Old Wounds

Chapters

Act I; Scene III: Out Of Time
Act I; Scene IV: Another Perspective
Act I; Scene V: A Short Lived Reunion
Interlude: Shadow Journal: Entry #2
Act II; Scene II: The Lost Hearts
Act II; Scene III: The Dragonequius
Act II; Scene IV: A Final Confrontation
Act I; Scene I: Running...
Act I; Scene II: The Lost Knight
Interlude: Shadow Journal: Entry #1
Act II; Scene I: Princess of the Night
Interlude: Shadow Journal: Entry #3

Act I; Scene III: Out Of Time

As they walked to Ponyville, Alex noticed something. There weren't any sounds. He looked around and saw a shadow flicker between some trees. "Apple Bloom," he whispered, "how far away from the town are we?"

She shrugged and said, "About a mile I guess, why?"

He tracked the shadow with his eyes and watched as another formed, "Is there someplace safe nearby?" She looked at him and gave him a look as if he were crazy and he caught it, "There's something following us. Haven't you noticed the lack of noise and the shadows following us through the trees?"

The filly only giggled and said, "Come on out girls, looks like our cutie marks aren't for spying."

Alex watched as two female fillies came out of the grove of apple trees, "Wait," he said and Apple Bloom turned towards him, "weren't you just talking to me earlier about being polite."

She stuck her tongue out and walked over to her two friends, one a Pegasus, the other a Unicorn. "This is Scootaloo," she said as she pointed at the Pegasus. She had orange fur and an auburn mane. Apple Bloom pointed to the Unicorn and said, "This is Sweetie Belle." Sweetie Belle had white fur with a purple and pink mane.

Alex nodded to the two fillies and began trotting to the town again. The other fillies caught up to him and Scootaloo asked, "So you're the stallion who's been staying in Apple Blooms place for the past week, huh?"

He laughed a little and said, "Well I'm still a filly, I'm only foutee-," he stopped as he realized something. He had been in Apple Blooms house for a week. His hooves stopped working for a second, causing him to fall on his face, much to the amusement of the three fillies. He got back up and moved the saddlebags on his hips a little then began running towards the town in the distance which soon disappeared behind the trees again and they closed over the top of the path, enveloping him in a bit of darkness. The fillies were calling out for him, but he ignored them and kept running. He had to get his headphones and get out of here. That thing will get him. It should have gotten him. So why hadn't it. He began to notice a sharp pain in his left side and turned to see a corner of his turntable poking out of the side of his saddlebag. Guess it slipped he thought. He took it off and fixed it, slipping the turntable into the compartment he had put in the bag, and put it back on. Then began to trot towards the town again.

An hour later his side was in excruciating pain and he was grinding his teeth together, the saddlebag sliding around on it wasn't helping the pain either. I should be at the town by now he thought, so where is it? He saw a clearing up ahead in the trees and hurried towards it. He was greeted by nothing. Just darkness. That made no sense thought, everything just disappeared into darkness a few hooves off the path. Even the trees. I know it's dark but this is ridiculous he thought. He reached a hoof out towards the darkness and felt an excruciating cold emanating from it as he got closer. He pulled his hoof back and made a note to not go off the path, then continued on.

He heard a whirling sound to his right and he turned to see an apple coming for him. He jumped out of the way just as it was about to hit his head and yelled out, "Hey, tell me who's there and I might not have to kick your flank." In reply another apple came for him and he dodged it. I dare you to throw another on at me. A shadow appeared in between the trees and then began to retreat into the trees again. "I'll see you later then," he said as he turned to head farther along the path. A sound came whirling through the air again and he turned his head and it smacked him in the jaw, followed by a females giggles, causing him to stop. I know that laugh from somewhere he thought as he felt a trickle of blood run down his chin. Another apple came flying out of the trees and he ducked his head just as the apple brushed the top of his mane. "You asked for it," he said as he hopped into the trees.

Wait he thought, I don't have time for this. Another apple came flying past his head and he just caught sight of a mare up ahead. Buck it he thought and began chasing her. The mare's voice rang out ahead of him, "Catch me if you can," making him stop completely, I know that voice! He kept chasing her until he got to a clearing. He looked around but didn't see anypony. He turned around to face a wall. He stopped, wait, a wall? He was in the forest, why was there a wall? He closed his eyes and hoped this was just a dream, but the hope turned to dread when he felt the floor underneath him shift. He moved his hooves around and was rewarded with the feeling of carpet. His eyes shot open and he looked around the room he was in. It seemed to be a young fillies room and he smiled a little as he was reminded of his room a little. There were Dj Pon-3 posters on the wall and he looked at them. Reminds me of my own posters he thought. His smile froze on his face and slowly became a look of horror as his hooves slowly moved to a certain poster on the wall, then froze in front of it. It was a picture of him and Vinyl at one of their usual clubs jamming together, not an uncommon sight as they were great friends, but it was signed, "Wub on Sylph ~Vinyl Scratch"

All at once the barrier in his mind broke and memories came flooding back and he turned back to where he was originally standing to find a filly behind where he originally was. Alex recognized him. The black mane, the white tips. It was him. The smaller him was sitting at a mixboard and he seemed lost in the music as was normal for the filly. Alex walked towards him and could hear the music coming from the headphones. It was the same tune that would haunt him for all of his life, the tune he had been making that one cold winters night. Even if this had a dream as he had hoped, this had turned into a nightmare very quickly. He began to hyperventilate as he realized what he had to go through. He had to relive that horrible night that he had locked away so long ago. Wait he thought if this is in my head, then I can do whatever I want. WIth that thought he willed himself somewhere else. Nothing changed, but he recieved a laught from an ancient sounding throat on his right side. He turned his head to see only shadows. He shook his head at the insane thoughts running through his head.

He was rewarded with another laugh and he wathched as a shadow broke from the wall. Tendrils of shadow curled off the being like smoke and they froze his skin when they touched his pelt. He thought he was seing things, he had to be seeing things, it was all a dream. The thing laughed again, "You always had a hard time beleiving in things you couldn't explain," it rasped out in a whisper like voice. He tried to figure out if the thing was male or female, but it was nearly impossible because of the way it's voice kept changing pitch and tone, like it couldn't settle on a voice. He opened his mouth to say something, what, he didn't know, but something to warn the younger him. "Oh, go ahead, say something, it's just a memory Alex, he can't hear you. He thinks it's just him and his mother, but we know, yes we know, there's more to it," the thing said in it's rasping voice.

Alex stepped towards the younger version of himself, through the chilling for of shadows, "Why are you doing this to me," he asked it. All he got in return to his question was the fog curling around his slender frame and the thing took form into a young mare. Something inside his head shifted and he saw a brief glance of a pony he used to know. Then the form was gone, and the shadow began changing forms, shifting to a stallion next, then a mare, then one of the castle guards. It looked towards the corner of the room and Alex followed its gaze to see another shadow beast come off of the wall. It slid up behind the younger version of himself and Alex could feel the cold eminating off of it. This is getting too real to be a memory he thought. The thing curled its shadow tendrils around the filly, but he didn't notice, unsuprisingly. The only thing to bring him out of his music would be removing his headphones. It was always like that with music. His heart beat along with the beat of the song, his breath came with the screeches, and his head swayed with the sway of the music.

The thing began to whisper and Alex barely caught it, "One day, you'll hear this, and when you do, just know this, it is pointless. Your running, your quest, it is all pointless, you'll only end in failure. You can keep running, or you can fight, it is a loosing battle either way." The tendrils of shadow snaked away from the filly and the shadow being turned away, facing the door. It called out in the voice he had heard before, in the forest, "Ms. Lilly, can you come back here, Alex isn't acknowledging me." Something moved again in the back of his head. I know that bucking voice he thought.

"You know that voice, I can see it in your eyes. Don't worry, it'll come to you," the thing from his time rasped.

"He's probably stuck on his mixboard, just take off his headphones," the voice of his mom called out from down the hall.

He began to move towards the door when the thing stopped him, "No, you'll miss the show," it said, and gave him a knowing smile. Alex glared at it, he wanted to do something, to change something, but he was stuck in this memory.

"I don't want him to get mad at me," the older version of the shadow beast called out, "can you come do it for me?"

