//------------------------------// // (11) Shock // Story: Cold // by Script Singer //------------------------------// Chrysalis screamed out in anger, frustrated that she had been defeated once again. She should have known the alicorn would have found a way to break her spell. "What shall we do now, My Queen?" a changeling asked. "We will have to reevaluate our plan. It must be made into one that Twilight Sparkle cannot fight." Chrysalis said. She sat on her throne, thinking. Images popped into her mind for new ideas, but she could do naught but shake her head at each one. It was then that she recalled her almost successful scheme from before, in which she had captured Cadence. She thought of the spell which she had cast, hoping she hadn't found out about it yet. She ignited her horn, pulling up Cadence's image. She smiled at the sight she saw. This new plan could work out. --- Cadence sat beside Twilight, deep in thought, pondering on how she was going to deliver the bad news. "Have you told her yet?" Celestia asked in a hushed tone, startling Cadence as she walked into the room and sat down beside her. "No, not yet," Cadence whispered back. "I'm trying to think of how I’m going to tell her." Celestia brought Cadence close with her wing. "It has been a year now, Cadence. We are at war. We have to be quick about our decisions.” Cadence let out a sigh. She then turned when she heard the door squeak slightly, finding Flurry Heart there, clinging onto her blanket. "Flurry, sweetie, it's past your bedtime," Cadence said. "Are you okay?" Flurry slowly walked up to her mother and curled up at her side. Cadence put her wing around her gently. "I had a bad dream," Flurry whispered, her voice still shaky. "It's okay, I'm right here." Cadence glanced out of the window, staring at all the tents of those innocent ponies who got themselves tangled up in this war. Almost immediately she pulled a tarp over it, the thought of those poor souls unbearable. "When do you think Luna will be back?" she asked. "I do not know, but maybe within the next few days," Celestia answered. Cadence nodded and turned, trying to push away the sadness which threatened to overwhelm her. She didn’t have to think about it for long, however, when a sudden pain burst into existence in her head; she groaned and let go of Flurry, placing her hoof there tenderly with a wince. "Cadence, are you alright?" Celestia asked. Cadence rubbed her head. "I think so..." she mumbled. "Maybe you should get some rest. I'll take care of Flurry." Cadence nodded, walking out of the room slowly, occasionally tripping over her hooves. A royal guard walked over to her side to assist her. "What's wrong with Mommy?" Flurry whined. Celestia looked at the young alicorn filly. "Mommy will be okay, Flurry," she uttered. "Everything is going to be fine." Flurry watched her mother slowly leave the room, the guard still at her side, the conversation fading as they walked further down the hall. Twilight slowly opened her eyes as she let out a soft moan, still slightly sore. She saw Celestia sitting beside a familiar young alicorn filly. They turned, noticing the noise coming from her direction. The young alicorn burst out and flew into Twilight's hooves, clinging onto her with tears in her eyes. "Flurry...?" Twilight muttered, but she didn't have to question who her niece was. "You've gotten so big, I almost didn't recognize you!" Twilight said, tears of joy and sadness forming in her eyes as she wrapped her hooves around her. "I've missed you so much, Auntie Twilight! I thought I wasn't gonna see you again..." Flurry cried. "I've missed you too, sweetie." Flurry clung onto Twilight as tightly as she could, never wanting to let her go. Twilight wiped the tears out of her eyes and Flurry's and then stared at her, smiling. "But nothing will ever keep us apart, ever. I won't let anything stand in my way to get to you." Twilight stared into her niece's eyes. They truly sparkled like the Crystal Heart would after the Crystal Heart Fair. Flurry lay beside her aunt, feeling comfortable once more so that she soon fell asleep. Twilight smiled at the sight. "She sure has grown," she whispered, trying not to wake the young filly. "Have I really been gone that long?" "I'm afraid so, and there have been quite a few changes since that time. And… well, there are some things you should know." "Like what?" Celestia hung her head, her face grew grim. "We're at war," she muttered. "Shortly after you left, Chrysalis and the changelings attacked." Twilight looked at the young filly, growing concerned for her safety. She then looked back at Celestia. "Tell me everything that's happened." --- "Are you sure you're alright, Your Highness?" the royal guard asked as Cadence opened the door to her room. "I'm sure I'm fine, thank you," Cadence said. "I'm going to get some rest for a while." "I'm here if you need anything." "Thank you." Cadence smiled as she shut her door. --- Twilight hung her head, still hardly able to believe the news. "That monster has to be stopped," she whispered. "I've had enough, losing innocent lives of others who have nothing to do with this. I want to do everything that I can to make sure nopony will have to lose another family member or friend." Twilight slowly removed the blanket from on top of her, setting herself on the ground, but when she tried to put weight on her legs, her body crumpled and she fell to the floor. "Are you alright, Twilight?" Celestia asked, rushing to her aid. "I..." Twilight stuttered, staring at her legs. "I... I can't feel my legs..." She looked up at Celestia, small tears forming in her eyes. She then took a shuddery breath and tried again to stand, but to no avail. "I can't feel anything! What's going on?" Twilight cried, her voice shaking with fear. "What do I do, Celestia?" The panic in the room caused Flurry to rouse from her sleep. She stared at her aunt, crying with Celestia at her side. "Auntie?" Flurry said. Cadence then rushed in the room, noticing the commotion, and she rushed to Flurry's side and picked her up. "What's wrong with Auntie Twilight?" Cadence ignored the question, walking her daughter to the door. "Mommy...?" "It's okay, Flurry, everything is going to be fine," Cadence said. "Aunt Twilight will be okay, just go to your room for now." Flurry's eyes filled with tears as she watched the door shut, but she obeyed her mother. The conversation would later echo through her head when she curled up, trying—but failing—to get back to sleep. --- Cadence rushed to