Life is Beautiful

Twilight sat alone in her room, her eye pressed to the eyepiece of an old telescope, watching the horizon as the first stars came out. She was fascinated by the stars around this time of night most of all, she had always felt a connection with them, perhaps because of her namesake. Twilight looked away from the telescope for a moment, a magically held quill quickly scribbling notes and marking some positions of stars as she worked on her research. It wasn’t very interesting to most people, but Twilight Sparkle liked to have things categorized, all nice and tidy, and she had made it a hobby to catalogue the first stars to appear as twilight set across the land, before it gave way to Luna’s glorious night.

Twilight pressed her eye back to the eyepiece of the telescope, carefully judging a few more stars when an object suddenly flew across her field of vision. Twilight blinked, and lifted her head to peer out of her window. Right there, by Canterlot on the distant mountain she saw it, a chariot. No that wasn’t right, she couldn’t see it from that far away…

The longer Twilight peered, the larger the spec grew, and it made Twilight realize, that was the Princess’s royal chariot, and it was headed right for Ponyville! And it was only a few miles out! This fact confused Twilight; she always had a message when one of the princesses was coming to town for an occasion, or even a visit. She even got messages when her brother and his wife wanted to stop over for a visit!

Twilight took a quick moment to organize her notes, and galloped out of her bedroom, and into the main room of the library, looking around at the mess. “Oh noo oh noo! This won’t do at all!” Twilight wailed to herself, her magic starting to envelope books, and stuffing them into empty places on the walls. Twilight was just putting the last book on the shelf when there was a heavy thud from outside the tree. Twilight rushed to the door, taking a quick moment to put her mane back in order before she opened it and stepped outside to see who was there.

Princess Celestia had stepped down from the chariot, and was walking towards the tree without any escort. Twilight Sparkle’s ears lifted, almost joyful to see her long time mentor, and now technically aunt-in-law, “Princess Celestia! This is a surprise! What are you doing…” The words dried up on Twilight’s tongue as she saw something she had never seen on the princess’s face before, a grim, sad determination.

“Please Twilight, my faithful student… can we step inside? I bring news that should not be shared in public,” came the princess’s voice, managing to keep it even and calm.

Twilight blinked, her happy mood evaporating, but she nodded, “Of course Princess,” stepping backwards inside, and holding the door open. Princess Celestia followed, ducking her head down low to fit inside, looking around the place before moving to a pile of cushions that Twilight often relaxed on.

“Please, sit Twilight…” compassion and sadness in that wise voice as Princess Celestia looked back to Twilight.

Twilight trotted after Celestia, frowning, but moved to sit on the cushions, looking up at her old mentor with worry spreading across her face, “Princess?”

Princess Celestia bowed her head, “I come bearing terrible news, news that I felt I had to deliver in person. Two nights ago there was an… accident, an attack… an Ursa Major assaulted a small town. Your brother was stationed there on training maneuvers. He defended the town bravely while the rest of the guard was decimated. He prevented any civilian or guard casualties… but… Twilight, I’m sorry. Your brother was killed… he was… oh I’m so sorry Twilight,” the words catching in Princess Celestia’s throat.

Twilight Sparkle looked up at Celestia with wide eyes, the horrible truth almost refusing to break through. This had to be a trick, some bad joke, “This is… you can’t be…” she started, but she saw the horrible truth and pain written across Celestia’s face. “He can’t be… he can’t be!” Twilight wailed in defiance, trying to push the truth away, but tears started to run down her cheeks, her voice fading, “he just can’t be gone…”

Princess Celestia didn’t know what to say, there was nothing she could say to her young student, her friend, her niece in law. Instead she moved slowly to lay besides Twilight, a soft white wing stretching over the young lavender mare, “I’m so sorry Twilight.” She felt she had done a terrible wrong to the two of them, she had separated the two years before, and they had never been as close as they once had been, she had denied Twilight Sparkle years of living near her brother, years of memories and love that would never be.

