//------------------------------// // Changing // Story: Second Chances and the Cost of Life // by Amaranthine Thought //------------------------------// Twilight walked for a full day without stopping, finding herself inexhaustible.  Her current state left her without limits or the needs of life.             And while that did mean she didn’t have to stop for anything she didn’t want to, it also meant that she couldn’t feel the breeze of the sunlight.  Couldn’t smell the flowers she passed.  It was… saddening that she couldn’t, though she was beginning to not care.             She had made it quite far, almost on the very edge of Sweet Apple Acers.  She could see the apple trees and brightened; she was close.             It was growing dark as she entered the orchard, and in the darkness she spotted something.  A soul wandering the trees.             It was bright and even had a faint tinge of color; red.  Every other soul she had seen had been translucent and colorless.  That one could convince you that it might just be alive.             It spotted her and headed over.  Once it was closer it stopped and looked her up and down.             “Huh.  I weren’t expectin something like this.”             Twilight started, feeling Death’s sudden anger.             “Master?”             Capture him!             Twilight winced from the yell, and caught the soul in her magic.             He didn’t budge.  He didn’t even seem to care as she tried to pull him.             “Yer sure ya want this rodeo little reaper?” he asked.             “You need to find rest.” Twilight said, trying and failing to move him in any fashion.             “Ya speak.” He said, surprised.  “What’s yer name little reaper?”             “Twilight Sparkle.  It will be nice, I promise.”             “Hmm… Alright then.  I won’t make this too bad on ya.”             Hold him! The soul turned and ran, and Twilight yelled as she was dragged after him, unable to do anything but keep holding on.             She bounced on the ground, his speed breathtaking if she had breath.  She had no idea how he moved that fast, dragging her after him as he weaved himself and her through the trees.  Then he laughed.             “Good grip!  Not too shabby!  Yer a right natural little reaper!  But nows th time ta really get movin!”             Twilight screamed when he sped up.  His earlier speed had just been a game, and Twilight didn’t even have time to see the tree before she slammed into it and her grip broke.             She flopped to the ground, giving some thanks that she couldn’t feel anything.             “Tell yer master that we ain’t goin, ya hear!  But if ya’ll ever want ta jus chat then I think me and th missus kin work somthin out.  Yer a good… whatever yer supposed ta be Sparkle.”             Twilight winced at Death’s roar.             “Master, he’s too strong for me…”             I see that.  It is not something unexpected.  Those souls have evaded and overcome every effort I had to put them to rest.             For now, evade them.  The male has destroyed reapers before.             “… He killed a dead thing?”             Souls can be shattered, and even I do not have the power to remake them.  It is the ultimate suffering a soul can undergo.             Should you see the wife, do not touch her.  He will not forgive.             “I understand.” she said, getting to her hooves again.  Death didn’t speak farther and Twilight wondered who the stallion could have been, and why he was so strong.             He was unusual for a soul, at least, she thought he was.  Death had mentioned that he and another one had been able to deny him every other time.  She assumed that wasn’t normal.             She found the farmhouse dark, and dropped for a moment.  Everypony was asleep and she…             On the other hoof, maybe it was better that everypony was asleep.  She could go inside, find Applejack, and subconsciously implant the idea of her being alive again.  That way she wouldn’t panic or do something thoughtless upon seeing her current body.  But she would have to hide; visuals were probably too much for anypony to handle without much preparation.             She nodded to herself; it was a good plan.             She found the front door locked, but one use of her step and she was inside.  She blinked a few times and then berated herself; it was dark, and she couldn’t see in the dark.             Her horn gently lit and she crept forward until she found the stairs.  The very first one creaked and Twilight winced before taking far greater care to go up.             She found the upper level had six doors, and recalled that she had never seen Applejack’s room.  She had never been inside.             She could go through any door, but she couldn’t use her light lest the pony inside wake.  She would have to take it carefully, and do her best to try and guess.             She chose the second on the right, and slipped inside.  With the moonlight in the window, she could just make out a pony sleeping on a bed.  She looked around and then slipped under the bed, reasoning that it was the best hiding place.             Time to start.             “Twilight is alive.” she whispered.             She heard movement over her and waited for a second, wondering if she had been too loud.  The sounds stopped after a second and Twilight waited a few moments longer.             “Twilight is alive.” she whispered softer than before.             Somepony made a knocking sound, and Twilight grew confused.  It was quick and somewhat loud, like the knocker was upset but trying not to wake everypony.             “Nothing to be afraid of.” she whispered.             More knocking.  