Alex saw and heard as his mother came down the hall, "Sure, Anna, I'll get him." Everything clicked into place, he did know who that filly was that he kept seeing in his head. It was his old friend. His best friend actually. They had done everything together. She was even his first crush, and now her voice was going to be his mothers demise.

She arrived at the door and froze in her tracks, looking at the past version of the creature. Suddenly her eyes moved and she was looking at him. Not the past him, but the actualy real him. "Alex," she said questioningly. Her eyes moved across the four figures in the room, while Alex took in what was happening. Her eyes landed on the past version of Alex and she said, "Get him out of here."

Alex looked at the current verion of the beast and asked, "This isn't just a memory is it?"

The best snarled and said, "Don't think you can change anything, this all happened the last time." With that it leapt at his mother along with its twin, causing his mother to use her horn to hold them off.

"Alex," she said, "get him out of here now!"

He wasn't leaving her. He leapt at the two beasts, silently cursing Celestia he wasn't a Unicorn. His mother saw him coming and used her magic to throw him, causing him to hit the filly at the mixboard. I remember this he thought something hit me and my eye hit one of the knobs on the mixboard, I caused myself to go blind. He hit the wall and slid down, blood seeping out of a gash on the back of his head. He watched as the filly version of himself slipped out of the chair, blood seeping out of the eye that hit the board and his head turned, giving him a view of the ensuing fight. The shield his mother had been holding up shattered and the two beasts lept upon her, ensuing screams from her as they ripped her limb from limb, pulling her apart. One of them ripped her throat open, silencing her screams and forcing only gurgles from her mouth.

Alex got up and lifted the filly onto his back then leapt out the window saying, "Time to go little man," as he leapt out. He looked back to see his mothers face as she quietly thanked him for saving both of their lives. He hurried to the nearest hospital and left the filly on the doorstep and hurried off into the night. Well what now, my mother's dead, I'm in the hospital, why am I not in the orchard yet he thought. His thoughts were inturrupted by a little voice behind him.

"Mister," a small voice beind him inquired.

His knees nearly collapsed under him. He turned around slowly and he faced a filly. Not just any filly he thought, Anna. "Yes," he managed to get out after swollowing the lump in his throat.

"Somepony told me to talk to the pony that was here," she said. Who would...Anna he questioned himself. "You remind me of one of my friends," Anna said. He chuckled and she laughed a little with him in the cold night air, her brown hair moving with her laughs and her blue eyes and coat moving as well.

"Well," Alex said, "do you remember who told you to come here?"

She gave him a sheepish smile and said, "She wouldn't tell me."

That closed it for him, it was Anna. "Well just listen to me, ok. Alex is leaving, you have to meet him in Ponyville on August second in five years. You understand?"

The filly gave him a questioning glance and asked, "Why is he leaving?"

"You'll find out," Alex said.

He turned around and began walking towards the road leading out of Phillydalphea and he closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of...apples? He opened his eyes to find himself in the apple orchard with a pair of blue eyes gazing at him.

Author's Note

So I knind of went back and re-read my first versions of chapters three through seven and realized that they divert from the original story. So I trashed them and re-wrote it. I also made it longer due to some complaints about the chapter size. It took me a week just to write this! I was also wondering if anyone would like to be my editor, I check for errors, but I know I can't be perfect, so I would be greatful for the help. Also chapter five has Binary Code in it, so I may have to add a translation in the authors note.
~Sylpheed Dashstep

Act I; Scene IV: Another Perspective

She had been chasing him for five years now and she was going to finally catch him. It was July twenty-ninth and it was all about to be over. She had never been able to catch him, ever. No matter how close she was. She had been to all of his concerts, trying to get close. But something always happened. She got escorted out by bodyguards, the crowd pushed her away, but one time, one time, whe had gotten so close. If he had leaned back her hooves wold have wrapped aound him. The crowd was reallly loud, so he couldn't hear her, but she had almost gotten him! That...thing showed up. It was a shadow type thing and it had been in her dreams ever since that one night years ago. The night she had been told to run and never look back. It came out of nowhere and just simply tossed her away from the stage. The crowd thought she was crowdsurfing and only succeeded in pushing her back farther.

She realized then that this wasn't just something ordinary. There was something wrong here. She had to meet him in Ponyville. So she sat here waiting on the edge of the town. She didn't know where he would come in, but there were only two entrances in and out, so he had to go through one. She sighed and leaned against the wall she was beside, swaying slightly. She passed it off as being tired, and kept watch out for Alex. Something appeared off in the distance, a bit farther into town. She squinted her eyes and focused on the figure. There were two figures. Both walking towards her. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized Alex and she rushed forward, falling flat onto her face. She struggled to get up and watched as Alex fell to his side, a few hundred meters away. No not again she screamed in her mind and tears began to well up at the edge of her vision. The pink mare beside Alex ran to get help and Anna pushed herself up onto her hooves before swaying a little and covering a few meters before falling to the ground again, this time near the edge of consciousness. The pink mare came back with a red stallion and the two picked up the figure that was her old filly friend and began trotting to the farm off in the distance.

She awoke in a room, her eyes flying open, scanning her surroundings but not actually taking anything in. She got out of the bed she was in and trotted to the only visible door in the room. She needed to find Alex. Her mind was made up on that at least, unlike the rest of the turmoil her mind was in. She trotted down the stairs in front of her and called out, "Hello?"

A crashing resounded from downstairs followed by a slight yelp and she rushed down the rest of the stairs to find a pile of books with somepony's flank sticking out of the books. A voice came from the pile as the legs tried to scramble free, "Hey, who's there, I-I'll get Twilight."

Anna giggled and moved the books off the squirming figure to reveal a baby Dragon. "Why hello there," she said cheerfully, taking a quick glance over him. He was purple and he had a slightly pale underbelly. The ridges on his back were a dark green color and his eyes were the same color as them. She began to pick up the books and asked him, "So what's your name?"

He leaned down to help her pick up the books and said to her, "Well I'm Spike, Twilights assistant. This is Twi's library," he said as he gestured around. She nodded her head and Spike said, "So what brings you to Ponyville?"

Anna's eyes took on a glazed over look and she said, "I've been looking for somepony. Been looking for a while now. But I haven't had much luck. Things have been getting in the way every time." She shook her head and smiled at the baby Dragon, "You don't need to worry about that though, it's my problem."

He grinned back and asked, "How have you been getting bits. If you've been traveling you can't have a normal job."

She looked away from the Dragon, letting her mane cover her face and hide her from him, "I-I'd rather not talk about it, I've done some things I'm not proud of, ok Spike?" The Dragon nodded his head and she said, "You promise not to ask me about it anymore?"

Spike reluctantly said, "I promise." He looked at the pile of books on the floor and said, "I thinks we can leave this and clean it up later, how about I take you out into the town."

Anna giggled and said, "Fine, but I'm paying." She gave Spike a look that said challenge me, I dare you to then began to laugh when she saw the look on Spike's face. "Come on," she said, "I'm just playing with you, you can pay for me if you want you little gentleman."

Spike walked over to the door and opened it, "Ladies first," he said as he motioned for her to exit. Then he stopped as though he remembered something, "Oh! Wait right here, I have to get your saddle bags." He rushed off, returning minutes later with a black saddle bag, the Velcro strap being white with a bark blue musical note on the end of it.

She smiled and reached a hoof out for it, her hoof coming in contact with his hand. ...kind of cute she heard. No, she thought, not now. She had learned long ago that she could hear ponies thoughts by touching them, and from time to time, she forgot about them. She yanked her hoof back, taking her saddlebags with it. Spike gave her a weird look and said, "Well, we best be going."

Anna nodded her head and said, "Yeah, sure lead the way." Spike walked out the door and Anna followed her, closing the door as she walked out. They walked through the town and they passed by a news stand, Anna barely catching sight of the newspaper on the top of the pile. She stopped and looked at it, staring blankly at the date. It was August second. "Spike," she said, "where's Sweet Apple Acres?"

Spike looked at her as if she had gone crazy and said, "It's over there." He pointed to a path up ahead and Anna began running blindly towards it, Spike stumbling after her. "Hey, wait a minute," he said, "what are you doing?"

