Chapters Blood Flows Between Worlds
This day started as every other day started until now: boring, with a yawn, a shower and a coffee. What I didn't know was that I wouldn't live to see the moon rise again. That I would see the stars for the last time. Oh, this beautiful sight of the shimmering stars in the darkness. It always makes me feel hopeful, and it always makes me remember that there is more than just our little world.
My name is Phoenix, by the way. I love that name. I always was interested by mythical creatures, and the phoenix is one of my favorites, only topped by dragons and argonians. Well, I consider argonians some kind of dragon. Not exactly dragon, but dragon-like. And I think that there is a dimension out there were all the mystical and fictional worlds exists. Else we couldn't think of them. But that is just a theory, just a hope of mine.
I should soon come to accept that there really is more than just our world, but first, I had to go to the city. I had to work, so I went to the train station, the icy wind blowing and the glissening stars still up in the sky, barely visible through the thin layer of clouds in the sky.
This morning didn't feel strange at all. No sign of a tragedy taking place in only a few hours. Only work, a discussion between two coworkers how the work should be done and so on. I drank two other coffees, as always, tried to learn the functions of the new tool I should use and was looking at some websites from time to time. Nothing special.
Then lunch-time came. I still ask myself what would the outcome have been if I hadn't chosen to eat a pizza this day. I probably wouldn't have gone through the main-station and I probably wouldn't have been attacked.
I turned around. She was beautiful, and I wanted to greet her. For once, I wanted to be in the initiative. I opened my mouth, when I noticed the sadness in her eyes. I kept silent, cursing myself for being thrown of the tracks, trying to talking to a girl. AGAIN. Then she whispered to me, "I'm so sorry", and made a small movement with her arm.
The first moment was strange. My stomach felt cold inside, but outside it got warmer. The girl ran off, in the opposite direction to where I came from. I looked after her, touching my stomach, irritated by the feeling of the warmth going down my legs. I touched the hilt of a transparent knive, barely visible to the eyes, if it were not for the hole which opened in my body. Then I fell on my knees.
The blood was spurting out, as I took the knive out. I knew that I shouldn't do this, but my hands were faster than my mind. I dropped the knive on the floor, where it shattered into an uncountable amount of pieces. The pieces than turned to lucent dust, glissening in the dim sunlight of a cold winter day. I never felt this cold before. I sat before the window of the book store, hearig the screams of the people fade as my thought began to wander around in my past.
The first thing I remembered was this girl, which killed me. And another girl. A girl I once loved, with blonde ,radiant hair, blue eyes with a sad yet hopeful look and the wisdom of someone who has either lived for a long time, or witnessed a dire tragedy.
The second thing was my own tragic past. The suicide thoughts in the face of hopelessness, only evaded by the strength my family gave me, unknowingly. It might sound a bit harsh for some people out there that had suicide thoughts because they lost a family member, but my fear wasn't as present as their grief, my fear was far into the future, the hopelessness of not achieving anything in life, dishonoring my family.
And than I thought of my family. The grief I felt this moment was only trumped by the anger I felt towards myself, letting my family lose a member of theirs. I wanted to beat myself up, hurt myself for letting this happen, but I lost control over my body. I was to weak.
The last thing I felt was that I had been lain on something out of cloth. The voices were mere whispers in my head, the thoughts started to change faster and faster as I drifted towards death. The picture of a grim reaper sitting on a clock appeared frequently, accompanied by the pictures of my family, the blonde girl, my tattoo (a sun surrounded by the zodiac symbols of my family with the Ankh in its center) and my murderer. The purplehaired devil that looked at me with does sad eyes and excused herself for murdering me.
Than, there was only black. Time and space lost their values, and I forgot what it meant to be alive.
Blood Flows Between Worlds
I opened my eyes. The light blinded me immediately , and I couldn't see where I was. I had to be in heaven. The bright light and the fresh yet comforting wind was just perfect. I tried to stand up, only to drop to the floor in the next moment. Something felt wierd, but I couldn't see what it was, my sight was still blurry. I looked down at my hands, only to realize that I am no longer human. The hooves, moving to my own thoughts, was proof enough. But how, and more importantly, why?
I tried to stand up again, and looked at my side, only to notice a pair of wings. Great, I can fly, in maybe a hundred years when I am really dead and no longer afraid of heights. But that doesn't matter at this moment, because I noticed my tattoo. On the side of my flank, where normally ponies from My Little Pony had their cutie marks. I looked at the other side, where the picture repeated itself.
Then I looked around, noticing that around me was a forest, dark and certainly not to friendly. The only place that I could think of was everfree forest. I looked around, searching for a path, when I noticed a small area which looked like one. It wasn't a prepared path, but it had to do, so I stumbled in this direction.
After a few minutes, walking became a lot easier. I also tried to flap with my wings, but they didn't move an inch. I couldn't really think of a way to make them either. I never had wings before, that would have been odd. And the commotion the people would have started, that would have been a disaster. Religious people seeing an angel in me, others an abomination. That would have been to much responsibility for me to take.
After some time, I don't know how long exactly, it felt like an hour, I finally met someone else. I called out for her: "Hey, you there. Can you help me?" She turned around, looking at me through her pink mane. I realized immediately who she is, and asked her: "Excuse me, but are you Fluttershy?"
