Up in Flames

Twilight’s POV

I woke up and saw Golden’s bed empty. It’s been a few days since that encounter with the Princesses. Golden Flames had doused Princess Celestia with silver flames and saw a memory of Princess Celestia and a purple-grey pony. I walked downstairs so that I can make myself a daisy sandwich. What I didn’t see though was Golden sleeping on the stairs with a book, so I tripped over her.

“Gaahh!” I screamed as I tripped and fell onto a bookcase which caused all the books to fall down. I’ve been trying to teach Golden how to levitate things without picking them up and putting them away normally. It’s worked. I lie there, all dazed and confused, and Golden was still sleeping. I levitated the book out of her hand and read the title: The Amazing and Not-So-Amazing Creatures of Equestria. ‘Wow. That’s some heavy reading.’ I cleaned up the room and put all the books back in their right places. I even put the book she was reading back into her hooves.

Golden Flames POV

I woke to find myself lying down on the stairs. I put the book I was reading The Amazing and No-So-Amazing Creatures of Equestria back in its place. And saw Twilight eating a daisy sandwich. I thought I would make myself one as well.

“Morning Twi.” I mumbled.

“Morning.”

“Hey have you seen Spike?”

“I think he’s still sleeping.”

“Hey can we go somewhere today?”

“Where do you want to go?”

“I want to go to the Everfree Forest to visit Zecora, the zebra you’re always telling me about.”

“Okay we’ll finish eating, pack our bags and head over to Zecora.”

About half an hour later we were standing in front of the Everfree Forest, with our bags packed. We walked into the Everfree Forest. I kept close to Twilight. About halfway there I heard a rustling nearby.

“Um, Twilight, I have to go see something. You stay right here.” Before I can give her a chance to answer I zipped of towards the rustling sound I heard. When I got to the rustling I found a pony there. It was a black unicorn with a dark purple mane and its cutie mark is of a pink hoofprint filled in with black. I also noticed her eyes were a lustrous gold.

“What’s your name?” I ask cautiously.

“M-m-m-m-my name is L-L-L-L-Lonely Shadow.” She stuttered.

“Why are you out here?”

“I’m out here b-b-because I like to be alone.” She’s on the verge of crying at this point.

“Why do you like to be alone?” I didn’t get an answer. I noticed that she fell asleep. I smiled and levitated her back over to Twilight.

“Who’s this?” She asked me.

“This is Lonely Shadow I didn’t get much more out of her because she fell asleep. She also said that she’s out here because she likes to be alone.”

“Fine let’s take her back to the library.” We went back to the library. Back at the library I see that Spike has woken up and cleaning it up.

“Hey Spike!” I said.

“Hey Golden. Who’s that you’re levitating?”

“This is Lonely Shadow. She likes to be alone although we don’t know why.”

“Hey! I have an idea” Twilight said.

“Which is?” Spike asked her.

“Why don’t you use your silver flames to see why she likes to be alone?” Twi asked me.

“Okay, sure.” I concentrated and a stream of silver flames landed on Lonely Shadow. What I saw in my mind’s eye was weird.

I saw Lonely Shadow as a filly and she ran away because something happened. I noticed that she had her cutie mark as she ran away. She ran away into the Everfree Forest. Her parents ran after her but they couldn’t find her. I saw a bear come up to them and it started to rip them to shreds. I think that Lonely Shadow heard them and took off back the way she had come. She ran up to them and started to attack the bear. It was a whirlwind of kicks and claws and bites and all sorts of other things. After she fought the bear and it ran away, she ran up to her parents and saw them lying in a pool of their own blood. She tried to heal as best she can but nothing could be done to save her parents, so she left them and ran away.

I broke the connection and fainted yet again.

Twilight’s POV

‘Jeez. That spell takes a lot out of her.’ I quickly ran to get a wet cloth and put it on Lonely Shadow’s forehead as she looks like she’s having a fever. She was tossing and turning and it looked like she was having a bad dream.

About 2 hours later …

Golden Flames POV

As I came to for the second time that week I felt a little bit groggy. But in spite of that I got up and looked for Lonely Shadow. It turns out that Twilight put her in the basement where she stores excess books. She never throws any of her books out. I also looked around for Twilight and I saw her reading, as usual, in the library. I knocked one of her inkwells out of place and she gasped.

“Sorry Twi. I was still wondering if we could go see Zecora.”

“Sure, we can still go. I just have to get Fluttershy to come here and take care of Lonely Shadow.” She messaged Fluttershy after she said this and, as it turns out, Fluttershy was already on her way here. There was a knock at the door. I went up and got the door opened. Fluttershy was outside.

“Is it alright if I come in?” Fluttershy asked timidly.

“Yeah sure. You’re always welcome.”

“Thanks.” Fluttershy walked in and asked Twilight where Lonely Shadow was. Twilight showed her and after she came back out, without Fluttershy.

We are on our way to Zecora’s hut yet again.