One Can't Escape Their Own Past

by Hazel_Hester777

Another Life Reset

“Fluttershy!” Twilight cried, running to the mare. She didn’t waste a second to hug her. “Oh, I was so worried”

“Whoa! What happened to your mane?” Rainbow commented upon noticing her friend’s manecut. To her, it looked cool and intimidating at the same time.

“C’mon, Bunny! Let’s go greet Fluttershy!” Spike grabbed the alien’s paw. She didn’t move; all she did was stare. “Bunny, what’s wrong?”

Bunny didn’t answer. It didn’t seem like her to just stay frozen when her boss right in front of her. To make things even more confusing, she cringed and whined. Why did she cringe and whine? Something just wasn’t right. Bunny would never just look fearful for no reason.

Twilight pulled back from the hug, wiping off a few tears. She then noticed something wasn’t right. Fluttershy just stared at her. “Are you okay, Fluttershy?”

“Fluttershy?” she scoffed. Without warning, she pulled out her gun as a glare spread across her face. “My name is Slash Wing!”

“Fluttershy?” Twilight tried again, but got the shock of her life when the yellow Pegasus charged at her like a bull and rammed her to the wall!

“What the hay?!” Rainbow gaped. Did Fluttershy, the sweetest and most innocent pony of their group, just ram her marefriend to the wall with a headbutt?! This couldn’t be true, it just couldn’t. Their Fluttershy would never do something like that! That is, if she was even still herself.

“Bunny, are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Spike trembled in fear. The alien beside him just nodded. She knew there was something wrong. But she didn’t expect it would be something like this.

Slash Wing groaned as she pulled herself off of the Alicorn. She smiled as she was pleased with her handiwork. Twilight was terribly hurt, indeed. She was even too scared to speak. Was this the little mare she loved? No, it can’t be true. She loves her too much to do something like that.

Though the others were all surprised, confused, and frightened, it was Rainbow, Rarity, Twilight, and Bunny who took it hardest. Rainbow didn’t like what monster Aero turned her sister into, not one bit. She couldn’t contain the hate and Applejack didn’t get to stop her this time from flying in the air. She flew right infront of Aero, though still a few feet away.

“WHAT DID YOU DO HER?!” she yelled. Her tone was cold and harsh, it even sounded like the tone a sister would if her sibling was in trouble.

“I’m trying to protect her!” Aero cried. “I lost her during that fire as a teenager and I wanted her back away from those who tormented her! I just wanted to give her back her life with me and free her from the influence of her captor! I would love her with all my heart!”

“Captor?!” Rainbow’s anger began to fume as her tone became louder. “Fluttershy is my sister! If you wanna know something, I saved her from dying in the wake of the fire and took her in as my own! I protected her during her times of need! She’s our friend! If anypony is her captor, it you!”

“That’s just what you want her to think! You kept her brainwashed by that Alicorn all these years and fed her with your lies and forced her to do whatever you want! I wanted to change that, but…”

“Brainwashed?!” It was now Rarity’s turn to yell. “Fluttershy is my best friend! And how could you accuse Twilight of such a crime! If anypony looks like they’ve brainwashed her, it’s you!”

The words struck Aero directly in the heart. He had never asked the scientist or Pliant to perform any manner of brainwashing on Slash Wing, but now that this pony had brought it up, it sounded quite a bit like they had done just that. Perhaps they had overcompensated for the removal of her preexisting hexes by making one of their own to acclimate her to her old life that much quicker?

“SHUSH YOUR MOUTHS WHEN YOU TALK TO AERO!”

Rarity had no time to react when Slash Wing rammed her into the wall. She could only shriek in shock as she was attacked by the angry Pegasus. She felt more pain than she ever did in her whole life. Her attacker seemed to show almost now signs of hurt or pain or grief as she smirked. This was not the pony she remembered. And she could only look on as Rainbow Dash was attacked.