A whisper answered me, and after grinning like a clown in the circus I told her: "Cheer up, little one. I won't hurt you, I am a nice guy. As long as you don't attack my family in any way, at least." Her look let me add "Which you didn't, don't worry", so scared was it.
She answered with "Yes, my princess". I didn't understand that she just called me female, but the prince part stuck in my ears. I looked again on my side, then searched for a mirror or any other way of seeing myself. I noticed the stream nearby, walked to it and looked at myself. The black fur and the red mane let me look like a demon, but what really distrubed me was the horn on my forehead. The horn of a unicorn. Or, in my case, of an alicorn.
"I am no princess", I told her. "And mainly, I am not female. I am a... stallion". I just wanted to say man, but would she understand? "So please, relax." She couldn't, my appearence seemed too astonishing. Well, I was bigger than her, and all in the form of an alicorn. Why, of all the possible outcomes had it to be an alicorn? The one pony race with the most responsibility which couldn't walk around unnoticed. I sighed, as I saw a yellow, living statue before me, ready to drop to her knees if I should command so. I didn't.
"Well, is there a way of oing to a place where I could hide?" I din't want to be seen like this, not now at least. Everything was too much for me as it was at the moment, and a commotion regarding a new alicorn would have driven me crazy.
"We could, maybe, go to my house, of you insist, my princess. Excuse me, my prince. It is a small place, but I wouldn't mind to serve you, if you don't mind." She was shivering, maybe out of fear, or out of joy. I wasn't sure, she was smiling with such honesty it was hard to tell. But at least she wasn't stiffly standing anymore.
"That would be a great idea. Lead the way." Finally something that went in the right direction. "Oh, and call me.. Ignis. I am no royal, I just look like one." I really hoped she would call me Ignis, Fire. Like the mane I now had.
"Sure, my prince Ignis, as you command." Well, my hope was futile.
We walked for about an hour, when we reached her home. The stream, where I looked at myself, was her guide, and grew steadily bigger as we advanced through the forest. She welcomed her pets and guests, animals from all across Ponyville and it's surroundings.
"If you wish, I will prepare something to eat, my prince Ignis." I declined. I wasn't hungry, and I certainly wasn't eager trying to eat hay.
"All I wish for is some rest and a conversation partner." She looked at me with a kind of joyous fear someone notices when a dream comes true when they aren't prepared. "Where could we sit, Miss Fluttershy" If she kept on going calling me prince, I wanted to call her Miss. Well, a childish thing to do, but it wasn't meant solely for payback, but also to honor her. She really was the impersonation of kindness.
She lead the way to her living room. "Sit here, my prince Ignis. Do you really don't want anything to eat? Maybe something to drink?" I noticed that she was a bit less shy than in the series. Maybe she has grown a bit or she was feeling responsible for me. Either way, it made things a bit less difficult.
"Some water would be nice. And, Miss Fluttershy, you really stop calling me prince. I am really not meant for royal duty or something equal. I am a mere traveller." She looked as if I had told her to kill someone. It really seems that they never even considered an alicorn to be of low birth. She simply nodded and walked out of the room.
When she returned, with some buckets of water, she and I started to talk about the animals she was keeping with her. Some were known to us, but others were mythological creatures, like the phoenix, or the manticore. After some time, she got used to talk with me. She had a lot of problems to simply call me Ignis, but after a while even that was no matter at all. We were in the middle of discussing how to feed a manticore, when someone knocked on the door.
"Fluttershy, are you here?" I recognized the voice, but couldn't clearly match it with a name. "We were waiting for you at the town square." A short break let me and fluttershy look at each other. "Fluttershy?"
"Go", I told her "and greet them. Else they will storm the building. Either way, they will find me. You can tell them the truth." I never intended to keep myself hidden from the other ponies, but I didn't want to be seen and cause a commotion either.
She opened the door, there was a bit of "we were worried" chit chat, nothing that I intended of listening to. Then Fluttershy started to tell them what happend earlier. A stood up. Until this point, she didn't tell them that I was an alicorn. I walked to the front door, when we saw each other. The mane six, standing there in the hall, looking at me with such a confused expression I couldn't do anything against the grin on my face.
"Hello ladies", Oh why had I have to start like this. "Excuse me. Hello together. I am Ignis, and I believe you are Miss Applejack, Miss Pinky Pie, Miss Rarity, Miss Rainbow Dash and princess Twilight Sparkle. Correct?" They looked at me, nodding and glancing at me with a distrusting look.
"Who are you? I never saw a princess like you, and I know all about the history of Equestria." Surely Twilight knew a lot, but she couldn't possibly know that there would be different worlds, like the one where I came from.
"Don't worry. And I am a stallion, not a mare." Again a disbelieving glance, except for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
"So, Fluttershy, you never told us that you had a boyfriend." Rainbow Dash went head on into this teasing material she was handed, and I myself couldn't resist to pay her back. Fluttershy has been such good company, I wanted to defend her.
"I am not her boyfriend. In fact, we were just talking about me proposing to you. I have heard so much about the awesome Rainbow Dash I just had to meet her. And now I am certain that only you are befitting me as royal companion through thin and thick, through time of joy and times of grief, loving each other until time itself stops, and beyond that."
I had said too much. Everyone looked at me as if I'd regret this, but the look in Rainbow Dashes face was different. " I... I... I can't marry you, I don't even know you. I don't know if you are cool enough to be my groom, even if you look kinda... cool... I guess." I really had thrown her off.
