Can Time Stand Still?by xXSheltieXxChaptersOne: RunawayTwo: The LetterThree: The PortalFour: The ReturnOne: RunawayNeon Feathers sat at her computer, giggling as she chatted with friends over texts. Her hair filed in front of her face, making her push her black bangs backwards, the dark mass morphing with a beautiful spectrum of rainbow colors. Her wings were large, but folded; the inner feathers were blue, green, and violet. Her outer feathers were red, orange, and yellow. Her mashed up mess of hair went down to her feet, which were just as pale as the rest of her milky skin. She wore a purple jacket over her black shirt and had a black skirt on as she leaned towards her screen, waiting for a reply. She turned her eyes, her silver orbs watching the beads of snow fall and whirl in a snow storm. Neon's room consisted of a black bed with a wooden oak side table and dresser, a closet, and her computer desk and chair. She had three boards on the wall at the head of her bed, which held trophies that shone brightly, showing her expertise in flying, running, and almost every single sport at her school. "Neon!" A voice called from down the stairs. "Neon, get down here this instant!" "Hold on, mom!" She yelled back down. "I'm talking to my friends!" "What part of this instant did you not understand?!" Temperance growled, pushing black hairs out of her face, brushing over her horn. Neon rolled her eyes and got up, walking down the creaky wooden stairs, her feet like rocks smacking on water as if they were thrown into a river, her hands on her hips with a frown as she got to the bottom stair. "What's so important, mom?" Temperance held out Neon's report card in her green magic with a scowl, which held at most C's, maybe one B, but mostly D's and F's. Neon flinched, biting her lip. "I just... I'm... Uh...?" "How many times have I told you to study instead of fly? How many times have I said, open that book, and quit running around the house?" The taller woman growled with her hands on her hips. "Just wait until your father gets home!" "You're dragging dad into this now?" Neon snapped in reply, her wings spreading wide. "He has a right to know what his daughter's been doing, Neon." Temperance narrowed her eyes, facing away from her daughter, muttering, "Such a disappointment." Neon took a step back as if she were struck when she head her mother speak those three words. Her teeth clenched and her mother turned around, realizing just what she had said and done. Neon and Temperance stared at each other for what felt like hours, but was merely about a minute and a half. Neon's tears burned her eyes and cheeks as she watched her mother watch her. "So that's what you think of me? That's what I am? I'm a disappointment?" Neon scowled. "That my little brother is better than I am?" "Don't you dare drag Flash into this!" Her eyes flared as tiny footsteps approached the room of the two arguing women. "What, like you did with dad?!" Neon fired back, her eyes just as anger and hurt filled as her mother's. Everything was silenced with the taps of smaller feet and the echoing sound of a slap, followed by a body falling to the ground. The form on the floor's wings were flared tightly, her ivory hand holding her burning crimson cheek. Flash walked over to his bigger sister, looking at his mother. "Mama... what did you do to Neon?" He murmured, fear in his eyes. His mother had never raised her hand once to either of them, but he'd heard so many times, bragging that he was the perfect child and Neon was just a burden or disappointment. She had never stated it outright, but had said that she'd wished for a smarter daughter. Temperance had never truly connected with Neon, since their personalities clashed and Neon's dubstep aura blasted her classical aura out the window and down the street. Black Booth, their father, had never heard any of that, and had praised Neon so much, his rock aura moving in sync with his daughter's as well as his son's auras. Neon had loved her father so much more than her mother who disapproved of nearly everything the Pegasus did. "I..." She couldn't say anything as the front door creaked open. A tall man with black wings walked into the room, dropping his bag on the ground as he saw his family in such discord. "Neon?" He murmured, swiftly running over to his daughter, who held her cheek with her pearly ivory hand. "Neon, what happened?" Temperance could only shiver as she looked at her right hand, the very one that had so harshly slapped her very own daughter across the face not even five minutes ago. Flash's eyes watered as he began to cry, Black Booth turning to his son. "What happened, Flash?" He asked, picking him up. "Mama... mama and sis were fighting and mama got mad and... and-and she hit her on the cheek!" He choked out, wiping at his eyes. Neon stood from her shocked position, her hand holding her cheek still. She looked at her parents getting into an argument briefly before turning around and walking up the stairs slowly. She went into her room, her eyes hollow, her gaze darkened and dull. She went into her bathroom, looking at her face in the mirror, locking her door. Her cheek was still red, and her left eye began to swell with darkened colors. She turned the bath knob, pumping out warm water quickly. She dipped her feet in it and took her shirt and skirt off, throwing her clothes in her hamper to clean later. Her ivory body gently eased into the warm water, her hair spreading out like a darkened squid that had been overcooked. She took a gray rag, scouring it in warm soap before gently rubbing it on her cheek, which burned. "Son of a bitch," She growled as the pain burnt her cheek for the second time. She sighed, looking at her ceiling. She knew her mother loved her ever since she was little; they'd done so much together before her younger brother was born, and then she was cast aside like she was garbage. Neon now realized that she was merely a wasted bag of bones. Her mother had called her a disappointment, and favored her brother ever since he could walk. She only ever connected with her father, and she could hear him downstairs arguing with her mother. Neon could only make out so much. "What did you do to my daughter?!" Her father yelled. "Your daughter?! I carried her for nine months! She's our daughter!" Her mother screeched in reply. "It doesn't matter, you slapped her over the cheek! For all we know she could be doing anything right now!" "I didn't mean to! Maybe if she listened to me more-" "Now it's her fault she's not a perfect daughter or student?" Neon could hear tiny footsteps running up the stairs in a hurry. A small boy with a horn knocked on his sister's bathroom door, begging to come in. Neon opened the door after wrapping herself in a towel, locking the door and laying against the wall, holding him warmly. "I love you, Flash. Don't ever let anyone say anything different." Neon said with an unconvincing smile. "I love you too, sis, but mama and papa, they're... yelling so loud." "You can't use your words, Temperance!" A deep voice howled. "And you can't even discipline your daughter once!" A lighter voice snapped. Flash held onto his big sister tightly, salty tears running down his cheeks. Neon picked him up and opened the bathroom closet, going in to change into a bathing suit. "How about we drown out the fight with fun?" Neon gave her brother a quirky smile. He nodded and ran into the closet, coming out of it with his own bathing suit on. Neon picked him up and placed him in the tub, stepping in after him. They relaxed in the warm water, but even their idle conversations couldn't drown out their parent's yells. Neon sighed and came up with an idea. "Let's see who can stay underwater the longest." She took a sharp inhale and plunged her head underwater, her brother following through. The two smiled as they looked at each other, not able to hear Temperance and Black Booth fight downstairs. They popped their heads above the water for breath and giggled before the yelling resumed, making both frown. Neon's brow furrowed, picking her brother out of the tub and draining it, giving him a towel to dry off with. She sat on the side of the tub, wishing for him to go to his room; she didn't want him to see her like this. He frowned as he walked over in his pajamas, reaching up to her cheek, making her recoil. "It hurts... doesn't it?" The horned boy asked with a frown and concern. "It's nothing I can't handle, Flash." Neon murmured, looking down at her feet. "Sis..." He whispered. "I can feel that it doesn't only hurt here, but here, too." He pointed at her cheek and then her heart, and she looked away from him, looking at the window where the snow fell peacefully, combining with the 6 inches of snow already on the grass and cement. "Y-Yeah, it does." Neon nodded. "But don't worry about me. It's almost 8, already past your bedtime." "But sis," "Flash, bedtime." Neon's voice hitched. "Okay." He murmured, walking out of his sister's room and laying in his bed, quickly succumbing to sleep. Neon Feathers changed into her usual clothes: a black tank, black jeans, boots, and a purple jacket to put over the tank. She dried her hair out and spread her wings, the water dripping off of her feathers quickly. She tied her hair back and put her goggles around her neck, throwing a bunch of her junk in a string bag. The contents: a journal, a pen, some canned food, water bottles, and a small framed photo. Her door was locked still, not that anybody would be checking soon, as she could still hear her mother and father exchange heated, angry words. She looked in the mirror and put a swatch of bandages on her cheek, taping it down on four sides tightly. She blinked and twitched her eye, getting used to her new bandage. She held her bag on her back, looking