Tamed II: As Time Went On

Chapters

Chapter I - The Mysterious Rendezvous
Chapter II - Ten Years Changing
Chapter III - Breaking a Wall
Chapter IV - Bringer of Light
Chapter V - From Another World
Chapter VI - Homecoming
Chapter VII - Punishment
Chapter VIII - Reunited

Chapter I - The Mysterious Rendezvous

Act 1 - Disharmony

Chapter 1 – Mysterious Rendezvous

Edited by Vertorm

*****

On a solemn night, the air was frigid and the wind screeched past the cold rocks of Smokey Mountain. A solitary pony, a pegasus, trekked carefully along the treacherous path. His eyes were narrowed and his wings tucked tightly. He could barely see where he was going as only the light of a full moon cared to guide his way. He constantly stepped on loose rocks, letting out hisses of pain and disapproval. However, he carried on. He knew he had to reach the top. It wasn’t that he was a daredevil or absolutely insane; it was simply imperative that he continued...

Eventually, his eyes caught the hint of a small breakaway in the path. He was now stuck with two options and was unfortunately clueless about the layout of the mountain.

“Luna guide me…Which way is it?” His voice was completely drowned out by the wind. He couldn’t hear himself much less reach the ears of anypony else. The pegasus decided to ignore the breakaway and continued along the main path. In retaliation, a large gale pushed him back to the fork. He was so close to losing his footing, but with a quick decision, he lunged towards the path he rejected. Without warning, the wind died out. So fast in fact that the pegasus’s ears began to ring from the dead silence. However, he was relieved to have finally been rid of that annoying adversary.

The path in front of him was lit up in the moonlight. It was very narrow and it seemed to go on forever. He was walled in on both sides by giant cliffs of rock. The moon, oddly enough, was positioned straight ahead. It loomed over where the path seemed to end.

“Did you hear me?” he whispered to himself. As he progressed, the only sounds he could hear was the light stamping of his hooves on the hard rock and his own labored breathing. Suddenly he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He quickly turned his head to the left and stared down another pathway, one which he was sure hadn’t been there before. He noticed something else and turned his head back; the pathway he was traversing was gone... Or was it? Confused, he looked around. He was indeed still on the straight and narrow path with the moon looming in the distance in one direction and complete darkness in the other.

“Where are you taking me?” he whispered as he continued up the path.

There are moments in my life when nothing seems to make sense. As if…walking forward only brings me backward. When I look up…all I see is the ground below. I feel as if I don’t belong…as if the way I see the world is…different. I can see the light before me, but how far off is it? Will I ever be able to reach it?

He blinked. He was now facing a wall. Again he was disoriented, but the moon guided him once more. It begged for him…

I always fear the choices I make…when something seems so obviously right…and it turns out to be the worst decision you’ve ever made.

“Hey!” The pegasus’s ears perked. He heard a voice that was not his own. Instantly, he turned to the right…down the path of darkness. A pony was standing there…illuminated by the moon. It was a filly…small and adorable. She had a violet mane the same shade as her eyes, as well as a horn and a cute smile. There was a stripe in her mane… “Follow me! I want to show you something.” Her voice interrupted his thoughts.

He blinked and rubbed his eyes with a hoof. It…wasn’t an illusion. “Shouldn’t we…do as we’re told?” The words left his mouth unwillingly. He put a hoof up to his lips.

“Fyre…you’re no fun. I want to see the world! I hate being cooped up at home all the time.”

The pegasus, Fyreburst, just stared at the filly for the longest time. His eyes began to well up. He took a step toward her. When his hoof touched the ground, he suddenly yanked it back with a yelp. It felt as if something sharp had impaled it.

“I-I can’t go!” he cried out. “Just come back…come back to me!” He reached out to her. “I don’t…want to see you go…”

He blinked again. The filly was gone. In a panic, he looked around. The narrow path was all that was left. She wasn’t there…she was gone…and he was left with no choice but to continue up the pathway.

Panic…The feeling that always tears you up. You feel hopeless…estranged. A part of you is pinned down…to one spot in the past. The more you try to deny it ever happened…the more it hurts you…keeps you awake at night…searching desperately for a way to pull the pin and correct it, but all you discover is that there’s nothing you can do.

“Moving on… Easier said than done.” He muttered. He wiped his eyes and then took off in a gallop towards the moonlight. He could hear whispering all around him, incomprehensible but familiar. Only now and then could he make out the words.

“In every scar comes power, knowledge, and experience, but also a pain you can never forget.” The voice was clearer than the rest. The moon was becoming brighter and brighter with every second.

“Never forget,” he repeated.

“Going beyond the boundaries, new pains and new paths emerge. It’s a difficult choice to make because…can you ever go back?” The voice spoke to him again.

“No…you can’t change the past. All you can do is deny it,” he answered.

As soon as he was done speaking, the light became blinding. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, but once he reopened them, he found himself standing in front of a giant mouth to a very large cave. He had reached the top. Shocked, he looked behind him and could see the fork he had encountered earlier.

“That was…strange.” He shook his head and rubbed it with a hoof. “I must be getting tired. Let’s just find out what this is all about.” He walked toward the cave and entered into its gloomy depths. Dark was an understatement; he couldn’t see his own hoof in front of his face. He didn’t bring with him any sort of lighting and was simply stuck like this, unable to see.

“Hello?!” he hollered into the darkness. He waited for an answer, but there was none. Fyre sighed as he remembered something he was told to say, “A long decade come and gone...” He rolled his eyes. “Stare into the blazing dawn…” He inhaled to say the rest…

“Rest upon that smoky spire…leave the land bathed in fire,” a sly, quiet voice finished for him. “So you’ve come…just like she said.”

“Like who said? Who are you?” Fyre looked around, but nothing could be seen in the darkness.

“Fyreburst…that’s your name, right?” The voice cracked…it seemed young and coltish.

“I’m not saying anything until you answer my question.” He stamped his hoof.

“Such defiance will get you killed, Fyre. You come not here by your own will…but by fate…I also know what you seek.”

“Then we can make this short. Tell me what I want to know!” He stepped backwards a little. He was ready to bolt out of there as soon as he could.

“First there’s something you need to tell me.” The voice became slightly louder. Out of the darkness, Fyre could see the glint of two eyes. Not enough to make out their color, but enough to know where the voice was coming from.

“Oh? Something you want to know, huh?” he scoffed. “Look, I was told you would be cooperative.”

“What do you know…about Twilight Sparkle?”

“Twilight Sparkle?” He curved his lips into a small grin. “Actually, I do know something about that pony.”

He could sense the figure he was speaking to become restless once it heard this. The eyes drew closer…close enough to make out their color…purple. “Tell me! Tell me where she is!”

“Ah ah…I just got done climbing this awful, terrible mountain. Give me a break. I want my information first. Then I’ll gladly tell you.”

“And if you don’t…I’ll kill you! You got that?!”

“Fine by me.” He could feel a bead of sweat trickle down his face. His legs tightened and he swallowed the persistent lump in his throat. “Now tell me.”

The voice took a moment to respond, “Go to Ponyville…”

“Ponyville? That…country town? She’s…there?”

“Enough questions…tell me about Twilight!” The figure was getting excited.

“Twilight, huh? Well…I hate to disappoint you…but I’ve never heard of her.”

With that, Fyre swung himself around and dashed towards the exit. He unfurled his amber wings and took to the air.

“You!!” the voice screamed. The anger in it was like nothing he had ever heard. It was all the more reason to fly as fast as he could. He was sure he got a good lead on whatever it was. He hoped it couldn’t fly…

“Gahh!!” Fyre yelped as he was tackled out of the sky. He hit the hard rock with a deafening thud. The pegasus rolled to a stop and he quickly tried to recover himself, but before he could even stand he was knocked onto his side. The pain of both falls was tearing into him. He kicked violently at his attacker.

“I told you this would happen! Why would you lie to me?! I can’t trust…anypony!” he heard the voice yell at him. He was forced onto his back. His vision was blurry as he glanced helplessly upward. The figure was silhouetted by the moonlight. Two purple eyes and a purple-hued mane were all he could make out.

“Lights out, Fyre!” was the last thing he heard.

*****

The world flickered in. Candlelight illuminated the small crevice below a door. Fyre couldn’t open his eyes completely.

“Am I…dead?” he pondered while he slowly rose onto his legs. In front of him was a candle painted onto a red door. Fyre felt like he was forgetting to breathe… He wasn’t sure where he was or how he had gotten there. His only reaction was to knock on the door. “Hello? I…I need help.”

The pegasus felt his legs collapse as he fell against the door. It gave away and he tumbled inside. Disoriented, he could feel a growing heat coming from inside the room. He attempted to right himself and look around, but his body refused. He could see a little clearer…fire. There was fire everywhere. He tasted something metallic in his mouth as his body began to burn. Choking and coughing, he didn’t know what was happening. Nothing would respond as his mind panicked and struggled to fight off the paralysis.

“Where…are…you?” he managed to whimper out. “Mother…”

“Hey! Wake up!” He heard something calling him. He also felt something cool splash onto his face. It was mildly refreshing… He could feel his legs again too.

*****

“What is this kid doing…? You know sleeping there could be dangerous! There are a million better places to take a nap, Red.”

Fyre groaned. The voice speaking to him was piercing his ears. “Could you…keep it down? You’re really loud.” Not only was the voice painful, but his whole body ached. It felt like he was hit by a boulder.

The voice scoffed. “Loud?! Ha! You haven’t heard loud yet, Red.”

The pegasus just turned away from whatever was talking and folded his ears. He felt like he could finally open his eyes. In front of him was a raging river that wasn’t too quiet either. “Where am I?”

“I think the better question is why. You know you can sleep on clouds. Why a riverbank?”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly my choice.”

“Are you saying somepony made you sleep there?”

“What does it matter to you? Can’t you just leave me alone?”

The voice sighed. “Whatever…no feathers off my wings.”

Fyre could hear it walking away until it had left him alone. “Finally.” He pushed himself up to his hooves. His entire body screamed at him. “Oh dear, Luna! That thing must have hit me hard…didn’t kill me though.”

“Surprise!!!” a voice yelled right into his ears.

Fyre leapt into the air. “Waahh!” he howled. He hovered in the air and turned to face his tormentor.

“Hahaha!” A pegasus, cyan with a rainbow-colored mane, was holding her sides laughing.

“What’s the big idea?! You can’t do that!”

“Oh, but I just did! You’re jumpy for a stallion, Red.”

“And why do you keep calling me Red? I’m…” Fyre cut himself off. He recognized the pony. The mare smiled at him. “…wait…you…aren’t you…Rainbow Dash?!”

“The…one and only!” She looked at her right hoof with a grin.

“Wow! I mean…The day I get woken up by a Wonderbolt...”

“Hey!” she cut him off. “Former…Wonderbolt. I don’t like being called that anymore. The name’s Dash.”

“Right, I know about the whole fiasco. You really stuck it to them, but…”

“But nothing, Red! Now are you gonna tell me why you’re here?” Dash crossed her forelegs.

Fyre hesitated for a moment. It really wasn’t any of her business. “I’m…looking for somepony… I got tired and…took a nap at the riverbed. Again, why do you care?”

“Looking for somepony, huh? A runaway?” Rainbow seemed strangely interested.

“N…No. It’s not that simple. Look, I appreciate your concern, but it really isn’t your problem. I’m glad you came along and all, but I’d rather keep this to myself.” Fyre was becoming more defensive by the second.

“Oh, all right. Well then…good luck finding anypony in this storm then.” Dash turned to leave him.

“Storm?” Fyre chuckled. “What st…” A few water droplets hit his face. “Oh, you’re kidding me…”

“It’s Tuesday. It rains here every Tuesday during the summertime. I hope you got an umbrella with you.”

The amber stallion rolled his eyes and went after her. “Of course it does. Do you know a cave or something around here I can stay?”

His words seemed to shock the mare as she flipped around and gave him a confused look. “What is with you, Red? Why a cave? You’re a pegasus! You can just stay atop the clouds or find higher ground. You know…use your wings!”

Fyre groaned. “I know that. I’m not stupid and please stop calling me that. The name’s Fyreburst. Call me Fyre…or whatever, just not Red.”

“Fyre, huh?” She looks him over. The stallion sported a crimson mane and an amber coat. His eyes, however, were a sea blue. “Sounds about right. You’re not a pyro, are you?”

“N-No and I’d rather not talk out in the rain.” The pegasus twitched with each raindrop that hit him.

“Why’s that? It’s not gonna put you out is it?” She covered her mouth as she chuckled.

“Haha, Dash. Haven’t heard that one before.” The rain became stronger with each second they wasted talking. “Forget it. I’m looking on my own,” Fyre said irritably and turned to take off.

“Woah, cool your jets, hotshot!” She intercepted him, placing a hoof against his nose. “I get it…you don’t like heights. Besides...You haven’t told me where you got all those bruises.”

“What bruises?” Fyre scoffed. “You know…all these years I thought I would be star struck meeting you…but you’re just like everypony else.”

The mare rolled her eyes with a dismissive sneer. “Save it. You can say whatever you want, but I’m not letting a pony who’s been hurt go alone into a thunderstorm.”

“And what gives you the right to shelter me from anything?” The stallion turned his head, keeping an eye on her.

“That has to be the dumbest…come on!” Dash lunged at him and nabbed his mane with her teeth, pulling him.

“Hey! What the…?!” He protested. He tried to push her away with his forehooves. “Let go!”

“What bruises?!” her voice muffled in his mane. “What about this?!” The mare poked him in the side with a hoof. A searing pain blasted his senses and he yelped. “Or that one?!” She jabbed the back of his neck, sending another wave of undeserved pain.

“Ow! Ow! Stop! Okay! Mother of…” He gave in…Dash let go of his mane. The places she prodded were now throbbing. He didn’t even notice them hurting before.

“Now would you stop being so stubborn. Man…he’s just like her,” she mumbled.

Fyre’s ears perked. “Just like who?”

The rain was getting more and more intense. Even Dash was beginning to protest. “Nothing. Can we go now? Getting soaked in the rain isn’t exactly my idea of a great time either.”

Fyre sighed. “Fine. Lead on, Former Wonderbolt.” He waved a hoof, crossing them afterwards.

The mare shook her head. “Try to keep up,” she said calmly before zipping away.

Right…keep up with a Wonderbolt. I don’t know about this…what is she doing all the way out here anyway? he pondered before following the colorful pony. The rain made it slightly difficult to keep an eye on her, but she wasn’t flying as quickly as he had thought she might. She looks so much different than what I had expected. Her mane…it looks like she hasn’t cut it in months. Same thing with her tail…Much older looking too… It’s not surprising since she hasn’t shown her face in anything for over five years.

Fyre shook his head. Why am I thinking about this? I need to concentrate on what’s important… This is a little excursion, but I need to get to…Ponyville as soon as I can. That pony or creature that attacked me… It said it would kill me… Maybe it failed? Was I spared? Will I be seeing it again? I guess I’ll need to keep my guard up.

He couldn’t see much, but he seemed to be in a large meadow. He could barely make out a forest in the distance. Fyre had no clue where he was, but he was sure to find out from his nosy companion. It wasn’t too long before Rainbow led him to a remote cottage. It wasn’t exactly the smallest of homes.

Is this where she lives? Not in a town or city…but in a random place out in the wilderness?

“Come on. Get inside.” She flew up to the door and pushed it open for him. He was still doubtful about the whole situation, but it couldn’t be much worse than getting soaked. Perhaps she really was trying to be hospitable. Fyre only hesitated for a moment before making his way inside. As soon as he had landed, soothing warmth immediately enveloped him. He sighed contently; getting out of that rain was the most comforting feeling he had experienced today.

Before Fyre could take another step further inside, Rainbow stopped him with a hoof. “Stay right there. I’ll get a towel.” She quickly trotted away and disappeared into another room.

He took the chance to look around. It wasn’t at all what he expected. The main room seemed to take a majority of the space in the house. Nearly every wall was shelved with books from top to bottom. A break in one wall yielded a large fireplace. A variety of different furniture was scattered around the area; lounge chairs, giant floor pillows, and two different couches. It seemed she needed a place to lie down in every corner of the house. Two low coffee tables and various other stands were littered here and there. In one corner he could see a staircase leading to the second floor and three different doorways into other rooms.

“What is this… a furniture show room? What’s her deal?”

Having seen everything there was to see from that one spot, he glanced down on the welcome mat he was standing on. Between his soaked amber hooves he spotted the word ‘Brave’. He lifted his hooves to see another that read ‘Infallible’.

“Okay she has some oddities…not unlike any other celebrity.” Fyre whispered to himself.

Around that moment, Rainbow returned with a towel around herself and another in her muzzle. With a quick motion, she flung it right onto his head, blinding him.

“There you go, Red. Dry up and have a seat next to the fireplace…I’ll get a fire going.” She began walking in that direction. “Ever had Déjà vu before, Red?”

“Fyre…” He pulled the towel off and clumsily wrapped himself with it. “…and sure I suppose. What an odd question… Are you getting it now?”

Dash threw some logs into the fireplace and neatly stacked them. “You could say that,” She replied simply.

“Are you implying you frequently lure ponies into your home with these…coincidental storms?”

Her focus turned to him. She glared and sighed through her nostrils. “Look, I told you it happens every Tuesday.” He could hear the frustration in her voice; she wasn’t lying, but she was getting annoyed by this point. “Since there aren’t many ponies out here, the weather is pretty much on a strict pattern annually.”

Fyre fell silent for a few moments until Rainbow continued working on the fire. By then, he had almost completely dried himself, and he painfully walked over to the mare. “Sorry, that was rude. So…What’s a famous pony like you doing all the way out here?”

“Ever hear of something called a summerhouse? I don’t really live here. I just come here to lay low.” She held a stick in her mouth and turned to him. “Hey, can you light this by any chance?”

Fyre blinked, staring at the stick. “I told you. I’m not a pyro…or a unicorn for that matter. How do you expect me to light it?”

“Eh…with those matches, genius.” Dash nodded her head towards the base of the fireplace where a lonely box of matches sat.

