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Chapter 1, A Feeling of Dread and a White Stallion
"....Twi?" asked Spike as he stared at the purple mare standing in the center of the library.
"Spike....." said Twilight, tears welling up in her eyes.
Spike walked over to Twilight and then they hugged, crying into each other's shoulders.
"...Do you really have to go?" asked Spike, as he slowly regained composure.
"Spike," replied Twilight. "Take care of the girls for me...."
"Twilight..." said Spike, as he buried his face in his claws.
Several days earlier....
"Spike!" said Twilight as she nudged him with her nose. "Spike! Wake up, Spike! Wake up!"
"Yes, I would like some more gem stones, please....om nom nom..." Despite all of Twilight's efforts, Spike didn't wake up. He only stirred and mumbled in his sleep.
"Come on, Spike, Pinkie's holding another party. Don't you want to come?"
Again, Spike only stirred, but didn't wake.
"Suit yourself." Twilight walked downstairs and prepared for the day. Pinkie Pie had invited them all to yet another party, and knowing Pinkie, attending it would be the best thing to do.
As Twilight got ready to go to Pinkie's party, Twilight sensed something. She couldn't quite put her hoof on what it was, but it was something that felt a bit.....dreadful. She merely brushed it off and walked out her door, on the way to Pinkie's party.
Upon knocking on the door to Sugarcube Corner, Twilight was greeted with a massive bear hug from Pinkie, and some singing.
"Well, hello Twilight, it is time to throw a par-arty! I'm just so glad you made it without being Tar-ardy! And-"
Twilight's attention diverted from Pinkie's singing as she got another feeling of dread. This time, it felt stronger.
"......and now welcome, Twiliiiiiiggghhhttt!!!" said Pinkie as she finished up her song and released Twilight from her bear hug.
Upon being released and seeing Pinkie's reassuring smile, Twilight relaxed a bit. After all, this was a party, not to mention one that was thrown by Pinkie. What could possibly go wrong?
"Come on, Twilight!" said Pinkie in her normally bubbly, happy manner. "Let's go play some games until the girls get here!"
"Ok, Pinkie." Twilight giggled as she followed her pink friend.
"What should we play first?" asked Twilight.
"PIN THE TAIL ON THE PONY!!!" said Pinkie as she wrapped a blind fold across Twilight's eye without even a hint of a warning.
Laughing the whole time, Twilight attempted to pin the tail on the pony.....only to end up nearly poking out the eye of Apple Jack, who showed up not long after Pinkie blindfolded Twilight.
"Ah! Watch out, sugarcube!" said Apple Jack.
"Whoops! Sorry, AJ." said Twilight, removing her blindfold.
"Mah turn!" said Apple Jack as she took the blindfold and covered her own eyesight with it.
Twilight gave Apple Jack the tail and then moved to another game.
But then, without warning, the feeling of dread returned.
Pinkie must have noticed the worried look that Twilight had, so she checked up on her.
"You ok, Twilight?" asked the pink mare.
"I'm fine, Pinkie, I just...."
"Feeling troubled?"
"Yeah."
A knock on the door was heard.
"Wait here, Twilight. I'll go get it." Pinkie trotted off and greeted the visitor at the door, leaving Twilight to her thoughts, and her troubles.
What is this feeling of dread I have? thought Twilight. Such an overwhelming sense of dread and foreboding....I wonder if Princess Celestia would know about it....
Twilight's thoughts were interrupted by a soft tapping on her shoulder.
"Oh, I'm sorry..." said Fluttershy in her usual shy tone of voice. "It's just that I saw you, and you looked really troubled, so I just wanted to ask what's wrong. You don't mind, do you?"
"Oh, no, not at all." Twilight reassured her timid friend. "In fact...." Twilight surprised Fluttershy by doing something that she normally didn't do. She embraced Fluttershy. Tightly, in fact.
"Uhm....I missed you too, Twilight?" Fluttershy stammered.