at her large window. Neon walked over to it, her hand hovering over the switch to keep it closed, but wavered. Neon stepped back, putting her hand on the cold glass. Was this going to help her? Would running away fix this? She shook her head, walking over to her desk. She opened a Word Document, writing on it for about fifteen minutes. She left her computer on and deleted everything about her; every social networking site, every single picture of Neon Feathers deleted or colored over with black ink in Paint, and now, she was nothing more than a person, not anywhere on the internet. She cleared her entire computer and turned the screen to her bedroom door before walking to the window. A tear cascaded down her cheek, seeping into the bloodied bandage before unlocking the hatch, pushing the window open and jumping out into the cold, frozen world, covered in a white blanket of snow, nothing left in her wake save for a letter, an open window, a cold breeze, some fluttering curtains, and a single feather from her right wing, blue in color to match the pain and sorrow she felt as she flew off into the distance without one look back. Two: The LetterTemperance rubbed her temples roughly, her cheeks stained with burning tears as she sat on the bed, wiping the tears from her eyes. She wanted to talk to her daughter, she wanted to apologize, she wanted to undo everything she had done to her daughter that was so twisted. Black Booth checked on their son, his sleeping form containing a smile that was so happy and innocent, so gentle, peaceful, serene. He knocked on his daughter's door on the way to his bedroom, but heard no reply. He could've- no, should've- knocked again or opened the door by force, but he decided to leave Neon Feathers be. That is, if she were actually in her room. He walked into his bedroom, changing into his night clothes and laying in bed. They'd finished their argument at 10 o'clock, and were settling into bed. His thoughts swam from his wife to his children and how everything had started. He recalled that Temperance was never too fond of their daughter, ever since she walked and talked. Neo had begun trying to fly from the moment she could walk, getting her tiny hands on anything and everything, tracking mud in the house and messing everything and anything up. Temperance was never fond of her behavior, and never approved of it, but she also had never raised a hand to their children, not once; the only thing she ever raised was her voice and two beautiful children who she cared very much about. Flash Feathers slept soundly, dreaming of flying with his big sister and touching the clouds, maybe going even higher, maybe to space, the heavens, or somewhere even higher than that. He slept gently, his horn faintly glowing as his dreams morphed and melded with lovely peace, quiet snores droning on as he giggled and chirped. Black Booth sighed and fell asleep quick enough, ready for a new tomorrow. Sadly, however, one without his one and only daughter. But in his dreams, he held his daughter as a child, flying with her through the skies and teaching her how to go as fast as possible without getting hurt. She smiled and laughed, and Temperance always waited on the ground with towels, water, and a happy smile, greeting them with hugs and kisses and words like, "Be careful!" or "Don't overdo it!" echoing in their ears. Temperance Feathers-Booth rubbed her cheeks, trying to stop the redness and puffy tears from continuing to burn her skin a darker color as if she were sunburned. She stood up and walked into her bathroom, splashing water on her face. She looked in the mirror and saw her daughter's face looking back at her, only Neon's face was bloody and beaten, tears streaming down her face, but a smile still adorning her face. The red wine in her system made Temperance see such things so heavily. Her arms began to depend on the edge of the sink to hold the rest of her body up, as her legs seemed to have lost all courage and strength. Her face became red as she watched her daughter smile through all of the pain she was obviously experiencing, smiling through every horrible word, every piece of hurt, and the slap she'd given her only hours before. Her daughter was both physically and emotionally wounded, but she smiled the entire way through. Temperance realized that her daughter had been a hundred times stronger than herself, maybe a thousand, being able to take her closed hand on her face, the constant nagging from her mother, and the wounds she'd suffered from school and stupid tricks. "Stop it!" Temperance growled, tears welling in her eyes. "Stop smiling, Neo! Come back here so I can wipe that smile off your face!" She called to the reflection that was her own, but looked like her daughter, calling her by her nickname. "Neo, stop it! Come back so I can hug you and tell you how much I love you!" She growled as tears streamed down her face. "Neo, I mean it! Stop smiling! I'm sorry, come back! I never meant to say those things, I never meant to slap you like that, just come back here, please! Neo! Neon Feathers! Please! Please... come back to mommy...." Temperance reached out to the mirror, trying to grab her daughter who only got further and further away, soon becoming nothing but a small speck of black in an unreal plane of existence. She saw herself in the mirror once more as the wine wore off, making her shake her head. She looked at the counter, pulling out scissors, pulling out long chunks of her hair and cutting mercilessly at her long locks, black flakes floating down to the floor. "Look what you did, Neo! Your hair... your hair is so beautiful... mine's like hay compared to your silky locks! And your skin is so perfect and beautiful! Your face is always clear and I have to wash mine every single day to keep pimples away! You... you were everything I'd ever wanted in a daughter. Everything I wanted to be was you. You were perfect." She murmured, snipping her hair at an angle to even it out. "You never cried when you got hurt. Whenever I got hurt... pricking my finger or cutting my finger while cooking... I tried not to cry and all you did... you got bandages, and you kissed it. You were braver than I ever could be. You smiled even when you were sad or didn't want to." Her eyes shrunk as she came to a broad realization. "You were the perfect daughter and I pushed you away like you were nothing." She held her face in her hands, crying into them with gusto. Black Booth woke up and picked her up, carrying her to the bed with a sigh, tucking her in and wiping her tears away, laying her down to sleep before falling back to his loving family dream, a dream that he'd cling to for almost two decades. His dreams were of his daughter, and his wife dreamed of Neo and her passion and strength. All three dreamed of what they had just lost. In the morning, Temperance knocked on her daughter's door. "Neo, I'm sorry about everything yesterday. Neo, come out, please, I need to talk to you." She frowned with a sigh, rolling a curl in her finger. "Papa, is Neo coming out of her room?" Flash asked as Black Booth held him warmly, standing behind Temperance. "Neo! Neon!" Temperance's voice got louder. "Neon Feathers, get out here this instant!" Silence. "Neon Feathers, this is your last chance!" Silence. "Neon Feathers, open this door right now!" Silence. Temperance reached up above the doorway, pulling down the key and putting it in the door handle, twisting and unlocking it. The trio was so quiet, if one listened hard enough, they'd hear a spider spinning its silk delicately. The window was ajar, the curtains fluttering in the cold breeze, frosted with snow and ice. Everything was in order and most of Neo's things were gone. The drapes were filled with shards of cold ice, and her bed was covered in flowery crystals. Her trophies were gone; everything she'd hung in her room was gone. Her dresser drawers were empty and barren. Her walls were a sad and hollow mixture of white and brown from tearing off papers. Her mirror was on the floor, and her bed was made. It looked like she'd gone to sleep on the bed more than a thousand times, her body's imprint there even still. Everything was quiet and serene, save for the drapes that shivered in the cold. Temperance and Black Booth ran inside, calling out Neon's full name in worry and anger. Flash jumped up onto the rolling chair, moving the mouse on his sister's computer. "Mama... papa..." He murmured. The three looked at the screen and read it closely. Dear Mother, Father, and Brother, I have not been the perfect daughter you have so craved for so long. I know now that I will never be good enough to make you happy or content. I know this is better, me leaving you with Flash. He'll be a good boy and make you so happy you'll forget about me. Please don't look for me or cry, because it won't bring me back from wherever I'm going. Mother, I know I wasn't the genius you wanted, and I turned out to be the athletic girl who played with snails and rocks instead of dolls and skirts. I'm sorry I couldn't be the daughter you wanted me to be, and I know it is all my fault. Maybe if I had listened to you more, I could've made you proud of me. Happy. Maybe even elated. I had to look up that last word because I'm no good at words or anything, and I know you know how bad I am with every subject in school except P.E. Father, I know you loved me just the way I was, and I remember when I was little, you taught me how to fly like a bird and how to live off of the land that stretched out so far around me in each and every direction. I love how you never expected much of me, but I hated it too. I'm just thankful that you loved my own love for flying and running, but I'm not the smart, studious daughter you might've wanted. I had to look up that word