Mirror: Book I - Mind

Wondering endlessly on his coming to be, the sand seeped and spread away into a vast pool of moonlight struck blue. A near perfect reflection shined in the waters below as they barely lapped at the edges of the pond, his face over the edge, amber-gold eyes staring straight back into his soul. He brushed a hand across the surface, watching as the ripples tore his image apart, the stars and the moon in the night sky above were all that remained. He sat back and closed his eyes, then reopened them.

Still here, still awake. Though the sight was true, his vision was flawed.

So he had confronted Twilight, she told him what he wished to hear, and he had gotten his apology. What then? It would not cover the strife which he had brought upon this town, it would not bring Apple Bloom’s memory back, and it most certainly wouldn’t bring him back to the place he had been yearning for this entire time. His home, Earth. If it had, then he would not be sitting here right now contemplating over such tribulations. Twilight’s words stung his mind over again.

I wanted you to feel like you belong because…I don’t know how to send you back.

Then, the memories of the dream reentered his mind. Into the thick of the Everfree, beneath the ruins of the castle, and to the tree. That is the place where everything began, the place where this story had started. And the day it all begun, the day the spell was cast upon him.

David stood up, digging into his pocket, pulling out the one and only piece that had been with him since the very beginning. The necklace laid open in his hand, the heart locket.

October 10th, 2010.

The date entered his mind, as though it had been there from the very beginning. He looked down at the locket once more, blinking, and quietly closed it in his palm. The silence of the night reigned over, and the boy was left to his own.

All of this happened because of me. He decided. That day, when I looked up at that television screen, there was no accident. There was no mistake. I decided to start this story. I don’t know what this date means, where I’m going next, or what my purpose is on this planet. But what I do know…

…

The sound of hooves running entered his ears. Shouts and screams followed, and the boy was broken from his thought.

“Please~!” Came a cry. “Somepony help us, please!”

“Huh?” The boy turned around, jogging towards the call.

“Look over there!” Pointed a mare.

“Luna help us, is that the beast?” Another screamed.

“No, it’s the Equerry!” A single stallion emerged from the group, trotting up to the boy. “Equerry, please, you must help us!”

“Okay, slow down.” He raised his arms. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“The town…” The pony looked on desperately. “I-It’s under attack!”

David looked up and beyond. Little pillars of what appeared to be smoke towered on the horizon leading to Ponyville.

No more than six, complete equine strangers timidly trotted behind the figure of the human as they snuck their way around the edges of the village, ducking beneath bush after rock and bramble, the boy making sure that his companions would stay out of sight well before they had even laid eyes upon the first buildings. Of course, none of these common citizens were quite so good at sneaking, being born with hooves and all. The boy quietly admired his efforts for having gone out the night he planned to leave town, Starlight catching him at the lake, as she had shown him various hiding spots on their way back. All the while and in the midst of the their haphazard stealth, a plan was attempting to accumulate itself in the boy’s mind. Alas, his legs were moving on their own. Fright and fear took hold with every step they gained towards the town.

As the group huddled behind a rock, the first of the buildings began to appear. The school house, the park gazebo, distant shacks and market stall awnings. Not a single light illuminated the streets, a straight, dark and deathly shot down the center lane which crossed the bridge into the heart of the plaza. All was quiet, and all was still.

Then, a snap.

David jumped and twisted around. The stallion from before had stepped on a twig. He swiped the sweat from his brow, everypony else breathing a sigh of relief.

“Now what?” A mare raised. “Wasn’t the plan to get away from the town in the first place?”

“And get eaten by monsters from the forest instead?” Another glowered. “Let’s face it, we’re sitting ducks either way.”

“Noble Equerry, surely you have a plan?” The stallion brought up.

Do I?! The boy panicked within. You geniuses have been here way longer than I have! At the very least tell me where the nearest sanctuary is.

David leveled his breathing, letting the first of his thoughts spill to the others. “The beast you described, it smelled like copper, correct?” He nodded. “If we steer clear of the scent, we should be further away from it.”

“Good call, captain obvious.” One mare drawled. “Did you wanna remind us to open our eyes if we want to see, too?”

Fuck you, I’m doing my best here. The boy gave a growl, turning his head and attempting to scan the scene again. “Has anypony been hurt?” He decided to ask.

“Not that we know of.” The only helpful stallion returned. “The beast was unspeakably fast. Like it was there, and then it was gone! Several of the townsfolk had vanished in the midst of the panic, but we don’t know where they went.”

“And it was all because of…her!” The first mare seethed. “That pink, little pegasus, the one with the blue curls.”

Cozy Glow…? David blinked, astonished. No, it couldn’t have been.

“I pray to Celestia that the children are alright.” An older, timid stallion shrunk back. “What are we to do, Equerry? How are we to save our fellow ponies?”

