//------------------------------// // Acceptance // Story: Silver Spirit, Ghost of Equestria. // by Powerdrainer //------------------------------// Edited by Slayerseba Acceptance <<>><<>><<>> An onyx portal melted away, and Chrysalis slowly walked into her chamber with Danny close behind.  Tiredly, Chrysalis looked at her bed, wanting nothing more than to lay down and sleep but refusing to give in to this urge and show weakness in front of another. Instead, she looked at Danny, numerous questions still demanding an answer.  "So what else can you tell me about ghosts? Especially that which would be important to us changelin… ks."  "Plenty," Danny answered, closing the door behind them with a glowing hand. "And I will, eventually. But I can see you're pushing yourself, so I won't spend hours talking and keeping you up when you need rest more than anything else right now." "I think I know my limits better than you, Phantom."  "And I've been you," he said simply, looking at her, arms crossed.  Chrysalis jerked back, eyes wide. "You mean-"  "Peculya. Aethina. I know," he said, eyes downcast. "And I am truly sorry." Chrysalis wavered, then lost her strength completely and collapsed.  Acting on reflex, Danny caught her in his spectral hold before she could hit the ground, then carefully lifted her onto the bed further into the chamber.  "I'm sorry," he said as he released his hold, shaking his head. "Should have known that would hit hard."  "You… you saw them. My- my daughters," she choked out, turning away from Danny as she fought, and lost to keep back her tears.  "Them, and Mantodea," he answered. "Your husband was the one who first greeted me in the Murgröna." Nothing more was said as Chrysalis quietly sobbed, tears falling down on the mattress, while Danny sat down on an old and beaten table; one of the very few pieces of furniture still present in the room, as everything else had been used to keep the fires burning.  Slowly Chrysalis stopped sobbing, and her breathing became deeper and calmer as she drifted off.  "I hope you find some piece of mind while you sleep," said Danny as he watched over her. "You'll need it. Hell, after everything you have gone through, you deserve it. And when you wake up, I'll tell you everything you need to know about ghosts. Starting with one of the most dangerous powers we ghosts have," he looked at his hand, fingers flexing. "Intangibility."  <<>><<>><<>   "Save you?" Sweetie Belle squeaked.  With a sigh Apple Pie hung her head, looking at the floor before Sweetie Belle.  "I'm sorry for us to just push this onto you. I really am, but there is so much at stake, and we have almost no time left."  She looked back up at Sweetie Belle, then out into the Hive; all present changelinks were watching them unblinkingly.  "What you need to understand is that we are not alive in here. But neither are we dead. We are memories preserved by the Murgröna and shared with our descendants. We 'live' only because of this bond between the two. If one falls, so does the other." "What?" Apple Pie showed a sad smile. "Remember how the Murgröna was much dimmer when you first saw it?"  "Y-yes. But then Danny did something, right?"  Apple Pie chuckled and nodded, then shook her head. "He did, but he didn't," Sweetie Belle stared blankly at her. "Let me explain. The Murgröna and changelinks live in symbiosis. One needs the other, and vice versa." "But what would the Murgröna need the changelinks for?!"  "Food."  "What?!" Sweetie Belle jerked back, eyes wide.  "Oh, nothing like that," Apple Pie laughed, shaking her head. "The Murgröna doesn't eat changelinks or ponies for that matter. No, it feeds on their energy in a manner similar to how changelinks feed on the emotions of others. It takes a little bit from the changelinks it interacts with, allowing it to grow and flourish, while everything the changelinks know gets preserved in return. But this can only happen if there is any energy to take." Understanding dawned, and Sweetie Belle's eyes widened as she looked at the much smaller Hive.  "When the Hive grew, so did the Murgröna. The increasing number of changelinks allows it to grow bigger and bigger. But when their numbers fell, there was less and less energy to take, so the Murgröna had to take more and more to sustain itself, only making things worse as a result. But the changelinks couldn't just allow it to die either so-" she said, starting to understand. "So things spiraled out of control until their numbers had fallen to a point where the Murgröna fell into a slumber to preserve itself. It, and all of us who reside in it, were in… I guess you could say we were in a coma of sorts," Apple Pie finished.  Sweetie Belle was aghast, unable to speak.  "But then Danny came and somehow touched the Murgröna; energizing it just by being there. How he did this, though, we don't know. Just that he did. It's part of the reason he was brought into this place. Not just for him to learn about us, but for us to learn about him. Though this left us with more questions than answers. And in the end, it is of little importance as this did create a much greater problem that needs to be solved first." "Which is?" Sweetie Belle asked, worried.  "Food," Apple Pie answered with a grimace.  "What do you-" once again realization struck like a punch to the gut.  "With the Murgröna awake again, it needs to eat just as much as our descendants, but they have nothing left to give."  "But… But I saw the Murgröna reach out to all those in the hospital," said Sweetie Belle. "Wouldn't that harm them?"  With a small smile, Apple Pie shook her head. "Fortunately not. And all thanks to Danny. Maybe it is because he is human, or maybe it's because of who he is as a person, but when the Murgröna touched him, it also touched an unfathomable wellspring of energy. Enough to sustain us for some time, but not forever." "But if Danny has that much energy, I'm sure he would share it with you whenever you need it."  "Oh, I'm certain he would," Apple Pie nodded. "But this does not solve the problem, only delaying the inevitable." "What do you mean?"  "The Murgröna needs the changelinks, just as the changelinks need the murgröna. Because we are their past, and they are our future. And while the changelinks may be able to live without the Murgröna, it would mean they need to give up everything they were. The good, the bad, everything that is remembered. Everything that shaped them into what they are now. And, in a way, it means they would have to let us die as well." "That's horrible," Sweetie Belle gasped out.  "And that is why we need your help," Apple Pie said, looking at her. "For us to live, we need to changelinks to live. And for them to live, they need the help of us, ponies. Because for as much as you and your friends have done, it will only be in vain if nopony else will step up and help."  "But… what can I possibly do?"  "Far more than you think," Apple Pie answered, placing a hoof on Sweetie Belle's wither. "Just look at what you have done already," and the world around the two changed.  Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were down in Twilight's basement, each wearing a piece of protective lab gear while drawing a summoning symbol on the floor with crayons.  "What is going on?" asked Sweetie Belle as she watched her friends and herself run in a panic as their attempt to summon a ghost went horribly wrong.  "A small reminder of the incredible things you have done," said Apple Pie as the world changed again.  "Girls..." Sweetie responded in a haze, "I just flew..." "I JUST FLEW!" The world shifted again, and again, and again, each new scene showing Sweetie Belle learning to control and use her powers. And with it, a growth in confidence.  The world shifted again, and Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom jumped out of hiding to save a helpless changelink under attack by timberwolves.  From here the world sped up around the two, showing all that happened since that point faster and faster until everything was but a blur, yet somehow recognizable to the young filly Then the world stopped all at once, the images around them gone save one scene right before them and Sweetie Belle flinched.  "You're nothing more than a frightened child, desperately reaching out for help. The mere thought of fighting you, while you are the one who needs help the most is revolting in more ways than I can think of," Danny said as he held Sweetie Belle tightly against his chest, an arm wrapped around her. An arm she had bitten into with sharp fangs, and green ectoplasmic blood flowing from both the wound and her mouth.  "Especially knowing who it is you really are," Danny continued, ignoring the wound. "You are no monster. You never were. You never will be. And I will not, not now, not ever, fight with violence against someone who can just as easily be beaten by heartfelt kindness." Sweetie Belle felt sick, desperately trying to look away but unable to do so.  "I've got nothing to fear from you," Danny continued, slowly sitting down while keeping the filly close. "Because, deep down, you do not want to hurt me, your friends, the changelings, anyone. It's that part of you that is stronger than anything else. A part that can beat this. Maybe not alone, but with the help of your friends. But you must make the first move, Sweetie Belle. Fight this. I know you can. After all, you're a Cutie Mark Crusader. You and your friends have done crazier things than this." The world stopped, and Sweetie Belle and Apple Pie looked at the unmoving image of Danny and Sweetie Belle. The latter with a sad frown, the former dry heaving while tears ran down her face.  "Why- why would you show me this?" Sweetie Belle asked through heavy breaths.  "To help you understand," Apple Pie told her.  "To understand, WHAT?!" Sweetie Belle shouted, turning away from the cursed sight and glaring at Apple Pie. "THAT I AM SOME KIND OF MONSTER!?"  "A monster?" Apple Pie said questioningly. "I don't think you are. Neither does Danny, or your friends," she told her, looking back at the still image, now showing Apple Bloom and Scootaloo as well as they hugged their friend tightly to help her break free from herself. "And neither do the changelinks. Not really. Because they know a true monster, and you are not it."  "Then why?" asked Sweetie Belle, all anger gone from her voice, replaced with tiredness and defeat.  "Because there is only one in all the Hive who truly believes you to be a monster," Apple Pie told her.  "... Who?" Sweetie Belle dreading the answer.  "See for yourself."  Sweetie Belle looked up at Apple Pie, confused. Seeing the mare look at something behind her, Sweetie Belle slowly, reluctantly turned around herself and stumbled back into Apple Pie, horrified.  Standing there, looking back at her was herself.  "Wha- what?!" she tried to push herself further away, but Apple Pie blocked her.  "Your friends already know the truth. Even the changelinks know it, despite their fear. But you, Sweetie Belle. You continue to lie, despite everything that you have done so far since it happened. You keep telling yourself you're a monster because deep down a part of you needs you to be a monster. It's also that part you need to face," Sweetie Belle's mirror image warped; the coat turning a dark gray while the mane and tail became even darker as they moved in an ethereal breeze, pupils becoming slitted and small fangs poking out of her upper lip.  "Th- this isn't me," Sweetie Belle squeaked, still trying to escape.  "No, this is what you don't want to be," Apple Pie corrected. "But it is a part of you, no matter how much you deny it," Apple Pie put a hoof on Sweetie Belle's back. "And right now you need to make a choice."  "A choice? What are you talking about?" Sweetie Belle asked, never averting her gaze from her nightmarish self.  "The choice to keep running and allowing this fear to consume you, or to accept this darkness within and grow stronger because of it."  Sweetie Belle continued to press further into Apple Pie when, much to her horror, her twisted mirror image began to snarl and move, eyes locked onto her.  "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" she shouted, terrified.  "That's the thing," Apple Pie said, and Sweetie Belle fell backwards as the mare had suddenly vanished. "I'm not." Sweetie Belle scampered back as her darker self advanced.  "This is a trial of your own making," Apple Pie's voice came from everywhere and nowhere. "A challenge you need to overcome yourself." The evil spirit pounced, and Sweetie Belle turned tail, running as fast she could.  "But I can offer you some advice," said Apple Pie. "Giggle at the ghostly."  <<>><<>><<>>   The freezing wind howled through barren trees, blowing up clouds of powder snow while Erlea and Abella slowly advanced through the thick layer of frost, following the trail obviously left for them.  The forest they were in was now some distance behind them as they pushed onwards over a seemingly endless expanse of white.  "What kind of memory is this?" Abella groused, voice raised to be heard over the wind. "Where even is this taking us?"  "How would I know?" Erlea shouted back, hoof held before her eyes to shield herself from a particularly harsh gust of wind and snow. "This trail has to lead somewhere, so let's just keep moving."  For minutes more they pushed on, not able to see more than a few body lengths ahead. But then, slowly fading into view, structures revealed themselves.  "Is that a village?" Abella asked "It looks like it. No idea what village, though."  With no other option available to them, the two entered the village, moving to the closest building to them, seeing flickering light coming from a window just out of their reach.  Looking at each other, Abella cocked an eyebrow and Erlea groaned in response before moving underneath the window and allowing Abella to clamber on her back to reach the windowsill.  "See anything?" Erlea asked almost immediately.  "Give me a moment, sheesh."  Looking inside, Abella saw little of interest. Some pieces of furniture, a few books, a table, and a small fire in a fireplace.  "Well?" Erlea grunted.  "There's nothing her- wait, some… thing just entered."  "Something?"  Abella wasn't sure how to describe the creature she saw entering. It roughly resembled a pony in form, but it was something else entirely, covered in strange, fleshy skin covering the body from top to bottom with bulging pouches on its side.  The creature looked around, then moved to the fireplace and used magic to pull a piece of wood from one of its pouches, tossing it in the fire.  Then it proceeded to pull the skin off of its face, and Abella screamed as she fell down, followed by a mad scramble to get away.  Erlea, confused by what happened but easily recognizing the horror in her friend's actions, and hearing numerous unintelligible sounds rise up from the village, didn't hesitate to follow after her as they fled the place.  However, both fillies failed to realize the ground underneath was actually a frozen river, and in their rush to escape enough snow was kicked aside for the slippery surface to be reached.  Hooves slipped, legs tangled up, and two bodies collided as they tumbled through the snow. Coming to a sudden, concussive stop as they slammed head first into a rock hidden under the snow, and their world went dark.  From a distance, a silent form watched as the creatures from the village closed in on the pair, tugging on the cap she wore; a sign of kindness and friendship gave to her so long ago.  A lesson these two had to learn for themselves now as well, no matter how many times she would have to hit them on the head to learn it.  <<>><<>><<>>   With a groan, Chrysalis stirred, and for several blissful moments, reality allowed her to remain in the haze between asleep and awake as she groggily rolled over, one eye-opening slightly as her slow-to-start mind searched for something.  Exactly what this was she wasn't quite sure about, just that it was important.  While her mind still struggled to remember how to perform the most basic of functions, Chrysalis slowly pushed herself up, only to flop onto her side.  For several seconds she lay there, not entirely sure what had gone wrong.  Trying again, this time more successful, Chrysalis once again looked through the room, blinking owlishly as her eyes refused to coordinate their actions.  A green glow pulled her attention.  "Ah, awake I see."  