Blazing Heart lay unconscious in the middle of the dirt part with some parts charred around her.
Her mind was devoid of any dreams, even unconscious ponies were able to dream but Blazing Heart wasn’t able to, even by sleeping normally. All those years of mind manipulation via experimental spells partially blocked that part of her brain.
All she ever sees while sleeping is a black void, a void comparable to the one her mother was sent into.
Her ears were still way too sensitive from her obligatory and exhaustive training sessions. The sound of hooves and a quiet gasp alerted her of somepony’s presence.
Fluttershy was feeding some of her birds early in the morning.
“Please don’t eat it too fast.” She said gently.
The birds nodded and pecked away.
Suddenly she noticed a light flashing on the path leading to her cottage.
She didn’t want to check it out, and was in the way to get inside her home but a quick glance at the path she saw a white pony laying there.
‘Oh my goodness,’ Fluttershy then picked her first aid kit from the bathroom and went to check if the pony was ok.
Getting there Fluttershy noticed the charred areas and gasped quietly. She took the first aid kit she was balancing on her back and put it on the ground and looked at what she now knew was a unicorn mare to see if she had any injuries.
Fluttershy noticed the flickering of the mare’s ear, this was a sign that she was awake, and saw how she slowly opened her eyes.
“Oh my goodness, are you ok?” Fluttershy asked with concern.
“I’m… fine,” the monotone voice of the mare said.
Fluttershy saw how the mare stood up, something about her eyes wasn’t right, normally pony eyes shows a whole lot of emotion, but this mare’s eyes were devoid of any, her stare was empty.
“Are you sure? We are close to my home; you are welcome to rest for a bit in there if you want.” Fluttershy suggested, her motherly instincts pushed her to try and take care of this young mare, something about her screamed ‘don’t leave me alone’ to Fluttershy.
“Thank you, but I don’t want to intrude,” the mare said with her voice that was as alive as the ghosts roaming the catacombs.
“Oh, don’t worry about it, come on I insist.” Fluttershy said with a warm smile.
The mare still gave her the same empty stare, “I should go, have a good day.” She turned to leave somewhere, she herself wasn’t sure about what to do now.
Fluttershy got in front of her with a frown, “now listen here missy, you’re in no condition to wander about in town. You will come with me and enjoy a nice breakfast do you understand?” she said firmly.
Blazing Heart stared at her with a raised brow at this crazy mare that was just ordering her to do something, ‘who does she thinks she is to order me anything, I just accept orders from…’ then something flashed on her mind.
A flashback showing herself as a filly being told something similar by a unicorn mare, the mare was familiar to her, but she wasn’t able to put her hoof on it. Suddenly a barrage of other memories assaulted her mind; the pressure made her sit down, close her eyes and lift her hooves to her head to try to block the images somehow.
Fluttershy got worried when she saw the pained expression on the white mare’s face, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, I’m so sorry…” she said sadly.
‘I’m so sorry…’ that voice made Blazing Heart open her eyes in shock and started to tear up, the gray ribbons on her mane turned white and cutiemark’s black half turned red, her hooves lowered to the ground, fresh tears falling to the ground.
Fluttershy did what she thought was best and hugged the distressed mare, surprisingly it was returned, and the mare was now loudly crying. “Shh, it’s okay… let it all out,” Fluttershy hold her while the mare released all her sorrows in tears.
Some minutes passed, and the mare was just sobbing quietly.
“Do you feel better?” Fluttershy asked softly.
“Y-yes, thank you miss…” Blazing Heart’s voice had a higher pitch now.
“Fluttershy, now umm…”
“Blazing Heart,” she said pulled back ending the hug, she then wiped some tears of her eyes with a hoof, “My name is Blazing Heart or Blazy for short.”
Fluttershy noticed a drastic change in Blazy’s behavior, for one her eyes weren’t empty anymore and gave a happier feeling than before, “Alright Blazy, do you want to have breakfast with me?” Fluttershy asked again.
