Silence Unbroken

Silence Unbroken Chapter 6: The Cursed Gift

By: Midway Bridge

Fitting Music: Red Skies

"Oh our son is all grown up!" cheered Olive all anger in her voice faded.  She now sat up straight and marveled at her son's new cutie mark. "What did you get it for?"

Silence looked at his cutie mark.  What did it even mean?  Most cutie marks didn’t even look anything like that.  "I-I'm not sure. Something strange happened at the library earlier today and I panicked, I never even noticed I got it."

This caught Augurs attention and his ears perked up, "Something strange?"

"Yeah there was this mare and when we touched… I saw something."

"We?" asked Olive suddenly interrested.

"There was this mare.  she was really nice and she helped me check out a book from the collection they had at the library."

"Was she cute?" inquired Olive.  A typical mothers' question.

"I guess," said Silence.  Truth be told he really thought that she was attractive, but he wouldn't tell his parents that.

"What's her name?"

"Page."

"Hmm…" he was lost deep in thought.  He brushed his mane and stared off into the distance.

"What is it Augur?" asked Olive.

"I never expected this to happen, least of all to you Silence."

"I don't understand."

"When you touched this mare, did you see a vision of the past?"

"Yes, well I think I did."

"Augur it has begun."

"You're right."

"Can somepony explain to me what’s happening to me?" Silence was a bit frightened now. What had he done? Why was this happening to him?

"Silence you have been born with a gift, a very special gift that runs in my family for many, many generations." He sighed, "Silence you're a remembrancer."

"A what?" Silence questioned. He wasn’t familiar with the term.

"A remembrancer," he answered succinctly as if it meant something to his son. "Any contact with ponies can cause you and possibly them to relive past events."

Silence thought about this. "But I've touched other ponies before, why here? Why now?"

"I don't know. It hasn't occurred in the family for many, many, generations."  Augur closed his emerald eyes.

“How does this even happen?”

“The blood of the Silvertongue’s runs in your veins,” said Augur.  “We all have the ability to an extent, but what you described was something beyond my capabilities.”€

“You can see the past when others touch you?”

“No, I can only hear whispers, a word or phrase said in the past, related to what the persons thinking, and that rarely happens if ever.  Sometimes I can guess what somepony is thinking about, but it has been almost a year now since it happened last.”

“Why did you say that you least expected it to happen to me?   It seems like you’re not telling me something.”  Secrets were something Silence never kept from his parents.  They had any secrets from him, or so he thought.

Olive glanced expectantly at her husband.  “You should tell him.”

“…Silence have you ever wondered why you were named so?”

“Not really, it never seemed important.”  Usually the ponies names had to do with their talent, and even more often their cutie mark.  Silence was a strange name when he thought about it now.

Augur sat down before he regaled his tale. Silence did the same.  “There is a long story behind it all started on a stormy night almost 19 years ago…”

~~--------------~~

Most births resulted in a loud crying baby to be born, but this one was different.  He was stillborn; he made no sound except for the soft breathing.  The mother was even more quiet than her son.

“Common honey, speak to me!” Augur shook the mare but to no avail her limbs rapidly grew cold. He pressed his ear to her chest and listened intently.  He heard nothing but the crackling of lightning and the splashes of rain striking the roof overhead.  He heard no heartbeat.  She was dead.  Tears stung in Augur’s eyes.  He quietly sobbed in mourning of his passed wife.  He kissed her now chilled face, hoping that his love would bring her back to him.  “I love you so much, please, just stay with us…”

“Augur, you’re son…” said the doctor.  He held the foal in his hooves.  “I fear for his health.  These minutes may be his last.”

“Don’t you say that!” hollered Augur at the doctor in his grief fueled rage. “Don’t you dare tell me that my son will die too!  He’s all that I have left of her!”

“He was stillborn.  He is weak.  He will die.”  It wasn’t the first time that the doctor had lost a patient, but the death of a mother and child, along with the father having witnessed it was overwhelming.  He tried his hardest to maintain his professionalism.  To prevent his voice from cracking he kept his sentences brief and to the point.  It took all of his willpower to prevent tears from coming to his eyes.