She arrived in front of the forest later and Anna saw a dark shape flittering in between the trees. "Spike," she said hesitantly, "whatever you do, don't follow me in there ok?" Spike nodded his head and opened his mouth to say something but Anna began chasing the figure through the trees before he got anything out. The darkness was instantaneous and Anna squinted her eyes, trying to distinguish the shadows from the form she had seen a few seconds ago. It shifted through the trees again and it stopped in between two trees, watching her. It's body shifted figures and seemed to stop as it became a filly. Maybe this is just a filly and I'm insane she thought. It hissed and then flitted through the trees again. Nope, she thought grimly not a filly. She hesitantly trotted after it, her mind a warzone as to what she should do. The thing disappeared and she could see a break in the trees. She trotted towards it, looking through the gap. Her heart nearly stopped as she saw Alex.

She spotted an apple at her hooves and picked it up, throwing it at his retreating figure. He turned around and yelled out, "Hey, tell me who's there and I might not have to kick your flank." She giggled a little and picked up another apple, launching it at him. He dodged it and she turned to look for another apple. There was one lying a few feet behind her and she trotted back to pick it up. She heard his voice say, "I'll see you later then." She threw the apple and he turned his head, the apple catching his jaw. She busted out laughing and Alex said, "You asked for it," and hopped into the trees. He stopped after he got into the forest and she threw another apple at him, saying, "Catch me if you can!" He began chasing her and she kept running until the crashing behind her stopped. She turned around and saw snow falling in between the trees. She slowly walked forward and the trees grew thinner, allowing her to see past the layer of leaves and trunks. She saw a town, not just any town though. She slowly walked past the tree line and into the town. It was Fillydelphea. She looked at the street she was standing on and saw snow stretching the length of it. She turned to look behind her and saw only the exit to the town. She could leave right now and not have to relive this horrible memory. But something told her it wasn't just a memory. No this was something real. Something she had to follow perfectly otherwise they would all go down in flames. She trotted towards her old home. Seeing it brought back tears to her eyes. The last time she had seen it was five years ago. She walked to the door and knocked on it, sending it open a few inches after the first knock. It hadn't been closed all the way. She hurried inside to find her father and mother laying in a pool of blood, and neither of them seemed alive. A sob escaped her throat. She could have done something, she could have stopped it. But she couldn't have. A flashback appeared before her eyes and she gasped.

She was laying in her bed and there had been a sound outside her door. She got up and cautiously creeped to the door, hoping not to disturb her parents, she was supposed to be asleep after all. She inched the door open with her snout to find a shadow standing over the figure of her mother and father. It turned to her and said, "Go to sleep now child, this is nothing but a dream." She nodded and went back to her bed, not because she believed him, but because she didn't want to believe what she had seen.

A shifting sound brought her out of her daydream and she looked to the source. Her dad was laying on the ground gawking at her. "A-Anna," he questioned and then cringed, a look of pain overtaking his facial features.

Tears came to her eyes as she watched her dad struggle to keep a straight face, "It...It's me dad, I'm here." She rushed to his side and hugged him, pulling away when she heard him gasp from the pain she had caused him. "Sorry," she exclaimed quickly.

He smiled and hugged her back. She could see that he was trying to hold back a look of pain and he pulled back after a few minutes, "Don't be, so am I hallucinating or are you really here?"

She smiled and said, "I'm really here dad, don't worry, I get out of here perfectly fine. Your baby girl grows up into this." As she said this tears came to her eyes and she tried to hold them back. She failed and they cascaded down her cheeks, choked sobs coming with them.

"It's nice to see that you get to live your life," he coughed, blood dripping out of his mouth in a string, "it's the best present a parent can ever get, to see their child grow up. Even when they don't get to see it happen..." He trailed off and Anna dried her eyes, clearing her vision to see the light had faded from her fathers eyes.

"N-NO! Dad, please come back. I don't want to go any farther without you," she said, tears forming again as she leaned down, burying her face in his coat. After a few minutes she got up and walked over to her old bedroom door, knowing what she had to do. She pulled the cloak from the wall and put it on, covering her face. She walked over to the bed and shook the figure in it, "Anna, get up, you have to go to the town square."

The figure turned to look at her and said tiredly, "What?"

Anna shook her head and pulled the blanked off of the filly, "You have to go to town square, now!" An urgent tone creeped into her voice and the filly got up.

"Alright, alright, I'm going, calm down," the filly said. Anna nodded her head and turned around to go, heading to the door, when a voice interrupted her, "Miss, who are you?"

Anna gave a slight giggle, "You'll find out sooner or later." And with that she slipped out the door, the cloak coming off and falling onto the floor, giving the filly a slight peek of the mare. Anna looked around the clearing where she was to see herself back in the apple grove. She gave a sigh of relief and then her eyes landed on the figure in front of her. Alex was laying there. Suddenly his eyes opened.

Author's Note

Sorry about taking so long with updating this, I had a lot to do and not a whole lot of computer time. Most of the time was taken up helping my mother plan her wedding so here you go finally. I decided I couldn't just throw in another character without just explaining how she got there so I decided to tell her story.
~Sylpheed Dashstep
p.s. I still have no editor, so the job is still open to anyone who wants it.

Act I; Scene V: A Short Lived Reunion

Alex and Anna sat there, staring at each other, neither quite believing what they were seeing untill Alex opened his mouth and asked, "Anna," in a slightly dreamy voice.

Her mouth opened a little and wavered before she finally broke down and began crying as she said, "I've finally found you, after five years chasing you. I was there at every concert, every town, every time I was there. But I could never get you...One time you were so close, if you had just leaned a few hooves back I would have wrapped my hooves around your neck." By this time tears were streaming down her muzzle but she didn't care. She had found her best friend.
Alex smiled and picked himself off the ground while saying, "Well, I'm here now Anna, and I'm not going anywhere, I can guarantee it."

She ran over to him and collapsed in his arms, burying her face in his chest as she cried her eyes out, both from relief that she had found him, and terror of what would happen next. They sure as hell weren't just going to be left alone by that shadow. Alex smiled at her untill a rustling eminated from the trees. Anna looked at the source of it and didn't see anything but shadows. Because that's what it is, her mind concluded. It's a shadow. It's everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Alex's mind was racing at the same time as hers, trying to find a way out of this, maybe they could run, get out of the forest and just stay in the light for the rest of their lives. The thing could have them when they died, but no sooner.
Alex leaned down and wispered into Annas ear, "When I say run, you get out and run, got it?"

Anna nodded and opened her mouth to protest before she was cut off by the voice of the invisible being in the shadows, "Well now Alex, that won't do you much good boy. You know betted that anypony that running will do you no good. So why don't you just do us all a favor and listen to me."

Anna was about to listen to the beast untill Alex whispered, "Run," into her ear.

She took off, running the fastest she ever had, branches and apples hitting her face and sides, but she ignored it, if she could make it out, that might mean another day to see Alex. She stopped suddenly. He wasn't following her. He stayed behind with that thing.

Alex was staring at the beast, "You caused this," he said to it, trying to get an emotion from it. Trying to get something, anything from it, but it sat there. As calm as ever.

"And," it questioned, "what are you going to do, you know that there's nothing you can do. You kill me, you have no way to change it, you run, you loose your chance to change things." A rustling eminated from the bushes and Alex turned to see the last pony he wanted to see there. "Anna," he asked, "why are you here still, I told you to run!"
"Alex," the shadow in front of him said, "I think Anna knows why she came back, don't you dear?"
She stepped through the rest of the underbrush and said, "First of all, don't call me dear, and second, yes I do. I've realized why you're after us. Me mostly. But one question, why Alex? You've had him in this mess all the way from the start, so why him?"

"Wait a minute, could somepony explain what is going on here first," Alex yelled.

The shadow gave a laugh and said, "Oh, such determination coming from such a broken, twisted, ruined, desolate, empty shell of a pony. But I have to say, I'm sorry for you. So I'll catch you up. As you know, Anna has been able to see since she was born. So therefore she saw me when she was born." Alex gave it a quizzical look and it sighed, "I'm the Angel of Life and Death as you ponies would label me. Now, as I was saying. She saw me and she looked into my eyes. She saw my world, the place I live and all of it's desolate and dreary features. I can't just let her walk away. And now I come to Anna's question. You wish to know why him, why just him. Well, I'll tell you why dear. Because he's holding onto you, and unknown to both of you, that is what's preventing me from taking you away."