Turning to the source of the voice, Chrysalis saw the tall, bipedal form of Danny enter the room.  "Whu?" she replied unintelligibly.  Danny paused in his movement for a split second, then chuckled as he closed the distance.  "Must have been some good sleep," he commented, placing something on a nearby table, then turning to the still drowsy queen. "How're you feeling?"  The sight of the human before her gave the jolt her mind needed to shift gear, and her eyes sharpened as memories came flooding back.  "I… you-" she closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it. "Better, I suppose," she answered, looking back at Danny. "How long have I been asleep?"  "Not too long. A few hours. It's late afternoon now."  Chrysalis gave a faint nod, then frowned.  "You know it is a crime to just enter my chamber without my permission." She didn't ask, glaring at Danny.  "Oh I am well aware of your laws and rules," Danny replied, smirking. "I also know none of those rules specify humans and ghosts. So technically I did nothing wrong."  Chrysalis glared at him for a moment longer, then turned away. "I suppose I can't complain about a willing servant catering to my wishes," she then noticed the pitcher of water and empty glasses on the table and realized just how dry her throat felt.  Acting on his own, Danny partially filled a glass and offered it to Chrysalis with a knowing smile.  "Figured you would be thirsty," he told her, not making any remarks about the tears she shed or the noticeable wet mark on her pillow.  Igniting her horn with what little magic she could muster, the glass shakily levitated to the parched queen who then greedily drained the glass from its contents.  "Better?" Danny asked, and Chrysalis almost threw the glass back at him.  "More… Please."  Chuckling, Danny refilled the glass.  One more clumsy levitation followed, and this time Chrysalis drained the contents a bit more dignified. Then she set the glass down on the floor and returned her attention to Danny.  "So you know of my daughters and husband," she forced herself to say, glaring at the human who had seen parts of her personal life.  "I do," Danny confirmed, pushing aside the mostly full pitcher, and sat down on the table. "Not by my own choice, of course. I know what it is like to have others pry into your personal life, and am not a fan of it. The Murgröna however, or I suppose those residing within it saw it fit to share with me as much as they could. Everything they believed I should know. All the good, the bad, and worse." Chrysalis held her glare for a moment longer, then closed her eyes.  "As much as this angers me, I can't fault you for this. The Murgröna's actions are not something for me to control, and it can even be considered a great honor for you to be allowed to interact with it as you have." "I know," Danny nodded. "And the same would go for Sweetie Belle, too."  "What!?" Chrysalis jumped up, blanket sliding off her back.  Not answering immediately, Danny grabbed the unused glass and poured himself some water. Taking a sip, he answered.  "This is something I learned from my other self. The one with Erlea, Abella, and Sweetie Belle in the old burrow. Both your daughter and Abella are interacting with the Murgröna there. And so is Sweetie Belle. And if my understanding of events is accurate, it is most likely Apple Pie who is responsible for this." "But for what reason would she be brought in?"  "You will need to ask her that, once she returns. Honestly, I was in there for only a few minutes and lived thousands of lives. But they, it's been hours." He looked at the glass in his hand, then took another sip. "Whatever it is they are doing in there, it must be important."  Chrysalis was silent, so Danny continued.  "And speaking off seeing things inside the Murgröna. May I ask what exactly you saw of my life? You mentioned you saw some of the mess that is my life. So did Abella, and probably most of everyone else who has interacted with it at this point. Knowing this would help me out when I explain everything ghost related. You know, skip over the stuff you already know." Lowering herself back on the bed, Chrysalis studied Danny for a long moment.  "Enough to understand why you are able to react so calmly to all of this, yet not enough to understand you personally. Most of it are flashes gleaned through an obscuring fog, with only moments of clarity." "Must be because I am a human and half ghost. Something the Murgröna has no experience with at all." "Probably, yes. Even so, what I saw explains much, yet so little at the same time."  "Story of my life right there," Dany sighed, head shaking. "But nothing much that would instantly answer anything you want to know about ghosts. Alright, guess I'll start filling in the blanks then. Starting with one of the most dangerous powers we ghosts have."  "And why not start with something more basic first? I did just woke up."  "Because this power is one of the most basic abilities we have," Danny told her. "In fact, as far as I know, all ghosts can do this. Though I am not sure if all of them realize it can be used in such a way. More importantly, it is also the one power Sweetie Belle has consistently struggled with, which is why I was so adamant she'd learn to control it sooner, rather than later. This to prevent accidents from happening outside of her control… Or worse." "You mean this… feral state she was in?"  "No," he shook his head. "Something far more dangerous."  Looking at his mostly full glass, a pair of ice cubes froze into existence with a blue flash of his eyes, and he took another sip.  "I'm talking about intangibility, and the many, many ways it can hurt, and even kill."  <<>><<>><<>> There were voices around her. Strange, unintelligible voices coming from someplace far away.  For a moment Erlea tried to figure out what these voices were saying, but failed to do so as a thick fog seemed to cloud her mind and numbed her body.  Her legs felt cold, heavy, and unwilling to respond to her commands while a strange pressure wrapped around her head, and a tiny groan escaped her as she tried to move.  The voices changed.  A response.  A reaction.  Erlea stopped her attempts to move and instead tried to listen.  Lying there, straining her ears, the voices slowly became louder, and clearer, and she eventually realized the voices were much closer to her than she first thought them to be.  Even then, the words were unknown, jumbled. More like random sounds strung together without logic behind them.  Slowly her mind began to connect the pieces, yet certain crucial parts were still missing and she ran through everything she remembered up until this point.  The moment she did, everything suddenly made perfect, horrible sense.  She and Abella were running from… something. Exactly what, she didn't know. But it had terrified her friend in a way she had rarely seen. Worse, she remembered slipping, slamming into Abella, then hitting her head and blacking out.  Obviously, the creatures of the village must have found them. But was she alone, or was Abella still with her?  Still numb, she did her best to ignore the cold, stiff protests of her body as she tried to feel her surroundings without moving.  She was lying on a floor, and not on the ground. The rough texture of the wood revealed this to her. Unable to feel any wind on her hide must mean she was taken inside somewhere. A frightening idea and she fought to suppress a shudder. But more importantly, she felt someone lying beside her.  Hoping it was her friend, she tried to reach out with their shared mind, only to realize one of the voices she heard was much, much closer. It was also shouting, and unlike all the others, she perfectly understood what was said.  'FOR HIVE'S SAKE, SAY SOMETHING ALREADY YOU "I'M TOO LAZY TO BOTHER REPLYING TO MY FRIEND" BUG!'  'Who are you calling a lazy bug?' Erlea shot back.  'Finally!' Abella replied, exasperated. 'I've been calling you for minutes now. 'Well sorry that I was out cold after hitting my head when you had a panic attack.' 'You would panic too if you saw what I saw. But that is not important right now.' 'Oh, then what is?' 