too. Pretty stupid, huh? I know I'm a failure, so even if we see each other, don't say I'm not- because I am a failure. I can barely spell without Word's spell check and those stupid red and green lines and the weird blue bar by some words. Brother. You're going to have to be strong. Smile everyday. I'll know when you aren't smiling, and I know how to get you to without you ever knowing I was there. You're probably too young to understand that I was ever even real. Hopefully, you'll think of me as an imaginary friend or something so you don't think you ever even had a sister who loved you someone like me in your life. I cleaned out my room so you can use it for work, dad, or maybe mom can turn it into a study for Flash. I threw all of my trophies in a bag, and I'm selling them for the money so I can just be alone for a while. I don't think I'll be coming back, so please don't wait for me. I cleaned up my room and took most of my clothes with me, and some canned food and water bottles, so you don't have to worry about me starving, but you guys probably wouldn't care if I died out in the snow, am I right? Everything in my room should now look like a guest room, but I left the window open because I couldn't figure out how to close it from the outside. That shows how stupid I really am, doesn't it? I cleared out everything with me in it. Every website I've been on no longer has a Neon Feathers there, and all of the pictures, including the ones in the house, I've blacked out with a black marker I took from dad's office. I guess this means goodbye, right? I keep typing questions, but I'll never know the answers. I bet mom's celebrating on the inside and dad's just relieved. I hope Flash grows up without me anywhere in his life... he doesn't need a stupid older sister to keep him back in school. I just want you guys to know that I love you but I can't stay. Signed, Neon Feathers Your Daughter Neo Me No One The only thing that could be heard for a long time was silence and sobs of sadness and regret. Search parties scoured the lands far and wide, looking for the girl with the most beautiful of wings and the most gorgeous of hair, but with the dumbest IQ one could find. Records showed that she sold her trophies and some of her old clothes for a bit of money, but she came into the stores quickly and left even faster. No one knew where Neon Feathers was or where she went, but that's because they thought the wrong way. It wasn't where she went, but when. Or maybe it was both. Three: The PortalNeo shivered in the cold. It was cold outside. So cold. She had to land, it was too cold, the wind was too heavy, she knew she couldn't fly anymore. She trudged through the snow, already about 500 miles away from her home. Neo bit her lip falling and tripping over a tree root. She couldn't go back. Not anymore. She'd been gone for 17 days. They wouldn't welcome her back with open arms. She knew they would yell at her and ask why she came back, why she was there, why she hadn't stayed away. Neo frowned, her eye still throbbing and burning. Temperance didn't love her anymore. Black Booth didn't love her anymore. Flash wouldn't remember her. No one would remember her. Neo's smile came back. No one would remember her. She started laughing, giggling as if it was hysterical, hilarious, something so stupid, so funny, that she had to laugh. She held the sides of her head, tasting the salty tears that teetered from her eyes, but not fully aware that she was crying. She laughed and cried and screamed and writhed, begging for something to happen, someone to say that they needed her. She continued her struggle on the ground, beginning to slide down the side of the hill. She laughed as she rolled and fell, giggling like a hyena. Neo fell and landed face first, smiling as she looked at the blood that dribbled down her nose. She continued laughing, beginning to calm to a giggle as she continued her assault forwards. Neo stopped smiling and laughing as she saw a blue swirl. It looked like a pool. She walked over to it slowly on her hands and knees, touching it with her finger slowly. Her finger came away with a dab of dust on it, silver in color. Neo opened her bag and found only her extra berries and carrots, all she had left, all she could afford. She looked at the swirl, sitting down. She popped a berry into her mouth, sighing. Loneliness was driving her mad, insane. She knew she would go completely crazy if she was alone for too long. She blinked with a sigh, eating another berry. Her body shivered again, making her whimper. It felt like it was colder than ice, so cold. There was nothing but the cold. That's all there was. Cold. She shivered, seeing huge puffs of her breath swirl around her mouth. Her cold eyes blinked slowly, feeling heavy. She dropped her food and her bag, beginning to huddle up. It was so cold... so cold it almost felt... warm. She gently touched the snow, recoiling as the cold met her skin, making it feel like it was warm. Neo's eyes became heavy, making her blink and yawn before her eyes rolled upwards and she fell down, exhausted from the cold, the walking, the flying, the loneliness. She landed on the ground with a solid thunk, her breaths ragged and filled with cold air. Her body huddled itself together, attempting to maintain its warmth. But the swirl... the swirl seemed so warm and inviting. It looks like a pool of warm water in her glossed, hollow eyes. Her body wanted to reach out, but she couldn't. Neo fell asleep, the sky beginning to cry for the cold she felt in her heart, soul, and body, laying her to rest with drops of snow. The snow collected at the top of the hill, and it gave way, pushing Neon into the portal, waking her from her slumber. She was very scared, very alarmed. Her wings were spread open as she tried to lift herself, but finding there was no end to her fall. She looked around. Everything was white. Her breath hitched. Was she... dead? The thought left her head as she watched clocks pass her by. She tried to fly upwards, but found herself be pulled downwards twofold with each beat of her wings. All of this struggle gave her time to think. Would running away solve everything? How would her leaving fix anything? What if it only brought more pain? She frowned, realizing she'd made the wrong choice; she didn't have to leave. She could've been at home with her family. She flinched when something hit her forehead. "Ow!" She nearly screeched, rubbing her forehead. It was throbbing, like something pierced her forehead, but there was nothing to be found there, at least not by her hands. Neo felt like she was falling for forever. Maybe it was a minute. Or an hour. Or a week. She couldn't really tell, she was never the patient kind of girl. She looked at the clocks and reached her hand out, touching one and making everything else stop around her. It felt like weights landed on her back, hitting her heavily as she held onto the clock's arms. The clock seemed to read random numbers. 1.10.54. She didn't know what it meant. What it a time? One ten, fifty-four seconds? A timer? She couldn't tell, but the weights got stronger, making her breathe more. She pushed the clock's hand in, the clock seemingly opening and plopping her onto the ground. She rubbed her head and looked around, confused. She was in the same spot where she had left... gotten into... whatever she was in. Her bag was missing, and there was a tiny bush growing beside the portal she came out of. She stood up and looked around, turning back to the portal to find it gone. Had she imagined it all? Had she passed out? Neo shrugged, brushing it off as hunger and frigidity. She opened her wings, kneeling closer to the ground before launching into the sky, easily breaching the clouds. It felt strange to her. Her muscles felt stronger; like she'd gotten an upgrade of stamina, like a video game character. Her forehead still hurt, but she didn't notice as she plunged through clouds. She felt so alive that she didn't even notice the bump forming on her forehead. She smiled, feeling like every single problem she'd had was gone, left in the snow. Her wings even seemed longer to her. Or was that just her imagination? She didn't care; she was flying too fast to care too much. Neo seemed to forget what was wrong. She didn't- no, couldn't recall why she had left her house. She remembered her mother, Temperance, and her father, Black Booth, and little brother, Flash. She knew she was upset about something, but the wound on her cheek and eye were almost completely healed as she soared closer to her home. Neo landed in front of the house, breaking the frost on the grass around her in about an eight foot radius. She smiled, loving how the frost seemed to break as she stepped on it. The Pegasus shrugged; she could taste the feeling of her age on her lips. She left when she was about 18 or 19. But the wind tasted different; like it had changed or shifted somehow. She shook her head, walking up the steps toward the front door. She stopped when she noticed a small stake in the ground that had her full name on it. Rest In Peace, Neon Feathers She didn't like the sound of that. It was scary and dark, even though the stake was a light color of blue. She moved towards the house, opening the door. She didn't feel like she needed to announce that she was home; it felt like it was simply a few hours of being outside, but the taste felt longer. She walked into the kitchen and pulled an apple from the fridge, taking a bite as she looked at the kitchen. She continued chewing her apple as she looked around, seeing pictures of her at games with trophies framed on the walls, and there was a picture of her brother, but it was wrong. It showed him going to Kindergarten... when they had tried to drown out noise in the tub, he was