Chapter Eighteen
*******
Twilight was sitting silently in her hospital bed. Guilt hadn’t contacted her in a day or so, and she considered prodding his mind, if only so that she would have somepony to talk to. She was still weary from her injuries, but she was in a more removed part of the hospital, and since she was in the recovery phase of her term, doctors and nurses rarely visited her except to deliver meals before they scurried off again. She didn’t blame them; there were waves of other patients to attend to, and the hospital was slightly understaffed.
For the first time in a while, though, Twilight realized that she was actually lonely.
She had slept earlier, but her sleep was dreamless. Well, more or less. For a few minutes each hour or so, she would be dropped into a pure white space. It wasn’t a shifting, gray space like Verba’s; it was just a simple white box. And usually, just after she finished completing a single thought with her dream-inhibited mental power, she was ejected out of that world again into her regular sleep cycle. She had to wonder, though, how she was able to retain memories of that dimension of pure light.
So, she was surprised when she heard a knock on her door. It was a formal knock, not too loud, but not too soft, either. It was easy to guess who was on the other side.
“Come in,” Twilight coughed. I haven’t used my voice in a while, she observed.
Luna stepped inside of the room. She looked different, though. Her pelt was a much lighter color than usual, being a day-colored sky blue rather than a night-colored sky blue. Her mane and tail were also much lighter, and it had lost its magical flow, becoming simple, mundane hair. However, her cutie mark and neckerchief were consistent. Luna was displaying no signs of fatigue; she looked as official as ever, despite her other changes in appearance.
“What happened to you, Princess?” Twilight asked.
Luna glanced at herself, smiling slightly. “Well, this is my true form.” She looked at Twilight. “When excess magic builds up in my system, it has to go somewhere. It typically turns my mane and tail into magic and floods my pelt with its blue pigment. Lately, though, I’ve been using my surplus magic to keep myself awake. Celestia doesn’t suffer the same problem; her magic seldom, if ever, depletes, even when she is in arcane combat.”
“And there aren’t any side effects?” Twilight asked.
Luna thought for a moment. “...No, none come to mind. I’m sure that the spell would start to fail after a year or so, but I feel no different after two months of constant consciousness, save a slightly larger appetite.”
“Huh.” That sounds like something I ought to try. Who knows how many hours of sleep I’ve lost when I’m reading a good book, or when I’m organizing the... library, Twilight thought, realizing that Ponyville was all but nonexistent. After the initial battle with Hate, the town was already in ruins. Who knows what it looks like now? “Luna, what happened to Ponyville?”
“...I’m sorry, Twilight, but it was leveled during the battle with Hate,” Luna said solemnly. “All that remains is a dusty field and a few chunks of rubble. All of its citizens, though, had been evacuated to Canterlot and Trottingham before the battle. We believe the forces of Discord are responsible for transporting the townsfolk, but, surprisingly, they are relatively unharmed.”
“‘Relatively?’” Twilight asked.
“It was emotionally upsetting, I’m sure, and they all sustained a few nicks and scratches on the journey, but aside from that they arrived in our custody in a fairly good condition, given the circumstances,” Luna explained.
“Ah,” Twilight said. She raised a hoof to her bare forehead. “Princess... what happened to my horn?”
Luna bit her lip, formulating her answer. “I do have a theory. You received temporary immortality from my sister, correct? A remnant of her powerful spell was likely still lingering in your system, like an invisible parasite. The spell would have been feeding off of your own magic to sustain itself, but since you have so much inherent energy, you felt no side effects until Hate drained all of the energy from your system while your guard was down. With no magic on the surface to feed it, Celestia’s immortality started to dig deeper inside of you until it came to the source of your magical power. Once it had consumed that, it created an instability that led to an explosion, taking your horn away. In all honesty, you were lucky.”
“How?” Twilight asked. “How could I be lucky when I lost my magic?!”
“The same spell took my lung away after my sister cured a simple disease. She’s told you that story, correct?” After seeing Twilight nod, Luna continued: “The spell Hate cast while he was slightly dazed was designed to kill you, Twilight; I have no explanation as to why you survived it other than Obsidian was watching you very closely during that entire fight. Magic is your life force, Twilight, and Hate only left a few drops in you after his attack. The fact that you managed to come back at all is staggering.”
Twilight’s head was spinning, but she asked what was really on her mind: “Will I ever be able to use magic again?”