It concluded this with a snarl and Anna stepped towards it...moving slowly like she was in a minefield.

"Don't even offer to come," the beast said, "I can't take you until Alex lets you go. And I highly doubt that's going to happen."

Night had fallen on the three figures by now and Alex's face was barely visible in the gloom, but Anna could see his face twist into a small smile.

"You would be right then," Alex said to the beast. The ground cracked underneath his feet, but he didn't notice as he carried on, "You're completely right, I know I just met her again after five years, but I'm not letting her go."
The ground under his feet split open, spilling pristine white light onto the world, leaving the shadow stammering a little as he began to talk, "Listen, Alex, I just want to help. Let me take Anna out of the timeline. I promise you, you won't remember a thing about her. You'll have your old life back. You could have your old life back. You could live a happy life. Just let me take her."

"No," Alex whispered, his words causing the ground to split open wider and rumble.

Meanwhile in Ponyville

A rumble came from nowhere, throwing Diamond Tiara as well as a few other ponies onto the ground. A stallion was there to help her up though and she began off to her house only to see it blocked off by a fallen building. She sighed and turned to see the same stallion who had caught her standing there and he offered her a place to stay for the night.

"No," Alex whispered again as the crack grew wider and the ground rumbled. The light from the hole seemed to lift him up a few feet and he was hovering off the ground.

A hoof landed on his leg and he looked to see Anna there, saying, "Alex, you have to let me go. Just do it."

"Anna," he said, "I can't do that." A tear fell down his cheek, hitting the soft earth of the orchard and splitting the ground open all the way, covering everything in white light as he closed his eyes.
The light faded and Alex opened his eyes to find himself in a...nothing. There was absolutely nothing. No light, no dark. Nothing solid, and nothing...just nothing.

The shadow appeared, except this time he had a form. He was a unicorn with a dark charcoal mane and grey fur with no cutie mark. His eyes though. His eyes were just black pits holding nothing, until Alex saw what Anna had seen. A land ravaged by disease and unfortune. Colored only by the shadows and the blood spilt by its inhabitants. A beast walking on two legs appeared in his vision and Alex felt afraid for the first time in a while.

The beast had appendages at the end of it's hooves and it seemed to be wearing an armor of some sorts. There was something else though. It stood on two legs, as though gravity had no effect on it. and suddenly it was gone. The shadows and the red flashing lights.
"Wh-where are we," Alex asked in a shaky voice.
"We, are in the Medium, heading back to the beginning of this time session," the stallion said, his voice staying the same as it had when he was a beast.
"What do you mean by that," Alex asked, his curiosity growing as his fear was dulled.
The stallion laughed and said, "Well, since you're going to loose your memory, I might as well tell you. You are trapped in a time loop, destined to relive the last five years of your life until one variable is removed. Anna. And until you choose to let go, you can't continue onwards."
"So, I'm stuck," Alex said sadly.
"Yes, you are," the stallion said. He suddenly froze up and said, "It is time for you to go, but before you do, maybe I can change something. Alex, my name is Garanth. Maybe this will change something for you. And Alex, I'm sorry for all of this."

Alex had been at his mix board all night, working on his next song him and DJ Pon-3 were going to perform at the little stadium at the edge of town. The beat was turning out better than both of them had thought it would until something hit him in the back of his head, slamming him facedown onto the board as one of the volume knobs slammed into his right eye, sending a jolt of pain to his brain. But he wasn't focused on that. He was focused on his mother getting torn to shreds right before his eye. He passed out as her screams became gurgled cries and awoke in the hospital the next day.
There was a newspaper and he picked it up, seeing a title that made his blood run cold.
"Woman Viciously Attacked And Killed."
Alex made plans then and there to run. He didn't know where, but he was going to run.

Nothing is ever completely forgotten. It's always there in the back of your mind, just waiting for you to remember. Or waiting for something to spark up a memory. Bringing back all of your memories of the object or person, or people you left behind or forgot. All you need is a little push. An object is all it takes, and, sometimes, just a name is needed.

Author's Note

So here ends the adventure of Alex, at least for now. Don't fret though, this doesn't end the journey, not by far. I still have a few more journeys to tell. There's the story of how Celestia came to power. There's the story of how King Sombra fell, the story of how Luna became Nightmare Moon, as well as how one Changeling became the queen of all Changelings, and how one little stallion became the holder of chaos.
Stay along for the ride, you'll enjoy it. I can promise that.
~Sylpheed Dashstep
p.s. That job for an editor is still open if anyone wants it.

Interlude: Shadow Journal: Entry #2

I never really was one for keeping dates in timelines, but I guess I had better give a reference as to where I'm writing about.
August 2nd, 20XX

Subject Alex Pearsons has been stuck in a timeloop for the past thirty years. For him it comes in five year cycles and it changes his age each time the loop resets as well as takes away his memory. Now there's only one thing keeping him in the loop, Anna Malyk. She's seen me. When she was born.

Now I guess I have something to explain. I'm the...I guess you could call me the Angel of Life and Death for each timeline. I am there when a filly is born, and I"m there when somepony dies, waiting to lead them to the Afterlife.

Now Anna was special as soon as she was born. She could see from the start. The first thing she saw was me. My eyes and hers locked. Now they say that the eyes can show a lot about a pony. My eyes showed my world.

It's a dark and dreary place made of shadows and darkness with no light or warmth anywhere. Just darkness. And she saw that. And I can't just remove her from the timeline, that would cause a ripple effect, potentially causing the whole structure of the timelines to collapse.

Now, if there were no one left to hold onto her, then I could just take her out of the timelines. So I went for the people who cared for her. I got all of them. All except Alex. That one little thorn in my side.

I can't kill him. No matter how hard I try, I could smash him to bits, Slice him into little cubes, but the timeline reverses back to before I made a move to hurt him. So I set up a plan. I've tried to get him to let her go. But it never works. He keeps holding on till the end. And the timeline resets, sending us all back.

I just...I have to do something.

But what...

Author's Note

And a third chapter.
Another easy breeze through chapter! Hope you guys are having as much fun reading this as I am writing it.
~Sylpheed Dashstep

Act II; Scene II: The Lost Hearts

She had been in this town for almost a year now. Yes keeping up appearances was a bit challenging, but it was worth it in the end, just to interact with other ponies, to see somepony who wasn't scared of her. Even if the pony they weren't scared of was all a lie. It was nice to pretend she was liked.

She was laying in the forest that surrounded the town, her disguise down and her mind thinking of things that could never happen. She had a greenish-blue mane, with bright green eyes and a chacoal colored coat to top it all off. Her wings were paper thin and there were thin veins running in each one, pulsing with bright green blood. Her hooves had holes in them, as well as her horn. They didn't hurt or bleed, in fact, they felt normal.

She had wondered about what they were untill one day she was in a library and she was looking through a book, not really reading, but looking at the pictures. There had been a Dragonequius, a Manticore, a Dragon. And then she saw a picture of her, or something like her and she read the entry. She was a Changeling. A mythical creature that feeds on the emotions of other creatures to feed itself.

Now the feeding on emotions part was...not true in the least. She didn't feed on emotions, she could feel them though. They felt like such amazing things. But she didn't feed on them.

"Crystal," a voice broke her out of her thoughts.

She quickly donned her disguise, a mint-green Pegasus with an olive colored mane and bright green eyes. She didn't have to get rid of everything about herself.

"I'm up here, Shell," she yelled to the peach colored Unicorn that trotted through the bushes.

The mare teleported up to her, giving her a goofy little grin that Chrysalis loved so much, as she asked, "What are you doing way out here then?"

Chrysalis smiled at her and said, "Just enjoying the view, so what about you then, why are you out here?"
Something was tugging at her heart and she allowed herself to be overcome by the emotions coming from her friend. Excitement, fear, and...something Chrysalis had been feeling for a few days now, but she couldn't tell what it was. She racked her brain for a few seconds until she realized something. This was love. Her best friend was in love. "So, who's the lucky stallion," she teased.

Shell blushed and rolled her eyes, "It's not very fair you can do that, I can't keep anything from you!"

Chrysalis smiled and pushed Shell playfully saying, "And it's not very fair that you're keeping things from me, so who's the stallion?"

Shell blushed a little more and struggled to keep her balance as she said, "Well, it's not a stallion, it's a mare."