only four. He didn't have Kindergarten yet. It went all the way from Kindergarten to high school, stopping at what looked like a Junior, or maybe even a Senior. But as the years progressed, his picture seemed very sad and distant. She saw pictures of her parents, but they looked wrong. They didn't have those wrinkles, and their hair wasn't gray. They didn't have the happy smiles or the dimples that went with them either. Everything she knew was gone as her family frowned, eyes red, looking at the floor, not the camera, hairs grayed, and pictures taken with such old film that they were almost black and white with age. Neo dropped her apple, shaking her head. "No... this is wrong.... This isn't how I left everything." She murmured to herself, rubbing her temples. She picked up the mess she made, not noticing the young boy creeping down the hallway, a woman and man behind him, both very stiff. Neo sighed as she cleaned up the mess, throwing the apple away and dusting her hands off on her skirt. She stretched her arms and reached up into the cabinet, pulling down a can of corn. She frowned and sighed, as she was never good with opening the damn cans. "Can opener..." She murmured, making the boy behind her stop and shiver. "Oh, third drawer, duh!" She knelt down and pulled the drawer open, rifling through the supplies and pulling out the can opener, opening the can and turning around to come face to face with the boy, making him jump backwards. "Can I help you?" She asked, raising a brow. He was skinny and his fur was brown with black hair, his eyes an amber color. "Who are you?" He asked quietly. "Uh, I live here?" She ended up asking it more than saying it. "Who are you?" "You look like... who are you?" He asked, scratching his head. "My name is Neon Feathers. Who are you?" She asked again. The boy suddenly hugged her, making her frown in confusion. "Uh, kid, you okay?" "Mom, dad, she looks... she... she!" He whimpered with a smile as he hugged her tightly, his parents following into the kitchen, looking at Neon with wide eyes. "Did I miss something or did you adopt someone before I left?" She asked, raising a brow, almost dropping her can of corn. "N-Neo..." Temperance murmured. "Yeah? Mom? What's wrong? What's going on? Why is everything... different?" She asked, opening the can the rest of the way. "And get off of me!" She yelled, pushing the unfamiliar kid away from her. "Jeez, no space, huh?" They just looked at her, dumbfounded. "What?" Neo asked. "Did I do something wrong?" No answer. "Hello?" She waved her hand, poking her mom's horn. "Mom, you in there?" Her mother hugged her tightly, wiping at her tears. "My baby is back." "Uh... where did I go?" Neo queried, looking at her dad. "Dad?" She looked at the boy and the word came to her. "Flash?" Four: The ReturnNeo looked from her mother to her father, very confused. "Um... what's going on?" She asked, blinking. Her mother and father hugged her tightly, her brother joining in. "Okay, I don't know what's happening, but you're making it hard to breathe." They loosened their grip, Black Booth looking at her in the eyes. "You... twelve years ago, you ran away. You were gone. We thought..." He looked at Temperance and then Flash, and lastly Neo. "We thought you were dead." Neo dropped the can of corn, looking at her dad and then her mom, and finally her brother. She realized what had happened, why she was outside, but none of it made any sense. "That... but...." "You haven't aged a day," Temperance murmured, gently touching her cheek. "I... the portal... I went..." Neo murmured, ignoring the growing pain in her head. "I saw a portal and fell through it... and there were clocks.... I thought I was dead, but I reached out and grabbed one of the hands on the clocks and... I woke up outside the portal." She shivered slightly. "It was like no time had passed at all." "Neo, what's on your forehead?" Booth asked, gently touching the sore spot. "I don't know. When I went through the portal, something hit me in the forehead, and... I..." She murmured, blinking before falling backwards and landing on the wooden floor heavily. Black Booth quickly gathered her in his arms, Temperance checking her pulse, Flash calling 911. They all tried to wake her up, to get her back after she had been gone for so long. She clenched her teeth in pain as her forehead hurt and pulsed, sweat dribbling down her face. She opened her eyes slowly, looking around. Everything was blue. She looked around, spinning, looking for something. She walked, and her feet seemed to walk on water or in a puddle, making the puddles shiver, but seeing nothing to find. Neo walked, looking around. She couldn't call out, it was like the words were stuck in her throat and she was choking on them. She shook her head, rubbing her eyes and fell to her knees as her headache intensified. She whimpered, wishing her mother was there to make it better. She writhed on the puddles that weren't wet, trying to stop the pressure from gathering in her forehead, trying to make it stop, to feel relief. Neo opened her eyes slowly, seeing her reflection, but it was wrong. That wasn't her. She didn't have a horn. She looked in the puddle, touching the water gently. "Who are you?" Neo asked, seemingly forgetting the pain. I am what you are going to become. The reflection spoke in an elegant voice, kind and gentle. "What am I going to become?" Neo asked. "I want to be myself." The reflection reached out, pulling itself out of the mirrored puddle, standing up. It wore a long dress and its hair was mimicking Neo's, making her wonder what she was going to become, if it were true. "Am I going to lose my wings?" The reflection shook its head, spreading two large wings open that resembled her own pair, except about 2 and a half times longer, probably even stronger than before. "I'm becoming an... Alicorn?" The reflection nodded. "How?" When you went through the portal, you unlocked the heavy deadbolt inside all of us. The portal gave you the chance to unlock the door, and you opened it on your own. The thing that hit you in the forehead was a key made of light magic. It melded with your mind. The reflection helped Neo to her feet. You are going to become something amazing, Neo. You will be an Alicorn. "I-I... I-I'm scared," Neo murmured, looking down. The reflection only smiled. Do not be afraid of the light, Neo. I am your spirit, your soul. The reflection hugged her tight. I will protect you until the end of everything. We are one. We are Neon Feathers. We are strong. I will help you grow as an Alicorn, and I will guide you through the rest of our lives. "Lives?" Yes, lives. Being an Alicorn does not make you immortal. Being turned into an Alicorn does not make you immortal, but it does prolong your reincarnations lives. You will die, that is true, but you will be reborn to live again, and die, and live again, and over and over. You may recall everything, or you might forget, but I will always be with you. The reflection smiled, tucking a curl of hair behind Neo's ear. Experiences are frightening, but with time, we will become strong. The reflection entwined their fingers with a warm smile. Will we become one, will you allow me to become a part of you forever? Neo studied its eyes, nodding with a smile. "Yes. Yes, I don't want to be alone." The two seemed to meld into each other, becoming one body and two minds. Neo felt like she was being carried down a river, or maybe she was getting a back rub. Her throat felt like something was choking her, keeping her from breathing, but she somehow was able to keep breathing. Her blue eyes opened slightly, hollow and dark as she caught glimpses of halls and rooms. They were white. They were as white as snow. She quickly closed her eyes as another wave of pain took over her head, sending her back to the blue ethereal place. Neo looked around before looking down, everything shifting to make the mirror water face her without pushing the Pegasus away. She saw her reflection again, sighing. "Why am I here again?" She asked, sounding hopeless. I am afraid this is your first trial of many. The reflection murmured. "Trial?" Neo echoed, the reflection nodding. "What's it like?" The trials are coming to us quickly, Neo. We must prepare you for what lies ahead of us. We must make sure you can handle this new power properly. The reflection replied. "But... I don't understand, you're... you're... me?" Neo asked, looking down. My name is Echo. I am you, you are me. Echo replied quietly, looking back at Neo. "You said 'we'... who are you with?" We are your subconscious, we are the things that sleep deep inside of your mind. We will help you through the trials, but the other parts of us must also give the trials. Echo explained. I am a Guide, someone to help you. Another fragment, Copy, sets up the trials, they are the Teacher. There are only three. The Guide Echo, the Teacher Copy, and the Leader Neon. "Leader..." She echoed again, licking her lips. "What am I supposed to do?" Echo began to fade into dust, catching behind Neo, holding her from the neck gently. You will learn from Copy over what may seem like a long time, but it will only be a few minutes in the real world. "What about my family?" Neo whispered, nearly choking on the words. They will only feel as if it were minutes. The strength that is going to be given to you is too much for anyone's physical body. You had to faint to relieve the pressure. You are not in danger, they have taken you to the hospital. You are only sleeping to them, as you have been found stable. Although the doctors will be confused by your youthful experience, maybe even envious of you. Echo chuckled slightly. I will remain beside you so I can help guide you, but Copy is going to be testing you. Echo paused. Are you prepared? Neo looked up, taking in a deep breath. "I'm ready."