Luna chuckled. “Of course, Twilight. Although being a unicorn with no horn will not be easy, there is a way to give you back your abilities. It is a rehabilitation method for your ailment I learned a few centuries ago called Focal Shifting.”
“What’s that?” Twilight asked.
“The reason a unicorn’s horn glows when it is using magic is because ivory is a strong magical conductor. That’s also the same reason why magic is so readily able to be channeled through our hooves. All we have to do is train your body to gather its magic at your hooves instead of your horn. You’ll be just as strong as you ever were,” Luna promised.
Twilight collapsed on her bed, as if her entire body was a tight knot that had just been unwound. “That’s really what I needed to hear right now. Thank you, Princess.”
Luna laughed. “Well, it’s not going to be easy. Each spell with be twice as difficult to learn, and many times more difficult to actually cast. I am confident, though, that your strength will be fully replenished by the year’s end.”
Twilight nodded, grinning from ear to ear. “Uh-huh.” She paused for a moment, pondering her next question. She didn’t have anything specific to ask, though, so the only question she could think of was the one that’d been on her mind for most of her journey so far. “Luna... what’s going on?”
Luna was unsure to begin, but after a brief pause she asked, “Rarity told you of the revolts, correct? Well, as it stands, they’ve calmed down slightly now that you’ve returned.”
“Okay, but why did they happen in the first place?” Twilight asked. “Rarity told me about them earlier, but I think you can give me a clearer picture.”
“The unrest was mainly caused by my not allowing ponies to participate in the effort when their loved ones were at risk, according to the rebels. And that’s largely true, but sending an army after the forces of Discord would be sending thousands to their doom. There really is no other strategy other than to wait and see what would happen,” Luna sighed. “Soon, however, the tension began to mount, and riots destroyed a portion of Fillydelphia. After that, swarms of ponies departed their home cities as refugees, even if they were not under direct threat. I suspect they went to the Lock, the heart of the forces of Discord.”
“Why would they leave?” Twilight asked. “Equestria has been their home for ages!”
“Simply put, Vengeance has a way with words,” Luna muttered. “Ever since a few days ago, an illusion of her has been appearing in the sky periodically, giving speeches to the populace and encouraging them to revolt. I was able to block them for a while, but she only started broadcasting the illusion in cities like Manehattan or Trottingham. I have managed to keep the situation under control, for now, but unless I can push back the forces of Discord, Equestria will fall apart at the seams.”
Twilight shivered. “Yikes.”
Luna nodded gravely.
“What happened to Celestia?” Twilight asked.
Luna failed to respond for a long while. “She has asked me not to tell you,” the moon goddess stated, trying not to make eye contact.
“Why not?” Twilight asked.
“Because she has been stricken with an... an unusual ailment,” Luna said, expressionless. “Once you are fully recovered, I will allow you to go see her, but you will have to be patient.”
Twilight felt frustration bubble up inside her. “Princess, I think we’re both above keeping secrets.”
“What was that?” Luna asked.
“Celestia had been keeping secrets all throughout our journey, and it put me and my friends in danger. I don’t think we should keep information from each other. It just isn’t smart,” Twilight explained.
“Celestia made me promise not to tell you, Twilight, and as much as I would like to, I do not want to go back on my word,” Luna said, “and although I agree that we shouldn’t hide information from each other, this is a minor issue, all things considered. Celestia is alive and well, just as she has always been.”
“Okay... then there’s a more major issue I’d like to talk to you about. A question of mine that never really got answered,” Twilight began. “Who is Skids?”
“Skids?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow. “Where did you hear that name?”
“Celestia told me that he was Deception in the guise of the Element of Honesty,” Twilight said. “She also told me that he betrayed you, her, and the other Elements of that time period, later turning you both immortal. But she didn’t say much more, so my question is, why was Skids so important to her, and why does she still act like she loves him even when she knows he didn’t exist?”
“Twilight, please understand that I cannot even begin to explain my sister’s love for him, no matter how hard I try,” Luna said. “She harbors many complex emotions for him that she has been trying for years to forget. I just don’t think you’ll be able to understand what she went through unless you go through it yourself. Love is unpredictable, Twilight, and it is the only emotion I know of that cannot be controlled, hidden, or eliminated.”
Twilight wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but she decided to drop the issue. “Do you have the Source?”
Luna nodded. “Yes, and it is back at the Gateway where it belongs.”
“Good,” Twilight said. I guess I’ll have to ask Obsidian about Skids. He’s the only one I know I’ll get a good answer from.