Twilight only giggled and said: "Sorry, Fluttershy. I just really needed that."
And then Twilight let go of Fluttershy and turned around...only to nearly run right into a stallion.
The stallion was white in colour, had a flowing mane and a tail that looked to be made of pure silver, and bore no cutie mark. Normally, Twilight would be curious about the fact that he reached such an old age and still hadn't obtained his cutie mark, however, Twilight had a different reaction.
The stallion Twilight saw tore right through whatever coolheadedness she had, and she ran right out of Sugarcube Corner in terror. The only control she had left was left in her vocal cords, as she remained completely silent the whole way home, save only for the sounds of her clattering hooves.
Upon returning home, she slammed the door shut, and then stood there, panting heavily.
"Twi?" Twilight jumped at the sound of Spike's voice, but then calmed down when she realized it was just her assistant.
"Twi, are you ok?" asked Spike. It was clear that Twilight had woken Spike up from the sound of the slamming door, as his eyes still bore their usual sleepyness, and he was still in bed.
"Yeah, Spike, I just...." Spike got out of bed and walked slowly towards Twilight. "Are you sure you're ok?" he asked.
"I-" Twilight was interrrupted by a knock on the door. Twilight gasped and took a step back. Oh no! thought Twilight. Please don't be him! Please!
"Twi, are you ok?" Spike asked her again. "Here, let me get the door for you."
Twilight only held her breath as Spike got closer and closer to the door.
The stallion terrified her. She had no idea why, or how, but he did. She couldn't really figure out why. However, she did get one good look at his face, and she remembered that it had a look of complete and utter hatred and disgust.
Twilight couldn't help but breath a deep sigh of relief as Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Applejack stepped in through the door.
"Oh, you girls." said Twilight.
"Twi, are you ok?" asked Apple Jack. "Ya kind of ran out on us back there....care to explain?"
And then Twilight told them everything. From the feelings of dread and foreboding, to the stallion that terrified her.
"Well, gee, Twilight." Apple Jack said after a moment of thought.
"What do you think I should do, girls?" asked Twilight timidly. Usually, she wasn't this timid and unsure of herself, but this time was different. The feeling of terror and dread that the stallion gave off did not feel like some childish paranoia. It felt very real.
"Well, what do you think, Fluttershy?" asked Apple Jack.
"Oh, me? I- uh- I-"
"Well," said Pinkie Pie. "My Granny Pie said to always face your fears!"
And then Twilight's spirits were lifted. "Maybe you're right, Pinkie!"
"Of course I'm right!" replied Pinkie with great enthusiasm.
"How are you sure you're right?" asked Fluttershy.
"Oh, come now, Fluttershy! Your auntie Pinkie Pie always knows best!"
"But....I'm still a year old than you...."
"Come on, girls." said Twilight happily as she started walking towards the door. "Let's go make a new friend."
She was just about to open her door, when a knock was heard.
"Well, I wonder who that could be." said Twilight as she opened the door.
Standing outside was the White Stallion.
Despite her best efforts, Twilight couldn't stay calm. The sight of the White Stallion was too much for her, as she broke down, screamed as loud as she could, and run upstairs, out the window, and curled up into a little ball on her balcony.
The rest of the gang managed to get a good look the White Stallion, and they noticed something about him. From the looks of it, he was clearly an Earth Pony, but he seemed to have a strange aura around him. An aura that seemingly caused anypony that stood near him to feel unnerved.
"Oh dear...Um....I think I'll go....you know...to Twilight....." said Fluttershy as she went to go comfort Twilight. It was clear that she was scared of the White Stallion too.
"Um....me, too" said Spike as he followed Fluttershy.
That left only Apple Jack and Pinkie Pie to deal with the White Stallion.
"She still flees just from the very sight of me..." spoke the White Stallion in an accentless voice. "I have come for Twilight Sparkle." He said plainly. "We have some unfinished business...." He slowly made his way to the stairs, right before Applejack walked in front of him and blocked his path.