As his eyes returned to the darkened scenery ahead, the words of the ponies from behind him clicked as he went to reach inside his pocket. There in his hand laid the Equerry’s badge, the insignia and writing engraved onto the back. By hoof, by heart, by horn, to city and country we are sworn. And thus, the boy had his thoughts in line.

“Alright, listen up.” He turned to them. “Priority number one, get everypony to safety. Whether you take them to the edge of town or beneath the shelter of a building, I don’t care how you do it, just do it.”

“We’ll need a proper rally point.” The older stallion piped up.

“Anywhere from where the beast first spawned.” David decided. “That’s its main hunting grounds.”

“And priority number two?” The snippy mare awaited.

“Find Princess Twilight, she’ll know what to do.” The boy turned back around, placing both hands to the stone. “Stay low and stay sharp-”

“Equerry, wait-!” The first stallion alarmed, gripping the boy’s jacket.

David looked backed to the pony with wonder, and the equine was eyeing the skies. He took his sights to his own and found that the towering, layers of smoke from before were indeed not towers of smoke, but rocks. Large, high climbing spires, twice the height of Town Hall. His mind wandered back to his meeting with Mikado and Twilight in the second floor offices. The diorama of the town, featuring the black pillars standing all around. They held a menacing, discouraging aura which the boy could not quite place.

“The town has been surrounded by these strange, black pillars.” The pony warned. “If you pass this threshold, you will lose your magic.”

Lose my magic?

“But, I-” The boy halted, biting back his words.

If I tell them that I don’t actually have any magic, that’ll probably discourage them. He eyed the black pillars with triviality. If what this guy just said is true, then that means as soon as they cross this border, none of them can fly, none of them can use their horns, or anything. Twilight or even Starlight might not have their magic anymore, and that would explain why these ponies came to me for help in the first place. He winced visibly. Dammit, there go my plans for a flight into the sunset. Or rather the sunrise, I guess…

Upon that very moment, the dreadful stench of copper soon filled each and every one of their senses. The ponies became far too frightened to even move, and David could only take a timid step and shift before a powerful, unrelenting presence shadowed over their very beings. The spoor of blood was absolutely unbearable now, one pony threatened a gag and another choked as the figure of the beast appeared a mere trot and saunter away from them, inching ever so closely.

The same feeling from that night in the forest over-encumbered the boy once again. He had to act, he had to move! But, every part of his body locked.

Then, a blinding light filled their eyes.

Everypony shrunk back, shielding their faces, the boy doing the same as he peeked past the slits of his fingers and recognized the figure leaping in front of the group, standing between them and the beast.

“Only a fool would face death headfirst.” The zebra said. “Follow my lead, ponies, lest the situation get worse!”

Another beat later, and a tiny figure hopped into view. The purple bunch of scales puffed his chest and exhaled with all his might. A fresh stream of flames and fury poured from his lungs like a living flamethrower. The beast shunned to the light and wavered from the fire, retreating back into the shadows, likely awaiting its second chance.

“Everypony, follow Zecora!” Spike declared, gesturing with his arm.

The dragon hobbled ahead, the ponies quickly trotting along, and soon after David followed suit with a steady gait up the road leading to Sweet Apple Acres.

More than half of the audience surrounding the stage at Town Hall had all but dropped to the earth, as though a plague of some manner had suddenly overtaken them all. Far down below, the beast crawled and crept among its unconscious bunches of prey, swaggering haphazardly and swinging its arms from side to side. The beast was drenched black and red, as though the bloodied figure of a boar and a horse were conjoined, dipped in tar, and crumpled over by a train on the tracks. It’s figure was more or less human-like, sinister, sickly yellow for its eyes, shrouded beneath sockets bored deep into its head. It muttered, and called, and named the names of the townsponies in near, perfect imitation.

The gaunt yet burly, devilish figure sauntered about like a guard dog, and the collection of ponies on the Town Hall balcony peered down with varying amounts of fright and confusion.

“What is that thing?” Amethyst looked on, fear in her sights.

“The beast that slaughtered the chickens.” Ronin deemed. “No doubt about it.”

“But…why is it here?” She questioned fervently. “What’s going on?”

All grew quiet, and the pegasus of the group stepped forward.

“Amy, I need you to listen to me very carefully.” Derpy held her daughter by the shoulders. “I know how much it hurts for you to do this, but I need you to teleport Dinky, Ronin and yourself to safety.”

“W-What?” The young unicorn panicked. “What about you? And Doc?”

“Your mother and I will be fine, what matters is that the three of you find shelter.” The Doctor ordered. “We don’t know what’s going to happen next, or for how much longer this area will be safe.”

“But-!” Amethyst trembled. “What if that thing climbs up here and gets you!”

“We’ll be alright, I promise.” The mother cooed. “I can fly, and Doc here may not usually look it, but he can run faster than anypony I’ve ever seen.”