“Hand him over to me, I want to see him.”  Augur held out his hooves.  The doctor carefully placed the foal in the fathers loving embrace.  He clutched tightly to the small child.  The foal was cold to the touch like his mother, but his chest rose and fell.  The foal’s pale orange coat and short red mane was slowly becoming drenched in the father’s tears as he silently wept.

The doctor and the midwife watched careful not to disturb the grieving stallion.  The midwife’s eyes were full of tears which she openly wept without a sound, the tears flowing like streams down her face. She had witnessed the events as they unfolded; she aided the mother in the deliverance of the foal.

“Go clean yourself up,” ordered the doctor dismissing her from the woeful environment, sparing her from the scene and the painful memories that would be born from it.  She left the room without a word.  The doctor put a reassuring hoof on the mourning fathers shoulder.

Augur rolled the touch off of him.  “Leave me be.  I wish to mourn alone.”

The doctor did just that, leaving Augur, the foal and the deceased mother in the cold, dimly lit room.  Determined to not fully show his true mourning before the others, Augur had reserved himself, but with them gone now what little resistance he had holding his feelings back broke.  He poured out his feelings of loss in wails of pain and sobs of suffering.  Each second felt like a millennium, drawing out his grief to what seemed eons of torment.

"This is a life not worth living." he thought to himself.  He eyed a surgical knife contemplating how he would use it.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” spoke a chilling voice interrupting his thoughts.  Augur tensed up he didn’t expect anyone to be in the room with him.  He turned to see a pony that was clad in an ebony cloak and cowl that covered his head.  He was shrouded in a black haze that swallowed the light around him making him hard to perceive.  The strange visitor sent shivers down Augur’s spine.  He emanated some darker and ancient power that cast fear into Augur’s mind.

“Who are you?” asked Augur clutching his son closer to him to protect him from the strange visitor.

“I go by many names in many tongues.  I am the eternal harbinger of darkness, the keeper of the world beyond.”

“You’re Death.”

“Some fancy calling me that,” the figure mused. “You have my deepest condolences for your loss.”

“Why would you take her away from me you fiend?  She was everything to me and you reared her from me well before she was supposed to be… we were to grow old together raising our son.”

“It was how it was supposed to be,” The apparition stated with no warmth in his voice. “It was her time… as it is his.”  He pointed at the child that Augur held.

“No, you’re not taking him from me too.”

“This child must die.”

“Why must he? What has he done?”

“He has done nothing.  It's the way the world works, and has worked.  He has just been destined to die.”

“And who made you the one who gets to decide who lives?”

“Do not question me!” barked the figure with pure malice.  The room grew cold and the black haze grew thick.  Thunder rolled outside.  Underneath the cowl Augur could see two white eyes now glaring at him angrily.  He unfurled massive black wings. “I was there when the Ancient Laws of this world were written.”

“Why do you come here?” asked Augur determined to not show fear. “You must have a purpose to this all.”

“I have come to save you from yourself,” the ghastly figure said regaining his cool nature.

“What do you mean?”

“You know better than I what thoughts linger at the recesses of your mind; too many times have I taken unnecessary souls that were destined to live full lives.”  The apparition sighed bringing his wings back to his sides. “I thought that after so many years of taking lives I could save just one…”

“I wouldn't take my own life if that’s what you’re getting at,” breathed Augur. “My son and I are going to live.  If that is not to be, take me in his place, he has yet to live his life.”

“A noble sacrifice, but You have yet to fulfill your purpose.”

“And what is your purpose?" demanded Augur pouring out his rage. "To rip apart families and cause bereavement wherever you trod?  If you want to save a life, save his.”

“I cannot,” remarked the creature. “I felt your foal pass on just a few moments ago.  He is no longer in this realm.”

“No…” Augur took a look at his newborn son only to realize that Death was right.  The foal’s green eyes were now closed and he breathed no more.  He gave the dark figure a horrified look.  He was at a loss for words.

“Truly it is a tragedy to witness when a mother and child both pass on. The choice is yours.  Will you join them or live?”

