Dreams of Forever

I know how we can save the tree. We have to give it the Elements of Harmony.

Woah, woah, woah, heh. How are we supposed to protect Equestria?

How are we meant to rein Discord in if we can't use the Elements to turn him back to stone?

Twilight... The Elements of Harmony... They're what keep us connected no matter what.

You're right about one thing, Applejack.

"Thanks." Somnia took the cup and gulped down the water, letting out a sigh of relief while the griffoness returned to her position without a word. Returning to her stretches, Somnia looked around at the clearing they were in. The trees didn't fully cover the forest floor below, meaning anypony flying overhead would see the group, but this far north there would be very few ponies around.

They seemed to have settled into a single spot next to a cave system for easy escape in case of assault. She had been trying every day to get Grar to respond to her with not even a peep from her companion. It was hopeless. Until he woke up, she would just have to suffer through whatever they threw at her, and it had already been a bit too much.

With all the time in the world, she settled her head onto her forelegs and closed her eyes. The isolation gave her a lot of time to think, more than she wanted. Reliving the events of the past few days, she looked for something she could use to her advantage. Maybe she misjudged one of her captures, maybe there was still a way to convince them...

...

There was nothing. None of the griffons that guarded her were willing to accept the bribe she offered, even after several bribery attempts against each. It didn't help that they practically saw it as an invitation to use her some more. She didn't know where they were, or even if there were ponies anywhere close-by. It really was hopeless.

The griffoness which stood guard over the filly sighed, leaning against her spear as the next change of the guard came over. Somnia gave a deep sigh as well knowing exactly what was about to happen, watching them take up positions while the previous shift returned to the camp. It wasn't long before one spoke.

"You wanna go first?" One of the guards asked their companion.

"Not feelin' it right now, go ahead."

The griffon shrugged and moved towards Somnia, her eyes lazily lowering to his dick. Another round for the records. The griffon flipped her over and positioned himself on top of her, forcing himself inside of her snatch. She kept her eyes closed as he thrust in and out of her, trying to ignore or forget what was occurring.

The pain was getting more bearable, which at least gave her an escape to continue thinking about what to do. On occasion they would reposition her into a different, yet equally uncomfortable position, but that wasn't what she wanted to think about. Was there something she was missing? A piece of information that could help? Ever single one of the mercenaries was adamant in their devotion to getting the job done. The pay was apparently really that good.

She whimpered as the griffon dug their claws into her fur as they climaxed, scratching her hind-quarters and drawing blood. They finished by throwing her to the ground like dirt into a grave, leaving her to lay in the mess. "Fucking whorse." He spat on her, moving back to his spot next to the other guard.

Her tears came soon enough as she thought about home, whimpering herself into a ball. I miss you, mom...

Sitting at her desk, the quill in her magical grip dripped ink onto the paper. She didn't feel up to it. It had been over a week since the Queen's Guard had left, and no word from them after asking about the reinforcements. No crow, no captain, not even the foal-fiddler. Were they even looking? Why so long with no report?

Putting her quill back into its well, she crumpled up the page and threw it lazily into the waste bin, missing by several hooves to land in the small pile next to it. Twilight laid her head down on her desk, hoping, praying that Somnia was alright. Every day she hoped for word, for any sign that her daughter would be returning to her. Celestia promised a full investigation by the Royal Guard, but none had come by since she had asked. Did Somnia matter that little to them? Did she matter that little to Celestia?

Twilight idly flitted her hoof through the scrolls at the side of her desk, looking for one in particular. Taking out the large rolled up paper, she unrolled it on her desk to view its contents. The blade of cruel design...

Somnia wanted it to protect herself. But now it was too late. Twilight thought she was safe, that she was going to be okay. Her tears fell to the paper, slowly dotting it. She sobbed for her daughter, her reluctance to listen, not trusting her with her own safety. But now it was too late. Somnia was gone, and she may never see her again. Her daughter was gone.

Several minutes passed as she sobbed against the paper, cursing herself for her mistakes. For all she knew, Somnia could be in a shallow grave or being trafficked back to Griffonia to become the personal plaything of some despicable monster. The worst thing about it was that there was nothing she could do. She didn't know how to track a pony through the woods, or interrogate other ponies. All she could do was follow Celestia's orders to keep the foalnapping on the down-low. Sitting up, she was about to roll the paper back up when she saw there was writing beneath the design, only revealed when wet.