"And just who do ya'll think ya are?" Applejack asked the White Stallion, in a not-too-kind manner. "And what business do you have with my friend Twilight? And how do you know her name?"
"I," replied the White Stallion harshly. "am Radiating Innocence. But you may call me Rade. I'm afraid my name has lost it's meaning because your friend, who, believe me, has a very long history with me, took what's rightfully mine."
"And what would that be?"
"My innocence!" And Rade shoved Applejack out of the way, causing her to hit her head on the floor, effectively stunning her, and proceeded more quickly up the stairs.
It was at that moment that Pinkie's plan to befriend Rade was promptly shattered. After all, why was he being so cruel? And what effect did he have on Twilight Sparkle that caused probably the most intelligent pony in Ponyville to lose all sense of coherence and cower in fear? Either way, Pinkie and AJ didn't care. They weren't going to let him near Twilight, no matter the cost.
"Oh no, you don't!" said Pinkie as she blocked Rade's path. She withdrew a cannon from what seemed like nowhere and pointed it at Rade. "One more step and you get a candy cannon ball to the face!"
"Pointless." said Rade as he telepathically lifted Pinkie, cannon and all, off the stairs and tossed her aside as if she were a rag doll.
Pinkie could only lay on the floor, stunned from the impact.
Rade was almost to the window, until Spike hopped in his path this time.
Spike did all he could to look as intimidating as possible....only to be met with laughter from Rade.
"How cute" said Rade after he was finished laughing.
Rade was just about to levitate Spike and throw him away, just as he did with Pinkie, until, without warning, Twilight appeared.
Twilight almost ran away in fear when she saw Rade, but this time, she stood her ground.
"Who are you?" Twilight asked Rade in a very shaky voice. "What do you want from me?"
"I am Radiating Innocence, however, you may call me Rade. You should have come to me earlier, but unfortunately, you hid behind your friends....just as you always have...."
"No." said Twilight. "You're wrong. I don't always hide behind my friends."
"Then why did you do so now?"
And then Twiligth said nothing. She only stood there, shaking furiously with fear and dread.
"I've made my point. Now, Twilight Sparkle..."
"H-how do you know my name?!" Twilight managed to ask.
Rade only looked at Twilight, with a look of curiosity in his eye. "So, you don't remember? All the pain and suffering you've caused to me...."
Applejack and Pinkie Pie suddenly came from behind Rade and jumped protectively in front of Twilight.
"Ya'll are not welcome here!!!" screamed Applejack. "GET OUT!!!!!!!"
"AJ, Pinkie! You're hurt!" said Twilight in concern as she saw the injuries on Pinkie and AJ's bodies.
"Don't worry about us, sugarcube. It's just a couple bruises. You've got some explainin' to do once we're done dealing with him, though."
And then Applejack and Pinkie began converging on Rade....only to be met with confusing applause from him.
"Bravo, bravo." he said as he clapped his hooves. "Looks like the one who took my innocence actually made some close friends."
Twilight recoiled in confusion. "Innocence?" she asked. "What do you-?"
"Enough expository banter." interrupted Rade. "Come to this exact location," he said as he tossed a map with an address scrawled onto the back."
"Come to this exact location" he said again. "And do NOT waste time. You must come as soon as possible. I'll be waiting."
And then Rade walked back down the stairs and made his way out the door, leaving the Spike and the girls to think about what just happened.
"A map..." said Twilight as she picked up the map with the address written on it.
"Twi?" asked Applejack after a moment of awkward silence. "You've got some explaining to do."
"Yeah, Twilight." said Pinkie as she stared somewhat accusingly at Twilight. "What did Rade mean when he said you took his innocence?"
"Um....girls...." said Fluttershy as she finally came in. "Sorry I didn't do anything...it's just that...he scares me a lot...." and then she hid her face behind her mane and started whimpering.