'We're captured.' This jolted the last parts of her brain awake, and finally fully registered what her numb, muted senses were telling her.  'And surrounded, going by the voices around us,' Erlea added.  'More or less, yes. 'By who, or what? I've never heard this language before.' '... You know you can open your eyes, right?' 'And give away I'm awake?!' 'Yeah, because you're doing such an incredible job of hiding this,' Erlea could practically hear the eye-roll.  'What do you-... Ear twitches?'  'Ear twitches.' 'Citin rust.'  With a deep, mental sigh Erlea slowly opened her eyes and looked around.  As expected, she found herself on a wooden floor, inside what looked like a storage house. The barrels around her seemed to indicate as much. More importantly, however, were the ponies she saw standing nearby, looking at her in confusion and curiosity.  Erlea however only felt a sense of irritation, and she looked at her friend who was lying beside her.  'You freaked out over ponies? Are you kidding me?!'  'That was not what I saw in there,' Abella shot back.  'Uhu,' Erlea intoned.  'At least I'm not the one with bandages around her head,' Abella countered.  'Wait, what?'  Reaching up with a hoof, Erlea soon felt the rough fabric these ponies had used to bandage her head, which in turn explained the pressure she had felt.  One of the ponies, a unicorn stallion, carefully stepped forwards, looking at both Abella and Erlea, then said something.  'What language even is that?' asked Abella, confused by the string of gibberish coming from the stallion.  'How should I know?  'What kind of memory even is this?' 'I repeat. How should I know?'  Ignoring the stallion, for now, Erlea focused her attention on the other ponies there. Another unicorn, as well as a massive earth pony. Both stallions. And there was a mare. A pegasus who looked eerily familiar.  'Is it just me, or does she look like the pony in the mosaic near the entrance?' Abella looked at her friend, confused. Then she turned her attention to the mare, studying her more closely.  'It can't be,' she said. 'Can it?' 'We're in the Murgröna, of course, it can. But why?'  Neither could answer that, and they silently looked at the ponies trying to find some clue as to what was happening and why this was happening.  'But if she is indeed the pony from the mosaic, that means this is Yoke,' Erlea realized.  'The first encounter,' Abella gasped. 'That means we're reliving it.' 'But for what reason?'  A flurry of images suddenly assaulted their minds, showing them numerous hardships, struggles, and desperation. Seeing numerous changelinks head out into a frozen world in search of food, yet none return while those left in the burrow grew weaker and weaker.  Then the images left them, and the two found themselves back in the storage house, with the ponies looking at them in confusion.  The stallion from before took a small step closer to them, again speaking in incoherent gibberish.  It was here the cold surrounding them finally got the better of Abella, and a shudder ran up her spine despite her attempts to suppress it, ending in a compromising sneeze.  'Really?' Erlea deadpanned while the ponies looked at one another.  'Hey, it's not like I wanted to do that,' Abella protested.  With a slam, the doors of the storage house closed, and both fillies shot up in fright, caught unaware, and were now hanging upside down from the ceiling.  Three ponies were looking up at them in shock, surprise, confusion, and amazement.  The fourth pony, the pegasus mare, was nowhere to be found.  She returned quickly enough, entering the storage while carrying a tightly bundled-up package of fabric underneath a wing.  A package which soon dropped to the ground with the same speed her mouth fell open as she, too, saw the two young fillies hanging from the ceiling.  'We are so bucked right now, aren't we?' Abella groaned in resignation.  Let's just get down there and see what happens,' Erlea said with similar enthusiasm.  Slowly, the pair climbed down, keeping their eyes firmly on the ponies who, in turn, did the same.  Once down and with a wall firmly against their back, Erlea and Abella turned their attention to the mare who, after picking up the package she dropped, slowly approached them.  Stopping a few body lengths away, she then placed the package on the floor, revealing it to be a bunch of bundled-up clothes, laying them out one at a time before them.  'What is she doing?' asked Abella.  'Giving us clothes, it seems,' Erlea answered, looking at the clothes with a pensive frown.  'But why? Not to mention, there is no way those will fit us. They are way too big.' 'Look at that cap,' Erlea told her. 'It's the same as she wears in the mosaic.'  Standing in silent thought for a moment, Erlea looked at the cap, then at the mare watching back at them with kind expectation.  'It's almost like back at the orchard, where I woke up in this treehouse of theirs and where they tried to figure out what to do with me. And later, when Apple Bloom gave me some of her clothes to keep warm before they took me to this ghost world,' she said, more to herself yet sharing the thought with her friend all the same. Then she took a step forward.  'What are you doing?' 'I'm not sure,' Erlea slowly approached the mare, then moved to the blue cap on the floor and picked it up. 'But I think I am about to find out.' Acting before her friend could voice any protest, Erlea put on the cap, wiggling her ears so they would fit through the appropriate holes, then looked expectantly at the mare.  The mare smiled, nodding her head in approval, then motioned at the rest of the clothes and soon enough Erlea stood fully covered in various mismatching pieces of far too large clothing.  The mare made a sound of happy approval, then held a hoof up in front of her.  Recognizing the intent but hesitating herself, Erlea nervously glanced back at Abella.  'Don't look at me. You decided to do this.'  With a mental sigh, Erlea looked back at the patiently waiting mare, lifted her own hoof, and placed it against the mare's, shaking it in greeting.  A storm tore apart the building, stripping away everything except Abella, Erlea, and the mare as the world disintegrated around them.  "WHAT IS GOING ON!?" Abella shouted in alarm.  "I DON-" Erlea began, then froze as the mare before her transformed, turning into an adult changelink wearing the same clothes she was, looking at her with calculating eyes.  "WHAT THE BUCK!" Abella cursed while Erlea could only stare in silence, eyes wide. "WHAT ARE YOU WEARING NOW?"  This broke Erlea out of her stupor and she glanced back at herself, discovering she now wore the clothes she was given by Apple Bloom to shield her from the cold of the Far Frozen.  Slowly she turned her attention back to the changelink before her, still watching her with a calculating gaze, still holding her hoof; watching, waiting.  Lightning struck and Erlea gasped, eyes shifting rapidly as the pieces began to fall in place, then she looked up at her.  "I understand."  She gave a single nod, releasing Erlea's hoof, and stepped away into the raging storm, fading from view as the world around them fell apart completely.  "YOU UNDERSTAND, WHAT?!" Abella shouted, shielding her eyes from the storm.  "It's exactly as Danny said," Erlea said quietly, looking at the clothes she still wore. "History repeating itself," she looked at the raging storm consuming everything. "And once the storm settles and the destruction has stopped, a chance to build something new," she looked at her hoof. "And all it takes is a helping hoof, and the willingness; the trust to accept it." The storm around them settled near instantly, leaving the two fillies suspended in an empty void, a small dot of light shining in the distance before them. "... I guess that is where we need to go next," Abella said hesitantly, not understanding what just happened.  "And sometimes we are the ones who need to extend a helping hoof," Erlea muttered.  "What?"  "Let's go," Erlea moved forwards. "She needs our help."  <<>><<>><<>> "Kill!?" Chrysalis repeated, trying and failing to hide her shock. "How?"  "Selective intangibility," Danny answered, looking at his glass. "I have been able to do this almost from the start, but I never realized this until after Sam died, and I spent many, many days second guessing everything I did, and overthinking everything I could have done," he took another sip of his water. "The first time I used selective intangibility was only a few months after I got my powers. It was during a lunch break at school and, in my rush to finish eating, I accidentally swallowed a fork."  "You swallowed… a fork."  "Yeah…. not sure how I managed that either," he shook his head. "But it is what I did next, without thinking, which shows the potential, and dangers of intangibility. I used intangibility to reach through my abdomen and into my stomach, grab the fork, and pull it out."  "You… what?!"  "Selective intangibility," Danny answered. "The ability to make me, and everything I touch intangible while allowing certain things to still be tangible at the same time. It is the only way I could have done such a thing. Reach through my own flesh, yet be able to grab a fork while intangible… and there lies the danger," he held up his half-full glass, the pair of ice cubes clinking together.  "Imagine this glass is you," he said, and the remaining water suddenly phased through the glass and splattered on the floor while the ice cubes remained inside. "Complete insanguation in less than a second."  Chrysalis felt her blood run cold as she stared at the puddle of water on her floor.  "The ability to kill with a mere touch," Danny added darkly, a crack forming in the glass from the sudden pressure he put on it.  Slowly Chrysalis looked up at the grim human with fearful eyes.  "An- and all ghosts can do this?"  "As far as I know, yes. All ghosts, to my knowledge, are capable of intangibility. Though whether or not they use it in such a manner, or are even aware of it is a different matter. Which is why I want Sweetie Belle to learn to control this power. But more importantly, I won't tell her about the full extent of it. Not until she is ready for it. And after what has happened with a different part of her powers, this may take some time. Not that I am in any rush to tell her, of course." "But if she were to lose control again-"  "Then I will stop her," Danny intercepted. "And even if she loses control, it is no guarantee she will use her intangibility like that. It is controlled as much by conscious thought, as it is by subconscious thought. And even if Sweetie Belle would lose control again, her subconscious would fight against such a thing." "And what if you're wrong?"  "I have been wrong about many things in my life," Danny said with an edge to his voice. "But not about this. If- IF Sweetie Belle loses control again, I will stop her. But whether or not this will happen, she will not use her powers in a way that would kill. It just isn't in her nature."  Chrysalis was silent, looking back down at the puddle on the floor.  "How are these things even possible?"  That is a question I have asked myself many times as well," said Danny. "And only now am I beginning to find some answers, but not all. Probably never will. But what I do know; what I have learned from my time here, the powers we ghosts have are in many ways similar to the magic of the ponies." "Impossible. Ponies can't do what you can."  "They can't do everything I can, no," Danny corrected. "Nor can I do everything they can. There are differences that no one can deny. But there are also a lot of similarities. In fact, they are so similar I am now able to use levitation thanks to the lessons I remember from my time in the Murgröna. But what I meant is that, just like with the ponies, our powers are partially based on what type of ghost we are," Danny explained. "Earth pony, pegasi, unicorn. Spirit, phantom, shade," he summed up, "and the list goes on and on. Honestly, I don't even know just how many different types of ghosts exist. But that isn't important. What is, is that there are many different forms of spectral powers, but a lot of similar abilities as well. The basics you could say. Flight, invisibility, intangibility, spectral discharges, shields, that sort of thing. But even these are affected by spectral type, with some more powerful than others while using the same ability." Chrysalis snorted, "It almost sounds like you're about to tell me ghosts have special talents and Cutie Marks as well."  "Perhaps we do," Danny said simply. "Special talents that is. Never heard of a ghost acquiring something like a Cutie Mark like that."  Chrysalis groaned, lowering her head and rubbing her temples, "All of this makes no sense at all."  "You'll get used to it after a while."  "That would suggest this becomes a recurring part of my life," Chrysalis said with evident displeasure.  "It also means you have enough life ahead of you for it to become as such," Danny added. "Silver linings and all that."  Chrysalis halfheartedly glared at him, then sighed, "I suppose that much is true." Pushing herself back up, swaying only slightly before finding her balance again, she pointed a hoof at the puddle of water. "Clean that up… Please. Then tell me everything you can."  Smirking, Danny lowered a blue glowing hand to the water, freezing it instantly. Then, with another burst of blue, the ice was sucked into him, vanishing from sight.  "Alright then, where to even begin."  <<>><<>><<>> Sweetie Belle ran. She ran as fast as her legs would allow, and still, it was not enough. It was never enough as the nightmarish mirror image of herself continued to chase her; hunting her.  She was afraid. Terrified even, and no matter how much she tried, she could not shake this monster. No matter where she hid, that monster would find her. No matter what she said, the nightmare didn't listen; she didn't care.  Her nightmarish self did not care for her, for others, for anyone but herself, and the desire for the fear she instilled in those hunted.  And now, with no one to hunt but Sweetie Belle herself, her focus was firmly locked on the terrified filly.  She shuddered in gruesome delight as she sucked the fear in a never-ending stream from Sweetie Belle.  Once more Sweetie Belle dove for cover, hiding under a desk in some unknown room found in the confusingly identical hallways in the Hive. She wasn't sure exactly where she was, or how long she had been there since Apple Pie had unleashed this monster upon her. Nor did there seem to be anyone else but her, despite her cries for anypony and anylink to help her.  During some precious few moments where she could stop, catch her breath, and think about those things, there were also stray thoughts wondering why she hadn't grown tired, hungry, or thirsty while running for as long as she had. However long that might have been.  Long to ponder these, and more questions, she didn't have as that monster would always find her before she had a chance to do so.  'I need to get out of here!' her mind screamed, the only place where she could still do so without drawing attention to herself. Escape however had proven to be impossible.  The entrance she remembered leading into the city was gone, and any attempt to instead run for the tunnel leading to the old burrow was thwarted by her nightmarish self each time she tried.  And to make matters worse, her spirit powers, the very thing that had spawned this monster, were gone. Making it impossible, if not downright lethal to even consider fighting back.  With a burst of toxic green, the desk was blown away, revealing the shivering filly.  With a cry, Sweetie Belle jumped away just in time to narrowly dodge a burst of energy, singing the tip of her tail as she once again fled for nonexistent safety.  Doors flashed by in a blur as she ran through hallway after hallway, eventually finding herself outside again and following the spiral path around the stalactite down while her evil self never let her out of her sight; shooting beams and bolts at the fleeing filly, but never hitting her directly while she feasted on the fear unleashed.  Inevitably the path ended, and Sweetie Belle dug her hooves, turning around while grinding to a halt, pressing her back against the guard rail as she stared at her impending doom slowly approaching.  Sweetie Belle visibly trembled while her eyes darted around in search of any way of escape, but finding none. "P-please don't hurt me," she pleaded, pressing back into herself as her evil counterpart moved closer.  