//------------------------------// // CHAPTER TWENTY TWO:The Confrontation // Story: The Bizarre Case Of Minty And Malty // by Speedy //------------------------------// Whistle couldn’t sleep, all she could do was trot back and forth in the hospital's waiting room. They had brought Minty in over two hours ago and she was taken into immediate surgery. The others thought she really had been in some sort of fight but Whistle thought maybe the whole changing back and forth is starting to take it’s toll on her, the thing that had made her think this was an black eye being in the same exact place as Minty’s last black eye. Whistle couldn’t bear this waiting, to her it was the ultimate torture and soon enough somepony noticed she wasn’t asleep. Sparkleworks, who looked very sleep deprived all of a sudden, spoke “W-Whistle? Why are you still up?” “I can’t sleep, not until I know how she is” Whistle replied. She was trotting in circles until Sparkleworks had placed a hoof on her shoulder. Whistle looked behind her and gripped her friend’s hoof, seeing her comforting smile helped in taking some of the stress off of her shoulders but it wasn’t quite enough. “I know how you feel” Sparkleworks paused and took a peek behind her, she was sure everypony else was asleep but she trotted Whistle out of earshot just the same. “Tell me, how do you really feel about Minty?” Whistle stared at her curiously as if she had heard an entirely different question. “She’s my best friend, BFF” she replied. “Uh huh, and you weren’t the most worried out of everypony?” Sparkleworks asked. Whistle tilted her head as if her friend was talking nonsense. “I don’t follow---” “Look,” Sparkleworks interrupted. “I can pretty much guess as I was in the same spot when I met Star Catcher”. Suddenly it dawned on Whistle what her friend was getting at and it made her feel, quite indifferent. “O-Oh---but we’re just friends” she blushed, scratching the back of her head. Sparkleworks shook her head as she spoke “I know how you are around her, and when she’s in danger you really get fired up---” “That’s because I really care about her safety!” Whistle blurted out, she was half tempted to argue but she didn’t feel up to the effort. “---right. Well, when she comes to I think you two should talk” Sparkleworks finished her sentence. “Oh for Celestia’s sake...” Whistle thought to herself. She went to speak but Sparkleworks held a hoof over her mouth to keep her silent. “Look, here comes the nurse I think”. A female dragon trotted from the door Whistle was endlessly trotting by, she approached them and said “Your friend pulled through, she should be in room three thirteen in about two minutes” then she left as soon as she had arrived. Whistle felt so relieved that she could had passed out right on the spot. “I see you’re eager, but wait two more minutes. I’ll wake everypony in three” Sparkleworks smiled and returned to her previous seat with the others. Whistle was more than eager although she couldn’t think of another word to describe how she felt at this moment. She galloped in place and stared at the clock which moved so slowly she was sure that Discord had messed with the flow of time again. Finally, after an unbearable two minute wait, Whistle galloped down the hall and turned the corner and stopped to see the room numbers. She had to go up an floor but finding the room wasn’t hard, it was at the very end of the hall and down another corner. She reached for the doorknob but had pulled back, using its reflective surface she straighten her mane and flicked dirt out of her fur. After she was done she opened the door, smiling greatly as she whispered “Hey Minty” but stopped mid sentence as she saw that the room was empty. She was confused and checked the room number again, it was the correct number. She looked in the room again in hopes she had just overlooked Minty, she quickly noticed the bed was askew as if somepony had recently slept in it. Perhaps the nurse gave the wrong room number? There was nothing else to do but go back and check but just as she turned around and began trotting she noticed a familiar tail turning the far corner. Whistle galloped and after turning the corner herself saw that she was right, Minty was out of bed and she was dragging herself along the wall for support. Whistle hovered over and said “Minty! Why aren’t you in bed?” her words might had startled Minty for she had jumped clear across the hall. Minty turned back and Whistle saw that she was covered from head to toe in bandages, only small amounts of fur were visible. “S-Stop! Get back, Whistle!” shouted Minty. “Minty, why