Taking the vase from her desk, she slowly poured it over the design to reveal... something. It was a series of sigils, but more than that, she recognized a small note above them that read 'Ignite your heart, and let me be free!'

Using her magic on the paper, it disintegrated before her eyes, reforming itself into Somnia's shape, albeit tinted purple due to the magic at work. Twilight got up from her chair and backed away, staring in disbelief. Her eyes teared up at the sight of her daughter, even if it was only a hologram.

"Is it... Okay, thanks." The phantom filly shifted slightly on her hooves. "Hey, mom. If you get this message, it probably means I've been foalnapped or killed, or something. Grar wanted me to leave you with a message in case something bad happened.

"I know the past few weeks have been tough on you, I know I'm not a very good daughter." She looked to the ground, which was serving as the floor just in front of the desk, breaking Twilight's heart even more while she caught the feeling in her throat. "There is still a lot you don't know about me, and about what I'm meant to do. I-I want to say goodbye, one last time. I meant what I said before when we talked, I'll always love you. And even if the universe revolts against forever...

"We will always be together." The hologram faded into ashes, settling atop Twilight's desk. The alicorn fell to her haunches, bawling into her hooves as her tears returned in full force, every single regret flooding back all at once. She pounded her hooves on the ground, cursing and swearing at herself. She briefly got up to swipe everything off her desk onto the ground, wailing as she fell back onto her side.

Opening the door to the room, Spike briefly looked in to see his adoptive mother weeping, entire stacks of paper thrown to the floor and ink spilled everywhere. He slowly entered, making his way over to her, bringing her into a hug as she cried. Without warning, he also teared up as he held onto her tighter, making his own silent prayers for the safety of his sister.

Where did I go wrong?! Twilight screamed internally, her cries only getting louder.

Wiping her eyes, Somnia sat up cringing at the pain in her everything. She was alone, even the two guards stranding nearby were of little consequence. It had been days. Days of beatings, rapes, and starvation. Nopony was going to find her. They were hidden away in the Crystal Mountains somewhere nopony would look. The old leader had abandoned the mercenaries that night, ruining any chance of plan C working, and the new leader found a twisted pleasure in watching the other mercenaries ravage her body.

The only creature that showed her any kind of kindness was the griffoness that watched her on occasion. She even had talked a bit about another contract they had worked on, protecting some griffon noble. From what little the filly could gather, she didn't seem to like how the others treated Somnia, but was still devoted to pushing through the contract because the payment was too good, just like all the others.

She needed a plan... But all four had failed. There was nothing else she could do but wait. Unless...

Grar? GRAR?! She tried mentally shouting, however ridiculous it might have been. There was always plan A, but she would need to get Grar to do it.

S-Somnia?

She breathed out a sigh of relief. Thank the Ascended you're awake!

Wait, where are... No.

Yes! I need your help! I've been foalnapped and I need to get a message to my guards!

I'm so sorry, Som. I should have--

The sooner we get this done, the better! I need you repeal a layer of my protections. It will serve as a beacon so I can be rescued!

I'm still quite weak from when I repealed those two layers for you. I fear that I would fall back into a slumber should I do that again, even if its only a single layer. Are you sure you can handle yourself while I'm gone?

We don't have a choice! Nopony knows where we are!

Your captors won't take kindly to it.

I'll suffer through whatever they throw at me as long as I can go home!

Grar took a few moments to consider it. I'm so sorry for all the suffering this will cause...

Twilight boarded the chariot 'borrowed' by the Queen's Guard. They were headed to the Crystal Mountains to look for the large magical energy spike, her heart feeling a hundred times lighter as she received a glimmer of hope. Somnia was alive. Apparently the guards had been busy searching for her, although she didn't know with what exactly they had been doing.

"They won't wait on us!" Shield ushered her into the chariot that was pulled by Scutellum and Broken Dawn. She strapped herself in, and braced. There would be no speed limits on this ride. Setting off into the skies, they made quick work to pick up speed towards their destination with a magical boost from Excalion who flew alongside the chariot.

"We'll need you to use the soul-finding spell on page 89." He hoofed over a book marked with the cutie mark of Star Swirl.