“Do you mind if I ask you a question, Twilight?” Luna asked.
“No, go ahead,” Twilight replied.
“What did Guilt say when he spoke to you?” Luna asked.
Twilight was surprised for a moment before she realized that Luna was probably the one who sent troops after Guilt in the first place. “He said something about ‘the tides turning for neither of our favor,’ but he wasn’t very clear about anything at first. Later, he contacted me after you imprisoned him and said that Dash’s wings were permanently damaged, and that he was the only one who could fix them.” She paused. “Princess... is that true?”
“Dash’s wings have been severely damaged, and our best doctors have been unable to repair them. I was unaware, though, that Guilt himself offered his services,” Luna clarified. “As much as I hate to admit it... Now that I think of it, Guilt may be the only pony in Equestria willing and able to save Dash’s wings.”
“What about you, Princess? Or Celestia?” Twilight asked.
“Celestia could never attempt such complicated magic, and I’ve never seen the poison that has damaged Dash’s wings prior to Hate corroding them. It would take me weeks to try and unravel the magic behind Hate’s poison alone, and that is simply time we do not have. Dash’s wings are steadily decaying as we speak. The doctors I sent to heal Dash were highly trained and had gone to school for a decade or more in order to perform the magic I asked of them, and it simply wasn’t enough. Still... Twilight, do you trust Guilt with Dash’s life?” Luna asked.
“...I’m not sure, Princess. Would Guilt have any reason to kill just Dash? Why wouldn’t he just kill all of us as soon as he had the chance?” Twilight asked.
“I believe it is because Vengeance wants to meet all of you,” Luna guessed. “That aside, though... I’m unsure if I trust Guilt with performing such an operation. I will discuss it with my advisors beforehoof. In the meantime, I think you have had quite enough of this hospital, haven’t you?”
Twilight nodded before something occurred to her. “Do you know what happened to Fluttershy?”
“From my understanding, she’s been comatose ever since she was found. I’m unsure just what happened to her. Not even Celestia saw it,” Luna answered.
“Will she be alright?” Twilight asked, stretching her limbs as she prepared to get out of the bed that had been her home for at least a couple days.
“I’m not certain. If she doesn’t wake in a week, though, I’m not sure if there’s anything more we can do for her. There are other ponies in need of the medical supplies we’re currently reserving specifically for her benefit,” Luna pointed out. “I am confident that she will wake before that happens, though. Don’t start worrying just yet.”
Twilight nodded, sliding out of bed. She nearly collapsed upon touching the ground, but after she adjusted to actually moving, she was able to walk about with a little bit of effort. She took a couple clumsy steps forward as an amused Luna watched her.
“Where shall we go first?” the moon goddess asked.
“First things first,” Twilight stated. “I want to see my friends.”
“Of course. But you might not want to forget this,” Luna said, producing from her saddlebags Twilight’s crown.
“Thank you, Prin-” Twilight stopped when she saw the the moon goddess had suddenly stopped moving. Her smile seemed to be frozen in time. “...-cess?”
*******
Twilight felt a nervous tremor run down her spine. She glanced behind herself, then looked around. She took the crown from Luna and placed it onto her head. Its steady glow was comforting, and she relaxed slightly. Well, here we go again, she thought, taking one last look at the spellbound Luna. Stopping time... Not the most original of their schemes, but effective, I guess.
She stepped out of the room, and saw more of the same. Ponies were frozen in place, as if time had halted its constant march. The surroundings were a little blurry, as if somepony had smeared the paint on the walls and floor. The color scale was also slightly more monochrome than Twilight remembered.
She saw somepony come crashing down the hall, though, somepony familiar: Pinkie Pie.
“Twilight!” Pinkie yelped, squeezing in-between two nurses and under a third. She was wearing a light green hospital gown. She galloped toward Twilight, who braced herself for the inevitable collision.
Pinkie’s bear hug knocked the wind out of her, and as she tried to shake off her dizziness, she moaned, “Pinkie...”
“I’m just so glad you’re alright!” Pinkie sobbed, her hysterical tears forming a tiny stream to the floor. “Nopony knew what happened to you after Hate magicked his magical doo-hickey on your Magic magic!”
“...Doo-hickey?” Twilight asked.
“I heard my great-grandma say it once. I think she was talking about a rock,” Pinkie guessed, now instantly calm.
“Do you know where the others are?” Twilight asked.