“Oh…” Fyre cleared his throat. “Right. Lemme just…” He snagged the box and within a couple seconds he had a lit match in his teeth. “Got it.”

Rainbow Dash just stood there with the stick still in her muzzle. After a few moments, she again sighed and moved forward to light the end. “Gotta do everything myself.” A few seconds later the stick was halfway on fire. She tossed it into the fireplace. Fyre was feeling more like a jackass with every minute. He carefully tossed the match in with it.

Abruptly, Rainbow started pushing Fyre towards one of the floor pillows. “Okay, now lay down.” She shoved him onto the pillow and threw herself onto a couch next to it. “You’re gonna tell me what really happened at that river.”

“Hey! I wasn’t lying! I’m looking for somepony.” Fyre sank into the cushion he was forced onto; comfortable was an understatement.

“Uh huh…and the bruises? You two didn’t get into a fight did you?” She crossed her forelegs in front of her and rested her chin atop them.

“Why do you care so much anyway? You don’t even know me and to top it off you’re a celebrity. Why even bother talking to me?”

Dash wasn’t too pleased with his answer. “Come on…I’ll just keep asking. Okay, how about this…what’s her name?”

“Why do you assume it’s a mare I’m looking for?”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay then. What’s his name?”

“Her name is…” He paused.

A familiar voice rang through his head, “What do you know…about Twilight Sparkle?”

“Her name is Twilight Sparkle.” He smiled. Dash, however, wasn’t smiling. In fact, her head was now raised and listening intently. “She’s my sister…I lost her when I was young. She always wanted to go on adventures, but I always wanted to stay at home and read. One day, she finally decided to go out without me…and I never saw her again. I’ve been kicking myself ever since.” He sighed in relief. “Actually does help to tell somepony else.”

A grin slowly crept up on Dash’s face; though to him it seemed slightly menacing. “Twilight…Sparkle, huh? That’s an interesting name. What does she look like?”

He couldn’t forget that. “Purple coat, purple eyes, and a purple mane and tail with two different colored stripes in it.”

Her grin faded a little. Fyre was realizing quickly that these questions weren’t out of curiosity; they were a test. “…A-and her cutie mark?”

“Her…cutie mark? She never had one. I mean she never got it…at least for as long as I knew her. I’ve always wondered what it could have been.”

“Unicorn?”

“Yep.”

“All right…” He could see her thinking. “…What were her hobbies?”

“Hobbies? Well, she didn’t read like I did. Like I said earlier, she loved the outdoors. We had a ball that she liked to kick around.”

That grin on her face crept right back up. “Sounds like an athlete in the making to me. You should have played with her.”

“I-I did! I was just no good at it. I always wondered why she wasn’t more interested in magic. She used to do all sorts of crazy things when she was younger.”

Once again, her grin was gone. “Crazy with magic, huh? So…where did you two live?”

“In Canterlot…”

Chapter II - Ten Years Changing

Act 1 - Disharmony

Chapter II – Ten Years Changing

Edited by Vertorm

*****

Two nights before the mysterious rendezvous…

A unicorn awoke to find herself in complete darkness. She felt her head pulsing in pain…as if she had just been struck. She tried to move her legs, but it was no use. She could feel the tight, rough grip of rope tied around her legs and her body was bound tightly to a wooden surface. With these sudden realizations, her heart began to race. Panic began to settle in. She made quiet struggling noises as she pulled on the ropes. Again, it was no use.

She heard a voice right by her left ear, “You’re awake…”

The unicorn gasped loudly as she turned her head to face it. Of course, she couldn’t see anything, but she could hear it breathing. “Who’s there?!” By now she could feel the trickle of cold sweat down her muzzle… The prickling of fear all across her body. “Who are you?!”

The voice softly laughed. It was muffled by something as if masked. “What’s in a name… Your talent? Your destiny…? If that were the case…wouldn’t all of our cutie marks be gravestones?”

“Look! I’ll give you whatever you want! Just please don’t hurt me! I have a family!”

“A family, huh? All the better…”

With that, the unicorn felt something swat at her face. She shrieked but quickly fell into a quiet sob, her cheek now burning and throbbing. “Please!! Somepony help me!”

“Scream and call all you want…You’re not anywhere near home. You’re a day’s flight from anypony.”

“W-Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?”

“Oh… just to talk… at least for now. You see… there’s something I’m looking for… and with a little cooperation, you’ll help me find it.”

The unicorn was too terrified to say anything.

“Understand?!” the voice boomed.

“Yes! Yes, I’ll tell you anything!”

“Good.” The voice sounded pleased. With a spark a candle was lit on the ground in front of her, and what the unicorn saw next only terrified her more. She inhaled sharply… She could only barely see them… the soft outlines of other ponies, none of them moving.

Then something emerged from the darkness… It’s head had the shape of a pony’s, masked and terrifyingly still with two purple eyes staring her down, unblinking. The mask appeared metallic and heavy, and it shimmered in the light. “What do you know…about Twilight Sparkle?”

“T-Twilight Sparkle? Who’s that? I don’t know who that is!”

The mask fell silent for a few moments and then retreated into the darkness.

“I-I’m sorry, but I really don’t know!! If I knew, I would tell you!”

The voice was still silent. The unicorn could no longer hear its deep breathing. Believing she was alone, she began struggling at her bindings again. Her breathing was erratic and strained as she pulled and tugged at the ropes, but she couldn’t make any progress.

Then the candle blew out. She let out a gasp. Shortly after, a powerful force rammed into her throat and pinned her against the wooden surface behind her. Whatever it was began choking her. Something else started to stroke her cheek.

“How disappointing…” The voice had returned. “Now, tell me… Do you feel scared? Alone? With no one to call to… With no one to run to?” There was a slight pause filled with the noises of the unicorn trying to breathe. “I want you to know how it feels to have your friends taken from you… Your family… Everyone you love unable to do a single thing to help you. Creeping and crawling in the dark with your heart racing… and your blood pumping. Can you feel it escaping? As you suck tirelessly for air… Can you feel your body drain of warmth? Losing control…as your whole being struggles to survive? The tingling in the tips of your hooves, and your hair standing on end? Battling endlessly instead of just giving in? Can you feel it…? ”

There was a loud crack and then everything fell quiet.

The voice sighed. “Time to go home… Your family is probably worried about you…”

*****

The following morning, a pegasus guard was galloping through the halls of Canterlot Castle. His heavy panting echoed off of the marble walls. Guards ahead of him were opening the doors for him until he finally reached his destination.

“Princess! It’s...” he wheezed out. “…Struck again! Our scouts from Vanhoover just found the body three hours ago!”

Princess Celestia and her sister Luna showed no surprise at all as they glanced at each other, nodding.

“Thank you… You are dismissed, Lieutenant,” Celestia calmly replied.

“Princess!” he protested. “I don’t understand! Aren’t you going to do anything about this?! Are you just gonna do nothing while-”

Luna cut him off. “You are dismissed, Lieutenant Rumble!”

Celestia gave her sister a glare and then turned her attention to the Pegasus. “Do not mind my sister… We are doing everything in our power to stop this recent threat.”

“Then why are the Royal Guard given no orders to pursue it?!”

“These attacks…are like nothing we’ve ever seen in Equestria,” the white Princess answered while she slowly approached him. “Not only would we endanger even more lives by actively hunting it… but it may provoke it to cause even further damage by threatening it.”

“So then what exactly are you doing to stop it?” The pony had to bend his head back to look up at her.

Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head. “I cannot say I’m afraid, but do not let this trouble you. The situation…is in more capable hooves than you can possibly imagine.”

“I just hope for the sake of everypony in its path…that you’re right, Princess.” He turned to walk away from the royal twins. The pegasus shook his head and sighed.

“Lieutenant! Before you go.” Luna called to him. Rumble turned his whole body and bowed. “You are relieved…I want you to spend some time with your brother…I heard he isn’t doing so well.”

“He can’t get over the Wonderbolt debacle … No pegasus in Equestria can.”

“I understand,” Luna nodded to him. “But this is important… We will need every pony to help combat this threat. Your brother is incredibly capable.”

“I understand. I will go to him. I haven’t seen Thunderlane in so long anyway.”

“Good. You’re dismissed!” Luna stamped a hoof and Rumble was off. As soon as he was gone, the two sisters looked at each other in worry.

Luna sighed. “This is the eighth victim, sister. Do you really think she can do anything?”

“I put all my faith in Equestria in her. She will be the one who stops this madness.”

“If that’s your final word…because I’m starting to share sentiment with the Lieutenant.”

*****

“Canterlot?! Okay, this is just getting weird.” Rainbow Dash stood from the couch. Her brow was furrowed. “Who are you exactly?”

Fyre’s ears perked. He was a bit surprised by the mare’s sudden change of tone. She sounded angry, almost threatening. “What do you mean?”

“I know Twilight Sparkle! I’ve met her face to face! We…went through so much together and then…you appear and tell me you’re her brother? I know her brother and you are not him!” She approached him with furious steps.

Fyre could only cower on his pillow. It appears he had struck a wrong chord with this pegasus. He held up his hooves. “Okay, hold on, Rainbow! I lied! All right?! I…lied.” Dash froze with his answer. She was still glaring at him angrily. “Her name wasn’t Twilight Sparkle…I made that part up.” The mare just raised a brow… He was obviously confusing her further. “…But everything else is true!”

“How can you just…make up that name? It isn’t possible!” Dash’s anger was deterred as she stepped to the side to ponder. “Somepony must have told you her name. Isn’t that right?”

Fyreburst lowered his hooves and sighed. “Yes…I heard it. I didn’t…use it to anger you. I don’t even know who Twilight Sparkle is!”

The mare’s voice dropped a few decibels. “Then why not just tell me her real name then? Why lie? What’s so important about a name?”

Fyre sighed heavily. “To be honest… I don’t trust you. You… spat in the face of everypony in Cloudsdale… You called yourself a ‘true Pegasus’. You ridiculed the Wonderbolts of all things! What kind of crazy pony does that?!”

Dash stomped her hoof on the ground right in front of him. She towered over him. “Fyreburst… You are on extremely thin ice… It was to prove a point! The Wonderbolts are a bunch of pretentious, self-absorbed, unicorn-hating scum!”

Fyre scoffed. “Pretentious… Self-absorbed… That’s rich…coming from you.” He muttered.

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. With no hesitation, Dash shoved Fyre off the pillow and growled at him. “Out!!” Fyre just looked up at her with an offended expression. “I said GET OUT!!”

“Fine!! This wasn’t my idea anyway!” He struggled as he stood still feeling the pain from earlier. “You really are volatile… I’m surprised you ever made it anywhere…”

“Don’t make me say it again, Fyre,” she cursed through clenched teeth.

Fyre rolled his eyes as he limped towards the door. There were about five seconds of dead silence before he reached it. He didn’t even bother looking back as he opened the door and left it wide-open after leaving.

The rain hadn’t stopped. In fact, it was pouring down harder than ever. Fyre just ignored it as he limped pathetically away from Rainbow’s. He heard the front door slam.

“Good riddance… What a fraud. I can’t waste time with her anyway… I need to get to Ponyville.”

*****

“The nerve of that guy!” Rainbow pounded the wood on the doorway. “After all I did for him…he has the guts to tell ME off!” she muttered to herself. Her body was still pulsing with anger. She gritted her teeth and kicked one of the bookshelves, sending about a dozen books all over the floor.

After a few moments and a few broken pieces of furniture later, she managed to quell her anger. She was breathing heavily from her venting. “Twilight… How could he know your name? His sister… It was a picture perfect description. Who else could it be…? Could you…” She squeezed her eyes and sighed. “No…I’m pretty sure he was lying. No… not pretty sure, absolutely positive!” Dash chuckled to herself. She glanced around at the damage she caused and a heavy sigh bellowed out of her.

“Volatile… ha! Speak for yourself, you twit. Ugh! I just can’t get over that! Never have I met a pony who makes my blood boil like this.” She trotted back over to the fireplace. Briefly, she glanced at the pillow he was on not even ten minutes ago. “Except…”

It was then her eyes caught something strange on the hardwood floor.

“Oh no…”

*****

Where… am I?

Fyreburst squeezed his eyes. His side was giving him an unprecedented amount of pain for some reason.

It’s so dark… I can’t see anything… and the rain isn’t really helping. Why did it have to be Rainbow Dash of all ponies?

Fyre chuckled quietly to himself only for his left hoof to stumble into a mud hole. The sudden bend in his body wasn’t exactly the thing he needed at this moment he quickly realize as he felt his side tear open in pain.

“Ahhh!! In the name of all that’s…” He growled and exhaled a sharp whine. He pulled his hoof out and clenched his teeth tightly. “That… isn’t good at all. Nope! Aheh…” The feeling was overwhelming to the point of making him chuckle at its harshness. He felt his vision getting blurry if it wasn’t already from the rain.

“Nothing can stop me,” he said in between grunts. “…I’m in… fallible! I won’t stop… until I correct my mistake.”

“Fyre…” he heard a sly whisper call in his ears. He continued to limp along without any sense of direction. He wasn’t even sure how far he was from Rainbow’s.

“Glitter…is that you?” He coughed. He could taste something metallic in his mouth. He was confident in what it was. “Come… home. Mom’s… gonna kill us… Hahaha…”

He shook his head and pushed his legs harder… slowly speeding up into a trot. “I’m coming… I’ll bring you back home, okay?”

Fyre felt his legs give out and he kissed the mud hard. A weak yelp escaped his lips. He tried to flap his wings, but they didn’t help. It felt as if something was holding him down. “Nonono… I won’t let this stop me. I will find you…” He pushed as hard as he could on his forelegs, his whole body straining with the effort.

Fyre’s legs collapsed for a final time. He coughed heavily and he felt his consciousness dimming.

“Get off of him!”

*****

Fyreburst could only hear a deafening ringing in his ears as he regained his vision once more.

“Back here again…” Fyre muttered as he stood in front of the red doorway with a candle on it. His body was frozen… He couldn’t move to open the door. “What is this place? Why can’t I move?”

“Are you afraid of what will be on the other side?” he heard a voice behind him say. It sounded soft and gentle. He felt as if he had heard that voice before but he couldn’t place it on anypony.

“It’s not that I’m afraid… I simply can’t,” he replied. “Who are you?”

“I will be the voice that guides you through this. You don’t know it yet…but you are lost. There’s a reason why you can’t move.” The voice drew closer to him.

“Reason? What reason is that?”

“If I tell you…you wouldn’t understand. You aren’t meant to understand. However, I can set you on the path to finding this reason. It’s very simple really.”

“How simple?”

“Rainbow Dash…” he heard her say. Immediately, he felt resentment. “She’s going to help you.”

“How is she… capable of helping anypony?”

“You are simply staring stolid at a false facet of her capabilities. You have to trust her.”

“There’s no way I’m trusting her… no matter what you say.”

“Well... I suppose if you are so set on avoiding her… there is an alternative.”

Fyre wanted to roll his eyes, but couldn’t seem to manage it. “An alternative? You know, I’m getting very bored staring at this door… Are you going to tell me who you are yet?”

The voice just laughed. “In time, dear.”

“Who’s the alternative?”

“You know who it is. Just be warned… The choices you make are very important…but the ending is all the same. It’s just a matter of how much grief you are willing to put yourself through.”

“You speak as if you know everything. So are you saying you know how it will all end?”

“Shhh… quiet… Do you hear that?”

“Huh? Hear what?”

*****

“Red… Hey, Red. Wake up.” Fyre heard the familiar abrasive voice from the last awakening he went through.

“Uhh… huh? Awake…I’m awake... What’s going on?” He was convinced at this point that his eyes were defective. Blurry and unreliable, his eyes fluttered in an attempt to regain vision. He could feel something cradling his head and a slight stinging on the side of his body he had felt so much pain from earlier.

“Thank, Celestia. You can be a pain in the neck, you know? I’ve been trying to get you to wake up for hours.”

“Rainbow… is that you?” He was slightly hoping for an answer other than “Yes”.

“You betcha, Red.” Her answer made him groan. “Hey, you’re lucky you didn’t bleed out back there.”

“You should have just left me. It’s better than being…” He felt something prod his side and he hissed. “Ow… What’s the big idea?”

“You keep being a jerk and I’ll make this the most painful recovery ever.”

“Fine! Fine… It’s not like I have much choice anyway. Just to let you know this is completely unwelcome. I’m not thanking you for this.”

“Have it your way. Like I said… I’m not going to ignore an injured pony.”

“Ha… Then why did you take so long to get me, huh? Why did you tell me to ‘get out’?”

Rainbow Dash took a while to answer, obviously fazed. “I was just a tad upset, I guess.”

“A tad? Does it get worse than that?”

The mare chuckled. “Trust me…some ponies have seen me very upset…and it doesn’t end well. I once shattered a pegasus’s wings with a single hoof.”

Uneasiness settled in right into his chest upon hearing that. Fyre fell silent. His vision finally returned as he got a real close look at Rainbow’s face. He realized then his head was cradled in her forelegs. “What are you… doing?”

“Keep still or you’ll tear it open again… Oh, and eat this.” Dash shoved an apple directly into his muzzle. Fyre blinked, narrowing his eyes as he muffled some words. “You’re actually a lot more tolerable when you can’t speak.”

Fyre lifted a hoof and pulled the apple out after a small bite. “Nothing short of a miracle would make you tolerable, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow sighed heavily and shook her head. “You are a piece of work. You know that?”

Fyre rolled his eyes and then closed them. He didn’t want to look at her anymore. There was about half a minute of silence between them. His side throbbed while he occasionally bit into the apple. It was pure torture for him. Any inch of pride he had in him was gone. Being nursed back to health by “the one and only” was a true testament to how bad his luck had become.

“I want to help you,” she spoke out of the blue. Fyre took a couple seconds to register what she said. “Red?”

“Help me? With what? It looks like you’re already ‘helping’ me. I’m not sure if I want more of it.”

“I’m talking about your sister…I want to help you find her.” She didn’t give him time to respond, “You see… I too once lost somepony many… many years ago.”