Twilight's side, her eyes widened in shock. “Celestia! What’s happened?” she cried, trying to keep herself calm. “Twilight just awoke, Cadence, but her legs aren’t working,” she replied, her voice amazingly calm. “I think she’s panicking; she’s not thinking straight.” Cadence took a deep breath before trying to force a smile on her face. She then rose a hoof to gently stroke Twilight’s mane, feeling the mare relax slightly under her hoof until she was calm enough to be lifted back into bed. Even then she trembled, though. "What do you think it is?" Twilight said, finally able to speak. "I do not know, but maybe Luna will," Celestia said. "Don't worry, Twilight. You'll be fine." Twilight nodded and lay down, closing her eyes and trying to stop her hooves from shaking. Cadence and Celestia then shared a look; they both knew the truth. There was no factual basis for that lie; they could only wait and see what would happen. --- Hours passed and Luna returned, guards from battle behind her with injuries. They all rested themselves on the extra beds in the room. Twilight just stared in shock. Luna walked over to Twilight's side, handing her a bottle filled with a strange, odd-smelling liquid. "Drink this," she uttered. "It will help." Twilight took the potion with her hooves, unable to find any strength with her magic, and drank it down. She felt a sudden pain in her leg, but it quickly dissipated. There was a type of energy she could feel moving through her, giving her strength. The numbness in her body slowly decreased as she regained her strength. Luna held out her hoof, Twilight grabbed it as she still shook slightly. She slowly pulled her out of the bed, allowing her to stand on her own for a moment, but lost her balance. Cadence caught her before she fell, helping her back up. "Well?" Celestia asked. Luna let out a soft sigh as she spoke. "The spell is still strong enough to take effect, but it won't thrive as fast as it was meant to. Something has caused her to lose feeling in her hooves and wings, but it was caused by something while she was in her coma." Luna paused to think for a moment. "What exactly did you go through while you were gone, Twilight?" Twilight thought for a moment, rubbing her head slightly. "I can't really remember very well," she muttered. "I know I fought Chrysalis, but that's all I really remember." "Did she do anything to you?" Cadence asked. A sudden image appeared in Twilight's mind from the battle. "I think she put another type of spell on me, but it's still a blur..." "Try to explain what happened to us." Twilight let out a soft sigh. --- Flurry closed the door behind her as she entered her room, letting out a soft sigh as she slowly walked to her bed. She then heard a sudden sound, startling her. She listened closely, trying to figure out what it was, but when she heard a soft chuckle, she began to panic. She tried to run but was pulled back by her tail and let out a cry of pain. She let out a grunt as she hit the floor, sitting next to a changeling smiling at her. He let out a chuckle. Flurry recognized this changeling. She didn't know how she remembered, but she knew his face. Flurry made another attempt to run but was held back by her tale, falling to the ground once more. "I wouldn't run if I were you." the changeling hissed, pulling her back. Flurry tried to scream out, but the changeling covered her mouth as he dragged her, flying out the window. Flurry watched the ground below her growing smaller, causing her to panic, and do the first thing that came to mind. She managed to move her mouth away from the changelings hoof, and chomp as hard as she could. The changeling screamed out in pain, losing his grasp on Flurry. She caught herself as the changeling let go, and flew as fast as she could back to her room. The changeling chased after her, causing her to fly faster. Her heart beat hard, panicking that she wasn't going to be fast enough. Flurry crash landed into her room, letting out a grunt with each impact, but ignored it and rushed to her mother, screaming out her name. --- Twilight heard a loud scream coming from down the hall, growing closer. "Flurry..." Twilight thought. She rushed as fast as she could out of the room, rushing to help her niece, finding her in the hallway, the memory of that night from long ago flashing in her mind. Twilight tried to fire her horn, struggling to fight the spell as she ran up finding a changeling making attempts of harm to Flurry. Finally, she found enough strength to fire her horn, shooting the changeling a few feet away from Flurry. The changeling cried as it was flung back away from the young alicorn filly. Twilight picked Flurry up, putting her onto her back ignoring how tired she became from using her magic, and rushed back into the room and tried to lock the door behind her, catching her breath. Twilight looked at Flurry sitting on the ground, looking slightly pale, still shocked from the event. She tried to walk up to Twilight and cling onto her leg, but let out a cry of pain, clinging onto her hoof. "Flurry, what happened?" Twilight asked concerned. "I'm okay, I just fell." Flurry said, trying not to show her pain. Twilight stared at Flurry's hoof, slightly swollen and red. Twilight carefully picked Flurry up, careful not to cause more pain. Flurry tried to squirm out of her grasp, refusing to admit the pain she was in, but soon gave up. Twilight set Flurry on top of the bed and set her leg onto a pillow as Cadence ran to grab a bag of ice for her hoof. Twilight carefully placed the ice pack onto her hoof as Flurry would cry out in pain. She wiped her tears, trying to put a smile on her face to cheer Flurry up a bit by telling her funny stories of her and Shining Armor. Flurry chuckled as she heard the tales. Flurry stared over at the wounded ponies on the other side of the room, a frown growing on her face as she hung her head. Twilight pulled her chin up. "What's wrong, bug?" she asked. A tear started to form in Flurry's eye. "Auntie Twilight..." she sniffed. "What if something happens to me, and I won't see you again...?" Twilight carefully pulled Flurry close, causing a tear to form in her eyes. "I will never let anything happen to you Flurry, ever. I promise I will always be there to save you if you're in danger." Tears streamed down Flurry's face, unable to keep it in any longer. "But... what if-" "I promise Flurry." Flurry carefully put her hooves around Twilight's leg, feeling comfort in her words as she trusted her aunt that she would keep her word.