//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5- Another Way Revealed 
// Story: Only the Broken, Only the Cursed (please read blog post) 
// by DougtheLoremaster 
//------------------------------//

Her hooves pounded against the destroyed pavement, as she ran down the empty corridors of the city. Breathing rapidly, she searched for an exit to the massive labyrinth that was the Crystal Empire. Behind her, the shouts of her pursuers could be heard.
“Another offering for the Moon tonight, boys!”
“Yeah, let’s get her!”
“Don’t let her escape!”
Panicking, Twilight suddenly heard a soothing voice talking to her.
“Turn Left!”
On her back sat a baby dragon. Spike was telling her where to turn as the two raced away from the ambushers and towards the Crystal Castle. His voice always had a calming effect on her spirit; ever since he was hatched.
Twilight was never told why, but Celestia had demanded she always have Spike with her.  Though she wasn’t sure why she still did as her mother instructed. Disobedience wasn’t an option. Well, not where Spike was concerned anyway.
“In there!”
Spike pointed to the large castle in front of them; the door suspiciously ajar. The castle where her brother and his wife had lived since his graduation. The rulers of the once pristine Crystal Empire.  Around the base and sides of the massive metal gate were charred and shattered stones. Seeing the castle gate hanging by its hinges should have been a clear sign that something was wrong.
Twilight was beyond processing her surroundings; fear having permeated her entire being. She raced into the castle and past the mutilated corpses of rotting Crystal Guards. Her eyes closed in terror, she didn’t stop running until she reached the throne room. Behind her the screams and shouts of her pursuers growing closer. And then, out of breath and on her last vestiges of sanity, she opened her eyes.
The sight that greeted her separated the single thread that she had been clinging to. On the throne sat the half-decayed form of a Unicorn stallion. Twilight’s heart stopped. It was her brother. It was clear how he had died; the corpse chained down with a single spear jutting from his ribcage. 
A look of horror frozen upon the remaining parts of his rotted face. He seemed to be eternally gazing at a spot in front of her. With trepidation she lowered her gaze to the spot and her blood ran cold. It was his wife; the Princess of Love herself. Her body had been desecrated in truly unspeakable ways; spears jutting from various areas and lay there partly decomposed. Beside her corpse lay a tiny skeleton; their daughter. It was clear that the three had been dead for quite some time.
Twilight’s mind just broke. Shattered by the sight; she became unstable. Her anger; her rage. Her pain; her despair. Both surged in her as she whirled around to face her pursuers. Her eyes flashed from amethyst to jade to crimson. Her body grew hot as flames erupted from within her.
“You did this.”
Her words were barely a whisper as she raised her head to stare at the crowd before her. Her mane became nothing but a fountain of fire, as her tail took on the same appearance.
“You did this to them.”
Her hooves glowed with immense heat and the stone beneath them began to melt. Her voice had gotten slightly deeper; accusatory in tone.
Her eyes showed her rage; glowing with a crimson of pure hatred. A scream tore itself from her throat; primal and untamed. It sent shivers down the stunned onlookers.
“You did this to my broth-Arrrgh!”
Everything went black, and before her appeared two imposing forms; Alicorns. One resembled her only with dark violet fur, jade green eyes, and a shimmering star-filled mane and tail. The other looked like her, but its mane and tail were of pure fire, while its eyes were glowing red and its fur was pure white. Both spoke at the same time, their words echoing around her in the void.
“Neither pain nor rage will undo what is done. He is gone. You must find another way to cope. Lest you become what you wish to destroy. Heed our words. You must find another way to free yourself.”
From the two, a blistering firestorm and raging blizzard came forth; threatening to destroy her-