are you sneaking out?” Whistle asked. She started to hover over but had flinched backwards as Minty shouted “Because I’m no longer safe! This hospital would just be Heaven for Malty---easy prey for her..” Whistle hovered closer again and Minty stepped backwards, still clutching the wall for support. “W-Whistle---please..! I don’t want her to hurt you!” Minty bellowed. Suddenly she slipped but had clung onto a movable bed that was left in the hall. “I couldn’t live if I killed you too!” “Where were the doctors?” Whistle kept asking herself this as she tried to get closer to Minty, but every inch just made her friend panic even more. Finally, Minty ducked under the bed and overturned it as she fled. Whistle shouted as she was almost crushed under the bed if not for her instincts kicking in, she had flew backwards dodging the bed before going full speed ahead as it hit the floor with a loud crash. Her bones were aching and felt like shattering under her weight but Minty knew she had to get out of the hospital, it was just too risky with all these vulnerable lives. She had made it to the next corner which split two ways and formed somewhat of an crossroad, she turned left and halted when she heard voices and recognized them as her friends. At seeing their shadows she turned back and made for the other direction just to meet another obstacle, it lead to the lounge where the doctors and nurses hanged between shifts. Minty turned back again but froze as she heard the words “By my stars, is that Minty!” and knew that her friends had just spotted her. She hurried along the wall just for Whistle to appear and block her exit. “She’s trying to run!” Whistle shouted, their friends gasped and began trotting over. “No! Stop!” Minty shouted at them. “You don’t understa---” “Ms.Minty!” came a shout from behind, an doctor had just appeared at the lounge door. “You get back to bed this very instant!” Minty was cornered not by two routes, but three, and what made matters even worse was that she began to feel sharp pain in her teeth. She yelped and kneeled over, seeming to throw up. Almost at once Whistle knew what was happening, the coffin was nailed shut as Minty turned to her and her yellow eyes were pulsating. Whistle quickly rushed over but was suddenly bucked hard in the face. Now everypony was rushing over which was the opposite of what Minty wanted. Her time about out she looked and prayed for a way out and didn’t care what it was, then she saw a window directly behind her. It seemed too good to be true and she knew that if she took this fourth route then she wouldn’t survive the landing. She could feel her teeth sharpening and her eyesight was going, she knew there wasn’t any time left. Everypony were mere feet away and another second would be her capture, with Malty breaking free another second later. Minty took this chance, Whistle saw Minty galloping for the window. Pushing Sparkleworks aside she galloped and yelled “Minty stop!” but she was too late. The window shattered as Minty jumped straight through it, as she fell she could hear her friends’ cries. *** Minty trotted in utter darkness, a void deprived of any form of life. Nothing but endless nothingness as far as her eyes could see, she wasn’t even sure if she was moving or not. She reached up and went to feel the air, while there wasn’t any she did felt something like water. She saw what resembled grey ripples and redrew her hoof, where was she? For a moment she thought of an answer but laughed at the silly idea, however, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was right. She repeated herself merely to hear the question, “Am I’m---dead?” it seemed like an strong possibility now that she thought about it. The last thing she recalled was leaping from an third story window and hitting concrete, then she awoke here. She didn’t even remember waking up, she was just here all of a sudden, could this be the afterlife? Or could it be purgatory for everything Malty had done? “Well---” Minty started to speak but suddenly felt cotton mouthed. “---if I am dead, then at the very least the others---and Whistle---are safe” she looked up and saw nothing but black emptiness. “Yep, no more suffering because of me..” Minty laid down and looked at her reflection, she found it odd that the ground, unlike every other direction, had something other than blackness. But why does it resemble water? That she wasn’t sure of but she also didn’t really care. “All I wanted was to create unique candy, new flavors---new shapes---a new meaning to my boring life..” Minty spoke to herself. As she talked her