//------------------------------//
// Chapter 50 - Fleeting Hope 
// Story: Fear Within 
// by VirtualCipher 
//------------------------------//

Winding through the quiet forest, flowing softly like a live ribbon of blue, a river trickled and crawled by the thickly, grown trees with roots twisted and crooked, their branches and lush green leaves barricading the view of the dim night sky. Sounds of soothing and calm splashes sang into the night, creating a world of tranquillity only for it to soon be disturbed. By the river that streamed gently, a white, blinding burst of light flashed for a second, materialising six ponies that suddenly appeared from the momentary light. 

As their hooves felt the new ground, they all showed bewilderment to the sudden change in their surroundings. Most of them had to do a double-take. With uncertainty, Applejack and Fluttershy swung their heads and exchanged looks of confusion while Pinkie Pie appeared dazed, shaking her head and adjusting to the new area she had been teleported to. Slowly dropping her guard, Rainbow Dash whirled her head and surveyed the dark forest while Rarity shook away her disoriented look, regaining her focus. 

"What the..." Rainbow Dash began. "What happened?"

"Where are we?" Fluttershy whispered, cautiously glancing around.

"Twilight teleported us," Pinkie Pie answered with a hint of confusion riding her voice, her eyes following the distant mountains where she could make out the ruined and invaded city of Canterlot.

"But why?" Rarity asked, slowly turning around and focusing her attention on the alicorn.

At this point, everyone followed the unicorn's movement and looked to the Princess of Friendship, seeing only her back. 

Backing up Rarity, Rainbow Dash joined in, "Yeah, what's going on, Twilight? We could have taken him! We were so close! Why teleport us?"

The silence was deafening, it hung in the air uncomfortably as everyone waited for the alicorn to respond, but nothing came. Stretching thinner and thinner, the stillness became worrying and haunting. Breaking the silence, resisting to keep herself quiet any further, Applejack spoke.

"Twilight?'

Losing the strength in her legs, her head throbbing and spinning, growing disoriented, Twilight's eyelids slowly flickered until they sealed shut. Tired, exhausted and hurt, the alicorn drastically drained her energy and magic to the point where she couldn't stand. Dropping to the ground with a thump, like a ragdoll that was carelessly thrown away, everything grew dark and hazy for the young princess. Numbness and darkness took over, the sound of her friends' concerned voices is all she heard until the light quickly shut off in her head, losing consciousness.

"Twilight!" 

All at once, they rushed to the collapsed alicorn in shock, huddling around her as they tried to wake the young princess, but failing in doing so. 

"What happened?" Rainbow Dash demanded an explanation with desperation and concern coating her voice, worriment taking hold of her expression. "Is she alright?" 

"She's not waking up!" Pinkie Pie shrieked, nudging the alicorn with her hooves.

"She's still breathing," Fluttershy examined, bringing some form of relief to her friends. 

Arching a brow and whirling her head from left to right, Pinkie Pie looked at all of her friends with big, confused eyes, "So she just passed out?"

"It looks like it," Rarity answered, looking up from the alicorn. "After what happened back in Tartarus, she hasn't properly rested. The poor dear must have exhausted her energy from that spell, she did teleport us quite far." The unicorn said, rearing her head to the mountains behind her.

All of them took in the sight of the ruined and invaded city of Canterlot resting against the mountains in the distance. However, what haunted them the most was the sharp, nightmarish airship of the changelings, hovering over the palace like a rain cloud. Dread pushed against their backs, alarm crawled down their spine like a spider as they all looked at each other for guidance. 

Frustration filling in her eyes, Rainbow Dash pushed herself from her friends and growled, "I can't believe this!" She said, stopping to the nearest tree, needing time to absorb the predicament she and her friends were in. 

Everyone felt the pegasus' anger and disbelief, no one chose to rival her feelings. They all felt scared and sick to the core of their stomachs.

"At least we got a lot of ponies out of there," Applejack brought up, still putting her attention on the passed out alicorn. "Apple Bloom and her friends, the Cakes, a lot of ponies are gonna be safe at the empire. Granny Smith's gonna give me an earful when this is all over." The cowgirl chuckled, however, her expression was quick to sink into a look of gloom.

"But what do we do now?" Fluttershy asked with a hint of uneasiness crowding her face. 

"I say we go back up there and fight!" Rainbow Dash rejoined the group. "We can't let them get away with this! The princesses, Shining Armour and a lot more ponies need our help!" 

"What we need is a plan!" Rarity fired back, hoping to knock some sense into the pegasus. "We can't just walk back into Canterlot, we'll get caught!" 