“Why do you torment me?” Augur choked out his anguish fully renewed.

“Life is a precious gift that I want to not see wasted.  There are no words to express how much I long for life.  No challenge I wouldn't turn down just to live for one day.”

“You bring back my wife and child, and I will do everything in my power to find a way for you to live.”  Augur wasn't sure how he would accomplish such a feat, but his aching heart clouded the better judgement of his mind.

“Let’s make a deal,” offered Death with a smile.  “It is too late for your wife, but your son I can still save.  As for your end of the deal you will have to live in uncertainty knowing that I will call upon him in the future, and that he shall do as I say and not stray from my command.  If broken the consequences will be more severe than just taking back his life.  Your son’s life will follow a path less trodden upon; it will be filled with hardship, pain, and doubt.  There may be unforeseeable consequences for us on the path ahead.  He shall live a cursed life but it will be a life nonetheless.  Do we have an accord?”

His words sent shivers down Augur’s spine.  You don’t make a deal with Death without reading the fine print; a deal with him could have a payment larger than just a life.   “What will you ask of him?” he questioned.

“Your son has little time, I feel his soul growing weaker," chided Death avoiding the question. "It is flickering before it's extinguished.  Decide now or forever regret it.”

Augur thought for a moment, but eventually he resolved his thoughts to an answer.  “It’s a deal.”

“Splendid, well I bid you farewell.  We shall meet again when the time is right.  And don’t worry, I won’t ask him to do anything that he won’t already be considering,” crackled Death with a grin.  The black haze slowly enveloped Death.

“Wait you haven’t fulfilled you part of the bargain!”

“It is already done,” Death whispered.

Augur looked at his son who he still carried in his forelegs.  He was shocked to see what happened next.  Slowly starting at his tail the foal turned from red to a colorless grey.  The wave of energy moved onto his orange body, it too changing color to a lighter shade of grey than his tail.  Then spread to his neck and up to his mane, re-coloring his entire body.  When it was done the child’s chest rose and fell a few times.  He was now merely asleep.

“His body has touched the stream of death giving him this ghostly color.  Let it serve as a reminder to the deal we have made.”  And with those final words, the cloud of mist dissipated leaving Augur with his son.

Augur.

There was a sudden knocking on the door.

“Augur are you okay in there?” called the doctor from the other side. “We heard shouting and we were worried.”

“I’m fine.  And so is my son. “

The doctor opened the door when he heard this. “Your son is alright?” he repeated not believing him.  Despite seeing Augur a few minutes ago in complete mourning, he had now a content look on his face.  He looked at the foal.  “He looks healthy to me, a bit frail but healthy.  I could have sworn that his coat was orange colored though…”

“Must have been a trick of the light,” commented Augur trying to brush the observation off.  He had no intention of telling a single soul of what happened that night.

“Indeed.  Your wife… I’m sorry for asking, but would you like me to cover her?”

Augur looked at her for one last time.  “I’ll miss you… but we shall meet again.” He kissed her one last time before the doctor covered her underneath a white sheet.

“He is so peaceful his silence…” commented Augur.

“All stillborns are.  I am surprised that he survived. What are you going to name him?” asked the doctor.

Augur thought for a moment.  “A stillborn child who has cheated Death in order to remain living…”

“Come again?” asked the doctor who didn’t hear what Augur said clearly.

“Silence.  it is a rather fitting name don’t you think?” asked Augur.

“Your wife would have loved it.”

“Yes… I think so too.”

~~--------------~~

Silence said nothing for a while.  He was too shocked and confused to form a coherent thought or question.  He looked at Olive, “You- you’re n-not my… moth-mother?” He managed to stammer out.  His swarming thoughts brought back his speech difficulties. He couldn’t believe the words as he spoke them.  He thought for all of his live that he was her flesh and blood.

There was hurt evident in Olive’s countenance. “No.  Not by blood.”

“She is still your mother Silence,” expressed Augur who went over to reassure his wife.  “She cared for you just as any mother would.”

“What w-was her na-name?” Silence asked.