Twilight looked over the book, examining the signature horn-writing of the legendary wizard. "Where did you get this?"

"Broke into the Canterlot Archives." Dusty answered proudly. "That was actually quite fun. Those guards are probably still wondering who we were."

"I'm certain they'll get over it." Shield chuckled.

"So what's the plan when we find her?" Twilight asked, flipping through the book and examining the spell in question. It was meant to pick out the signatures of ponies based on the memories and emotions of the caster, resulting in the spell being effective over a much large area than the previous iterations and being five times more precise. The stronger the emotions, the more accurate and larger the area scanned. Perfect for finding a single pony over such a massive area. And perfect for a mother looking for a foalnapped filly.

"We save her, no matter the cost." Dusty said firmly. "Don't hold back, because they certainly won't."

"Wouldn't bringing the other elements--"

"It'd take too long, and they're more than likely to get themselves hurt." Shield shook his head. "We're only bringing you because we believe you can handle yourself. Give no quarter, Twilight. Today, Somnia returns home."

"You're relieved." Lovisa dismissed the guards standing watch over the filly with her partner. The day shift had done quite the number on the foal for that little stunt at their previous camp, to the point that Lovisa was only convinced the bloodied and battered filly was alive from the rise and fall of her chest. Her soft whimpering providing an unsettling background noise as she settled into her post.

"She had it comin' to her." Her fellow merc chewed a toothpick indifferently. "Did she think she could have done that and not be punished?"

"You didn't have to- UGH! What the fuck is wrong you you griffs?" She turned on him. "She's just a filly!"

"What? You actually care about them?" He chuckled. "Damn, where did you come from?"

"Clearly somewhere more civilized than you!" She turned back to staring into the distance.

"Whatever, bitch."

"P-Please... N-No m-more..."

The griffon mercs turned to the whimpering filly who had huddled up into a ball. "Looks like she wants more!" He laid down his spear on the neighboring tree to approach her for round whatever. The blood and semen on the ground clearly marked how far they had gone to punish her if the horn and wings didn't already make Lovisa's stomach turn.

She was barely holding back from stabbing the bastard through the spine, teeth grinding against each other. Lovisa turned back briefly as he propped the filly against the tree, tapping his shaft on her face to get it to enlarge. The filly no longer had any tears remaining, only sobs. She was helpless... Broken. They had accomplished their job, but it didn't feel like a job well done. It felt... hollow. As though Lovisa lost something by allowing this, for merely being involved. And she hated this feeling as much as when--

A loud explosion shook her from the anger, gaze falling back towards the camp. "What the fuck was that?!" Sounds of combat ensued, but neither of the guards went to investigate in case the filly somehow managed to escape or it was meant to draw them away.

"Better get this over with." The griffon merc turned the foal around and pushed aside her tail. With one last bite against her lip that drew blood, Lovisa threw her spear directly through him, impaling him to the tree with a surprised gurgle.

Quickly moving over to the chains, Lovisa began looking for ways to break them. Only that bitch of a mare had the key, and she was at the camp. Grabbing her former companion's spear, she wedged it between the links and began tugging it, one paw holding down the chain closest to the filly to make sure she wasn't tugged too badly.

After a minute of tugging, the link broke. She repeated the process for the other link next to it, breaking it and unhooking the filly's shackles from the tree. Quickly looking over the poor foal, she saw that their bruised eyes opened slightly to look at her. Lovisa couldn't hold her tears anymore, letting a few loose. "T-There we go. You're going to be okay, i-it's--"

A shockwave knocked her from the filly, directly into a tree. The last thing she saw was a rock outcropping before the world went dark.

Twilight dropped like a bomb upon the encampment, magic she had charged up unleashed in a single devastating explosion that blew over the tents and cooking stands. Scutellum, who had made an impromptu disguise for himself, slit the throat on a surprised griffon before the rest understood what was happening. Teleporting into the middle of the camp, Shield put up a barrier around two of the griffons, shrinking it down until their bones were crushed in a sickening crunch.

A griffon that had been knocked down by the explosion lunged at Twilight but was once more knocked down when a spear went through them, the guardsmare who had thrown it leaping on top and smashing their neck with her hooves to make sure they were down permanently.