"Oh, don't worry, Fluttershy" Pinkie comforted her timid yellow friend. "Your auntie Pinkie Pie's got you." And then Pinkie gave Fluttershy a comforting hug.
"Thanks, Pinkie but...I'm still a year older than you..."
"Anyways." began Applejack. "About that explaining."
"I honestly don't know what to say, girls." said Twilight after a moment of thought. "I want to give you all the answers I know you're looking for, but I honestly don't know who that stallion was."
"Well" interrupted Pinkie. "The weird part is that he used magic and he's an Earth Pony."
"An Earth Pony using magic?" questioned Twilight. "I've never heard of that happening before. Maybe there's something about that written down in a book....well, girls. I'm going to start searching. You don't have to help me, but I'd really appreciate it..."
"No problem" said Pinkie cheerfully. "After all, what are friends for?"
"And I'll ask Princess Celestia if she knows anything." piped up Spike
"Thanks girls. And Spike" said Twilight as they all began their search for answers within the vast sources of knowledge inside the library.
Chapter 3 Death of the Innocent
"Well, I got nothing." said Twilight after a while of levitating various books in front of her face and quickly scanning them one by one. "How much time has passed?"
"Exactly 10 hours, 10 minutes, 20 seconds, and 10 milliseconds." said Pinkie Pie. "And I can't find anything either."
"Well, girls." said Twilight. "I think we should take a break." She turned to Spike. "Any word from the Princess?"
"In the words of Bic Mac, 'nnope.'" Spike replied.
"Well, I think that's it for today." said Twilight as she collapsed into a chair. "Still, what Rade said bothers me. He said that I should go to where he is, and that I should go as soon as possible. What do you think he'd do if I didn't go?"
"Ah don't even wanna think about it." replied Applejack. "But I wouldn't worry about it for now. Let's just call it a day. I got lot's of apples to buck in the mornin'. I should get goin' now. Night, Twi." Applejack tipped her hat and let herself out the door.
"And I really have to take care of my animals. Um. Good night, Twilight." Fluttershy waved awkwardly before letting herself out the door as well.
"And I have to babysit the Cake's kids again. Night, Twilight!" said Pinkie before she left.
"Good night, girls." Twilight said as she waved Pinkie goodbye.
"Well, Spike. I'm off to bed. Good night." She ascended the stairs and slid carefully into bed. Spike slid himself into his own bed.
"Good night Spike." said Twilight as she drifted off into sleep. Spike didn't reply. He was already asleep by the time his head hit the pillow.
Despite all that had currently happened, Twilight slept relatively well that night. That is, until somepony started banging on the door, which woke her up.
"A visitor?" Twilight asked out loud. "I wonder who that could be." She made her way down the stairs and to the front door, her hoof reaching out to open the door.
Upon opening the door, Twilight saw Pinkie Pie, with panic streaked across her face.
"Twilight!" said Pinkie as she grabbed Twilight by the hooves and started dragging her outside.
"Pinkie, what's wrong?!" Twilight asked Pinkie.
"No time to explain!"
Twilight knew this was serious, because Pinkie's mane was down, and she was clearly trying not to break down into tears and cry hysterically.
"Can you at least tell me what's wrong?" Twilight asked again.
After dragging Twilight into the center of town, Pinkie abruptly stopped in her tracks. "That!" Pinkie screamed and then finally broke down in tears.
And then Twilight noticed something. She saw a peculiar crowd of curious ponies walking to the source of the hubbub, and then running away crying. Some ponies stayed and continued to stare with shocked expressions on their faces. Twilight started walking closer to the crowd to see for herself what the commotion was about. What she saw would be burned into her retinas forever.
She saw Fluttershy, disemboweled, her wings bent and broken at hideous angles, blood pooled around her body, and one of her eyes dangling out of it's socket. Patches of blood spatter could be seen on her fur, and one ear had been cut off.