“It’s was Lily,"  sighed Augur. "Her name was Lily Garden Silvertongue.”

“I-I need time to th-think.” Silence stood up and left the tent-home, he half expected his father to come after him, but he remained inside with his mother.  He had no destination in mind but he began to walk.  He walked away from his troubling thoughts, his family, his past, everything.  He considered going to his friend, but he didn’t want to tell her about everything.

There was too much to think about, his cutie mark, his talent, his real mother, and the deal made to give him life.  He looked down on his silver colored hoof with disdain, never before had he wondered why he was the way he was.  His whole life seemed inverted in on itself.  Silence walked for what seemed like ages.  He left the camp and wandered deep into the forest that surrounded the outskirts of the small town of Ponyville.

--========--

Fluttershy rolled in her bed and sighed.  There were few joys in life that matched the feeling of waking up after a long pleasant sleep that was filled with wonderful dreams.  Unfortunately, tonight wasn't one of those nights.  She was awfully tired and didn't sleep well that night. She didn't have bad dreams or anything; she had hung the dream catcher above her bed and true to his word.  She wasn't haunted by nightmares. She did spend a large portion of the night worrying about Silence. She would wonder about many things if he was okay, and then think about what could have possibly caused him to collapse, then she would think about what he could be running away from, then she thought about how he could still be alive if the doctor said he should be dead, but no matter what she did all topics eventually came back to the largest question that was on her mind, "What was he going to say to me before he passed out?"

He said that there were a few things she had to know about him, but he started acting strange before he could say anything. Was he going to tell her about his mysterious ailment? Was he going to tell her about his past? Was he going to tell her that he loved her?

"No, that's ridiculous.  He doesn't feel that way about me," Fluttershy told herself trying to push the thought out of her mind."That the most unreasonable answer there was."

"But it wouldn't be bad to hope," she thought to herself. Fluttershy couldn’t deny that she had feeling for him. What she didn't know was how strong those feelings were. She might feel for him in the same way she cares for her animals. He could be just like a sparrow with a broken wing; she would mend him of his problems and then fly away leaving her only diminishing memories of him. She couldn't help but think that just maybe her feelings ran deeper than just that.

There was a thumping noise coming from the foot of the bed.  She arose to see that her pet bunny wanted something.  Angel angrily tapped his foot on the ground and gestured to his wrist. He then rubbed his stomach and did a chewing motion.

"Oh sorry Angel, you want your breakfast now?"

He gave her a flat unemotional stare. That usually means a very sarcastic ‘yes’.

Fluttershy stretched out, flexing her wings gently before descending the stairwell to her kitchen.

Something caught her eye. She stopped midflight to see what it was. It was a small black box resting on the coffee table. Silences puzzle box. She still had it from the party. She meant to give it back to him before. Fluttershy picked up the box, wondering what secrets it might hold within. She slid a tile across the top making a click sound as it collided into another piece.

"I should probably return this to him," the pegasus told Angel who wasn't particularly in the object she held, all he cared about was his next meal. He tapped his foot and reenacted the hand movements of a clock with his front paws.

"Your right, time is wasting," she announced, "We should head over right now."

Angel facepawed. He really wished he had the capability to speak; there would be less misinterpretations and misunderstandings. He pointed at the kitchen.

"Breakfast, of course," she set down the puzzle box on the kitchen counter and began preparing Angel's meal.

Angel hopped up on the chair and prepared his red and white checkered bib, tying it neatly behind his neck. Today the bunny decided he would check out the strange stallion. Since Fluttershy had to check on her animal friends Angel could easily beat her to his house and investigate. With luck he would find something incriminating.  He rubbed his paws together, something that would send him out of town and out of his and Fluttershy's life.

--======--

"Rarity Mails here!" hollered Sweetie Belle from downstairs.

"Those must be the fashion magazines I ordered," called Rarity who was still prepping her mane for the day.

"I don't think so it’s a small package with a note attached."

"I'll be down in a moment dear." Rarity found this to be strange; she wasn't expecting any packages from anyone.