Twilight buried her face into Celestia’s shoulders as she wailed in pain and loss, crying her heart out as she remembered and clung to the memories of her brother, trying to will them up and call them to her mind. Her whole world dissolved around her, fading into the blackness of loss as she remembered her big brother, her best friend.

***

A shape stepped out of the blackness, startling Twilight who took a step back. She was back on the street where she had first met Hot Shot. Darkness had fallen and Twilight was nervous as she returned to the poor, run down section of Canterlot so she could see if she could acquire another supply of those sleeping herbs, hers having run out a few nights prior and leaving her tossing and turning to some rather disturbing nightmares about her brother’s death.

“Who are you? I’m not here for trouble!” Twilight said, setting her stance as she made herself stop backing up.

A deep chuckle came from the black unicorn, one who seemed to almost be a part of the shadows themselves, “Me? Oh I’m nobody, but you can call me Shadow. I remember who you are Twilight Sparkle, what brings you back to our lovely little neighborhood?”

Twilight frowned, “I remember you too, Shadow. I’m here to visit Hot Shot again.” She turned and moved to trot around Shadow, heading down the street.

Shadow watched the little mare with an amused expression, but turned to trot along with her, “Ah, a second date is it? I can’t blame you, he is a lady killer.”

Twilight colored and stopped, turning to the larger black stallion with an indignant glare, “This is not a date!” she declared, “And what do you want anyways?”

Shadow blinked and stepped back, “Whoa whoa there little lady, I was just teasing! Sheesh, lighten up a little,” holding up a hoof a little defensively.

Twilight blinked, and let out a sheepish chuckle after a moment, “Sorry… I guess I am just on edge about being around here.”

“That is understandable,” Shadow said. “Look, I’ll make sure the gang leaves you alone, and give a little company on the way there. I was just trying to be friendly, and I wanted to say I was sorry for… well the whole fiasco of last time. No hard feeling?” he asked, holding out his hoof to the lavender mare.

Twilight blinked at Shadow, a bit surprised, looking at the hoof a little dubiously a moment, before she smiled brightly, reaching her hoof to shake his, “No hard feelings. And thank you. For the escort I mean. I am a little out of my depths in this area.”

Shadow grinned at Twilight’s smile, dropping his hoof down after a moment, and turning to lead the way, “I am not surprised. You might not be nobility, but you rub flanks with them, and I bet you always had a privileged upbringing.”

“Well, a bit of one I guess,” Twilight said sheepishly as she turned to trot besides the black stallion. “I do try not to let it go to my head or anything, I’m not one of those stuck-up ponies like Prince Blueblood or anything.

The two chatted a bit as they walked, but Shadow left Twilight at the door to Hot Shot’s apartment complex, trotting off to his own business.

***

Shadow stepped from the darkness of the allyway as Twilight trotted by. The lavender mare looked over with a smile, “Hello again Shadow,” not even breaking stride as the stallion settled in to trot besides her.

“Hello yourself Miss Sparkle,” Shadow teased in a playfully formal tone.

“You always seem to be there when I show up.”

“I am something of a lookout for the gang, besides, you come around on a regular enough schedule.”

Twilight nodded sheepishly, biting her lip, “I guess I do. So is that all you do?”

Shadow shrugged, “I’ve got a number of talents. I didn’t always run with this gang, I used to be in the military, once upon a time.”

“Oh? What happened? How did you end up down here?”

That seemed to be a bit of a sensitive subject, Shadow glancing away for a moment, before finally responding, “We had a… bit of a misunderstanding. I was part a recon and strike squad, most of my squad was wiped out in a botched mission and… things just weren’t the same, so I left.”

Twlight frowned, and touched the stallion’s shoulder with her nose, her voice soft, “I’m sorry to hear that…”

Shadow shook his head, “It was a long time ago. So how about those Wonderbolts? I hear you have a friend that flies for them?” changing the subject abruptly.

Twilight caught the change of subject, but let it slide, telling that Shadow wasn’t comfortable with the subject, so she laughed softly and nodded, “Yeah, Rainbow Dash. Everypony knows her signature move.”

“Yeah, that Sonic Rainboom thing, it’s rather spectacular…”

The conversation moved to other things as the two trotted along, until Shadow left Twilight at the apartment complex again.