And then the sound of somepony opening the door.             Twilight saw Applejack’s legs as she entered the room, carrying a candle or a lantern; there was a light source that Twilight couldn’t see.             “There’s a monster under my bed.” she heard Applebloom whisper.             “I thought ya were over that Applebloom.  Now come on, its late an ponies are tryin ta sleep.”             “I heard it!”             “There ain’t nothing there but dust.”             “Please look for me?”             Twilight flinched, and hoped for a second until she heard Applejack sigh.  She knew that sigh.  The ‘if you want me to sure’ sigh.             She tried to smile and look as pleasant as possible.             Applejack peered under the bed, and met Twilight’s eyes.  She stared for a second before getting back up.             “Nothin.”             Twilight heard Applebloom whimper as she was confused. ‘Nothin?’  Really?  She had expected lots of responses, but not that one.             “Git ta sleep sis.”             “But…”             “There ain’t nothing there but scary thoughts.  Big sister’s honor.  I’ll even leave th candle.”             Applejack left and Twilight tried to understand what had happened.  Applejack had seen her, she was certain.  The farm mare’s eyes had grown slightly larger, and Twilight was fairly sure she had gasped.             And the last words were unusual for her too.  Applejack wouldn’t have added anything to ‘there ain’t nothing there’ normally.             She wanted to know, but she was stuck under the bed until Applebloom fell asleep again and blew out the candle, if she would.  She settled down to wait, and didn’t notice the light moving.             When she finally did, she looked to see the candle on the floor and Applebloom’s head, upside down, staring at her with absolute terror on her face.  She pulled herself back up for a moment, and Twilight heard her whispering to herself.             Twilight was telling herself to hold still and hoping that she wouldn’t look again.             She did.             Twilight lunged as her mouth opened and she grabbed the filly and pulled her under the bed, muffling her cry before it could begin.             She held on tight, feeling Applebloom struggling in panic.             “Stop moving!” she hissed, “And I won’t hurt you!”             Applebloom did stop struggling, but based on her breathing, she was sobbing.             “Stay quiet.” Twilight said, and then very slowly relaxed her grip.  Applebloom didn’t move, and only a few small hiccups came from her.             Twilight looked at her, Applebloom repressing sobs, shaking in fear.             She knew the filly.  Saw her terrified to her very limits, and Twilight…             Twilight didn’t care.             It was almost impossibly hard for her to even notice that, and when she did so, it kept slipping from her.  She did not care what Applebloom was feeling, even if she tried to.             In fact… she could use her fear.             “That’s right.  Quiet.” she whispered, smiling.  “I need you to do a few things for me, alright?”             “Please… don’t hurt me.” Applebloom said, speaking through her sobs.             “Be a good girl for me and I won’t.  Tell your sister that Twilight is back.  I’m alive again, and want to meet her.”             “… In the Everfree.  Near Zecora’s home, next night.  Do that, and you’ll never see me again.”             Applebloom nodded, her tears slowing, but her fear remaining.             “But don’t… and bad fillies get punished.” she said, Applebloom starting to cry worse at her words.             “Goodnight Applebloom.”             The power came instinctually.  Twilight sank through the floor and floated to the ground, righting herself as she landed on the floor.             Then she left, feeling like she had set everything up.  She would meet with Applejack and…  Something.  She must have forgotten, but friends should meet friends.  Exchange greetings, talk about life.  Something like that.             She would have time.  A full day to find the souls in the Everfree.  Lots of time to put them to rest again and think about what she was going to do or say.             It was going to be good practice, and she whipped her spell to catch souls around her as she walked, warming up.  Her form glowed as she went, more and more of the power becoming easier and easier to use.  She stepped through trees without care, and after a moment, stopped walking, simply floating forward.             Two ponies watched her go, floating over the farmhouse.             The male sighed.  “I had thought she was different.” he said.             “She is.” The other said, a female.  She was the faintest orange.  “Too close to death and not enough life.  It must be so hard keepin yourself like that…”             “I don’t like it.  What do you think?”             “… She’s got a chance.  Jus a real bad one.  Death is up to somethin, and I do not like it.  He never had a reaper who thought for itself before.  Why now?”             “Don’t know.”             “We should help her.”             The male started.  “Wha?”             “Think dear.  Do you really want to see her forget everythin?  You had a good time with her earlier.  She’s a good girl. Was a good girl, you know that.  She jus needs to get back to herself.”             “… But how?”             “… Her jar.  We’re going to have to break it.”             “Honey, he nearly got us last time we did that.  We have children to watch.”             “We can only watch them.  But we can help her.  And we are going to, for her sake and for the sake of our children.”             “Alright.”  He took a deep breath, “We’ll try.”