I walked down the street, looking in windows and in alley ways. A long time passed by, and I had thoroughly searched Sweet Apple acres and every large building. No luck. I walked back into town, frustrated. Where was everypony? They had to still be here. I suddenly picked up a familiar scent in the air. I can’t remember what it was, but it felt comforting, so I followed it through an alley way. I kept walking until something caught my eye. It was a smudgy, minorly cracked mirror leaning against a building. Looking into it was mesmerizing. I saw myself- mane a mess, cuts and bruises covered my body, the burn marks on my flanks, but what really captured my attention were my eyes. They didn’t look like mine. Wide, puffy, discolored, almost wild. I couldn’t look away, but that was okay. I felt confused, content, and almost like a weight lifted off my shoulders. No. I shook my head and reared up on my hind legs, smashing my front hooves onto the glass. I was suddenly filled with rage. Something was happening looking into that mirror, and I just instinctively broke it. I shook my head more. Ugh. What was happening? I was losing my grip on what I thought was real. I growled and swatted my head. Conflicting thoughts ran through my mind. I couldn’t put a hoof on it. I knew I was supposed to do this, think that, carry out this deed. But… I… I couldn’t think straight. My mind was clouded with happy memories of friends and clashing thoughts of rage and hate, like I knew I was supposed to be their friend, but I also felt the need to just maim them. I cried out and started beating random boxes and banging my head against the side of a building.

“WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!?”

I collapsed and shook with rage and confusion and sadness. I think I was on the edge of hyperventilating. Was I going insane? I looked at the glass shards and had a momentary thought of just slitting my throat. Half of me said kill, half of me said protect. I picked up the sharpest shard and slowly brought it up to my throat. If I do this, Master will be displeased… But I can’t do it… I hated them but I loved them at the same time. Heh. Maybe I’ll find peace if I’m gone. I’m not good enough… I… The tip of the glass touched my throat and I was about to make one swift movement when I heard somepony yell my name.

“Chance! Chance!! Oh my Celestia! Volk, Chance is okay!” I cringed and that twinge of hate came back. I clenched my hoof and looked up to see Twilight running to me with tears in her eyes, and Volk limping along by her side. I secretly slid the spears under a box.

“Chance, where have you been!? Are you hurt?” She came up to me and hugged me tight. I sort of hugged back. Volk jumped on top of me like he used to do, and for some reason that sent the all too familiar waves of pain through my body. I collapsed sideways and hit my head against a garbage pail. I sucked in a sharp breath and shut my eyes. He immediately got off and whimpered.

“Chance! Are you okay?”

“I just hit my head on some metal, what do you think?” I shook my head, trying to shoo thoughts away.

I looked at her and she looked taken aback at my remark. “Sorry, I’ve just been through a lot…” She looked me over.

“Looks like it.” I noticed her look at my flanks and I shifted.

“What is-”

“Nothing. Promise. Where are the others?” She looked at me weird and hesitantly said,

“All of the remaining ponies alive went to another location to live temporarily given the explosions that happened,” Oh, wow. I forgot about that. Twilight looked pretty messed up, burns and long hairline scratches here and there. I guess she didn’t get the full force of the blasts. Should I be happy about that or angry? Twilight interrupted my thoughts.

“I decided to come back here with Volk to see if there was anypony left.” I looked down at Volk and for some reason, I wasn’t all too thrilled to see him. I patted his head so I wouldn’t seem out of sorts, and he wagged his tail, happy to see me again. “Where are the princesses?” I said.

“Um, they were attacked by something and they had to be held in a secret location inside the mountain where Canterlot is built. They’re in comas,”

I had to bite my tongue to keep from smiling at that remark. I don’t know why I wanted to smile. Happiness that they were safe? Happiness that they were hurt? The truth of what actually attacked them?

“And all our friends are there, too. Everypony else is in Fillydelphia for the time being.”

“Oh. Okay. Cool.” A long, awkward silence sat in the air.

“Chance? Are you sure you’re okay? You went missing before all of this happened, and you were talking about your recurring dreams of Discord, and I thought-”

“I’m fine, Twilight. Just a little beat up from the bomb. I decided to go for a walk in the forest when that bomb went off, exploding some trees and knocking me down. I was trapped in a small grove with a trunk blocking the way, but I finally managed to push it away.” Why was it so easy to lie then? I never lie.

“Oh my goodness, well I’m glad you’re okay.” Sure you are.

“Uh, Twilight? Can we go see the others? It’s kind of wet out here…”

“Oh, right, I forgot about that for a moment. Let’s go.”