One: RunawayNeon Feathers sat at her computer, giggling as she chatted with friends over texts. Her hair filed in front of her face, making her push her black bangs backwards, the dark mass morphing with a beautiful spectrum of rainbow colors. Her wings were large, but folded; the inner feathers were blue, green, and violet. Her outer feathers were red, orange, and yellow. Her mashed up mess of hair went down to her feet, which were just as pale as the rest of her milky skin. She wore a purple jacket over her black shirt and had a black skirt on as she leaned towards her screen, waiting for a reply. She turned her eyes, her silver orbs watching the beads of snow fall and whirl in a snow storm. Neon's room consisted of a black bed with a wooden oak side table and dresser, a closet, and her computer desk and chair. She had three boards on the wall at the head of her bed, which held trophies that shone brightly, showing her expertise in flying, running, and almost every single sport at her school. "Neon!" A voice called from down the stairs. "Neon, get down here this instant!" "Hold on, mom!" She yelled back down. "I'm talking to my friends!" "What part of this instant did you not understand?!" Temperance growled, pushing black hairs out of her face, brushing over her horn. Neon rolled her eyes and got up, walking down the creaky wooden stairs, her feet like rocks smacking on water as if they were thrown into a river, her hands on her hips with a frown as she got to the bottom stair. "What's so important, mom?" Temperance held out Neon's report card in her green magic with a scowl, which held at most C's, maybe one B, but mostly D's and F's. Neon flinched, biting her lip. "I just... I'm... Uh...?" "How many times have I told you to study instead of fly? How many times have I said, open that book, and quit running around the house?" The taller woman growled with her hands on her hips. "Just wait until your father gets home!" "You're dragging dad into this now?" Neon snapped in reply, her wings spreading wide. "He has a right to know what his daughter's been doing, Neon." Temperance narrowed her eyes, facing away from her daughter, muttering, "Such a disappointment." Neon took a step back as if she were struck when she head her mother speak those three words. Her teeth clenched and her mother turned around, realizing just what she had said and done. Neon and Temperance stared at each other for what felt like hours, but was merely about a minute and a half. Neon's tears burned her eyes and cheeks as she watched her mother watch her. "So that's what you think of me? That's what I am? I'm a disappointment?" Neon scowled. "That my little brother is better than I am?" "Don't you dare drag Flash into this!" Her eyes flared as tiny footsteps approached the room of the two arguing women. "What, like you did with dad?!" Neon fired back, her eyes just as anger and hurt filled as her mother's. Everything was silenced with the taps of smaller feet and the echoing sound of a slap, followed by a body falling to the ground. The form on the floor's wings were flared tightly, her ivory hand holding her burning crimson cheek. Flash walked over to his bigger sister, looking at his mother. "Mama... what did you do to Neon?" He murmured, fear in his eyes. His mother had never raised her hand once to either of them, but he'd heard so many times, bragging that he was the perfect child and Neon was just a burden or disappointment. She had never stated it outright, but had said that she'd wished for a smarter daughter. Temperance had never truly connected with Neon, since their personalities clashed and Neon's dubstep aura blasted her classical aura out the window and down the street. Black Booth, their father, had never heard any of that, and had praised Neon so much, his rock aura moving in sync with his daughter's as well as his son's auras. Neon had loved her father so much more than her mother who disapproved of nearly everything the Pegasus did. "I..." She couldn't say anything as the front door creaked open. A tall man with black wings walked into the room, dropping his bag on the ground as he saw his family in such discord. "Neon?" He murmured, swiftly running over to his daughter, who held her cheek with her pearly ivory hand. "Neon, what happened?" Temperance could only shiver as she looked at her right hand, the very one that had so harshly slapped her very own daughter across the face not even five minutes ago. Flash's eyes watered as he began to cry, Black Booth turning to his son. "What happened, Flash?" He asked, picking him up. "Mama... mama and sis were fighting and mama got mad and... and-and she hit her on the cheek!" He choked out, wiping at his eyes. Neon stood from her shocked position, her hand holding her cheek still. She looked at her parents getting into an argument briefly before turning around and walking up the stairs slowly. She went into her room, her eyes hollow, her gaze darkened and dull. She went into her bathroom, looking at her face in the mirror, locking her door. Her cheek was still red, and her left eye began to swell with darkened colors. She turned the bath knob, pumping out warm water quickly. She dipped her feet in it and took her shirt and skirt off, throwing her clothes in her hamper to clean later. Her ivory body gently eased into the warm water, her hair spreading out like a darkened squid that had been overcooked. She took a gray rag, scouring it in warm soap before gently rubbing it on her cheek, which burned. "Son of a bitch," She growled as the pain burnt her cheek for the second time. She sighed, looking at her ceiling. She knew her mother loved her ever since she was little; they'd done so much together before her younger brother was born, and then she was cast aside like she was garbage. Neon now realized that she was merely a wasted bag of bones. Her mother had called her a disappointment, and favored her brother ever since he could walk. She only ever connected with her father, and she could hear him downstairs arguing with her mother. Neon could only make out so much. "What did you do to my daughter?!" Her father yelled. "Your daughter?! I carried her for nine months! She's our daughter!" Her mother screeched in reply. "It doesn't matter, you slapped her over the cheek! For all we know she could be doing anything right now!" "I didn't mean to! Maybe if she listened to me more-" "Now it's her fault she's not a perfect daughter or student?" Neon could hear tiny footsteps running up the stairs in a hurry. A small boy with a horn knocked on his sister's bathroom door, begging to come in. Neon opened the door after wrapping herself in a towel, locking the door and laying against the wall, holding him warmly. "I love you, Flash. Don't ever let anyone say anything different." Neon said with an unconvincing smile. "I love you too, sis, but mama and papa, they're... yelling so loud." "You can't use your words, Temperance!" A deep voice howled. "And you can't even discipline your daughter once!" A lighter voice snapped. Flash held onto his big sister tightly, salty tears running down his cheeks. Neon picked him up and opened the bathroom closet, going in to change into a bathing suit. "How about we drown out the fight with fun?" Neon gave her brother a quirky smile. He nodded and ran into the closet, coming out of it with his own bathing suit on. Neon picked him up and placed him in the tub, stepping in after him. They relaxed in the warm water, but even their idle conversations couldn't drown out their parent's yells. Neon sighed and came up with an idea. "Let's see who can stay underwater the longest." She took a sharp inhale and plunged her head underwater, her brother following through. The two smiled as they looked at each other, not able to hear Temperance and Black Booth fight downstairs. They popped their heads above the water for breath and giggled before the yelling resumed, making both frown. Neon's brow furrowed, picking her brother out of the tub and draining it, giving him a towel to dry off with. She sat on the side of the tub, wishing for him to go to his room; she didn't want him to see her like this. He frowned as he walked over in his pajamas, reaching up to her cheek, making her recoil. "It hurts... doesn't it?" The horned boy asked with a frown and concern. "It's nothing I can't handle, Flash." Neon murmured, looking down at her feet. "Sis..." He whispered. "I can feel that it doesn't only hurt here, but here, too." He pointed at her cheek and then her heart, and she looked away from him, looking at the window where the snow fell peacefully, combining with the 6 inches of snow already on the grass and cement. "Y-Yeah, it does." Neon nodded. "But don't worry about me. It's almost 8, already past your bedtime." "But sis," "Flash, bedtime." Neon's voice hitched. "Okay." He murmured, walking out of his sister's room and laying in his bed, quickly succumbing to sleep. Neon Feathers changed into her usual clothes: a black tank, black jeans, boots, and a purple jacket to put over the tank. She dried her hair out and spread her wings, the water dripping off of her feathers quickly. She tied her hair back and put her goggles around her neck, throwing a bunch of her junk in a string bag. The contents: a journal, a pen, some canned food, water bottles, and a small framed photo. Her door was locked still, not that anybody would be checking soon, as she could still hear her mother and father exchange heated, angry words. She looked in the mirror and put a swatch of bandages on her cheek, taping it down on four sides tightly. She blinked and twitched her eye, getting used to her new bandage. She held her bag on her back, looking at her large window. Neon walked over to it, her hand hovering over the switch to keep it closed, but wavered. Neon stepped back, putting her hand on the cold glass. Was this going to help her? Would running away fix this? She shook her head, walking over to her desk. She opened a Word Document, writing on it for about fifteen minutes. She left her computer on and deleted everything about her; every social networking site, every single picture of Neon Feathers deleted or colored over with black ink in Paint, and now, she was nothing more than a person, not anywhere on the internet. She cleared her entire computer and turned the screen to her bedroom door before walking to the window. A tear cascaded down her cheek, seeping into the bloodied bandage before unlocking the hatch, pushing the window open and jumping out into the cold, frozen world, covered in a white blanket of snow, nothing left in her wake save for a letter, an open window, a cold breeze, some fluttering curtains, and a single feather from her right wing, blue in color to match the pain and sorrow she felt as she flew off into the distance without one look back.
