this place in vain. Purgatory, the eternal abyss, the void, hell, heaven, the afterlife-- not one describe it properly. Ironically, it was the living that came close to describing it. It also happened to be the only one to stick. Since then, any those who had traveled here and made it back had "near-death experiences." Even then, it could not completely describe it, for this place was more than the fine line between life and the afterlife. As much as the ones returning and those who have not been, it could never be simplified into terms so basic. If the intricacy could be described through something so simple as word of mouth, then all meaning of the place would be lost. Almost no one ever made it back, And those that do never came back in one piece... Chapter I Everything invaded her senses all at once. The sudden tidal wave of senses brought the pony to her knees. Her head throbbed mercilessly. She had the sudden need to breath and did so in ragged, short and infrequent bursts. Her body ached terribly and felt like lead. Colors became too vibrant, making eyelids clamp shut. The scents she could smell and taste on her tongue were incredibly acrid and bitter. Nerve receptors quickly shut themselves off in a desperate attempt to withstand the tsunami. "Twilight, jus' what th' hay happened?!" The sound fell sharply on her ears, folding back in pain. A ringing quickly replaced it, though more sounds could be understood. "I-I don't know! Maybe something went wrong!" "Uh... guys? The bad guy's still alive!" The pony's hearing and breathing slowly came under control, though the pain still pounded in her head. She made an audible groan of discomfort as a heavy hoof rested against her temple. "Where in Tartarus am I?"Her eyelids squinted open revealing several surprised looking mares. None of them looked familiar to her and yet all were similar expressions of apprehension. Her body still ached, but she needed... confirmation? Was that it? It had to be, but for what? So many questions... "H-hey," she groaned reaching out. "Can you-" She stopped as her extremity came into focus. What lay before her was something completely foreign to her. "WAH!" the enemy squealed leaping backward. She stared wide eyed at the strange looking appendage. it looked and felt too weird. She began to hyperventilate as questions began pouring out. "Wh-what is this? Where am I? Who are you?!" Her panic stricken voice escalated, but her eyes never left the arm where her hoof was supposed to be. Twilight Sparkle's brow furrowed in contemplation. Silence fell over the six mares eyeing the startled, bloodstained mare. "D-did it work?" whispered Fluttershy. Her eyes were tightly shut. "I... uh..." Rarity was at a loss for words. "I'm... not sure...?" Fluttershy peeked from her makeshift hiding place and wanted to shriek, but fear trapped it in her throat. She merely shivered and hoped that it didn't look at her. Pinkie Pie's face twisted into confusion and trepidation. She didn't need her Pinkie sense to tell her that something was wrong, not like using-her-element-to-defeat-her-wrong, but more like something-is-definitely-not-right-with-this-picture. Did she leave the oven on? No, she shut it off this morning. Did she remember to feed Gummy? Yes, also taken care of this morning. Her mental checklist complete, she analyzed the situation. Best friends find the bad guy. Bad guy says stuff. Elements activate. Then... "Hmmm..." she contemplated. Was it the super-meanie-mcmeanie-pants-villain? It had to be, but what was it? On gut feeling and blind courage, she took a few steps towards the azure mare. Twilight stood silently watching both mares closely. "H... hey,' she hesitantly called out putting on a small weak smile. She could feel Rainbow Dash's 'what-the-hay-are-you-doing?!' stare boring a hole in the back of her head, but she didn't care. "What's your name?" "Huh?" the azure mare pulled her attention from her alien appendage to find a pink mare in front of her. "What's your name?" she repeated. "Oh... Oh! It's-!" the azure mare could not finish that sentence. "Uh... it's..." The meaning escaped her. She looked down, her mind desperately searching for an answer. "Don't cha have a name?" Pinkie asked humorously. She still felt terrified addressing this mare, but she needed to be brave. "N-no..." the azure mare admitted looking away ashamedly to Pinkie's surprise. "Oh..." was all Pinkie could reply with. Twilight decided to make a mental note of it. She then made her way past Pinkie and stopped when she was directly above the mare. She ignored to her best ability to ignore the... substance that stained the mare's coat while also trying to project the same air that her mentor had. She knew she had succeeded when the mare below shrank back. "Do you remember anything?" she inquired coldly. "Uh..." the azure mare mumbled under her gaze. "Anything. Anything at all?" She lowered her head to eye level of the frightened mare. "No... Should I?" she replied cautiously. Twilight sighed and raised her head. "Wait here, and don't move," she instructed before turning away. She motioned for the pink pony to follow as the rest of the group huddled together. The azure mare was curious to know what they were talking about