Fyre’s eyes opened. She had snagged his interest. “Really…”

Rainbow nodded and turned her head. “Yeah… It wasn’t your typical runaway either...nor a sibling. It was someone I used to love…” Her voice cracked. “I guess…” She chuckled. “Battered and broken… our relationship grew… one that only got stronger as things got worse.” Fyre could see her gritting her teeth. “When it was far too late, we realized it was our love that was destroying us… so in the end that bond was broken. An entire ordeal forgotten in time… and that pony vanished right before my eyes… leaving me alone.”

Fyre was listening, but her story was cryptic at best. He drew breath to say something, but the mare put a hoof on his lips.

“That was ten years ago and I’ve never been the same since.” Her eyes shifted back to him. “Fyre, we’re going to find her. Maybe in doing that I can find some solace.”

Fyre wasn’t sure what to say now. This couldn’t have been the same pegasus that had just yelled at her before. Clearly there is something far more to her than he knew.

“A false facet…” he whispered to himself. He remembered the words of that voice in that dream. Rainbow’s ears perked up.

“What was that?”

“Yes. Let’s look for her, Rainbow Dash.”

Chapter III - Breaking a Wall

Act 1 - Broken

Chapter III – Breaking a Wall

Edited by Vertorm

*****

Ten years ago… I watched you vanish. With a sudden crack, you crumbled before my eyes and through the cloud flooring… You abandoned me.

“Come back… Come back… You promised…”

Those where the last words I said to you… I wasn’t even sure you heard them, but then again… I wasn’t sure if I wanted you to hear them. That night was so heart-wrenching, so life-changing…

When I looked below the house, I couldn't find you... It's as if you had literally vanished from my life.

I was found a day later by Fluttershy. She told me I looked like I had seen a ghost. The experience had put me into shock for a week. My mind was constantly racing and replaying those few months that apparently… never existed. I couldn’t force myself to tell anypony. It’s as if you somehow made it so I couldn’t.

It was torture… Nopony even noticed you were gone. I was disgusted… Not a single soul even mentioned you… Not even Spike. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. I ran… I left everything behind and I fled… I fled all the way to Cloudsdale.

Once there, something began to chew on my mind. A constant irritation, one that made me systematically re-do everything that happened when we travelled there together. I applied at Cloud Nine… I went to the same house… and I met her.

Midnight Sun… She was still there. I could mouth every word she spoke to me… It was as if she were reading from a script. What was more irritating was that something was forcing the same words out of my mouth. It’s as if there was a pony using me like a puppet.

I became friends with her again… Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t of my own will, but eventually after spending a month or two with her… those feelings of resentment faded. I began to enjoy her company… Again, don’t get me wrong… Nothing really happened between us. It was a strange, true friendship like between me and Pinkie Pie… or Applejack.

Speaking of our friends… Actually… I’ll talk about them later.

By the year’s end, I was accepted into the Wonderbolts Academy… Without those wings, I made it easy… just like you thought… but guess who was there right beside me…? Middy.

*****

The next morning following Fyre’s unintended stay at Rainbow Dash’s, he was carefully walking around the main room and looking at the massive number of books she kept. Rainbow was mysteriously gone when he awoke that morning. He figured she was temporarily out, but it relieved him slightly not having to wake up in her embrace like before. He shook his mind of the whole thing and peered at the title of a book that caught his eye.

“‘Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone’. What a strange book to have. It must be the only work of fiction in here.” He briefly looked around before his interest fell back on the book. He noticed there was a row of them. “There must be around twenty of these. Why does she have them? I guess everypony needs to have some fun… Even Rainbow Dash.”

“Someone say my name?” Fyre heard Rainbow ask as she entered. He spun slightly to face her. “You’d better not be snooping around a mare’s home, Red.”

Fyre shook his head with a bothered grin. “Don’t worry. I’ve only been looking at your collection here.” His eyes returned to meandering around the field of leather-bound books, as if he was desperately looking for the answer to something. “You know you should really alphabetize these… It’s so difficult to find anything in this mess.”

There was a brief silence as Dash joined him by the bookcase. “See anything that interests you?” She briefly looked around the bookcase herself.

“Hmm...” He scanned some book titles. “‘History of Chess’… ‘Gardening 101’? Have you actually read any of these?” His attention turned to her. “You never seemed like the type.”

Dash lifted a hoof and shrugged. “Eh… Some of them. At one point in my life I began searching for something in these books, but I never found it.” She placed the hoof on one of the Daring Do books. “Now I just like to have them around. They’re comforting in a weird way.”

“Ah, I figured.” He sneered. “You never struck me as an intellectual.”

Rainbow’s hoof slid down and hit the wooden flooring with a thump. “You always have something nice to say, don’t you, Red?”

“I have my moments, Blue. Besides… what goes around comes around.” He pulled one of the books out and opened it up.

“You’re still hung up on that.” The mare hung her head; a gentle sigh escaped her.

“It’s not that I hate you personally, Rainbow Dash. It’s just that you hurt a lot of ponies that day.”

Dash silently sat on her haunches and looked out of one of the few windows in the house. “To be honest… I didn’t mean to actually hurt anypony. I just wanted to stick it to Spitfire. She had it coming.”

“Was it really important enough to do that to her?”

“Look! Look… Let’s just drop it, okay?”

“Fine,” Fyre uttered with little emotion.

Dash moved a little closer to him. “How’s your side feeling?” She bent her head to look at a large stitched wound on the left side of his chest. “Been hurting?”

“I can’t complain.”

“You never told me how you got that.”

“Is it important how I got it?”

He could see the mare getting slowly irritated with his terse, rude answers. “Maybe! You know you were attacked last night, right?”

This got his attention. “I was? By who?”

“I’m not sure. You were lying in the mud with this… pony I guess… on top of you. I managed to scare it off.”

His attention was lost and his gaze fell to the ground. “Oh… I can’t remember what happened after I left. It was a big blur.”

Dash placed a hoof on his shoulder. “You know… if I’m going to help you find your sister, you probably need to be more honest with me.”

He shrugged her off. “Don’t touch me. You had your fair share of touching for a while. You also don’t need to worry about what I do or what comes after me. I just need you to get me to Ponyville.”

Hearing that name made Rainbow wince. “Ponyville?” she said with a little disgust. “Why there?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Dash turned away from him. “Then what reason do I have to take you anywhere?”

“Well… it would be one step towards proving that you’re not a complete imbecile.”

The mare couldn’t help but bury her nose into her hoof. “You really need to chill out, Red.” She approached him again, an idea forming behind those sly, magenta eyes. “How about this? I’ll take you to Ponyville if… you stop being so obnoxious. Talk to me like a normal pony.”

Fyre’s head tilted slightly to the side. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean. No more snarky remarks... Treat me like you would treat anypony who just saved your life.”

“You didn’t save my- hrk!” Dash shoved a hoof into his muzzle.

“Ah ah! What’s that? You want to stay here even longer? That’s fine with me. I could use the company.”

Irritated, Fyre smacked the hoof out of his mouth and sighed begrudgingly. “Fine! I get it. If I be nice, you’ll take me to Ponyville.” He moved his face closer to hers. “Just so you know… it will be an extremely painful endeavor…”

“Good! I’m looking forward to it, but for now… breakfast!”

*****

As the day approached a bit of a breezy mid-afternoon, Dash decided to take a small walk around the meadow, and with a bit of convincing she managed to get Fyre to come along with her.

The mare sniffed the air and let out a relaxing sigh. “Doesn’t the air smell great after a good storm, Red?”

He tried sniffing the air himself. Musty and humid were the words that came to mind, but he gritted his teeth. “I suppose there’s a pleasing aroma to it.”

“‘I suppose there’s a pleasing aroma to it,’” she mocked. “You’re definitely from Canterlot… Who talks like that?”

“There is no fault in speaking properly, Rainbow Dash. You’d probably be more tolerable to listen to if you tried a hoof at it. Maybe you’ll actually keep a friend or two.” Fyre smirked and lifted his nose a little.

Dash was glaring a hole into him at that point. “Fyre…”

His eyes cracked open and became a little sheepish. “Oh, right. Sorry. I really can’t help speaking this way. It’s just how I was taught to speak.”

“Yeah yeah…” her response a little dismissive. Her attention was on something else at this point. “So what does it mean?”

“What? You mean how I speak? Kind of an odd question.”

“No… I mean your cutie mark. A star inside a cloud? What does it mean?” she repeated.

“Oh… It’s funny you should ask. My parents told me I got it randomly at a very young age. They don’t know what I did to get it though. Isn’t that strange?”

“Strange? Yeah, I would say so. So you don’t know what your cutie mark means?”

“No… I don’t,” he said simply.

Rainbow looked at him with dissatisfaction. “Maybe one day, you’ll figure it out.”

“Maybe…” he agreed.

“…And you said you never saw your sister get one?”

“Yeah, I don’t know why. She was always a little jealous of me because of it.” Fyre chuckled. “Sometimes I wished I didn’t have it… so she wouldn’t have felt so left out.”

“Your sister sounds like a pony I used to know… In fact three ponies I used to know. They all have their cutie marks now, but they used to go around Ponyville and trash the place trying to find their cutie marks.” She glanced into the sky with a smile as she recollected.

“Ponyville? So you’ve been there before?”

“Been there? Red, I lived there for a good portion of my life.”

“Then why did you seem so unenthusiastic about taking me there?”

Rainbow took a sudden turn to her right and continued walking. “It’s a little complicated, Red.” Fyre followed and trotted to keep up.

“Complicated? Trust me, I know that feeling. Did something happen?”

Dash again turned sharply, but to her left. She seemed to be moving a little faster as well. “You could say that. It was such a long time ago…”

The stallion followed her again only for Dash to turn to her right once more. “Hey, what are you doing?”

She stopped and turned to look at him. “How’s your side feeling? All of this walking is starting to make my legs restless.”

Fyre stopped as well. He bent his head to take a look at his wound. “It’s not hurting, but I don’t think I could do anything strenuous.”

“Yeah, I figured.” She sighed. Then suddenly her eyes became wide and she smiled. “Say… how about a little trade?” She proposed as she sat on the grass.

“Trade?” Fyre planted himself too.

“We could make it a game actually. I’ll start by asking you a question, and you have to answer it. Then you can ask me anything you want in return.”

Fyre was skeptical. “Seems like a trap to me. What if you don’t answer my question?”

“Don’t worry, I will.” Dash looked a little too excited about this idea.

“How about I ask my question first?”

“Fine, have it your way. Just don’t be too personal-” Fyre cut her off before she could finish speaking.

“Who’s Twilight Sparkle?”

The question hit her like a rock, but she still retained her smile. “She was Princess Celestia’s personal protégé in Canterlot.”

“Personal protégé? How did she-?” Dash interjected before he could finish.

“Hey, cool it, Red! It’s my turn.” She cleared her throat. Fyre rolled his eyes. “Your sister… What’s her real name?”

Fyre hesitated a little. “Glitter… Spark.”

“Glitter Spark? You’re not making that one up too, are you?”

“Ah ah, it’s my turn, Dash. How did Twilight get the honor of being Celestia’s protégé?”

“She did some fancy magic during some kind of school test and she got noticed.”

“That’s… all? Seems to be a little bit unbelievable.”

“Okay so… Where did you hear about Twilight?”

He stupidly hesitated again. “From… Canterlot.”

With that, Dash lightly punched Fyre’s chest. “You’re lying, Red.”

“Lying? Why would you say that?”

Dash stood up and inched closer to him. “Because I know something you obviously don’t. Now where did you hear it?”

Fyre leaned back a little. “It’s my turn…”

Rainbow just drew closer and became louder. “You just asked me why I would accuse you of lying. That was your question! Now where did you hear it?!”

“Fine! I heard it from somepony atop Smokey Mountain! There! Does that satisfy you?”

The mare was taken aback a little. “Somepony on Smokey Mountain?” she groaned. “Ugh… Forget it, Red. You clearly can’t be honest with me… The game’s over.” She turned and began walking back towards her house.

“Wait!” Upon hearing Fyre speak, Dash took to the sky with a flash and she was out of sight within a few seconds. He slammed a hoof on the dirt and growled. Fyre looked around the meadow. He was a little uncomfortable being alone out there. He slowly stood up and began the trek back. His mind raced with thoughts about what just happened. It seemed like no matter what he said, she would be unsatisfied with his answer. It must be the very fact that he knows about her which frustrated Dash.

Fyre sighed and closed his eyes.

*****

This pony… Fyreburst. I know there’s something more to him than what he’s telling me. He’s an impenetrable wall of lies and hatred. How can I believe anything he tells me? Looking for his lost sister. Could that be a lie too? Is he just trying to humiliate me or is he really looking for my help? He said he didn’t want it, yet… that night, he wanted me to go with him to Ponyville. Actually, he just wanted me to take him there. Why there of all places? Is that where his ’sister’ is? Glitter Spark? I’ve never heard of that name before… It could just be another lie.

Dash was sitting quietly at the doorway waiting for him to come back. She just stared at the doorknob waiting for the slightest movement.

I’m sure he’ll be ready to make the flight to Ponyville by tomorrow. He didn’t complain at all the entire time we were out. Still… Should I take him there? He’s been unpleasant to me the entire time… What reason do I have? … Twilight...? There has to be a way to get him to open up and get him to tell me about her. I think I can buy more time if I tell him he can’t fly with that cut still healing. It would take at least two days to get there if we go on hoof. That should be enough time… Now only if he would get back already.

Her eyes widened as she realized something, “What if he already left?!”

*****

That pony… Rainbow Dash. That rainy night… she told me that weird story about somepony she used to love. What’s so odd about it is that I felt like I’ve heard that story before… Like somepony told me about it when I was just a foal… She’s so irritating to be around, but that dream… and now her uncalled-for desire to help me find Glitter. What’s her deal?

Fyre was staring quietly at the front door to Rainbow’s house. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to go back in there again. This was the second time she had gotten angry with him. He wouldn’t be surprised if she just told him to buzz off.

The fact still stands… I don’t know where I am. I looked everywhere in those books for a map or an atlas or something. There wasn’t even a book on Ponyville in there. There aren’t any landmarks nearby or anything to follow. There’s too much of a chance of me getting lost if I go by myself. I need her… probably more than she needs me right now. I’ve been so mean to her… She’s done so much wrong that I can’t seem to get past that hatred for her. She told me I would have to treat her like a normal pony if we planned to go. I guess if it’s just to Ponyville… I could handle it.

Fyre shook his head and sighed. He was just staring at the doorknob. His right hoof felt magnetized to it, but he resisted the urge.

I don’t understand… Why does she care so much? I insult her… and call her out, and have been completely ungrateful… yet she doesn’t budge. She gets angry, sure… but she always comes back to me. Something tells me she’s got more vested in this than just being nice. By now, I can tell she has some strange interest in knowing why I heard about Twilight Sparkle… but I feel if I tell her, and it’s not what she wants to hear… she’ll just forget about taking me to Ponyville altogether… I have to be smart about this! I would just have to keep it a secret until I got there… or at least until I can make it on my own. Then it’s goodbye Rainbow Dash… and hopefully for good. All I’ve told her so far is that I heard it on Smokey Mountain… She didn’t believe that for a second it seems. I’ll have to think of something else to-

His eyes widened as he realized something. “What if she left?!”

He began to reach for the door when it burst open. Something colorful flew out and smacked right into him. They tumbled for a bit before he found himself kissing the dirt once again. “Oww…”

“Oh no! Fyre?! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?!” He heard the ever familiar voice scraping at his eardrums. “I was just going out to find you… I didn’t expect you to… Are you okay?!”

“I-I’m fine… I think. Could you get off of me? You’re not exactly the lightest thing in Equestria.”

He could hear her gasp. “Hey! Why you… I said I was sorry!” Dash smacked him on the head.

“Ow! What was that- oof!” He felt the wind being forced out of him as Rainbow pushed off into the air. “…For…?”

“You really are okay though? How’s your side?”

Fyre groaned and turned onto his back to look up at Rainbow Dash. “I told you… it’s fine. Now what’s with the rush?”

She placed a hoof behind her head and smiled. “When I left you out there… I thought you would have done something stupid like go out on your own again… so…”

“Why would I do that?” He tilted his head, his hooves raised endearingly in front of him.

Dash chuckled to herself. “I don’t know… It seemed like something you would do.”

“You told me to treat you like a normal pony… and that’s what I’m going to do. You’re the only one who knows where we are… so I’m not going to risk that information.”

“Ahh… So it’s an obligation not an actual… true choice you’ve made.”

“No! I… of course, I mean it! W-why would you say that?”

The mare rolled her eyes and landed next to him. “I get it, Fyre… You don’t have to like me… I’m not asking that. I just don’t want the next two days to be sour. I want to see a cool… blue Fyre. Not a burning hot red one.”

Fyre turned onto his side and slowly pushed himself back onto his legs. “Look… Could you go easy on the puns? Glitter used to do that to me all the time. It gets old.”

Dash laughed and put a hoof around his neck, giving him a quick hug. “Sorry. Sorry, Red. So her name really is Glitter, huh?”

He was a little peeved about the hug. “Yes, it is. I wasn’t lying about that.”

“But you were lying about other things, huh? Like Smokey Mountain? I mean… who would be up there anyway?”

“That’s… not a bad question actually.”

*****

That night, Fyre and I had a pleasant dinner. I could see it in his eyes… He was humbled. I don’t know if it was by his own will or by commitment to the requirement I gave him… but it was nice. I could actually talk to him without every word being a dagger in my side. He smiled more, and his eyes weren’t as cold and harsh as when I first met him. Maybe I finally got through to him… but maybe there’s something I’m missing. There’s a giant shadow looming over this stallion… he’s got more determination than I’ve ever seen in anypony.

What gets me more than anything he’s said so far… is that he lost his sister when he was young… How young? Why is he just now going on this journey to save her? What did he do all those years prior to coming here? I have to ask these things… Why? I don’t know why. He reminds me of you… That’s why. He’s got it all, the smarts, the passive aggression… That never-ending will… and he’s asked me why I care so much about his problems… That’s not a bad question either, my friend.