Two: The LetterTemperance rubbed her temples roughly, her cheeks stained with burning tears as she sat on the bed, wiping the tears from her eyes. She wanted to talk to her daughter, she wanted to apologize, she wanted to undo everything she had done to her daughter that was so twisted. Black Booth checked on their son, his sleeping form containing a smile that was so happy and innocent, so gentle, peaceful, serene. He knocked on his daughter's door on the way to his bedroom, but heard no reply. He could've- no, should've- knocked again or opened the door by force, but he decided to leave Neon Feathers be. That is, if she were actually in her room. He walked into his bedroom, changing into his night clothes and laying in bed. They'd finished their argument at 10 o'clock, and were settling into bed. His thoughts swam from his wife to his children and how everything had started. He recalled that Temperance was never too fond of their daughter, ever since she walked and talked. Neo had begun trying to fly from the moment she could walk, getting her tiny hands on anything and everything, tracking mud in the house and messing everything and anything up. Temperance was never fond of her behavior, and never approved of it, but she also had never raised a hand to their children, not once; the only thing she ever raised was her voice and two beautiful children who she cared very much about. Flash Feathers slept soundly, dreaming of flying with his big sister and touching the clouds, maybe going even higher, maybe to space, the heavens, or somewhere even higher than that. He slept gently, his horn faintly glowing as his dreams morphed and melded with lovely peace, quiet snores droning on as he giggled and chirped. Black Booth sighed and fell asleep quick enough, ready for a new tomorrow. Sadly, however, one without his one and only daughter. But in his dreams, he held his daughter as a child, flying with her through the skies and teaching her how to go as fast as possible without getting hurt. She smiled and laughed, and Temperance always waited on the ground with towels, water, and a happy smile, greeting them with hugs and kisses and words like, "Be careful!" or "Don't overdo it!" echoing in their ears. Temperance Feathers-Booth rubbed her cheeks, trying to stop the redness and puffy tears from continuing to burn her skin a darker color as if she were sunburned. She stood up and walked into her bathroom, splashing water on her face. She looked in the mirror and saw her daughter's face looking back at her, only Neon's face was bloody and beaten, tears streaming down her face, but a smile still adorning her face. The red wine in her system made Temperance see such things so heavily. Her arms began to depend on the edge of the sink to hold the rest of her body up, as her legs seemed to have lost all courage and strength. Her face became red as she watched her daughter smile through all of the pain she was obviously experiencing, smiling through every horrible word, every piece of hurt, and the slap she'd given her only hours before. Her daughter was both physically and emotionally wounded, but she smiled the entire way through. Temperance realized that her daughter had been a hundred times stronger than herself, maybe a thousand, being able to take her closed hand on her face, the constant nagging from her mother, and the wounds she'd suffered from school and stupid tricks. "Stop it!" Temperance growled, tears welling in her eyes. "Stop smiling, Neo! Come back here so I can wipe that smile off your face!" She called to the reflection that was her own, but looked like her daughter, calling her by her nickname. "Neo, stop it! Come back so I can hug you and tell you how much I love you!" She growled as tears streamed down her face. "Neo, I mean it! Stop smiling! I'm sorry, come back! I never meant to say those things, I never meant to slap you like that, just come back here, please! Neo! Neon Feathers! Please! Please... come back to mommy...." Temperance reached out to the mirror, trying to grab her daughter who only got further and further away, soon becoming nothing but a small speck of black in an unreal plane of existence. She saw herself in the mirror once more as the wine wore off, making her shake her head. She looked at the counter, pulling out scissors, pulling out long chunks of her hair and cutting mercilessly at her long locks, black flakes floating down to the floor. "Look what you did, Neo! Your hair... your hair is so beautiful... mine's like hay compared to your silky locks! And your skin is so perfect and beautiful! Your face is always clear and I have to wash mine every single day to keep pimples away! You... you were everything I'd ever wanted in a daughter. Everything I wanted to be was you. You were perfect." She murmured, snipping her hair at an angle to even it out. "You never cried when you got hurt. Whenever I got hurt... pricking my finger or cutting my finger while cooking... I tried not to cry and all you did... you got bandages, and you kissed it. You were braver than I ever could be. You smiled even when you were sad or didn't want to." Her eyes shrunk as she came to a broad realization. "You were the perfect daughter and I pushed you away like you were nothing." She held her face in her hands, crying into them with gusto. Black Booth woke up and picked her up, carrying her to the bed with a sigh, tucking her in and wiping her tears away, laying her down to sleep before falling back to his loving family dream, a dream that he'd cling to for almost two decades. His dreams were of his daughter, and his wife dreamed of Neo and her passion and strength. All three dreamed of what they had just lost. In the morning, Temperance knocked on her daughter's door. "Neo, I'm sorry about everything yesterday. Neo, come out, please, I need to talk to you." She frowned with a sigh, rolling a curl in her finger. "Papa, is Neo coming out of her room?" Flash asked as Black Booth held him warmly, standing behind Temperance. "Neo! Neon!" Temperance's voice got louder. "Neon Feathers, get out here this instant!" Silence. "Neon Feathers, this is your last chance!" Silence. "Neon Feathers, open this door right now!" Silence. Temperance reached up above the doorway, pulling down the key and putting it in the door handle, twisting and unlocking it. The trio was so quiet, if one listened hard enough, they'd hear a spider spinning its silk delicately. The window was ajar, the curtains fluttering in the cold breeze, frosted with snow and ice. Everything was in order and most of Neo's things were gone. The drapes were filled with shards of cold ice, and her bed was covered in flowery crystals. Her trophies were gone; everything she'd hung in her room was gone. Her dresser drawers were empty and barren. Her walls were a sad and hollow mixture of white and brown from tearing off papers. Her mirror was on the floor, and her bed was made. It looked like she'd gone to sleep on the bed more than a thousand times, her body's imprint there even still. Everything was quiet and serene, save for the drapes that shivered in the cold. Temperance and Black Booth ran inside, calling out Neon's full name in worry and anger. Flash jumped up onto the rolling chair, moving the mouse on his sister's computer. "Mama... papa..." He murmured. The three looked at the screen and read it closely. Dear Mother, Father, and Brother, I have not been the perfect daughter you have so craved for so long. I know now that I will never be good enough to make you happy or content. I know this is better, me leaving you with Flash. He'll be a good boy and make you so happy you'll forget about me. Please don't look for me or cry, because it won't bring me back from wherever I'm going. Mother, I know I wasn't the genius you wanted, and I turned out to be the athletic girl who played with snails and rocks instead of dolls and skirts. I'm sorry I couldn't be the daughter you wanted me to be, and I know it is all my fault. Maybe if I had listened to you more, I could've made you proud of me. Happy. Maybe even elated. I had to look up that last word because I'm no good at words or anything, and I know you know how bad I am with every subject in school except P.E. Father, I know you loved me just the way I was, and I remember when I was little, you taught me how to fly like a bird and how to live off of the land that stretched out so far around me in each and every direction. I love how you never expected much of me, but I hated it too. I'm just thankful that you loved my own love for flying and running, but I'm not the smart, studious daughter you might've wanted. I had to look up that word too. Pretty stupid, huh? I know I'm a failure, so