“No, I can’t do this…” The lavender pony blinked hard. “Not after I just came back to you guys, I can’t leave you all over again.”

As the mother further consoled her adopted daughter, Dinky timidly stood by and dared a glance to the creature lurking about below. Though its figure was gaunt, frightening and seemed to spell nothing but certain demise from its haunting aura, there was a strange sense about the thing that tugged at the back of the little unicorn’s mind. The filly raised her hoof to her horn and slid the ring she sheltered beneath her mane into her frog. The copper ring which Doc had stored, lying patiently in her hoof, almost as though it were calling out to her.

“Let me help you cast the spell.” Ronin added. “That way, we can gain more distance.”

“You see?” Derpy encouraged. “Your special somepony is willing to help.”

Amethyst gave no protest to the tiring assumptions, simply wiping a hoof across her eyes as she looked back up with strained, bleary eyes. The unicorn gave a slow, shaky nod. Accordingly, Derpy and the Doctor stepped back to give the younger ponies their space, ready to cast the teleportation spell and warp away to safer grounds. They waited, and they waited…alas, neither of their horns flared to life.

“What…?” Amethyst blinked, unbelieving. “What’s going on?”

“Our magic.” Ronin worried. “It isn’t working!”

Derpy flexed and opened her wings, finding little to no avail in even gaining an inch off the ground. The Doctor, more or less, felt severely slow as though two-ton weights had been chained to his ankles. The panic slowly began to settle over the ponies, and soon neither one would know what to do or where to go. That is until, a great presence had shadowed overhead, blotting out the moonlight as their sights rose to a great, bulbous figure covering the night sky.

Cherry Berry emerged from her hot air balloon, lifted her goggles, and waved down to the ponies below. “Need a lift?” She offered.

Streams of ponies were filtered down the center of the road, leading through the orchard and up the path to Sweet Apple Acres, all laid along in neat, single file rows per her Highness’ orders. Being well out of range of the tall, black pillars, every unicorn present lighting their horn to shine the way to their shelter. Princess Twilight hovered above the river of her subjects trotting down the path, taking careful headcount, even though it was painfully obvious that more ponies than not had been caught in the trap that ensued at Town Hall. Despite the strong lump in her throat and the wrenching at her heart, the Alicorn soldiered on, helping any and everypony she could at a second’s notice. That very next second, her flight companion soared across the trees and beat her wings to a halt, saluting accordingly and even perhaps habitually.

“That’s everypony outside of the ring.” Rainbow Dash saluted.

“What about Spike?” She asked fervently.

“No sign of the little guy, but I’m sure he’s alright.” The pegasus crossed her hooves. “He’s a dragon for crying out loud, he can take care of himself.”

Twilight hoped beyond hope that her friend was right. Furthermore, the urge to ask about the boy’s whereabouts weighed on the tip of her tongue, but she held the thought back. As Princess, it was her duty to first and foremost look after her citizens. Desires came second.

“Applejack?” She called to the earth pony below. “Are you sure this capacity isn’t too much?”

The farm mare snickered. “I’ve seen Apple Family Reunions bigger than this.” She tipped her setson. “Don’t you worry, Twilight, we’ll get these folk beneath the barn in no time.”

A timid, yellow pegasus joined the two in the sky. Tucked within the embrace of her hooves was a white, little bunny. “I’ve gathered all the critters and placed them around the edges of the farm area, just like you said.” Fluttershy informed. “Oh, but I’m not too sure if some of them were up to the task. Harry seemed the most frightened out of all of them.”

“Good work, Fluttershy.” Twilight acknowledged. “With their sense of smell, we should be able to detect the beast coming from miles away.”

“C’mon now, make some room! Outta’ the way, coming through!” Pinkie Pie honked her imaginary horn. “Move it or lose it, pal! Ey, I’m trottin’ ‘ere!”

“Pinkie, dear, would you please keep the volume to a minimum?” Rarity requested, trotting along with a D-ring rig about her waist. “It’s enough already that I have to haul this horrid, barrel bruiser of a wagon all the way from the boutique. So, be a dear and give our ears a rest too, hm?”

“I got a cart full of pies that ponies could be eating for weeks. My sister sure did grow tired of them, so it’s a good thing this whole Nightmare Night fiasco up and started.” The pink pony bounced along, hauling her cart of goods and food. “These pies are to die for! Hehe, get it? Die for!”

Suddenly, the white rabbit held in Fluttershy’s hooves took a good, long sniff at the air. The hare’s pupils shrunk to pinpricks as the pegasus’ chest felt the terrified grip of trembling paws. “Um, Twilight?” She cautioned timidly.

“Head’s up, y’all!” Applejack quickly warned. “Something’s coming.”

“And fast…” Rainbow braced.