Chrysalis was unaffected, with only about ten percent of the population being stallions it wasn't uncommon, so she asked, "Well who's the mare then?"

Shell looked away from Chrysalis and began tracing marks into the tree with her hooves as she said, "I-I'd rather not tell."

Chrysalis laid a reassuring hoof on Shells shoulder and said, "Look, I'm your best friend, I'm not going to go tell all of what's left of Equestria about who you like."

Shell sighed and said, "You swear?"

Chrysalis gave her most mature face and said, "Cross my heart and hope to die. Now can you tell me who it is?"

Shell began to sway her back hooves hanging off the tree and Chrysalis could feel the fear rising in her as she said, "It...it's you Crystal."

A wave of emotions flew through Chrysalis and she took a calming breath, trying to distill the rising emotions as she said, "I...I don't know what to say."

Shell looked hopeful and she said, "If you like me then show me, if not then tell me."

Chrysalis sighed and said, "First, I have something to show you, now turn around and don't turn back until I say so, okay?"

Shell nodded her head and turned to face the tree, leaving Chrysalis wondering if she should do this. It felt like something was stuck in her throat. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move, couldn't do anything. But eventually she found the strength to use her magic to lower her disguise and she managed to get out, "Okay, Shell, turn around slowly. And don't be scared, I'm still the same, I'm still Crystal." Shell turned and shrieked a little and Chrysalis quickly said, "It's still me, I just look different." Chrysalis's wings fluttered a little and Shell practically screamed leaving Chrysalis with a rushed explanation, "I'm still the same Shell. The Crystal you love. Please it's me."

Shell just tried to move back again saying, "N-no you're not, you're a monster." And with that she was gone, flashed to the town, leaving Chrysalis crying and in want of a friend.

All she wanted was a friend, someone to at least try and talk to in her normal form, not somepony who would scream and run at the first sight of her. There was a commotion in the distance and she turned to see a crowd of ponies coming her way with Shell at the lead and Chrysalis took off, flying across the heads of the town below her, silently thanking Celestia the town was only filled with Unicorns and Earth Ponies.

A rock slammed into her wing as she passed into the town boundaries, sending her spiraling out of control and falling to the ground. She slammed into the ground, her wings bloodied and her snout feeling as though it had been cracked. She tried to use her magic, but her horn failed as it always did, leaving her on the ground and on the run.

She passed building after building, and turned down a corner, turning back to see the mob of ponies gaining on her making her run faster. Her snout hit a wall, leaving her dazed and splayed out on the ground. She quickly recovered though, picking herself off the ground and turning to face the crowd. A few ponies stepped forward and she closed her eyes, waiting for something to happen.

After nothing happened for a few seconds she opened her eyes to see a massacre. There was blood and guts splayed everywhere. Hooves and limbs were laying on the ground and the soil was soaked in blood. No pony was alive except for one figure, huddled in the middle of the bodies. Shell.

Tendrils of shadow came down and pulled her into the air. Dangling her as she screamed.

"NO STOP," Chrysalis screamed out.

The filly was dropped and Chrysalis rushed forward to help her as she fell into the pile of gore. A shadow appeared and blocked Chrysalis's path as it asked, "Why don't you let me kill her, she was the cause of all of this after all."

Chrysalis gave it a hardened stare and said, "Because I love her."

The shadow gave a laugh and said, "And yet, she was about to kill you," a shadow lashed out and cut Shells cheek as the beast said this.

"Stop it," Chrysalis shouted at it as she pushed through the obstruction, leaving her freezing and almost unable to move, but she pushed forward, determined to get to Shell. She fell to her knees as she got to Shell and said, "I'm sorry about all of this."

Shell was crying and she said, "Don't be, it's m-," was all she got out before she was snatched up into the air, her sentence trailing off into a scream.

Chrysalis reacted quickly and grabbed the other filly's hooves, getting dragged up with Shell. They were dragged higher and higher, both of their screams cut short as they stopped.

Shell looked Chrysalis in the eyes and said, "Crystal, let go, you can fly and get out, just go." She kissed Chrysalis and began swinging her hooves, trying to get Chrysalis off. "I'm sorry," she said and began to shake harder as Chrysalis's grip got stronger.

"NO I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO, NOT NOW, NOT EVER," she screamed at Shell, "YOU CAN'T DO THIS, I'M NOT LETTING GO!" She had tears streaming down her muzzle, but she was determined not to let go.

Suddenly her grip faltered and Shell was pulled away from her as she began her plummet to the ground. She watched as Shells face twisted from one of sadness into one of pain as blood dribbled from her mouth as well as down her sides. The drops fell faster than Chrysalis and they mingled with her tears, as well as pelting her coat, turning it a darker color. Shells coat began to peel away from her body and Chrysalis turned to face the approaching ground, not being able to watch any longer.

The ground rushing at her was a welcome sight. It was a way out. A way to end it all. All the pain, the suffering, the fear. And so she let herself fall. Wishing nothing more than to end it. Just get everything done and over with.

She closed her eyes and imagined herself sitting in that tree her and Shell had shared. Their special place. The place they went when they needed to get away or talk. She imagined herself up there with Shell now as she lay her head on Shells stomach, feeling the softness of her fur.

Chrysalis threw her eyes open to find herself in a stone room lying on a plush bed instead of plummiting to the ground, praying for a swift death.

She began to cry. She cried tears of hate. Tears of joy. Tears of sadness. But mostly, tears of anger. Anger because she couldn't even die right. Anger that she wasn't like anypony else and that she was shunned. Locked away from the rest of the world. Something to be hidden.

"Now now Chrysalis, no need to cry," a voice cooed, sounding sympathetic to her.

She looked around the room, her eyes landing on a shadow in the corner that seemed...different. "Who are you," she asked it.

"Well, you can call me whatever you want. A saint, or a demon. But let me tell you this, I'm the one who can take away those horrid emotions of yours, make you feel nothing, but it will come at a price and a deed as well. Which would you like to know first," the shadow said as it slowly emerged, slipping between the cracks of moon light slipping between the shutters on the window.

"W-what do you mean," she said in between sniffles.

The beast sighed and said, "Those things you're feeling, the pain, the betrayal, the fear. I can take it all away, but it comes at a price. And you have to do something for me as well, my dear."
` "What's the price," she asked, a little hesitant.

"Well, I know you've read about Changelings and how they feed off of emotions," it said. She shook her head, signaling she understood and it continued, "Well, I'll make you like that. You won't feel anything, but you will need to feed off of emotions every once in a while otherwise you will die. Now, about that favor. I need you to help a friend of mine. It's nothing major. Just a little fight. Do this and you'll be able to keep the powers and the lack of emotions, what do you say, my dear?"
Chrysalis thought for a few minutes before her broken heart decided and said, "Ok, I'll take the deal."

The next few minutes were a blur. Just things fading in and out. All she knew was that she couldn't feel anything and that it felt...good. It felt better than having all of those things stacked up, just wating to collapse into a pile of grief, anguish, and pain.

All of the pain, all of the fear, all of the bad things drifted away. Leaving her without any regret. Untill the happiness and the joy began to fade away as well. It began to bleed out, leaving her feeling less and less with each passing second. Soon she had no emotions left. She was a husk of what she once was without her emotions, but she didn't regret it at all.

She found herself in the hall before Celestias throne room. The woman that had caused the downfall of the future. The one who had destroyed it all. Was Chrysalis about to face the Queen? The one who had caused so much harm and pain and had driven everypony into hiding?

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the click of nails on the stone floor and turned to see the legendary Dragonequius who had stood up to Queen Celestia on that first day she had risen up and made the kingdom fall. He had fought bravely as the legends said, and he had rose so high. He got to the throne room, facing the Queen herself, before he had finally fell and his age caught up with him, leaving him nothing but a shrivelled form of what he once was.

"Well now, may I inquire who you are and what you are doing here," his voice questioned.

"I don't entirely know, a shadow sent me," she said, knowing how crazy it sounded, but not really caring.

"So you as well," he said, "well then, I guess we had better wait for the third party member before we go to take out Queen Celestia."

Something clicked in her mind and she looked at Discord. He had called Celestia the Queen. He must be from the future then...right?

"Discord, can I ask you something," she asked.

"Why certainly," he said.

"I heard that you died on the first day of Celestias uprising. If that's true, then how are you here," she questioned.