***

Twilight Sparkle was early this month, she had gone through her supply too quickly and needed more. She was looking forwards to seeing Shadow again, everything with Hot Shot was just business, but she was developing a friendship with Shadow. He didn’t always stay the whole walk, but he always stopped by to have a word with her on her way.

Today however she didn’t see the black stallion; turning her head this way and that as she looked for him, she wasn’t paying enough attention, and ran right into a large pegasus just as he stepped out of a building. Twilight let out a startled oof as she fell back to a sit suddenly, looking up and blinking in confusion a moment at the pegasus.

“Hey! Look where the hoof you are going. Bucking tourists,” came the gruff reply, the voice belonging to Bull Dozer, who Twilight recognized almost immediately.

Twilight scrambled to her feet and backed off a few steps, “E-excuse me…”

“Hey! I recognize you! You are that little… what was her name, Toilet Spankies that was supposed to be so tough, wasn’t it?” Dozer asked in a mocking tone as he turned and stepped towards the lavender mare.

Twlight’s back stiffened with indignation at that. “That’s Twilight Sparkle to you!” she declared, planting her hooves against the approach of the stallion.

Dozer laughed, “Oh that’s right, excuse me if that name fails to drive here into my heart.” He stepped forwards, “You aren’t so tough, come on you little filly, get over yourself,” bringing a hoof up to Twilight’s chest and giving a hard shove.

Twlight let out a yelp as she reared up and stumbled backwards, falling to her side with a thump before she scrambled to her feet, “Hey! What gives! I didn’t do anything to you!”

Dozer smirked as he moved after the lavender mare, bringing up a hoof to give her another hard shove, “Maybe you have money, this isn’t a very safe neighborhood, maybe I want to take that money!”

Twilight yelped again, managing to twist to land on her feet, and galloping a few paces away before turning to focus on the stallion, “Stop it! I’m warning you!”

A grin spread over Dozer’s face as he continued towards the pony, “And what are you going to do about it little filly? Go running home to your mommy?” he taunted, bringing a hoof up and slamming it hard into Twilight’s face.

The change from pushing to a hard blow caught Twilight by surprise, letting out a cry of pain as she fell over, bringing a hoof up to gingerly touch her face where she had been struck, and seeing blood on her hoof as she pulled it away from her cut lip. Twilight looked at it in horror, her ears laying back as she looked up, just in time to see another hoof descending on her, smashing into the other side of her face and sending her sprawling.

“Now pay up nag! I know you have bits on you! Spit them out! I can keep this up all day!” Dozer bellowed, standing overtop Twilight as she shook her head clear from the punch.

Twlight groaned, and rubbed her face, wincing in pain, before looking up at the stallion above her, first in fear, then in anger. Suddenly her horn lit, and a blast of power from it struck Dozer in the chest, throwing him back a few feet.

Dozer was taken by surprise, his wings flaring and flapping a moment to catch himself, hovering off the ground a few feet before he dropped back down, striding forwards as he lifted another hoof to strike at the filly again, “Why you little…”

“Stop it!” Twilight shouted as a sudden glimmering shield popped up around her, Dozer’s off just bouncing off of it. Twlight pulled herself to her feet, her legs trembling a bit.

Dozer snorted in annoyance at the shield, bringing his hooves up to smash repeatedly into the shield, trying to crack it. Twilight grunted with each slam, knowing that Dozer wasn’t going to give up. The shield held for a moment, but she couldn’t move while she was still maintaining it, and eventually Dozer’s strength would cause her to falter, she couldn’t stay there forever.

More power poured from Twilight’s horn, “I said STOP IT!” And suddenly the shield exploded forwards, the powerful force catching the pegasus solidly and flinging him away. Twilight watched in horror however as Dozer shot through the air and slammed hard into a brick building, the sharp sounds of bones breaking heard as Dozer slumped to the ground.

Twilight’s eyes widened with fear as she dashed forwards, “Oh my gosh I am so sorry!” her magic reaching to wrap around Dozer, slowly and very gently picking him up and looking to see how badly she had hurt him.