It was only then that Twilight realized what was happening, and the dread began to set in. Dawn came looping back around, plummeting through the trees directly into the singular pony there, metal fangs digging into her neck. With one tug of his head, her entire throat was pulled open as she gurgled the blood quickly spilling out.

Two of the griffons tackled Shield, getting into a bloody hoof-to-claw combat with the stallion, while another two sparred with Dawn and Scutellum. The remaining four charged Twilight and Dusty, claws at the ready. Swallowing her own feelings on the matter and focusing her anger, Twilight unleashed a lethal magical bolt directly into the shoulder of a griffon, blowing it apart with a splatter of blood, severing the arm and immediately sending the griffon into shock.

Two went for Dusty, grabbing the spear as she tried keeping them at bay and tossing her into the neighboring tree, leaving Twilight with one.

They pounced at her, managing to make contact while Twilight thrust her head directly into their body, right where the heart would be, suffering gashes on her own back from their talons. The impact of rib-on-horn sent her vision into stars, but she pulled out of them to see that the rest were cleaned up by the other guards.

Dawn had a gash down his wing from a reckless jump to assist Dusty, rendering flight infeasible. Shield and Scutellum had each taken a guard and dispatched them with equally brutal methods, fire and stabbing through the spine respectively. The four had scratches all over them and the mixed blood of the now deceased mercenaries dripped from their bodies.

Looking to Dusty, Twilight nearly threw up as the mare with a gashed and bloody face executed the wounded griffon from Twilight, the other two from her in various states of dying. But there wasn't time to think about that right now. There was a filly to save. Her daughter was coming home.

Galloping towards the sound of a faint voice, Twilight unleashed a shockwave pushing the griffon off of her daughter, receiving a massive magical backlash from her horn that knocked her to the ground. Her eyesight slowly readjusted as the other guards began gathering where they were, her ears wringing and eyesight blurry as her mind throbbed against the walls of her skull. Shield signaled Excalion who flew down and opened a portal for them with her magic. Walking through the portal after the wounded guards, Shield carrying Somnia in his magic, the Princess of Equestria found herself in front of Ponyville General Hospital.

Twilight finally took in the air and let herself fall unconscious from the overwhelming pain.

She'll be alright, I assure you doctor.

"I-If you say so. I'm n-not going to go against the orders of t-the queen."

Twilight slowly opened her eyes to see a truly massive, thin limbed, bleach-white biped towering over the doctor, crouching in the relatively low ceiling. It turned to Twilight with its blank face, reaching out to place a... hand, it had hands! And more than two! It had six!

Twilight Sparkle, it is good to see you awake.

"W-What--" Twilight's eyes were widely focused on the thing that attempted to comfort her, both her breathing and heart in full panic.

This is my natural form. I've avoided using it since the early years, however, it does have its uses. I am known as a girivi, a Child of Soul. You took quite the hit to your horn, if it bent any further, I fear it would have broken the skull. Excalion answered.

"M-My..." Twilight looked up, calming down a bit as she remembered what had brought her to the hospital. She could see a black splint on her horn, one she recognized from her studies into unicorn medicine. "H-How bad is it?"

You'll recover, you all will. No magic for a week or two, however.

"Somnia! I didn't get to see how she was!" Twilight tried sitting up, but the headache knocked her back down and added stars to her vision.

Badly hurt, but fully recoverable. Excalion left it at that as she engulfed herself in a bright light before appearing as a crow once more, settling onto Twilight's bed. Shield is gathering your friends.

"Can I see her? Is she awake?"

She is awake. She was awake until the doctor's took her in for surgery, unfortunately.

Her face paled at the implication. "W-What did they do to her?"

When you are strong enough to move, we will take you to her room. But not a moment sooner.

A couple of minutes later, her friends burst through the door with a slightly scar-faced Dusty and limping Shield following behind.

"Twilight!" "It's so good to see you are alright, darling!" "We were so worried about you!" "What in tarnation did you go trottin' off for?" "What's wrong with your horn?"

"Girls, please." Twilight silenced them with a hoof. "I'll explain everything."

Dawn laid on the double-bed he had pushed together, his hoof held by the filly he was sworn to serve. She told him everything, sealing him and everypony else to a vow of silence on what happened. The doctors and nurses wouldn't dare go against her orders, on the penalty of death or worse, an oddly terrifying declaration from the filly. Even so, the treatment would still raise suspicion with Twilight.