Waves of copper filled the ponies’ nostrils nearly all at once, and the panic spread among them like wildfire. Twilight quickly ushered the remainder of the citizens past the orchard’s front gate, turning around just in time to watch her five friends group together with determined, defensive stances. A powerful gust of wind carried down the road to the farm, and in the midst of the shadow there appeared a single figure, intimidating in its size alone. Its form was like that of a great, black stallion, freakishly long antlers stemming from its misshapen head, eyes glaring yellow as they darted down the middle of the lane. Every step was like the twisting and tearing of flesh, every stomp an audible, bony snap. The ponies on the defensive looked to one another, delivering determined nods past veils of fear and uncertainty.

“Twilight, cast yer’ shield.” Applejack ordered “Now!”

“Hurry up and get inside-”

“There’s no time!” Rainbow dug her hoof into the earth. “You bring up the defenses while we keep stinky here occupied!”

One decision after the other, it had become harder for Twilight to follow her protocol. A Princess was to her duty, but what sort of Princess would she be without her friends? Time running painfully thin, the pony pushed her thoughts aside and ordered the rest of the ponies within the fences of the farm space to step back. Raising her horn skyward, a spiral of hot pink and lavender twirled towards the stars, stopping mid-flight and twisting outwards as a purple, transparent dome covered the skies and sped towards the earth.

In that very moment, the blackened beast charged forward, unspeakably fast. The five mares ahead tensed and braced for impact.

The fastest of the five, Rainbow Dash sliced past what she thought to be the figure of the beast, only to realize the monstrosity was practically twelve steps ahead of her. She twisted back around, damned should any competition at all upstand her, and by that time Pinkie Pie had already unleashed a barrage of projectile pies. Applejack twirled and whipped her lasso as though attempting to quell the roars of an untamed lion, and Rarity had unleashed a rather lethal stream of pins and needles straight unto the monster’s center mass. In all honesty, Fluttershy was simply there for emotional support.

As the shield finally touched to the earth, a pause came over the battle scene, and the beast broke free of Applejack’s lasso as though snapping a toothpick in two. The girls regrouped, smitten and panting.

“Look’s like we’re gonna have to kick it up a notch…” Rainbow deemed. “Girls, you know what time it is!”

“Time to rock this bad boy’s world!” Pinkie cheered.

“Buck up, buttercup!” AJ pumped.

“De l’avant!” Rarity forged.

“I-I’m sorry, but, you need to go down…mister.” Fluttershy peeped.

The black stallion whinnied with a great, howling cry, and charged forward to strike yet again. A grizzly bear out of seemingly nowhere leapt over Fluttershy, braced, and delivered a clean uppercut. Rarity flared her horn and forced the monstrosity back to the earth, met with the full taste of both Bucky McGillygutty and Kicks McGee. The monster was trying desperately to recompose, but had unfortunately landed on the receiving end of Pinkie’s party cannon. Confetti flared high into the sky, and upon the black-blue canvas of stars was a single figure, spreading her wings as she dove and tucked, transforming herself into a living missile. Rainbow Dash bulleted towards her target and screamed with all her might, the intention to maim beyond repair slicing through her mind. In that split second there was a flash, then an impact, and a great, rumbling crash. A building plume of rainbow smoke rose high into the air, nothing but the settling of dust and a crater left behind as the pony responsible had nearly threatened a recharting for the maps.

Five mares stood at the other end of the fence, in between their battle and the ponies staring beyond the pink veil of the shield. Hooves wobbling and lungs wheezing for air, they looked to one another with hopeful glances that the job was finally said and done for. The beast had been bested, and at last the town was saved.

They turned to join the others, and they would have applauded them on their victory.

Yet, the beast still moved…

The orchard’s barnyard felt nothing less than a pack of sardines huddled closely together, pigs within a pen brushing shoulder to shoulder, and the countless citizens snugged inside quickly began to understand the feeling of a farm animal trapped behind the walls of a fence, some deeming that their slaughter was only moments away. The children quietly whimpered to themselves, their mothers holding them close, and the rest wandering about with fear-stricken gazes. Tucked away into the far corner next to the water trough, Nurse Redheart and Doctor Horse were busy tending to the injured, the five brave mares among them.

“I thought we could stop it…” Applejack muttered. “Ah’m sorry, Twi.”

“You girls did everything you could.” Twilight calmed. “Get some rest for now.”

“Where’re you going?” Rainbow raised.

“To the castle.” She called back. “I need to find something that will put a stop to this.”

“If you leave, then who will maintain the shield?” Rarity cautioned.

“I can hold the defenses remotely.”

“But those scary, black pillars will drain your magic!” Pinkie warned.

“Not unless I get to the castle in time.”