Chapter IV - Bringer of Light

Act 1 - Broken

Chapter IV – Bringer of Light

Edited by Vertorm

*****

After making it to the Wonderbolts Academy, I began to remember some of the terrible memories I had with Spitfire. When she was there in front of me, giving ME orders, all I could feel was anger and frustration. I wanted to best her. I wanted to show her up. Middy could somehow feel my pain and she told me one day that she would take care of it. I never knew what she meant by that until a few years afterwards, but that’s another story.

While I was there, I met some obnoxious pony named Lightning Dust. She was a decent flier, sure, but she lacked leadership, humility, and most of all… friendship. Midnight wasn’t too fond of her either. For some reason, Twilight, Middy was extremely protective of me. She wasn’t like this at all when we met her… Or was she? Dust didn’t make it very far and she was forgotten in time. I, on the other hoof, made it. I began to get hints after about six months being there, but I was eventually given a giant test to prove my worth. I had to stop a horrible natural disaster caused by some rogue storms in Manehattan. Let’s just say I became famous in a day… and end it with that.

*****

Rainbow Dash and I set out early. My side was finally starting to feel better. I could make it to a full gallop without too much going wrong. However, she told me I should still take it easy, and that we should go slow. It’s not like I had much of a choice, because she was the only one who knew the way to Ponyville. I would just take off on my own but recentlyI’ve been feeling this tingling on the back of my neck. Every night, I can feel something watching me. I can hear sounds outside and breathing in my ear. Each night, I feel safer and safer when Rainbow Dash is around. I think it’s stalking me… It was still angry with me, and it wanted me…

“Daydreaming again, Red? Am I boring you?”

Fyre heard the mare speak to him, and he shifted his attention to her. “No no… I was just thinking. I…”

“Thinking about what?”

He chuckled to himself. “Why must you always be so nosey, Dash?”

The two smiled at each other. Rainbow Dash had finally told him where he was. They were on the outskirts of White Tail Woods, a forest just around a hundred miles west of Ponyville. Around five miles away from Dash’s home, Fyre thought about just leaving her right then, but he wanted to honor his word. He would treat her normally the whole way, even if it meant staying with her.

“I dunno. Is there a good reason I shouldn’t be? You know, honesty has its perks.”

“Yeah, well… maybe I’ll tell you everything when the time’s right. Let’s just get to Ponyville first.”

Dash snickered. “You’re the boss. Besides, anything you tell me would probably just get me steaming again.”

“Yeah, but I’m used to that by now.” Rainbow Dash didn’t respond. After a few seconds, Fyre gazed into the horizon and sighed. It was still pretty early in the day. The weather wasn’t bad and the temperature was perfect; he wondered how long that would last. They were walking along a river, which was the same river she had found him in. Could it have been as simple as following it?

Something was itching at Fyre’s mind… It appeared she wasn’t the only nosey one. “So why were you so affronted… when I mentioned Ponyville?”

Dash raised a brow and laughed. “Affronted? Well, let’s just say you can’t always trust your friends… to stay friends.”

“You were betrayed?”

“You could say that. What set me off even more is that they didn’t even understand how they betrayed me.” She stopped and stomped a hoof. “They knew very well why!”

Fyre stopped as well. Apparently he did have a knack for getting her riled up. “What did they do?”

The question was a bit too much for her. She gradually calmed down, snorting and shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter. Heck, by now they’ve probably forgotten me too.”

“Are you sure they’re even still there?”

Dash turned her eyes to him. “I… hadn’t thought about that.”

“You know… time doesn’t stand still. As time goes on… things change… ponies change.”

“Have I changed?” she asked him.

Fyre just said the first thing that came to mind. “Well, you look older.”

She was slightly taken aback. “Older?! Ha!”

“I-I mean you look a lot more, uh… refined.”

Dash just rolled her eyes. “I think I’m beginning to know why you’re injured in the first place, Red. You have a way with words.”

Fyre just decided to bite the bullet and keep his mouth shut. He stared at the ground as he walked, being wary of any movements by the colorful mare. For a while, all he could hear was the sound of running water, the birds chirping, and the gentle stamping of their hooves on the grass. That was until…

“Go back.” Fyre heard something whisper into his left ear. Immediately, he gasped and jumped, completely turning around.

“Who said that?” Fyre quickly searched for the source of the voice. “Dash?” He turned around in place…she was gone. “Dash?!”

He felt a tingling in his spine as a feeling of dread set over him. A familiar feeling of losing his sensations of touch… smell… and hearing. He felt something pull on his chest. He could only hear the buzzing of complete silence and his own beating heart. He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly.

It’s these moments in life… when I don’t feel safe. When suddenly things begin to change and my nose begins to bleed. I can feel the sun moving… and the earth turning. I can feel… everything. Only recently have I begun to understand what this could all mean… and it frightens me.

“Daydreaming again, Red? Am I boring you?”

Fyre opened his eyes and turned to face Rainbow Dash. “No… I was just thinking about something.”

“Thinking about what?”

He scoffed. “Why can’t you mind your own business?”

*****

That night, we had made it over halfway to Ponyville. Rainbow had fortunately brought provisions Just hay and water, but I wasn’t complaining. I could see the alluring presence of the moon. It lit up the ground around us and protected us. I knew I was safe as long as it was there. There was not a cloud in sight…

“Let’s stop here, Red. We’ll sleep under this tree.” Dash motioned towards a fairly giant, lone tree next to the river. “I’ve actually napped here a couple times.”

Fyre looked around the massive tree. “I guess there are worse places to rest.” He smiled at her.

“Yeah, well, since you don’t like clouds…” She looked around the sky briefly. “And there doesn’t seem to be any… we really don’t have much choice.”

The stallion trotted over to the tree and sat on his haunches. “Looks that way.”

In a few seconds, Dash joined him next to the tree. She laid down her bags and began digging through them. “Hungry?” She tried to offer him something, but Fyre just stared at the moon in silence, She didn’t ask him again after waiting for a few seconds. Instead, she looked up at the moon as well. “You like the moon, huh?”

“It’s been a great help to me these past few years,” he replied. “It’s pretty much the only thing I can count on.”

Dash turned her head towards him. Her face was cringing with worry. “Do you not have anyone…? Other than her?”

“Do you?”

“I do now.”

“Is that your pick up line? I’ve heard better,” he sighed.

“Fyre… You’re doing it again.”

His gaze was still on the moon. “You know at this point? I could just leave you. You’ve told me where Ponyville is… What reason do I have to be around you now?”

“You don’t ever change, do you? You’re so eager to be alone, never trusting anyone.”

“What do you know?” Fyre received a gentle shove from Dash when he spoke.

“I know that even if you are so cold and bitter on the inside, you can actually be a nice guy. Part of me believes you enjoy being pleasant… even if it’s against your will.”

Fyre laughed at that one. His eyes finally fell upon Dash’s. “You’re a laugh, Rainbow Dash. I love how you think you can just… change somepony in a couple nights. How you think you can redeem yourself by agreeing to help me.”

“Well…” Fyre could see the frustration building up inside her again. “I gotta try, you know? Just because I did some stupid things when I was younger… It doesn’t mean I want Equestria to alienate me!”

“Equestria didn’t have to do anything… You alienated yourself.” His remark made Dash grit her teeth. He could see her eyes well up. “Are you going to attack me now? That is how you resolve everything isn’t it? Violence?”

“How can you just sit there and talk to me like this?! Huh?! Don’t you even care at all? Do you want me to leave you?”

“What if I did?” Fyre had to look away to say that. He wasn’t sure why.

“You… You really don’t hate me, do you? It’s not what I did… You just don’t like being around anypony.”

“And what if I don’t?! Is that so bad!? What if I want to be alone?! Why does it matter to you anyways? If I’m so unpleasant, why not just leave me alone? You said it wouldn’t be any feathers off your wings!”

“That was before…”

“Before what?! Don’t be so cliché… Don’t say its love or that you have some kind of strange connection with me, because there’s nothing I want more than for you to just go away. The only pony I care about… is my sister.”

Dash didn’t respond for a while; she couldn’t. She slowly stood up. Fyre watched her with aggravated eyes. She finally said something in a quiet voice. “Good luck finding her then… I’ll see you around.” With that, she began walking away from him. She didn’t even take her bags with her. Fyre watched silently as she left… Eventually she disappeared from sight entirely.

“Good riddance…”

*****

A few hours later, Fyre was trying his best to sleep. He would always reach the point where he was about to fall asleep when a sudden gust would wake him back up again. He tried lying in every position and against every side of the tree he could. The wind was relentless. It was about three in the morning when he finally gave up. He dug into some of the food and water that Dash had left him. It was bland and tasteless, but it filled him nonetheless. Afterwards, he just sat and stared into random pits of darkness in the distance. His mind was still high on anger and frustration. Eventually, he decided to continue on his way to Ponyville. He didn’t bother taking the bags since he would reach the town before he got hungry again.

About fifteen minutes of trotting later, he could feel his weariness beginning to return. He really needed to sleep. His legs became heavier with each step and he struggled to keep his eyes open.

“I can’t… Too tired.” He muttered to himself right before plunking unto the ground. His legs were thanking him almost immediately. He didn’t realize how worn out he was. His side began acting up again, returning like a horrible memory. He chuckled and tried to drag himself with a hoof. “Come on… Get up.” He put one last strain of effort into his whole being before he gave in.

Nothing can stop me… Nothing can stop me. I will make it. I just have to…

“Hey…” Hearing the voice made his heart leap. “You gotta stop doing this to yourself.”

“I can do… whatever I- hrk!” He felt something press down on his muzzle, silencing him.

“Stop talking already. You’re like a broken record…” The voice wasn’t Dash’s. It was sly and heavier. The force on his muzzle was immense, as if a tree had just fallen on him. “I’m still not happy about what you did to me. Nothing would make me happier than to just… put a little more pressure…” He felt it press harder and harder on him. “You know what I mean?”

Fyre muffled a response in his constricted state.

“We’re gonna try this again… Consider this… your final answer. If you get it wrong… Well… you know.” It lifted off and freed him. Fyre felt a bit of energy return as he pulled himself onto his legs. He looked around and saw it.

“You are a pony…”

“I was told I can trust you. Right now I’m not so sure it was true.”

“You’re so… young.”

“Was I being lied to?!”

“No… because I now know somepony… who knows Twilight Sparkle.”

Fyre could feel every hair stand on end when he saw the grin that was on her face.

“Who?”

*****

Rainbow Dash closed the door behind her as she returned home. Her chest felt heavy and she felt like she was about to give in at any moment. She descended to the floor and squeezed her eyes shut. Her cheeks were damp from tears. Dash hadn’t realized how much Fyre’s words had upset her. With a sniffle, the pegasus rose to her feet again. She trotted upstairs to the second floor where her bedroom was, passing through the doorway and turning to a large mirror on her right.

“That stupid egghead actually got me crying… Ha! I’m such a joke…” She wiped her eyes clean with a hoof and looked at herself in the mirror. That’s when she saw it, lying on her bed. Dash gasped and swiftly turned around. Her cyan wings unfurled as she crouched down slightly. “Who’s there?!”

On the bed was something she had never seen before. It was a pony, but its muzzle was covered in a metallic mask, and a cloth hood was draped over its head. A disheveled violet mane covered one side of its face and two purple eyes stared intently at her. The rest of the body was completely covered in a mess of brown and black cloaks and scarves. Dash could see a purple tail trailing behind it and she could tell it had wings, but they were covered in the mess.

“Just an old friend…” it answered her. It was as still as stone while upon her bed. She wondered how long it had been there.

“An old friend of mine would at least knock…”

“I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t let me in.”

“You got that right… What do you want?”

“I was told by somepony that you would finally be the answer I’ve been looking for… after all these years.”

“An answer, huh? An answer to what?”

There was a brief pause before it asked, “What do you know… about Twilight Sparkle?”

The question stunned Rainbow Dash. Her jaw slightly dropped. “Twilight? No… This just can’t be a coincidence… I haven’t heard her name in ten years.”

“Ten years… What an ill-fated moment in time.”

“What do you want to know?” She was willing to speak with it, but she didn’t lower her guard for a second.

“I want to know where she is.”

“Where she is? I’m sorry to disappoint you… but Twilight Sparkle is dead.”

“No, she isn’t.”

“What?!” Her guard was dropped then. “Don’t lie to me! I know for a fact she’s dead!”

“Believe what you want… I know the truth.”

“If you’re so certain, why not ask Princess Celestia? I’m sure if anypony knew where she was… it would be her.”

“Canterlot… The first place mentioned… would be where she resides.”

Rainbow furrowed her brow. “What are you talking about?”

“Twilight Sparkle is in Canterlot… Finally…! The nightmare will end.”

Dash wasn’t sure what the pony was going on about, but she felt it in her gut that this pony was some kind of sign of something horrible to come. Slowly it began to rise from her bed and it stepped down onto the ground in front of her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Dash jumped in front of the doorway to block the exit. The pony just stared at Dash for a while, and then it turned its head to the window.

“I’m going to find Twilight.”

“What are you going to do when you find her?” Rainbow felt the ground beneath her rumble. She could feel the air being sucked out of her lungs. Suddenly the pony was right in front of her in a flash.

“Kill her!”

Those words set Dash off. Immediately she lunged forward and tackled it. Both of them tumbled for a moment before an incredible force shot Rainbow Dash out of the window. Crashing through the glass, there were multiple stings of pain in her back. She righted herself in the air immediately and turned her attention to the house. She couldn’t see her.

“You really are nothing without her…” She heard the whisper from behind. Dash bucked behind herself, yet hit nothing but air. She quickly turned around and looked desperately for it.

“Why don’t you stop being such a coward, huh?!”

The taunt seemed to work as the pony appeared right in front of her again. “Come to Canterlot,” it whispered. After a brief pause, it spoke again, “Sorry for the glass.” It was such a strange thing to hear from it. It almost sounded genuinely concerned. Before Dash could respond, the pony darted away from her with a speed unlike anything she’d ever seen; it was gone in an instant.

After a few moments, Rainbow recovered and she could feel a pain in her backside. She turned her head to spot three large shards of glass protruding from her flesh. She gritted her teeth and slowly made her way back to her room. There was only one thought on her mind at this point.

Twilight? You’re alive?

Chapter V - From Another World

Act 1 - Broken

Chapter V – From Another World

Edited by Vertorm

*****

What was the last thing I remember?

“Now who’s being selfish, Twilight?”

We both laughed… I can’t remember anything after that. Now… I’m in a strange place.

Twilight Sparkle gradually opened her eyes. A bleak, white void greeted them with a blinding flash. It was so quiet that her ears began to ring. She couldn’t feel or move anything. Panic began to settle in as she realized she wasn’t even breathing. The air was stale and any scent non-existent. She couldn’t even feel the warmth of her own body.

Am I… dead? This must be a dream. I don’t know what’s going on. I can’t even move my head.

She felt like crying, but nothing came. She felt like screaming, but she couldn’t draw breath. After a few minutes, she felt defeated. There was nothing she could do and nopony she could call to. Twilight began to scan her memories. She replayed in her mind the things she’d been through, fond of all the times she had had with her friends. It made her feel a little better. It seemed like that was all she would need for now. It was the only boon the void gave her.

Ponyville…The place that changed my life forever. I never thought my trip there would be of any importance… That it would have been a blink of a memory in my lifetime. When the Princess ordered me to “make some friends”… my eyes rolled straight out of my skull. Now… it wouldn’t ever be a difficult decision… I would be there in a heartbeat to be with my friends.

Pinkie Pie… I remember when I first saw you. You made this obnoxious gasp and zipped away, leaving me dumbfounded. I was still so cynical then. I wasn’t interested at all in meeting anypony. I thought I could find the comfort I needed in ink and paper. The need to impress my teacher… The mastery of magic… When I met you all there was warmth I had never felt before. A new power that couldn’t match anything else I could ever do with magic.

Applejack… You know how to make a pony feel welcome. I can still remember the pain in my leg from that crazy hoofshake. I felt all of those apples would make a pony sick, but somehow you made everything taste wonderful every time. You have such a large family too… I wondered if I would ever have the chance to meet every one of them. Now, I wish I had.

Rainbow Dash… Meeting you was the most annoying experience I ever had. Your social skills were probably worse than mine. Now there’s nopony else I would rather be with. It’s such a strange thing that two opposites could ever find similarities… but finding them makes it worth more than all the magic in the world.

Rarity… I never thought about how I looked until I met you. Seeing you so distressed over my mane was a bit of an eye-opener. There’s importance in every aspect of life, even the most trivial ones. Of course… trivialness depends on your perspective. I once thought that my studies were the only thing that mattered… but now I find interest in every notion and it made my life that much more interesting.

Fluttershy… I knew there was something odd about you the first time I laid eyes on you. You were meek, and more anti-social than I was. I wasn’t sure if I would ever get a word out of you. You are the living proof that power can be within even the most cowardly of ponies. Values and dependency can draw an immense strength where nopony else can muster. I’m actually jealous of your talents… There are things that even books can’t teach.

Spike… You’ve been with me since the very beginning. Ever since I met the rest… I regretted every time I mistreated you. You were always there for me helping me with everything. I wish I could repay you somehow… I’ve always wanted to… Now I’m not sure if I’ll ever have the chance again. I wonder… What are you doing now that I’m gone?

When I met all of you that day… I wasn’t sure I would ever see any of you again. That I would just return to Canterlot and continue with my studies… But now I can never regret staying. Now, there’s nothing more I want than to return, to see my friends again. There’s nothing…

Now, I’m alone… and my heart would ache if it could. I wish my magic was more powerful… Then maybe I could fix things. Now, I’m not sure what to do… Will my memories of you be enough to keep me sane? It feels like it’s been forever since I saw any of you. Celestia… wherever you are… Please pull me through this.

Her prayers were never answered. The persistent silence of the abyss was the only response she ever got. It felt like hours she was trapped in the void… until something finally came.

I wouldn’t even mind anypony visiting me now… I’m not sure if I can take this… How did this happen?

A voice broke the silence like thunder. “Well, what do we have here? I never thought I’d see this.”

Who is that?!

“I don’t think even I could do something this cruel.” The voice had a cocky edge to it that could irritate anypony with its abrasive pretentiousness.

Wait a minute, is that…?