Somnia didn't say anymore, content to hold onto his hoof while she slept. He had gotten a good look at her before the doctors examined her in-depth. Carved horn to the core in several places, clipped wings with primaries forcefully pulled out, torn vagina and anus, cracked and broken ribs, several shattered or missing teeth, beaten black-and-blue with two black eyes to show for it. Nearly a dozen fractures and just as many cracks when it was all said and done. A pregnancy test was also ordered, confirming that she wasn't pregnant from him, which was an odd thing to feel relieved about considering what happened.

The only pony that wasn't hurt badly was Scutellum who currently stood guard outside the door, scanning everypony who dared to come down the hallway to make sure the ponies are who they say they are. He had heard what he presumed was a nurse come down the hallway about an hour prior, but the shouting from Scutellum was more than enough to drive her off to get proper identification. The hospital was effectively on lock-down since the Royal Guard arrived from Canterlot. Only injured ponies, staff, or authorized ponies were being allowed inside.

He himself wouldn't be flying for a few weeks, which would severely limit his effectiveness at guarding her. Then again, Shield had a broken leg and Dusty received an even more severe concussion than last time.

A few hours passed as he drifted in and out of sleep, the occasional doctor or nurse coming to check on the bandages. After the moon had risen above the horizon, Scutellum opened the door for a familiar face. Being pushed along by Dusty was Twilight, still unable to walk from the horn injury. Her face contorted in horror as she saw the state of her daughter, tears falling before she could even reach the bed.

She cried against Somnia's other hoof while he and Dusty went to get something to eat from the cafeteria. Twilight sat there holding onto her daughter's hoof, gently whimpering to herself for what was likely an hour, but it could have been longer or shorter. Nothing mattered in those moments for her, she only wanted to hear her daughter's voice again. To know she was going to be okay.

"H-Hey, m-mom..." The filly whispered out, voice still shaky, but finally awake.

"SOMNIA!" Twilight's head shot up, with the immediate regret of the pain flooding her senses. "Owww..."

"Hehe, yeah, that probably would hurt." The filly tried giggling, but it turned out to be more of wet cough.

"Your horn..." Twilight didn't dare try to touch it. Chips were carved out of it, some brushing against the core. She could only hope that Somnia had passed out from shock...

"Yeah." She squeezed her mother's hoof. "Hurts as bad as my back." And one other place, but she wasn't going to mention that.

"D-Did they..."

"I'm fine. Trust me, I'll be okay." The filly consoled her, using her other hoof to rub Twilight's.

"But did they--"

"Shhhh..." Somnia closed her eyes, letting the pain soak in. "We're alright. Both of us. Nopony was permanently hurt, and that's what matters most."

"Somnia... we..." Twilight bit back the tears. "I-I killed somepony. I-I just w-wanted you back."

"Would they have killed you?" The filly opened her eyes back up. "Would you be here if you didn't?"

"No..." Twilight sobbed onto her daughter's hoof. "I-I'd be dead like they are..."

"Then you're going to be alright." She sighed. "The tenets of Harmony are preserved."

"I don't understand how you can be so calm after what you went through." She looked back up in disbelief. How could she be so calm? Was she passed out when they did all this? Is that why? But Excalion had implied--

"I'm just happy you're here." She weakly smiled to her mother. "I'm happy you came for me."

"I-I love you." Twilight laid her head back on Somnia's hoof, knowing that she couldn't stop the tears of the next statement even if she wanted to. "E-Even if the universe revolts a-against forever..."

"We will always be together." Somnia reached out with her forehooves, her mother getting up slightly to bring her into a gentle hug. "I love you too, mom."

Each of the ponies gathered around the bed, Somnia looking between them. "What happened while I was gone?" She weakly demanded.

"We found and eliminated spies within Ponyville from the changelings and Celestia. We hoofed them off to Isirilas to dispose of in the swamps." Shield rubbed his chin. "After the trail went cold for a full day, we came back to town and quietly scoured it. The residents will attest to how thorough we were. We shouldn't have missed any spies."

"We also managed to find their initial camp to the north-west. They abandoned the heavier equipment, mostly whetstones to sharpen their metal claws." Scutellum added.

"Are there any prisoners to interrogate?" Somnia asked.

Dawn sighed. "Other than the griffon Twilight knocked out, no. We kinda went a bit overboard with them."

