They Walk Among Us

Twilight was trapped.

She could move, there was no problem with that. But she was inside a cage. A clean, sanitary cage, but a cage, nonetheless. She tried to break the cage with her magic, but her horn didn't seem to respond. There were many occasions where her magic didn't work, but never in her life did none come out at all. She continued to try, but it just wouldn't budge.

"Magic won't work in here, Miss Twilight Sparkle." said a deep, booming voice. It seemed to echo all around her, despite the fact that there were no walls anywhere.

"Who are you?" asked Twilight. "Where am I?"

"One question at a time, Miss Twilight." said the voice.

"Fine." said Twilight, annoyed but scared. "First question. Who are you?"

"I think you should know who I am, Miss Twilight." said the voice. "We've met before."

Twilight thought about this. Who could this voice belong to? Definitely not one of her best friends, she would've recognized their voices by then. This voice was a male voice, and it should belong to someone that she had only met once in her life.

"Say something." said Twilight, not actually expecting the voice to reply.

"You really forgot who I am, don't you?" asked a now very familiar, mocking, sarcastic voice.

Only one pony she knew had that kind of malicious voice.

No. Not a pony.

A draconequus.

"Discord!" said Twilight, bracing herself to fight. But her magic wasn't working.

"Ah!" said Discord, clapping. He was still nowhere to be seen. "So you remember me. That's good news."

"Where are you?" asked Twilight. "Why did you take me here?"

"One question at a time, Miss Twilight." said Discord, getting impatient. "But we don't have much time. You have to listen to me."

"Why would I want to listen to you?" asked Twilight.

"Because your actions will determine the fate of us all." said Discord. "Everlasting peace, or all-out war."

Twilight paused. Was Discord actually trying to help her? No. That's impossible. Discord cares for naught but chaos. War is chaos. Discord would never want that to stop.

"You have to listen to me." said Discord. "We don't have much time."

"You words are poison!" said Twilight, turning away.

Twilight could hear an audible sigh from Discord. This struck Twilight as strange. As far as she knew, Discord never sighed. In fact, the more they struggled, the more he would be happy.

"Never mind." said Discord. "You will never listen to me, won't you?"

"No." said Twilight, rather proudly.

"Very well." said Discord. "It doesn't matter."

Twilight remained silent.

"I have another joining my cause." said Discord. "One of you."

Twilight widened her eyes in surprise. Discord had been visiting one of her friends as well?

"What are you talking about?" asked Twilight.

"I'm talking about the fact that if I can't have you on my side, then I'll have to have another." said Discord. "One of your friends."

"WHAT?" asked Twilight. "HOW DARE YOU... HOW..."

Discord let out a very loud laugh, which echoed throughout the room. Twilight couldn't hear herself think.

"You are so full of hate, Miss Twilight." said Discord, still laughing. "Let go of that hate. I will do no one any good."

"NO!" said Twilight. "YOU MANIPULATED ONE OF MY FRIENDS INTO HELPING YOU! I can't... I just..."

"Manipulated?" asked Discord. "No, no! He joined me of his own accord. I barely needed to say anything to him."

Twilight swore under her breath. As much as she hated to think about it, she really wanted to know which one of her friends is under this villain's control. As much as she wanted to trust her friends now, it was nigh impossible. Whatever Discord was trying to do, he was succeeding.

"I'm sure you want to know who it is." said DIscord.

"Shut up!" shouted Twilight, putting her hooves over her ears. "Shut up shut up shut up!"

"Oh, but you do want to know, don't you?" asked Discord. "You want to know who to trust and and who not to trust."

Discord then began to laugh maniacally.

"Shut up!" said Twilight, burying her face in the ground. "ShutupshutupshutupSHUTUP!"

"I can leave you to this misery of not knowing who I consort with, but that would be cruel." said Discord. "Very cruel..."

"Stop talking to me!" said Twilight. "I won't listen to you!"