“Hello, Twilight Sparkle!” He showed his ugly face; Discord, the spirit of Chaos. “Let me guess… Dipping your hooves in dark magic? Or no! Wait! Wait! I got it… Did you forget to write a letter to dear ol’ Princess Celestia?”

What is he doing here? Better question, how did he get here? Does that mean there could be a way out?

“Now you’re probably wondering what I’m doing here and that’s such an annoying question to answer so let’s just get you back to normal, shall we?”

With that, Discord snapped his fingers and every feeling came rushing back into Twilight. Immediately, she felt cold and hungry. She let out a cough and squeezed her burning eyes shut. She collapsed and began panting for air.

“Oops! Sorry… was that a little too sudden for you? Don’t worry. It’ll pass. You’ve been asleep for a very long time, dear Twilight.” The draconequus smirked and floated in the air just in front of her as he watched Twilight struggle to regain her senses.

“I-I can’t open my eyes!” She coughed again between her words. “What’s going on!?”

He placed a paw under his chin. “Hm… To be honest I’ve never done this before so… it may have been a little dangerous.” His lips curved into a grin.

“Shut up and do something already!”

“Now just calm down, Twilight. You don’t have to be so dramatic.”

Twilight felt something press against her head and a soothing feeling poured into her. Her body relaxed and her mind became clear. Shortly after, she opened her eyes. She saw him looking right at her with a gentle smile.

“What did you…?”

“See? Nothing to worry about. Aren’t you glad you have me around, Princess?”

Twilight was a bit put off by his remark. “Princess?”

Discord looked dumbfounded for a moment. “Oh! I shouldn’t have said that.” He smiled sheepishly and laughed. “I forgot. This is not my world.”

“Your… world?” Twilight tilted her head and then shook it. “Discord! What are you doing here?! I thought my friends and I sealed you!”

“Oh, you did, Twilight. Believe me. However, I was freed again… by you.”

“By… me? Why would I do a thing like that?!”

“Trust me, Twilight. It was more painful for me than it ever was for you. Besides, that’s not important. What’s more important is why you-” he poked her nose with a claw, “-are here.”

Twilight batted away Discord and stood up. She backed away from him, looking around the white void and saw no answers in sight. “I… don’t know.”

“That’s a logical answer. How could you know?”

“Then why ask?”

“It’s not about an answer, Twilight. It’s about speculation. You see… I’ve been around… And by that I mean I’ve seen so many things that would make your very soul cringe. From the Cutie Mark Crusaders becoming pirates to you slaughtering ponies for research…”

“What?!” Twilight furrowed her brow. “What are you talking about… slaughtering ponies?! How could you say that?”

Discord couldn’t hold back a haughty laugh from the unicorn’s reaction. “Oh, Twilight! You really need to calm down. None of it is true here. You are perfectly fine here… Well, for the moment. Hehe! The real Twilight would flip if she saw you like this.” He laughed and covered his mouth.

“The real Twilight?” She put a hoof to her forehead. “Discord please… What in Equestria are you talking about? What’s the meaning of all this?”

The draconequus slowly floated over to her and patted her head. “In due time, Twilight. I will tell you everything you need to know. For now, wouldn’t you like to get out of here? This place brings back bad memories.”

Twilight scanned her surroundings again; the emptiness went on for countless miles with nowhere to go. A sigh escaped her lungs as she nodded to him. “I suppose I don’t have any choice. Why are you helping me anyway?”

“Consider it an obligation… and nothing more. Now hold still. We don’t want anypony to get hurt… yet. Hahaha!” Discord chuckled while moving his claws to a praying position. In a few seconds, the space around Twilight began to bend, pulling her inward. She felt the air being forced out of her and her body felt like it was about to be crushed. Then with a sudden crack, the white void around her shattered and faded into nothingness.

Beyond the veil, she found herself in one of Canterlot’s many gardens. In fact, she was standing directly in front of a petrified Discord, sealed a second time by Twilight and her friends a couple months back, or so she thought.

“Why am I here?” she thought aloud as she looked around. The area was silent except for a few chirping birds and the faint noise of a bustling population nearby. It was just a few hours into morning as the sun illuminated the huge variety of plant life around the garden. For a moment, her senses felt heightened and extremely sensitive. She felt like she could see, hear, and smell almost everything around her. The flood of stimuli was a bit startling; it felt as if she hadn’t used her senses in quite some time.

It’s strange. Why does the world feel… different? The air feels tense… Even I can tell something is amiss. Now that I’m… free… I should go find the Princess. I have to tell her everything that’s happened so far. Discord being loose, the strange void… She must be aware of what’s going on.

“Isn’t it great to be home again, Twilight?” A voice shattered her thoughts, “I’m sure your mind is racing about what to do next.” Twilight could hear Discord, but she couldn’t spot him. Only his statue which she wasn’t sure his voice was even coming from.

She turned around in place, looking around randomly. Her features displayed a hint of displeasure…she was certain she had lost the cretin. “I have to see Princess Celestia. She must know what’s going on…and why you’re out and about.”

“Oh, I don’t know if seeing Celestia is such a good idea.” He sounded foreboding…as if he was trying to warn her.

“What do you mean? Are you trying to trick me?” She scoffed and began to canter along a dirt path nearby. In about a hundred yards or so, it would lead to Canterlot’s streets. From there it would be only a few minutes gallop to Canterlot Castle. “Well, it won’t work!”

There was an audible sigh from the draconequus. “After helping you escape… you still doubt my intentions?”

Twilight slowed her stride a bit to answer the silly question. “Of course I doubt them! Since when did Discord become obligated to help anypony? How do I know you’re not trying to deceive me?”

“Hahaha… I suppose you have every right to assume that. You’ve only known me for causing mischief and irresistible chaos.”

By now, Twilight had reached the gate that would lead her out, but unfortunately something was blocking her path. It was him, leaning on it nonchalantly with his arms crossed. Strangely, the creature was tinted blue and only half visible, somehow see-through like a ghost.

“If that’s how you feel…” He snickered as he stepped out of the way and unfolded his arms to beckon her through. “…then go see her, Twilight. I’ll be surprised if you make it past the guards.”

Twilight stopped for a moment and groaned. “What makes you say that? I’m revered in the eyes of everypony in Canterlot Castle. Surely, they would grant me audience with the Princess.”

This made him chuckle and lift a hand to cover his face. “Ah… I’m torn between telling you for your own safety or watching you fail miserably. I miss the good ol’ days when that decision was simple. Think about it Twilight…wouldn’t Celestia have already found you eons ago? Shouldn’t she have been the one to free you from your prison? Yes… But it was me who found you, wasn’t it? It was me who found your hopeless soul lingering in the balance. It was I who saved you so you could once again walk this very earth. Strange that I… Discord” - he rolled his eyes - “would be the only one kind-hearted enough to save you. Doesn’t that tickle your faith in the ones you hold so dear?”

The sincerity and coldness in his words was a little upsetting to her. Immediately her mind reached out for rationalizations. “She probably didn’t even know where I was! Certainly she was looking for me. My friends are probably worried sick!”

“Is that what you truly believe? Like I’ve said before, I have been around. I haven’t been here long, but I’ve quickly picked up on a few things. Ponies are getting… killed… and I’m pretty sure it has something to do with you.”

The unicorn groaned and shook her head. “Not this again! I would never hurt anypony! You’re trying to trick me, Discord. Your body isn’t the only thing that’s transparent. I’ve seen you turn my friends against me…but you’ll never turn me against my friends. My faith in them is unbreakable as is their faith in me!” Discord could only stare at her in silence. In a few moments, she continued, “You’ve never experienced that bond…the blessing of friendship and the power it gives…you are the epitome of what I have to protect it from, bringer of disharmony! Now I’m going to see Celestia and you won’t stop me.” She stomped her hoof.

The spirit continued to stare at the pony before a smile slowly formed on his snidely face. “Stubborn as ever… Fine. Have it your way, Twilight.” With that, he vanished in a swirl of smoke, leaving the pony by herself. The unicorn smirked at her victory. She opened the gate with her magic and went through.

She found herself staring down a very long hallway made of old, dusty brick. The place looked like it hadn’t been gone through in a long time. She could lift her hoof and see her hoofprint in the dust below. There were various insects crawling the walls and floor, and cobwebs spanning corners of the arched hallway.

“What’s going on? Who would let it get this bad?” She carefully stepped around whatever crawled the floor and slowly made her way to the opposite side. “Was it always this long? Why can’t I hear anything?” She muttered to herself, wanting to break the eerie silence. “It doesn’t matter… Canterlot should be…”

Go back…

Twilight froze. The voice made her heart leap. Her eyes darted around to find the source. “Hello? Is somepony there?”

I don’t want to die…

Hearing it a second time, she realized whose voice it was. “Is that… me?” She turned around to look behind her. She gasped softly. The door she was sure was only a few yards away was now gone, replaced by darkness.

Mistake… have to fix the mistake…

“Mistake? What mistake? Hello? What’s going on?” Frightened, the unicorn bolted. She galloped at full speed down the hallway towards what appeared to be daylight.

Glitter… fear… turn back…

Twilight ignored her own creepy voice and continued. Eventually, she could see the doorway that would lead her out. Her horn charged with magic as she leaped to it with a quick teleport. She had made it…she could see other ponies walking around on the street. Twilight turned her head back down the long hallway except… For some reason it was now only a short distance. “Odd…” She put a hoof to her face. “Some kind of delirium? Maybe a side-effect of being in that prison?” She shook her head. “I’ll worry about it later.” She turned and proceeded through the archway into Canterlot’s streets.

As she did, several of the passing ponies turned their heads to look at her, all sporting looks of confusion. Twilight could hear them mutter to each other. “Did you see that?”

“Yeah, she just… came out of that wall.” She heard one say. She turned to look where she had walked through. Certainly enough, the way she walked in was bricked. She put a hoof to it and felt around the solid wall. She briefly glanced back at the other ponies before she galloped off towards Canterlot Castle.

No wonder nopony could find me…the entrance to the garden was sealed with a brick wall, but… How did I just walk through it? Also, I could see the sky when I was in the garden… Ugh! I don’t care anymore! The Princess will explain everything!

It was then Twilight noticed many things different about Canterlot. It was never this bustling before. Ponies and creatures of all kinds were walking the streets and not the usual specks of aristocrats and working ponies. As a result, the streets looked a bit messier and more traveled than it had ever been. All of the buildings she was familiar with weren’t there and were replaced by more sophisticated structures. She had some trouble navigating because it was so different. However, the Castle was clearly visible from any point in the city so it wasn’t too difficult to find.

What has become of Canterlot since I’ve been away? Wait… How long have I been away?! This isn’t something that happens overnight. This could have been years… years I’ve been trapped in that garden. It makes me wonder how the castle is…

In her gallop, she attracted many gazes from the ponies she passed. She didn’t recognize a single one of them. Nothing felt familiar to her and the air felt heavy in her lungs. Everypony had cold eyes and walked droningly along. Everything looked gray and depressing.

Something has happened… or is happening. I don’t like the look of this. My friends… Please don’t tell me you’ve become like this as well. I could never forgive myself for letting this happen.

Suddenly, the unicorn heard a scream. It was distant, but it got the attention of everypony. There was a moment of silence before a crowd of ponies charged in her direction. A frightened stampede ran towards her.

“What’s going on?” She asked aloud, but nopony answered as they whisked past her. She asked a couple more times before she became frustrated. The very last straggler was about to pass her, but she jumped in front of him and stopped him with a hoof. “Hold it right there! Tell me what’s going on!”

“S-Somepony was just killed! I saw it with my own eyes! This… thing came out of nowhere!” The stallion was truly distressed and was constantly trying to push past her.

“Calm down! Tell me what this… thing is,” she questioned him.

“No! You have to run! Let me through!” His strength was too much for her as he shoved her aside and galloped away.

“Wait! Come back! Ugh!” She groaned as she watched him flee. “Kill?” She slowly turned her head back. “How could anypony…”

There, staring her right in the face, was some sort of mask. Instantly, she gasped and took a leap backward. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She really wasn’t ready for that. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!” She glared at the masked pony in front of her. She noticed the strange attire. The pony was bundled in all kinds of different cloaks and scarves. It was a wonder if that pony could move at all. The pony didn’t speak, but it did slowly advance towards her. “Hey, could you tell me what’s going on? You don’t seem afraid like the other ponies.”

The pony stopped. “I’m not afraid of anything.”

“Then could you answer my question?”

“Of course… But first I must ask you something.” The voice was a little muffled, but she could understand it pretty well.

“Okay. What’s your question?”

“What do you know… about Twilight Sparkle?”

“Twilight… Sparkle?” The unicorn grinned. “You mean you don’t…” She hesitated for a moment when her eyes caught something on the ponies left foreleg. There was a streak of blood going across it.

Oh no… This must have been what the others were running from! How could I be so dense?! That stallion said it killed somepony? Then again… I can feel its malice. Those eyes are darker than anything I’ve ever seen.

“Do you know anything?” It asked again, more determinedly this time around.

Why is it asking about me? Is it… looking for me? Maybe… Maybe I should just confront it. If it’s… killing other ponies, I have to protect them.

“I…” Twilight felt something in her throat. “I…” She put a hoof to it and coughed. “I am…” She coughed again. She couldn’t speak for some reason.

The pony tilted its head and walked closer. “Yes?”

What’s going on?! I can’t say anything! Every time something stops me!

“You… know something. Don’t you?” It narrowed its eyes.

Twilight could at least nod. Instantly, the pony seemed to relax in a way.

“Then tell me! I must know! I know she’s in this city. She must be somewhere…. Somewhere hidden.”

“I… can’t…” She coughed harder this time. It was beginning to become painful. It felt like something was squeezing her neck every time she even thought about telling it.

The relaxation faded quickly from the pony’s stature. “What do you mean you… can’t?!”

“I’m sorry…I don’t know why.” Twilight was becoming dizzy. She could hardly breathe much less speak to it.

“Maybe…a little persuasion is necessary…” Its voice grew cold as it moved even closer. Twilight took steps back to keep it at a distance. “You will tell me about her one way or another.” It began to slowly lift a hoof and its eyes slowly turned white.

“Stop! Don’t make another move!” Twilight heard a booming voice from behind her. She swung her head around.

“Princess Celestia?!” Her heart leapt in joy. The Princess was accompanied by a squad of royal guards.

The strange pony didn’t falter for a moment. “Don’t get in my way, Princess! Remember… A country needs a ruler.”

“Yes, but we don’t need you terrorizing it! Your spree ends now!” Celestia’s horn began to shimmer. “Stand back, my subject!”

One of the royal guards pulled Twilight away from the masked pony. “You wouldn’t dare…” It whispered.

“You were foolish to attack in public and reveal yourself!” The Princess’s horn grew brighter. “Now… You are hereby banished from Equestria!”

A solid beam of gold fired towards the pony. It didn’t seem to have enough time to react as the beam hit it straight in the chest. The golden magic surrounded the pony and trapped it in a sphere of energy. The Princess then strained and grunted as her magic grew even stronger. With a final release she propelled the sphere with an enormous boom of force. In an instant, it vanished into the horizon, leaving a trail of energy that slowly dissipated.

There was a solid ten seconds of silence. Only Celestia’s heavy breathing was audible. Twilight had never seen her like that. She could feel some true anger from her voice and the way she used her magic. “Princess?”

Celestia turned her attention to Twilight. “Are you all right there, my little pony?”

Chapter VI - Homecoming

Act 2 – Fate

Chapter VI – Homecoming

Edited by Vertorm

*****

Here I find myself on the outskirts of Ponyville… It’s as I expected. It lacks the sophistication of Canterlot… It feels rustic and uncivilized. That… mare said she would be here. Would I, at long last, find the chance to apologize? To see my sister once again?

Fyreburst slowly walked towards the town in the distance. The meek sunrise on the horizon illuminated the edges of the dozens of wooden buildings. The air began to smell of flowers and other unidentifiable, country scents. Despite his early abhorrence of the town, it began to feel homely. There was something about the atmosphere that felt familiar. Slowly his foul thoughts began to melt from his mind.

He had abandoned the bag that Dash left him. He really didn’t want a reminder of the time he spent with her. His mind was spinning in circles on how he would give his apology to his sister, Glitter. He hadn’t seen her in ten years. Would she even recognize him? Would she even be the same pony? Would seeing her again only cause grief? As he drew closer and closer to Ponyville, his heart ached more and more. He hoped just seeing her would be enough to know that she made it and was safe… to relieve the guilt that plagued him so.

I hope it isn’t all a lie. I don’t know what I would do… what I would live for if she wasn’t here. Should I even be pondering such a possibility? Maybe...

Before he could think a second more, he had made his first step into town. Since it was early, it appeared that many ponies were either still sleeping or just waking up as there weren’t many walking around. Fyre wasn’t sure where to look first. His hooves led him in a random direction. He was slightly surprised at how many homes were two stories tall. They weren’t as big as Rainbow’s home, but sizable compared to what he initially believed. The town was connected by dirt roads, stone walkways, and occasionally paved bridges. He briefly scanned every building in his sight. Eventually, it fell upon a tall, red, circular building with a spire. He figured the building was of some importance.

Perhaps I could find the town mayor here and ask if he or she would know anything about Glitter Spark.

He set his goal and began briskly trotting towards the structure. His mind began repeating previous thoughts. Since being in Ponyville, he had felt a distinct pressure in his chest: a hint of nervousness that never seemed to cease. In all these years of searching, they would finally be reunited. He could apologize for the mistake he made.

As he made his way through the town streets, he could hear whispering among the few ponies around him. More ponies began to emerge from their homes. Their eyes were eerily staring. He timidly looked around at the dozen or so ponies looking at him. There were smiles on their faces. During his next step, he abruptly bumped into something.

“Oof!” he grunted and stumbled back. Dazed, he shook his head and looked up to see what it was. Standing directly in front of him was a bright, pink pony with an absurdly messy manecut. It reminded him of cotton candy of all things, and for some reason he could smell it too. As they made eye contact, the mare’s expression grew happier and happier and Fyre’s grew more and more frightened. Her smile widened more than Fyre could think possible with a muzzle. She suddenly made an obnoxiously loud gasp and darted instantly out of sight.