Somnia laid back, although not too hard due to the pain from her wings. "Whoever ordered the hit did their research. They knew I couldn't use magic and that I had a magical aura. The mercenaries were prepared for me."

"But only those within the royal guard would know about your inability to use magic." Dusty mused.

Each were drawing their own conclusions about who was responsible, each reaching similar conclusions no matter how much they didn't want to believe it. Scutellum was the first to give it voice: "Could it be the princesses?"

None had particular counter to the argument, but Somnia wasn't convinced. "I don't want to make any moves based on a maybe. If it was them, then we'll have a much bigger problem to deal with."

The entire time I've known them, it doesn't seem like them to take such drastic measures. Excalion cawed from the side table. Tia has done disharmonious things in Equestria's interests before, but it always was to preserve harmony in the future.

"Maybe you don't know them as well as you think." Dawn countered.

Shield aggressively pointed a hoof at his companion. "Don't doubt their devotion to Equestria! It wasn't them!"

"Aren't you a bit biased?" Scutellum raised a brow. "You've served in the guard for how long? Decades?"

"Eighteen and a half years, and if anypony knew what Celestia is like, it would be me!"

"This is getting us nowhere." Somnia sighed. "We're missing information. My dreams haven't been too helpful on that front."

"What about the prisoner?" Dusty raised a hoof. "They might have a better idea."

"They were a nopony." The filly groaned. "Recruited by the old mercenary leader and not the employer, if she was telling the truth."

"We can--" Scutellum was cut off as Somnia glared at him.

"No torture. She was the only one that seemed to actually feel bad for me, she doesn't deserve to be hurt."

"Kid, are you sure?" Dawn grabbed her hoof, squeezing it while gently looking into her wet eyes. "She allowed it to happen, she's as guilty as they are."

"Don't question my orders, Broken Dawn." She sternly said, driving the point home and taking all four of her guards aback. "I'll talk to her when I'm better. I want you to keep her in the basement of the library, locked in a cage I can open on my own."

"Sounds like a repeat of what you did with me." Scutellum commented, somewhat approvingly. "Have plans for her beyond merely getting information?"

"Get out." Somnia pointed to the door annoyed. "All of you."

Her guards filed from the room, all slightly confused at the shift in attitude. Laying her head back onto the pillow, she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

That could have gone better. Excalion hopped onto her bed. I can sense you aren't alright with what happened.

"Did you need your magic to deduce that?" She mumbled sarcastically.

We've known each other for years, Som. What's really bothering you?

"I'm useless." She whispered out, reopening her eyes to stare down at the bird. "I can't do anything on my own."

You know that to be false, my filly. You gave the citizens of Hollow Shades hope for a brighter future, one where their lives will be better. Does that mean nothing to you?

"Grar did it!" She yelled back angrily, tears running down her cheeks. "He repealed two layers of those magical protection things so that I would overwhelm their emotions! All I've done on my own was torment two fillies! I'm nothing without my magic!"

The crow tilted its head. Were you not the one who convinced Shattershield to make the Queen's Guard? Did you forget about getting Hollow Shades to compete in the Equestria Games? How about those potions you've been making? Those schematics you've been scribbling in your spare time? Reuniting your parents? Are you really nothing without your magic?

This time you failed, but it doesn't discredit what you can do without it.

"Nopony else seems to think so." She grumbled, pulling the sheet over her head.

And why do you care about what they believe? You haven't before, so why now?

"I don't want to be like grandma!" She threw off the sheet and swiped at the crow, her hoof passing through it harmlessly. "I don't want to be--"

Disharmonious? Excalion answered, hopping a bit closer. You may be the Grand Councilor of Harmony, but that is merely a title. I understand your reluctance to engage in distasteful acts, but sometimes it is necessary. Remember what Grogar had told you? 'Ours is not the path of Ascension, for we are forsaken'? Your life isn't ordinary, Somnia. It never will be. The tenets of the Cyclical Truth aren't meant for somepony like you or I.

I made that conclusion when I was brought forward by the Prophet. There was little doubt in my mind about what I would be sacrificing in order to serve their will. I could have refused, almost did, but I knew it was the right thing to do in my heart. They didn't need magic to convince me, they didn't even use any. They gave me a choice like you have given your Queen's Guard.