We walked for what seemed an hour to the mountain supporting Canterlot. We entered the tunnel for the trains and I followed Twilight as she lit up the darkness with her horn. We reached a recess in the wall I hadn’t noticed before. She entered, and moved a boulder with a levitating spell. We passed through, and she re-closed the entrance with the boulder as I looked around. We were in a long hallway, like one that you would see in a hospital. I was expecting some huge cave-like structure, but it was as if I had walked into a building. Weird. I continued walking, and I heard Twilight run from behind me, passing me and turning left. Volk stayed by my side, quieter than usual. I think he sensed something about me.

“Girls! Girls! Guess who we found!” I heard hooves moving and bodies shifting, and I stopped in my tracks. That conflicting feeling was back. Did I want to see them? Eh. Just go with it.

“Ooh! Doughnut Joe!? I could use a doughnut right about now!” I winced. Pinkie’s voice was so shrill.

“Uhh, no. Even better.” Twilight said.

“Even better!? What can be better than doughnuts!?”

I turned the corner, and everypony’s attention was directed to me, huge grins growing on their faces. All of them looked as scuffed up as Twilight. They all galloped over to me except Pinkie.

“CHAAANCE!!” She screeched as she somehow got over to me in less time than everypony else. Pinkie physics. “Chance is waaayy better than doughnuts! Except for triple-iced and double-sprinkled chocolate covered doughnuts. Those are the best. No offense, Chance.”

She grinned and hugged me along with everypony else. They were all talking at once, so I couldn’t make out what they were saying except for a few bits.

“…thought you were dead! So glad you’re not…”

“…poor squirrel's nest burned up…”

“…wicked trick you need to see…”

“…OATMEAL? Are you crazy? Never gets old! Hahaha! And he said…”

“What are these horrid cuts and bruises?” That last part caught my attention. I didn’t want any of them to see my flank, so I sort of gently pushed them all away a few inches. “I’d love to catch up, girls, but is there a shower nearby? I haven’t had one in a couple days… Long story.” Rarity scrunched up her face. Typical.

“Of course, sugarcube! It’s right down that there hallway. Take a right, and you’ll get to the showers. Glad you’re home safe, Chance.” I smiled. “Thanks. Uh… One last thing? Has anyone seen my hoodie? Or my stuffed wolf?” I sheepishly asked. They gave me such comfort and a sense of security, to be honest. “Oh… When we went looking for you at your house, we couldn’t find your hoodie, but your wolf was spared, underneath some rubble. It’s over by our beds.”

“Oh wow, okay, thank you. …Hey, Rarity?”

“Yes, darling?”

“You don’t happen to have any sewing materials and stuff, do you? I could really use a new hoodie…” I looked down at my bruised arms and ribcage and back at her, smiling awkwardly.

“Why, yes! Of course! I never go without my emergency boutique-in-a-kit! I’ll get on it right away. Same as the old one?”

“Yeah, that would be awesome, thanks. Maybe just a little bigger down my body, if that’s okay for you.”

“No problem, darling. Now, go wash up and take your time- I’ll most likely have it done within a few hours.”

“Thanks, dude. I really appreciate it.” I smiled again and walked down to the showers, hoping nopony saw my flank. I don’t know how they would react to seeing Discord’s face where my cutie mark should be. Probably negatively.

I got to the showers, which was actually just a big bathroom like the ones in fancy mansions. Big and luxurious. This place was so random. I expected a makeshift bunker carved into the cave wall of the tunnel. Nope, weird hallways and luxury bathrooms. Okay then. I walked over the plush carpet to the mirror over the sinks. Just as messy as before, just sticky with chocolate rain. Ugh. Some color seemed to come back into me, though, which I guess was good. Maybe it was stress. I debated whether to use the shower or the huge bathtub. The streams of water from the shower will probably open up wounds, so I went with the bathtub. Filling it with warm water, I laid halfway over the edge of the tub, thinking of nothing in particular. I snapped out of it when the water touched my face. Oops. I got in, the hot water burning my scabs momentarily. I stopped and hissed in a breath. Take it slow, smart one. I eased myself into the water, enjoying the warmth and the steam. It burned my wounds a little, but that was fine. I think I started to enjoy pain. Helps me remember weird facts of life. I soaked in the tub for who knows how long. The warmth made me sleepy, so I figured to just rinse off the dirt and wash my mane. Body soap would probably sting. I did so, and felt somewhat better than before. I got out and looked at the water. Light brown and small debris like twigs floated around. Gross. I drained the water and dried myself off. Suddenly I was extremely thirsty, so I went to the sink and drank as much as my stomach would hold. “Ugh.” I leaned with my face on the counter, looking at myself in the mirror. “Look at what he did to you. I probably deserve it, anyway. You can’t let him treat you that way. Stick up for yourself. But… he’s… I can’t.” Now you’re talking to yourself. Freak. I got off the counter and walked over to the plush carpet, curled up in a ball, and slept.

