//------------------------------// // Shy to The Twilight (Edited) // Story: A Decade lost Founded Again // by Dextroscity //------------------------------// Twilight knew from the moment she allowed herself to slip into her rage there would be dire consequences, to Applejack’s luck Twilight was able to force a teleport in the middle of casting a spell that would have easily have obliterated Applejack into mere ashes. The drawbacks of that irrational act triggered a magic implosion on herself, searing her own coat, killing off even more of the few remaining nerve cells she had left, and an immensely painful headache that brought her to her hooves with every wave of it. When Twilight was finally able to get back up, the first gray glimmers of dawn were lighting up the obscure landscape. To her own disappointment the land had suffered far more than herself, the blackened forest was full of branchless, charred trees, the ground was covered in a layer of cooled dusty ashes. The fires that ravaged the land were no longer present; they had died out just like the forest. No animals were to be seen; they either had died in the explosion or in the fires, or for the few that survived had fled. Looking at all of this brought back some shreds of a sense of morality to Twilight, for a few moments she lowered her head, and pulled the enchanted cloak over her head once again, as a sign of regret. She allowed herself to shed a lonely tear before her mask of indifference returned, numbing her to the world. Another thing Nev failed to mention was that each time Twilight allowed the madness to take over; she would find it easier to lose control, each episode only accelerated her own decay. Nev had appeared to look somewhat sane but more than a few times she saw through his own façade when has was gorging on the mountains of corpses, the level of madness in his eyes was unrivaled, it far surpassed Luna’s during the time of Nightmare Moon, while hers was built on the foundations of jealously, Nev’s was built upon destruction, rage, hate, and any other negative emotion. Those in combination formed the worst and most potent form of insanity Twilight ever saw, the library had many stories of it but once again Nev’s was unique and unrivaled, how he acquired it was unknown to her, and she was condemned to inherit it, and her only hope was that of the elements of harmony, which one of the bearers already refused to help her. Because of her burnt out horn it was best not to use any higher level magic for the rest of the day, so Twilight walked back to Applelossa which sat on the distant horizon, for the second time. The sun was far up in the sky by the time Twilight reached her destination, with the help of a simple illusion spell, the town seemed a lot livelier and wholehearted. The town greeted her and rejoiced when the disguised Twilight said to them that the cloaked mare was seen by her leaving the town. Barrels of cider and mead were distributed to the townspeople but Twilight did not want to partake in it, instead she just solemnly waked around the town pushing past any ponies in her way, earning her several ill-mannered comments, at the same time she was searching for something but was unsure of what it was, something was just calling her to wherever her body took her, the library did a successful job of separating her mind from her body, and it was still something Twilight experienced from time to time. It was when she heard a voice did she regain control of her body, it was a voice she had not heard in decades and perhaps one she hoped to hear most of all. Slowly peaking around the corner of the wooden building, she saw her, it was Fluttershy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Somepony please move these poor animals to emergency care!” Fluttershy yelled to her staff that just brought in a lot of severely wounded animals. Several ponies lifted the cot holding the animals and brought it to the building next to them, the veterinarian hospital named “Fluttershy’s Animal Sanctuary.” Fluttershy herself started the hospital in Ponyville but because of the increasing animal awareness ponies were so kind enough to donate and help “Fluttershy’s Animal Sanctuary” branch out to other places, one being Appleloosa, which Fluttershy currently stationed herself in. She grabbed the report from one of her staff and gave a quiet ‘thank you’ to the pony. “Now let’s see what this report has to say about the case of these injured animals…” as Fluttershy read the report her eyes grew in shock “fire, magic burns, and dead animals! What happened to these animals, who could have done such a thing!” she yelled, not expecting an answer. “I can tell you who did it…” Fluttershy jolted up in the air at this, but quickly regained her composure and turned to face the voice behind her. An unnerving pony walked around a corner of a nearby building and showed themselves, before her very eyes the pony was changing, shedding its skin and growing in size. Fluttershy froze up in fear when she saw its eyes, they held a very close resemblance to that of Nightmare Moon’s, for a moment Fluttershy thought she had returned and wanted revenge, until the large cloaked pony pulled down its cloak. Fluttershy desperately wanted to scream its name, but didn’t. It was a face Fluttershy never thought she would see ever again in her lifetime because she was supposed to be dead, a face that bore a purple coat and a navy blue mane with a highlight running through it, a face that deeply hurt her but never filled her with resent like her friends, it was the face of Twilight Sparkle. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Hey Fluttershy...” Twilight said slowly, unsure with what to say next, but then again her last experience with another friend wasn’t so pleasant. When Fluttershy failed to respond within Twilight’s desired amount of time she felt her blood start to boil. “Just calm down Twilight, Fluttershy’s different than Applejack, right?” She thought hopefully although her hope had taken a large blow from Applejack. “Twilight…” Fluttershy gasped while charging at Twilight, unknowingly making a mistake. Twilight raised a hoof; her first instinct was to deliver a hard blow at incoming mare but was stopped, mid-swing, by the look of warmth in Fluttershy’s eyes, obviously this wasn’t an attack. Fluttershy wrapped her arms tightly around Twilight’s legs, with them being the highest part Fluttershy could grasp. Followed up by a torrent of tears were coming out of the mare’s eyes. “Oh…Twilight I missed you so much” Fluttershy sobbed. Twilight felt her blood begin to settle, looking at the mare cry melted some of the Ice covering Twilight’s heart. Looking at her friend filled Twilight with a feeling she hadn’t felt in ages, it was shame, and this time it wasn’t a lie. “Fluttershy I’m back now and this time there’s a good chance I’m staying…” She shook Fluttershy off her legs, it wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the gesture, but it was quite awkward experiencing it after so long. Fluttershy gave a faint expression of hurt at this but didn’t press for an explanation, instead she just back up a few steps and gave Twilight some space. “Why Twilight, why did you leave us?” Fluttershy questioned her. “The question I dreaded to explain to such a kind heart, I can only hope she’ll accept it.” Twilight though, hesitating for a few moments before speaking. “Greed founds its way into me, and unfortunately knowledge was the want I lusted for, and before I knew it a decade went by before my very eyes, Fluttershy you must understand I meant to return! But th-” Twilight abruptly stopped herself before she finished. “No I might as well spare her from the knowledge of the horrors of the Library; I don’t want her pity anyway” she thought grimly. “It’s okay, if you don’t to tell me I’m fine with that.” Fluttershy began “but, why did you return?” Twilight just decided to come clean and state her intentions, Fluttershy seemed like she didn’t hold any grudges towards her. “I paid for what I did Fluttershy, even when I had what I wanted I still felt something was missing, I can’t do this anymore alone, I need help. So I ask for your forgiveness, and a second chance in friendship.” Twilight stated her voice prominent with honeyed coldness. Fluttershy just eyed her; obviously she picked up on Twilight’s tone. She gave Twilight a look of pity, something Twilight hated. “Twilight…” She felt her heart stop at these words “I forgive you, I didn’t why would I be the element of kindness.” She sighed in relief “Perhaps Fluttershy will be able to get that southern hick to forgive me too.” “But Twilight I’m sorry I just can’t give you a second chance, I don’t need to be the element of honesty to know you’re lying, or at least intentionally not telling me everything, If you’re going to do that from the start what type of friend will you be? You look the same and sound the same, but you’ve changed.” Twilight’s face scrunched up in controlled ire at the verbal hits, clamping down her teeth she lowered her head and looked eye level to Fluttershy. “I really need you Fluttershy; I insist you change your mind, unless you want what Applejack got.” Twilight threatened. Fluttershy returned the glare but with deep sadness and shaking her head, this puzzled her. “No Twilight I just don’t want to be friends with a pony like you, especially with what you did to Applejack, she came earlier telling me to be on my guard, to look out for a cloaked pony, but I saw her injuries and now I understand that you caused them.” Those words blew out Twilight’s rage like a candle. “Fine Fluttershy, goodbye I guess” Just as Twilight said that pressure rapidly built up in her throat, within seconds she was writhing on the ground suffocating, in front of Fluttershy. Then Twilight felt a series of strong blows to her lungs and back, what was in her was dislodged by the blows and coughs racked her body until something came out. It was a black tar-like substance. “Twilight are you okay! What was is that?” Fluttershy shrieked, still panicking. “I’m fine Fluttershy, you best be on your leave now, also thank you.” She insisted as Twilight got back up. Fortunately Fluttershy got the notion and trotted away to her hospital filled with wounded animals. Twilight stared at the substance, trembling at the realization forming in her head. She dabbed the substance with a hoof, the feeling was very familiar for it was what Nev couldn’t help but constantly leak out of himself, throughout the cracks and cavities that riddled his rotten body. The substance that could only hint towards what she believed would never happen. Her body was still transforming along with the alien feeling of fear filling her mind. “My body is turning into a monstrosity, similar to the one that housed Nev. The growth, the loss of feeling in most of my body, and now Nev’s vile substance coming out of me, once again damn that vile dragon!” she thought angrily, madness edging on her, threatening to take over. But the conversion Fluttershy gave her a sense of exhaustion; probably because of how much emotion she expressed and her newfound discovery had drained her mentally. Teleporting to the outskirts of Appleloosa Twilight lay down under a secluded overhang. Another thought formed in her head. “Applejack you make me feel like an enraged monster, but you Fluttershy you bring out what’s left of my former self, two out of five friends reject me, am I doomed?” As exhaustion overtook her, indifference returned freezing her over. Twilight closed her heavy eyelids and departed into sleep for the first time in over five centuries, not even bothering to guard her mind before it happened.