Somnia laid back on her pillow while Excalion continued, mulling it over. I followed them because of what they represented: A brighter future. One that you now represent for many others. You are intelligent, and possess more magical potential than any other creature, yet are still flawed. What you are is a solution to the problem of forever, an example of what life could be. The other Grand Councillors failed in their duties because they didn't understand their intrinsic flaws, all except for a few even understood they had failed.

The Prophet recognized their flaws early, which is why they still live. The Fallen Councilor couldn't kill them because they still felt something. Same as why you currently live, because you feel. All the pain, the doubts, the fear, love, joy, sadness, it makes you who you are. The real magic is in the lessons of harmony and disharmony, not one or the other.

And I know you will never surrender as long as you still have hope.

"There isn't any hope for me." Somnia whimpered back. "Ponies keep expecting things from me, but I don't care. I just want to live a normal life, I don't want to be their hope. I-I just want to be me, but I can't do that since Grar did that bucking experiment. I want it to stop. I don't want to keep having my friends die, I don't want to keep seeing my family hurt because of me. I-I don't want to keep hurting l-like this. I-I--" She choked on her tears. "I-I w-want to be free."

A knife was summoned to in front of Somnia, laying against the sheets within grabbing distance. Then make your choice, but know we all look to you. To us, you are our beacon of hope. You can discover yours, or you can end it now. You have a choice, more than anypony else, my little filly. The bird flew over to the door and phased though it to leave her alone.

Picking up the knife, Somnia examined it. It was incredibly sharp, easy enough to slit her throat in a single motion. In seconds, she would bleed out. It would be quick, relatively painless, and nopony was around to stop her. Closing her eyes, she brought the knife to her throat. She could feel it against her fur, its cold metal sending shivers along her body.

It would be over as sooner than even the weakest dick mercenaries raping her. She bit her lip then took a deep breath, cutting her neck slightly from the slight change in pressure and drawing some blood. One motion, that's all it would take.

One motion, and all the pain would go away. Nopony could tell her what to do. Nopony could give their opinion about what was wrong with her. Nopony could take her body for themselves. Her life would be in her hooves, wholly and utterly. Now, and forever.

...

...

...

So why didn't the motion come?

Flying through the doorway into Twilight's room after speaking to the Queen's Guard, Excalion perched herself atop Rarity's horn and listened to their discussion. It wouldn't take long for Somnia to make her choice, and she knew that Somnia would make the right one. She closed her eye and swayed atop the horn, listening to her own memories of the past.

There was nothing more she could do except wait. Her old life, her old family, the look on her daughter's face when she graduated from the academy, the sorrow when she had to leave that life behind. The pain when her daughter was told that she would never see her mom again, how they held onto one another for literal days just to maximize the time before she had to leave to fulfill her destiny, possibly never to be heard from again. Excalion wanted nothing more than to see her daughter one final time before the end of everything, to hear how her life has gone since she left.

"Sweetie ended up stitching in Sapphire Shores' lucky animal into the headdress as forgiveness. It was awful what she had done, but I couldn't stay mad at her after she apologized the way she did." Rarity concluded her story.

"It's good to hear that everything worked out well." Twilight gently smiled to her as the doctor opened the door slightly. "Is something wrong, doctor?"

"You have a visitor." He smiled back, pushing open the door fully to reveal Somnia in a wheelchair. She gave a small wave to her mother while the other elements took in the severity of her injuries, a blanket covering her lower half.

"Somnia!" She motioned the doctor to roll the filly closer. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I wanted to come see you." The filly turned her head to Excalion, offering a heartfelt smile. "And to thank her."

"Me?" Rarity asked confused. "Whatever could I have done?"

Not you. The crow flew over to the bed. And you are certainly welcome, Som.

"It's good to see you are in a better mood than you were earlier." Twilight rubbed Somnia's cheek, tilting her head slightly, noticing the slight line along her throat. "Is that new?"

"It's nothing." The filly grabbed her mother's hoof with both of hers. "I'm just glad to be back."

"Want us to have the crusaders over when you get out of the hospital?" Applejack asked, readjusting her stetson.

"Actually, I would like to recover a bit more before seeing anypony. The bruises aren't a very nice sight." She giggled, having returned to her old self.

Or at least that's what Twilight hoped.