but she didn't want to make the alicorn more ang-- "Wait! She's an alicorn?!" Sure enough, she was indeed an alicorn. New terror swelled within her, but she wasn't sure why. In the end, she remained still, silently pondering. It was all too confusing. She knew things, but at the same time didn't know anything. She knew that she could speak, smell, touch, taste and see. She knew what an alicorn was, what ponies were, and that she herself was a pony. At the same time though, there were so many more questions than answers. She couldn't remember anything. There was a blank spot taking up what would be her memory. Why? How?! How could she know so much and remember so little? Meanwhile, the gathered ponies exchanged varying expressions. Rainbow Dash spoke up first whispering, "Don't tell me you believe her, Twi..." Twilight closed her eyes, causing the rest of the group to focus on her. "I don't know, but if I do know anything, it's that the elements had some sort of effect." She opened her eyes to most of her friends wearing skeptical looks or opening their mouths to say something. "We can talk about it later. Right now, we need to get her someplace where she can't cause anymore harm." The ponies nodded in agreement. "I can keep her in the library for no-" "Nuh-uh! No way!" Rainbow interrupted. Twilight gave her tired look of annoyance. "We are not taking her back to Ponyville! You heard what the princess said! She-" "We'll talk about it later," Twilight restated, emphasizing each syllable. "Right now, the only place that we can keep her under watch is in the library." Rainbow prepared to argue, but stopped after the fierce glare that Twilight gave her. Dash shivered in angry frustration. Her rage was clearly visible and it contrasted greatly to Twilight's current façade. "Fine!" she growled. The huddle disbanded as Twilight walked back to the mare. The azure mare remained as low to the ground as possible. "Can you move?" The mare paused but slowly stood. Standing on the... thing was awkward. She met the alicorn's gaze and shrank back. "I-I think so..." "Good. Follow us, and please don't try to escape," Twilight turned and began walking towards a tree line. "Tree line?" She began to observe her surroundings for the first time. She stood in the center of a grassy knoll that seemed to stretch on forever. In the distance, she could see some dark grey clouds, but her attention was brought back to the began of the forest. Looking at it caused her to shudder. Her train of thought was derailed by colorful maned Pegasus landing directly in front of her. The look in her deep red eyes were filled with intense contempt. "Listen, you..." Rainbow Dash began in a hushed growl. "Don't even think of trying anything funny or else-" "Are ya comin' or not?" Applejack hollered from the front. Dash glanced back for a moment, but looked back at the azure mare. She took to the skies with a huff. Taking a cautious first step, the mare began walking steadily behind. The tense air was cut by a shrill war cry, as Rainbow Dash slammed head first into the azure mare. they both tumbled into the dirt. Dash quickly collected herself from the recoil, and jumped atop the off-guard mare. She pinned her down with all her might. "DROP THE WEAPON!" she shouted angrily, forcing pressure around the throat. "What?! I don-" Her sentence was cut short as she felt a pair of hooves close around her windpipe. She saw the same look as before amplified tenfold. Her ears began to ring and chest burned for air. Tears welled in her eyes and the ringing gradually increased. There was an audible thump, and the ponies stared on in disbelief. Even though the sword had been dropped, Rainbow Dash did not release their prisoner. Quiet fear gripped the five friends watching Rainbow Dash strangle their prisoner. Eventually, Applejack broke from her daze and charged into Dash. The pegasus recovered, never taking her eyes off the sputtering azure mare. Before she could move, Applejack blocked her path. "That's enough!" she shouted. Dash looked around her friend, feeling eager to finish, but was blocked again. "Let it go, Dash!" Rainbow paused exchanging a silent conversation with the orange cowpony. Eventually, the blue pegasus relented. Nothing else passed between the two, because there was nothing more to be said. Meanwhile, the azure mare gasped for more air, wincing at the pain around her throat. She noticed something off to her side. Lying in the dirt was... something. She recognized it and didn't. Was that what they were talking about? It had to be, but what was it? Why did she think she was holding it? "So many questions..." Before she could ask, it was enveloped by a reddish aura and lifted overhead. She followed it over to the alicorn whose horn was aglow. Her eyes were icy and unreadable. The gaze made her uncomfortable. She looked away, and quickly caught up with the rest of the group. As they entered the forest, the azure mare had a feeling that it would be a very long walk.