"But you are, aren't you?" asked Discord. Twilight could imagine his evil face grinning at her, his eyes trying to meet hers. "As much as you try to deny it, you are listening to me. You are listening to every word I say."

"Go away!" said Twilight. "Go away!"

"But I can't go away, Miss Twilight." said Discord. "You're on my territory. So you have to go away. But I know that I'll always be feeling rent-free right... here."

Twilight felt a tapping on her forehead. She jumped in surprise, but no one was there. Her eyes suddenly filled with light, and right in front of her was none other than her three friends. She gasped for air.

"Is she going to be okay?" asked Barbara.

"She should be fine." said Steven. "Hey, Twilight. How're you feeling?"

"Bad." said Twilight. "Very bad."

"What happened?" asked Bush. "You were all screaming and writhing on the floor like that. it was real troubling."

"I had a nightmare." said Twilight. As much as she desperately wanted to tell of them what she just saw, she knew that she had to keep quiet. One of them is a spy, after all.

Steven tilted his head and looked at her.

"Are you sure you're all right?" asked Steven.

"I'm fi-"

Just then, Twilight saw a picture flash before her eyes.

"Ah!" shouted Twilight.

She cowered in fear. As Steven was looking at her just now, she swore that she could see, for one second, his eyes turning completely black and his mouth turning into a wide, terrifying smile.

"Hey!" said STeven, approaching her. "What wr-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" said Twilight, hiding in a corner.

"What..." said Steven, hesitating before walking back.

Of course! Why didn't she put two and two together? It was Steven. It had to be Steven.

He was the one who so desperately wanted to go find Discord. He had to be the spy.

"How..." said Twilight. "How could you? How could you betray us like that?"

"What?" asked Steven, in what must be false confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You sold us out!" said Twilight. Barbara and Bush turned to look at him. Twilight could see Steven glance at all of them in turn.

Twilight walked to Steven and summoned the greatest amount of magic she could. She then focused it on Steven, where the magic surrounded him like a ball, keeping him in place, and not letting him escape.

"Twilight!" said Bush. "What are you doing? He saved all of our lives!"

"To gain our trust!" said Twilight. "So he can turn us all in without anyone suspecting him!"

"Where are you getting all of this?" asked Barbara. Steven tried to speak, but fortunately, the magic bubble blocked any magic use on the inside and it prevented all sound from coming out of it. It was the perfect cage for a traitor.

"I just know." said Twilight. She couldn't tell them about Discord yet.

"Are you trying to say that the breach... was his fault?" asked Bush.

A breach? In the Resistance Base? It HAD to be his fault! Why else would he ask Big Macintosh where they were exactly in their last mission? Twilight felt angry with herself. It was stupid of her to have ever trusted him in the first place.

"Yes!" said Twilight. "It's definitely his fault."

Twilight saw Steven gasp in surprise inside her bubble. He then turned to look at Bush and Twilight and shook his head.

"There's no use denying it, Steven." said Twilight. "You're guilty. And I'll make sure that you've got the proper punishment."

"This is ridiculous, Twilight!" said Bush, angrily confronting her.

"I agree." said Barbara. "Why would you do something like that to your friend?"

"BECAUSE HE'S NOT OUR FRIEND!" said Twilight. "HE BETRAYED US ALL! HE NEVER WAS OUR FRIEND!"

"Why would a spy who works for the damn enemy want to risk his life for us?" asked Bush. "I would think that they would value their own lives more than their mission, mate."

"Because he wants to gain our trust!" said Twilight. "You guys are so stupid to not realize this!"

Bush and Barbara looked taken aback. Twilight could see Steven look shocked inside her bubble as well.

Steven's face then took on one of extreme anger. He started scolding her inaudibly.

This despicable traitor! She trusted him!

You still trust him. said a small voice in her head.

But Twilight knew for a fact that Steven cannot be trusted.

No you don't. said the defiant voice. You know that he would never betray you.