reflection seemed to had reflected her thoughts, for now Malty was staring her back. “You---how could candy create you?” she asked the reflection which stared intensely at her. “I used the salts in my other experiments, so why not all of them? Why just the peppermints? Don’t look at me like that!” she snapped at the reflection. She felt enraged. ”Why? Where did I go wrong!?” she asked as she bucked at the reflection before rolling over onto her side where she began sobbing. “So many you killed...and I don’t even know why! Just that you turned me into a monster and I am glad to be dead!” Minty sobbed, and sobbed, and felt so terrible it was like her heart was crying itself out instead of her. She grasped her chest and tried to calm down as she rolled onto her back. “Am I---a good pony?” she asked herself as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Am I’m just insane? Well..at least it’s over” Minty took an inhale and with great difficulty she exhaled while saying the words “I feel inside that it's truly is over”. Minty took another but even greater sigh, she looked up at the black void and wondered how far it truly stretched. “No pony can never know...they wouldn’t even understand Malty” she spoke aloud, her eyes wandering the empty void above her. “They would just----be scared, or just wouldn’t believe it”. Minty reached up and again felt water, she watched the grey ripples as she said “They would just focus on the tragedy and over look my intentions.” she redrew her hoof and found it was quite dry despite feeling like she had just touched water. “So much death and suffering by my hooves..heh, perhaps it is better this way. I mean, I could get used to this”. Minty took an third sigh and felt some sort of content by her death. Closing her eyes and relaxing herself she said “Malty will never again harm a pony, or dragon, it’s all over---” “Did you really think, that I would ever let you go?” interrupted an gruffy and hoarse voice. Minty sat upright at the voice she had just heard and held her mouth in shock, she breathed slowly and tried to calm herself down. “You’re just a reflection---an figment of my imagination---not real...” “Oh I’m very real, my sister!” interrupted the same voice. Minty opened her eyes only to jump and fall over as her double, Malty, was suddenly face to face with her. “Do you really think that you’d ever be free?” Malty asked. “Ha! If you thought that, then I’m truly sorry to say it isn’t so!” Minty couldn’t believe this and when Malty had outstretched a hoof to help her stand she truly thought that she was insane. This just couldn’t be real, how could both of them be here at the same time? “B-But how could this be happening?” Minty stuttered, her entire body shivering. “H-How c-c-could this be h-h-happening?” Malty mocked her, laughing maniacally. “Sorry to be the one to ya this sis, but it won’t be that easy to get rid of me!” Malty saw that Minty was refusing her helping hoof, she shrugged and told her twin “For as long as you live I shall be here, just asleep within your very soul”. Minty picked herself up and was grateful that her injuries hadn’t carried over. “Where are we?” she asked. Malty gave a puzzled look before turning to look around them. “Ah, right, you wouldn’t remember..” Malty replied as she started to trot, Minty felt the urge to follow her. “This is my home, where I roam while you’re awake. But for me, it’s never filled with dreams---just this”. Malty looked back and saw an confused look on Minty’s face. “Ah yes, expected you were moron enough not to follow” she laughed. “This is where you dream, Minty”. “My dreams..?” Minty repeated, taking another glance around her she found that hard to believe. “Yes, though don’t count on any help. It’s a black void, fitting ain’t it?” Malty asked before she fully turned around and stared at Minty who looked very stable all of a sudden. She was sure Minty would had at least been a little stunned. “You get to suffer exactly like I had, though at least for an time, you won’t be alone..” Suddenly Minty started to feel her rage building but she wasn’t sure why, she just hated seeing Malty with such a wide grin. “So?” she asked her twin. “So?” Malty blinked. “So? Is that all you have to say? We’re finally meeting, you and I! And all you can say is so!?” “I don’t care what you say” Minty returned. She had enough listening to her twin, she turned away saying “You’re just a figment of my guilt, what I see in the mirror---” when suddenly Malty was face to face with her again. “Do you know how stupid that just sounded?” Malty asked as Minty fell over in shock, she