“And if you don’t?” Fluttershy caved. “Everypony will be in grave danger…”

Twilight stiffened to the concerns of her friends, staring ahead but not daring to look back, lest the uncertainty in her expression be revealed to both her companions and her citizens. She was supposed to be a Princess, she was supposed to know what to do and when to do it, and maintain her actions accordingly and effectively. If Princess Celestia were here, she would have had this dilemma sorted out in almost no time at all, and she wouldn’t even had to have lifted a feather. How could I have let this happen? How could I have been so naive? Twilight shook. So…incompetent?

Suddenly, the moon light blanketed over the orchard shrunk and shrouded away, traded for a splotch of black hovering high above the dome of the shield. As the ponies delivered their waves of concern, Twilight strained her sights to find a bundle of ponies hollering and waving from above. She split the shield at its canopy and allowed the new visitors to enter, the rest of the equines quickly backing away to make room for the airborne transport’s landing.

Cherry Berry was among the first to emerge, yanking off her aviator helmet and whipping her mane. “This place really oughta’ install a landing pad.” She snorted.

“Your Highness!” Whooves bumbled past the onlookers. “A word with you, please!”

“Doctor Whooves?” Twilight quickly approached the stallion. “I hadn’t expected this sort of arrival. Are there any other survivors in the town?”

“No casualties, as far as we can tell, and I trust we’d like to keep it that way.” The doctor continued. “But the beast is the least of our worries. If we can find a way to bring down those pillars, then we can acquire all the power we need to vanquish our foe and liberate the town.”

“The pillars, I was partially responsible for their upbringing.” The Princess admitted. “Mikado had given me the details on how they’re supposed to work, but considering recent fallacies I’ll doubt they’re going to be of any help, especially if he’s the one responsible for all of this.”

“I do not know who to blame, but what I do have is a solution.” Whooves proposed. “Is it not clear already that the pillars have been separated because they work independently from one another? I theorize that if we are to connect each and everyone of the pillars in some way, shape or form, then they will neutralize one another. Think back to basic electro-theory.”

“If the output is trailed directly back to the source, the source will overload the circuit.” Twilight nodded.

“Precisely!” Whooves triumphed. “All we need now is a plan and suitable materials to undergo the procedure.”

“But this is only a theory.” Twilight paused. “As it stands, Ponyville has been more or less besieged, and one false move could mean a more than devastating price to pay. It has become apparent that if I am to leave this post then more lives will be thrown into peril, and I cannot allow that to happen.”

“Then I’ll go.” Came a young mare’s voice.

Whooves spun around, staring daggers into the younger’s eyes. “Blast it, Amethyst, have you been eavesdropping?”

“My apologies, Doctor, but this is personal. For her, I mean.” Amethyst marched forward, straining to get at eye level with the Princess. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to be out done by this same exact pony for yet the third time in my life. I don’t care if you’re a Princess, I don’t care if you have incredible feats of magic, or whatever! Let me take this chance so that I can prove to you I’m not just some ordinary pony, wandering in your background.”

“Oh…” Twilight blinked, strafing her eyes side to side. “I…hadn’t known you felt that way?”

“I forbid you to encourage her!” Whooves shouted, quickly slapping a hoof over his mouth in realization that he had just forbid the Princess of all ponies, forbid her to do anything that is. His eyes glared back at the younger unicorn. “Where is your mother?” He demanded.

“Hard at work.” Amethyst glanced over.

Derpy was surrounded by a group of ponies, most giving their acknowledgments and admiring the young, foreign colt in their midst. “Why, of course this is my daughter’s boyfriend!” She laughed. “Why, of course he’s from Neighsia. Why, of course he’s going to be my son-in-law.”

“Whickering stallions, I should have stayed in Trottingham.” The Doctor felt a migraine incoming.

Soon after, breaking away from the commotion of the ponies, two peculiar figures dotted the edges of the orchard space. Twilight’s eyes grew twice their size as she barreled past ponies and obstacles alike, swooping down and embracing her oldest and closest friend deep into her chest.

“Oh, Spike!” The Alicorn cried. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Easy, Twi.” The dragon chuckled. “We still got a lot to take care of before celebrating.”

“The dragon would be right.” Zecora approached. “The beast guards the horizons, and long is the night.”

“It’s good to see you, Zecora.” Twilight acknowledged. “I don’t suppose you would know anything about this monster that’s been terrorizing the village? The same one that we carried out the curfews for, too, I trust?”

“Long has this creature lurked the forest, facing all manner of foe and beast.” The zebra explained. “Where it hunts, it does not gain. When it kills, it does not feast.”

“How’re we supposed to stop it?” Spike asked.

“Violence is not the cure, of that I am sure.” The shaman answered. “Though its body is restless, its mind has fallen beneath slumber. Led astray, by one who dwells from under. For a new power, I fear, has taken control. All for the purpose of fulfilling one’s strange, uncertain, and sinister role.”

“You mean to tell us this creature is under control?” Twilight hastened. “By who?”