Dozer had a broken wing, though that was about it, letting out a groan as he came to again. Realizing he was being held by a concerned looking lavender unicorn’s magic, his rage skyrocketed, “Put me down you filthy nag!”

Twilight blinked and complied, putting Dozer back on his feet, “I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

“I don’t want your sympathy! Get out of here you runt before I call my boys to smash your face in!” Dozer bellowed, stomping a hoof before wincing.

Twilight’s lip trembled, she had never hurt a pony like that before! But as Dozer took an aggressive step forwards, she turned and bolted into the darkness of the night.

***

Flashes of conversation played in that darkness as time marched forwards.

“Please AppleJack, I promise I’ll pay you back!”

“Ahright Sugar, but that’s a lot of bits… If you don’t get us paid back, we might be a bit short on seed come winter wrap-up.”

“Trust me Applejack, I’ve got you covered.”

“You seem depressed Twilight, is something troubling you?

“No… yes, alright something is Shadow. I’m having a rough time of things.”

“Would you like to talk about it? I know a nice little tea shop around the corner.”

“Thanks Shadow, but really I’m just tired right now, I just need to get some Moon Sugar and sleep, I will be fine.”

“I think you should stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Stop the Moon Sugar…”

“You don’t understand Shadow…”

“Then Explain it to me.”

“Look just... leave it alone, I will see you next time.”

“I’m Sorry Pinkie, I don’t have the bits yet… I’ll have them soon though! I promise!”

“Oki Doki Loki!”

“You don’t look very good Twilight, maybe you should talk to somepony.”

“Like who Shadow?”

“Like a councilor, don’t they have ponies who specialize in that stuff?”

“I’m not crazy Shadow.”

“No but you do have a problem.”

“Look can you just drop it?”

“Twilight I’m worried about you.”

“I’ll be fine, just drop it. You are my friend, but I’m gonna buck you in the head if you bring this up again.”

“Alright alright…”

“Fluttershy, I know you need those bits for some special medicine… but I really need just a few extra bits. Please? I will pay you back I swear!”

“Oh um, I guess so Twilight, I can go help around town a little bit and earn a few extra bits I suppose…”

“You won’t regret it Fluttershy! Thank you so much!”

“What do you need it for?”

“Oh I’m um… just a few bits shy for some research I am working on, I gotta run!”

There was noise, pain, fear, and everything faded to black again.

***

Twilight woke at a nudge, opening her eyes to see Hot Shot standing over her, color rising to her cheeks as she noticed what was hanging beneath him, but she shifted, rolling to her belly and rising. Hot Shot leapt onto Twilight’s back, as he had done so many times. This time however, Twilight let out a yelp as she felt the broad head of his shaft hit higher than before, right against her untouched pucker.

“Hot Shot, wait you are-“ Hot Shot thrust suddenly, slamming himself into her ass as Twilight let out a shocked scream of pain at the dry, and brutal penetration, her hooves scrabbling at the floor before giving way, carrying both of them down to the ground while Twilight tried to pull away.

“Hush now sweetheart, just relax, it’ll be easier for you, and it’ll all be over soon,” Hot Shot said, not exactly soothingly however, as he drew his hips back, eliciting a groan of relief from Twilight. The relief was short lived however as Hot Shot slammed himself in deeper, Twilight’s neck arching as she groaned, whimpering at the unfamiliar intrusion.

Hot Shot continued, thrusting in deeper until he had managed to hilt himself inside a groaning Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle felt sick to her stomach as the shaft started pistoning roughly inside her, her body shaking in pain as a few tears fell down her muzzle.

She wanted to tell him to stop, she wanted to beg him to finish… but the last time she had done that, it had been over taking him in her muzzle, and he had cut off her supply of Moon Sugar for three days until she came crawling back to him, begging to please him for some Moon Sugar.

Hot Shot finally hilted himself one last time inside Twilight, whickering as he released his load deep inside her. Twilight grimaced at the feeling of his burning hot seed in such a place, filling her in such a way, but she lowered her head, panting, just glad it was over.