I laughed, so hard that my face almost had the same red color as my mane. It looked like black stone starting to melt. "That was a joke, sorry Miss Rainbow Dash. I just couldn't let you tease Fluttershy like this" I immediatly regretted what I just did, as a tear ran down her face. Great doing, idiot. Now you did it. You made a girl cry.
She flew off, into the clouds above Fluttershys house. The others looked at me, with an expression both disgusted and understanding. They knew that teasing Fluttershy could turn ugly as well, but I was just too harsh with her.
"Is there some kinda way I can excuse myself to her? I never intended to hurt her like this." They all shook their heads. I turned pale, feeling disgusted. We all went to the living room, where I told them how I woke up hear with no memory, meeting Fluttershy and now searching for an accommodation. I knew immediatly that none of them were willing to take me in.
"You could stay here for a few nights, at least until you have found yourself a nice little place for yourself", Fluttershy said, with none of the concern of the others. I was astonished how fast I had grown dear to her, and how fast she has grown dear to me.
I accepted her invitation, I had not much of an alternative except to sleep outdoors. I couldn't even rent a room, simply because the world change has left me with nothing but my body.
We were sitting there for another few hours. At some point, Rainbow Dash returned, with red eyes. My stomach hurt. It was a similar feeling to the one I had before I died, just mixed with regret.
The ponies kept a certain distance to me. I couldn't blame them. Only Fluttershy kept her initial kindness and Twilight Sparkle was very interested in everything I could tell her, and was very eager to tell me everything in return. I kept silent about the fact that I wasn't from Equestria. I didn't know how I should have told them, there really didn't seem any way to do this.
When dusk arrived, Twilight and Rainbow Dash flew off while the others walked over the bridge nearby. The only one looking back was Twilight.
Fluttershy and I went back in and my stomach hurt again. But this time, it was of hunger. "Fluttershy, you couldn't prepare dinner for us, could you?" The following growl let her smile.
"Sure, but you need to help me Ignis. The prince would have been served, but you are no prince. Arent you?" She really wasn't as shy as before.
"No I'm not." I couldn't hold back the grin building up inside my face. The look I made seemed so funny, that Fluttershy started to laugh, and with her I laughed, too.
The hay wasn't as bad as I thought. It really hadn't as much taste as it could have. We both ate silently, when I realized that I had a home to sleep, but no place in particular. I asked where about that problem.
"Well, you could sleep on the couch, or you sleep in my bed while I occupy the couch." This proposal was so sweet of her, I smiled embarrassedly, and my face again got red.
"I'll take the couch, thanks. I don't want to cause any more trouble I already did", thinking of Rainbow Dash as I said that.
So we went to sleep. I lay on the couch, thinking about today, and hoping that I will integrate in this strange situation. At this point I could never expect that all of this was only the beginning. My consciousness faded, and when I finally started to dream, I was welcomed by a dark, grinning face. "Hello Phoenix. Do you have any idea why you are here?"
Blood Flows Between Worlds
The face wasn't really a face. It was just three floating shapes, two parallel triangles and a sickle, looking like a grin. I stood before it, shivering with fear. I felt that this... thing... could simply eradicate me, if it wanted.
"Hello Phoenix. Do you have any idea why you are here?", it asked me, the grin widening as it spoke to me.
"No, how should I? I wasn't invited or anything", I responded, hoping that it was just a nightmare, an impersonation of my fears.
"That's where you are wrong", was it's answer, the grin fading a bit," you were invited by me." I was confused. I was invited?
"What do you mean? I never had a choice. I was killed, and woke up here. There was no invitation or anything like that." I didn't understand what it meant. It just confused me more and more as it spoke.
"The murder was the invitation. And the choice was made with your last breath." The grin continued to fade, but it was still visible. I started to tremble even more. I didn't want to know what happens if it gets upset.
"So you tell me that a task is awaiting me? What kind of task? And why is it awaiting me?" My heart was racing. I felt it in my chest. That wasn't a dream. But it wasn't real, either. An illusion, created by the grin.
"Your task is awaiting you because it has to be like this. And your task is one of the simplest, ancient tasks. Murder." I was shocked. Murder? Me? I never even was in a real fight, how should I murder someone?
"I can't kill. I never even hurt someone. And who should be my target? There is none that could be dangerous to you, is there? And why should I even do that?"
"You can kill, trust me. Your target is Twilight Sparkle. She isn't dangerous to me, no. I thought it was fun to set this up." He now stopped grinning. " And why, you ask? It's easy. Your reward, if you kill Twilight Sparkle, will be a ticket home. You can return to your family. And there will be absolutly no evidence that you murdered somebody. How is that. Sounds fun?"
I kept silent. Words were futile, it knew exactly what I wished for. I was thinking about the task, considering every possible outcomes, leading to a simple conclusion. I wasn't ready. If I really intended to kill an alicorn, my abilities needed to be at least at par with hers. "That is the reason for me being resurrected as an alicorn, isn't it?"
"Yes, that is the very reason for your current body. Alicorn, you said? Strange name, but well, it's none of my concern. You have to know this, time is working against you. I can give you a year, after that, you won't remember who you really are. And I will keep silent. You won't see me, you won't hear me, and you certainly will never be reminded of your task. It is your desicion if you want to follow this path."