Shut up. she told the small voice.

"What's going on over here?" asked a voice behind her.

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Big Macintosh came into view right next to her.

"Rarity is fighting the soldiers right outside her new boutique." said Fluttershy. "So we thought we'd come get you guys to help her... But it looks like you're busy, so..."

"You guys came right on time." said Twilight, grinning madly. "I just found out that Steven here was nothing but a traitor! A petty betrayer!"

The three of them widened their mouths and dropped their jaws in shock. Well, not Big Macintosh. His reaction was only the dilation of his pupils.

"You're kidding." said Rainbow Dash.

"She's not." said Bush. "She's really serious. A complete whacker, but still serious."

"What are you talking about?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"She thinks that-"

"Steven sold us out to the enemy! He works for Discord!" interrupted Twilight, breathing heavily, eyes widened like a maniac.

"You don't seriously think-"

"YES!" said Twilight. "WHY ARE ALL OF YOU SO STUPID?"

Everyone (except Steven) took a step backward, obviously hurt.

"He wanted so desperately to find Discord, giving the stupid excuse of 'he has the answers', but what he obviously wanted to do was to turn us all in! He wants us all destroyed!" said Twilight. "We have to kill this stupid, no-good, son of a bi-"

Big Macintosh, who had been quiet all this time, charged into Twilight. Losing focus, Twilight dropped Steven onto the ground with a loud thud.

"What are you doing?" asked Twilight, picking herself up off the ground.

Big Macintosh looked back at her angrily. Pissed wouldn't even begin to describe what he looked like right then.

"Tell meh something, Twilight." said Big Macintosh. "How do ya expect to bring peace to this world if there's even conflict among the peacemakers? Who can we trust if not ahr close friends?"

"He's not a friend!" said Twilight. "He's our enemy!"

Twilight quickly lunged at Steven, pinning him down to the floor. She then began to punch his face like mad.

"How. Could. You. Do. Such. A. THING?" asked Twilight, in between deadly punches.

"This is stupid!" said Rainbow Dash. "Twilight, stop it."

She made to break them apart, but Big Macintosh held her back. Good for Twilight.

As she kept punching him repeatedly, Steven did nothing but accept them. He stayed on the ground, head moving left and right as she punched him, but his eyes still locking with her own.

"STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!" said Twilight, punching his face into the ground. Twilight could see traces of blood flowing from his nose, mouth, and on her own hooves. But Twilight didn't care. She just wanted to punish this bastard as hard as she could.

She kept on punching Steven's face relentlessly, not even stopping to rest, and not slowing down even one bit. Steven's face was soon full of blood, but his eyes were still looking at hers.

"RAAGH!" screamed Twilight, as she magicked a large piece of the floor to her side and began to bash Steven's face with it.

"I had enough." said Bush. "i'm stopping this."

But Big Macintosh again held him back.

"But Steven can die!" complained Rainbow Dash.

"Then maybe Twilight will realize how wrong she was." said Big Macintosh. "We have to let Twilight reach that conclusion herself. Then we can help her. Until then, Steven's life is in how strong-willed Twilight can be."

"STOP. STARING. AT. ME!" said Twilight, bashing his head again and again. "STOP IT!"

Twilight raised her weapon as high up into the air as she could, preparing for the blow that would finish Steven off. Steven cannot heal from this.

All of a sudden, Twilight felt something heavy hold her down in her heart. She began hearing voices in her head again. But this time, it wasn't Steven's voice. She was hearing a memory. Someone else's memory.

Too late. While Rainbow Dash was rubbing them together, one of her fingers accidentally touched the base, electrifying her.

Rainbow Dash squealed and threw the functions away. They were heading towards Steven's face.

Steven easily dodged the first one. He looked up, but the other one was too close to dodge.

Steven's life flashed before him. His childhood, high school, college, Jaeda, the Observatory incident.