A snarl was the only reply she got, then her evil self attacked.  Sweetie Belle screamed, jumping away as best she could, feeling the heat of the ectoplasm as it slammed into the railing, blowing it up and peppering her with sharp, hot chunks.  "SOMEPONY, PLEASE HELP ME!" she cried out, cowering on the ground, legs held over her head as she trembled uncontrollably.  A cry of anger came in response, and another burst of green, bright enough for her to see through closed lids lit up the area.  A pained shriek followed next, but to Sweetie Belle's great shock and surprise, it wasn't her who cried out.  Peeking open a teary eye, she saw her evil self lying on the street some distance away; pulling herself back up while hissing venomously at a black form hovering above her with buzzing wings.  "Oh, that felt good," Abella purred in satisfaction. "I wanted a rematch."  With a bone-piercing shriek, the rampaging spirit launched herself at Abella who, in turn, avoided the wild shot with a taunting laugh.  "Is that the best you can do!?" she shouted at her foe, then dodged a trio of green glowing orbs. "Guess it is!"  Not allowing this insult to stand, the feral spirit chased after Abella who led it away from the two fillies on the walkway.  "Whu?" Sweetie Belle uttered, confused as she saw her evil self follow after Abella.  "Are you alright," asked Erlea as she ran to the downed filly.  "Wh- what is going on?" asked Sweetie Belle.  "We're saving you," Erlea said matter of factly. "From you," something blew up in the empty city. "And Abella is getting some revenge as an added bonus."  Sweetie Belle looked at Erlea in silence, blinking slowly.  "Just get up already," Erlea added, holding out a hoof for Sweetie Belle to grab.  Grabbing the offered hoof, Sweetie Belle was pulled back to all fours, standing eye to eye with Erlea.  "... Thanks," Sweetie Belle mumbled, looking away.  "Don't thank me yet," Erlea said, letting go of Sweetie Belle's hoof. "We still have this mess of yours to deal with-" numerous flashes of green lit up the city, joined by explosions, shrieks, screams, and some over-energetic shouting and taunting, "-and as much as Abella is enjoying herself right now, neither of us are able to stop this thing." "But what can I do? I don't have my powers anymore. And somehow that thing made everyone here disappear! I haven't seen anyone until you showed up."  Erlea, puzzled, was silent for several long seconds.  "You have no idea, do you?"  "About what?"  "Where do you think you are right now?"  "The Hive, of course. But a much earlier version," Sweetie Belle answered, confused, worried as she saw her evil self chase after Abella some distance away.  "Wrong," Erlea said, shaking her head. "You're in the Murgröna, and all of this is nothing but a construct of our shared memories."  "I, what?!"  "Where were you before you got here?"  "Outside," Sweetie Belle answered, "Then Apple Pie brought me down here where we talked." "You met Apple Pie!?" Erlea said loudly, then shook her head. "No, wait. Not important right now. What did you talk about?"  "She said everyone in the Murgröna needs the changelinks to live, otherwise they would die, too. Then all of them asked me for help before Apple Pie made me fight that… thing."  Erlea looked at Sweetie Belle unblinkingly.  "Ignoring all other questions, why would she make you fight yourself?"  "She said this was a trial of my own making because the only one who truly fears me, is me."  "And you said you don't have your powers, right?"  Something blew up in the distance.  "CAN YOU TWO HURRY UP ALREADY!" Abella shouted from afar.  "Y-yes," Sweetie Belle answered.  "Pon-" Erlea paused, then released a tense sigh. "Sweetie Belle. In here you are how you see yourself; your mental image made real." You don't have your powers because you don't see them as a part of you-" Abella cried out as she narrowly dodged a burst of searing energy "-just as you are unable to fight that thing as you don't see it as a part of you either. That is why you can't run from it." "What do you mean by that?"  "You can't use your powers because you don't accept them as your own. You can't fight that thing there because you don't accept it as your own," Erlea repeated. "And until you do, you might as well try to run away from your shadow. See how well that works."  "But how can I do that?! I never even wanted those powers. I never wanted… that!" Sweetie Belle cried out, pointing at the rampaging spirit in pursuit of Abella.  "And I never wanted to starve to death each and every day since the time I broke out of my egg," Erlea said with a level voice, yet a fire burned in her eyes. "Or for my older sisters to die, and then my father as he gave what little food he had to me just so I would have enough to be hungry," Sweetie Belle gasped, taking a step back, horrified. "Nor did I want to live in constant pain and anger for the life I lived because of Celestia. But it didn't matter what I wanted because it was the life I lived regardless. And I accept this. Not because I want to, but because doing anything else would deny my very existence and the sacrifices so many of my kind have made." "I- I-"  "But more than anything," Erlea continued strongly, "I need to accept that being angry with you ponies isn't going to help me. So I need to accept that maybe, maybe not all ponies are like Celestia. And I am willing to do that, as difficult as it may be," she held out her hoof again, looking at Sweetie Belle. "So I will, like my ancestors before me, extend a hoof in friendship," Sweetie Belle looked at the offered hoof, eyes wide. "Now prove to me you're worth it. Accept the life you live and face your own darkness. You think you can do that?"  Sweetie Belle was silent, stunned as she looked at Erlea, seeing the fire in her eyes.  For a moment the world around Sweetie Belle shifted as all that had happened up until now played out before her again, just as it had done when Apple Pie showed her the first time.  This time, however, all parts of her life flashed by; all the good, the bad, the amazing, the horrible, the exciting, and the embarrassing. Everything that had made her who she was.  And then, an image appeared. A vision of herself as who she wanted to be. Her dreams, her desires, her ideal life. All she ever wanted. The perfect image.  It then shattered into a thousand pieces, which then began to reassemble themselves into a new image. One where her perfect ideal was no more, and instead a bruised and dirty mare looked back at her with green glowing eyes and a confident smirk as she stood with her head held high. "Yes," Sweetie Belle said as she accepted Erlea's hoof, eyes beginning to glow green. "I think I can." <<>><<>><<>> A few minutes earlier   Abella flew around one of the many unclaimed stalactites, wings buzzing loudly as she pushed herself harder than she had ever done before.  Behind her, hissing and snarling, the rampaging filly, barely resembling Sweetie Belle at this point, continued to fire beams and bolts of searing green as she tried to close the distance.  Energy impacted stone, and detonated with terrifying force, filling the air with dangerous shrapnel forcing Abella to dodge and weave to avoid the more dangerous pieces while also trying to keep the gap between them as wide as possible.  A hasty jerk to the side saved her from the bolt of energy that was flung at her, and it instead fell down into the abyss below.  With no time to waste, Abella quickly dove down to regain lost speed, then shot past the nearest stalactite, putting it between her and the feral spirit while she flew towards the hanging spire where Erlea was busy knocking some sense into Sweetie Belle. And by the looks of it, not a whole lot had happened since the last time she flew past them.  "CAN YOU TWO HURRY UP ALREADY!" she shouted, then banked hard to the right, avoiding a beam of energy, and the one who fired it moments thereafter as the spectral fiend shot past her, not expecting the sudden change in direction.  "HA!" Abella shouted in triumph as she watched the fear-sucking ghost fly into an adjacent stalactite, only for her to phase through the rock, then shoot back out a second later, right back at her.  "Oh yeah, she can do that," she swore, then hastily tried to regain the distance between them as her momentary lapse had cost her valuable time to react.  Once again diving down to do just that, Abella plunged into the inky darkness even her eyes couldn't begin to pierce, and instead she flew blind for as long as she dared before pulling up sharply, while at the same time the ever-increasing number of a green burst of energy played havoc on her vision as well.  Unfortunately, even though she had regained her speed, the upwards climb robbed her of vital momentum. And with the dark spirit coming down on her, her luck had run out as the rampaging ghost flew right at her on a meteoric course.  "Oh, dungbeetle," Abella swore just before impact.  "GET AWAY FROM HER!"  Only a hair's width away from reaching her, the malevolent spirit was hit in the side by a silver blur, knocking her off course and away from the winded and confused changelink.  "You know that would have been the second time she bested you."  Confusion turned to annoyance as Abella turned to her friend, seeing Erlea fly towards her.  "Took you long enough," she shot back, ignoring Erlea's comment.  "Yes, tell me about it. She really was in denial about her true self," Erlea shook her head as they both watched the two opposing spirits tumble through the air.  "At least you managed to knock some sense into her."  "I suppose I did, yes."  "And how did you even know she needed our help? I mean, it was obvious once we got here, but before that… Something changed back there, in Yoke."  "I guess I had some sense knocked into me as well."  "Meaning?"  Erlea looked at Sweetie Belle as she fought her dark self, frowning.  "We all have our own darkness, our own fights. And while we need to face them to beat them, we don't need to be alone to do this."  "... You're not making any sense right now."  "That's because you never wore the cap," Erlea said, eyes still locked on the two spirits.  "What?!"  Erlea finally turned to look at her friend, "Without her, without her friends, without Danny, his shadow, and that wolf, where would we be right now?"  "What do y-"  "Where would we be?"  "We… 'd be struggling as most of us would have died by now. Most likely end up extinct before the year is over. But what-"  "And now?"  "... We have a chance to survive… Maybe more."  "They did that. All of them, and only because we needed help, even if we didn't trust them to do so. They helped us in our time of need, just as it happened to our ancestors. They helped us, so isn't it only fair that we do the same in return?"  "...You're starting to sound like a pony. What's next, the magic of friendship will save us?" Erlea was silent, frowning slightly as she looked at her hoof. The same hoof she had just extended in friendship.  "Maybe it will," she answered, and Abella looked at her, shocked. "Maybe… But only if we all try our best to make it happen," she looked at the distant fight. "And friends help each other when they are in trouble," she dropped her hoof. "Let's go."  <<>><<>><<>> A few minutes earlier She saw Abella dive down into the darkness underneath the Hive, trying to gain as much speed as she could to get away from the rampaging spirit hunting her.  But even then Abella could only go down so far, and eventually, she had to climb or risk being lost in the void.  It was an opportunity Sweetie Belle's darkness took advantage of as she closed the distance and was ready to strike when from the corner of her eye, she saw a silver blur coming for her.  "GET AWAY FROM HER!" Sweetie Belle yelled as she slammed hooves first into her twisted mirror image, knocking her away from Abella with no time to spare.  The dark spirit hissed in anger and pain, and she threw a punch at her counterpart, but lacking in strength as the blow Sweetie Belle had delivered left her disorientation.  Nearing the cave wall, Sweetie Belle pushed away from her dark self, seeing her slam into the unyielding rock while she narrowly avoided doing the same. Instead, she flew up, following the stone's rough bends and curves as she slowed down, angled away onto a backwards loop, then hung suspended in the air as she glared down at the growling beast.  A trio of green bursts shot up towards her, which she dodged, only to be hit by a beam in the back as her counterpart had used the temporary distraction to get a clean shot.  With a cry, Sweetie Belle dropped down, smoke drifting from her back.  Gritting her teeth, she twisted around and fired a burst of the same volatile energy back at the pursuing enemy while slowing her fall, then flew back up.  "YOU'LL LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!" Sweetie Belle shouted as she fired a burst of energy.  Mirroring the action, the dark spirit fired a burst of energy, too. The two orbs of destruction met in the middle, then detonated with startling force.  Ignoring the blast, Sweetie Belle flew through the lingering energy and slammed once again into her other half, throwing wild punches, most of them being blocked while she let herself wide open.  A punch to the gut knocked the fight out of her as she was left wheezing, doubling over while trying to get air into her lungs.  Not allowing this opportunity to go to waste, the dark spirit then sank her fangs into the nape of Sweetie Belle's neck, biting down hard.  A soundless scream escaped the struggling filly as the sharp pain sent a shock through her system, her body twisting away in reflex, and teeth tore through flesh as a result.    Green glowing ectoplasmic blood sprayed through the air, and what little oxygen Sweetie Belle had managed to suck in escaped as a bone-piercing scream.  Pain and shock debilitated her and she fell down, never seeing the shockwave delivering a glancing blow against her enemy as painful spasms wracked her body.  "You really have no idea what you're doing, do you?" Abella grabbed hold of the falling filly, careful not to touch the horrific wound only to discover it had already healed.  Sweetie Belle groaned in pain as she looked up at Abella.  "Are you alright?" Abella asked, not quite looking at Sweetie Belle as most of her attention was on the rampaging spirit and Erlea, the latter now fighting this beast while she recovered.  "No," Sweetie Belle croaked, voice still laced with pain.  "You've never been hurt like that, have you," Abella said matter of factly.  Sweetie Belle merely shook her head.  "Can you fly? Cause it isn't easy holding you up like this."  "I- I think so," Sweetie Belle stammered, then slowly drifted away from Abella and held her place in the air.  Free from her burden, Abella crossed her arms, looking at Sweetie Belle.  "So you flew in there thinking you could beat that thing with some wild punches; no thought or plan besides that, and no expectation you would get hurt?"  "I've never been in a fight like this before," Sweetie Belle replied, wincing from some lingering phantom pain. "I didn't think it would be this difficult, now that I have my powers again."  "You're fighting yourself!" Abella said heatedly, pointing at the shrieking spirit. "Of course it is difficult. Did you think you'd be able to hug this thing into submission? This is not one of those problems you can just magic away with the power of friendship."  Sweetie Belle froze.  "I can't magic this problem away with friendship," Sweetie Belle muttered. 'You can't fight that thing there because you don't accept it as your own' she remembered Erlea saying.  She looked at her darker self, chasing and firing at Erlea.  'Because there is only one in all the Hive who truly believes you to be a monster,' Apple Pie's words echoed in her mind "I fear and hate that thing…"  'But it is a part of you, no matter how much you deny it.'  "I fear and hate myself..."   'And right now you need to make a choice.'  "A choice…"  'The choice to keep running and allowing this fear to consume you, or to accept this darkness within and grow stronger because of it'  "Magic it away with friendship…"   'Giggle at the ghostly'   "What are you mumbling about?" Abella asked.  "I'm not sure," Sweetie Belle looked at her darker self. "But I am about to find out."  "Wha-" before Abella could finish Sweetie Belle shot away, leaving her in a confused stupor for several long seconds. "... Are all ponies this confusing?"  <<>><<>><<>> Moving as fast she could, Sweetie Belle closed in on her target, seeing the rampaging ghost hunt after Erlea with green glowing hooves.  Eyes narrowing, Sweetie Belle angled herself so she would intercept her counterpart from below, hopefully out of sight with their focus on Erlea in front.  Then, as her other self prepared to fire yet another beam of destructive energy, she shot up.  Slamming into the unprotected soft tissue, the shot went wild, blasting into a distant stalactite as Sweetie Belle wrapped her front legs around her adversary's barrel.  Together the two fell down in a wild, chaotic thrashing where the dark spirit tried to break free, while Sweetie Belle held on with all her might.  Above them, Erlea, breathing heavily, and Abella watched the two as they crashed onto the walkway spiraling around the original spire claimed by their ancestors.  "What even is she doing?" asked Erlea, trying, and failing to get her breathing under control.  "I think…" Abella trailed off as she watched the two wrestle. "I think she is trying to hug that thing into submission."  "She, WHAT?!"  Abella looked at her friend. "And I think she got the idea from me."  Erlea stared at her friend in silence which quickly turned awkward.  "We have been hanging around those ponies for too long," she finally said.  "Haven't we all?" Erlea groaned.  A flash lit up the air, and, startled, both fillies looked back at the struggling duo, only to see only Sweetie Belle sitting on the street, head hanging.  "What… just happened?"  "I… don't know. Let's get down there, quick!"  <<>><<>><<>> A short minute earlier Shouting, struggling, and groaning, Sweetie Belle and her other self slammed into the street; the former almost losing her hold from the impact, but managing to keep the thrashing spirit firmly pressed against herself.  "WILL YOU STO- GHA!" Sweetie Belle struggled. "I'M NOT LETTING GO, NO MATTER HOW MUCH- BWAH."  A punch to the gut left her wheezing, yet she persisted in her attempt to hold the thrashing spirit in her arms.  Gritting her teeth and squeezing just a bit harder, Sweetie Belle forced herself to continue speaking.  "I don't like you. No, I hate you. I hate what you are… What I am. What you turn me into. What you made me do," the struggling intensified. "But it doesn't matter how much I hate you because you're a part of these powers. Powers I didn't want or asked for, but got regardless." The feral spirit hissed, trying to bite into one of the legs wrapped around her.  "And it is difficult, these powers, doing things outside of my control. But with the help of my friends, I managed to learn to control some of them. But then you showed up, and you made me hurt my friends and I wished I never got these powers," she tightened her hold further, restraining the thrashing ghost, clenching teary eyes shut. "But this isn't about what I want. This is about what I need to do. To make a choice. To choose to resent you, fight you, run away from you, or accept you… to accept myself."  The struggling spirit suddenly slowed down her fight.  "And I've tried running away from you. I've tried fighting you. And no matter how much I resent you, all it did is make things worse. So there is only one thing I can do. I don't like doing it. I doubt I ever will, but I choose to accept you; to accept what I am, what I can do, and choose to be better." The filly in her arms had stopped fighting completely now, and Sweetie Belle used this opportunity to finally look at her; the rampaging spirit sitting still, head hanging while tears streamed down her face.  "I choose to accept myself," Sweetie Belle finished, tears falling from her eyes as well.  With a flash of light, her other half vanished, leaving her sitting alone on the street as a flood of emotions came crashing down on her. Shame, anger, disgust, grief, hope, relief, and eventually a sense of inner peace as her darkness, now acknowledged and accepted, finally found a place within the greater whole.  "Are… Are you alright?"  "What even happened? Where did that beast go?"  Sniffling, Sweetie Belle looked up at Abella and Erlea.  "Is it gone?" asked Erlea.  "No," Sweetie Belle shook her head. "It's inside me. Part of me… I just needed to accept this," she held up her front leg, looking at the oversized boot and the silver fur on her leg. "Just as I needed to accept this side of me, too."  With a flash, a band of white energy split her in half as she transformed back.  "No matter how much I dislike it," she finished with a sigh. "Accepting the things you can't change is always difficult."  All three fillies, startled, looked at the figure now standing off to the side, walking down towards them with a sad smile.  "Apple Pie?" said Sweetie Belle, confused at first, but then anger welled up inside. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!?"  Undeterred, Apple Pie shook her head.  "As I said before, I didn't. This was a conflict raging within your own soul. We merely brought it out for you to confront it, learn from it, grow from it."  "But why?"  The world changed around them, and the four stood amidst the ruins of a destroyed city on a desolate world; numerous destroyed vehicles of the human design lay scattered around the roads and punched through walls as fire and smoke filled the air while, high above, a figure hovered.  A figure with pale green skin, red glowing eyes, a broad, muscular chest, and white hair moving as if it was fire.  The ghost laughed menacingly, then unleashed a devastating wail, knocking down a building.  "WHAT IS THIS!?" Erlea shouted, terrified.  "This is what happens to those who do not dare face their demons and instead try to run from it," Apple Pie said as she looked up at the vile ghost. "This is what happened to Danny… What would have happened to him had he not changed his own future," she looked down at the fillies. "He told you about this, remember? The struggle he had to go through to stop this from happening. To change his own future and with it the future of his world and all who live there. He knows what horrible things can happen to those who lose themselves, and he doesn't want this to happen to you, too. All of you. It is why we brought you here-" numerous changelinks stepped out of the destroyed buildings, one of them wearing an assortment of clothes, "-to learn from our past-" ponies stepped out to join the group. A great number showed various changelink-like traits, "-who we were. Who you are. What you are. What you can be, and what might come after that. But before any of that can happen, you first needed to heal." Sweetie Belle looked away, glowering.  "Well, I don't feel healed. If anything, I feel sick after what happened."  Apple Pie placed a hoof on her wither, "Sometimes the only way to get better is to allow the affliction to run its course, after which a balance is found," she gave a kind smile at the filly. "And before you know it, you feel better than you have before." "And how would you know that?"  "Mothers intuition."  Sweetie Belle looked back at Apple Pie, then the changelinks and ponies around them, and finally she looked at Abella and Erlea.  Closing her eyes and sighing deeply, she allowed those words to sink in.  "So what happens next?"  "That is for you to decide," Apple Pie stepped away. "But know that whatever happens, you will have your friends to help you," she gave them a smile, then looked off to the side. "It's time for you to return," she told them, looking back. "We've certainly kept Danny waiting long enough," she chuckled. "Goodbye Sweetie Belle, Erlea, Abella. And good luck."  <<>><<>><<>> Hidden within the icy mountain of the Far Frozen, Tree Of Life stood silent while nurturing her children, sensing those connected to them, and their struggles towards growth.  Two of her seeds responded, and a blazing light consumed both as they grew to maturity, leaving only two more to reach their full potential.  Tree Of Life stood silent, waiting for the final pieces to come together, and for everything to fall apart.