I didn't responde, my head was spinning. I was too scared to think about anything, that I didn't notice that the grin returned to its initial state. It still looked at me, not awaiting an answer, but another question. I had none. I knew what I had to do and until when. Anything else would just be futile to ask, for an entity as the grin was not bound to our laws of thinking.
"I will send you back now. Maybe this little creature your living with at the moment needs help?"
The darkness overwhelmed me. I closed my eyes, and after a few moments, looked again. I was in the living room, Fluttershy bent over me.
"Is everything alright? You look like you had a nightmare", she asked. I just nodded, still confused what had happened. "I get you something to drink. Would you like to help me afterwards? We can talk about your nightmare while we are looking after the animals."
"Yes, I'd like to help. But I'd rather not talk about that nightmare I had. It wasn't as bad as it looks like." So we went outside, and while I worked, my thoughts became clearer and I could relax again. I was finally capable of starting to plan what I had to do: Murdering Twilight Sparkle, so that I can return home, to my family, my friends, my own life.
Blood Flows Between Worlds
After we, I and Fluttershy, finished to caretake the animals, at least for now, we ate something. We had some apples for breakfast. I have to admit, I never was a fan of apples, but these were just delicious. Everything seemed to fit. Well, they were a Ponyville special, Apples from Sweet Apple Acres.
While we ate, Fluttershy started to talk: " I believe you should visit Rainbow Dash and excuse yourself. What you did yesterday was too harsh to let it be. If you don't mind, I will come with you and be your moral support."
She had a point there. I never thought that my tease had such an impact, and I still felt bad for what I did, but there was just a little problem: "I really would like to go to Rainbow Dashes place, but I believe it's in the clouds, isn't it" She nodded before I continued: "I have to tell you that I can't fly. I can't use magic either."
Her shocked look was enough for me to blush. I wanted to say something, but she just ran out of the house, telling me: "Wait, I'm back soon." and leaving me alone. I was confused. I never thought she would rush off like this, but well, the whole situation isn't easy, neither for me, nor for her. But her absence gave me time.
I had to learn two things: Flying, for mobility, and magic, for what I had to do. First I could probably learn something from Fluttershy and trying, but magic was another matter. While I could fly low to prevent severe accidents from happening, magic could beat me back unexpectedly hard even for the smallest of errors. I could even blow up something or someone innocent.
I thought out some plans, but I couldn't picture anything in particular. I gave up on planing with the little information I had and started with the second best thing to do: Flapping my wings.
Imagine a full-grown pegasus or alicorn flapping with its wings like a hatchling. It must have looked hilarious, if not for all the furniture I knocked over in the process. It hurt like hell after a while, but there was undeniably progress. I could lift myself up for a few seconds, when Fluttershy arrived with Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle.
I hoped that they didn't see me as I was trying to fly, but the moment I saw Twilight trying to hide a grin, I knew better. The burst of laughter surprised me nonetheless. Rainbow Dash looked at me with a mixture of joy and pity. I hated her for that.
"O.. My.. Gosh.. HAHAHA.. Look at you... Trying to pfff... Trying to fly on your own." The Laughter continued. I stood there for a few minutes, and left through the back door. I had enough from this pegasus. At this moment, I would have preferred to break my neck rather than learning to fly from her. I turned around and saw Fluttershy and Twilight walking towards me, concern written in their faces.
"I hope you are not hurt, we just never expected to interrupt you while doing.. this" Twilight said, a grin reappearing on her face. I glanced at her, and as she was trying to excuse seriously excuse herself again, Rainbow Dash flew from around the house, a rainbow-colored trail behind her, grinning from one ear to another.
"Hey buddy, Fluttershy told me you needed some lessons. I thought about a little race, but now I understand what lessons she really meant." Now I furiously glanced at her, and she made two steps back."Alright, I see that it isn't easy for you. Calm down"
I almost kicked her, but I swallowed my pride. I needed her and her lessons, and insulting her in any way could have been my downfall. I sighed, gathering some strength to say: "I am sorry, but it is embarassing to neither be able to fly nor to use magic. Would you give me some flying lessons, Miss Dash?"
She looked at me with an annoyed look. "Sure, I will give you the lessons, but only if you never call me Miss again. I am Rainbow Dash, most awesome pony of Equestria, and 'Miss' is no titel befitting my awesomeness." I was relieved, and nodded while letting a huge sigh out.
"Are you okay?" whispered Fluttershy. She seemed to feel my tension, but I nodded nonetheless. I wasn't feeling bad or anything, just a bit worried if I could ask my potential victim to teach me how to kill herself.
"Twilight, you may have realised that I never used magic, right?", I asked her, trying to be as intellectual as possible, it might have helped.
Her answer was as expected: "Yes, naturally I have realised this much. The use of magic is for an unicorn, or an alicorn in our situation, as normal as breathing. But you never attempted to cast a spell, which led me to conclude that you either hate magic or that you can't use it."
I wasn't surprised by her answer. She was always a big thinker, and her investigative skills shouldn't be underestimated.
"I can't use it, and it bothers me. I would appreciate if you could teach me. I heard you were one of the best mages in equestria, and learning from you would be a huge honour for me." She blushed, which meant I must have hit the right spot.
"I don't know if I could teach you, I never did before. It's better if you went to school or to Princess Celestia or Princess Luna. I am sure with my recommondation there..."