laughed. “I'm what you face when you look in the mirror! HA----come to think of it that could be an book title...almost ashamed I gave that life up” Malty said with a shrug. Minty stared at her in shock, being right in her face had made her heart skip a beat. As if Malty was reading her thoughts she bowed her head, took off her hat, and grinned widely. “You wonder why my face is so horrific?” Malty asked, but Minty didn’t answer. “I must had gulped down the entire peppermint patch I cooked up, I didn’t want to fade away again so to be sure I had many hours I ate, and ate, and ate.” Malty grinned showing her sharp teeth. “Mommy always said too much sugar will ruin your teeth”. Malty stared at the ground and at her reflection, she bared her teeth like she had just brushed them. “I blame the salts, and you.” Malty paused as she pointed at Minty like she had just caught her in the act of something terrible. “I don’t blame you for being silent, heck I was terrified myself---until I busted out laughing. I look just like Nightmare Moon, that’s what I said the first time this happened. I don’t know what the salts are or why they react to the peppermints, suppose it’s the orange sauce, or syrup, or whatever you’re calling them these days. But, sadly, the last batch used them all up. Luckily, however...” Minty blinked and suddenly Malty was gone, she heard laughter from behind and she swore her heart had just stopped. Malty was staring down at her, licking her teeth. “After tonight I won’t have any need to dig them back up from their hiding spot” Malty grinned, barking at Minty she laughed at the startled reaction. “H-How did you do that?” Minty asked, if her heart wasn’t beating so fast she would’ve swore that bark had bursted it. “Did what?” Malty asked in return. “Teleporting!” Minty shouted suddenly. “We’re Earth ponies, we can’t teleport!” Malty offered another laugh while flicking back her mane. “Clearly, you failed to understand me earlier” she spoke. Malty trotted past Minty before turning around and went a few paces backwards, she bent her knees and flicked up her head upward. The ground shook, cracking open, Minty held her mouth as a pillar rose from the ground. Malty looked down and smirked, she laughed at her twin’s expression. “I lived here for over two years, I can control it now. You,” she paused and Minty thought she had some sort of laughing disorder. “well let’s not get carried away with ourselves”. Minty’s body shook with fear, her content feeling was completely taken away. She was scared, frightened for her life if she still had one. Then she remembered what Malty had said, but would it even work? She supposed it was worth a try as she had nothing else to lose. She stood up and looked at her twin who from this distance she might as well had been an tiny ant. Suddenly another echo of Malty’s words had entered Minty’s mind. “You said this was where I dream..” she whispered. “That I did, ten points for remembering!” Malty clapped her fore hooves and gave a small whistle. “Then...then this isn’t real!” Minty said loudly, she heard Malty give a loud sigh. “You’re just a nightmare! That’s it! Has to be, you’re just an dying scream. An echo, the last bits of memory I’m trying to hold on---” “This isn’t a dream!” bellowed Malty as if she had the Royal Voice turned up to an extreme high as the entire void shook. Minty looked up, her knees were shaking. “And it will never end! This is the nightmare that goes on for eternally! And guess what, sis!” Minty gulped. “No matter what you may pretend, I am here to stay and I’ll flourish in life when you are gone!” Malty held her chest in laughter, she thought that maybe she did have a disorder? But she didn’t care, she was just too happy in this moment that she felt was her finest hour. “No! You won’t!” Minty yelled back, somehow she had regained her courage on an rim as she went to add “You seem to had forgotten, I jumped to my death!” “Yeah, so?” Malty asked, sounding indifferent. “Well, I couldn’t had survived that fall! Not with my injuries, so you’re stuck here as much as I am!” Minty paused to breathe, then she shouted “Take that and eat it, sis” Malty looked taken aback which had greatly pleased Minty, she smiled and thought she had gain the upper hoof. “Very well thought out” Malty spoke clapping once more, why did she seem so happy if Minty was right? “But you forgot just one tiny detail..” Minty gulped again, what had she overlooked? She was sure whatever Malty was about to say had to be an attempt to trick her into denial. “You were changing into me when you jumped” Malty grinned. Minty