***

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!”
Twilight’s eyes flew open; dilated in fear, as sweat dripped down her muzzle. Looking wildly around, she found herself in the room sitting against the bed that held Spike. Just a dream. She relaxed until she noticed the pink Earthpony sitting next to her, giggling slightly. The Earthpony’s voice was squeaky and cheerful as it proclaimed.
“Yeah, I know what that’s like. I lost my sisters the same way.”
At once Twilight’s eyes narrowed and her horn glowed. Seemingly amused at the antics, the pony tried to reassure her.
“Easy there, silly filly. You’re safe, I won’t hurt you.”
Twilight paused at the reaction. The Earthpony had no fear of her; smiling at her, cheerily in the face of possible attack. Twilight’s horn stopped glowing, as shock filled her when the pink pony held out an iced cupcake, she seemingly pulled from nowhere.
“Want a cupcake?”
Completely disarmed, Twilight found herself smiling, as she accepted the lovely confectionary. 
“Erm- uh...sure?”
Taking the cupcake from the strange mare, Twilight blinked and noticed the Earthpony somehow munching on another cupcake when her hooves had been empty a second before.
“Uh…Where did you...get that?”
Laughing, the pink pony munched happily, telling her.
“What? You think you’re the only pony here who wants a cupcake?”
Twilight grinned; she couldn’t help it. The situation was stupid, silly, and impossible and yet all she could do was grin. She started giggling at the absurdity of the mare beside her.
The smile fading from her face, the pink pony nodded in approval. Her tone changed slightly as though withholding her own pain and sadness.
“That’s right. It’s good to laugh sometimes; especially when you can’t make sense of the world around you. When you are pushed beyond your limits, just paste a smile on your face and laugh. My name’s Pinkamena Diane Pie though the girls call me Pinkie Pie. Nice to meet you.”
Twilight watched as Pinkie sat with her back to the cot, just like Twilight. After a silent moment of chewing, Twilight held out a hoof.
“My name’s Twilight, nice to meet you Pinkie.”
Pinkie gave her hoof a gentle bump using her own.
“Well met. You know, it’s a bit funny. You remind me a bit of both Marble and Limestone; my younger sisters.”
Her head cocked in curiosity, Twilight asked her.
“How so?”
“Marble had this habit of being quiet, though gentle; she could become fierce in a heartbeat. Limestone on the other hoof, had a habit of facing conflict with anger; though she always had a justified reason, at least in her eyes.”
Twilight turned as she heard a shift in her voice. She was startled by the sight that greeted her. It was no longer squeaky, but deathly serious. In the time it took to blink; the cupcake in Pinkie’s hooves had become a knife. The mane of the pink pony went from fluffy to straight, covering one eye. 
Pinkie licked the edge of her knife, almost lovingly, before she continued.
“They took them from me, you know. My lovely family. I had just gotten off from volunteering at the Cake’s Bakery and decided to visit them. When I arrived on the old rock farm; I found it destroyed. And there in the wreckage, I found the remains of my family; torn limb from limb by those murdering cultists. That’s when the sky began to rain fire down onto the land and- Rainbows won’t light up the sky unless you let it rain, candles just won’t glow until they're burned. You can’t give up your laughter, cause you're scared of a little pain. It’s a lesson that the Kirin never learned!~
Twilight blinked in confusion.
“Uh-what?”
Pinkie giggled, her mane; fluffy once more. In her hooves, she no longer held a knife but a freshly baked cookie, she inexplicably obtained. Taking a bite of it, she grinned.
“Sorry about that, we have a Kirin refugee who loves singing that. It’s been stuck in my head for weeks.”
Twilight couldn’t help but laugh. The pony before her was just so ridiculous.
“Uh, right- What’s a Kirin?”
Pinkie’s words were squeaky and joyful once more. 
“Some kind of hybrid; between a Unicorn and a dragon, I think. I mean, they lack magic but can burst into flames when angry. Like you did at the Crystal Empire.”
Twilight gasped.
“Hey, how do you know about that?”
Pinkie shook her head and ignored the question, continuing.
“The point, silly filly, is you aren’t alone. Don’t let go of your laughter because you lost a loved one. After all-”
Rising, Pinkie started for the door, calling over her shoulder.
“Your brother would want you to smile.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide. She had never mentioned her brother.
“Wait! How do you know my-”
However, the doorway was empty once more; Pinkie had already left the room, leaving Twilight with so many questions. Unable to make sense of any of it; she sat there in the dark, laughing.	As she sat there silently giggling, a thought entered her mind.
It began as an idea, but the more she thought about it, the more it consumed her thoughts: I’m not alone, others have lost loved ones too? Maybe I should talk to them.
Looking at the doorway she noticed that same Pegasus from before, standing guard. Hm, maybe I should start with her. Taking a deep breath, Twilight stood up and slowly walked towards her; calling out to the mare. 
“Hey, um- your name is...Rainbow, right?”
The Pegasus looked at her with a grin.
“The one and only. Proud Captain of the Wonderb-”
Her grin faded and a tear rolled down as she finished her thoughts.
“Though, I guess that’s in the past now...isn’t it?”
Twilight felt like yelling at her, mocking her for showing weakness. Her mom had told her all weaknesses should be exploited but just as she was about to, she thought about what Pinkie had told her. She smiled, she had another idea. 
“Hey, um, I lost somepony close to me as well. You uh- want to talk about it?”
Rainbow Dash looked down at the strange filly, her mind filled with thoughts about what the Princess had instructed her and her friends. Twilight, huh? How curious. Don’t worry Celestia; she’s in good hooves. I promise we won’t let you down. Her voice was raspy and weathered as she replied. 
“I’d like that, kid.”