Twilight could only gasp and choke back tears at what she saw. But she regained composure just long enough to see a note on the ground. She picked it up and read it.
"You stole my innocence, and now I've stolen yours. Want to waste more time? Be my guest." it read. Her innocence? He must have been talking about Fluttershy. She was the beacon of innocence that everybody knew and loved. The shy, timid one that was practically afraid of her own shadow, one of the few innocent ones left in this world....gone...forever. Twilight knew she couldn't waste any more time, but she couldn't bring up the courage to face Rade. She quietly cursed herself for being so cowardly.
Twilight couldn't hold her tears back anymore. She let them flow freely....just as the blood from Fluttershy's corpse still flowed.
"Somepony...anypony..." Twilight cried out as she outstretched her arms and closed her eyes.
Twilight's arms finally managed to grab hold of somepony, and she didn't care who it was, just the fact it was somepony to hold and somepony whose shoulder she could cry into. The pony she was holding held her back and cried into her shoulder as well, and for a while, they stayed that way.
"Twi." the other pony said in between sobs. Twilight immediately recognized it as Applejack. "Stay with me tonight. Please. I already talked to Pinkie. She's staying, too. She's already at Sweet Apple Acres."
"B-but." stammered Twilight. "What about Rainbow Dash and Rarity?"
"They're staying at the Carousel Boutique."
"Ok."
They cried a little while longer, until finally Applejack regained some semblance of composure and started to half-drag, half-lead Twilight to the farm.
"Wait." Twilight said after they were halfway to Sweet Apple Acres. "I almost forgot about Spike!"
"Let's go get 'im." said Applejack as they made their way to the Library.
Spike was still asleep, and still in one piece, thankfully. Twilight used her to magic to levitate Spike out of bed and onto her back. She attempted to balance Spike's bed as well, but Applejack took it and said "I got it."
"Thanks, Applejack." Twilight said gratefully.
"No problem, Twi. You ready yet?"
"Yeah."
The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was mostly uneventful. Both Applejack and Twilight were very quiet the whole way through. As soon as they arrived, Twilight tucked Spike into bed and then went into a seperate room with AJ, Apple Bloom and Pinkie.
For a moment, Twilight wondered if Apple Bloom knew what happen, but when she saw her tear-streaked face, she knew. They all curled up next to each other and cried to sleep.
Chapter 4 A Disturbing Dream and a Decision
Twilight's eyes were closed, and it seemed like they would stay that way forever. 'Where am I?' she thought as she unsuccessfully attempted to open her eyes. 'Why can't I open my eyes?' She tried to open them again, still to no avail.
As she was about to give up trying to open her eyes, they snapped open, just like that. There was a mirror in front of her, and she was horrified at what she saw. For the most part, she looked just the way she expected to....except for her eyes. They had a look about them, a look that showed none of Twilight Sparkle's usual calm, cool, intelligent demeanor, but instead, they showed a look of bloodlust. From behind herself in the mirror, she spotted a pony that seemed to be shaking and cowering in fear. A pony that looked oddly familiar...
Twilight turned around slowly, although she didn't mean to. It was at this moment that Twilight knew that although she was in control of her own thoughts, she was not in control of her actions, as if she were a different pony looking through her own perspective. 'I must be dreaming.' she thought. 'This is the only explanation I can think of.'
Dream Twilight kept her head down as she turned around, as if she didn't want the real Twilight to see the pony that was cowering in fear. "Hee hee hee.." giggled Dream Twilight. She then turned her head, which allowed the real Twilight to get a good view of her surroundings. She was in what resembled a small tent, and in one corner of the tent was a lever with wires running out of it that seemed to connect to the ceiling itself.
"Can you feel the sunshine..." Dream Twilight said slowly as she approached the lever. "DOES IT BRIGHTEN UP YOUR FUCKING DAY?!!!?!?!?!?!" She pulled the lever and then turned to face the pony that was cowering in fear. The real Twilight was shocked to see who it was.