even if we see each other, don't say I'm not- because I am a failure. I can barely spell without Word's spell check and those stupid red and green lines and the weird blue bar by some words. Brother. You're going to have to be strong. Smile everyday. I'll know when you aren't smiling, and I know how to get you to without you ever knowing I was there. You're probably too young to understand that I was ever even real. Hopefully, you'll think of me as an imaginary friend or something so you don't think you ever even had a sister who loved you someone like me in your life. I cleaned out my room so you can use it for work, dad, or maybe mom can turn it into a study for Flash. I threw all of my trophies in a bag, and I'm selling them for the money so I can just be alone for a while. I don't think I'll be coming back, so please don't wait for me. I cleaned up my room and took most of my clothes with me, and some canned food and water bottles, so you don't have to worry about me starving, but you guys probably wouldn't care if I died out in the snow, am I right? Everything in my room should now look like a guest room, but I left the window open because I couldn't figure out how to close it from the outside. That shows how stupid I really am, doesn't it? I cleared out everything with me in it. Every website I've been on no longer has a Neon Feathers there, and all of the pictures, including the ones in the house, I've blacked out with a black marker I took from dad's office. I guess this means goodbye, right? I keep typing questions, but I'll never know the answers. I bet mom's celebrating on the inside and dad's just relieved. I hope Flash grows up without me anywhere in his life... he doesn't need a stupid older sister to keep him back in school. I just want you guys to know that I love you but I can't stay. Signed, Neon Feathers Your Daughter Neo Me No One The only thing that could be heard for a long time was silence and sobs of sadness and regret. Search parties scoured the lands far and wide, looking for the girl with the most beautiful of wings and the most gorgeous of hair, but with the dumbest IQ one could find. Records showed that she sold her trophies and some of her old clothes for a bit of money, but she came into the stores quickly and left even faster. No one knew where Neon Feathers was or where she went, but that's because they thought the wrong way. It wasn't where she went, but when. Or maybe it was both.
Three: The PortalNeo shivered in the cold. It was cold outside. So cold. She had to land, it was too cold, the wind was too heavy, she knew she couldn't fly anymore. She trudged through the snow, already about 500 miles away from her home. Neo bit her lip falling and tripping over a tree root. She couldn't go back. Not anymore. She'd been gone for 17 days. They wouldn't welcome her back with open arms. She knew they would yell at her and ask why she came back, why she was there, why she hadn't stayed away. Neo frowned, her eye still throbbing and burning. Temperance didn't love her anymore. Black Booth didn't love her anymore. Flash wouldn't remember her. No one would remember her. Neo's smile came back. No one would remember her. She started laughing, giggling as if it was hysterical, hilarious, something so stupid, so funny, that she had to laugh. She held the sides of her head, tasting the salty tears that teetered from her eyes, but not fully aware that she was crying. She laughed and cried and screamed and writhed, begging for something to happen, someone to say that they needed her. She continued her struggle on the ground, beginning to slide down the side of the hill. She laughed as she rolled and fell, giggling like a hyena. Neo fell and landed face first, smiling as she looked at the blood that dribbled down her nose. She continued laughing, beginning to calm to a giggle as she continued her assault forwards. Neo stopped smiling and laughing as she saw a blue swirl. It looked like a pool. She walked over to it slowly on her hands and knees, touching it with her finger slowly. Her finger came away with a dab of dust on it, silver in color. Neo opened her bag and found only her extra berries and carrots, all she had left, all she could afford. She looked at the swirl, sitting down. She popped a berry into her mouth, sighing. Loneliness was driving her mad, insane. She knew she would go completely crazy if she was alone for too long. She blinked with a sigh, eating another berry. Her body shivered again, making her whimper. It felt like it was colder than ice, so cold. There was nothing but the cold. That's all there was. Cold. She shivered, seeing huge puffs of her breath swirl around her mouth. Her cold eyes blinked slowly, feeling heavy. She dropped her food and her bag, beginning to huddle up. It was so cold... so cold it almost felt... warm. She gently touched the snow, recoiling as the cold met her skin, making it feel like it was warm. Neo's eyes became heavy, making her blink and yawn before her eyes rolled upwards and she fell down, exhausted from the cold, the walking, the flying, the loneliness. She landed on the ground with a solid thunk, her breaths ragged and filled with cold air. Her body huddled itself together, attempting to maintain its warmth. But the swirl... the swirl seemed so warm and inviting. It looks like a pool of warm water in her glossed, hollow eyes. Her body wanted to reach out, but she couldn't. Neo fell asleep, the sky beginning to cry for the cold she felt in her heart, soul, and body, laying her to rest with drops of snow. The snow collected at the top of the hill, and it gave way, pushing Neon into the portal, waking her from her slumber. She was very scared, very alarmed. Her wings were spread open as she tried to lift herself, but finding there was no end to her fall. She looked around. Everything was white. Her breath hitched. Was she... dead? The thought left her head as she watched clocks pass her by. She tried to fly upwards, but found herself be pulled downwards twofold with each beat of her wings. All of this struggle gave her time to think. Would running away solve everything? How would her leaving fix anything? What if it only brought more pain? She frowned, realizing she'd made the wrong choice; she didn't have to leave. She could've been at home with her family. She flinched when something hit her forehead. "Ow!" She nearly screeched, rubbing her forehead. It was throbbing, like something pierced her forehead, but there was nothing to be found there, at least not by her hands. Neo felt like she was falling for forever. Maybe it was a minute. Or an hour. Or a week. She couldn't really tell, she was never the patient kind of girl. She looked at the clocks and reached her hand out, touching one and making everything else stop around her. It felt like weights landed on her back, hitting her heavily as she held onto the clock's arms. The clock seemed to read random numbers. 1.10.54. She didn't know what it meant. What it a time? One ten, fifty-four seconds? A timer? She couldn't tell, but the weights got stronger, making her breathe more. She pushed the clock's hand in, the clock seemingly opening and plopping her onto the ground. She rubbed her head and looked around, confused. She was in the same spot where she had left... gotten into... whatever she was in. Her bag was missing, and there was a tiny bush growing beside the portal she came out of. She stood up and looked around, turning back to the portal to find it gone. Had she imagined it all? Had she passed out? Neo shrugged, brushing it off as hunger and frigidity. She opened her wings, kneeling closer to the ground before launching into the sky, easily breaching the clouds. It felt strange to her. Her muscles felt stronger; like she'd gotten an upgrade of stamina, like a video game character. Her forehead still hurt, but she didn't notice as she plunged through clouds. She felt so alive that she didn't even notice the bump forming on her forehead. She smiled, feeling like every single problem she'd had was gone, left in the snow. Her wings even seemed longer to her. Or was that just her imagination? She didn't care; she was flying too fast to care too much. Neo seemed to forget what was wrong. She didn't- no, couldn't recall why she had left her house. She remembered her mother, Temperance, and her father, Black Booth, and little brother, Flash. She knew she was upset about something, but the wound on her cheek and eye were almost completely healed as she soared closer to her home. Neo landed in front of the house, breaking the frost on the grass around her in about an eight foot radius. She smiled, loving how the frost seemed to break as she stepped on it. The Pegasus shrugged; she could taste the feeling of her age on her lips. She left when she was about 18 or 19. But the wind tasted different; like it had changed or shifted somehow. She shook her head, walking up the steps toward the front door. She stopped when she noticed a small stake in the ground that had her full name on it. Rest In Peace, Neon Feathers She didn't like the sound of that. It was scary and dark, even though the stake was a light color of blue. She moved towards the house, opening the door. She didn't feel like she needed to announce that she was home; it felt like it was simply a few hours of being outside, but the taste felt longer. She walked into the kitchen and pulled an apple from the fridge, taking a bite as she looked at the kitchen. She continued chewing her apple as she looked around, seeing pictures of her at games with trophies framed on the walls, and there was a picture of her brother, but it was wrong. It showed him going to Kindergarten... when they had tried to drown out noise in the tub, he was only four. He didn't have Kindergarten yet. It went