"Oh, my dear, you have been left terribly out of the loop," he said. "We are in the year 1,012. We've been taken back in time. A chance to prevent everything from happening. A chance to rebuild the kingdom."

"But that still doesn't explain my question. How are you here, you died on the first day of the uprising," she exclaimed.

"Let me explain something to you. I was born on July 27, 2035. I was born as a regular Pegasus. But things went wrong and I was offered another chance by the shadow, but I was to be changed into this form for the battle as well as the rest of my life. Little did I know what form it was, for now I am immortal, as well as you. Queen Chrysalis," he finished the last statement as if it were sad news.

It was sad news indeed as the rest of the puzzle pieces fell into place the minute Nightmare Moon walked around the corner. They were the three biggest enemies to the kingdom. Untill the Queen of Equestria rose that is.

Author's Note

Is it bad I made myself cry a little while writing this?
~Sylpheed Dashstep

Act II; Scene III: The Dragonequius

The day had started out as normal as any other. The Pegasus got up, got ready and headed out the door to work. That's when all hell broke loose. The town below him was in ruins. The houses burning, the shops broken into and ransacked, and villagers gutted on the roads, covering the trail in blood and gore.

He began his descent into the city to help but was stopped by the royal guard. "Shit," he said before he folded his wings and plummeted to the ground, spreading his wings right before he hit the ground and flying at top speed out of the town.

He passed through the tree lined and soared expertly though the trees. outmanuvering the patroll and gaining ground. His form broke through the tree line flying across the valley at the edge of the town and congratulating himself on escaping untill something hit his wing, severing it from the rest of his body, bone and all.

He felt nothing after that. He didn't feel the wind rushing past him as he fell into the chasm below. He didn't feel the coldness that covered his entire body as the shadows wrapped around his falling frame. And he didn't feel anything as he was taken from the timeline and moved back into the year 1,012, throwing him onto a soft bed as the blood pumped from the severed wing, staining the bedsheets.

And then the pain hit. It coarsed through his body, making him scream in agony and grip the sheets with his hooves. His mind focused on nothing else but to grind out the fire raging where his wing used to be. But something held him back, made it so he couldn't move.

He struggled at whatever was holding him down untill a voice said, "Shhh, just relax Erican. You're safe now. The guards can't get you."

He stopped moving and winced as the severed wing throbbed and spilled his blood onto the bed, draining him of his energy and making him tired. He began to close his eyes untill he felt something cold cover the wound, making his eyes shoot wide open and stare in disbelief at the shadows converging around the wound.

"Listen to me," the shadow above him said, "I want to help you. I can make you whole again, give you another chance, but you have to say yes. Now, I'll have to change your form for the oncoming battle as well as the rest of your life, but it will be for the better."

Erican was barely aware of anything but the cold and the pain, but the words registered in his mind and he shook his head, signaling that he wanted another chance.

Erican sat on the edge of the bed, his various body parts looking like a monstrosity. A few tears came to his eyes as he realized that he would never be the same, as well as because of a few other revelations he came to. He knew his whole life. He was Discord. He had instantly liked the Dragonequius the minute he had heard the story about how Discord had tried so hard to save the kingdom on that one horrible day. He knew the day he was going to die. It was dangerous enough information, but the fact that he knew his entire life made it even worse. One wrong move and things could go down in flames.

"I'm going to explain a few things to you, ok," the beast said, then added, "it's more than I'm doing for the others in the castle at the current time. I'm an entity of complete darkness. A shadow of what I once was. I'm now the Angel of both Life and Death. I can also travel through time as well as space. I manipulated the time and space around you to bring you here. The year 1,012."

"The year that Me, Nightmare Moon, and Queen Chrysalis fight Celestia," I said.

It simply nodded and continued, "You were always meant to be Discord, I couldn't make another pony take your place as Discord, so it's up to you to fight Celestia along side Nightmare and Chrysalis."

Erican gave it a wierd look and said, "But they didn't fight together, they fought one after the other."

The beast smiled and said, "Well, here's a little tip, that's not a fixed point in time. But I'm sad to inform you that your death is and there is nothing I can do to change it."

Erican smiled and said, "But wait, if I kill Celestia, doesn't that change history?"

The beast gave a sigh and said, "I'm sorry. Even if you kill her, things happen. In one timeline, the castle collapses on you when you're sick and you have no way out. In another, your magic just stops working as you're flying over the castle courtyard. None of the guards were there to catch you."

Erican winced and said, "I will fight the Queen, if only to prevent the timeline I'm from."

And so the three warriors stood in front of the door to the private chamber. One feeling conflicted about what was going to happen, one not able to feel anything, and the third worried not for his safety, but for the ponies whose lives had been lost in the years after the rise of the Queen. But all of them ready to do what was necesary.

Author's Note

So yeah, big ass battle coming up next.
~Sylpheed Dashstep

Act II; Scene IV: A Final Confrontation

The plan they had developed was for Nightmare to go in first and question Celestia, using the darkness to her advantage to hide her new form, but that plan got blown to pieces when Celestia used her horn to light the room, her eyes widening as she saw what used to be her sister. Celestia quickly used her magic to trap Nightmare against the wall, making her squeal from the pressure being exerted on her body.

Discord and Chrysalis heard the squeal and rushed in, eager to face the rogue Queen and change their timeline. Together they used their magic, one controlling how much chaos was implimented with the spell, the other casting the actual spell, forming a vast majority of stones above the Queens head. It took all of Celestias magic to hold back the torrent of falling debris, making her let Nightmare loose as she fended off the waves of rocks.

She glared at the three figures standing before her, three traitors who wanted to take her place, three...her gaze softened as she noticed the markings engraved into the armor Nightmare was wearing. "Luna...," she said softly, "What are thou doing?"

Nightmare frowned and said, "Sister of mine, I have remembered what thou hast done to get thine kingdom, and I don't approve of it. I have also been told by a shadow, as well as these ponies by my side that thou plans to rise and take the kingdom by storm in a thousand years time."

Celestias face lost all trace of emotion except for anger as she said, "Well then, if it's a fight that you wish, then it's a fight you shall have."

The room flashed with light and Discord and Chrysalis were blinded by the flash. Leaving only Nightmare able to fight Celestia. She scanned the room in search of her sister and saw her sneaking up on the exposed members of the group, posed to strike them down with her magic. Nightmare acted quickly, leaping over her comrades and slamming down on Celestia, making her slide across the floor as Nightmare bombarded her with magic.

She threw invisible punches, grew a tiny ball of iron in Celestias stomach and smashed it around inside her organs, leaving her broken and bruised. Celestia got up and spit out a mouthfull of blood, smiling as she turned to Nightmare.

"Is, that the best you've got," she said.

NIghtmare was driven up into the air, slamming into the ceiling and crushing the air from her lungs. The pressure kept building on her and her bones began to snap in several places, making her scream out in pain.

"Ey, Queen Celestia," a mares voice called out as a large stone was launched at Celestia's horn, "think fast." The rock connected, sending a jolt of magic both ways, crushing Nightmare against the ceiling one more time and resounding with the greatest crack yet, while it simaltaneously launched Celestia back, slamming her into the wall and making a few of her teeth fall out from the impact.

Chrysalis slowed Nightmares desent, laying her softly onto the ground and quickly turned around only to be smashed against the ground. Her jaw connected first, sending a jolt of pain through her entire system. She was lifted back up and slammed into the ground with more force, making several cracks appear along the ground and a few of her broken bones began to pierce the skin.

The process was repeated multiple times, leaving her in tears of agony before the last of the three warriors stood up and said, "You're not going to live any longer than this day Celestia, I can promise you that."

Celestias eyes had a gleam in them as she said, "Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep."

Discord snapped his fingers and the ground beneath Celestia opened up, revealing a chasm below her feet which she mearly laughed at untill Discord snapped his fingers again and her wings as well as her horn vanished.She plummeted into the hole with the screams of somepony who knew her time was up. The Dragonequius snapped his fingers as she vanished, closing the hole behind her as he collapsed from exaustion.

He looked over at Chrysalis to see a smile on her face and he said, "We did it, she's gone. Dead. She's never going to destroy the kingdom."

Suddenly the floor erupted, spewing chunks of the ground in all directions, slamming into the three exausted and broken figures with an amazing force, cutting and wounding them.