As a scientist, he always wished to die from being attacked by an alien or something, or at least a lab accident that would lead to a great scientific discovery. Being electrified to death by a home-made defibrillator thrown at him by a pony-turned-human definitely did NOT make the list. What a terrible way to die.

Whose memory was this? Why was Twilight lying on the floor? Was this... Was this Steven's memory?

"So, how is she?" asked Rainbow Dash, obviously worried.

Steven put his ear closer, but there was no sign of a heartbeat. It had stopped.

"What's happening?" she asked again.

No, no... she can't die. I can't allow it. I won't allow it!

Steven closed his eyes and listened further. In his heart, his desire to save this one life grew. He couldn't allow another death on his hands.

Please be alive, please be alive, please be alive...

A single tear rolled down his cheek. Rainbow Dash caught sight of this, but she needed to hear it from Steven himself.

"How is she? Please... Tell me..." she said, her voice getting lower.

The voice in Steven's head grew louder.

Please be alive, please be alive..."

Just then, a strong wind came inside the room.

Please be alive, please be alive..."

Rainbow Dash then noticed Steven's horn starting to glow a brilliant, shiny blue.

"Um... Steven?"

Please be alive, please be alive...

The wind then came in strong gushes, completely lifting Twilight from off the floor.

"Steven!"

Please be alive, please be alive...

Twilight's eyelids opened, revealing bright, pupil-less eyes staring right in front. Her hooves stretched sideways, and her horn also started glowing with a bright purple aura

Steven's eyes were still closed, and he was deep in concentration and hope for Twilight Sparkle to live. It amazed Rainbow Dash how much he wanted to save Twilight, even though they've never even met before.

Please be alive... Please...

"LIVE!" shouted Steven, his voice turned deep and powerful.

What happened next was an amazing sight. The blue from Steven's horn spiraled toward Twilight's body, forming a sphere around her. Twilight's own purple magic then shined through the blue ball, making it look like light was coming out from the sphere. The wind around it also started to glow with blue and purple light, turning the dark apartment into a bright place.

Rainbow Dash watched in amazement as the following events unfolded. She saw the bright sphere surrounding Twilight's body like a cocoon, only her eyes managing to pierce through it. She felt the very strong wind, making her hair flap, while she was trying to keep her place on the ground. She wanted to shout- shout as loud as she could, but she knew that she couldn't stop whatever was going on. All she could do was just stay there and watch.

Steven then opened his eyes. His eyes also became balls of white light, locked in gaze with Twilight's eyes. Then, Twilight's magic in the blue sphere started to spin. It spun and spun, until it eventually broke the blue sphere. Then, Twilight's mouth opened, and the energy around her- magic and wind, went inside her eyes and mouth, energy seeming to overwhelm her body. Every single bit of energy flew inside her body, until there was nothing left. Silence filled the room.

Suddenly, a shockwave exploded from Twilight's horn. A huge shockwave that shattered windows and glass, blew open walls and doors, and made creatures of all sizes, excluding Steven, fly. Rainbow Dash herself was caught in the shockwave, and she crashed the wall of the living room.

After all the energy was gone, the winds died down. Twilight also slowly floated back to the floor, still unmoving.

Steven himself also collapsed, breathing heavily, and feeling very tired. He had no idea what just happened, except for the fact that the living room became much messier than before, despite him thinking that it couldn't have been any messier.

I guess anything is possible.

He slowly picked himself up, and shaking badly, went to Twilight. He looked around for Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow Dash?"

"I'm here..." said the energetic voice of Rainbow Dash.

She quickly ran to Steven's side.

"Is she alright? What happened just now?" she asked.

"I don't know..." he said.

Both of them then looked at Twilight and waited expectantly for something to happen.

But nothing did.

Steven looked down. He had let another life pass in his hands. He should've been faster than this. He might have saved her then...

But then a miracle happened.

Twilight coughed.

"Twi! Twilight! She's alive!"

Twilight dropped the piece of floor. She looked down.