Fyre stood there perplexed for a few seconds before he began to feel those eyes all over him again. His cheeks flushed a little. He cleared his throat, and continued toward the building from before.

He wasn’t interrupted a second time as he came upon the front door to what he assumed was the town hall. He looked back around to see if there was anypony still looking at him, but he couldn’t find any in sight. He let out a sigh of relief and turned his attention back to the large, pinkish door in front of him. He held his breath, lifted a hoof, and knocked firmly on the door three times. Before he put his hoof back on the ground, he saw the door was ajar so he gently shoved it completely open. The hinges made a teeth-gritting squeal as they revealed the innards of the building.

Inside, there was a giant empty hall aligned with balconies that appeared to lead to other rooms. Several doorways on his left and right were wide enough for him to see staircases that connected the first and second floors. In a corner near the front door was a large enclosed room with a single window. Uninterested with the rest of the building, he made his way towards the room and peered carefully into the window.

On the other side was a dimly lit office, decent in size but completely cluttered. The window was too textured to make out much more, but he was certain he could see a pony inside. Without hesitation, Fyre firmly bumped the nearby wooden door with a hoof. After doing so, he quickly peered back into the window to see if there was any movement. Within a few seconds, the pegasus smiled. There was a pony inside and it was slowly making its way towards the door. He stood firmly in front of the door and waited.

As the door opened, the light revealed an elderly mare. Tan in color and with a small gray mane, she peered at Fyre behind a small pair of glasses. She looked him over as if examining a completely foreign object, but eventually it came; a smile and a soft chuckle. He wasn’t sure what that was about but she began to speak,

“Fyreburst? Is that you? Dear Celestia…” She stepped out of the doorway and into the main hall. “…I thought you were gone for good.”

Her words immediately perplexed him. Before he could ask anything, he watched as she circled around him and made her way to the front door. Fyre quickly leapt in front of her to stop her.

“Gone for good? Wait… Do I know you? How do you know my name?” Fyre tried to scan his memory for anypony resembling her, but couldn’t recall a single thing. The mare could see the frustration in his eyes.

“Ahh…” she giggled. “Don’t remember me, huh? Look, I know why you’re here. You’re looking for… her.” Giving him that cryptic suggestion, she walked outside and left him there for a moment. Quickly, he followed her out and into the daylight.

“Her? Her who?”

“You know who… Unless you’ve forgotten?” She descended the steps and began making her way into the town proper. Fyre continued to follow. He was a little uneasy. How did this complete stranger know who he was? He wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but he took a guess.

“Do you mean…Glitter Spark?”

The earthpony stopped and gave him a chuckle. “Oh, you do remember her… I knew you wouldn’t forget. If you’re looking for her… she’s at the library, Fyre.”

Fyre’s face lit up. He never heard more exciting news. “Y-You’re not pulling my leg, are you? She’s really here?”

She nodded and pointed west with a hoof. “It’s the big tree. You can’t miss it.” That was all he needed to hear.

“Thank you, Miss!” There was a giddy smile on his face. Without so much as a goodbye, Fyre leapt into the sky and was gone before she knew it.

She’s here! I can’t believe it! She knew her name and where she was! Oh please, Luna, don’t let this be a lie.

In only a few moments after leaving town hall, he had spotted the tree. It was a large tree with a variety of openings for windows, doors, and balconies. He landed right in front of it and gleefully trotted up to the front door. “This has to be-” he froze mid-sentence. His eyes caught the candle insignia on the door. “-it… Wait a minute… That mark. I’ve… seen that before… Haven’t I? That’s the…”

It was the insignia that haunted his dreams. Before he knew it, his vision began to cross and he felt dizzy. He put a hoof to his head and stumbled back, falling onto his haunches. There was a brief moment of panic.

No no… it’s not a dream. It’s not a dream! I’m here! I’m actually here and this is real! It’s just a door! It’s not a lie. It’s not a lie!

“Why don’t you open it then? Are you scared?” he heard a soft voice in his ear.

I’m not afraid…

His vision was fixed on the door. Noises seem to dim and all he could hear was himself breathing and that voice,

“Then open it.”

I… can’t!

He tried to move his legs, but they wouldn’t budge.

“Then let me open it for you.”

In that moment, Fyre could see a soft purple glow around the knob of door he dreaded so. With a small creak, the door was pushed open. He could feel blood rush to his legs as he stood up. He felt his body walk on its own as he made his way inside.

As he crossed the threshold of the doorway, his familiar strange panicking vanished in an instant. He could move again. Quickly, his azure eyes scanned the room for any sign of Glitter. He could feel the excitement emerge once more and in only a few moments he had forgotten whatever had just happened back there. His mind was affixed on his sister once more. The obsession of finding her was stronger than ever. He gave a shout,

“Hello?! Is anypony in here?!” he couldn’t restrain himself from yelling. “Glitter?! Glitter are you here?!” he called, but no one answered. He didn’t give up. He made his way into an adjoining room. He quickly discovered it was empty as well. He searched around the walls of books to no avail. His hope began to dwindle a bit. “Come on. Where are you?”

“Umm… can I help you?” Fyre heard a strange, masculine voice behind him. Quickly he turned and found himself staring right into the eyes of a large dragon.

He had barely fit through the door he just went through. Aside from the pointy snout that bore razor sharp teeth when he spoke, which was the first thing that caught Fyre’s eyes, the dragon had a series of green, sharp spines that adorned across the top of his head and down to the tip of his tail like an endless mohawk. There were two large green fins that jutted from just beyond the dragon’s green eyes and two purple wings tucked at his sides which were each roughly the size of Fyre. The dragon was a head taller than Fyre, standing on all fours, and looking more nonchalant that he ever would have imagined a dragon could act. If it wasn’t for his purple and green color-scheme, dopey facial expression and calm demeanor, Fyre would be deathly afraid right about now.

Fyre was hesitant to speak for a moment. He wasn’t entirely sure if what he was looking at was real or a figment of his growing insanity. It wasn’t immediate, but the dragon began to smile. That same creepy smile that everypony else here was giving him. It evolved into a gasp and then a burst of excitement,

“Fyre?! Haha! No way! You’re back!” The dragon suddenly rushed up to him. Fyre’s eyes grew wide in fright, but before he could do any kind of evasion, he was grasped between two scaly arms and squeezed. “Awwww! I’m so happy you came back! I was beginning to lose hope honestly.”

“C-c-came back? Please don’t hurt me,” he pleaded.

“Hurt you? Oh!” The dragon let go of Fyre and blushed. “Right, I forgot…I’m a lot bigger now, aren’t I? Wow… That was ten years ago when you last saw me. Isn’t that right?”

“Ten years? Wait… what’s going on here? How do you know me? Why is everypony… Hold on… Am I seriously talking to a… talking dragon right now? I… I must be completely losing it.” Fyre chuckled to himself and put a hoof to his face.

Understandably, the dragon was perplexed. “How do I know you? You’re Fyreburst. You used to live here in Ponyville.” There was a bit of frustration in his eyes. “You used to stay in this library.”

“What?” Fyre looked at him and furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about? I’ve never been here before.”

“But you have!” The dragon points to himself. “I’m Spike! Remember?” Fyre answered with complete silence. “Rarity?” He threw out another name. “Applejack? Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy? Don’t you remember anypony?” Fyre just continued to stare bewildered. “Rainbow Dash?”

Of course, he knew her. “Wait! I know her.”

“Who? Rainbow Dash?”

“Y-Yeah. I mean… who doesn’t?” he scoffed.

“Well, she does make it a point to make herself known… but you remember her!”

Fyre rolled his eyes. “Remember? Yeah, I remember her making herself a living joke in front of every pegasus in Equestria. Calling us morons and bigots… and then…” He trailed off.

“Fyre. You don’t… remember any of us?” There was hint of sadness in his voice. Fyre looked at him with a slightly guilty expression. “At all?”

His thoughts about Dash faded. He could see how truly sincere Spike was just based on his expression. There was a moment of silence before, “No.”

“No?!” Spike sounded offended, “What do you mean no?”

“I mean I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never lived here. I lived in Canterlot. I stayed with my sister, Glitter Spark.” He began to explain, “She ran away and for the past ten years I’ve been looking for her! I’ve never heard of… Applesmack or Fleetyshy or whatever you were spouting out there. This whole town has been so eerie since I first got here… ponies staring at me strangely and that mayor knowing who I was. I’m looking for Glitter Spark! That’s all I’m looking for!” He ended his little rant angrily.

“Glitter Spark?” The dragon’s face was a little perplexed. “You mean…” He paused for a moment. “Wait here, Fyre.” Spike disappeared into the main room. Fyre let out a sigh and looked out a nearby window.

I knew it wouldn’t be this easy. I just want to see you again. It’s killing me. This whole world is killing me. I…

“Fyre?” Spike returned more quickly than he anticipated. Fyre turned his head and saw the dragon clutching a book in his claws.

“What is that?”

“It’s… it’s Glitter Spark.” The dragon held the book out to him.

“No… No. That’s a book. What I’m looking for is a pony… Is this a joke?”

“No.” He handed Fyre the book. He held the book in his hooves. The title read: Taming the Storm: A Comprehensive Guide to Weather Manipulation. It was written by… Glitter Spark and… Rainbow Dash?

“What is this? Why is her name on this? Why is Rainbow Dash’s name on this?” Fyre looked at Spike in confusion.

“I really don’t understand it either. Before you left… you said that Glitter Spark would always be your beacon home. That it would bring you back to us… You told everypony in Ponyville that. In fact, right before you left you made a public announcement about it. You said you would be leaving to go look for Glitter Spark. Nopony knew what you were talking about, but you told us to show you this book if you ever did return… I guess you also did say you probably wouldn’t be the same pony when you returned.”

“But... but where is she?!” Fyre seemed to completely ignore what Spike just said.

“I don’t know! Just read the book already!” The dragon was getting a little frustrated with him.

“Okay okay! Fine I’ll read your stupid book.” He placed it on the ground in front of him and opened the cover. He began to read it aloud in a quick, dismissive tone,

“Some may wonder how the world works. How do the clouds move and snow fall? Many would say that pegasi control the weather; that they actively move the clouds with their hooves and create the snow in cloud cities. It’s not wrong to think that, but it isn’t entirely right. Long ago, before Equestria was founded…” He stopped and sighed. “Am I seriously going to read this entire book right now? I have better things to do… I need to find her.”

Spike nodded. “Yes! You have to. You told me to make you read this if you weren’t the same pony.”

“I’m not reading anything that has Rainbow Dash’s name on it. I can already tell it’s about how pegasi are fake…” he imitated Dash with a dumb voice, “…that they don’t hold any true power and that unicorns are so great. Blah blah blah…”

“Look. You told me not to read it, Fyre. I don’t know what’s in it, but you have to read it.” Spike moved closer. “For me… For your friends! Your friends who have sadly moved on because you left them! Life hasn’t been the same since… For a while we thought you would be back in a couple months, but then months turned into years. We slowly forgot about you… We gave up hope that you would ever return. We even asked Celestia and Luna about you and they gave us no answer. You were truly gone and it hurt us… It hurt me most of all. What’s even worse is that when I call you by your name... I’m not even sure if it’s your real name. You were very weird that day and when you left it only got weirder.”

Fyre listened closely to what Spike was telling him yet it still didn’t make sense to him. He began to think that the dragon was delusional; that everypony in town was crazed. He almost wanted to leave right there and abandon hope that Glitter would be there. He was never more confused in his life. He stared at the book and gritted his teeth. His mind wavered.

I sometimes notice that the world looks so different when I least expect it. That everything I take for a solid fact becomes something completely intangible. Like water turning into air and the blue sky becoming the darkest red. For a while I thought I was just seeing things…then I began to wonder if I was insane. I sometimes experience things I’ve already seen… Like my mind is tricking me into thinking that something never happened at all. I always get so angry when I can’t grasp reality. It slips through my hooves like water and becomes a puddle of frustration on the ground… Then I find somepony staring back at me… Somepony with violet eyes and a smile on her face.

“Fine,” he answered. “I’ll read it.”

This answer immediately made Spike smile. “Great! Then…”

“But not yet...” he interrupted, “I need something to eat and some rest. You have no idea what I’ve been through lately.”

Chapter VII - Punishment

Act 2 – Fate

Chapter VII – Punishment

Edited by Vertorm and MysteryAlabaster

*****

I feel so cold… Where am I? All I can see is darkness. I can hear the wind blowing, but I can’t feel my ears. So cold… Is this where it all ends? My eyes won’t open… I can’t feel my legs. All I can feel… is regret.

*****

It must have been hours… days… I still don’t know where I am. After all of these years… I still fail… I am nothing… I never will be... anything.

*****

Far to the north, past the Crystal Kingdom, there is a land called the Frozen North. A land that’s always cold and never stops snowing. It was one of the last areas touched by the spirits of frost fueled by disharmony. When the majority of its denizens left, the Frozen North became calm and quiet.

“Wow, babe! I’ve never seen such an incredible stunt before! Where did you learn that one?”

Amidst the frost and heavy snow of the tundra, there are still ponies who eked out a living there. Two pegasi were merrily soaring through the cold air after a long evening at a local event. The air was riddled with large, slow-moving flakes of snow that have created a large, never-ending blanket beneath.

“It was something an old friend and mentor showed me once,” said an orange, pegasus mare with a slightly messy purple mane, and a decorative skateboard holstered in a bag on her back. She blushed and turned her head to the side. “Was it really that cool?” The mare was speaking to a yellow stallion with a typical red ball cap covering his black mane.

“The whole crowd blew up! Didn’t you hear them? They went wild!”

“Well, when I get into the zone, I don’t hear anything except the sounds of my board. Everything else is just white noise.”

“That’s just crazy. You have to teach me how you do it.”

The mare reared her head back and put a hoof to her chest. “Sorry, but you can’t teach awesome. That’s something you have to figure out for yourself.”

The comment made the stallion chuckle. “Sure, sure.” There was a brief silence between them before the stallion cleared his throat. “So uhh… Do you mind if I hang out with you for a while? I got nothing else to do tonight.”

The mare furrowed her brow and smirked. “What? You mean hang out at the park or something? I’m a little tired of riding today after-” Grinder cut her off.

“No no. I mean at the club… or your place… you know?” He grew quieter with each word. The mare suddenly stopped her flight and the stallion flew ahead a couple of yards before stopping himself. The mare had an intense look on her face, but she wasn’t looking at him. “W-was it something I said?” He approached her and after a few seconds of silence, he tried again. “Scootaloo? Is there something wrong? I-I was just kidding.”

Scootaloo was staring at something odd in the distance. “Look, Grinder. Over there.” She pointed with a hoof.

From where they were, the two could see a series of fallen trees with an enormous trail of disturbed snow. At the end of the trail was a well-sized crater in the snow.

“What is that? Was there an accident or something?”

“Let’s check it out!” Scoots dashed away toward the crater, leaving Grinder dazed.

“Uhhh- wait for me!” He followed after her as fast as he could.

In a few moments, the mare had arrived at the scene. She stood over one of several dozen fallen trees. Some of them were snapped in half and others completely split into pieces. She followed the trail one way into the distance and then slowly turned her gaze to the crater. “What in the world could have done this?”

She hovered just above the snow and made her way to the depression. As she got closer, her purple eyes grew wider. “Oh no!” In the center of the crater was a body almost completely encased in snow. She quickly descended to investigate. By now, Grinder had finally caught up and was completely out of breath.

“Y-You… can’t do that. You know I can’t… keep up with you,” he panted.

“Would you suck it up and help me? There’s somepony here!” Scootaloo was digging and brushing away snow.

“Somepony? Oh, great…” He joined her in her excavation. “Another daredevil probably…”

As the two slowly uncovered the pony underneath, they could see its features. There was shredded cloth seamlessly covering the pony’s coat, tail, and ears. It had an untidy purple mane and many parts of its body were bloodied. It didn’t appear to be breathing and even with a quick brush of a hoof, it was colder than ice. They both suddenly stopped when they finally revealed its face. It was the masked pony… It had been banished from Equestria. Suddenly, one purple eye flashed open and stared up at the couple.

“Whoa!” Grinder and Scoots fell back a bit. Being the braver of the two, Scootaloo approached the pony and leaned her muzzle in.

“Hey, are you all right? Can you stand?” She looked at Grinder. “I’m gonna need your help carrying him to my place.”

“Carry him? Your house is like five miles away!”

Scoots groaned. “You always wanted to spend time with me! Well, now’s your chance, hotshot!” The mare dug around the head of the pony so she could get her hooves around its neck and shoulders. “You get the back.”

“Why do I get the back?!” Grinder complained.

Scoots rolled her eyes. “This is going to be a long night…”

*****

It had taken the two a solid hour of carrying the surprisingly light body to Scootaloo’s home, which was a tiny house in one of the few towns in the Frozen North. Scoots kicked open her front door and motioned Grinder over to the only couch in the living room. The two delicately placed the body there. Scootaloo had already tossed her bag to the side and began working on making a fire in a small pit in the middle of the room.

“Grab some water for me. I’m gonna try to get all of this clothing off of him.”

“R-right. Okay.” Grinder looked around a bit before entering another room and leaving Scoots and the stranger alone. After getting the fire going, the mare silently approached the body. After closer examination, she could see two minute limbs jutting out of the pony’s sides; the remnants of wings that have had all of their feathers removed. The front of the mask was slightly caved into its muzzle. Part of it was buried into the pony’s right eye. There was blood around where the eyehole should have been, but was now just a damaged mess of metal. The other eye was open and staring directly at Scoots. It was a little unnerving for her.

“Can you hear me? Do you think I can take that mask off for you?” Unfortunately, she got no answer. “Well, at least let me get that mess you got for clothing.” Scoots laid a hoof on the pony’s body. Suddenly, the pony came to life. It leaned forward and shoved the pegasus away from it. Scootaloo was a bit startled, and she now kept her distance. “O-Okay. Good. At least you’re moving. I’m going to heat up some water for you so we can warm you up. You’re glacial… in more ways than one apparently.”