“I-It was her…” Spike trembled. “It was Cozy Glow.”

“What…?” The pony stared, unbelieving.

“When I went to go find you she grabbed me and pulled me onto the stage in front of Town Hall, and showed me to all of the townsponies before doing Celestia knows what!” The dragon went on. “When I woke up, I was in the Everfree forest, so I did the first thing I could think of. I went straight to Zecora’s place and told her everything that happened.”

“But…if you ended up in the forest, and the beast showed up in town, how could Cozy Glow have…?” The mare’s eyes turning wide once more, panic clogged at her throat and turned her eyes bleary, but not before returning to her companion. “Spike, have you seen David anywhere?”

“Yeah, he’s right-” The lizard twisted around, and came to a freeze.

The boy was nowhere to be found.

The night was almost nothing like the night the boy had decided to abandon everything, his friends, his belongings, this town, and escape from this world once and for all. Not because of the absence of ponies or the lack of dim lights illuminating the path ahead, but rather it was the presence of fear.

Quietly, Luna’s words reentered his vulnerable and feeble consciousness, slithering and slicing through like serpents instead of the calm tone the Princess of the Night had always assumed. When fear took hold, suffering would be endured, and suffering almost always led one to take unfathomably drastic measures into their own hands. Was this the path he was to take all along? Was he to suffer on this journey? Was he to be spent in order to save this town from such turmoil?

As David walked through the hushed isles of the dim, darkly, quieted town of Ponyville, he hoped that doing so would give him the answer he was looking for. To face his fears head on, to give himself entirely to something that he wasn’t even sure he understood completely.

Within moments, the fear grew to a pounding, deafening, heart-stifling boom. His mind was throbbing uncontrollably with the rhythm of his chest, as though both would burst at any moment. There he stood in the midst of the night, in the midst of the silence, broken glass and splinters of buildings cast all about. The plaza square center is where all of this trouble had begun, and it was where it would soon end. He knew what was standing right behind him now. And thus…the boy turned to face his fears.

“I know what you are.” His breath trembled at every word. “And I know what you want.”

The beast stared, motionless, deep yellow eyes awaiting his answer.

“I’m the one you’re looking for, right?” The boy struggled on. “Let’s face it, I’m no hero, I’m no savior nor some magical messiah. I’ve done things that I’m not proud of, horrible things, and quite frankly that’s part of the reason as to why you’re here. All of this was a mistake, which means that I’m a mistake. But…” He looked straight into the face of certain death. “That doesn’t matter to me, not anymore. What matters is that I’m alive, here and now! And as long as I’m still breathing, I still have the power to change things.”

The air all around them trembled, their staring duel soon to come to a close. The dust settled once more, and the boy spoke on.

“I am you, and you are me.” His hand went over his chest. “I started this nightmare, and now…I’m going to end it.”

There came nothing but silence. Undying, unnerving, and unrelenting quiet.

Then, a shadow sliced past at unspeakable speeds, and David hit the ground. He laid there motionless for a moment, blinking, finding that he was still alive and still in the center of the plaza. As he looked up, there on his chest lied a single pony, mane, coat and cutie mark undeniably recognizable.

“Starlight?!” The boy squirmed.

The unicorn peeled her eyes open, lifting off of the boy’s barrel. “I was wrong, you’re not a psychopath…” She could hardly breath. “You’re a suicidal maniac.”

A claw mark lied over the pony’s flank, a sure strike from the beast, gained from her efforts in saving the boy at the very last second. David trembled and hovered over the pony’s wound, mind racing at a million miles a minute as he damned himself tenfold for having let his happen. Then, the plaza square quickly flooded with the cries of what the boy could only describe as a rebellion. Ponies by the tens and hundreds waved over the square with screams to the skies and lights to the stars, wielding lanterns and torches alike. The beast quickly cowered backwards, shaping and shifting into several horrific figures as it fled beneath the stark, bright lights. It was almost as though the dawn of the day itself had arrived, and the monster was sure to retreat into the woods. However, its controller fought with every glimpse of effort it could muster, screeching and slicing wildly in its midst of blinded rage and fury.

David huddled away from the roaring crowds, Starlight cradled in his arms, as he took her to the steps of Town Hall. His hands cautiously brushed over the cuts scraped across her mark, but the unicorn was far more adamant on gaining his attention.

“I’ll be fine-!” She winced. “Go find out where that little brat is hiding.”

“Cozy Glow?” David surmised.

“She’s the one who’s been behind all of this, from the very beginning.” Starlight hissed. “If we don’t stop her, that beast will tear all of us to shreds!”

“She’s only one little pony, where the heck am I supposed to find her?” The boy asked fervently.

“If she could pull off a trick like this, that must mean she has far more powerful magic than we realize.” The unicorn gazed about the scene desperately. “She must have teleported somewhere…somewhere hidden.”