Chapter 2THUMP! The azure mare fell flat onto the ground. Tiny pieces of foliage tickled her nose as she stood. Lagging behind she trotted up with the rest of the group... Or at least tried to. She tripped once more on the odd appendage. The first few steps into the forest had been easy, but now as they progressed eeper and deeper, the mare couldn't tell where she was placing her... "hoof." This had been a challenge in itself. It would bend in entirely odd angles and would snag itself on roots. It took all of her attention to keep up with the strange group of mares. She would've donated more time and focus to it if there were any left to give. The group was moving far too quickly for her liking. She was in no place to object though, as these mares gave her an uncomfortable silence. That was another thing. "Who are they?" she thought to herself. "I don't know any of them. Are they... what's the word? Friends? They don't seem like it." Her thoughts were paused as an alabaster unicorn glanced back at her with a look of anxiety. Farther ahead, she could see that the alicorn was carrying the thing from earlier. She had no clue as to what it was, but if the alicorn had taken it, the thing had to be important. "These ponies seem to know me, and yet none of them have used my name," she thought. "A friend would use your name if they knew it, right? Should I come up with a new one? I don't want to get a bad name. Knowing my luck, someone already knows my name. It'd probably be Oddball, or Uniqua. Better yet-" THUMP! "Right. Focus." She quickly righted herself and trotted ahead to catch up. After many hours of stumbling, the Azure mare saw the trees become more and more sparse. She stood behind the purple alicorn and saw that beyond it was a simple fence line and trees all in rows. The word orchard sprang to mind as she looked upon it. "Twilight," she heard someone call. She turned to see that orange mare had was waving the alicorn over to a group huddle. She attempted to follow but stopped after she saw the nasty glare that the orange one gave. She waited, and waited... and waited... After ten minutes, and some rather discouraging groans and sighs, the group finally split up with a few of them leaving the forest while others stayed behind. Among the ones who had stayed were the alicorn, the rainbow and the orange one. All were silent and staring at her. Each individual looked at her differently, yet every one made her feel uneasy. The rainbow one hovered impatiently in the air, as if it were waiting for any reason to charge at her. The orange one scanned the outer treeline, but kept glancing back to her. Each time she did, it conveyed a neutral look. Meanwhile the purple alicorn also held a neutral gaze, but at the same time, the azure mare felt... wrong. It was as if she were a piece of meat being judged for the quality of her existence. Above the alicorn, the sharp fleshy thing floated overhead. It was sharp, and looked very heavy. "Sword..." she mumbled, thus breaking the silence in the air. No sooner did she say it did the world around her become unbearably quiet. The gazes of the mares focused on her in an instant. She began to feel a feeling of pure dread welling up inside her. "Maybe I was wrong... she thought with her eyes shifting between the three of them. "Maybe... I have no friends..." The azure mare silently prayed that she wouldn't be here for too long. Night fell much too slowly for the mare. Her body had grown sore. She guessed that it was from falling face first through the forest. Even her odd appendage was worn out. Her eyelids were heavy with sleep gradually coaxing them to close. Just as she was about to nod off, a rough voice commanded her. "Get up," it stated with disgust. She opened her eyes and attempted to stand. Her limbs could barely manage it, and she found herself being quickly ushered along. "Left, right, left, right," the mare thought to herself whiule trying to keep up. The orange mare and alicorn were leading from the front while the rainbow mare watched from behind. No word passed between the mares. However, the orange one nodded in signal to something before leaving them and into the darkness. That was something she noticed. The glow of magic was just enough to illuminate the area dimly. Another thing was that the path they were taking was much smoother. In the veil of dim light, she could somewhat make out shapes. Buildings came to mind, and so they must be called. Despite the identification of them, the azure mare did not recognize them. Her ears flicked as a foreign noise occured behind her. The pegasus had left as well, for when she looked, the rainbow was no longer there. She briefly wondered where they were going, but fatigue soon overpowered it. The alicorn led her to a buillding that was different from the rest she had seen. The alicorn stoped for a moment before the threshold before gingerly opening it with magic. She stepped to the side and made only a simple gesture with her hoof. Taking the hint, the azure mare entered. The room was pitch black, but as the alicorn stepped inside the room slowly illuminated with light. The azure mare would marvel at this, but she felt so tired. SHINK! The mare snapped her head towards the startling noise to discover that the sword now sat within the floor. The alicornlooked at her with a wavering look. She seemed uncertain, but still had an air of indimidation about her. "Upstairs, last door on your right," she said with authority. The azure