A little grumble answered for her, slightly blushing she said, “a little bit would be fine…”
The two mares went to Fluttershy’s cottage and got some breakfast. There Blazy got told about the bird’s training for the summer sun celebration that was going to be hosted just next morning.
“Do you mind if I tag along? And maybe you can tell something about where I’am?”
“Oh, sure you can come with me, but why the second question? Are you not from around here?”
“I can’t remember… I try and try to remember, but nothing comes up.”
“Oh, that’s very bad, maybe you hit your head hard with something and that’s why you were unconscious on the dirt path.”
Blazing Heart started to feel a sharp pain in her head, “Argh!”
Fluttershy quickly was by her side, “Blazy please don’t try to force it, that can be bad for you, especially when you’re in no condition for it. Give it time, I’m sure your memories will come back.” She put a reassuring hoof on Blazy’s back.
Blazy complied and stopped forcing herself to remember, the pain slowly faded away, “You’re right Fluttershy, I’m sorry for worrying you.”
Fluttershy hugged her apologetic friend, “its ok I’ll be with you as long as I can to help you.”
Returning the hug Blazy said, “Thank you.”
“Hmm, Fluttershy?”
“Yes?”
“Aren’t you supposed to start the bird’s training now?”
“Are you sure you want to come and not rest some?”
“I’m sure, some fresh air can help I guess.”
“Then let’s go, Blazy.”
And with that Blazing Heart and Fluttershy went to a little clearing just barely outside the town, Fluttershy took fly to gather the birds. Blazy decided to let her do her thing and just looked around to see if something clicked a memories, that’s when she noticed a royal chariot passing by in the sky. Something on the back of her mind felt uneasy.
In Canterlot’s Castle, Celestia was extremely disappointed, the weapon she has been working so hard on, suddenly escaped.
“Weren’t you able to track her down yet, sergeant?”
“My apologies your highness, we still have no clue to where she could be.”
“I hope to get results soon sergeant, my sunshine is of vital importance to Equestria.”
“As you wish Princess, in other hoof what are we going to do about the two guards that were dispatched by your sunshine?” the stallion said with a hint of anger.
“What about them? They didn’t do anything worth of their positions, in any case just send some compensation to their families and get on with the search.”
The stallion was shocked by the lack of any interest on the diseased guards. But did a reverence and left.
Celestia wrote a short letter to one of her commanders to dispose of this passionate sergeant.
‘I don’t have time to deal with this incompetence, or Twilight’s predictions I hope that filly settles down in that rubbish town.’ She thought to herself, ‘I can’t sense the link I put on Blazing Heart, something has severed it but what?’ Then an idea came to her mind, ‘Her…’
Sunset’s body lazily floated in the empty dimension, she cried herself to sleep. She didn’t sulk on her misery for a long time, but remembering her past and how she wasn’t able to protect the only thing important in her life took the better of her.
Her dreams were interrupted rudely by a voice she hated, “Well, well, well. What do we have here? Sergeant Sunset Shimmer crying, that’s a very fitting image for you.”
Sunset was awake now but didn’t want anything to do with this mare so she faked sleep.
“You can’t fool me Sunset; I know you’re not sleep.” Celestia still got no response.
‘Go away, go away, go away!’ Sunset thought, irritated by Celestia’s presence.
Celestia used her magic to flash a memory inside the void. It was one of torture sessions Blazing Heart had to go through when she was filly.
“Mommy! Mommy! Where are you!?” the cries of the filly resonated in the empty space.
Sunset tried her best, but she gave up and upon opening her eyes the image of her little Blazy being the target of multiple memory altering spells was on her range of view.
The horrified expression in Sunset’s face amused Celestia, “That’s more like it, my little pony.”
“W-what do you want?” the memory ended but the image was still present on Sunset’s mind.
“Just wanted to pay a visit to my savior, and ask you if you had any contact with my sunshine?”
“Go to hell.”
“I can start tormenting you less if you cooperate with me.”