“Teleported?” He mimicked.

“Do you remember when you showed up on Trixie’s stage all of a sudden?” The mare recalled. “Spike had ended up in the castle because the two of you had traded places.”

“Then that wouldn’t mean just a straight teleportation…but she swapped places with something to make the jump!” David concluded, delving deep into his mind. In chess, there’s only one move you can make where you move two pieces at one time, and that move is castling. A player can only castle if they switch the rook with the…

As he looked up, his destination lied narrowly on the road ahead. The Castle of Friendship.

David could only recall few times in his life where he had ran hard enough for his lungs to catch fire and the balls of his feet becoming bruised and pained. The strife and the turmoil mattered not as he climbed the steps, burst past the golden double doors, and channeled down the main hallway with tremendous amounts of a fight and fury swirling at the ends of his fists. The map room opened up to him, cold and quiet, a single beam strung from table to center piece at the top of the rotundus room.

Alas, no matter how sharp his senses nor quick his wits, a sharp and halting sensation soon overcame his body. His flesh tightened, his bones clicked and his joints stiffened. It was as though the very blood coursing through his veins had come to an immediate halt, subduing each and everyone of his moves. As the strange, magical aura took hold of him, the boy was brought to his knees. In the center most crystalline chair of the map table, the throne spun around, slowly and dreadfully, revealing the very little equine he and the entire town had been in search of. The winged filly, now a horn atop her head, stared down her opponent. She grinned, let loose a string of cackles, and eased devilishly into her monotonous, sinister speech.

“You know, you remind me so much of the kids I used to know back home.” She said. “But moreover, you remind me so much more of somepony in particular. I see her in the mirror everyday.”

David delivered a harsh squint. He wished he could completely close his eyes, if only to momentarily rid this little demon from his sight.

“Do you remember what I said to you at the school house?” She queried. “What about when we played chess at the cafe?”

If David could shake his head, he’d rather spit.

“We’ve got a lot more in common than we think, you and I.” She told him. And suddenly, her pupils shrunk to the size of seething pinpricks, little fiery dots in a world of white. “You would not believe how furious that makes me. Not because I say it only to say it, but because it’s true.” She slowly eased from her chair, sauntering about. “Every single pony whom I uttered those exact words to, those words of connection, those words of relation, I knew deep down in my humbly decided mind that I was lying straight to their faces. I lied to them, every single one of them…except you.” She froze, shaking and blinking hard. Her speech like that of a twisting, breaking violin. “The more I came to realize how kindred you and I really are, the less I began feeling like somepony that actually meant something to this world, something that was supposed to carry a purpose. But now…that purpose is lost. And it’s all because of YOU!”

With hardly a shred of effort, the throne she had been sitting upon was thrown into the air and over the boy’s head, shattering into a million shards as it struck the wall behind him. The tiny, speckled, glass pieces fell all around and tinkled to the ground as he lied in his forced, kneeling position.

Suddenly, the filly turned unbelievably calm, as though the simple flip of a switch was all it took. “You may be wondering how we got to this point in the grand scheme of things. How I ended up being the surprise villain, and-oop! Spoiler alert, it turns out I’m the hero, too!” She cheered.

David could only stare and reply with a run of confused mumbles.

“Were you always that blind?” She cocked her head, dumbfounded. “All it really took was a different perspective.” Her gaze turned to slits. “You never knew it, boy…but I was always there.”

Always. There.

“But you know one thing?” Her eyes ran bloodshot. “You were right, you are a mistake! Everything you’ve ever done has been nothing but mistake, after mistake, after mistake, after mistake…! And I’m going to make you relive those moments, all over again!”

Cozy Glow trained her newly wound horn upon the boy, and in an instant his mind and body began to throb and contort, as though to the point that they might burst. Shadow figures swirled and raced all about, overwhelming amounts of guilt and grief plaguing his thoughts as he knelt to the floor even further than before, sobbing and crying uncontrollably.

The debt that which he owes Ponyville, the pain he caused Silver Spanner and Rose Luck, Apple Bloom’s coma and her fall into memory loss. It all came rushing back like a black, terrible wind, clouding his vision and throwing his judgment into complete and utter anguish. Cozy Glow closed in on the boy, deepening the cut, whispering into his ear from the black of her tongue.

“You are nothing.”

From the blazes and roaring ensuing outside, Doctor Whooves and Amethyst spun their coil around their respective spires. Zecora was onto the next, and Spike had nobly joined in on the efforts as well. Each and everyone gave their signal that the last black tower was connected to the next, and Twilight had only to connect her end, should the circuit become shorted.