mare stood with a tired expressionwhile absorbing the instructions. After a moment, the alicorn gestured to something behind her. With hesitation, she looked and found a staircase heading up. With a small pause, the mare sauntered up the steps, having long stopped trying to concetrate on her footing. THUNK! She missed a step, causing her head to greet the stair with a violent clash. She did not fall however, as her appendage had instinctively grabbed onto the stair. If she were more attentive, she might have wondered about the new experience, but with her tired mind accomplishing little more than simple instruction, she continued allt the way up. Once at the top, she followed a hallway until she reached an open doorway. Inside was a dark room with perhaps the first comfort she ever truly relished: a bed. With little hesitation she fell upon the mattress with an aching body. Feeling sleep take her all too quickly, she let out a large sigh and closed her eyes.
Chapter 3After watching the mare climb the staircase, Twilight stood a moment in silence. Her mind was focused on channeling her magic up to the guest room. Upon feeling her presence pass through it, she let out a shallow breath. Her horn lit up in a brighter aura as she concentrated on casting spells from afar on something she had no sight of. The magic varied from wards of protection to binding charms. They all had the theme of keeping things safe and secure, or in this case locked away and kept out of trouble. After the series of spells were casted, Twilight turned her attention towards other things. She would need to return the Elements of Harmony to the Tree of Harmony as quickly and safely as possible. She removed the Element of Magic from her head and walked to a shelf and stored it within a glass case. She would also need to get the prisoner transported to Canterlot to be properly stored away in solitary confinement. There would have to be a trial. After all, there- Suddenly, her mind went blank for a single moment. It was truly an uncommon event, but not very noticable to the alicorn. She did not know why she looked at the sword either. The blade was curiously made, albeit morbidly. She approached it with a morbid curiousity. Swords were uncommon to be wielded by anypony. Spears were generally the weapon of choice, but they were only given to royal guards and the like. Twilight inspected it closely. It was certainly more than uncommon. If a blacksmith made it, they certainly were a horse of a different color entirely. The longer she gazed upon it, the more dread and curiosity filled her mind. Then, she outstretched a hoof to touch the surface. "Eew..." She whined quickly recoiling from it. A red splotch stained her foot. No doubt it was blood. With a sigh, her horn lit up and in pop, the alicorn vanished, leaving the room to dim ever so slightly. As the room dimmed, the sword seemed to fade into the shadows of the room... The next morning, the mare within the guest room awoke with a groan. Her eyes squinted open in the dark bedroom. The curtains were drawn, but she could see the sunlight striking it from the outside. The azure mare stretched upon the bed before attempting to roll out of it. She was shocked to discover that instead of falling to the floor in soreness, she landed upon all four legs. With a shrug, the mare began to explore her dark confinement. She began to name the things as she came across them. "Cabinet, dresser, bed, night stand..." she thought to herself. She didn't know how or why she knew these things, she was at least a little used to knowing and not knowing. She paused. There was a sheet thrown over something. Curious, she pulled the sheet off and stumbled back at what she saw. It could've been a mare once upon a time. A long, yellow mane flowed out of her head and was grown to an unnaturally long length. Hanging from it were two greyish crystals, which seemed to draw her gaze to the eyes. Over one eye was a deep scar. The eyes themselves were a deep amber. She then notices the horn. It looked quite demonic and evil. Her gaze slowly fell to to another deep scar across the chest. The right hoof seemed to be engulfed by some sort of parasitic claw that reached all the way to her shoulders. On the other hoof appeared to be like a cuff on a suit. Following down the ragged coat, she came across the flanks. Completely blank. The rear hooves reminded her of a pair of boots. It took the confused mare to finally find the tail. It seemed to be stained an ugly, crimson color, just as ragged looking as the rest of her. She registered the once-covered furniture as a mirror. This was her reflection. This was her. "Wh-what am I?" she said, reaching up to touch the horn. She jumped, expecting it not to be real. She then gently traced her scar, and slowly tried coming to terms that she looked like a monster. Twilight reappeared in a flash of light. Her mane was unkempt, with strands sticking out every which way, and her eyes tired. In her magical grasp, a piece of parchment floated before her as well as a twitching quill. The morning light illuminated the room and cast itself upon the weapon lying in the corner. All throughout the night, her mind was abuzz. She filled out the paperwork for a prisoner