She finished brushing her mane and stared in the mirror making sure that it was curled to perfection. When satisfied, she elegantly walked downstairs making sure to make as little sound as possible.

Sweetie Belle was busy packing her saddlebags for school. Sweetie Belle was always up before Rarity. Even if it wasn't a school day Sweetie belle was up and ready to go 'crusading' with her friends. This was a usual morning, minus the mail of course, which Sweetie Belle placed on the table. The mail was a small box wrapped in a brown paper and a neat bowtie knot, and like her younger sister said there was a small envelope laid underneath that was simply addressed "Rarity."

Curious the white unicorn opened the envelope first. She immediately recognized the hoof writing when she laid eyes on the message.

"Dear Rarity,

I won't need this and since you expressed such an interest in my design I decided that you would appreciate this gift the most. I wish I could give you pointers in person like I promised, but I shall part with one small advice: be delicate with something and give it time and eventually it will become something beautiful.

-Silence Silvertongue"

Puzzled by the message Rarity set the note down, carefully unwrapped the package, and opened the box. Inside was a large spool of thread, a particularly luminescent yellow colored spool of thread. It took Rarity a moment to realize that the spool reflected the light off of it and that she was holding golden thread, and judging by the amount of it, a very expensive length of it. She gasped when she estimated its worth. This spool was easily worth 500 bits, somewhere close to what Rarity priced some of her better designs. This was a tremendously generous gift.

She checked the stamp on the package. It was sent yesterday, and since the mail ponies collected around 11:00, Silence must have mailed it before he visited Fluttershy.

"Bye Rarity!" hollered Sweetie Belle interrupting Rarity's train of thought. She slammed the door marking her exit from the boutique.

"Bye! Have fun at school," Rarity quickly called before her sister was out of earshot. She usually left with at least a goodbye hug.

"Okay then Rarity what shall we do today?" she said to herself. She eyed the golden spool of thread. "I suppose a proper thanks would be in order."

--======--

Twilight was up much earlier than Silence. She spent her waking hours exploring his house. He had cleaned it top to bottom not missing a single spot. The books on the shelves were arranged by topic then alphabetically by author, the same way most libraries were organized. She tried going into the cellar but it was locked and he took the only know key to it with him to bed along with his saddlebags, the black book, and just about anything else Twilight knew contained something about him. He was incredibly careful not to leave anything for prying eyes to see. She didn't want to go upstairs for fear of waking Silence so she kept her snooping on the ground floor.

Twilight felt bad about invading his privacy but she couldn't help it; to Twilight Silence was like a complex math equation that she needed to solve. Like all math problems there were variables; Complicated past: X, Mysterious Ailment: A, inability to Speak: B, Silences ability to share about said topics: C, all in order to get his full story: Y.

Y= XAB/C

Twilight smiled at her own logic. If only it was as simple as that equation. Real life isn't like math. Unexpected things happen, most of the time changing everything and not following any predictable patterns.

There was a loud distinct sound of something glass breaking followed by the sound of stumbling and a crash come from upstairs. Twilight didn't have time to think she rushed upstairs and into Silence's bedroom to see what had happened. She burst through his door magic aglow in preparation for anything. She saw Silence leaning against the bed post, gasping for breath. His coat of grays and silver was stained with a new color now, red. He was bleeding. The sight made Twilight's stomach churn. She didn't like sight of blood.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded, still panting to catch his breath. A small trickle of crimson liquid flowed from his forehead and down towards his face.

"What happened?"

He just pointed to his mirror in the room, or rather what was left of it. The thing was practically not a mirror anymore; more pieces were missing than were actually still in the frame. The mirror's shards were coated in a thin layer of Silence's blood around their jagged edges. She looked back at Silence realizing that he must have cut himself on the mirror. There were a few pieces still imbedded in his skin.

"Let’s get you cleaned up."

--======--

Silence recoiled back when Twilight tried to use a washcloth to clean his cuts. He’d been doing this for a better part of the 10 minutes Twilight’s been attempting to help.

“You’re not making this any easier.” She tried to sound calm and empathetic when she said this, but there was evidence of annoyance in her voice. He was being incredibly difficult.