This time no dreams came when I slept. It was nice. Dreams are bad, I realized. They don’t do you any good.

Meanwhile, most of the other ponies sat in a large kitchen area, all at a long dining table. Rarity sat at her sewing machine. “I’m very Concerned for Chance, girls.” Twilight said, looking at the table.

“Oh, me too. She looked just awful. Poor thing.” Fluttershy said in her famous half-whisper voice.

“She does look pretty beat-up. Not to mention skinny,” Applejack said, looking through a cookbook. “Would ya have any kind of clue as to what happened to Chance, Twilight?”

Twilight sighed, looking at her friends. “I have a vague idea, but I’m not sure if it’s what actually happened.” Everypony leaned in slightly, curious and attention drawn. “Before the disaster happened, she was having… recurring nightmares. Of Discord.”

Pinkie gasped. “DISCORD!?” Applejack shushed her. “Discord? The dope that was a claw away from ruining our friendship and Ponyville?” Rainbow Dash angrily said.

“Yes, girls. Discord. After Chance and I hung out all day, I heard a yelping come from her dogs, but I thought they were just playing, so I thought nothing of it,” Volk whimpered and rested his head on Applejack’s leg. “But after that, everything went quiet. I guess that’s when she went missing,” She thought for a moment. “Actually, the story she told me didn’t add up at all.”

“Story? What story?” Rainbow said, confused.

“Well, when I saw her, I asked her what had happened. She cut me off and basically said she went for a walk in the woods and the blast knocked a tree over her, trapping her in a grove for a while.”

Fluttershy gasped. “Oh, no.”

“But what’s weird is that the blast happened a few days after we spent the day together, which is the day I’m guessing she went missing. She also moved when she saw me look at her flank. I thought I saw something other than her cutie mark there.” Applejack got up and said something to Pinkie, who happily followed her to the kitchen.

“We’re listenin’!” She yelled to Twilight.

“So?” Rainbow said to Twilight. “I connected some things together, and it sounds like she’s covering for something… Or someone...” She trailed off, leaving Rainbow Dash awkwardly sitting at the table with Fluttershy.

“Hey y’all, is it alright if I make vegetable soup for dinner tonight? I know it’s Chance’s favorite, and I want her to have something nice.”

“And I’ll make death by chocolate cupcakes! She loves those!” Pinkie said, bouncing up and down.

“That sounds wonderful.” Fluttershy said.

I woke up probably hours later to the smell of food. My stomach immediately growled. I forgot how starved I was. Literally. I pushed back the memory of eating my pet back into the depths of my mind. I can’t think about that. I wanted to sleep more, but the constantly growing pain of hunger kept me awake. I groaned and got up, heading for the door. I was a few feet away from the door when somepony knocked, making me jump. “Chance?” It was Rarity. “Sorry, I fell asleep…” I opened the door, and she was holding up a brand new hoodie, just like the last one. “I know it’s not much, but it was just like your old one.” She smiled and handed it to me.

“Oh my gosh, Rarity. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I love hoodies.”

She giggled. “Oh, yes, I know. By the way, Pinkie Pie and Applejack made dinner for all of us. I guess you woke up just in time! Oh, wait… Did I wake you up?”

I let out a breathy chuckle. “No, don’t worry, you didn’t. I smelled food, which woke me up, and the hunger kept me from going back to sleep.”

“Ah, yes, okay. Take your time, Chance. You look like you’ve been through a lot.” She walked away, presumably to join the other ponies to eat. I closed and locked the door and walked over to the mirror. I glared at myself again. I think I hated myself for some reason. I pulled the hoodie over my head, leaving the hood up. I sighed contently. It felt so good to have it on. So secure. A little big, but that’s the way I liked it. I turned to look at my flank. The hoodie covered the brand. Good.

I went to the kitchen, where everypony sat and ate. A huge pot sat on the stove, with trays of cupcakes on the counter next to it. “Chance!” Pinkie yelled, jumping in front of me and scaring the life out of me. “Hehe… Oops, sorry. But guess what! A.J. and I made your favorites- vegetable soup and death by chocolate cupcakes!”

“You… Know what my favorite foods are? That was honestly surprising. I thought everypony didn't care about me, like Master had said...

“Of course, we love you and know everything about you!” She bounced away to the table to eat. “You can just grab a bowl over there and put as much soup as you want into it. We have plenty, sugarcube, so eat as much as your little belly can hold, alright?” Applejack said, a mixed look of concern and care on her face.

