Fear Her

Spirit instantly recognized the figure.

"Golden Snow?"

The corner of Snow's mouth quirked.

"They said you were dead."

"I was dead.

"Then how are you--"

"Is this really a good starting conversation when your sister is back from the dead?"

Spirit didn't respond.

"Hmph."

***

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Spirit listened to the sound of the heart monitor, sitting at the end of her mother's bed.  Mystic's coat still had hints of crystal on it, but it was faint.  Her mane was not in its usual ponytail, only being twisted into a braid.

Spirit herself was a mess. Her mane was ruffled and her face was wet with tears; she hadn't even realized she'd been crying the entire time, and her form was translucent, just being barely even visible.  Every so often, Spirit could use help from Cotton Berry to send her back to this one moment in time years and years ago, just to see her mother.  She could never get the image of her mother's death out of her head because of Skypaw.  The worst part was how Blue was alongside Skypaw when she killed Mystic.

"I just need some answers," Spirit cried out, laying her head on the end of Mystic's bed.

Why was Blue with Skypaw that night?

What have her parents not been telling her?

Where's her father?

Where's Princess Luna in all this?

Spirit sighed, getting up.  This was usually the time she had to go, before the spell wore off.

Just then, two mares entered the room.  One was a nurse, the other with a golden mane.  The golden-maned one was in the middle of talking.  Spirit was just lucky enough to be invisible to others in the timezone.

"How long does she have?" the mare was asking, stopping next to Mystic's bed.

"I'd say an hour or so," the nurse replied.

"Well, I can't stand around and wait.  She needs to go now."

The mare's horn glowed, and Spirit turned around just in time.  A flash of light blinded her eyes, and afterwards she heard the sound of the heart monitor turn into a continuous beep.  It was as if Spirit could *feel the crystal fading from her mother's coat, and the color draining from her face.*

Then she was gone.

***

"You're the one who hired Skypaw to kill mother..but why?  Your own mother!" Spirit cried out.

"Do you not remember what they did to us!? What they did to me?" Snow responded.

"They couldn't afford to raise you, Snow!"

"Why me? Why not you, or Blue!"

Spirit stared in shock.  Her sister just said that to her own face.  She turned around, beginning to walk off, as something slammed into her head and darkness clouded her vision.

***

Spirit Berry sat at the table silently, picking at her hayburger. Across from her sat Neko Paint, having invited Spirit for supper.

Spirit hadn't expected that her own sister would betray her trust. Close enough, Neko had let her stay to try to clear it off her mind. But she couldn't It was too hard for the mare, having been-

Spirit suddenly had a sickening feeling, holding her head. She stumbled out of the chair, making her way to the door.

"Spirit?" Neko quickly got up, trotting after the mare. Spirit was stumbling against the walls, tumbling out the entrance to the hallway, laying on the floor. She curled up in a ball, grumbling in pain. Neko quickly galloped to her.

"Spirit!?"

She quickly got up rushing upstairs to find the phone. By the time she got back, Spirit had disappeared.

Spirit slammed facefirst into a tree, falling backwards. She quickly began making a checklist:

Out in the middle of the forest? Check.

No coordination? Check.

Nearest hospital 45 miles from here? Check.

Alone? Check.

No way to defend myself? Check.

She stopped, spotting the Castle of the Two Sisters. The pain was growing as she approached, trotting in. A tower had lights flashing from it, so she headed to there.

Neko grabbed Cookie. "Come on!"

Cookie's eyes narrowed. "And how to you expect me to believe she just 'disappeared'? She's not a unicorn, and she only has one wing, Neko."

"Just come on! We need to find her!" She pulled her along, towards the Everfree Forest.

Spirit gasped for breath, collapsing on the last step. She looked up, seeing a tall unicorn mare standing before her. The mare seemed familiar, being the one who had fell through the ceiling that other night.

"Skypaw?" Spirit asked, carefully getting up.

"Yes. 'Tis I." Skypaw rolled her blind eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Spirit leaned against the wall.

"To give you the truth." Skypaw smiled, trotting up to the exact platform the Mare in the Moon once stood, and got defeated by the six elements. The holder of the elements was not up from the floor.

"What..tru-" Skypaw's horn glowed, a blinding light entering the room. She could see a beautiful crystal mare, in the hall next to the throne room.  "Mom..?" Spirit asked to no one, seeing the mare as her mother. The mare didn't have her crystal coat on, but she knew she was a crystal pony.

A loud scream was heard, as an alicorn came slamming from the roof, and into the center of the room.

"Celestia!?" Spirit yelled, but nopony could hear her. The mare let out a gasp, seeing the unconscious princess slowly rise. She had the elements now, flying up.

Cookie pointed at the Castle of the Two Sisters. "There."

Neko quickly pulled her along.  Lights were flashing from a tall tower.

"Spirit?" Cookie tilted her head, galloping towards the entrance of the castle with Neko.

She could hear Nightmare's moon wail of failure echo distantly. Two mares trotted in, being Skypaw and Blue Moon.

Skypaw blasted the ceiling, chunks suddenly falling.

The last thing Spirit heard was the sound of her mother's scream, being silenced from the chunks of rock crushing her.

Spirit's scream echoed through the hallways. The two mares, Neko and Cookie, galloped faster than ever.

Spirit opened her eyes, being in another area. This time it was outside, a burning house standing before her. She saw herself fly through the window.

Skypaw was suddenly running from behind the house, holding a match. She quickly tossed it in the house, blasting. A large crack was heard, the sound of a wood board falling onto the floor. She could hear her own scream, as she saw herself fly out of the window, slamming onto the hard ground after only seconds of flight. Blue Moon was standing by, laughing.

Spirit coughed, rolling on her side. She saw Skypaw standing on the platform still, grinning. She got up quickly, glaring.

"You killed my mother, and destroyed my wing!" Spirit growled.

"It was actually Blue's idea." Skypaw smiled.

"You..little.." She charged at Skypaw, who jumped, charging straight towards her.

Cookie and Neko slammed in the room, just to see Skypaw slide on the ground, stopping. Her back was facing them.

The two stared in shock as Spirit turned around, her expression full of mixed emotions.

"Spirit.."