//------------------------------// // Chapter 02 // Story: Twilight in the Ruins // by Stelsun Darkstar //------------------------------// Twilight's dream wasn't anything special. Infact, it was kind of unnerving. It was a still image of her best friends, just staring at her, while a familiar, quiet melody was playing in the background. Because of this, the purple pony woke up. Her face and front legs were covered in a cold sweat. The mare decided to tell Toriel about it and to calm herself infront of the warm fire in the living room, but quickly dropped out that idea when she turned the lights on with her magic and noticed a piece of pie on the ground. It reminded her on how would Pinkie Pie sometimes bring pies to her friends, or how would Applejack or even Granny Smith would both make those amazing apple pies. Those little details about her friends made Twilight tear up a little. She really missed all of her friends so much. She got up from the bed and took the piece of pie with her magic. She placed it on the drawer so she could peacefuly choose something to wear. Normally Twilight wouldn't really wear anything, but this time she felt like she have to. The purple pony choose to wear a turtleneck sweater colored in black and pale green stripes. It wasn't really the best looking sweater in the world, but still, it was something. Twilight entered the living room, where Toriel was just about to start on reading a history book about the monsters and how they got here. She had this habit of sometimes re-reading already read books from her bookshelf. Twilight stepped closer and asked her friend a question. "Tori," The monster lady stopped reading and looked Twilight in the eyes. "can you tell me about the exit of this place?" Toriel wasn't really in the mood of answering this question. So she changed the topic again, like she did yesterday. Twilight had enough of this, so she asked her again. Then, Toriel dropped her book and removed her reading glasses. "Twilight, stay here," Toriel commanded with a stoic expression. "i need to do something alone." And so, she left the room, leaving Twilight alone as she commanded to her. Twilight waited and waited, until she became even more curious and impatient. She decided to follow Toriel and ask her again. She checked every room, including the room under renovations, but Toriel was nowhere to be seen. She checked every room.. except the basement. Twilight was ready for everything when she took the first step on the purple stairs. Down there, it was quiet, it was like nobody stepped here before, even Toriel herself. The ceiling of the long basement hallway was covered in spider webs. The webs, some of the outdated cracked purple bricks on the walls and overall, the silence and the atmosphere of this hallway gave Twilight such an eerie vibe. Until she noticed Toriel's back. She was walking slowly, so the purple mare could easily catch up with her. "Twilight, i know that you're here, behind me right now. There's no use of trying to escape this place. We tried everything we can long ago!" Toriel simply said as she continued walking foward. Twilight continued walking with her. "If you're wondering, the end of the RUINS is right after the next hallway, so for everyone's good, including you, i'm going to destroy it." Twilight was shocked by her friend's words. The Ruins's exit? Destroying it?! No escape?! The purple mare still had to continue and possibly even fight for an answer of her question. And suddenly, there they were, at the first door for the RUINS's exit, where this caring and gentle monster lady was going to unleash her overprotectiveness and magical power into the bricks and stones, to destroy this place, where nobody could enter or exit anymore. But before Toriel could even produce a single spark out of her paws, she was stopped by Twilight. "You don't even have to do this, Toriel! You can just tell me and we'll hopefully find another way!" Toriel wasn't very pleased with this sentence. She turned around and the sound of forming flames could be heard from the monster's paws. "You really wanna leave so badly?" Twilight nerviously nodded. "Then, prove yourself. Prove to me that you're strong enough to survive out there!" Toriel's face wasn't showing any emotion now. Just the stoic, cold and serious expression that Twilight wasn't really used on seeing. Now, she had to fight her. But since she wasn't equipted with weapons, she used magic. It was Twilight's turn right now. She jumped right into her friend and used a magical spell that could slice things like a kitchen knife. Toriel wasn't down yet, which meant that it was her turn to fight. She raised her paws and formed a short fire wall that floated right at the alicorn mare. She dodged half of the attack, but she was still left with a little damage. Half of her dark purple tail was burned off. It was now her turn. But.. this time.. Twilight felt like she didn't want to attack her.. and probably kill her friend. She saw with the corner of her purple eye the option of sparing those who fight her. She choose the option 'mercy'. Toriel was a little confused, but she continued her turn to attack. She unleashed another beam of fire balls at the pony. With few jumps and acrobatics, she dodged them again, this time with no damage. The next few turns were risky. Twilight continued on choosing 'mercy' towards the goat monster, and her, repeatedly choosing 'fight'. And then, here they were again. Fighting just because Twilight needs to prove to her friend that she can survive on her own, to prove that she can pass the entry to the outside world without getting burned and killed by the magical fire of Toriel. "AAUGH!!" Twilight shouted once her body got accidentaly burned. This time she failed on dodging the attack properly, so she got burned. It was Twilight's turn now. She had to attack and kill Toriel, since her slicing magic was stronger than a regular knife. But no.. she took the risk and choose 'mercy' once again. Toriel didn't say anything again and prepared her next attack, while Twilight layed on the ground in quiet agony from her burned body. She was ready to get fully burned and turned into a pile of dust that probably no one will remember. . . . "What? I don't see that heart from earlier.. Am i even dead?! Or.. i'm just fallen asleep.." From dead silence, Twilight started to hear muffled cries. She slowly opened her eyes, only to see Toriel fallen on her knees and crying. "Why are you crying, Tori?" Twilight wasn't strong enough to speak, so she just though of saying that. "I can't kill you, Twilight.. Why did even bringed myself to this?! You're no harm to us.. But still.. i can't let you go because of... them.. ASGORE.. I noticed your SOUL, Twilight." Before she could finish talking, she touched Twilight's almost burned and dead body with her white, fluffy paw and made the wounds disappear. She healed her and the little mare could no longer feel the agony. Now, when Twilight could hear and listen with no problem, Toriel continued on talking. "Monsters are going to take your SOUL, Twilight. They need it shatter the barrier. A force made from the spell casted by humans, who trapped us here for.. god knows how long exactly." Toriel held Twilight in her arms and before she could realize it, she pt her back in the little, orange bed. She gave her a new sweater to wear, sence the old one got burned. And like yesterday, she tucked her in with the warmest and comfortable sheets she had. The toys that were placed close the bed were giving this innocent vibe to Twilight, like the battle she had earlier never happend. "Twilight, would you like me to read you a story?" "..." Twilight thought. "Yes, i would love to hear one." "Once upon a time, there were two races, HUMANS and MONSTERS. One day, a war broke between the two races. The humans were victorious, so they banished the monsters underground with a magical spell and created the barrier. The king of the monsters, ASGORE, had to make his people somehow feel like home again, so they found this new place to live which they called.. 'Home'." Toriel stopped talking once she heard the quiet sobbing of Twilight. "Hey, are you alright, Twilight?" She leaned over to see Twilight's face. She looked sad, as the day she first saw her. "I really wanna go home, Tori. I want to go back to my real home, to Equestria, where my family and friends are!" Toriel was still thinking if she could really let Twilight go outside the RUINS. Where all posible dangers are.. Yes, she was going to let her even if she was going to regret her decision. If Twilight really wanted to go out, she wasn't gonna force her anymore. Twilight Sparkle is going home! "Twilight," "Huh?" "You can go thrue the exit of the Ruins tommorow. I'm letting you go. I won't force you into staying here anymore.." Twilight hugged her friend tightly. Feeling a little surprised, Toriel still returned the hug. "Goodnight, Twilight." "Night, Toriel."