The white Alicorn rose from the middle of the hole, her eyes glowing as her horn flashed a bright light. "Did you think you could just get rid of me that easy. You fools, you will all die now."

She rose to the highest point in the room and everything became a searing light that began to burn their skin, making them wail with cries of pain. Suddenly everything went dark. Celestias light extinguishing as fast as it had come. The mare began falling to the floor in a spiral. Finally crashing as she stared at the shadow in the middle of the room.

"H-how," was the only thing she asked.

"I drained your energy," it said, "and now, it's time for you to go."

The shadow walked towards her, ignoring her pleas for forgiveness and screams of mercy. It rose to it's hind legs and spread it's two front hooves towards the sky as he gazed upon the Princess. The princess's cries began to die away and fade into wimpers untill suddenly everything stopped. The shadow hunched over and seemed to shrink on itself, curling into a ball as it shriveled up and dissapeared, never to be seen again.

The princess of the day rose up once more, slowly, but surely. She walked over to her younger sister and touched her horn to the younger princess's, sealing her fate and sending her to the Moon.

She walked over to the Dragonequius and began to turn him to stone from the feet up. He gave her one last pleading look before his head became encovered in stone and he managed out, "Please, go easy on Chrysalis."

The princess only nodded and finished the job, turning slowly to the last living being in the room besides herself. She used her horn to levitate the figure and contemplated what to do, deciding on banishing her to the outer kingdoms after a few minutes of thought. She used her last bit of magic to heal the broken bones and teleported her to another kingdom far away.

She collapsed on the throne room floor and cried. She wept because she had lost her one and only sister, even if the things she had been accused of were true, it had hurt. She had taken the kingdom, forced Sombra into a prison and locked him there, deciding on a cover story, should he ever get out.

She looked up at the Moon through one of the glass panes and said, "I'll love you forever and always Luna, no matter what happens." She made a mental note to look up the memory spell she had used and then gave up, opting to lay on the floor in the throne room the rest of the night.

Act I; Scene I: Running...

Running...

It's all the filly had been doing for the past five years.

Ever since he had seen that...thing...kill his mom.

Never staying in one place too long, never getting to know who anypony is. He couldn't risk the thing hurting somepony he cared for.

So he kept running.

Until, that is, he came to a town called Ponyville.hair with white tips over his blind right eye. No use in showing it if it doesn't work, right? He sensed rather than saw a pony hopping of his right side and he turned to look at who it was. He saw a pink pony with an even darker pink in her mane hopping beside him.

"Nice mane," she said taking note of his white tipped bangs.

"Thanks, yours is cool too," the blue filly said.

"So what's your name? I've never seen you before, so I can't know your name yet," she said.

"My-," he got out before she cut him off.

"unless I've met you before and I've just forgotten your name. But I never forget anything, so I must not have met you yet," she said.

The filly stopped, sat down, and began messing with the headphones around his neck, "Are you done yet?"

The pink mare stopped, but kept hopping in place and shook her head.

He sighed and said, "My name's Alex, but I prefer Sylph, short for my stage name, Sylpheed Dashstep."

The mare giggled and said, "My name's Pinkie Pie. So why do you need a stage name?"

Sylph looked around for the motel and said, "I make electronic music, and I perform for a few bits every once in a while. It's usually only a one night thing for each town though."

Pinkie looked at him as though he had said something weird, "Where do you usually perform, and why is it usually a one night thing?"

"I usually perform wherever they'll take me, which isn't many places seeming as how I'm only fourteen. And it's usually a one-night thing for each town because I don't stay in one town that long, now can you please tell me where the motel or inn is," he said, giving up looking.

Pinkie giggled and said, "There isn't one, but I can get my friend Applejack to let you stay with her."

Sylph sighed and said, "No thanks, that's alright." He got to Sugarcube Corner, with Pinkie Pie still following him, before he stopped and swayed a little. He shrugged it off as being a little tired and continued on, making it to the edge of the town. His legs tightened up and his back arched, making him gasp as the rest of his body seized up and he fell over onto his left side, plunging him into darkness. Freaking right eye he thought. I just had to be blind in that eye for this moment he thought, a bit furious at the lame eye. He got very tired suddenly and began drifting on the edge of consciousness. He fought to rise from the abyss and only succeeded in falling deeper into the darkness. He lay there for a few minutes, guessing Pinkie went for help before he heard a voice in his head. It simply said you can't run forever. He tried to get up again and failed horribly, only barely hanging on to consciousness. It's coming was his last thought before he fell into the abyss of darkness.

Author's Note

Authors note on chapter two.

Act I; Scene II: The Lost Knight

When Sylph woke up, he didn't know where he was. He was in a bed, which was actually kind of soft he noted, and was covered in a blanket that had apples sprawled all over it. Sylph got out of the bed and remade it, then began to examine the room. He saw some pictures on a table and walked over to look at them. He saw a picture of an orange mare with a blonde mane that was wearing a brown hat and had some apples for a cutie mark. She looked like she was wrestling with a filly. She was pale in color with a red mane that had a bow in her hair of a lighter red color. She's a blank flank he noted and she's also kind of cute. He heard a shuffling sound behind him and turned to find the filly behind him.

"So, you're the filly Pinky Pie and Big Mac brought in," she said.

"Uhh, who's Big Mac," he asked.

"He's my older brother, there's a picture of him over here," she said as she trotted over and picked up a picture, showing it to Sylph. He saw a red stallion with auburn hair. He also had something around his neck, but Sylph couldn't tell what it was because of the close-up on the stallions face.

"Oh, uhh yeah," he said through a light blush. He reached up to rub his neck and instantly noticed something. My headphones are missing he thought as he searched the room for them.

"Are you ok there," the filly asked him as the scoured the room, "it's not very polite to snoop through other ponies things you know."

He stopped and blushed again, "Sorry, you wouldn't happen to know where my headphones are, would you," he asked hopefully.

The filly giggled, "Nope, AJ put them somewhere."

"Uhh, AJ, could you help me out here," he asked as he tilted his head questioningly.

"Oh, yeah sorry, I keep forgetting you're not from here," she said. "Applejack is my older sister, the one in this picture right here," she indicated to the picture Sylph had been examining earlier. "And I'm Apple Bloom, now who are you," she asked.

He was getting tired of introducing himself, and he had only introduced himself to one pony so far, "I'm Alex, but I-" he managed to say before Apple Bloom giggled. "What," he asked her.

"Oh nothing. So why are you so protective of those headphones," she said as she surveyed the room he had recently tore through and sat on the bed.

Sylph sat down where he was and said, "It's the last thing my mom gave me before...she left." Well, at least I'm not telling a complete lie he thought.

"Why did she leave," Apple Bloom asked him.

"It's nothing," he said. "You know, you never let me finish introducing myself," he said as he tried to steer the conversation away from his mom.

She giggled and said, "Well I got your name, right Alex?"

He visibly flinched at the name, "But I prefer Sylph, everypony refers to me as Sylph."

Apple Bloom stared at him blankly, "But, Alex is the name your mom gave you, right?"

Sylph sighed and said, "I've grown used to Sylph though."

Apple Bloom smiled and patted the spot on the bed beside her, "Well I'm going to call you Alex. I like Alex better than Sylph."

Sylph sat down beside her, "Fine, but if I don't respond to Alex, don't blame me."

She giggled, "Well, like I said, I like Alex not Sylph."

Sylph blushed a little and laughed, "I got multiple meanings out of that you know."

She punched him lightly and began laughing so hard she fell back into the bed. She sat back up after she had regained her breath with a mild case of the hiccups and said, "Take it however you want-hic-, but I'm serious, you should go by-hic- the name your own mom-hic- gave you-hic-. It's suiting for you." She gave him one last smile and hopped off the bed.

Sylph, no, not Sylph, Alex, hopped off the bed after he and asked, "So do you know where your sister is?"

Apple Bloom seemed lost in thought before saying, "Well, today's Thursday, so she should be in town selling apples most likely."

Alex smiled and said, "Care to lead the way my princess," then laughed harder than he had in a while.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes then giggled and said, "This way my lost knight."

And that's exactly what he was...

