Black Heart
During the trial of Frederic
Twilight Sparkle watched the scene before with a shocked expression on her face. The costumed Alicorn was currently stalking through the courtroom, having just attacked Frederic at the latest reveal that he personally killed their friends who attacked the Watcher. This included her brother.
She tore her eyes from Frederic as a pained look flashed across her face.. “I need to step out,” she said, getting a nod from her husband.
“Do you want me to come?” Lance asked, placing a hoof on hers.
“No,” she replied as she stood up. “One of us needs to be here for this.”
He gave a nod as she moved down the row, moving past their family and friends.
“You good, Twi?” Greg asked as she moved past him. She gave him a reassuring smile and nod as she entered the aisle and left the courtroom.
Upon stepping outside, she took a deep breath, looking straight up into the sky above. She stood there for a long moment, calming her nerves.
She’d long ago come to terms with her brother's death at the hands of the Watcher. But to find out he was killed by Frederic, someone she once considered as a brother, it tore open those old wounds. No tears came forward though, as she just did not have it in her.
As she stood there, she took notice of the unmoving form of the costumed Alicorn standing a few feet away, also staring up at the sky.
“I hate being right,” the mare suddenly said in a gruff voice, seeming to know Twilight was staring at her.
Twilight blinked a few times before stepping closer to the costumed mare, her interest piqued. “Did you know about Frederic before all of this?”
The mare turned to her, her heart shaped mask hiding her expression. “I had a hunch,” she said, turning her gaze back to the sky. “Twelve years of searching, and the answer to my questions suddenly shows up in my home dimension.”
“Who are you?” Twilight asked.
“Black Heart,” the mare answered simply.
Twilight racked her brain, but she couldn’t recall anyone in her past with a name like that. Let alone an Alicorn. “Are you a brony?”
“Hmpf,” Black Heart grunted, shaking her head. “I don’t answer prying questions.”
Before Twilight could say anything, the door to the courthouse burst open as Shayla stomped out, an enraged look on her face. She looked at Twilight and Black Heart, huffed loudly and then took to the air, leaving them without a word.
“This is a rough day for everyone,” Twilight finally said. “Frederic… this level of betrayal isn’t something I’ve seen before.”
“He’s hurt countless people,” Black Heart began. “Despite my level of hate for him, he’s not the real threat.”
“Lilith,” Twilight muttered, getting a single nod out of the mare.
“She’s the mastermind,” Black Heart said with a nod. “She’s trapped in the Equestrian Dimension’s, but I’ve seen her influence in places it shouldn’t be.”
Twilight looked the costumed mare over, questions still swirling around in her head. “What’s your connection to all of this?”
The Alicorn remained silent, mask to the sky. “They killed someone close to me,” she suddenly said.
“Who?” Twilight asked, but the mare only grunted in response. “I lost my brother and a few friends to Lilith and Frederic,” Twilight continued after she realized the other mare wasn’t going to elaborate. “To hear him admit all he has done… it’s opened a few old wounds.”
“I look forward to his punishment,” Black Heart said, her voice unwavering.
“I’m sorry for the questions, but,” Twilight began, looking the mare over once again. “But why the costume?”
“It’s who I am,” the mare replied. “I am Black Heart.”
“Who are you under the costume?” Twilight asked, causing the mare to turn her masked face back to her.
“Black Heart,” was the only answer she received.
“Who were you before the costume?”
“No one.”
Twilight frowned at this, as the urge to know the answer was tugging at her mind. “There’s no reason to hide your identity. At least not around us.”
“Drop the subject,” Black Heart said in a stern but calm voice. “There is no one under this mask, just vengeance.”
This caused Twilight to cringed slightly, as this sounded like something her husband would say if he was dressing like that one bat superhero he liked. The other mare clearly saw her reaction, but said nothing.
“I have my reasons,” Black Heart added.
“Okay,” Twilight said, rubbing her chin. “What will you do now?”
“Lilith,” the mare answered. “I’m going to find her and kill her.”
“I’ve fought her,” Twilight said. “And from what else I know of her, stopping her will not be so simple. We thought we beat her after our battle with her, but now I’m thinking we only played her game.”
“She’s cunning and incredibly smart,” Black Heart commented. “But that’ll be her downfall. Her narcissism causes her to believe she’ll come out on top in any encounter, and she’ll eventually make a mistake. And when she does,” she turned her head back to the sky. “I’ll be there.”
“With you helping us, we should be able to-”
“I work alone,” Black Heart interrupted her.
“You can get more done with others helping you,” Twilight countered.
“Working with others only leaves you open to manipulation. Lilith thrives on turning people against one another and using them for her own gain.”
“Well, fighting her alone is both dangerous and stupid,” Twilight said bluntly. “If you work with my friends, you’ll have access to more-”
“I will continue forward alone,” Black Heart said as she began to trot forward. “As I always have.”
“I advise against that,” Twilight said after her.
But she didn’t get a response as the mare continued forward.
The sounds of a commotion from within the Courthouse drew Twilight’s attention, causing her to let the mare walk away and return inside.