“Okay. Thank you so much for making this, I really like your cooking.” Applejack laughed. “Aww, shucks. Thank ya kindly. And making it was no sweat off my back- I love cooking.”

I went over and picked up a bowl, ladling soup to the brim. Suddenly it glowed purple, floating to the table. “Let me get that for you.” Twilight said, smiling. She placed it down in an empty spot between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. “Thanks.” I said. I sat down, grabbed my spoon, and took a bite. It was probably the best thing I have ever eaten. My stomach growled louder, so I guess it agreed as well.

“Is it good?” Applejack said, elbowing me. “Applejack, good is an understatement!” I took bite after bite, seemingly hungrier by the second.

“Well thank you! But you might wanna slow down there, Miss Appetite. Don’t want a belly ache.” As much as I hated to, I agreed, and slowed down. The first bowl was gone within a couple minutes. I got up to get another bowl, which was gone faster than anypony could finish their first. Another bowl. And another. Finally, after four bowls, I was full and satisfied. “Wow, and I thought Applejack and I had big appetites.” Dash said.

I rested my head on the table and chuckled. “Ohh, man. You have no idea how awesome it is to be full for once.” I said, eyes closed.

“You have to have room for cupcakes, Chance! You love, love, love chocolate!” Pinkie exclaimed. I had to agree with it. I do love chocolate.

“Pinkie,” I laughed. “You know I’m always hungry for your baked goods. I’ll have a couple now, I guess. I don’t want to overdo it.” She cheered and brought me a couple with the most icing, which I happily ate. “How can you be so good at baking, dude? These are awesome.”

“Glad to hear that! Anything for my Chancey!” A twinge of annoyance sparked in my head.

“Well, it’s getting pretty late, girls. We should probably get to sleep soon.” Twilight said. We all agreed and got up. I followed them up a small flight of stairs I hadn’t noticed before. We entered a room that looked like a big bedroom, filled with several beds, each accompanied with a desk and curtains to drape around for privacy. Each pony went to their bed, which left me a bed of my own. I got excited. First night of sleeping on a normal bed in days. I grinned and walked over to it, pulling the curtains and plopping down. I snuggled into the covers with my stuffed wolf and fell asleep within five minutes.

I didn’t sleep long, however. Maybe an hour. I woke up randomly and couldn’t get back to sleep. After countless tosses and turns, I finally just decided to go for a walk. I got up quietly, holding my stuffed wolf, and walked out of the room. Twilight said the Princesses were being kept around here somewhere… I wonder where. Remembering the spears I had hidden, I thought getting them was a good idea. I went back into the room and placed Dante down. I pulled the curtains as quietly as possible, and then left again. As I passed through the doorway, Rainbow snorted in her sleep and I winced. I felt a surge of hate flow through me again. A thought of smothering her with a pillow crossed my mind, and I shook my head to clear it away. I silently flew through the building, heading out. I reached where I had entered, only to see the boulder again. I had forgotten about it. Damn it. How will I get out now? I tapped on the rock with my hoof, ear pressed against it, listening to see how dense it was. Maybe I could move it. Solid thunks rang through the room. I sighed. There’s no way I could move it. I turned around to go back to bed when I saw Twilight inches from my face.

“Uhh… Sup, Twilight?” No answer.

“…Twilight?” She looked like she was about to fall asleep. I poked her face.

“Twilight? You okay?” She shook her head and gasped, snapping awake.

“Oh, hey, Chance… What are you doing here?” She groggily said.

Ignoring her question, I said, “Were you sleepwalking?” She laughed as if she was high.

“Sleepwalking? Who sleepwalks?” She leaned to one side, eyes closed.

“Twilight.” Nothing. “Twilight!”

She woke up again. “Hmm?”

“Can you move that fire truck out of the way? It’s blocking the sunlight for my pencil.” I said. Talking to sleepwalkers was so much fun.

“Oh, sure… Tell your council I’m sorry for the delay…” I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from laughing. She lit up her horn and moved the boulder.

“Go back to sleep, Twilight.”

“Mhmm.” She turned and slowly walked back to the room.

I flew outside, happy to have fresh air. I remembered exactly where that alley where I had hidden the spears was. I have a photographic memory, so it was easy picking out the exact alley and the exact box. I landed and saw the same smashed mirror, the same beat up boxes. I found the box where I had placed them, which looked like it was moved slightly. I didn’t think anything of it; the wind probably jostled it. I picked up the box, ready to grab the spears and find the princesses. What I saw sent a shock through my chest and dissolved in my hooves.

The spears weren’t there.

Author's Note

Yay, more plot twists!
I apologize for the length of this... I needed some dialogue.