gasped, she was right, the reason she had jumped was because Malty was trying to take control at the worse possible moment. “T-That doesn’t matter, I’ll rest peacefully as you disappear forever! You can’t trick me Malty!” Minty had shouted in hopes to derail the subject. Malty gave an chuckle as she stood straight upright. “I’ll live forever~ Each and every day you’ll feel me devour your soul~” “Why are you singing?” Minty asked, but Malty ignored her. “And I know that now and forever, they’ll never be able to separate Minty from Malty~” “Stop singing! It’s time for you to die and to leave me alone!” Minty shouted, slamming her hooves down and for a moment Malty was distracted by the many grey ripples. “I won’t die~ Only you~” “If I die, you die too!” bellowed Minty who was getting more and more frustrated by each passing second. Suddenly Malty popped out of thin air in front of Minty and she tapped her chest, Minty gulped at the pointed teeth. “If you die in me, than I become you~” Minty gasped in horror, Malty grinned even more as she laughed menacingly. “No..no..darn you just leave me alone!” Minty yelled as she turned to gallop but once more Malty had teleported in front of her, she was backed up until she was pressed against the pillar. “Can’t you see? I AM you!” Malty shouted with glee. Minty repeatedly shook her head and kept repeating “You’re lying” over and over in hopes of drowning her out. “Haven’t you ever wondered why you suddenly grew an attitude, wondered why you snapped at your friends in anger, wondered why you been acting slightly different for the last two years?” Malty spoke, trying to tell Minty the truth that she has been denying for the last two months. “No---you’re lying! Trying to---” Minty yelped as Malty’s face became too close for comfort. “It’s the very same reason why I was so nice to Thistle Whistle when I could’ve cared less,” Malty bared her teeth, a bit annoyed that she was unable to grind them. “it even explains why I tried to be proper when I hated that lifestyle! Listen to me my sister”. “No!” bellowed Minty, she felt like an prey who was about to be killed and eaten by the predator. She jumped forward and galloped but Malty had managed to grab her. “Deep down inside---” “You are me! You’re Malty!” Minty’s twin yelled, releasing her grip as she stared Minty dead center in her face. “No! Never!” Minty shouted back,almost spitting into Malty’s face. Minty kept turning her head to avoid looking her twin straight in the face, but Malty simply grabbed her head and focused her to as she spoke “Yes and it’s forever sis! Better get used to it.” Malty suddenly let go and trotted a few paces away. “We’re the same you and I---stop trying to deny it, after all your friends will have to adjust to this change when it’s made permanent”. Minty’s eye shot straight open at these words, Malty grinned with an menacingly chuckle. “Oh didn’t I mention?” Malty asked, pretending to feel guilt. “Yes, you’re finally using your brain! Way to go! With you dead I won’t be chained down anymore, whatever was stopping me from killing them will die off along with you”. Minty realized she may had made a grave mistake in jumping out that window, but she didn’t see an better alternative at the time as she was changing. Was there just nothing she could had done to stop her evil twin? The thought of Malty using her own hooves to kill her friends made her sick to her stomach, she won’t allow it to happen, she just couldn’t. “No, you won’t” Minty spoke as she stood up straight and stared her twin dead in her snake-like eyes. “Because you’ll die with me”. “I’m afraid it won’t be that simple” Malty returned. She stepped back then suddenly disappeared, as Minty would’ve guessed, she was back atop her pillar. “You’re dying, Minty. I have no doubt that the doctors will try to revive you, and when we wake---only one of us is going to be there to greet them!” Minty stared at the surrounding blackness, she was thinking on what Malty had said before. “This is where I dream..” she whispered. Sdidn’t have another option, she had to try it. She bent her knees and flicked her head upward while thinking as hard as she could “Please..let me do this..” then she felt herself being lifted. When the sensation had stopped she opened her eyes to see an startled Malty, she grinned. “You may live here, but it’s my world!” Malty gave what Minty was sure was a forced laugh. “What good it’ll good ya...so, I suppose this is it? The last stand as some would call it?” Malty asked. Minty nodded, and so did Malty. “Very well,” started Malty as she straightened herself up. “then as