“Fluttershy, no!” Rainbow cried before the Pegasus rammed her to the wall too. The impact was massive, and painful. She didn’t know her friend could be capable of such harm. When she opened her eyes to the cerulean ones of her attacker, all she saw was anger and violence. The yellow Pegasus sadistically grinned as she let the cyan one fall from the wall. Good thing Applejack caught her in time.

“Fluttershy!” a small voice cried out. Slash Wing grumbled at the puny name her enemies kept calling her. She turned her head to find the source of the voice. It was no other than little Bunny herself. The alien just stood in fear, a few feet away from Spike. The dragon behind her could only watch in horror as the Pegasus rammed her apprentice into the wall like everypony else.

Bunny felt barely any physical pain, but her feelings were indeed hurt. It became bad to worse when the mare began to punch her repeatedly all over. For every punch, she cried out in pain. She barely felt pain due to a Servant’s body being highly resistant to pain, but it felt so real. It felt little, but feelings were really hurt. She managed to look up when the mare stopped. She was eye-to-eye with the pony that used to be her Mistress, no, used to be her friend. It was too hard to believe, even for her. It felt like her old Master Poltrust dying, but he never did hurt her anyway. He was possessed, and that was forgivable. But this was really Fluttershy, brainwashed, who attacked her. With all these emotions mixed up in her, plus the pain inflicted by the one who she cared for, Bunny did something she hadn’t done in a long time. It was the one thing she didn’t do since Poltrust died.

She cried. And not the ordinary soft cry she normally did, but this one was more serious. Her tears fell simultaneously and non-stop. She sobbed really hard, as though she didn’t care if her own voice choked from it. She couldn’t choke anyway. Soon enough, the others who were hit a while back began to join in.

Aero’s expression softened when he saw the situation. He expected that when those of the group were hit, they would flare up and give out the fact that they were faking. But they were just on the opposite terms. The formerly confident and intimidating Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Bunny began to break down and barely looked back up at Slash Wing. They could barely even speak through their silent sobbing. Aero knew about Alicorns as brainwashers, and knew very well about acting. But he could still tell that those were no fake tears from the mares and rabbit. Thiers was not the face of a captor so desperate to get their captive as to fake crying for it. Each of their expressions showed a relationship that was very precious indeed. Slash Wing only stared and backed away into the air in confusion.

Rarity’s was the face of somepony whose best friend had just attacked her in a fit of rage, with no memory of even meeting her. Rainbow’s was the face of a sister whose own sibling had just attacked her in anger, without even knowing they were of that love. Bunny’s was the face of a niece whose aunt had just attacked her in cold blood, treating her as if she nothing more than a common pet. And Twilight’s was that of a lover whose marefriend had just hurt her badly in cold blood, all in the defense of another whom she referred to with the title meant for her. The others wound up comforting them for the hurt, even though they knew it wouldn’t.

Despite all this, Aero did not back down. In fact, he even gratified. He had no remorse whatsoever as he spoke and gave his command to Slash Wing. “Have fun and show them no mercy, Slash Wing”

The yellow Pegasus only nodded, her sadistic grin across her face again. “Yes, my Captain”

Slash Wing decided to choose the one who Aero hated the most: the lavender Alicorn Twilight Sparkle. She swooped down towards the Alicorn, who started to tremble in fear. Twilight saw there was a small gun, right beside her, only one bullet left in it. She didn’t like this. But she grabbed the gun, pointing it towards Slash Wing. The Pegasus froze, but knew she couldn’t do it.

Twilight didn’t even want to pull the trigger. Her hooves shook not only from pain, but also of fear. She just couldn’t bring herself to do it. She loved her too much. She just pointed the gun to herself, on the head.

Slash Wing smirked; she knew Twilight couldn’t do it. She approached the Alicorn until she was right infront of her. She took hold of the gun, ready to shoot this mare once and for all. But, for some strange reason, she felt something stopping her. Nopony was even behind her, it felt like something unseen prevented her from shooting the Alicorn. All she did was stare at her. She stared into Twilight’s eyes. Those dark, purple eyes. Something about those eyes seemed rather…trusting. She felt something about Twilight that was even more confusing, and overwhelming. She tried to resist, even telling herself she loves and must do as Aero commands, but the emotions for Twilight made all efforts futile. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t bring herself to do it when she looked into those eyes. She tried to face away, as to make it easier, but something stopped her.