"Twilight", Rainbow Dash interrupted her, "if I can teach him how to fly, you can teach him how to cast some neat spells, like teleportation or levitation. It can't be as hard as you make it sound. Give it a try, come on."
At this moment, I knew that at least the matter of asking Rainbow Dash for her forgiveness was settled. I never expected her to stand in for me. As the two continued to discuss wether I was thaught by Twilight how to use magic or not, I came up with an idea.
"Girls, how about I start to live at the library." The three ponies looked at me as if I had recommended to sacrifice a pony to Cuthulu, or whatever evil god overlord there was in Equestria. "Like this, I could learn a lot more, also practical use of magic. And I could help Twilight with the books."
Fluttershy made a step forward: "I really don't mind with you living at my place." I looked at her. She seemed sad, but I had made up my mind.
"It has nothing to do with you, Fluttershy. I will visit you, if I have time. I really like it here, the silence and all the animals. It's just beautiful." She smiled. I turned my head back to Twilight. "And, is this a valid option, teacher?"
"Ok, Ok, I take you in, but you WILL help me with the library and you WILL study a LOT. I will make sure of that." I started to doubt my idea this instant.
I then walked back in, while saying: "So, let's clear the mess I made while training. Luckily there isn't much to pack."
Even if I hadn't much of my own, the chaos I made was enough to occupy us for the next hour. Rainbow Dash wasn't present, she had her job to do, but Twilights levitation was as convenient as it could be in this situation. My first practical example on how to use magic correctly.
Another two hours later, I was sitting in my room at the library. The townspeople were whispering around us when we walked by, but I could understand them. Two alicorns together in their small Town shouldn't be occuring as often.
As I was reading about "Star Swirl the Bearded", Spike came in to introduce himself. He was very friendly, but the suspicious smirk in his face was letting me guess that all his chores would become mine, if Twilight didn't check him up.
When the sun set and the library closed, Twilight came in. She noticed immediatly that I had been reading the whole time since my arrival, so she started to ask me what exactly I read. There were a lot of magic teaching books in this pile, from beginners to an essay of Star Swirl himself.
But what she really hooked into was the sole book which wasn't about magic. It was a Daring Doo, the first as she told me. I should really get into this books later on, but at this point, I haven't even started to read it. I was just to preoccupied by the huge variety of books about magic, I lost myself in them.
The next day, my chores began; sorting books, getting books for customers, cleaning up behind them, almost everything that could be done. I must say, it was pretty harsh at the beginning, but after I learned to levitate things, it became much easier and my payment was more than enough.
To learn magic was a lot harder than anticipated. I had a full two weeks until I could feel where magic comes from and how I could channel it. But after this, it went on faster. Levitation used another week, and this was one of the most important. I could have been faster, if it wasn't for Rainbow Dash.
She insisted on teaching me all day how to fly until I mastered it. I won't blame her for the harsh treatment she showed me sometimes. I asked her for it, and the dedication she showed was on a totally different level than the dedication of all the teachers I had before. Twilight was exactly the same. Both were so happy while teaching me, probably because I grasped the major things pretty fast.
The flying lessons were hard, but fair. Just after a week, I was able to reach a near point without walking. After three more weeks, I was able to fly longer distances. And with each day, I got faster.
With all the studies, visits at Fluttershys place and work, time went by fast. Anout three months after my arrival, my skills were at an average level. I was able to fly a whole day, but my speed couldn't be compared to Rainbow Dashs speed if she was a third as fast as she really was.
My magic abilities also where behind Twilights, but not as much as my flying abilities behind Rainbows. It was around this three month mark when I realised that all I had planned so far was futile. I needed at least two years to have a chance to kill Twilight like this.
I decided I needed help, but who could I possibly ask? Neither Sombra nor Chrysalis were an option, they wouldn't accept an attack on an alicorn without a chance to attack Canterlot and the princess or the Crystal Empire. Trixie would certainly help to make a fool of Twilight, but murder isn't her thing.
As I thought about who should help me, I came to the conclussion that there would be only one valid option to assist me murdering a princess of Equestria. A creature, old and twist minded, wiht love for chaos and destruction. But I would have to visit Fluttershy, for she was the only one who knew where Discord lived.
Blood Flows Between Worlds
The moment I asked Twilight about Discord, I immediately realized that she didn't wanted to talk to me about him. She looked at me in hope I would drop the subject, and told me that there is nothing to talk about.
"Really? I read about him in this book, "The Raise of Equestria", and I wanted to know more about him. He is mentioned as the greatest menace that ever faced this world, but I just can't imagine that it was this bad, could it?"
Then she told me about what Discord is and that the only means to fight him is now sealed within its original source, the "Tree of Harmony". Whenever he would raise again, she wouldn't know if this time, he would regain his position as ruler of Equestria, maybe even beyond.
I wasn't convinced. "You are just preoccupied by what he did to you in the past.", I said to her. If looks could kill, I'd be in a grave right now. "I wish to meet him and make myself a picture of the situation."
She yelled at me that I am a fool and that I, if I ever met him, would succumb to his chaotic ways and try to destroy Ponyville. I laughed at her, asking why she thought so. She blushed and kept silent. "Please Twilight, just let me meet him. I'll be careful. I simply want to talk to him."