Author's Note

So yeah, finally got my first story up, there might be a few errors in here, and if you see something wrong in it, don't hesitate to point it out. It's my first fic and I really need to know everything I mess up on. Thanks for reading. But yeah, tell me what you think, seriously guys. And I had to post both chapter one and chapter two because chapter on didn't have enough words in it alone for me to post it by itself.
~Sylpheed Dashstep

Interlude: Shadow Journal: Entry #1

I've decided to start keeping a journal, I don't know why, but I guess it's to keep track with the timelines. In one timeline, it's trapped in a loop, in another I've caused so much death and destruction that not even the holder of that timeline wants me in their realms. I'm an outcast. Abandoned by my people and left alone.

I'm the last of my kind I guess you could say. Maybe somepony will find this and read it and finally understand me. I just have one thing to say. I'm not a monster. I try to help, not cause chaos. Like what happened with Discord.

I didn't mean for that to happen, I tried to help him. Tried to make everything ok. And yeah, maybe Celestia would have died, but it would have been for the better. She was a tyrant.

She had taken the throne by force and gotten rid of everyponies memories. Made it seem like she had created everything. But like I said, I'm not bound to one timeline, I remembered everything. I remembered her overthrowing King Sombra.

I tried to help everypony, but I only caused things to get worse.

I just wanted to help.

That's all I wanted...

Author's Note

Wow two updates in one day.
This only took me like five minutes to type up, gotta admit it was easier than I thought.
~Sylpheed Dashstep

Act II; Scene I: Princess of the Night

Luna was laying around in her room, dealing with another one of her reoccurring headaches. They seemed to be happening more and more lately and it was getting really tiring now. Something flashed in her mind, but left before she could hold on to it. She groaned as another wave of pain washed over her.

"Ah, I see the Princess is starting to remember," a voice said, interrupting Luna's groaning.

She scanned the room and her eyes landed on a pair of hooves in the shadows, "Who art thou," she asked, more that a little confused at who was in her room.

The figure laughed a little and said, "I'm the one who can get rid of that headache of yours, but it will come at a price of a flood of memories. Things you may not want to remember, would you still like me to get rid of the headache?"

Luna's mouth was agape. Nopony of this time period talked like this...Stallion...Mare? She couldn't figure it out and she just decided to blow it off. But there was still the question of how the pony knew of her headache.

Luna, finally shook her head and muttered, "Yes, please get rid of the headache."

The figure gave a small chuckle and said, "'Alice wandered down the rabbit hole, not once wondering where it went or how she was going to get back out.' There may be a little paraphrasing in that, I don't exactly have the whole thing memorized."

Luna was about to ask what it was talking about when suddenly she saw things she never imagined possible.

There was magic flying in the air, ponies were being blown apart while trying to fight something.

King Sombra rushed forward from behind the troops and yelled, "Celestia, what are you doing, stop this madness, you're killing innoccent ponies."

Celestia walked in out of the corner of Luna's sight and looked at her and said, "Don't worry, I won't hurt you little sister," then turned to Sombra and said, "Sombra, this kingdom will be mine, give up and I may let you live."

Sombra snarled and said, "You will never get the kingdom Celestia, I should have thrown you out when I had the chance."

Celestia gave a short bark of laughter and said, "Well, if you're going to act like that..." suddenly everypony's heads crushed in on themselves and the soldiers fell to the ground, leaving Sombra standing in the middle of the pile of dead soldiers.

"Y-you killed them. You killed them all," he shouted.

"So what now, are you going to challenge me to a magic duel," Celestia challenged.

The King gave her a hardened gaze and said dully, "Yes I am. Now you will fall you tyrant."

Celestia laughed again and said, "When I'm done with this kingdom, you will be the tyrant."

Luna was back in her room as suddenly as she had been in the memory. The shadow was still sitting there and she game an annoyed sigh, "What exactly was that I ask thou."

"Well, it's what you would call, a memory, just taken from you and replaced with a notion that you and your sister made the kingdom, rather than her taking it from Sombra," the beast said.

"How dost thou know of this implausible information," Luna questioned it.

The shadow gave a short laugh and said, "Well I was there of course! And as a being made of nothing, your sisters magic has no effect on me."

Luna watched as a shadow walked out of the gloom and she simply said, "But that's impossible, me and Tia are the only ones who can live that long," as she studied the shadow, not fazed in the slightest.

"Well then," the shadow said, "it seems your knowledge is flawed. But I'm not here to talk about trivial matters, I'm here to offer you a deal. You've seen what Celestia has done. I have seen what she will do to the kingdom in a few hundred years. Will you help me?"

Luna eyed it warily and asked, "How dost thou expect me to help thou and how dost thou know of what happens in a few hundred years time?"

The shadow laughed and said, "Well my dear, that's because I am the embodiment that can travel time and space. I am everywhere and nowhere." It disappeared and Luna began to search for it, the beast appearing minutes later in the other corner of her room, near the window where the light of her moon flooded the room. "So, would you like my help to take back the kingdom, you might be able to stop her reign of terror after all."

Luna's gaze drifted out the window and she muttered, "But Tia isn't causing anypony terror. If anypony is it's me." The sentence ended with her sounding a bit more sad than she would have liked to admit, but she threw caution out the window with this beast.

The beast curled around her, making her shiver as it said, "Now now Luna, there's no need for that. I want you to know that I love your night. In fact, I thrive in it. The darkness gives me a sense of security. I live to see your night, as well as your beauty."

The last comment made her blush a little, but she welcomed the heat and said, "I have to admit, Tia has been a bit cautious lately, as though she is hiding something."

"Well, I can help you with that, I can help you find out what is wrong, just let me help," the beast pleaded, almost as if something was wrong. "I have shown you proof of your sisters evil, now all you have to do is act on it."

Luna gazed at the shadowed face of the beast and said, "Fine, I will allow thou to help, but I am worried for Tia, what will happen to her if she is caught?"

The beast laughed a little, "Well now, that's up to the timeline masters. They will decide what happens to her. As they do with all evildoers."

Luna had been in pain before, but none as excruciating as this. Her whole being felt as if it was being stretched and twisted as she was lit on fire from the inside out. Her wings flew out splayed across the room as her wingspan had extended several feet and her horn grew as well, protruding from her head as Celestia's did. When the pain had stopped and she looked into the mirror, she saw an Alicorn that she didn't recognize. Her crown had changed, as did her little hoof shoes. She was no longer Princess Luna.

The beast seemed to know what she was thinking because it said, "Your name now is Nightmare Moon. and your mission is to find out what Celestia is up to."

Nightmare looked at her hooves and said, "But, what's with the change?"

The beast laughed and said, "Why I made you a full Alicorn dear, to make you have the much needed strength for the confrontation to come. Now no more questions, go, your kingdom needs you."

Luna arrived at the doors to the chamber before the throne room and opened it to see a Changeling and a creature of myth, a Dragonequius standing before her.

Author's Note

Hope you guys like this chapter.
I seriously seem to be on a roll today though. I'm just spitting out updates.
~Sylpheed Dashstep

Interlude: Shadow Journal: Entry #3

He...he let her go...Alex let Anna go.

The kid did it.

He did it!

But there's something wrong. I...I can't go back in time anymore. I can't give Alex his old life back, minus a variable. I was able to take Anna out of the timeline, but Alex still remembers. He's the only one. Everyone that I killed is alive again, and none of them remember any of it. All except Alex. What is so special about him that I can't change things? None of it makes any sense. But like I was saying, I can't interfere with the timelines past anymore, nor the future. I can only affect the present in all of them. But there's also something else entirely wrong here.

When Alex let Anna go...all of the timelines converged on that spot in time and they all are one stream again, as they were when Sombra was King. So that means quite a few pissed beings are after me now...I think I know how Alex felt now...If I could just say one thing to the kid...it would be...I'm sorry.

I also have to say sorry to NIghtmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, and Discord as well. We were fighting Celestia and we were winning untill I was taken from every point in time and thrown into one conciousness at this point. I was poised to strike the killing blow, but I was taken away and Celestia rose. Again. We did nothing to change history. Things happened in the same course. The same as last time.

Author's Note

And thus ends this story. I have a few other ideas that I'm going to get working on after this one though, so if you liked this story and haven't followed me yet, feel free to so you can be updated when I upload the next story.
The title of it will be "The Beat to My Heart".
I hope you guys will like it.
~Sylpheed Dashstep