“Dash is in her own special hospital room, and Rari-jack are getting ready for sacrifice!” Pinkie chirped, her speech slightly garbled.
“What?” Twilight asked, just before she heard somepony running toward them.
“Pinkie!” Applejack yelled from behind a corner. She charged up to the duo, a large bear trap attached to her tail. “Git this doggone thing offa me,” she growled at Pinkie.
“A bear trap?!” Twilight asked, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.
“Don’t ask,” Applejack said as Pinkie removed the device from Applejack’s tail as well as the green hospital gown she was wearing, tossing them both into the nearest trash can. “Any idea what the hay is goin’ on?”
“No, but this feels familiar. Stopping time was Hate’s specialty, right?” Twilight asked. “So he must be here somewhere.”
“Sorry ta burst yer bubble, Twi, but Luna hasn’t seen hide nor hair a Hate since the battle,” Applejack stated. “Probably be best ta check who’s done this fer ourselves.”
Twilight nodded. “Well, where do we-”
“Pinkamena. Diane. Pie.” Rarity could be heard from the other end of the hall. She, too, had a bear trap expertly placed on her tail, which was creating sparks on the tiled floor as she dragged it over. “I spend precious hours of my day going to visit you, and this is the thanks I get?”
“Oh, calm yerself down,” Applejack sighed, going over to assist her.
“How did you get those traps, Pinkie?” Twilight asked, glaring at her.
“They left the storage room unlocked!” Pinkie declared innocently.
“Let’s jus’ say her medication had some side effects,” Applejack stated after tossing the second bear trap aside, “an’ leave it at that.”
“She just woke up a minute or two ago, when time froze. The sedative was probably magical and was cut off when time stopped. That also explains why I couldn’t use magic to get that horrid thing off of me,” Rarity explained, glancing at the part of her tail that was now in a zig-zag formation. She tossed an accusative glance at Pinkie and added, “but that doesn’t explain why you tried to tie us up for some insane ritual!”
Pinkie sat down, rubbing her head. “Ooh... I feel funny,” she mumbled.
“I’ve never heard of a magical drug before,” Twilight said.
“Doc said they’re new,” Applejack explained simply. “Pinkie had ta sign a paper before takin’ ‘em.”
“Wait. So you took an experimental medicine?” Twilight asked Pinkie seriously.
“Where would we be if we didn’t try new things?” Pinkie asked defensively. Her eye twitched. “And has your mane always been pizza? Like really, gooey, cheesy, melting-”
“Oh, never mind,” Twilight interrupted, feeling the familiar sense of exasperation that seemed to happen whenever she talked to Pinkie. She turned to Applejack. “You said that time stopped a couple minutes ago, right? It only stopped just now for me.”
“It seems to be spreading from the bottom of the building,” Rarity inferred. “I remember a terrible ruckus going on one floor down, and it stopped suddenly just before time did. You’re on a higher floor, so whatever’s causing this took a little longer to reach you.”
“But why isn’t it affecting us?” Twilight wondered.
“‘Cause somepony wants ta talk to us,” Applejack assumed. “They didn’t make the spell strong enough to affect the Elements a Harmony.”
Pinkie was lying on her back, drawing circles in the air with her hooves. “Harm... money...” She sprung to her hooves. “I’m hungry!” she declared, zipping off around the corner of the hallway.
“Oh, dear. I’d better go after her and make sure she doesn’t do anything... hazardous,” Rarity said, peeking around the corner and seeing skid marks on the floor where the Element of Humor had been sprinting. She turned to Twilight and Applejack. “Once I find her, I’ll try to get her back to her room. In the meantime, can you two find out what’s going on down below?”
“Sure,” Twilight said. She glanced at Applejack. “Just like old times, right?”
Applejack adjusted her hat. “Be ready for a fight,” she said simply, leading the way toward the hospital’s stairway while Twilight followed. Rarity turned in the other direction and chased after Pinkie.
Twilight had a hard time going down the stairs. Walking on a flat surface was fine, but something seemed to creak in one of her back legs whenever she took a step downward. It hurt slightly, as well, but nothing unbearable. Maybe I should mention it to Applejack... No, this isn’t the time.
The walls and floor became blurrier as they approached the source of the distortion. Entire colors seemed to melt together, while others simply disappeared, leaving a blank space where they did. It was slightly unsettling, for the colors that seemed to vanish first were the brightest ones.
“Are ya ready?” Applejack asked when they approached the lobby. Only a set of double doors separated them from the source of the time-stopping spell, which seemed like a throbbing pulse from beyond the thin walls.