She then gave up, her eyes getting wet. She told me what I already expected: " Only Fluttershy knows where he lives. He was always pretty fond of her, as she was the only one to ever give him a real chance." I thanked her, and went on to Fluttershys place.
The visit was short, and she didn't hesitate as much to answer my question as I did to ask her. He should live beyond the Everfree Forest, she told me, and that I would reach him if I followed the most chaotic path through the forest.
When I entered, none of the paths seemed chaotic at all, but after a while, some of the trees looked like they were observing me and guiding me with their branches.
Then I saw a small lantern, hanging from a branch over the middle of the path I walked. The lanterns light was dimmed from the dirt on it. After a while, another lantern appeared, and as I ventured forth, the lanterns started to come up more often. It seemed as they had the same distance between them, but as I counted the steps between them, the number varied rather extreme, from just twenty steps to over one hundred.
Then I reached a small door in the middle of the wood. It stood in the middle of nowhere, without anything to support it. I walked around it, before I knocked. It opened, and as I looked through, there was a room with two comfortable looking chairs, a table with a teapot and two tea cups and a strange creature sitting and sipping on hot chocolate.
"Oh, hello, you surprised me. I have expected you later." The cup around the chocolate vanished and reappeared on the table. "Come on in, I don't bite, in contrary to the knob." I look at the doors knob and saw a small gap with sharp teeth. I regretted to come here, but walked in nonetheless. I had no time to lose.
"You are Discord, I suppose?" He grinned from one ear to another, literally. It was frightening and hilarious at the same time, and I couldn't resist to giggle.
"Yes, I am, or at least I should be, but everything is to harmonic. How can I be Discord if harmony is dominant?" I shook my head. "Exactly. So you came to me because..."
"I wanted to learn from you. I have a rather dark task I have to fulfil, and you are the only one that is both good and bad enough to help me."
"And this dark task is killing somepony, isn't it." I stood there, looking at him in shock. He giggled. "Bullseye. So, who do you need dead. Let me guess, let me guess. Twilight Sparkle, isn't it?" My eyes widened even more, and he laughed, from deep within his chest.
"How... how could you know that? I never told anyone else." He tipped the side of his head with his claw, silencing me. I thought about all the clues he had. Me living with Twilight, a dark task to fulfil, seeking him for help. Well, at least the dark task part is unknown to all but us two.
"See, you left me tons of hints. I will help you. The chaos arising from her death will be GRANDIOSE. But be warned. Dark magic is no toy. The only one capable of using it without turning evil themselves are the Celestia" ,he rolled his eyes, "and myself. Well, I am chaos, so you could consider me evil, but chaos can be good to, can't it?"
"Well, chaos makes no sense, so I have to agree" was my answer. He nodded slowly. "But what will you teach me? A death spell?"
"Nonononononono, you are to weak to withstand the darkness of a death spell. But a short time paralysis should be sufficient, don't you think? the moment she is stiff, you can use a tool, maybe a book. Oh the irony, that such a huge fan of books is killed by one."
I understood why Twilight didn't wanted me to come here, but it was to late now. "Teach me. I am sure to use it properly." He looked me directly into the eyes, a hypnotic look. I couldn't turn my eyes from his, and almost tumbled when pictures of paralysed ponies appeared in my head. We stood there for only a few seconds, but when he stopped his 'lesson', my head hurt and my vision was blurry.
I tumbled to the door, which opened itself again. I didn't even realise it closed, I was so preoccupied with the creature before me. "Come home save, I'll let the lanterns guide you, but there are other things I can't control in this forest." was the last thing I heard from him. When I turned around to thank him, the door was gone.
I walked the path back, following the lanterns. My head got clearer with each second that past, and the moment I left Everfree Forest, I felt fine again. I was going back to the library, when I walked by the nicest flower garden in Ponyville. The urge to destroy it frightened me, and I thought that this was the price I had to pay if I ever wanted to return home.
When I returned to the library, Twilight looked at me for a short moment before she continued her studies. She was hurt that I didn't follow her advice. I tried to talk to her, but she only replied to leave her alone. I went to my room, continuing my own studies. I wanted to read another book about general magic, but what I took was a book about the balance of good and evil magic.
Whatever I read in this book, be it the slow change from a normal pony to a dark pony or the benefits of keeping a balance between good and evil, it lead me to ask Twilight the next day to teach me a simple healing spell.
"Why do you want to learn such a spell?" she asked me. "There should be no reason, expect you learned dark magic. The balance should never be disturbed." I sighed, knowing that there would be only one way she would teach me.
"I learned a dark spell from Discord." She looked at me with this 'I-warned-you'-look, and I continued to tell how I went there and we spoke to each other. I kept silent about the task, naturally, but I told her that I asked him to teach me.
Her look changed to a suspicious one, but she let it slide for the time being, teaching me how to heal minor wounds with magic. I could try it out at once, because Spike had hurt himself while rearranging the books for Twilight, again. HE sat down, and I concentrated on his elbow.
The pain vanished, and Spike was grateful to have a healer in the house. Twilight never did something like that, but I believed that Princess Celestia taught her student to use dark magic because she already lost the balance, being the Element of Magic and everything.
This happened about half way through the time. I had only six months remaining to kill Twilight. Six short months. I was still not good enough to do what I had to if I wanted to return, but I wasn't so sure any more if what I was doing was the right thing to do. I started to doubt my goal. I had build myself a life in Ponyville, and the memories of my family were fading.