Hot Shot finally withdrew, and without a seeming care for Twilight, he trotted off, leaving the apartment to tend to some business without so much as a thank you. Twilight laid there sniffling for a bit, but finally roused herself, and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

It was around an hour later before Twilight finally emerged from the bathroom, coat brushed, hooves polished, may brushed… trying to hide the humiliation she felt at letting Hot Shot do that to her. Twilight threw an old cloak over her shoulders, settling it so it covered her cutie mark, and much of her main, and trotted for the apartment door and opened it, closing it behind her as she trotted out, and locking the doors.

It was after nightfall, sadly Twilight had missed the setting sun, but she pushed that away as she trotted outside, carefully looking around. Finally Twilight grew the courage to trot outside, and down the street. Shadow emerged from a side street just as he always did, settling in besides Twilight.

A genuine smile blossomed across Twilight’s features as she looked up at him, “Hello Shadow!”

“Hello yourself Sparky,” he said, calling her that since she was apparently on the Equestria’s Most Wanted list, at least that’s what she insisted when she had first seen him after giving herself to Hot Shot. “It’s a lovely night, how are you doing?”

Twilight looked away a moment, “I’ve been… better I guess.”

“Oh? What happened?” Shadow asked with some concern.

Twilight shook her head, “It’s nothing really.”

“It is Hot Shot again? Isn’t it? He hurt you again? Just say the word and I’ll knock his block clean off,” Shadow growled while they trotted into a tea shop. Shadow paid for two cups of herbal tea, and they settled at a table while Twilight shook her head.

“No! Please don’t! It’s alright, really,” Twilight said hastily, trying to soothe the stallion’s anger.

“No its not Twil.. Sparky, you deserve better than him. Why are you still down here? I wish you would go back to Ponyville and your friends, this isn’t a good place.”

Twilight looked away, and shook her head sadly, “No, no I don’t deserve better… not after what I’ve done.”

Shadow sighed, “I think you are just blowing things out of proportion. I at least deserve to be down here in a place like this.”

Twilight looked to Shadow, looking for a change of subject, “What makes you say that?”

Shadow looked down, studying his cup of tea for a moment before sipping from it, and setting it back down after a moment. “You remember that squad I was in that I told you about? Back when there were hostilities with the gryphons? That was my squad, I was leading it… those men were my responsibility, and my friends. We were supposed to just be monitoring some troop movements, nothing too dangerous, just some recon… but our intel was bad and we walked right into an Ursa Major den. It was a bloody massacre, I only barely escaped with my life.”

“I was in the hospital for a month before returning to duty, I was stripped of my command for the debacle… I ended up back in the same area, and late one night I was on patrol, and I heard something, I saw something… The same officer who had given us our directions was talking with a gryphon of all things,” he growled, “I heard… I heard him planning on sending another squad to their deaths. My squad. I waited until the gryphon had left, then I ambushed the officer on the way back to his tent and killed him. A patrol happened upon me before I could do anything, and I had to run.”

“I’ve been on the run ever since, there is a warrant out for my arrest. I committed high treason and whatnot, I’m looking at the noose if I’m ever caught. I could have done something else, I should have, but I murdered a pony.”

Twilight frowned, “It sounds like you did the right thing to me… all things considered.”

Shadow shrugged, “And it sounds to me like you are blowing things out of proportion, I have a feeling you do that a lot.”

Twilight looked a bit embarrassed, offering Shadow a sheepish grin, “I’ll make you a deal, the day you go back to the military, I’ll go face the music at the palace.”

Shadow blinked, and chuckled, “I guess fair is fair. You’ve got a deal.”

Twilight giggled softly, though her expression turned a little more somber, “Besides… I think I’m pregnant…”

***

A scream broke the silence, and Twilight panted, laying her head down slowly. Shadow stood behind the prone lavender pony, wrapping something up in a blanket, before levitating it to lay between Twilight’s hooves. The small pink coated pony cried in protest at everything as Twilight lowered her muzzle, cooing and trying to calm the tiny child, while Shadow spoke softly, “Congratulations Twilight, it’s a girl.”

