//------------------------------// // A Broken Heart // Story: The Reason to Smile // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// Toshinori could feel the power that this chamber held. Twilight had teleported herself and all of her friends down into a chamber, one close to Ponyville that went down into the depths. There, she and the other alicorns had used their magic to open some kind of hidden door, which led to where they were now. A long pathway that radiated power. More power than Toshinori had ever felt. And perhaps...more power than he wielded. Twilight was brave to come back here, especially with Sombra in such control of the land. He admired her bravery. But then he looked over his shoulder at her friends and questioned her decision making a bit. Fluttershy and Rarity walked ahead without issue, but Toshinori could see that Pinkie still walked with a slight limp. With Rainbow Dash, there was no subtlety about it. Ever step for her was a struggle, every breath a battle. She spent most of the time leaning against Applejack, who was doing most of the moving. But Rainbow Dash never showed the pain on her face. She was brave. Possibly the bravest out of all of them. But still... "Twilight," Toshinori said as he walked up next to the princess. "I do not wish to sound...like a know it all, but I have to question you bringing your friends with us, especially someone like Rainbow Dash. She is in no shape to be moving. I ask that you consider sending them back home and allowing you and I to handle this." "Your concern is valid, Toshinori. I have considered doing just that myself," Twilight agreed. Then Rainbow Dash made a crack about Twilight going too slow and Twilight smiled. "But I've come to realize something." "What's that?" "That Sombra was right," she admitted. "I don't have what it takes to be the number one. To stand alone atop that mountain. To handle everything by myself. I can't be like him...or you." "Twilight..." "Toshinori...All Might...I can admit that you are the strongest being I've ever met. Both physically and mentally," Twilight said. "To bear the weight of the world alone, as you have done for so long...it takes a strength that I do not have. But...I've never needed to be that strong...because I'm so lucky." Then she gazed back at her friends, who were bickering with one another and cracking jokes, like the world wasn't ending. Like they were having an afternoon stroll. "I'm lucky to have my friends. Ponies who will stand with me during even the darkest times. Ponies who will always be there for me, no matter if I have to save the world...or move some furniture around. I don't have to worry about carrying the weight of the world alone...because I won't be alone. I have them." "Yes, but they lack the power and skill we have. Bringing them into this fight...could kill them." "I know that. They know that. And yet they follow me anyway," Twilight replied. "Because that's what friends do. That's what heroes do." "That is...a nice notion..." "I know you don't see it that way. And I'm sure that you've had plenty of experiences to shape the way you think. And on your world, maybe only you can handle some things. Maybe you are the only one that can stand at the top. I know that you've been doing this for a while and I think it's been even longer than I've been fighting evil...so that is why I took your words to heart. Why I tried...to be somepony I'm not. Out of respect for your experience and wisdom, I tried to be...All Might. The lone hero. The symbol of peace for my world. A single pillar." "But now I see that i can't be you. Only you can be you. I'm not strong enough to hold up the world by myself...but with a little help from my friends..." "Of course we help you to hold up the world. You've always been helpless without us," Rainbow Dash teased. Twilight smirked over her shoulder at Rainbow, who was smiling up at the princess. "Why don't you go ahead and tell him about the time you nearly drove yourself mad when you lost a book? Or how you made everypony in Ponyville fall in love with a doll?" "And then there was the time you tried to put your own dress together and it ended in just absolute disaster," Rarity added on. "Or yer first Winter Wrap Up. That was a real doozy of a day." "I remember a time she tried to take care of the Cake twins all by herself. She practically begged me to take them back after an hour." "Or when a bunch of birds made a nest in your mane after you had fallen asleep outside. You had to move around so quietly." "See? They've helped me plenty," Twilight said to Toshinori. "But these are not the same things as fighting villains. As having to save lives and stop evil. These...are everyday stories." "You're right. But they're just as important. Because if you can't count on your friends for the small stuff...how can you count on them for the big things?" Twilight asked. "That's how I know I can trust them. How I know I need them here. Because Equestria can't be supported by one pillar. It needs all of us." Toshinori wanted to answer her, but the moment for talk had ended. The group came out of a long tunnel to a massive chamber, where a large, crystal tree grew from the ground. And in that tree were six symbols, symbols that Toshinori could see on the ponies next to him. But what truly grabbed his attention...was the sheer power that radiated from the tree. "The Elements of Harmony," Twilight explained. "The greatest tools of defense that Equestria has ever had. After defeating Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow, we returned them to this place, where I hoped they would rest until the next generation of ponies needed to use them. But it seems that time came sooner than I was expecting." "So then what are we waiting for? Let's get these and kick Sombra butt!" Rainbow Dash explained. "It is simple, Rainbow. Because we are not alone." White needles rained down from above, shattering against a purple barrier that had barely managed to get around the group in time. A girl dropped down from the ceiling and landed in front of the ponies, slowly raising to her feet as she stood between them and the Elements. Her white mask hid her face, aside from the two slits for eyeholes. Her black haired draped down over her shoulders and onto her back, while her white dress hid her arms and weapons. The ponies prepared to battle with her, but Toshinori held out a hand. "Hold on. Let me try something," he asked. They backed down and he slowly advanced towards the girl with his hands up. "White Noise, is it? Hello there. I am...I am All Might." White Noise gave no repsonse. "I've...I've heard what you have been through. How the heroes and doctors back on our world have failed you. How they cast you out and left you to suffer from your quirk. I know how Chronos took you in and looked after you like