This evening, after I healed Spike, I sat in my room, writing a letter to my parents. I just had to do something, to get in balance not only with the dark and good sides of magic, but also with the dark and good sides of myself and the task I was burdened with.
Another five months past, five months in which I studied, in which I worked, and in which I fell in love with this world. The harmony was refreshing, and I only thought about how Discord would like the financial world of ours. All the chaos within it.
I walked down, Twilight was already working, and as I arrived there, early in the morning, I started to speak: "Twilight, I have something to tell you." She turned around and looked at me, interested in what I had to say. "I am not from this world. Originally, I am human."
Blood Flows Between Worlds
"I am not from this world. Originally, I am human."
The words stuck in Twilights ears, this much even I could tell. She looked at me, considering how crazy I possibly could be, before asking me: "And what exactly is a human?"
I never thought that they wouldn't know what we are: "Humans are evolved apes,or created by god, whatever one believes. The walk on two legs... "at this point, I tried to stand on two legs. I failed miserably, ".. and use their hands to work with tools. They can't use magic, the faces are flat and they have no wings, but they have an imagination beyond anything I have ever seen here, I have to admit. There is so much variety not only between different countries, but between each and every individual, it's beautiful and scary at the same time."
Her look told me she didn't understand. She didn't need to. Not now, at least. I wasn't sure myself how much was real, and how much I told her was a false advertisement born from my wish to return home.
"If your not from this world, how did you come here? And why do you look like one of us, even an alicorn. It doesn't make any sense." she asked me. She sat down, her left hoof on the side of her forehead, scratching while she thought about all the possibilities.
"How I came here, even I am not certain. I just now that I died, and woke up here, near where I first met Fluttershy." My heart began to race as I had Fluttershys mental image before my inner eyes. "And I believe I look like one of you because this worlds counterparts to humans are ponies. But why exactly an alicorn? I don't know myself. And yes, it makes not much sense."
She turned around, her back to me. Now would have been the moment to strike, while she searched through the pile of books she read recently. I noticed one title: "Transportation through time and space." Why would she read something like that? She answered the question herself.
"I was reading some books about time-travel to stop Princess Luna becoming evil. I know that this could mean I never get close to Rarity and the others, but at least I wanted to try. Or to see how my master was a thousand years ago. Maybe there is a clue how to travel through dimensions."
She looked over her back to me, expecting an answer. "I know of a way to return home." She fully turned towards me. "I have to fulfil a task, but I can't do it. I am not the type to do it."
"What task do you mean" she asked, looking at me with more knowledge than she should have. I noticed the caution, but decided to ignore it. My biggest strength at this moment could only be that she underestimated me.
"The task to kill you, within a year of my arrival." She played the shocked mare, but it wasn't very convincing. She probably checked on what Discord and I talked about, with magic. Or he told her. That was possible to, to convince her that he wasn't the evil she should concentrate on. "But I got fond of you and this world. I don't know what I should do."
She looked at me with triumph, as if she had averted another evil. "You could start to study our history and customs, and within a few years, become another royal at the Princesses courts. You are already an alicorn, and nobody would ever suspect you not being one of us. And you could stay with Fluttershy, if you wish to."
I looked at her, surprised what she just suggested. Study the history and customs of ponies? Living at the royal court? Keeping in touch with Fluttershy? It didn't sound bad, I had to admit, but there was one flaw in her idea.
"And what about my family? I don't know when or where I would return, but I am sure that I would regret not meeting them again." She sighed, as she hoped I would forget this part and simply accept her offer. She was at the end of her wisdom, and at the beginning of fear. Fear she might die today.
"I don't know, but murder is never the right way." She had reached a point where she hoped for me to decide for Ponyville and Fluttershy, and she raised her guard, keeping an eye on me. I had missed my chance for an easy victory.
"I am sorry, but for me, my family is my destiny." I looked at my flank, and turned a bit to show her my cutie mark. "My family is symbolized by my cutie mark. I made it when I was back home, on my shoulders. It wasn't a symbol of destiny, but of my own free will." As I spoke, we both were charging our magic, and after I finished, shot it at each other. I flow against the next shelf, while she landed on the stairs.
She regained her composure first, charging her beam again while walking up the stairs. I jumped out of her beams way and shot my own, below where she stood. "You missed" was all she told, before falling down. I hit the stairs support, more out of luck, and her weight was to much for the remainder, and collapsed.
She was up in the matter of seconds. She had protected herself with shield magic, and was ready to fire the next charge. But I was a bit faster. The beam hit her head on. At first, she was surprised to be unscathed, until she noticed she couldn't move. The paralysis Discord taught me really was my trump card in this battle.
I walked towards her, remembering how I died, for I was about to kill someone myself. I levitated a piece of the stairs that broke before, and whispered into her ears: "I am sorry, but I simply have to go back." The wood pierced through her heart. Her blood was everywhere, and as my face turned into the same colour as my mane, I looked down at me. I didn't vanish. I was tricked.
I ran through the door, fleeing from what I had done. Tears were running down my cheeks. I regretted what I had to do, and also feared for my life. The moment they would find her corpse was the moment my death sentence was spoken. I ran towards Fluttershys home, before I realized that the blood would certainly frighten her. I took another path, and ran straight into Everfree Forest. I simply ran, there was no goal I had to reach.