"What we need is a place to stay!" Pinkie Pie joined, making way between the two. 

Managing to lift the weakened, limp alicorn onto her back, Applejack steadied herself and turned to her friends, "Pinkie's right. We can't stay out here all night and we need to make sure Twilight's okay. Let's find somewhere safe until she wakes up. Then, we'll make a plan and go back to Cantertlot."

"But where do we go?" Rarity questioned, bringing her hooves up to her trembling mouth, surveying the forest in fear. "Where can we go? Canterlot's been invaded by the changelings and those vicious Diamond Dogs have taken Ponyville!" Upon bringing up the Diamond Dogs, the tone in her voice shifted from upset to disgust. 

With an idea sparking in her head, a moment of cheer lifted from Pinkie's face as she smiled brightly, "We can stay at the Castle of the Two Sisters! That place has gotta be empty, you know, with it sitting within the Everfree Forest and all."

"But to get there, we have to go through Ponyville," Fluttershy wistfully added with a shiver. "What if the Diamond Dogs spot us?"

"Don't worry about that," Rainbow Dash eased, waving her hoof. "Zercora showed me and Twilight a hidden route when we went to go get her. We can go that way instead, that way we'll be undiscovered." 

Doubtful of Pinkie's choice in location, Rarity hiked a brow, "How do we know for certain that the castle hasn't already been taken?"

"We don't," Applejack told softly. "But what other choice do we have? We need somewhere safe to stay until Twilight's back on her hooves. Then we'll make a plan and save Canterlot. Is everypony ready?"

The cowgirl looked around, receiving only nods from her friends.

"Alright then." She said. "Rainbow, considerin' you've already been down this hidden route to the Everfree Forest, you lead the way." 

Determined, Rainbow Dash smiled, "Got it." Smoothly, the pegasus began to direct herself through the trees, her hooves gliding through the grass with each step. 

One by one, they all followed the cyan pony's lead and journeyed through the cluster of bulky trees. First Rainbow Dash, then Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack and finally Rarity. Out cold, aching in her head and bones, Twilight remained weak and limp on the cowgirl's back, being taken to safety. 

None of them felt good about leaving Canterlot to the changelings, not when the princesses along with those unfortunate enough to get caught needed saving. Despite their worrying thoughts crowding their goal, they all wondered why their friend teleported them when they were so close. They knew it was pointless to ask now, not until she woke up. 





Anchored to the invaded city of Canterlot and hovering lifelessly above like a balloon, Chrysalis' airship remained something out of a nightmare. 

In the flying fortress of the changelings, the walls around Starlight failed to hold any sort of comfort. It felt like they were closing in on her, screaming out to the captured apprentice. Dark, empty and cold, the room kept the same silence ever since The Hunter had left. The unicorn kept herself crouched in the corner, looking traumatised, deflated of life and defeated with overwhelming thoughts of what happened to her friend. 

With wide, round eyes, refusing to look up from the floor, Starlight sniffled and teared up, remembering everything about how Spike acted behind the mask. He was mad, unstable, hurt and the only way for him to feel better was if Twilight shared his pain. The trembling in his frustrated voice and his eye rapidly blinking in a sea of crimson only added more weight to the sorrow she felt for him. 

Despite the sadness that consumed her, she couldn't deny the feeling of fear that stuck around the moment he left. He was different. Although, what struck Starlight with intense fear was his hate for Twilight. He was her best friend, her assistant and now, he loathed her more than anything. With the way he was going on about wanting her to suffer didn't sound anything like the dragon she knew, but sadly, she couldn't deny the harsh reality behind The Hunter's mask.

"Something scaring you?"

Snapping out of her world of thoughts, pulled back to reality, Starlight whipped her head to her left and noticed a figure standing behind the bars. How long had he been standing there? When did he arrive? Hearing the sudden but cold and lifeless voice, she wanted to retreat, but seeing how there was nowhere to run, the unicorn stood up from her position and hardened a glare, wiping away all fear from her face.

Taking in the familiar appearance of his stitched face that took refuge under his hood, Starlight took a moment but responded with a growl, "What did you do to him?" Suddenly, a flow of anger rushed to her face and voice, this time shouting, "What did you do to him?!" 

Tilting his head to the side, Fright remained unfazed by her prisoner's sudden burst in anger. Observing her behind the bars, he spoke with a hint of interest, "So you know of his identity. I must admit, I am quite surprised The Hunter sees you differently compared to the rest that wronged him. What is it that he sees in you?" He asked, bringing a hand up to his chin.