“It’s okay, Shy. It’s okay” Twilight whispered. A while back she thought it was all over. Her life was about to be taken by the mare loved. But when she closed her eyes for her fate, it never came. When she opened them again, all she saw was a yellow Pegasus who just couldn’t bring herself to shoot the mare before her. She wondered why this was happening. Just a while back, she was about to die. Now, she could see a confused mare who just couldn’t shoot her. She knew only that face was the look of one who didn’t want to shoot somepony they loved. How was this possible? Slash Wing even acted like she never met her. Twilight wondered, but then she remembered something Bunny used to say. If two beings are truly meant to be, they’d recognize each other, no matter what happens, she remembered. She could tell as Slash Wing turned around. But she stopped her by lifting her face with a hoof.

“Look at me, it’s fine”

Slash Wing began to calm down at the sound of Twilight’s voice.

“You’ll be alright”

She began to loosen her grip on the gun.

“I love you”

Slash Wing gave up as she let the gun drop. She couldn’t take it anymore. She began to blush as Twilight hugged her. She knew she had to stop her, but she didn’t want to. She relaxed in the Alicorn embrace. Finally, Twilight faced the mare. There was a small smile on her face.

“I don’t think I know you” Slash Wing whispered. “But you seem trusting”

“Spike, please!” a small voice cried. The two turned around to see a baby dragon dragging a rabbit to them. And the rabbit didn’t seem happy about it. “I don’t wanna go! She might hit me again!”

Slash Wing looked at the creature closer when it was finally beside her. She looked very frightened indeed. But for some strange reason, she felt a connection to her. It was almost as though she was part of her. She picked Bunny up as she quivered.

“There now” she whispered as she pet Bunny, trying to calm her. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I hit you”

Bunny began to calm down. She knew something was done to her Mistress, but she started to act normal. She began to feel better as she scratched her ear. That just caused Bunny to nuzzle her hoof. Slash Wing thought it was cute and began to chuckle at Bunny’s behavior.

“Try rubbing her belly” Twilight whispered.

Slash Wing, though confused, decided to follow what Twilight suggested. She shifted Bunny in her hooves, eventually putting her in a cradled position. She saw the rabbit was confused at the moment. But when Slash wing began to rub her belly with a hoof, it made her giggle. She began to act like how a dog would if it got a belly rub. Slash wing began to think that when that action is done to Bunny, she is always mistaken for a puppy. Nonetheless, she found it adorable when she stopped and the rabbit nuzzled her. She let Bunny back on the floor gently, though she went up to hug her hoof again. It was even funnier when Bunny’s tail began to wag like a dog’s.

Aero’s jaw dropped. How is this happening? Just a while back, it became the end for his enemies. Now, it seemed like things were acting like the way it was. Something was definitely wrong here. He began to glare at Pliant, who was just beside him.

“Okay, I assume something was done to me. Not by you, but somepony else” Slash Wing said to Twilight, trying her best not to giggle as Bunny hugged her hoof. “Maybe Aero knows”

“Can I ask?” Bunny asked in excited tone. “Please!” she began to use her puppy eyes.

Slash Wing sighed, no use fighting something so adorable. Atleast it might stop hugging her hoof. “Fine”

“Yay!” the rabbit chanted, running up towards Aero. If I didn’t know any better, she began to act Pinkie Pie hyper. Her grin began to fade when she remembered the reality of what was going on. She hopped her way up the stairs that led to Aero’s high post.

Aero began to panic as the creature grinned up the stairs, and she was going fast. “Slash Wing!” he called to her. She didn’t even move from her position. “Get this thing to go away!”