Silence remained tense not breaking eye contact with the cloth that Twilight was holding the cloth in her hoof. He wouldn’t even let her near him if she did it by magical means.  He absolutely refused even a basic healing spell, which would have made this whole process a lot quicker.

“Just relax and trust me.”€

He loosened up a bit, but was still obviously uncomfortable with others touching him. She drew closer with the cloth, moving slowly to not startle him. When she made contact he cringed and closed his eyes instinctively as pain stung him.

"Sorry," Twilight apologized. She drew back, "I'm not very good at this."

Silence opened his eyes, and gave her an undefined look.

"What? I know I'm bad at this, okay but you have to let me try."

Silence shook his head no.

Twilight had to suppress an angry growl.

There was a soft knock at the door. "Um, hello?" called a demurer voice.

"That must be Fluttershy," reasoned Twilight standing up, "She'd be better at this than me."

Silence let out a sigh of relief. He still had cuts that needed attention and Twilight was quite right; she was not very good at patchwork.

"Hi Twilight," greeted Fluttershy when her unicorn friend opened the door, "is Silence around?"

"Yeah, he's back there, poor guys been through a mirror."

"Come again?" asked Fluttershy.

"He’s hurt," stated Twilight.

"How badly? Will he be okay?" Fluttershy flew past Twilight not waiting for an answer.

"He just needs a few stitches."

Silence smiled. He looked a lot worse than he felt. His mane was in complete disarray and his coat was colored red around his cuts which there were a rather large amount of them.

"Let me get started right away," Fluttershy pulled out a first aid kit from her small saddlebags that she is wearing.

"I'm surprised you have one of those," remarked Twilight.

"Oh I never leave home without one just in case I meet a little creature who’s been hurt."

"That's handy."

"Now hold still Silence," she had gauze in her hoof and she quickly.

He backed away when she approached.

"Now I know that it will hurt for just a teeny tiny bit but afterwards I'll make it all better. I promise," she reassured. "Just be patient and strong and well get you through this."

He nodded.

"Would this be easier if you lied down?"

He walked over to the couch and collaped on it.  He didn't seem to care about staining the couch. Fluttershy followed closely behind, caring the first aid kit in her mouth. She set it down on the coffee table next to the sofa and pulled up a chair for her to sit own.

"Are you ready?"

He nodded his head. He watched her carefully as she approached him with the proper medical equipment. When she touched him he tensed but then slowly relaxed under Fluttershy’s rhythmic motions. It stung a little bit and his right rear hoof would occasionally twitch when it hurt a lot, whenever that happened Fluttershy would wait a little bit before continuing.

He laid his head down comfortably on a pillow as she worked. His breathing slowed down to a relaxed rate. Silence closed his eyes.

Twilight watched the two. Fluttershy's expression was unreadable. It might have been a mix of determination and compassion. She was completely silent as she worked save for the small whispers of encouragement.

To Fluttershy this moment was incredible. It was the most intimate she got with a member of the opposite sex. She was particularly proud of herself that she wasn't blushing.  His body was cool to the touch, unnaturally so.  Just as it was the night of the party. Neither troubling thoughts nor painful memories came into her mind.  His ‘cursed gift’ as he called it didn’t occur.  She enjoyed the sensation of making physical contact with him.  Despite being chilling to the touch, she felt comforted by it; much like a cool breeze on an autumn night.

She reached for a needle and surgical stitching.  She cringed when she was stitching Silence in a few of his deeper cuts; he would jerk every time the needle pierced his skin. He clenched his teeth together.

"I'm sorry I don't have any anesthetics," she apologized, "I know it hurts, but we're almost done now."

He nodded his head slowly as Fluttershy continued her work. Twilight was impressed, Fluttershy was very knowledgeable when it came to medical practices, but when it came to handling Silence who wanted nothing with the patchwork she did exceptionally well. He put up little resistance to Fluttershy and she got more work done in 5 minutes than Twilight thought she herself could do in an hour.

Fluttershy pulled out a pair of scissors and cut the thread that she was stitching with. "There all done. Feel better?"