one famous stallion once said---let’s duel!” Spiked spears had suddenly materialized besides Malty, they had shot forward with such speed Minty barely had enough time to jump out of their way. As they shattered her pillar Minty fell through the void. She thought of an cloud breaking her fall and suddenly, right as she was about to fall into a pit of spikes that had materialized, a cloud had formed underneath her. Malty gave a loud growl and fell from above, a sword clutched in her teeth. Minty thought of an unbreakable shield and it appeared right in her hooves, she thrusted the shield upward and Malty’s sword shattered on impact. “Imagination gives power here, but it won’t help you much” snarled Malty who was hovering backwards like she suddenly had wings. Malty grinned and Minty felt an bad omen, suddenly her ears perked up and her tiny cloud began shaking. She was suddenly on a dirt road and a stampede of buffalo was heading her way. Minty panicked and jumped, she fell endlessly and she wished an giant eagle would save her. Malty suddenly teleported below with two spears clutched in her hooves, she snarled angrily as an eagle materialized under Minty. It carried her up and back around to Malty who had materialized a hunting rifle. “No!” Minty shouted but before she could think of anything the eagle cried as it was shot and it vanished in a thick cloud of smoke. Falling again Minty closed her eyes and pictured herself appearing next to Malty while hold a baseball bat, she felt herself touch the ground and she went to swing. SMACK she felt the bat as well as her forelegs shook uncontrollably, but she smiled as Malty’s nose started to bleed. Malty growled as the blood rushed back into her nose and it became healed, suddenly she was wearing spiked boxing gloves as she threw herself at Minty. In the fraction of an second Minty had materialized normal boxing gloves as the two went back and forth with punches that the other kept dodging. That was until Malty managed to land a blow into Minty’s side, she wrenched in pain as she felt the spikes ripping at her flesh. “Y-You cheated!” Minty cried as she stared her twin dead center in her face. “Did I?” Malty asked, grinning widely. “And here I thought there were no rules” Malty returned as she violently tossed Minty to the ground. Minty whaled in pain as her side began bleeding, taking an note from Malty she wished it was healed. It felt extremely odd as her blood rushed back into the wounds as they magically healed. She flipped over onto her back, Malty laughed and with one swirl of her coat suddenly vanished and reappeared what must had been a mile away. Suddenly as the ground shook something fierce, from below Malty a gigantic hammer rose up from nothingness. As it rose maybe twenty feet into the air Malty looked down and smiled. Heart pumping fast Minty wished that she had an giant cannon, a moment later the ground shook violently again as a cannon rose and met the same height as Malty’s hammer. Malty offered an faint “Uh oh..” just before it went off and the loudest bang Minty had ever heard filled the endless void, but surprisingly it didn’t hurt her ears at all. As the smoke faded away she looked at the spot where Malty and her hammer should be at but she only saw a deep crater, she smiled just before an powerful blow had collided with the back of her head. “I’m getting tired of this game..” Malt growled as she snapped her teeth like a predator advancing on an injured prey. As her twin advanced Minty thought of a river washing her away, there was a loud rumble and from above came a roaring river. Minty watched and grinned as Malty failed to avoid it as she was swept away, unable to break free she cursed atop her lungs. Minty closed her eyes and pictured the rushing water carrying Malty over a cliff but suddenly she began coughing excessively. She opened her eyes and saw blood dripping onto her hooves. She offered a faint scream and wished the blood away, as well as wishing that the rushing water would carry Malty into an active volcano. Minty stood up and wished that she would wake up and be with her friends again, but this wish didn’t come true as she was still in the black void. “Please...don’t let any more be hurt by my hooves...I bet you---” Minty trailed off as suddenly she heard a growl from behind and she quickly rolled out of the way. Minty fell down a small hill and suddenly felt her limbs being restrained, she looked up and saw that she was inside a giant bowl. High above her she saw an equally giant cooking utensil being materialized and as it fell her eyes clamped shut. She heard