Slash Wing looked down. “Something’s wrong, Aero. And you’re hiding it from me. Maybe the rabbit could get something out of you”

Aero stared in shock. Slash Wing, even after the scientists removed the brainwashing, was on their side? He couldn’t take it in as he realized the rabbit was already infront of him. But she didn’t go for him, she went to Pliant. The scientist-watch pony feared the creature. It was a fear that was not helped when the creature climbed up to her until they were face-to-face

The rabbit-like alien stared into Pliant’s eyes, before the hue in them started to change to multicolor. Something about their hue changing colors seemed…mesmerizing. Bunny smirked as her ability took effect and Pliant’s eyes began to change to the same color with hers. Her own eyes changing back to normal, she let herself back down on the floor.

“Now, Plaint, tell me” Bunny began. “Explain what exactly you did to her, why is she acting this way? And make sure everypony here could hear you”

“We lied about the brainwashing” Pliant admitted under Bunny’s control. “There were no traces of brainwashing on Slash Wing but Aero wanted to have her again so badly that we couldn’t find the courage to anger him by telling the truth. So, we made a serum that made her the way he wanted her. It took away her memories from after the fire and made her think that she was rescued by Aero, alive and well. It also made her think wrong about Alicorns, and made her love Aero. We were so afraid about how he would react once he found out the love she feels towards the Alicorn is true”

Aero couldn’t believe it. Pliant, his most trustworthy comrade in the military, had lied to him, even acting as though she and the others did it for his own good. Aero looked back at the mares and baby dragon to see their reaction. Some were in shock, others like Rainbow were fuming mad; some gave a smug face since their claim was true. But that wasn’t the worst.

The worst was Slash Wing’s reaction. She couldn’t believe that Aero, who she thought she loved, had lied to her. She just couldn’t take in the fact that he brainwashed her into loving her and that her life was even a lie. She began to tear up as realized it was all but true. She gladly received the hug that Twilight offered her. Especially since she was her real lover, and would help her get her real life and name back. Twilight, in turn, did her best to comfort her. Rainbow began to soften up as her sister cried. Rarity began to feel both anger and sadness with the state her best friend was in.

Bunny began to burn with anger on the inside. This mare who was before her was the one who made her Mistress and friend act the way she did. She wiped away a tear and did her best to control her rage. “You shall give the antidote to the serum you induced into this mare, even if you know it will cause anger in Aero”

Pliant nodded. “This way to the lab”

The other seven, now including Slash Wing (although she was still slightly crying), followed Bunny behind Pliant.

But Aero wasn’t done. “GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!” he yelled. Though he knew Slash Wing was brainwashed into loving him, he still wanted her.

Slash Wing didn’t like him or his tone. “HUSH YOUR MOUTH!” she yelled as she took to the air and punched Aero directly in the face. She hated him now for what he did to her. And she showed no mercy with the amount of force she used on her punch. In fact, it was so strong that it knocked Aero out unconscious. She just let herself back on the floor, a few feet away from him.

Slash Wing only whispered one thing before breaking down again “I hate you”

Twilight walked up to the mare again, who just accepted her as she was hugged again for comfort. Twilight did her best to try and ease the confusion and hurt Slash Wing felt. “Shh, there there” she whispered to the upset mare. “It will be alright”. She then began to caress the Pegasus’ mane. Twilight didn’t know how Slash Wing would react to this action, but it was worth a try. It began to show progress as the yellow mare started to calm down. Within a few seconds, Slash Wing finally lifted her face to Twilight, who smiled at her.

“Thank you” Slash Wing said, a small smile across her face.

“It was nothing” Twilight responded.

Without waiting anymore, the two rejoined with the others. Bunny told Pliant to lead the way so they can give the antidote as they began to walk again. Slash Wing stayed close to Twilight, not even wanting to move away from her. Twilight began to think that it may be a way of saying that she trusts her.

She didn’t expect it though when the mare gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Slash Wing’s eyes were even closed at that moment, and she smiled for that feeling. It somehow made her feel…complete. Both mares even blushed from that. Twilight was surprised. She didn’t expect this at first, but it felt great. Slash Wing’s next words made her feel even better.

“I love you too”

Twilight and Slash Wing began to walk again, the way a couple in love would.