The townsponies hollered and screamed to the heavens, pushing the beast back to the spot on the fountain’s pedestal, the very spot where Ponyville’s prized statue had crumbled and fallen. In that instant, a great, thundering crackle came coursing through the sky. Each and everyone of the black pillars surged with immense amounts of electricity, aiming back towards the center point of the town. Directly over the fountain space where the beast now lied. With a snap of blinding white, lighting coursed through the air, and struck its target so.

There was a bang, a rumble and flash of light.

Cozy Glow tensed, jolted, and was stricken frozen for a sure, solid second. Then, the boy lifted his arm and grabbed her horn. With a violent squirm, twist and crack, David pulled and ripped the horn right from the filly’s head. He lumbered to his feet, tossed the broken end aside, swiping a forearm across his jaw as the pony at his feet wailed and screamed against the castle walls.

“Maybe you’re right, Cozy Glow.” David said. “Maybe you and I are alike in one way or another. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my time here thus far, it’s that you ponies can be just as cruel and malevolent as us humans. There’s no ‘one side’ or ‘the other.’ It’s all just ‘us.’ We’re all the same, you and I both!”

The horn-torn filly struggled past streams of tears, holding the space over her head as she craned her sights upwards. “A-Augh! Sss!” She winced. “A-Actually, I just found a difference.” She snarled. “Only one of us is going to be alive after this!”

She howled and lunged forward, wings bolting her towards his face as they both screamed, thrashed, spun, and twirled all around the castle floor. Her broken horn in sight, Cozy Glow lunged over and pressured it between her hooves, forcing the rest of her weight down on the boy’s throat and chest.

She had seen it before, when he showed it at the schoolhouse. The wound over his chest was undoubtedly his weak spot, and the devilish little pony planned to slice right through. As the tip of the horn scratched upon the surface of his bare wound, she felt a strange sensation overwhelm her altogether. The struggling and the fighting came to a screeching halt, a teal aura surrounding the pony whole.

David watched as the blanket of light blue shimmered and swirled all around the little villain. It suspended her in the air, frozen stiff, and soon the filly found that her body was racing towards the far wall at alarming speeds. Cozy Glow was immediately knocked unconscious, bouncing off and hitting the floor with a loud, defeated thud. The boy crawled backwards, stopping and turning over his shoulder. There in the doorway stood the sorceress, Starlight, out of breath and trembling with exhaustion.

“How many times…” She breathed. “…am I going to save your life today?”

“Starlight…?” The boy struggled to his feet, lumbering over to the pony just as she was about to collapse. “You gonna be alright?”

“I think I got my steps in for the day.” She swept her brow.

“What about the beast?”

“Twilight and the others played some tricks, caught it in the crossfire.” The unicorn almost cackled. “Guess that covers the fireworks show.”

“And the ponies?”

“I think the town’s gonna be alright.” She relaxed into the boy’s arms. “Nothing that a little fixer-upper can’t do.”

“You seem awfully relaxed for all the shit that just went down.” David looked on, perplexed.

“Trust me, you’ll get used to it.”

There was a beat of silence, and David looked over to the filly before returning to Starlight. His eyes wavered upwards, down the hall and past the threshold of the castle. The faintest glow of the morning was just beginning to stretch across the horizon afar.

“I think I’m beginning to understand…” He began.

Starlight could only reply with a slow, wondering blink.

“There’s a lot of things in this world that are going to be above me, but just because I’m not as strong as I wanna be doesn’t mean I should give up. If anything, my weakness is my reason to move forward.” He decided. “I still don’t really know what’s going on, I don’t know what will happen or where I’m going next, but somehow I’ll find a way. I’m confident now that I can do that.”

With that, the unicorn finally gave a cackle and a laugh of her own. She sighed with comfort and slowly eased herself back into the comforting cradle of the boys’ embrace. “So, you finally figured out how to stop being such a little bitch…” She smiled. “That warms my heart, David.”

“S-Starlight…?” The boy drew closer.

“Thank you, David, for everything you’ve done.” She slowly closed her eyes.

“Starlight-!”

“Thank you…thank you…”

“Starlight, no! No, no, no!” He gripped her form, holding her close. “Don’t die on me, Starlight, please!”

“Mmf! Let go of me, you idiot! I’m not dying!”

“Oh! S-Sorry…” He slowly let go.

“I-I mean.” The pony blinked. “Thanks for looking out for me, I guess?” She dropped again and sighed. “Listen, I’ve had a pretty long day. Could you just let me rest here for a moment?”

“Oh, um…sure.” The boy sufficed, gently resting the pony to the cold, crystal floor. He stood, dusting himself off, and looking to the filly resting at the far end of the chamber. After a small spell of hesitation, he slowly wandered over to the unconscious form, and cradled the smaller one up into his arms.

Starlight’s ears flickered as she listened, hearing the boy trail out the door, down the hall and descending the steps to the castle with Cozy Glow in his arms. Quietly, after peering about to her left and right, Starlight located the broken piece lying on the opposite end of the room.