The masked pony slowly got up into a resting position on the couch. Carefully, it lifted a hoof and touched its damaged eye.

“Does it hurt? What happened to you? That must have been some accident.”

It turned its head to look at one of its damaged wings. Scoots heard a small gasp from the pony as it reached to touch it with a hoof. In a few moments, Grinder returned with a pail of water in his mouth. His eyes grew wide as he saw the pony alive and moving. Scoots motioned him over to the crackling fire where he then placed the pail in a metal holder, flames licking at the bottom.

“Did he just start moving while I was away?” The stallion moved closer to Scoots.

“Yeah, and he’s got some kick in’em. He doesn’t want to be touched.”

“Can he speak?” The two were observing the masked pony like two inquisitive scientists.

“No idea. He hasn’t yet…” Scootaloo put a hoof to her chin. “Hey! Say something! Tell us what happened!”

“Yeah! After all, we helped you out. Could you at least tell us your name or something?” Grinder added.

There was almost no reaction from the pony. It just turned the damaged side of its muzzle towards them and rested its head on its hooves. There was a mutual disappointment between the two ponies as they briefly looked at each other. Scoots sighed.

“Well, that didn’t work.”

“I didn’t notice its eye before. Think he’ll be all right?”

“I hope so. Not really much we can do when it’s refusing our help.” The mare glanced over at the pail of water and then at Grinder. “Keep it company for a second.” Scootaloo ducked out of the room leaving the two alone.

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two for a while until finally the stallion blurted, “You know, it’s a little early for Nightmare Night. How do you move in that getup anyway? What’s with the mask? Are you trying to hide something?” There wasn’t a response from the pony. “I have to thank you though. You got me a free pass into Scoots home. Do you know how long I’ve been trying to get her attention?”

The stranger rolled its eye that was out of sight of Grinder. It gave him an audible sigh and secretly closed its eye.

“She was so great at the park tonight! So many flips and spins! I’m surprised she wasn’t dizzy half the time!”

His excitement wasn’t shared by the strange pony. It was still as stone and just as uninterested. Grinder’s smile gradually faded as he was slowly realizing it was pointless.

“She’s definitely the best. Wish I could be something just as awesome, you know?” Grinder paused for a moment to see if it would react. With nothing, he finally gave up. “Scootaloo?” He called for her. Surprisingly, the masked pony raised its head and looked at Grinder. The two stared at each other for a few seconds. “Scoots. He’s looking at me.”

The orange mare returned with a few towels draped over her back. “What is it? You’re being a little noisy, you know?” The masked pony now looked at Scootaloo. The mare felt a little uneasy. Suddenly, the pony jumped to its hooves and approached Scootaloo. “Whoa! Whoa! Easy!”

“Hey, back off a little!” Grinder meekly tried to dissuade the pony from doing anything. Scoots was a bit frightened as the pony stared directly into her eyes from only a few inches away. Then, with no warning, it spoke to her in a soft, muffled voice.

“Scootaloo?”

“Y-Yeah, that’s me. Aheh… Don’t wear it out.” She gave it a frightened cheesy grin.

“Where am I? Am I still in Equestria? I… I thought… No…” The pony trailed off.

Grinder spoke up, “You’re not in Equestria. This is the Frozen North.”

“Frozen… North?” It glanced at Grinder. “I have to go back.” The pony quickly turned and was heading away from the two. Scoots intercepted it.

“Hey, hold on! There’s no way you’re going to Equestria on hoof. You look terrible! Plus you’ll freeze like a popsicle! I can’t let you leave!”

The pony backed down a little. “Don’t… get in my way. I have to find Twilight!”

“Twilight?” Scoots furrowed her brow and looked at Grinder who gave her a shrug. “Look, you’re in no shape to go anywhere. It takes nearly four days by train to get to Equestria.” The pony’s features shrunk a little. It took a glance at its mangled wings and then squeezed its eye shut in frustration. “If it really is that important that you leave, I can pay for your ride, but the train just left this morning. It won’t be back for a whole week and even then it’ll take four more days to get there.”

“So it looks like you’re stuck here!” Grinder added.

Defeated, the masked pony sunk to the floor and banged a hoof on it. The impact was actually quite loud and it cracked the flooring. It startled the two ponies, but Scootaloo sunk to the ground as well to look at it.

“I’m sorry. It must be rough… Wish there was something I could-” The masked pony interrupted her.

“Can I stay here? Until… you know… the train comes back?” It asked quietly.

“Uhhh… Yeah!” The mare smiled. “Why not? I mean… I don’t really have much to offer.”

Grinder was visibly offended by her decision and he approached the two. “Wait a minute, Scoots! You don’t even know who this is! You’re just going to let a complete stranger stay here?”

Scootaloo glanced angrily at him. “Of course! What? I’m not going to let him sleep outside! That would be selfish!”

“This pony could be a fugitive or something! I mean look at him! That mask and those clothes! He’s obviously trying to hide his identity!”

“Who cares about that? Still no reason to push a pony out into the freezing cold!”

“Psh! Fine! At least let me stay too! I want to keep an eye on him… for your sake!”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Fine, but you get the floor.”

“The floor?! The stranger gets the couch?!”

“My home. My rules. Strangers get the couch. Actually, I take that back. He gets the bed. I get the couch.”

Grinder groaned. “Fine! Fine. Have it your way.” He mumbled quiet curses to himself.

Scoots grinned and chuckled. “Good. Is that all right with you… Masky?”

The pony looked at her and nodded. “Thank you.” It paused for a moment. “Call me… Middy.”

*****

So I am trapped here. Trapped in a block of ice they call the Frozen North. Trapped with… her. I feel so powerless and weak. I just want to smash everything around me. My eye and my wings... I can’t believe I failed. I was so close. I had become arrogant and overconfident. I thought I could take on anything… I was wrong. Princess Celestia… I could see the hatred in her eyes. I could see the built up pain in her voice from all the carnage I wreaked. Maybe this is what I deserve… Maybe I deserve this punishment.

“…you anything?” Middy heard a voice. She was lying in the bed she was given with her head propped on two crossed forelegs. She turned her head to see who it was; Scootaloo was standing in the entranceway with a surprisingly nonchalant expression on her face.

“Hm?” Middy hummed.

“I said can I get you anything?” She repeated herself. Middy lifted her head and slowly raised a hoof, pointing to a nearby painting on a wall.

“That,” she muttered simply. Scoots followed her hoof to the painting, a framed group photo of the Wonderbolts to be more precise.

“What? You mean this?” She meandered over to it. Scoots glanced over at Middy for an affirmative nod. The pegasus hovered slightly to pull the photo down. She could see a layer of dust on the top edge of the frame which she quickly blew off. She landed back on the wooden flooring and obligingly placed the photo onto the bed in front of Middy.

Quietly, the masked pony turned the frame in place until it was correctly oriented. Without a hint of appreciation, she began to scan those who were in the photo. The Wonderbolts were all unmasked and in more casual flight gear. There was Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Soarin’, and some of the other veterans. However, it was a group of three that caught Middy’s eye: Rainbow Dash… Scootaloo… and the third was a deep violet pony who was identified by the photo as… Midnight Sun.

“That photo was taken over five years ago. That was such an awesome time in my life. I was finally old enough to apply for the Wonderbolts. Even though I didn’t make the cut, I was able to hang out with-”

“Didn’t make the cut?” Middy interrupted her. Scoots lifted a hoof to rub her foreleg.

“Y-Yeah. While I learned to fly pretty well a year or two before that, I still wasn’t that great of a flier. At least not as good as she was.” Her expression cringed in disappointment. There was a subtle longing in her eyes.

“By she you mean Rainbow Dash?” Middy took a guess.

This lifted Scoots spirits up a little. “Yeah! You know her?”

“Yes… I know her. Known her for a long time actually.”

“Really?” She smiled. “How cool…” Scoots trailed off and her expression sank. “Everypony always talks about what she did at the Wonderbolt ceremony a couple years back, but I know her for what she really is. She’ll always be my idol. I don’t care what she says or what she does. Grinder always calls her a fraud…” she mumbled.

The masked pony suddenly sat up. “She’s not a fraud!” Middy blurted out. It actually startled Scoots for a moment and made her retreat a few steps. Only a few seconds later, Grinder poked his head into the room. The masked pony glared at him as soon as it saw him.

“What’s going on in here?” The stallion asked firmly. He had begun putting on a fake bravado ever since he had been given a chance to stay at Scootaloo’s place. He was always waiting for a chance to impress Scootaloo.

“I-it’s nothing, Grinder.” Scoots reassured him. “Me and Middy are just talking.”

“Okay, but if he… or she gives you any trouble, just call me.”

“I’m pretty sure that won’t be a problem.” The orange mare grinned.

Middy’s persistent gaze made Grinder feel uneasy. A shiver up his spine as he turned his head away. “A-All right. I’ll just be in the other room.” He swiftly left the two alone again.

The masked mare drew her attention back to the photo. “Anyways, if you didn’t make the cut, why are you in this photo?”

“Oh, right.” The orange pegasus stood opposite of her and turned the photo around. “It wasn’t a formal picture or anything. It was a gift from Rainbow Dash when I first made it to the Academy.” The longer she stared at the picture, the bigger her smile grew. “I remember she told me that she couldn’t coddle me because we knew each other. I was so overwhelmed with excitement even though I was struggling half the time. I didn’t make it, but I had a great time.”

“A great time, huh?”

“Yeah. When I wasn’t failing to be a Wonderbolt, Dash and I were hanging out almost all the time. She was much different than she ever was when we lived in Ponyville, but she was still awesome. I guess nothing can change that.”

Middy let out a soft chuckle. Scoots chuckled with her for a few moments. That was the first time she heard the pony have any enjoyment. After the mirth subsided, Scoots felt more comfortable asking it questions,

“So how did you know Rainbow?”

Middy briefly looked at Midnight Sun in the photograph. It appeared that Scoots couldn’t make any connection to it. “She was a good friend of mine at some point during her career. It’s been a long time since then and we went our separate ways. She had other agendas that I didn’t care much for.”

“It’s weird I’ve never heard of you. I thought Dash talked about all of her friends.”

“I’m pretty sure she does… She just doesn’t know it sometimes.”

This confused Scoots a bit, but she had something else on her mind now as she looked over the mask it was wearing and the tattered clothing. “You probably get this a lot but… why the mask?”

Middy sighed. “It is an annoying question. Let’s just say I have a lot to hide and I can’t risk anypony knowing who I was. Especially one particular pony.”

“Who?” Scoots asked hesitantly. Unfortunately, the only response she got was a sigh and a head turn. “S-sorry. Nevermind. It’s not important, but it looks like that mask you’re wearing is hurting you. I mean your eye is...” she trailed off.

“It does hurt. I won’t lie, but I have much bigger pains than that. It’s why I have to get back to Equestria. I have to find Twilight Sparkle.”

Scootaloo planted her haunches on the floor and rested a foreleg on the bed. “You mentioned her before… Who is she? Did she do something to you?”

“No… Not what she did to me, but what she did to somepony else. Somepony I really care about. Needless to say Twilight can be a little insensitive and I need to stick it to her.”

“She sounds like trouble. So… how did you end up here then?”

“Twilight has a lot of protection. More than I suspected. I may have stepped on too many hooves on my way to see her. I was banished.”

Scoots raised a brow. “Banished? Wait… you mean like Princess Celestia banished you from Equestria banished?”

“Yes… that kind of banished.”

“Wow… He was right… You are a criminal.”

“I know it must make you think less of me. I just do what I think is right… whether it is wrong or right… it doesn’t make a difference to me. It didn’t make a difference to her.”

“I understand… I think. I just want you to promise, after you get back to Equestria, that nopony gets hurt. You know… for helping you out.”

“Well… hm…” Middy knew that wasn’t possible. Before she could refuse, she felt a hoof on her own. Her eye could see Scootaloo’s pleading look.

Why are you looking at me like that? Strange… I actually feel a little guilty. Ha… What a laugh… It’s the same feeling I had when I hurt Rainbow Dash. How come I didn’t feel the same with all of those other ponies?

Middy turned her gaze to that orange hoof. Scoots spoke again. “Please, Middy? I know there are things you can’t let go; hatred and vengeance to name a few. I had some similar feelings when Dash made her little fiasco, but I got over it. I know when she did what she did, she was doing it for the right reasons too.”

Odd… Is that how I really feel? Guilty? After all of the things I’ve done… I just want peace of mind, but now… I’m not sure if that’s even obtainable anymore.

“So… promise me, all right? At least find a different way to resolve things with that Twilight character. Like have cocoa with her or something.”

Middy tilted her head at her. “What?” She burst into a soft laughter. “Cocoa? Really?”

“Yeah! I mean talk with her or something before doing anything stupid.”

“Well, maybe… I guess my previous approach did get me here. I suppose I can try.”

“Yeah? So is that a promise? Middy?”

“Why do you care?”

“Because I know if I can stop something here, I won’t regret it later.”

“Regret, huh?”

The same mindset that started all of this to begin with. Unfortunately, ponies need to be punished for their bad decisions… For Twilight, I’ll make sure of that… one way or another.

“Hm...” Middy slightly brushed the orange hoof away. “Fine. I promise. I promise I won’t hurt anypony.”

Chapter VIII - Reunited

Act 2 – Fate

Chapter VIII – Reunited

Edited by Vertorm and MysteryAlabaster

*****

Twilight… It wasn’t long after becoming a Wonderbolt that I realized how fickle… how petty my dream was. When I was given the uniform and the title, I wasn’t the least bit happy about it. I gave Spitfire this long, blank stare. I looked past those orange, dull eyes and saw nothing. I felt like I was staring into a mirror. A reflection of the future, one that I too would become. Cold… tired… and lifeless.

Then I saw you. I saw you standing there staring at me with that… cheesy smile on your face. They thought I was overjoyed when I smiled back. Truth was… I only wanted to see you again. The next few years were bleak. I did what the Wonderbolts always did: show off, race, and show off some more. I missed my friends… The glamour and adoration that I had for the Wonderbolts faded once I began to interact with them daily. Every time I was invited for a drink or to attend some kind of event, I wished I could invite my Ponyville friends. Especially you…

Since they had forgotten who you were, I couldn’t face them anymore. The only friend I had was Midnight Sun… the one that ruined everything. The irony killed me. However, I did come upon the kid at some point. She got accepted into the Wonderbolts Academy. It was certainly a time of respite. It felt like I was being given a break from my sorrow. She was incredible, the rascal. She still had quite the trouble with keeping up with others, but she had true determination and respect for her fellow ponies. Then… she failed…

At the end of that year, Scootaloo was dropped from the roster and she left the Academy. The eighty ton boulder that weighed on my heart only seemed to grow heavier and heavier. Seeing her go was the last thing I wanted and to top it off… that was the last time I saw Middy too. It was then I had a breakthrough… This life wasn’t for me. I never wanted to become a Wonderbolt. The dream was a farce that only shrouded my true desires… I had become the best and everything else was sacrificed because of it. It was a joke… The dreams of a foal and nothing else.

I left them… I made up my mind. There was a ceremony of sorts to commemorate the deeds they had accomplished that year. When I was called up to say my part… I laughed.

*****

“Rainbow Dash? Is there something funny?”

“Hahah! Well, yeah actually! I’m laughing at the silly bravado and integrity of the group I’m supposed to represent.”

“Excuse me?”

“Listen. Everypony always thinks we do wondrous feats of courage and strength when it’s a universal fact that… pegasi are weak. We lack any real physical strength to deal with large disasters and the magic to counteract the impossible. We truly are nothing more than just a flock of tiny birds! Sure we can fly, but it’s the only thing we have going for us.”

“Rainbow Dash? What are you…?”

“However, I know what true power is! One time I had all but lost my ability to fly, but I had a unicorn grant me a new set of wings. A unicorn gave me the power of flight and the physical strength to level buildings! I could be here and then there in an instant and I could finally do whatever I wanted! I was a true Wonderbolt… a true pegasus! Not one of these posers… who couldn’t even stop a baby dragon from terrorizing a town or save a pony from a simple fall!”

“That’s enough, Rainbow Dash!”

*****

A simple fall… I was so weak. I couldn’t even save you. I thought that by becoming a Wonderbolt, I would have the power to help my friends when they needed me the most. My embarrassing moments as the hero of Ponyville were a testament to how much power a pegasus really had. You fixed that dam and proved to me that we are simply nothing to this world. You can even control the weather… and what am I after that? What can I do? Nothing…

At that moment, I grew so angry at Spitfire... that I tackled her. It was the dumbest decision I ever made, no matter how angry I was. There wasn’t a shred of justification behind it. The tackle ended up seriously injuring her. Apparently, I didn’t know my own strength. It felt good… For those few moments I felt all my pent up frustration was vented, but I never felt so guilty in my life. I fled the ceremony… and from that moment on… I knew that part of my life had ended for good.

So I was obviously discharged from the Wonderbolts that day. In truth, I quit, but that would have made the story in the media that much less interesting. I didn’t regret what I had said, but I hope that every pegasus out there thought differently after that. I had some protesters and some sympathizers, but I knew I would only cause more strife if I stayed.

I fled to the Whitetail Woods and starting making a home for myself. Whenever I needed something I couldn’t make, I disguised myself the best I could and bought it. Even being a Wonderbolt for only a year, I was wealthy. I took as much as I could carry, but it didn’t last too long. I became obsessed with my revelation of magical strength. I started buying every book I could get my hooves on. I wanted to be smarter… I wondered if I could be gifted with magic. Silly goals, I know, but it had finally given me a drive. It was something to shoot for that mattered to me.

However, in only two or so years, that drive left me. After reading every book I owned over a hundred times, I felt the same… Powerless. Nothing could fix that feeling, it seemed.

So I put my books down for the last time… and I began to wait. I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for, but there certainly wasn’t anything else worth living for. I had become a rainbow shell of guilt, regret, and weakness. My wings became underused, my legs lost their strength, my eyes always felt heavy, my heart stiff, and I stopped taking care of myself. I could barely muster the will to eat or fly around. I had never been grounded so long in my life.