a loud crash and she bit her lip tightly, but she was unharmed. Opening her eyes she saw that her last minute imagery had worked, she was outside the bowl and was looking down into it. Sighing in great relief Minty said “Thank you, Luna...” Suddenly the giant cooking utensil had lifted again and it had just barely missed Minty’s mane, as it went to stab her she jumped and rolled over. Minty wished that she had pictured Malty in her place when she had the chance. Looking straight up she saw the utensil diving for her yet again, snapping her eyes shut she imagined it turning into thin air and she felt a warm breeze rushing past her. As she stood up gasping for air Malty had suddenly tackled her to the ground. They stood up, forelegs locked around the other’s and they gave each a death glare. “Just give up and die!” Malty snarled as she tried to push Minty down. “You lived your life, now give me mine!” “It was never your life!” shouted Minty who was trying with all her might to remain standing, but Malty was quickly overpowering her. “It’s mine, stop trying to ruin it!” The two fought as hard as they could while trying to push the other down and free their forelegs, Malty gave an hard push and Minty fell to her knees. Minty’s hind legs were buckling under the increasing weight. “N-No..! I won’t let you beat me!” she cried. “Just mare up and accept it” barked Malty, she twisted her forelegs and Minty yelped. “We can fight for all eternally if you like, but the only way for you to find peace is to set me free!” Minty stared into her twin’s face and with an powerful yell shouted “NEVER!” “Then die a painful death!” Malty shouted back, she twisted her forelegs again as snakes suddenly slid out of her sleeves. As they wrapped around Minty’s forelegs she screamed, it felt like her legs were breaking in half and she wanted nothing more but for the pain to end. Minty tried to relieve the pain, try to turn the tables on her twin, but she couldn’t, she was being overwhelmed. Black shadows had emerged from the corner of her eyes and they were slowly being engulfed by them, sure that she was dying she began shedding tears, she had failed. Her vision nearly gone she saw Malty with an crude grin, she didn’t want to die and she sure as Tartarus didn’t want Malty to win. But she could barely stand any longer, she felt weaker and weaker with each passing moment. Yet with all her might she uttered the words “Luna---please help me...” she heard a loud chuckle from Malty who just busted out laughing into her face. “She won’t help you, she can’t even if she could get here! Just like how your friends couldn’t help you” Malty grinned, leaning in closer she licked Minty’s ear before whispering the words “I think I’ll kill Thistle Whistle first..since she’s the closest one to you..” All at once Minty snapped back to her senses as if an very loud bell chime had awoke her, the dark shadows began retreating off of her eyes almost immediately as she squinted them. “Yes, how sad it’ll be---killed by her best friend!” Malty laughed as she redrew her head, Minty felt enraged. ”They’ll sing about me for years to come! MALTY! The greatest serial killer Equestria had ever known! Though it’s sad they’ll never know, that my greatest triumph, came at the price of your greatest failure”. Malty stared into Minty’s eyes, licking her sharp teeth as she spoke “Don’t worry, for our own friendship I’ll make it quick. Thistle Whistle’s a good mare, though it’s sad she betrayed me for you” for just a fraction of an moment Minty thought she had seen guilt on Malty’s face, but suddenly she grinned widely saying “Well! Time to die, Minty!” Malty gathered all of her remaining energy so that she can force Minty down, the snakes which were snickering fell silent as they suddenly faded into smoke as Minty wouldn’t budge. Malty blinked, she looked at their entangled forelegs before trying again but Minty simply wouldn’t move. “I won’t let you hurt my friends” Minty spoke through gritted teeth, amazingly she had regained her full strength and as she stood up she focused it all into her hooves. “No!” snarled Malty who struggled to subdue Minty. “It isn’t fair! I only had 2 years of life!” she fell to her knees, glaring up into her twin’s face she shouted “Why should you get more years than me! I-It isn’t fair!” Malty fought against Minty’s grip but she was holding on tight, if she couldn’t force Minty down than she’d had to try something else. She pictured Minty being impaled by a large knife and blood pouring out from her chest, but nothing happened. Malty was perplexed, she tried again. This time she