Twilight nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”
They pushed open the door into the lobby of the hotel. It was brightly lit, with a white tiled floor and different doorways leading to the emergency rooms and doctor’s offices. The walls and tiles were both a light shade of blue, with foals’ artwork plastered on many of the surfaces, and a bookshelf in one corner. There were no staff present; only a single pony who was smiling slightly.
“You’ve made it here intact,” Deception stated, not sharing eye contact with Twilight or Applejack. He seemed to be staring absently through a window. “That’s rather impressive, given your condition.”
“‘Nuff with the speech, Deception,” Applejack said. “We ain’t got time fer any a that nonsense.”
“A pity, that,” Deception stated. He turned, and the colors in the room seemed to shift and twitch, as if the lobby itself were alive. “Though I suppose you Elements are not known for your patience.”
Twilight squinted at Deception for a moment. Something’s... off, with Deception. I just can’t place what, though. “What do you want?” she asked.
“It’s always what I want, isn’t it? Not what Equestria as a whole wants, correct? Because I’m always here purely out of self-interest,” Deception sneered, brushing some of his loose green mane back behind his ear. “I have many other things I could be doing, mind you, that don’t include bargaining with foals.”
“Vengeance send ya on an errand, or somethin’?” Applejack asked.
Deception snorted. “You could say that.”
“Well, what was the errand?” Twilight asked.
Deception strode toward them, and a splash of color erupted wherever he took a step. “I am here to reacquire Guilt.”
“Um, yeah, sorry, but you’d have to ask Luna for that,” Twilight said. “She’s the one who locked him up.”
Deception laughed. “Guilt cannot be held by any mundane prison! He is here purely out of circumstance, but I am here to tell him that his mission has been canceled and that he should return to the Lock immediately.”
“What mission?” Twilight asked.
“The mission he was sent here to complete, and the mission that is no longer necessary. So, one or two missions,” Deception replied. “Or perhaps three. Guilt is a very versatile member of our team, you know. He also knows you inside and out, perhaps even better than I do. He is waiting for an opportunity that we no longer need him to take, which is why I am simply asking you to return him when it is convenient.”
“Well, I’m not the right pony to ask,” Twilight said, trying to sort through what Deception was saying. “I don’t have any control over who keeps Guilt where, and I probably won’t be able to free him, either. If that’s what you want, I mean.”
“Oh, are you not aware of your.... personal influence?” Deception asked, slinking to Twilight’s side. “You are the Element of Magic, Twilight, the most powerful pony in all Equestria. Surely you can free a prisoner or two. It wouldn’t be that hard at all, would it?”
“I’m not the most powerful pony in the world yet. Fluttershy is,” Twilight argued.
“Twi, don’t try ta reason with her,” Applejack warned. “It won’t do ya any good.”
“Ahh, Fluttershy...” Deception began, ignoring Applejack. “Such a tragic character.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.
Deception chuckled. “To be honest... I’m not sure. I could mean anything, couldn’t I? In the same way, Fluttershy could be anything. Nopony knows yet what she is. Not even I.”
“Rrgh, I don’t understand!” Twilight exclaimed. She thought hard about everything Deception was saying, of all Deception had ever said... and then something hit her. She inaudibly gasped in realization, but Deception didn’t seem to notice.
“Oh, that’s not so bad. You’ve been perfectly capable of acting without understanding in the past,” Deception said. He was so close to Twilight that she felt his icy cold aura brushing against her pelt, even though he was still a half a meter away.
Applejack stepped in-between them. “Alright, that’s enough. Deception, we’re not gonna help ya, so git outta here now.”
“So soon?” Deception asked, though he didn’t look disappointed. He leapt backward a couple meters as a dark portal formed behind him. “I suppose it can’t be helped.”
“Wait. Just... wait,” Twilight said, trying to finalize her thoughts. “I want to say something, first.”
“By all means,” Deception said.
“Are ya sure this’s a good idea, Twi?” Applejack asked apprehensively.
Twilight nodded, glaring at Deception. “You’re in Lorey’s body, which you said you needed because you could shape-shift... but you didn’t do that once this entire journey. You’ve appeared on and off in your natural state, but never as a doppelganger. That alone is suspicious. To add to that is something I just noticed now: Your pattern of speech is... artificial. Not only that, but it’s familiar, somehow. I can’t place it, but... you don’t feel like you should be Deception. And Obsidian said always to trust my instincts, so I’m not going to dismiss that feeling.