“I don’t believe a single word you say to me, you piece of trash.”
“It seems you still didn’t learn to behave yourself, I’ll come back and you better answer to my request Sunset.” With that Celestia’s illusion disappeared but she conjured various memories from the past to torture Sunset, the mare tried to shut them down but that did little good as those increased in volume.
‘I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!’ Sunset kept repeating that in her mind while closing her eyes as tightly as she could and pressed her ears with her hooves against her head.
‘She didn’t seem to be lying to me, but if Sunset wasn’t the cause for the link to be broken then what was it?’ I need to have total control over that power to protect what is rightfully mine.’ Celestia thoughts were a mix between worry and anger, worry of what Blazing Heart could do if she recovers her mind, and anger at how careless she had become. How could she take that Blazing Heart was under her control for granted, she should have put her into a more strict regimen.
Back in Ponyville, Blazy was watching at Fluttershy directing the birds to sing in sync. It was something incredible to her, “that’s a beautiful symphony Flutters.” She complimented.
Blushing slightly Fluttershy answered with a simple, “Thank you.”
“Hello!” a voice behind them said.
“Ahh!” the two of them yelped in unison and looked at the purple unicorn behind them. The birds flew away.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to frighten your birds. I’m just here to check on the music and it sounded beautiful.” The unicorn said.
Fluttershy who was airborne descended to the ground and kick it shyly a few times while covering her face with her mane and avoiding eye contact. Blazy was looking from the distance.
The unicorn awkwardly looked around, before focusing on Fluttershy again, “I’m Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight waited a few seconds for a reply but it didn’t come, “What’s your name?”
“I’m… I’m Fluttershy…” Fluttershy said while still avoiding eye contact and hiding behind her mane.
Twilight didn’t quite hear that, “I’m sorry, what was that?”
“Um, my name isumFluttershy…” Fluttershy said while backing away feeling uncomfortable.
“Didn’t quite catch that,” Twilight said trying to not sound too forceful.
She wanted to step forward but suddenly she was stopped by a white hoof the blocked the way.
“Stop that, don’t push it anymore or you’ll know me for real,” Blazing Heart’s voice became raspy and had a more aggressive tone in it. The ribbons on her mane turned black the same with her cutiemark.
Twilight backed a few steps at the threat, “who are you?”
“That’s none of your business, now leave my friend in peace, shoo shoo.” Blazy did shooing motions with her hooves.
“Hey! Don’t say it like that; you make it sound like I was bullying her!” Twilight replied with indignation.
“My point exactly,” Blazy turned to face Fluttershy, “Are you ok?” Fluttershy nodded.
“Stop ignoring me,” Twilight was still somewhat mad because this mare didn’t apologize to her.
“Oh, you’re still here? You can go now, please don’t be reserved and continue with your day far away from here.”
Twilight was about to snap, but controlled herself, “Urrgh!” that still didn’t stopped her from voicing her frustration before leaving.
The birds came back and Blazy let out a satisfied “hmph.”
“Um, Blazy you didn’t have to be that mean to her, she wasn’t bullying me.”
“She was making you feel uncomfortable, that’s enough for me to jump in Flutters.”
“That still wasn’t right Blazy, can you please apologize to her?” Fluttershy asked with her pleading puppy dog eyes.
The more tomboyish Blazy rolled her eyes and sighed, “Alright Flutters if you think its ok, I’ll do it. Maybe I was a ‘little’ rude.”
“Let’s find her Blazy.”
Dark Blazing Heart nodded, “Ok.”
The two made their way towards the town but Fluttershy asked something unexpected, “Blazy, why is your cutiemark black now?”
The surprise made Blazing Heart trip and kiss the dirt.
“Oh my goodness, are you ok?” Fluttershy asked worried.
“Yes I’m fine Fluttershy, you just surprised me with that question.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s ok, but let me explain it to you on the way there.”
Fluttershy smiled and nodded, being oblivious of what was next to come.