a father...and I also know that he did not hurt you. Not willingly. He was being controlled." White Noise took a step back as she heard this. She lowered her head and thought over what Toshinori had said for a moment. "Who?" she whispered. "Who controlled him?" "According to our informant...Sombra. Sombra commanded him to hurt you," Toshinori said. White Noise lowered her head once more, before her body began to shake. Her head snapped back up as she raised an assortment of light based blades at the same time. "LIAR!" She hurled her blades towards Toshinori, who, even with his quirk deactivated, was still quick enough to dodge out of the way. White Noise then let out a primal scream as she threw her arms back, giving off a blast of white energy that sent all of the ponies and the hero skidding away from her. "YOU LIE! Sombra wouldn't hurt me! In fact, he healed me! He made the pain go away! He gave me his magic to feed upon to sate my hunger! He comforted me after...after...Sombra is KIND!" She slammed her hands into the ground and gave off another pulse of energy, one that Twilight had to create another barrier to stop. "But that is what you heroes do. You lie. You spread false hope. You promise to help...and then only do so when it is convenient. I've seen the truth!" She hurled dozens of needles towards the ponies, who once again took shelter behind Twilight's shield. "You couldn't save me! You couldn't save my parents! Even after the heroes promised to...even after all the poking and experiments...they all LIED!" "Twilight, we need to do something!" Applejack called out to Twilight. Twilight nodded and tried to use her magic to restrain the girl, but to her amazement her magic was absorbed into White Noise, who didn't even notice. "Magic isn't going to work here," Twilight told her team. "She can absorb it. Which mean that the only way to bring her down...is force..." "Leave it to me, Twi. Ah can take her down," AJ promised. Twilight held out a hoof to stop her. "No. I won't hurt a girl who is just a victim," Twilight said. "She has been hurt by the heroes of Earth. Betrayed by a man she saw as a father. And is being used by the best manipulator in our world. She is an innocent. And we protect the innocent, not harm them." "A nice sentiment, Twilight, but clearly she has no issue with harming us!" Rainbow Dash said. Twilight took point and blocked another wave of energy. "So how do we stop her without harming her while she's trying to kill us?" "The same way we brought down Nightmare Moon all those years ago," Twilight said. "Girls! Get your Element!" The ponies let out a cry and charged forward (Dash limped) while Twilight charged towards White Noise, who created more energy blades as she prepared for Twilight's attack. Twilight got ready to wrap the girl in a magical shield to buy her friends time...only to be stopped when a wall of muscles grabbed a hold of White Noise and held her back. "Do not worry, Twilight," the returning All Might said with a laugh. "I may not have my full strength, but I can surely keep a little girl from making a decision she will regret. Go get what you came here for. I have this." Twilight nodded to All Might as she ran towards the Tree of Harmony, leaving All Might to deal with the squirming girl. "I know that you do not believe me. I know that you have been betrayed by those that should have helped you when you needed it most. But I promise you that I am here to help. I will do whatever it takes to help you feel better. That is my promise to you as the number one hero." "The number one hero...the number one liar!" White Noise screamed. Energy shot out of her body like blades, slicing through All Might's arms and torso. Yet despite the pain, he didn't let go. He kept her safely tucked in his arms. "LET GO! I know that this hurts! I know you can get out of the way! So let me go!" "Hurts? You think this hurts? Compared to what you have been through, compared to the agony I feel within your heart right now, this pain is nothing. Unleash your worst upon me. I will take all of your hatred and agony. I will not cast you aside. I will save you." "Save me? You couldn't even beat Sombra. How can a hero who can't beat the villain hope to save me?" The words tore through All Might in a way White Noise power never could. The hero dropped the girl to the ground, stunned as he turned around and pointed an arm at him. She fired a single way of energy, but her energy attack was quickly overpowered by another source of power. She and All Might turned to see Twilight and her friends floating overhead, a blindingly beautiful light binding them all together. The light washed over the two humans with a sense of comfort and calm, while All Might noticed that the wave had healed most of Dash's wounds. "All Might, please back up. We'll handle this," Twilight said. All Might did as Twilight asked, backing away from the girl. White Noise turned around, staring up at the six beings of magic that looked down on her. "White Noise...I know that you have suffered greatly. I know that you feel like you cannot trust us, trust the words of heroes. But there is no need to worry. The Elements will help with all that pain and hate you feel. You'll be back to normal in just a moment. Trust us." And then the Element's were unleashed. Their rainbow light encircled the girl and seeped into her, causing white light to shoot out of her eye slits as the magic consumed her. For a moment, they worked their magic. Then White Noise began to fight. Began to use her quirk. And the Elements began to falter. "What is happening?" Rarity asked. "She's...she's rejecting the Element's power," Twilight gasped. "That...that shouldn't be possible!" With one last scream, White Noise erupted with energy, canceling out the Elements power and dropping her to the ground. She slowly got up to her feet and glared at the six ponies, who still hovered with the power of the Elements. "Normal? You think...you can just...shoot my with some nice feeling magic and tell me I'm going to be alright? That it will deal with my pain and hatred? No. There is only one way my pain will go away. When all of you liars are brought down. When you are shown that you're not heroes. You're all frauds! And no amount of magic will make that anger go away...but Sombra will make all of you go away! Make all of you liars go away! You heroes...you pretender fathers...and you ponies!" "White Noise..." Twilight whispered. "Enjoy getting your Elements. They won't save you from Sombra. That I know to be true," she spat. Then she looked All Might right in the eyes. "He beat you before, hero. And he'll do it again." And then darkness wrapped around her, consuming her, and then she was gone. Leaving the seven alone with only the words of the girl and the hum of the Elements echoing throughout the chamber.