all the way from Kindergarten to high school, stopping at what looked like a Junior, or maybe even a Senior. But as the years progressed, his picture seemed very sad and distant. She saw pictures of her parents, but they looked wrong. They didn't have those wrinkles, and their hair wasn't gray. They didn't have the happy smiles or the dimples that went with them either. Everything she knew was gone as her family frowned, eyes red, looking at the floor, not the camera, hairs grayed, and pictures taken with such old film that they were almost black and white with age. Neo dropped her apple, shaking her head. "No... this is wrong.... This isn't how I left everything." She murmured to herself, rubbing her temples. She picked up the mess she made, not noticing the young boy creeping down the hallway, a woman and man behind him, both very stiff. Neo sighed as she cleaned up the mess, throwing the apple away and dusting her hands off on her skirt. She stretched her arms and reached up into the cabinet, pulling down a can of corn. She frowned and sighed, as she was never good with opening the damn cans. "Can opener..." She murmured, making the boy behind her stop and shiver. "Oh, third drawer, duh!" She knelt down and pulled the drawer open, rifling through the supplies and pulling out the can opener, opening the can and turning around to come face to face with the boy, making him jump backwards. "Can I help you?" She asked, raising a brow. He was skinny and his fur was brown with black hair, his eyes an amber color. "Who are you?" He asked quietly. "Uh, I live here?" She ended up asking it more than saying it. "Who are you?" "You look like... who are you?" He asked, scratching his head. "My name is Neon Feathers. Who are you?" She asked again. The boy suddenly hugged her, making her frown in confusion. "Uh, kid, you okay?" "Mom, dad, she looks... she... she!" He whimpered with a smile as he hugged her tightly, his parents following into the kitchen, looking at Neon with wide eyes. "Did I miss something or did you adopt someone before I left?" She asked, raising a brow, almost dropping her can of corn. "N-Neo..." Temperance murmured. "Yeah? Mom? What's wrong? What's going on? Why is everything... different?" She asked, opening the can the rest of the way. "And get off of me!" She yelled, pushing the unfamiliar kid away from her. "Jeez, no space, huh?" They just looked at her, dumbfounded. "What?" Neo asked. "Did I do something wrong?" No answer. "Hello?" She waved her hand, poking her mom's horn. "Mom, you in there?" Her mother hugged her tightly, wiping at her tears. "My baby is back." "Uh... where did I go?" Neo queried, looking at her dad. "Dad?" She looked at the boy and the word came to her. "Flash?"
Four: The ReturnNeo looked from her mother to her father, very confused. "Um... what's going on?" She asked, blinking. Her mother and father hugged her tightly, her brother joining in. "Okay, I don't know what's happening, but you're making it hard to breathe." They loosened their grip, Black Booth looking at her in the eyes. "You... twelve years ago, you ran away. You were gone. We thought..." He looked at Temperance and then Flash, and lastly Neo. "We thought you were dead." Neo dropped the can of corn, looking at her dad and then her mom, and finally her brother. She realized what had happened, why she was outside, but none of it made any sense. "That... but...." "You haven't aged a day," Temperance murmured, gently touching her cheek. "I... the portal... I went..." Neo murmured, ignoring the growing pain in her head. "I saw a portal and fell through it... and there were clocks.... I thought I was dead, but I reached out and grabbed one of the hands on the clocks and... I woke up outside the portal." She shivered slightly. "It was like no time had passed at all." "Neo, what's on your forehead?" Booth asked, gently touching the sore spot. "I don't know. When I went through the portal, something hit me in the forehead, and... I..." She murmured, blinking before falling backwards and landing on the wooden floor heavily. Black Booth quickly gathered her in his arms, Temperance checking her pulse, Flash calling 911. They all tried to wake her up, to get her back after she had been gone for so long. She clenched her teeth in pain as her forehead hurt and pulsed, sweat dribbling down her face. She opened her eyes slowly, looking around. Everything was blue. She looked around, spinning, looking for something. She walked, and her feet seemed to walk on water or in a puddle, making the puddles shiver, but seeing nothing to find. Neo walked, looking around. She couldn't call out, it was like the words were stuck in her throat and she was choking on them. She shook her head, rubbing her eyes and fell to her knees as her headache intensified. She whimpered, wishing her mother was there to make it better. She writhed on the puddles that weren't wet, trying to stop the pressure from gathering in her forehead, trying to make it stop, to feel relief. Neo opened her eyes slowly, seeing her reflection, but it was wrong. That wasn't her. She didn't have a horn. She looked in the puddle, touching the water gently. "Who are you?" Neo asked, seemingly forgetting the pain. I am what you are going to become. The reflection spoke in an elegant voice, kind and gentle. "What am I going to become?" Neo asked. "I want to be myself." The reflection reached out, pulling itself out of the mirrored puddle, standing up. It wore a long dress and its hair was mimicking Neo's, making her wonder what she was going to become, if it were true. "Am I going to lose my wings?" The reflection shook its head, spreading two large wings open that resembled her own pair, except about 2 and a half times longer, probably even stronger than before. "I'm becoming an... Alicorn?" The reflection nodded. "How?" When you went through the portal, you unlocked the heavy deadbolt inside all of us. The portal gave you the chance to unlock the door, and you opened it on your own. The thing that hit you in the forehead was a key made of light magic. It melded with your mind. The reflection helped Neo to her feet. You are going to become something amazing, Neo. You will be an Alicorn. "I-I... I-I'm scared," Neo murmured, looking down. The reflection only smiled. Do not be afraid of the light, Neo. I am your spirit, your soul. The reflection hugged her tight. I will protect you until the end of everything. We are one. We are Neon Feathers. We are strong. I will help you grow as an Alicorn, and I will guide you through the rest of our lives. "Lives?" Yes, lives. Being an Alicorn does not make you immortal. Being turned into an Alicorn does not make you immortal, but it does prolong your reincarnations lives. You will die, that is true, but you will be reborn to live again, and die, and live again, and over and over. You may recall everything, or you might forget, but I will always be with you. The reflection smiled, tucking a curl of hair behind Neo's ear. Experiences are frightening, but with time, we will become strong. The reflection entwined their fingers with a warm smile. Will we become one, will you allow me to become a part of you forever? Neo studied its eyes, nodding with a smile. "Yes. Yes, I don't want to be alone." The two seemed to meld into each other, becoming one body and two minds. Neo felt like she was being carried down a river, or maybe she was getting a back rub. Her throat felt like something was choking her, keeping her from breathing, but she somehow was able to keep breathing. Her blue eyes opened slightly, hollow and dark as she caught glimpses of halls and rooms. They were white. They were as white as snow. She quickly closed her eyes as another wave of pain took over her head, sending her back to the blue ethereal place. Neo looked around before looking down, everything shifting to make the mirror water face her without pushing the Pegasus away. She saw her reflection again, sighing. "Why am I here again?" She asked, sounding hopeless. I am afraid this is your first trial of many. The reflection murmured. "Trial?" Neo echoed, the reflection nodding. "What's it like?" The trials are coming to us quickly, Neo. We must prepare you for what lies ahead of us. We must make sure you can handle this new power properly. The reflection replied. "But... I don't understand, you're... you're... me?" Neo asked, looking down. My name is Echo. I am you, you are me. Echo replied quietly, looking back at Neo. "You said 'we'... who are you with?" We are your subconscious, we are the things that sleep deep inside of your mind. We will help you through the trials, but the other parts of us must also give the trials. Echo explained. I am a Guide, someone to help you. Another fragment, Copy, sets up the trials, they are the Teacher. There are only three. The Guide Echo, the Teacher Copy, and the Leader Neon. "Leader..." She echoed again, licking her lips. "What am I supposed to do?" Echo began to fade into dust, catching behind Neo, holding her from the neck gently. You will learn from Copy over what may seem like a long time, but it will only be a few minutes in the real world. "What about my family?" Neo whispered, nearly choking on the words. They will only feel as if it were minutes. The strength that is going to be given to you is too much for anyone's physical body. You had to faint to relieve the pressure. You are not in danger, they have taken you to the hospital. You are only sleeping to them, as you have been found stable. Although the doctors will be confused by your youthful experience, maybe even envious of you. Echo chuckled slightly. I will remain beside you so I can help guide you, but Copy is going to be testing you. Echo paused. Are you prepared? Neo looked up, taking in a deep breath. "I'm ready."
