Author's Note
Happy New Year friends!
Faith
"Ma'am? Are... Are you alright?"
Oh wonderful. Bad enough for all the traumatic horrors she's been through, now the young teen finds herself hearing ghosts, especially from the one creature in that magical world who took pity... No, sympathy, on her state and offered to help. That little, amazing man with so much compassion and patience, taking care of the undeserved girl within her nightmarish state.
Twilight sniffled, her eyes shielded from the world she had returned to, crouched pitifully on the grass of the nightly park, ignoring the loud, terrifying fireworks blasting a new year throughout the familiar town. How could she possibly celebrate? The young lavender teen with a ruined uniform and disheveled locks of purple and pink was just content - if it can be called that - hiding herself away from everyone she knew. Fellow students, family, Spike.
"Ma'am... You've dropped these I think."
How could Twilight possibly go home now, after everything she's done? After the Friendship Games? After hurting those who tried to help her? Twilight couldn't, she just... Everything was too much. Becoming that... Monster, terrorizing between two worlds, bringing nothing but pain and harm everywhere she went, becoming the pawn to that dark creature that just intended to use her unstable position for universal cleansing.
Overall, the the bookworm had no motive to EVER go home, or be anywhere else but here, sat on this patch of grass until she felt numb. Nothing else mattered anymore. Twilight sighed into the loose fabric of her sleeves, wondering how many tears have fallen since becoming a distressed state from the abrupt return to her world.
For the life of her, Twilight couldn't even recall as to how she returned here. Last the teenage student remembered was the forest, throwing herself in harm's way for the sake of preserving the life of one boy. A boy whom selflessly helped her. Encouraged her. Kept kind to her, and all Twilight had originally wanted was to stop him after being deceived he was as much a monster as that abomination she worked, and the abomination she had become.
Twilight couldn't handle it anymore. A single movement, even the tiniest motion of a finger, and she might break down again...
"Madam?"
"Stop it..." The student hiccuped, burying herself deeper in her aching limbs, wanting nothing more than the hallucination of a voice to end. "Please... Stop..."
"After you've beaten him..."
"Please..."
"You know what I fancy? Fish and chips. And some coca-cola too. Ever had fish and chips, Twilight? Because I will show you the wonders."
"Go home..."
"Don't do this..."
"God dammit Twilight why are you always so gullible-?!"
"Why won't you fight back?!"
"Ma'am?"
Teeth clenched, more waterworks threatening to fall by the stream of painful, and happy, memories during her short time in that world. Stop it! Enough! She couldn't handle anymore!
"Go to your friends..."
"I need you... Please Twilight...!"
"You're injured."
"I know I'd be happy to have them, and you, to call my friends..."
Enough... Enough...!
"Despite what you may think, you're a good person too."
"Twilight!"
A touch - a physical, human touch - warm and gentle, cupping the lavender girl's drooped shoulder finally jolted Twilight from her wallow, snapping stunned violet, sparkling eyes upwards in surprise, blinking rapidly. The first thing her foggy mind managed to comprehend was the familiar, large cracked glasses held in-between the distraught teen and the boy offering them towards her.
The same boy, as her brain struggled to catch up with reality, who shouldn't even be possible. Not here.
No... He couldn't have...!
Same, incredibly messy long dark brown hair, illuminated by the crackling lights in the darkened skies. Fair skin, hazel eyes shining from behind smaller, cleaner glasses, a small comforting smile hoping to coax the young woman from her utter despair. This couldn't be real.
But... The moment her meek hand, hesitantly accepting the broken glasses, from the warmth of the man's own palm, told her everything otherwise. This WAS reality, if this wasn't some terrible, wish-fulfilling dream caused by the lavender bookworm's destroyed mind, something ludicrous to cling onto in hopes of seeking alleviation of regret and despair.
The little man, about her own height if she stood, widened his grin before straightening, groaning slightly. "Okay, that hurt my back a little." Came the attempt of light humour, to diffuse the tension in a beginning year. "Hold on, one sec." Soon enough, inspecting through the pockets of his black coat with a focused expression bordering on endearing. Twilight would have giggled if she wasn't so brokenly depressed. "Aha!" That British tone declared triumphantly, retrieving out his small pack of tissues and offering one to the poor girl.
Whom, albeit cautiously, accepted still, half of her convinced this remained a delusion of some sorts conjured out by her pleading brain... Or worse, Zagreus. That monster would do anything to make her pay for choosing his enemy in Equestria over his own will.
Dabbing her eyes, Twilight threatened more immediate waterworks when the soothing, caring tone of the boy, now kneeling, smiled and stated softly, "That's better... Angels shouldn't have to cry."
The mannerisms, the compliments mixed with encouragement. The smile, the glint of care and conviction in those blue-green eyes. It looked... Felt far too real to be a mere illusion, Twilight sniffling again before breathing more gently this time, taking a good, proper moment to inspect the features mostly obscured in the night.
Everything looked accurate, real, down to the bone. Of course, the boy wasn't wearing that beloved light blue gown of his like the one in Equestria. Her mind couldn't have potentially drafted up some new attire for this seeming apparition of hope.
"If you're lucky- or unlucky - there may be a version of my sorry [BEEP] there too."
It was too coincidental. Too soon... No, Twilight couldn't accept this, it had to be some trick! Some act of foul play and making her feel much worse than she already-!
"Easy there!" The boy suddenly cried out, startled by the hyperventilating teen, his hands quickly clasping her own, gentle but firm, and made another attempt to coax the distressed bookworm from her sorrows. "Breathe love... Just breathe..."
Too real... Those hands... "J-Jack...?"
The boy blinked, looking earnestly dubious. "You know me...?"
Quickly realizing that slip, the young woman coughed a little and brushed away a loose strand of magenta hair, shaking her head swiftly. "S-Sorry... You looked like someone I knew..." Know... Hopefully that man back in Equestria was all right, finishing what they started.
Hope was all they could have.
A tiny, amused grin. "Looks like me and has the name. Must be a twin I don't know about." Twilight choked a bit, halfway to laughing herself. This boy knew who she was, and what she was talking about, but kept it quiet in evident favour to cheering the poor crying girl in the park up. Twilight would humour him... If because she was actually starting to feel a little better.
Neither noticed their hands were still connected for the moment.
"Sorry..." Twilight started again, meekly avoiding those intense hazel eyes, abruptly feeling sheepish... And nervous. "Thank you for... Checking on me..."
"If you weren't so distraught, it would be 'checking you out' instead." The boy released another lopsided grin, more trying in helping her. Followed by a sudden frown. "Too forward?"
He looked so honestly concerned it brought a small smile to Twilight's face, in contrast to the faint pink hue enveloping her lavender cheeks. "Thank you..." Replying in a small tone, before widening her grin to a margin. "I'm... Twilight. Twilight Sparkle..."
"That's a beautiful name... 'Twilight' was always my favourite word." Twilight didn't doubt that. Her new - but not-new - acquaintance beamed in relieved happiness before answering with his own identity. "I'm Jack. Jack Wright. Nice to meet yo-"
That broke the girl all over again, practically throwing her relieved, elated, concerned and crying self into the boy's tear-absorbent coat and released her pain all over again. This time, welcomed by enveloping arms and soft whispers in disheveled purple hair that everything will be alright, under the sparkling, vocal lights of the new year's celebration.
And for once since returning to her home world, Twilight was tempted to indulge that faith.