pictured Minty strapped to an grill set so high it would rival Tartarus’ heat. She was let down for a second time and she became extremely worried, why was this realm failing her now of all times? Malty’s forelegs began wobbling under Minty’s weight, she tried at least three more times to summon something, anything, but no matter what she imaged nothing came to her aid. Minty gripped her forelegs very tightly and gave an heated sniff, Malty gave what she feared was her final curse. “You-won’t-hurt-anypony-else-ever-again!” Minty spoke, spitting into her twin’s face. She took all the strength that she could muster and with all her might she pushed forward. “Take all your evil and burn in Tartarus Malty!” Malty fell to the ground with a loud thud, she had reached out a hoof but she suddenly froze up. Starled Minty stepped backwards as beams of light began penetrating from her twin’s body. Malty screamed in pain as she held her mouth, her body broke apart as more beams of light penetrated her. She attempted to stand but had only made it to her knees when the biggest beam of light yet had bursted out from within her chest. She gave the loudest and most earpericing screamed that Minty had ever heard, but she was unaffected. There was a blue flash that had momentarily blinded Minty, and then, only tiny sparkles remained. Minty stared at them as they fell and disappear, she had done it even though she previously thought it’d be impossible, Malty was gone. Minty felt something odd, something like an voice from within her ears saying “She’ll never come back” and she felt truly happy at the words. With an wide grin she took one more look around at the black void. Whether she would fade or remain here she didn’t care, if this was to be her new home she would gladly accept it. She wasn’t sad nor guilt driven anymore, once more she felt fully content. “Ouch!?” she suddenly screamed as an jolt of pain surged through her system, “What in Equestia was tha--” another jolt of pain and she fell over onto her back. She began having what felt like a severe seizure, her body twitched, her mouth began foaming and her hooves banged hard against the ground. “What is happening to m-me..?” Minty asked after a third jolt of pain had surged through her, she suddenly felt very weak to the point that she couldn’t even move her legs. A fourth jolt of pain surged through her and she fell completely numb. She was paralyzed, her eyes became locked on the empty void above. Her vision once again became blurred but she thought she had seen something hanging over her and she felt something similar to rain pouring against her face. Whatever was above her had started to descend, she felt wet as many grey ripples had formed around her. An light had shined from above and her body was enveloped in it. Now the void resembled a tunnel that was speeding by at an high speed, it was then that she realized nothing was falling, she was flying upward. The dark void was so blurred now that she couldn’t see anything anymore but she was certain whatever was above her was moving, it was like it was talking to her. She thought she was going to collide with it but suddenly there was a great jolt and she came to an sudden halt as she began screaming her lungs out. “She’s awake!” she heard a very faint voice cry out. “She’s relapsing! Give me another hundred and thirty jolts!” Minty felt a sharp pain in her chest as it stretched forward, her eyes jolted open to see an grey and white blur looking over her. “Stay with us!” the blur spoke while checking her pulse, Minty recognized the voice, it was her doctor. When the doctor had moved she caught a glimpse of two different things, rain hammering down against her face, and Whistle. Minty was sure she looked terrified but she thought she had seen a smile form on her face. She leaned up an inch or two and immediately felt light headed, the doctor eased her back down saying something that she couldn’t quite make out. She heard Whistle’s voice and she looked over at her, Minty wasn’t sure if she had smiled or not as her body felt very numb. As she started to look around she heard more voices, standing around her in an circle were more blurs that she was sure were her friends. She was certain the two larger blurs were Star Catcher and Lily, or maybe one of them was Tropical Dream, she couldn’t be sure as she couldn’t even make out their fur color. She must had mumbled something funny as they laughed and giggled, Minty hoped she was smiling as she felt so happy. She closed her eyes again, took a big inhale of both rain and air, and then she lost consciousness.