Twlight smiled broadly, though her look became more concerned as the child didn’t stop crying. “Are they supposed to cry that much?” Twilight asked with some concern, “I never knew they were so little…”

“She is too small, she is also premature by a few weeks… what you were taking may have… harmed her, and you haven’t been taking the best care of yourself you know.”

Twlight looked up at Shadow in shock and fear, “You are… You are saying this is my fault? Is she going to be alright?” There was panic in that voice, and it struck the both of them clearly.

Shadow shook his head, “I do not know… but I will take care of her, you cannot… not from here. It is the least I can do after I got you into this mess.”

Twilight nodded, her ears back as she looked down, and started to cry, sobbing as she nuzzled her screaming daughter, “She… she cannot have my milk… its… its said that some drugs can be passed in a mare’s milk, I… she cannot…”

Shadow nodded, “I know, I should take her home so I can get some artificial milk for her, or some cows milk. Twilight I’m… I’m so sorry if I…”

Twilight lifted a hoof and placed it to Shadow’s lips, shaking her head, “No, no this isn’t your fault, this is my fault. All of it, please, don’t blame yourself Shadow… you’ve done so much for me… and I’m asking a lot more from you…”

Shadow smiled sadly at the bound lavender unicorn, and lowered his head to rub his nose against hers, before his black magic wrapped around the pink baby pegasus and her swaddling, and rose, carrying the child close to his chest as he turned and rushed off with her.

Twilight looked after Shadow, before she broke down sobbing, broken hearted and absolutely destroyed.

***

The next few weeks were rough for Shadow, bringing a colicky filly by to the factory to see Twilight every evening, and staying through the night with the mother and her child.

Twilight herself spent the first few nights attempting to sleep screaming from horrible nightmares, and then wracking pains and shakes that assaulted her during the daylight hours. Shadow finally managed to buy some Moon Sugar for Twilight, and calm her down, letting her sleep. From then, he managed to get a few bits from the other ponies every few days to manage to secure a supply from Hot Shot, easing the spirits of those forced to guard her, and of Twilight herself.

The tiny pink filly slowly grew stronger, and better tempered, tottering around and playing with her mother. It quickly became some of the happiest times for the three of them.

But all of that was soon to change. Two weeks after her arrival, Dozer decided he had given Twilight enough time to recover from her ordeal. In the middle of the afternoon, while Twilight was napping, the door suddenly burst open, and in strode Dozer. He had some wicked looking tools with him, items that Twilight’s mind refused to fully comprehend, as well as items she couldn’t figure out a use for, but terror slowly filled Twilight as her eyes settled on his twisted grin.

“It’s time to play my little pony,” Dozer said in an almost singsong voice. Twilight started to struggle against the chains, but to no avail.

“L-Look! I’m sorry! I never meant to-!” Twilight started before one of Dozer’s hoof smashed across her face, making her see stars.

“Shut up you stupid nag! You uptight little whore! I know what you pretended to be! But you are just a slut like so many others. You sold your body out just for a fix. Well I’ve got your fix right here,” he grinned as Twilight started to sob in fear, taking a wicked looking knife from the stuff he had brought with him.

What came next, Twilight’s mind couldn’t even remember properly, all she remembered was how much she hurt, and how terrified she was. The things Dozer did to her left her a bloody mess, day after day. Shadow had to spend hours every evening washing the blood from her hide, and tending her injuries before he could bring Dawn in to see Twilight. Twilight insisted every night that Dawn come, and Shadow quickly saw that Dawn was the only thing that kept Twilight going.

After weeks of dedicated torture, things took another twisted turn for the poor filly. After finishing with her early one afternoon, Dozer left, and other ponies, stallions stated coming in, she became free game for the entire gang. The ways they used her, and raped her made her wish she was still beneath Hot Shot. The stallions took turns using and humiliating her, leaving her covered in filth, spunk, and blood most evenings.