I was running until I had no breath left. Then I walked. The sun was rising, when I reached a familiar place. The silence was totally out of place, I thought, but I got calmer thanks to it, and realized that I found the path I walked the first day I arrived in Equestria, and decided to follow it.
Blood Flows Between Worlds
Author's Note
This chapter is from Fluttershys view, only that you aren't confused why the narrator switched into third person. It shows the aftermath of the murder from the ponies view.
Wrathful Hunters
The only thing she saw from him was the red tail that vanished inside the Everfree Forest. She hesitated for a brief moment, before continuing towards the library. Twilight has called her and her friends per a strange, psychic call. She asked for help, and with her call for help, send a picture of Ignis.
'I hope they're alright' she thought. She knew they weren't when she finally reached the library, her friends crying and mourning over the corpse of a purple alicorn. Twilight was dead, and there was a big hole inside her chest. The blood was everywhere. Fluttershy ran towards the edge of the road and threw up. She had never something so awful.
As she approached, she heard what the others were discussing. They believed that Ignis killed their friend. She stood there, in shock, and yelled: "YOU ARE LYING. HE WOULD NEVER DO THIS."
It was Rainbow Dash who answered her: "Who else do you think could have done this. Who else could have surprised Twilight. WHO ELSE COULD HAVE HAD THE POWER EXPECT ANOTHER ALICORN TO KILL HER: ANSWER ME FLUTTERSHY."
Fluttershy couldn't answer. She knew Rainbow Dash was right, and there was no way of denying it. She turned her head, looking the others into the face. All she saw was hatred and sadness. There was no hope in their faces. She looked at the ground, and mumbled something: "I saw him"
"What did you just say sweetheart?" Rarity asked. She was as much red as she was silver at the moment, but the blood didn't seem to disturb her at all.
"I said, I saw him" Fluttershy repeated, louder this time: "He ran into the Everfree Forest. I couldn't see his face, but it was him, I am sure."
"Let's go on a hunt then." Rainbow Dash commanded. She took the lead. Her anger was the greatest of all of them. She had spent almost as much time as Twilight with Ignis, He had deceived her the most of the remaining friends. The others got up, reading themselves for revenge. They would enact justice on the bastard that killed their friend.
Fluttershy was the only one who wasn't so sure of this. She grew quite fond with Ignis. His visits were always refreshing and he smiled even if he was suffering. She could never bring herself to ask him what made him suffer, but it was apparent that there was more to it then a minor wound or problem.
Nonetheless, she followed the others. And while the others were blinded by their drive to revenge their friend, she noticed that they were being followed. Discord had appeared to see who caused the commotion. He brought two small flower, one was red like the blood dominating the scenery, the other as black as the deepest night. He seemed to grin, as he vanished into thin air, knowing that he was seen.
Following Ignis wasn't difficult. His hooves were full of blood, and the trail was visible for a long time. Too long, Flutterhsy thought for herself. The bloody steps seemed to go in a more or less straight line, until they reached a small path, almost invisible to the untrained eyes. but the blood trail led them further and further, and they wouldn't lose their way as soon.
'It was here I met him the first time' Fluttershy remembered. 'He came from where he is running right now. That was almost a year ago. Strange how things fit together.'
She got out of her thoughts when she heard the others moan and scream. She went to the front, only to see that the bloody steps vanished into thin air. Fluttershy sighed of relief. She hadn't to see her love lynched by her friends. It would have brought none of them anything, Twilight would stay dead either way.
When they returned from their hunt, Twilights body had vanished. None had taken her away, and not even the princesses could do anything to find her.
Discord was innocent in this regard. Even if he smiled from all the chaos, he had some honour left, and he would never dare to lay hands on a friend of Fluttershys. He liked her, just as he liked Ignis.
Fluttershy went home, mourning over her friends death and disappearance. The light went unnoticed towards the library.
The next day, Fluttershy went to the library again, carrying a bouquet of purple flowers. She knocked at the door. She didn't know why, it just felt right. And it was right, then a purple alicorn opened the door. Behind her were the princesses.
"Hey, Fluttershy. Come in, we were discussing what happened recently.", Twilight said, grinning and slightly blushing. She was happy to see her friend, obviously, but also embarassed that she stood there when she was supposed to be dead.
Fluttershy, confused on how in Equestria Twilight could be standing there, lost her composure, and jumped straight forward, lifting her hooves around Twilights neck, smiling while tears were running down her cheeks.
At the same time, Iwas sitting on my bed. I had just awoken, and noticed that it was just one day after I was killed. I haven't gotten any older, physically, but my mind was burdened by what I did just moments ago. Or was it years already?
I wasn't interested in knowing. I simply walked into the bathroom, and as I saw his face, a strong urge to simply throw up grew inside me. I hated myself for what I did. Not the killing part, but being a traitor is even worse than being a liar, and I despise liars.
I washed myself, and noticed after a while that my focus seemed to wander to the razor from time to time. I took it, and thought 'killing me now wouldn't bring her back as it brought me home killing her, does it?' Well, it did, on the day after she was killed. What I didn't know at that moment was the fact that the grin knew all along that it would be a burden I couldn't handle.
But not at this very day. I put the razor back, and went on to work. At the end of the week, it should be the time I did it, but the grin was patient.