Silence nodded again and sighed, relieved that the ordeal was over.

"Just lay here on the couch and rest for a little bit."  Fluttershy got up to wash her hoofs off in the sink.  Cleaning up Silence left a thin layer of red on her hooves and she wanted to be rid of it as soon as possible.  She turned on the faucet and put her hooves under the warm running water.

Twilight followed her into the kitchen. "Wow Fluttershy, you did very well with him."

"It was nothing really, but what happened exactly?"

"I'm not really sure.  I think that he just stumbled into his mirror and it broke.  I didn't see it happen."

"That’s horrible,” muttered Fluttershy.

“Now that you’re here, do you mind if I quickly go check on Spike?  I need to make sure he’s doing his work and not raiding the fridge.”  Last time he did that she grounded him for a week.  She had also asked if Spike could do a little bit of research to see if anything came up about the strange cutie mark that Silence had.

“Yes that’ll be fine,” said Fluttershy.  “I’ll just clean up around here for a bit.”

After Twilight left Fluttershy checked upstairs to see what her friend was talking about.  The room that she assumed was Silence’s bedroom was completely ruined.  The mirror wasn’t simply broken it was shattered violently.  Shards of it were all across the room, some of the larger pieces were even lodged into the wall like deadly projectiles.  Fluttershy inspected the mirror frame, careful to not cut herself on the jagged edges.  The mirror frame had a black scorch mark on it like a raging inferno had licked the surface.  She put her hoof on it.  It was still warm from whatever had caused the burn.

There was a snapping sound behind her.  She yelped in fright.  Her wings shot up in fear.  Something or someone had followed her into the room.

--======--

Twilight left Silences house with more questions than she had before she entered. When she returned home, Spike was still busy researching just like she told him to do.

"Twilight I think I found something," announced Spike, "look at this."  Held up a rather large old brown text, "I found it in a book on crime and punishment."

"Crime and punishment? When did you start reading up on law?" asked Twilight looking at the page.

"Don't ask," he grumbled. "Just look at this." He pointed to a paragraph in the text.

“In the pre-classical era ponies who had committed a serious crime of the highest offence: blasphemy, treason, and…”she hesitated before saying the last word, "…murder."

"Keep reading," Spike encouraged.

"Those convicted of these offenses were typically banished or in rare occasions, and if the crime was serious enough, would receive 'the black mark'. The black mark is issued by," Twilight gasped.

"Burning off the cutie mark of a pony," finished Spike.  There was a silence following the words as they sunk in.

"That’s… unthinkable,” whispered Twilight."Who would do such a thing to somepony?" She reluctantly read on.

"The burn wound heals unlike any other; it reforms as a large strange misshaped black mark. It often has extreme side effects that relate to being disconnected with one’s cutie mark, making the case of each individual unique and near unpredictable.  The black mark is widely considered the worst punishment usually reserved for the crime of murder and can only be issued by Princess Celestia.  The black mark hasn't been used since it was deemed too cruel of a punishment back in the second meeting of the New Tri-Archial court." She put the book down when she finished reading."Princess Celestia? She wouldn't do that.  Would she?"

"Twilight ponies can change in a thousand years, times were different back then."

"But if Silence has the black mark… that means he’s a-a”

"Murderer."

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Chapter 7: One Lifetime Ago

Those three words.  Those three words that are the most difficult words in the world to say.  Once those three words are said there is no turning back, the speaker has fully exposed themselves and their innermost thoughts are shared with the world.  The wait between those three words and their response seems crushing.  The words that follow can be more so.  They could fill one with joy.  They could cause untold despair.  Those three words when combined in such a way have the power to move mountains, and topple kingdoms.  Those three simple words.

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Disclaimer: I am not Laruen Faust incognito, and henceforth I do not own MLP: Friendship is Magic. I make no claim for Hasbro’s characters or world. I am just a humble fan fiction writer, nothing more. Please leave your questions, comments, and constructive criticism in the comments below so I can better myself as a writer and enhance your experience as a reader. Also I'm looking for any good moving / sad music to incorporate on the top of the page, leave links below.