Steven had brought her back form the dead. His will to bring her back to life had unlocked his magical potential, and he used it to bring her back to life. She hadn't even known Steven by then, but he really wanted to save her life. For what reason. Why did he want to save her life?

"Why?" asked Twilight. "Why did you do it?"

"Because I can't let another die on my hands." said Steven, coughing blood. "I've made many mistakes in my life. More mistakes than I can even count."

He tried to stand up on all four hooves, struggling and shaking greatly as he did so. Twilight was frozen to the spot, Steven's eyes still looking into her own. Then Steven began to smile. A very small smile, but one of great understanding and kindness.

"But I would never..." said Steven. "I would never betray a friend."

Just then, Steven closed his eyes and dropped back to the ground, lifeless. His heavily battered and bloodied face lying peacefully on the floor.

"Oh no..." said Twilight. "What have I done?"

"Steve..." said Rainbow Dash, breaking out of Big Macintosh's hold.

Rainbow Dash immediately ran to Steven, putting both of her hands on his bloody face.

"No..." said Rainbow Dash. "No... Please, no..."

Twilight remained silent. She should've known better. She should've known better! She hated herself. There was no way she could redeem herself in the eyes of her friends now. She actually beat an innocent friend to near-death. And she didn't know how long 'near-death' would last.

Suddenly, Twilight was interrupted from her thoughts by a sharp, burning pain on her left cheek. She looked up to see an angry Rainbow Dash.

"How could you..." asked Rainbow Dash. "After all he's done..."

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash." said Twilight, unable to look at her eyes. "I... I thought-"

"Shut up!" said Rainbow Dash, turning away angrily. "Don't talk to me again."

She then turned to face Big Macintosh.

"I'm joining the fight." said Rainbow Dash, before running away. Twilight could see beads of water drop to the ground as she ran.

Shooting her evil looks, Bush and Barbara also went their separate ways, leaving Fluttershy and Big Macintosh with her.

"You should go bring Steven to the medical room." said Big Macintosh. "Then you should join the fight."

Then they all left, and only Twilight and an unmoving Steven was left.

Twilight couldn't move. She couldn't talk. All she wanted to do was to crawl into a little hole and die there, alone.

No. She can still do something. Even if she cannot regain the trust of her friends, the least she could do was to save Steven's life.

"Come on, Twilight." she said to herself. "You can do it."

Twilight then magicked Steven up. From all of her rage just now, she couldn't feel how heavy Steven was. Only now did she feel it.

"Let's go!" said Twilight, as she ran to the medical room. She had already passed there before, and her eidetic memory allowed her to remember the exact way there. This was one of the times her eidetic memory actually helped her.

In less than four minutes, Twilight had reached the medical room. A red maned nurse came to greet her.

"Twilight Sparkle?" asked the nurse. "Why hello!"

"Hey, Nurse Redheart." said Twilight. "Could you please take care of this one pony for me?"

"Well of course, Twilight!" said the Nurse. "Where is-"

Nurse Redheart covered her mouth with one hoof. Her expression was one of fear, disgust, and complete, utter shock.

"How... How did this happen?" asked the Nurse.

"Please just take care of him first." said Twilight. "I'm afraid he doesn't have long left."

Nurse Redheart looked around. Despite the heavy commotion near the Main Door, the medical room was still quiet and near empty. The defense must've done a pretty good job holding up the defenses.

"I'll bring him in." said the Nurse, her magic taking over Steven's. "You go join the fight."

"Right." said Twilight. "Thanks, Nurse Redheart!"

Twilight then immediately broke into a run. She had to help the remaining defenders to protect their front lines the best as she can.

They'd never forgive her for what she's done. She knew that. What she did was too horrible.

No amount of apology could make her former friends forgive her.

But they didn't need to forgive her.

It doesn't matter that if she died, that they would still hate and despise her.

Because it was time to stop thinking about herself.

It was time to save her friends.