The sight was enough to break Shadow’s heart every night, but Twilight begged him to come back every time, and he could not refuse her. He brought little Dawn every night after he gently bathed her, and gave her all the comfort he could… but he knew in his heart he should stop this.

Twilight’s suffering became something she could tolerate in time, used to being the toy, the whore, the thing… she had her time with Shadow, time she came to cherish just as much as her time with Dawn… but in time that too would end.

***

The darkness closed in around Twilight, and she floated there in the pain and suffering, and the perfect stillness of everything, an eternity passing her by in the blink of an eye.

The sound of hoofbeats finally stirred Twilight, her head lifting as she looked around. In the distance she saw a shining white light coming closer. Twilight squinted her eyes, trying to make out what it was, and determined it was a pony. The light came closer and closer until it slowed a few dozen yards away, approaching at a steady walk.

“Hello Twili,” came the voice, making Twilight’s heart leap with glee, and fear, the light dimming a bit as Shining Armor stood there.

Twilight gasped, and leapt to her feet, rushing to the shining stallion and wrapping her hooves around his neck, “Big Brother!” she cried, burying her face in his gleaming white neck, starting to sob uncontrollably.

Shining Armor put a hoof slowly around his little sister, hugging and holding her, “You’ve been through a lot Twili, I’m so sorry… I wish I had been there for you.”

“It’s so wonderful to see you brother! I’ve missed you… so… so badly…” Twilight sobbed, rubbing her face into his shoulder.

“I know Twili, I was watching… I was always watching. You need to let go Twilight, you need to let go of me.”

Twilight drew her head back with wide eyed eyes, “I can’t brother! I need you! I’ve always needed you!”

“No you don’t little Twili, you never have. I love you sis, more than anything… well, anything but Cadance… But you need to let go of me, you have your own life, your own friends…”

Twilight lowered her head as she stepped away, “No I don’t brother… not anymore.”

Shining Armor smiled, “Ofcourse you do, do you think any of them love you any less? And that Shadow is a good pony, he looked after you like I would have… maybe better.”

“Shining… please! You have to stay!” Twilight wailed, sinking own, “I can’t do this without you.”

“I can’t Twili,” Shining said, lowering his muzzle to nuzzle away her tears, “You have everything you need. I can’t do this for you… you’ve been holding on to me for too long, and it’s been destroying your life. Let me go, accept those around you… and Twilight, I need to ask you to do something. The hardest thing you’ve ever done.”

Twilight sniffled, looking up at her brother, “Anything Shining.”

Shining smiled at Twilight, “Forgive yourself. I love you Twilight, I will see you again, one day… fare well.” Shining Armor turned and started trotting away into the blackness, his coat returning to that shining glow that it had taken before. That shining glow started to spread, enveloping everything.

Twilight watched her brother go, sniffling, sad… but realizing he was right… calling after him, “Farewell Brother!”

The light became blinding, and Twilight had to shield her eyes from the brightness, squeezing them tight.

***

When the light faded, Twilight slowly opened her eyes with a groan, not recognizing where she was for a minute. Rolling slowly over in a bed, she saw all sorts of medical equipment. As she ended up on her side, she suddenly ended up face to face with a gryphon beak.

Twilight stared in raw fear for a moment as the eyes above that beak slowly opened, giving a little squeak as it yawned, almost cutely. Twilight however panicked, letting out a shrill scream of fear, which was quickly returned as the gryphon infront of her woke up. Twilight’s power wrapped around the gryphon in her fear, suddenly throwing him away and into a wall hard as Twilight tried to scramble to her feet, only to find bands of fabric over her chest and haunches holding her down.

Author's Notes

This may seem like a compliation of short stories from missing gaps throughout the story, and it is in a way, but it is also the steps on the path that Twilight walked. The sections were too inconsequential to mention then, but they are the places Twilight's mind traveled in her coma, thats how i am intending this peice to play. It is something of a filler story i guess, so i am sorry for that and the lack of any real plot for most of it, but it was what i wanted to write, between a suggestion from a reader, and a suggestion from my one friend who was willing to read this.

I don't have much else to say, except that d3 inferno diffiulty is tuned really high, i can't even get started there.