“But the kingpin to all of this, and the reason I know you’re not who you say you are, is because you said you can’t be in two places at once. Deception wouldn’t waste time just appearing on and off and giving stupid speeches. Deception would be busy trying to infiltrate our group, or would already be inside it. And then, to top it all off, there’s one tiny little thing that didn’t hit me until now, the final piece of the puzzle: There’s one Element of Discord we haven’t seen this entire time.” She pointed at the stallion in front of her. “You aren’t Deception... you’re Envy.”
There was a long, shocked pause that lasted almost an entire minute as the three ponies present stared each other down.
“Such a shame...” Deception trailed off, his form starting to melt. “I had hoped you wouldn’t suspect me so quickly.”
*******
It started as a gradual melting, as his pelt slowly dripped off of his body, revealing a pale, white, and feminine body beneath. The handsomeness that he had borrowed from Lorey was slowly replaced by a natural beauty, one pure and refined. Wings long covered by threads of skin and fur were finally able to unfurl, with light hitting their long, white feathers for the first time in what seemed like eons. Deception’s mane was bleached white, and his tail became evanescent as the final stages of the transformation were completed. She now had piercing, slitted eyes, but they lacked irises, which only seemed to add to their cold, calculating stare.
Color started to bleed out of the room, as if gravity was pulling the pigments downward and out of reach. Neither blacks nor grays stayed, either, save the black outlines of shapes and objects. Within a few seconds, Twilight and Applejack looked as if they were trapped inside a coloring book, with one of its denizens standing in front of them.
Twilight tried to step back, but her legs failed, and she fell flat on her rear, mouth open in shock. She swallowed and breathed, “Y-... You’re not Envy...”
Twilight felt as if she was in a nightmare turned into reality. She tried to speak, but no words could come out. She simply had nothing to say. The shock was beginning to overwhelm her, and she began to sweat and tremble out of sheer fear, not all of which was artificial.
“Who are ya?” Applejack asked. She was unnerved, but not as much as Twilight was.
The mare focused her intense stare at Applejack. Her mouth moved, but it took a few seconds for a single word to reach Applejack’s ears, and even when it did, it sounded stretched out, unreal, like a horrid, hissing moan:
“I n d i c i n a.”
Applejack was slightly unsettled, but she continued: “A-And what’d ya do with Envy, an’ Deception?”
Indicina raised an eyebrow, as if she didn’t understand Applejack’s question. She took a step forward, and Applejack’s vision dimmed, blurring to static for just a second.
“E n v y... w a s a f o o l.”
The words seemed to bend up through Applejack’s spine before finally reaching her ears, causing her to flinch and arch her back awkwardly. She rubbed her eyes, trying to think of something to say. “...A-Ah suppose Ah’m not gonna get a straight answer from ya,” she assumed. “Well, then, th-there’s no use in ya bein’ here. Go on. ...Git!”
Indicina smiled. It wasn’t the Element of Discords’ smug smiles, though, it was simpler than that. Her smile was like that of a child, a tiny facial expression that would have been harmless coming from anypony else. Indicina’s smile, though, was twisted in a way Applejack would not have thought possible. Her smile, her one, simple expression, seemed to speak to Applejack, and it said something along the lines of:
You will be the first to die.
And that, alone, would be enough to give Applejack nightmares for months to come.
Every single muscle in her body tensed, and her heart began to beat rapidly, and she felt as if she were about to burst into tears. Seeming to know that, even though Applejack didn’t give any discernible visual cues, Indicina stepped backward until her pure white pelt dissolved into the wall behind her. The black outlines surrounding her body faded away until she completely vanished.
After that, time resumed, and the hospital returned to normal, but for a few more hours, life seemed like a dream. Twilight felt herself being scooped up by a medical team and transferred to an emergency room, where they poked and prodded her in an effort to get her to respond, but she barely noticed. She heard Applejack screeching bloody murder in the background, as well, but she paid no heed.
In... dic... ina. That was what Twilight’s mind, in its shocked state, was able to piece together. I’ve had a lot of questions over the past few days... but what I’m the least sure about is you. Who are you? No, what are you? And how do you seem to know so much about us when I’ve never even heard your name before my dream?
“Twilight?! Twilight, say something!”
Shut... Shut up, Twilight said as her mind began to completely shut down. I’m trying... to... to think...
And then the world was lost to her.
=====================================================================
[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.