"His name is Spike!" She bared her teeth as anger and annoyance pumped through her blood. 

"As long as he wears that mask, he is nothing of the servant you remember," Fright said, peering closer behind the bars. 

"He's not a servant!" Starlight barked. "He's my friend! Now answer me! What did you do to him!" Nearly face to face with Fright, she stared intently at the alchemist with fiery eyes, demanding an answer.

The unicorn could practically hear the smirk stretch across his disarrayed face, "I made him see." He answered. "After realising no one was coming for him, my concoctions made him scream day and night. His worst fears plagued his senses, mind and soul, until... That fear took shape and form." 

"Fearing the worst and seeing how everyone he cared for forgot about him and moved on," Fright continued, taking immense satisfaction from the agonized look on Starlight's face. "His fears convinced him it was for the best that he forgot who he was as well. I gave him a new identity, a mask, a name to be remembered! Soon, The Hunter will get his reward and watch the alicorn suffer, then, she will die by his hand."

In defiance, Starlight stiffened her neck and protested through the bars with a snarl, "You're wrong! Despite that you've brainwashed and tormented him with your fear spells, Spike will never hurt Twilight or the rest of his friends. You can think that he's your weapon, but in the end, he stopped Chrysalis from hurting me. Behind all the madness you inflicted upon him, the Spike I know is still there."

"Hmm," Fright hummed to himself, marvelling at the unicorn caged before him. "You are quite defiant, aren't you? I don't think we are all that different."

"Don't you dare compare yourself to me!" She fired back. "I am nothing like you! You don't know a thing about me!"

"Whispers from the dark tell otherwise." Eerily, the stitches around his mouth stretched and made way for his unpleasant grin. "All those months, terrified, broken and abandoned, Spike told me nothing but the truth about you and the rest of your cowardly friends."

Upon hearing this, Starlight's expression dropped from her face.

Mechanically, Fright grasped the cold bar of Starlight's cell, bringing his head closer, "Where I take interest in fears, you were once obsessed with equality. Deceiving and brainwashing your friends to seek power. You used fear to keep them under your control. Admit it, it felt good to keep them broken and scared, and that's what terrifies you the most." Surprisingly, his dead eyes gleamed with interest. "You aren't just afraid of who you once were, you're afraid that you can relate to me. When the time comes, maybe you'll end up worse than me."

Taking a step back, averting her gaze for a moment, Starlight looked back up at the deadpan eyes of the alchemist and frowned, "You're right. I am afraid."

Still keeping his strident smile, Fright looked down at his prisoner, feeling a wave of amusement when hearing her confession.

"But you're also wrong." She quickly continued, sounding stern. "While I may be afraid of who I once was or that I can relate to you, I know I won't end up worse than what you are now. I have friends, friends who have been loyal to me, kind, honest, generous, friends who have made me laugh and shared magic with me. So yeah, I am afraid of who I once was, but I know I won't become a monster like you."

"You sound so certain," Fright breathed coldly. "All it takes is one nightmare of a day and then, madness takes you. Just look at Spike."

The anger had been seated within Starlight for a while now. It was almost as if the rage was trying to break through her eyes and teeth, however, she kept her glare strong when he mentioned her hurt friend. 

Noting her silence, the alchemist continued, "Fear defines who we really are, Starlight, and fear is the future!" 

"And what about you?!" She pointed. "What are you afraid of?"

With another short, lifeless and quiet laugh, Fright stared at the unicorn, "True, everyone has fears and I am no exception. However, that feeling of dread and horror rattling your bones was robbed from me when I witnessed terror's true face. My face. There is nothing to fear but fear itself, and now, I am fear."

"You said all it takes is one nightmare of a day and then, madness takes you." At first, Starlight looked hesitant to continue, her words stopping in her throat until she forced them out. "Dare I ask, what happened that day? What made you so deranged and sadistic? What made you turn against the world?"

"The day I became what I am now is thanks to Equestria's deceitful and cowardice leader." He answered. "Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, the creatures that are now roaming free from Tartarus, they are all connected to Celestia. All of the monsters and demons that plague this land, they were wronged and created because of her, and that's what terrifies her..." Eerily, Fright lowered his head to the protégé and whispered, "Sometimes, even creators fear their creations."

Slowly, the alchemist straightened himself up and began walking to the exit, leaving a puzzled, but enraged Starlight locked behind bars.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable either," Fright told. "You're being moved."

Throwing herself up, the unicorn stammered, "What! Where?"

"Canterlot." He answered, buried beneath his stitches, a grin grew. "It's time for the world to see what true fear is. We are going to give Equestria a show."