A Shadow of a Whisper

A twig snapped amongst the brush of the Everfree Forest. The trees were so dense that no light came through. Fluttershy had gotten over her fear of the forest thanks to Zecora, and had even begun befriending the wildlife that lived within.

"Twilight, is that you?" Fluttershy called. Zecora had left a few minutes ago, just as she always did. Fluttershy saw a pony shaped silhouette emerge from the undergrowth.

"It's me Fluttershy, now what do you know about -" Twilight asked, before being silenced by Fluttershy. Twilight brushed away her friend's hoof, and wondered what her friend could be so worried about.

"Quiet Twilight, the forest may block light, but sound still travels. They might be listening." Fluttershy whispered. Fluttershy into her brown leather saddle bag and presented to Twilight a small black journal. Twilight began to page through it.

"That's a photo of her family." Fluttershy stated as Twilight reached a page with a photo taped to it. "Left to right, top to bottom: her mother, Firefly, her father, Rainbow Strike, her brothers, Cloak and Dagger, and Rainbow. Her brothers and her father are the concern here." Fluttershy explained.

Twilight took a closer look at the photo. Firefly was a pink mare with a royal blue mane and violet eyes. She could see from where her friend had inherited her beauty. Rainbow Strike was a steel blue stallion, with Rainbow Dash's rainbow mane. His amber eyes seemed to glare at Twilight through the photograph. Rainbow Dash's brothers were both a light lilac in color. They had inherited their father's mane, yet both retained their mothers eyes. They both looked intimidating, their mere image threatening Twilight.

"Firefly was a Wonderbolt, taken captive by pony traffickers. Rainbow Strike was a Hitpony hired by another Wonderbolt to save her. After he rescued her, they fell in love." Fluttershy continued. "When Rainbow Dash's older brothers came of age, they learned their father's business, pressuring her to do the same. Rainbow Dash wanted to follow her mother and become a Wonderbolt instead. She ran away from home several times, fearing her father and brothers. they chased after her, believing she knew information that would lead to their arrest. They caught her many times, and tortured her. She managed to lose them by coming to Ponyville, but refuses to alert authorities. She fears that if they escape, they'd be able to find her. She rarely visits Cloudsdale anymore. She always talks about some day becoming a Wonderbolt, but deep down she knows that'll never happen. Becoming a Wonderbolt would make her famous, and her brothers would kill her on sight if they ever found her."

Twilight wiped away her tears and continued flipping through the journal. She stopped on a page containing an entry written in brown ink, instead of the black that the other entries were in.

"I'm not going to explain that one, just read it." Fluttershy mumbled, staring at the ground. Twilight could see tears falling from behind her friend's pink mane. Twilight began to read.

Dear Diary, today my greatest fears have been realized. They've found me. I'm writing from inside the basement cell, but I nearly made it to Cloudsdale's border today! I'm getting closer every time I try, but I don't know how many more times I'll be able to try to escape again. This time they only broke my back knees and and sliced me a little. I'm just glad they didn't gouge out my good eye, my bad one is nearly healed now. They should both be back to normal in a few days, if Cloak and Dagger leave them alone that is. I read about a place in the newspaper I think I could run to, but I don't want to write it here in case they find my diary. Dagger took away my ink and quill, so I'm using one of my feathers and the blood from one of the cuts they gave me. Anyway, once I break out of here, I'll head straight for the place I was talking about earlier. I think I hear somepony coming, so that's all I can write for now.

"Fluttershy, how did you get this book?" Twilight asked her friend, tears rushing out of her eyes.

"I found Rainbow Dash when she first came here. I had lived here for a while already, when I heard a crash from here in the forest. I searched for any wounded animals, and found my old friend, bloody and torn. I nursed her back to health, and now she stays with me most of the time. She told me once that she had hidden a book that she wanted me to find. When I returned to Cloudsdale to visit my parents' grave, and found this in the place she told me to look." Fluttershy responded, her head pointed down.

"Spike, have you seen Rainbow Dash anywhere?" Twilight frantically called into the library.

"She came looking for you earlier, but I haven't seen her since then." Spike calmly answered. "What's the rush?" Twilight had ran off to search elsewhere before she could answer. She only had half an hour left, and desperately needed to talk to her friend. Twilight saw a rainbow streak in the sky, ending near the town hall. Twilight ran towards her friend, who promptly greeted her.

"Hi Twilight! I just broke my record! I flew from Sweet Apple Acres to here in ten seconds flat!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Actually it was ten and a half seconds." Scootaloo replied, earning a quick glare from the larger pegasus. "That's still really impressive!"

"Rainbow Dash, I need to talk to you about something." Twilight whispered. Twilight lowered her voice until it was barely audible. "Fluttershy showed me your diary." Rainbow Dash took a step back, shocked at what she had just heard.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about!" Rainbow Dash shot back, whispering as well.

"Stop lying to me, I need to ask you about your brothers." Twilight pleaded.

"I don't have anything to tell you. Please, just... leave me alone." A rainbow streak was all that remained by the time Twilight heard the words from her friend. Twilight tried to follow the trail, and had almost reached the end. She suddenly felt a strange wave of haziness wash over her. She stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Buck! Not again!" Twilight called, before finally succumbing to her death.

"Let me guess, drugs?" Twilight called out.

"Yep, very unoriginal. I was hoping for something spectacular, like being ground up into little bits, or being force fed your own entrails. I guess we can't all have our way though." The voice called back. Twilight searched her body, and found a  small hole in the bottom of her front right hoof.

"So somepony set up caltrops coated in the drug?" Twilight thought aloud to herself. "Strange." Twilight walked over to one of the bulletin boards. She posted notes of what she had learned about her friend, as well as her means of death.

"So what do you think will happen next?" The timekeeper asked. He sounded much closer to Twilight than before. Twilight spun around in shock, and beheld in front of her the timekeeper. An immense white stallion, with a scarlet mane and tail, both of which were neatly trimmed. His mane was tied back in a single braid, his tail the same. His eyes were a dark crimson ocean in which Twilight was drowning. He filled Twilight's vision, which the small unicorn found pleasing. His horn was nearly the height of Twilight, and his wings spread at least three times the width of a normal pegasus.

"I see you're shocked, don't be afraid." The timekeeper calmly said. "I decided to make myself visible to you. I figured I was too ominous when I was just a voice. My name, as you asked me about so many times, is Silent Chime." The massive alicorn proceeded to take a seat at one of the tables he had conjured.

"You;re... different than I had pictured you..." Twilight muttered. She wasn't sure exactly what she thought the timekeeper would look like, but certainly not this. He was a magnificent specimen of everything Twilight found attractive. He seemed suave, intelligent, and alluring. Everything about him, from the manner in which he carried himself to his tone of voice, reminded Twilight of Canterlot nobility.

"I suppose I would. Then again, you are the first pony I've talked with. Nopony else has ever seen me. I usually just sit back and watch everypony else run around, living their lives. I can tell you're different though. When you died, I wanted you to entertain me more." The timekeeper replied. Twilight blushed as he continued. "I wanted to see what you could do, you have a lot of potential you know."

Twilight could barely contain herself. If she didn't leave right away, she knew she would embarrass herself. "I'm ready to go back." Twilight stated, barely shrouding the excitement and arousal in her voice.

"Very well." Silent said as Twilight's vision grew dark.