For days on end, the only noises I heard were the ticking of my clock, the subtle breezes outside, and the crackling of the fire. The fire I stared into everyday… wondering if one day I’ll just fall in. Hours turned into days… days into weeks… months… years. I lost track of time… I lost myself… The only thing that remained… was you… Twilight.

*****

“Are you alright, my little pony?”

Twilight stared dumbfounded at Princess Celestia. It was rare to see her use spells and it was always so terrifyingly powerful. The purple unicorn swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Princess, what’s going on? Who was that pony?” Twilight noticed that Celestia wasn’t her normal, cheery self. A frown, a weary demeanor, and her mane and coat were slightly disheveled. The light in her ruler just didn’t seem as bright as she remembered.

“An enemy… An enemy I am so glad to have dealt with.” She turned around and unfurled her wings. “Come!” she spoke to her guards, “We must inform her.”

Twilight quickly galloped up to her. “Wait, Princess!”

Celestia only slightly turned her head. “Yes, my subject?”

“My subject? Princess, don’t you know who I am? Where I’ve been all this time?”

Her Princess just gave Twilight a blank stare. Just by the way her eyes moved, Twilight could tell she couldn’t recall anything. “Strange… I should know your name. I know the names of all of my ponies.” With this realization, Celestia gave Twilight her full attention. “State your name. Are you a foreigner to Equestria?”

Twilight simply couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Princess, it’s me! Twilight Sparkle!” She suddenly smiled as she could actually speak this time around. “You’ve known me since I was a filly! You helped me with my studies! You made me your protégé! You-” she was interrupted.

“Enough!” Celestia boomed and the unicorn shrank in fear. “Twilight Sparkle you said? I’ve never heard of such a name… nor do I recall any of those things you’ve told me. Where do you reside, Miss Sparkle?”

The frustration in Twilight’s voice only grew, “In Canterlot! Well, Ponyville actually... I moved there a couple years ago. You know, to study the magic of friendship! The duty you gave me!”

Celestia gave her a strange look, as if Twilight had just told a terrible joke that she didn’t get. “The magic of friendship?” she said quietly to herself.

“Yes! Don’t you remember?”

“Listen. Let us speak where the public ear cannot hear. You displayed much courage today. I request your presence at my castle.” The Princess sighed. “There have been many strange occurrences as of late. This time I won’t ignore anything out of the ordinary. I will give you two of my guards as escort, but I must first… lament the loss of another pony…” She trailed off as she walked past Twilight. Two of the pegasi guards she came with then approached the unicorn. “The rest of you go inform her about the defeat of the masked pony. This shall be a day of both joy and sorrow.” The remaining four guards swiftly bowed to her before taking off into the air.

“Princess Celestia! Wait!” Twilight held out a hoof towards her.

“Miss?” One of the guards managed to peel Twilight’s gaze away from Celestia. She looked into the pegasus’s eyes with a mix of frustration, fear, and disappointment. “We should get going.” She quickly looked back at Celestia to find her gone. She gasped softly. She began to chase after her only to immediately hesitate.

“No… Princess…” Her head sunk. “What in Equestria is going on?”

*****

Led by the guards, Twilight had made her way to Canterlot Castle which she really didn’t need an escort to find. During the walk, the unicorn couldn’t help but replay her ruler’s words. Her eyes darted along the ground as her mind raced. She had never been so confused. It had seemed the world had turned upside down while she had been sealed away. As she tried to remember the last thing that happened to her, she could only see Rainbow Dash’s smiling face.

Maybe... Maybe she knows what happened. I should see my friends as soon as I can… once I speak with the Princess.

“Miss Sparkle?” She perked up at hearing the voice. “We’re here.”

She found herself in the audience chamber of her Princess. She didn’t even recall walking this far. “Oh! Thank you...”

“The Princess shall be here shortly. We ask for your patience.”

“Of course.” She nodded as they left the chamber and closed the doors behind them. As she watched them leave, she heard the sound of hooves near the throne. Quickly, she swung her head around to see who it was. Her eyes were met with an unfamiliar pony, an alicorn, walking slowly in front of Celestia’s throne. It was a violet colored mare with a long violet mane that almost dragged along the floor. Her mane covered one eye while the other was shielded by a pair of small glasses. She wore a typical princess attire that contrasted harshly with her nerdy appearance. Who was this pony?

“Hello…” the alicorn spoke. Despite her quiet tone, the chamber’s acoustics made it easy to hear her.

“Who… are you?” Twilight said, before she slowly began to approach her. The alicorn’s stance didn’t seem royal or perky at all. In fact, she was reminiscent of her friend, Fluttershy, in the way she held herself.

“I… know you. Why do you look… familiar?”

“I could ask you the same question… Are you a new princess?”

The alicorn smiled and looked to the side, “What gave it away?”

“I guess that was a silly question.” Twilight chuckled, slightly embarrassed. In only a few moments, she had made it up close to the alicorn who had sat gently on the cold floor. The princess looked chilled and was still as stone. There was a strangely tense aura about her and it drew Twilight. She was close enough to see her eyes, a deep amethyst much like her own. Her presence was unsettling. Twilight felt like she should get away from her. It was a familiar feeling.

“You’re… here to see Celestia, aren’t you?” She asked in a soft tone as her eyes shifted to stare down the unicorn. Twilight couldn’t help but look away this time, so she directed her eyes to Celestia’s throne. Everything seemed duller and less alive than she remembered. It was as if the sun had lost its light and was overcast by the darkness of her absence. Twilight’s face sunk a little as she was reminded of Celestia’s forgotten memories. She could tell that none of it was a farce. Celestia had really forgotten who she was… if she had even known her at all. It gripped her heart in a vice and it only seemed to tighten with every second. “Are you alright?” The voice snapped her out of it.

“Y-Yeah. I was just… I’m here to see her. Yes. I… I-I’m sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts for a second.”

The alicorn tilted her head and walked in front of Twilight’s gaze. There was a small smile on her face. Seeing Twi stumble with her words seemed to relax the princess. “You look tired. Long day?”

“Yeah. You could say I had a rude awakening… but what has happened in Equestria?”

“Hm? Equestria?” Her head tilted. “What do you mean?”

Twilight was slightly reluctant to outright say what she had experienced with Discord and the strange masked pony. She was still processing herself about what happened with those two. “Well, I…” she began.

“Are you speaking of the masked pony?” the alicorn asked. So she was aware. This revelation calmed Twilight a bit and she opened up.

“Oh! Yeah! You know about it?”

“Only a little. You see…” She started to speak when she realized something. “Wait. You met it, haven’t you?” Her tone raised a few decibels.

Twilight diverted her eyes. “Yes. Right here in Canterlot. I had no prior knowledge… It approached me so calmly. I didn’t even know I was in danger until it started making threats. Who is that pony?”

The alicorn stepped to the side. “So… it tried to invade the city…” she whispered to herself.

“It was defeated though,” Twilight reassured her.

This seemed to grab her attention. “Defeated?! How?!”

“Celestia. She used some… powerful magic to get rid of it.”

The alicorn’s eyes widened. “Did she kill it?” she asked Twilight in a serious tone, advancing on her.

Twilight was taken aback. “K-Kill? I don’t think so. I mean… I couldn’t tell. Celestia wouldn’t do something like that… would she?”

The princess seemed to become more distraught by the second. She pulled away from Twilight. “I really hope she didn’t… You have no idea… what that could mean for Equestria.”

“For Equestria?! What’s so important about that pony?”

Suddenly a familiar voice spoke from behind her, “Twilight Sparkle?” The unicorn spun her head around to see Celestia standing only a few yards from her. “That was your name, correct?” She was slowly approaching.

“Celestia! I’m glad you’re here!” She bowed to her.

She passed the unicorn and made her way to the throne. “I must thank you for your patience, Twilight. You must understand that the... murder... of my subjects… is very difficult to accept. I fear I may have shown a side of myself that I’m not proud of.” She took her place on the large, red pillow and crossed her forelegs.

Twilight’s features sank. “I’ll admit I was a bit frightened.” Turning in place, she realized that the alicorn she was speaking to earlier had vanished. “She’s… gone.”

“That pony has been terrorizing Equestria for the past few months. It has… had become an enormous threat.”

“I don’t understand. Please… tell me who that pony was.”

There was a brief silence as Celestia hesitated. “I don’t know… I fear that information may now be out of reach. That masked menace had killed nine ponies, Twilight. I couldn’t let it have one more second… you may have been the tenth if I hadn’t banished it.”

Nine ponies?! Dead?! How could anypony… Why would anypony do that? Wait… what was it that it asked me?

What do you know… about Twilight Sparkle?

The pony’s words echoed in her mind as she recalled the incident. It was looking for her, but why?

Celestia continued, “However, I must thank you. I’m not sure how you managed to stall it, but you gave me enough time to confront it. You have no idea how fast that pony is. We’ve been tracking it all across Equestria.” At the mention of this, her horn flared a soft yellow as she levitated a small scroll towards Twilight. As it got closer, it opened to reveal a list.

“This is…” Twilight attempted to identify it.

“It’s a list of all nine ponies that were… lost.”

Twinkleshine…Sea Swirl…Amethyst Star… I… know these ponies. I can’t…

Twilight swallowed a growing lump in her throat as she looked away in disgust. “They’re all unicorns…”

“Yes. It appears it was hunting them.” She rolled up the scroll and returned it behind the throne. “I’m not sure on what basis, but it had every unicorn in Equestria in constant fear.”

Twilight still wasn’t sure if she should tell her. It was probably hunting them to find her… a unicorn. It may have been all it knew about Twilight.

“Thankfully…” Celestia sighed heavily. “It’s now all in the past. Unicorns may now sleep soundly. I plan to announce its defeat tomorrow.”

“But Princess… was it really defeated? Did you actually… kill it?”

Celestia was a little hesitant to answer her. Her eyes shifted slightly. It was obvious to Twilight that she was uncertain herself. “Whether it had survived or not, it has been magically sealed in the Frozen North. Even if somehow it manages to regain its strength and attempt a return, it wouldn’t make it past the border. It will stay there… till the end of its days.”

“The Frozen North? I can’t say I know much about that area. Do ponies live there?”

“There are a few who dare attempt a living there. It is mostly a home to non-Equestrian folk. Griffons, dragons, etcetera.”

Twilight stomped the flooring with a hoof. “Then what about their safety?!”

The question hit the Princess uncomfortably. She looked to the side and scrunched her muzzle. “I can’t protect everypony, Twilight. There’s only so much I can do… alone.”

Twilight stomped her hoof again. It was an issue that really irked her. “Then what about Cadance or Luna?! What about that new princess you have moseying around?! You can’t ignore those who might be in danger!”

A part of Twilight’s words caught her attention. “New princess?”

“Yes! Purple, glasses, and a long mane?”

“Wait… Did she… approach you? Did she speak to you?”

Twilight’s eyes shifted left and right. “Uhh… yeah. She did.”

“She came to you… and spoke?”

“Princess, who is that pony?”

“I… I don’t know.”

*****

Outside the castle, in the streets of Canterlot, it had begun to rain. Ponies began rushing for cover and some pulled out umbrellas. It wasn’t too common for rain to occur in Canterlot; in fact, it wasn’t even planned. It caught many by surprise and the streets seemed to clear out very quickly.

It wasn’t light rain either. It was enough to get a pony soaked in only a few seconds. Small streams began to form around all of the roads and trickle down the sides of the buildings. Outdoor restaurants quickly closed up and every window was shut tight. Guards around town were steadfast, however, and remained in place as a sign of their strength and tolerance.

One other pony showed the same resolve. That pony slowly walked her way down the streets. She had no umbrella, but she cared little for being drenched. There was only one thing on her mind and she was determined to find it. Her eyes hung heavy and her breath was unsteady. She looked exhausted as she hung her head slightly. Just from a glance, anypony could tell that she had travelled a great distance.

Her hooves fell heavily on the stone path with every step she took. Each one felt like a tremor up her body, shaking her balance as she made her way through Canterlot. Her vision was blurry from the rain and her mind was dizzy from exhaustion.

I’ve really lost touch with myself… I’m not sure if I’m dreaming… or if I’m dead. Everything’s so cold… My body feels weak... I need to rest.

The mare stumbled forward, but quickly recovered herself. She found herself unable to walk straight anymore. She swayed, slamming her side into one of the buildings. She let out an audible grunt as she pushed herself away from the wall. She felt the sides of her vision begin to darken. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep this up.

*****

“She showed up a couple years ago here, in Canterlot,” Princess Celestia began to explain. “She somehow made it here to the throne room uninvited. She didn’t speak then either.”

Twilight was sitting at the base of the stairs leading up to her Princess, listening intently.

“She didn’t give her name and she was dressed already in princess attire. Probably how you saw her today.” Celestia shook her head slightly. “To this day, I still don’t understand her. However, we gave her a place to stay in the castle at Luna’s request. I wasn’t sure what to think of her, but at the time she didn’t seem like a threat. We thought that maybe one day, she would finally speak and tell us who she was.”

“Then why would she speak to me? Why would I be an exception?” Twilight pondered.

“A mystery to be sure. Luna and I believed she may have held a key to something important, but at that time, she stayed in her room and stared out her window for days on end… until recently. She began to come out and see us… coincidentally always around the time one of my subjects was killed by that masked pony.”

“A connection maybe?”

“Twilight Sparkle,” she addressed her. “Equestria has never been in such strange times. Mysterious ponies, deaths, chaos, and unrest. So far, I’ve been unable to deal with such things. They always seem to be just out of my reach.”

“Except for today?”

“You… You made it possible for me to approach and attack the masked pony. Every other time I was unable to. It was too quick or too cunning for me. For this I must again thank you. Today, I have never felt so relieved in so long. This is why I trust you with this information. I fear that I am unable to keep peace in Equestria and I could use whatever help I can get.” Twilight could see her sincerity. It was odd to see her so… open towards her. “Twilight, I…” She trailed off for a moment. “...The frustration I feel. It’s unbearable!”

“Princess?”

“Please…” Celestia’s voice cracked. She stood up from her seat and leaned towards the unicorn. “For the safety of Equestria! I ask you for your aid! I can’t… help them! Every time I try, something keeps me from saving them!” Tears began to form in her eyes. “You must understand how I feel… The past decade has been terrible… Storms, droughts, strange sightings, even the minds of my ponies have been unstable. Some can’t even remember their names. Some can never sleep. Even Luna has been acting strange. The world has been thrown into disharmony and I… I can’t stop it!”

“Princess Celestia…” Twilight was completely baffled by this sudden breakdown. She had stood and taken a few steps back. Never before had she seen her like this. She watched as the tears welled and streamed down her white cheeks. “I… but what can I do about it?”

“I-I don’t know!” Celestia sunk to the ground and began to sob. Twilight approached her and tried to calm her down.

“Princess… I’m not sure what’s going on in Equestria, but it sounds like somepony could be behind all of this.”

“Who?” She sniffed.

“Discord.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. “Discord?! It cannot be. He was sealed a decade ago.”

“I… Princess, please believe me when I tell you this, but…” Twilight tried to formulate the best way to tell her about her return, “I think a decade ago, I was sealed away in Canterlot… for some unknown reason. I was released today… by Discord.”

Celestia looked sternly into her eyes. She was obviously confused. “Twilight Sparkle? When I say your name, I feel a sense of trust in it. From the moment I saw you, it felt like I had reunited with a long lost friend. Perhaps… this could be because I forgot.”

“It seems everypony has been a little aloof since I’ve been here. I used to be your student, Princess. I studied here in Canterlot for most of my life! I practiced magic under you.”

By now, Celestia had managed to recover herself and her voice was closer to its normal tone. “If what you say is true… then try to tell me something I wouldn’t forget.”

Twilight smiled. “The magic of friendship.”

Upon hearing this, Celestia’s gaze wavered. “Friendship. Yes… I remember that. The study that had been lost ten years ago.”

“It appears everything connects to that point in time, the time I apparently disappeared.”

“Then how come I can’t remember you before that?”

“I don’t know, but trust me, Princess. I’ll get to the bottom of this. If you can’t protect them, I’ll protect them for you. You have my word.”

There she saw it, the smile that Twilight hadn’t seen since she’d come back. “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. You speak bravely as if you’d done this kind of thing before. I can feel your honesty and courage. I know I may not be able to help them, but I can help you.”

Suddenly, the doors burst open and a single guard rushed inside. It surprised both of the mares. Celestia quickly wiped her face with a hoof. “Princess!” the guard firmly addressed her.

“Speak!”

“The guest has…disappeared! I was outside her door and when I entered to check on her, she was nowhere to be found!”

“She left?! What could this mean?” Celestia shook her head. “Search the castle and if you don’t find her, search Canterlot!”

“Yes, ma’am!” The guard quickly obliged and galloped out. Celestia then turned to Twilight.

“You said you spoke to her, didn’t you?”

“Y-Yes!”

“What did she say?”

“She said if the masked pony was killed…that something would happen to Equestria. I had no idea what she meant.”

“I believe you have some kind of connection to her. Maybe you can find her, Twilight.”

“You can count on me, Princess!”

*****

Twilight rushed outside Canterlot Castle into the pouring rain. She was quickly annoyed.

“Oh, great! How am I going to find her in this? Why does it have to be raining… again?!”

She proceeded into Canterlot anyway. She kept as good an eye as she could for the mysterious princess, but it was tougher than she imagined. The rain felt like a dense fog in front of her eyes that just wouldn’t let up. It appeared everypony had already gone inside for shelter. This would make it a bit easier to find her if she was alone.

“Hello?!” Twilight called out to the rain, but there was little response other than it intensifying. “Ugh!” She groaned as she galloped through town. It seemed like a hopeless endeavor. She hoped that the purple runaway had at least stayed inside. “She completely disappeared from the castle. I can’t believe this…”

After a few more minutes, she slowed down to a walk. She was getting tired and her legs began to feel weak. “Great… I’m going to catch a cold at this rate. I should probably just head back. There’s no way I can find her in this weather.”

Twilight sighed.

Boom!

Lightning streaked across the sky in a dazzling flash. It made her heart jump… not only from the sound, but from the two large eyes staring her directly in the face.

It was naught but a whisper. “No… It can’t be… Twi? Is it you?”