shuttle as well as a trial date. As much as she loved Equestria and the world moreover, the bureaucratic system was annoying. She kept rereading the parchment over and over again. The prisoner escort would be to pick the offender... in one week. That was one whole week of attempting to keep a dangerous and lethal enemy in her guest bedroom. She was brought out of her thoughts by her flashing. After a moment, she remembered. The confinement spells. With a more energetic gallop than pinkie Pie, she ran up to the door f her guest room. From there, she heard a gentle knock as well as the door handle being turned. "E-excuse me....? Hello? Is anypony there?" a voice from inside called. Twilight stood frozen, her horn blinking still. "P-please, I just need to use the mare's room." "...would a genocidal maniac ask to use the bathroom? And would they be this shy?" her logical side thought. "Of course she would be! This is a trap!" The devil's advocate in her shouted. "She's going to leap out at you and pop your head off like a grape!" "But she didn't do that last night..." "She was outnumbered and the elements of harmony must've weakened her!" "She must've been outnumbered before then..." "Um, Hello?! Elements! Beam of rainbows! Weakened!" "Weakened how though?" "...what?!" "The elements were used to expel Nightmare Moon, but also freed Luna..." "No. Nonononononononono!" "They imprisoned Discord in stone, and did not destroy him." "Stop it. Stop it right now. She's evil!" "The Elements didn't imprison her... which means..." "Fine! Be that way! I'll just sit here and wait to say, 'I told you so.'" "Oh please!!!" the mare behind the door whined. "I really have to go!!" Twilight shook her head out of her thoughts. The library was completely silent apart from the doorknob being jiggled. The alicorn princess took a moment to compose herself before letting out a calming breath. She then unlocked the door and opened it. She gave her best placid expression and said in a calm voice, "Follow me..."
Chapter 4"Whew..." the azure mare sighed before exiting the bathroom. "I didn't think I'd.. make..." The Azure mare stared at the alicorn with a bewildered look. "What is it?" Twilight Sparkle faltered a little beneath the gaze of the odd mare. She didn't let it her façade slip however. She would need to maintain it if her little plan would work. The plan in question wasn't the most well-thought out or even the most safest. In summary, she only had a week's worth of time (thanks to the beaurocracy of Equestria which she thought she needed to sort out personally) to try and reform and/or teach the very, very dangerous enemy living under her roof to be a good pony. "Your horn... is blinking..." the azure mare stated flatly. The alicorn looked up to her appendage and sheepishly smiled. She licked her hoof and gently put the magic out as if it were a candle. "There," she said with an air of satisfaction. "Better?" "Sure..." the Azure mare awkwardly replied. "S-so... I guess it's back to the room, right?" "Er... not quite..." Twilight said, regaining her façade. She turned to lead the unnamed mare and continued. "I thought that you'd maybe like some breakfast..." "Breakfast?" the mare echoed in confusion. "I... Um... Are you sure?" "...Why wouldn't I be?" Twilight asked carefully as she descended the staircase. "Well... I kinda thought that, from last night, that..." the prisoner stopped at the staircase, uncertainty in her expression. "I thought that you just didn't like me." The alicorn winced internally. The way the mare sounded was sort of accusing in a way. As if it were her fault that... She calmed down and tried to stick with her plan. No matter how guilty this mare could be, Twilight had to give her the benefit of the doubt. The elements didn't send her to the moon or encase her in stone. Therefore, this must be an incident similar to Nightmare Moon's defeat. "Logic, Twilight," she thought to herself. "Stick to the logic and carry on." "Well, that was for... er... You looked like someone who is in a lot of trouble," the princess called to the top of the staircase. She waited for her prisoner to follow. A thought crossed her mind, and she asked, "What's your name?" "Um..." the Azure mare looked down the flight of stairs. She remembered from last night how she couldn't exactly walk, especially when it came to the stairs. "I thou-ah! Ow! Ack! Oof!" Twilight stood and watched the mare fall down the stairs and land at her hooves in a heap of embarrassment and pain. She had to resist the urge to reach out to her and offer her some help. After all, reformation aside, this was still a very dangerous mare. Instead, she asked, "Are you alright?" "...yeah," the mare sighed. She stood up with groan, but seemed no worse for wear. "I... I thought I told you, or... somepony that I can't remember." "Hmm..." Twilight hummed thoughtfully. "I thought that... never mind. Breakfast, right?" "Yeah." In Twilight's eyes, the mare seemed a little too chipper for having just fallen down her entire staircase. She made a mental note of it. In the kitchen, Spike the dragon was already frying up some pancakes. He stood on a stool and wore his chef's cap and apron. When he heard the sound of hooves, he turned to say