It was Rade. Many thoughts ran through her mind at this point. Why was she having a dream of herself torturing Rade? This seemed like a complete role reversal to her. If anything, Twilight was terrified of Rade, not the other way around. This made no sense to her.
Dream Twilight laughed manically as a hole opened up in the ceiling. Dream Twilight looked up for the real Twilight to see what looked like a massive magnifying glass attached that intensified the sunlight. The intensified sunlight fell upon Rade, and it started singeing his fur. He screamed and was about to jump out of the way, until Dream Twilight used her magic to hold him in place.
The torture went on until Rade's fur had almost completely burned off, and he was covered almost head to hoof in charred skin. Dream Twilight abruptly threw Rade to the side, causing him to shriek in pain from charred skin making rough contact with a hard concrete floor, leaving a large blood stain on the floor.
"I give....I give...please don't hurt me anymore..." Rade begged for Dream Twilight to stop.
"Oh, you want it to end?" Dream Twilight asked, amused. "So soon? But we're only just beginning..." And then Dream Twilight reached into a cupboard and withdrew a bucket.
"This-" began Dream Twilight as she showed the bucket to Rade. "Is sulfuric acid. It'll help with those burns..." Dream Twilight then started walking towards Rade...
Without warning, the dream started fading, much to the real Twilight's relief.
Twilight Sparkle awoke with a start. "Oh, thank Celestia." she muttered under her breath." The dream terrified her, and only raised questions. Why did she have such a terrifying, and not to mention strange dream? Dream Rade looked nothing like the Rade that she saw in real life. Dream Rade looked so vulnerable and innocent, while the real Rade looked exactly the opposite. Twilight had no idea what this dream could mean, but she figured that it might be related to what Rade said about her taking his innocence. Twilight was going to need some answers, and she was determined to find them. Alone.
She quietly let herself out the door and walked swiftly to the library to begin searching again. As soon as she arrived, she immediately began scanning through books again.
"No..." she mumbled after she scanned a couple of books. "No..." she mumbled again. "No, no, NO! Ugh!" She grunted after she had searched for what felt like forever. She began to feel despair.
"Maybe I should just go to Rade." she thought out loud, sinking into despair. And then she saw it. A book that seemed to stick out among the thousands that cluttered the shelves. She walked over to it and took it off the shelf.
"Encyclopedia of Innocence." She flipped it open and immediately began reading it.
"What is innocence? Innocence is defined as a lack of guile or corruption. Innocence nowadays is rare, but those that still have it are often advised to cherish it and protect it. There are those that wish to destroy innocence and corrupt it, and they will stop at nothing to do so. One famous case of innocence being stolen was of a white stallion. His name was Radiating Innocence, but most people called him Rade-"
'Rade?' thought Twilight. 'That can't be right.' She read the name again several times just to make sure that she didn't read it incorrectly. After that, she continued reading.
"-Rade was a gentle pony, one of the kindest stallions to have ever lived. Until one day, someone took his innocence. And his life. The ghost of Rade is said to now roam the land in search of the one who stole what was rightfully his."
'So, revenge is what he wants.' Twilight concluded. 'But why me? I never took anyone's innocence before. Maybe this is all a big misunderstanding....' She wanted answers. She contemplated going to Rade, but then quickly dismissed the idea. She was still too terrified to face him. But then she thought about Fluttershy, and her fresh corpse from last night.....and then she made her decision.
"I'm going to face Rade." she said out loud to nopony in particular. "I have to."
Twilight then began writing a note to leave on the table, in case Pinkie Pie and Applejack decided to come looking for her. After she finished writing the note, she took the map that Rade gave her, and then she walked out the door, taped the note to it, and then began the walk to Rade's location.
Yep. That's right. Cancelled. I am extremely unsatisfied with the rushed quality, and lack of polish this story has. Someday, I will re-write it from scratch, and I will actually put time and effort into it, but for now, it'll have to bite the dust.