hi to his caretaker. He barely got out, "Hey," before he found himself looking at another mare, then being whisked off into another room by Twilight's magic. "Would you excuse us for a moment?" Twilight asked in a so-not-nervous-at-all voice. The azure mare nodded and walked into the kitchen. Twilight Brought the drake into the main library and spoke in a rushed, hushed whisper. "I know what this may look like, but do not panic. She's just a normal pony." "Um--" "Trust me Spike," Twilight said a little forcefully. Spike simply looked on with a worried and confused gaze. The mare forgot that Spike hadn't been informed of the living arrangements... or even who the mare is. With a sigh, she briefly explained, "When we went to confront the force known as Nightmare, we used the elements. She..." Twilight paused, looking over the room. The sword had not moved from it's spot, but the way it simply sat in the library unnerved her. The thought of a potential hazard, coupled with the potential evil, made her quite nervous. She threw an illusory spell over the blade and began to fret over the minor untidy details about the room "Who... is she Twilight?" Spike asked with a look of concern. "Well... she was what was left after... after the Elements..." Twilight explained with a sheepish smile. "Please don't freak out!" Spike stared into the kitchen silently. He was very surprised looking, but beyond that his expression was unreadable. Twilight stopped what she was doing and slowly approached the tiny dragon. "So... sh-she's...?" the drake stuttered with a gesture of his claw. "Yes..." Twilight replied with a soft voice. "She'll only be here for a week. Then, the guard will take her to Canterlot to await trial." "...only a week?" Spike asked wit a worried glance to his mother-figure. "Only a week." Twilight hugged the drake to her gently, stroking his spines reassuringly. "... you have a plan?" Spike asked after a moment. "Yes," the alicorn replied with a sigh. "It might work, but I need you to play along until then. Can you do that, my number one assistant?" "I guess... but..." Spike pushed away from Twilight. "I just want you to know... that I expect a nice, big gemstone under my pillow after all this." "Oh Spike..." Twilight laughed softly. "Sure..." "Ok. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to those pancakes," he said, walking proudly into the kitchen. Twilight gave one last look over the library before letting out a sigh of worry. She hoped everything would go according to plan. Meanwhile, Spike's proud march had devolved into a somewhat scared scurry back to the stool. He kept his eyes on the skillet, and tried not to seem to noticeable: an art form that he did pride himself in. He glanced occasionally to the mare at the table. From behind, she looked like a normal mare. Her bright yellow mane hid most of the strange and almost alien features about her body. His eyes stared for a moment before a sharp grumble snapped him out of the trance. "Darn it..." she sighed. Spike, now curious, picked up a plate of pancakes and brought it to her. "Here," he said hesitantly. "H-hope you like pancakes..." He casually glanced at her. Upon spotting the claw, he felt a slight chill go up his spine. Upon further inspection, a fork lay adjacent to it. Meanwhile, Twilight stood just beyond the threshold, watching and listening. "I think so..." the azure mare hummed. She tried picking up the fork, only to have it clatter onto the table. She tried once more to pick up the silverware only to fail once more. "Grrr..." "U-uh, hey!" Spike said nervously, getting the full attention of the mare. "Wh-why don't you use your magic?" He swiped away a drop of sweat on his brow nervously. The last thing he needed was an angry, lethal pony on his claws. "Magic?" the azure mare echoed in confusion. "W-well, yeah. You are a unicorn..." he explained with a sheepish chuckle. The Azure mare thought for a moment and looked back to the fork. She stared at it for a long time, concentrating on it. After nearly giving herself a headache, she let out a long sigh. "I don't think I have magic..." she said with a little disappointment. Spike, feeling a slight pang of guilt, thought for a moment. "Look here," he said while grabbing another fork. "Just hold it like this..." "Um..." She carefully grasped the fork and attempted to mimic Spike's own claw. "L-like this?" "Yeah," he said with a little smile. "Now take it and just cut a little bit of the pancake off..." Twilight watched the entire ordeal from the other room. She stood in deep thought, observing the mare closely. She made note of several things about the prisoner. For one, she could not use magic. Twilight noticed the horn, but it was unlike any horn she's ever seen. The princess also distinctly remembered her using magic the day prior. How could she use magic then, but not now? Questions like these swirled around in her mind. After a few seconds, she decided that she needed more information about the mare before she could make any conclusions. With a deep breath and a very well practiced smile, she entered the kitchen to join her assistant and her temporary house guest.
UPDATE: New managementSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
