The sky was perfect, a sight that Twilight rarely witnessed back in Canterlot. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and the stars twinkled cozily around a beautiful, silver moon as rays of brilliant moonlight cast bewitching shadows across the ground.
Twilight lumbered slowly along the road, leaving Chrome's house behind her. She didn't look back as her head swam with thoughts.
Her peaceful reticence was interrupted, however, as Spike burst from the house, and ran to catch up with the purple mare.
“Wait up, Twilight,” he called. “Where're we going?”
The unicorn stopped, and let out a soft sigh.
“How’s her mother involved in this mess?” she growled.
The dragon sighed, “She's supporting Chrome, emotionally as well as lending her strength. Chrome's chipping away at her own soul. The only reason she's lasted this long is because of her mother. Any other pony would be dead by now.”
“Chrome's mom's keeping her alive?” Twilight questioned.
Spike nodded, “She's using her spiritual energy to heal Chrome’s spirit each time she visits her.”
Twilight's temples throbbed as her eyes burned. Her mane jutted out at odd angles, and her stomach informed her she had been neglecting it for some time now. She elicited another sigh.
Today has been a long day. Too long.
Sadly, she knew her day was far from over. A Hollow sitting in the basement of someone's house? That's just begging for trouble.
“I have to speak with her mother again, Spike.”
The dragon in question scratched his head, “But you're going to be late back to your house if we-”
“I don’t care.” Twilight interrupted, walking in the direction of the park, “We need to find the Hollow that killed Chrome's family.”
“The Hollow’s dead.” the dragon stated.
“Huh?” Twilight did a doubletake. “So this isn’t about revenge at all. She just wants her brother back.”
The dragon nodded, and Twilight stared back at the house.
We’re not so different, you and I.
Twilight glanced around the gloomy park. It was a lot more sinister in the dark; the gnarled branches of the trees stretched towards her, imitating claws. The night air was growing chilly, and the grass rustled gently in the breeze. A large, full moon was the lone lightsource of the night as it shined dark rays of light across the grounds, mottling everything indigo. In the middle of the park the ghostly image of Chrome’s mother sat upon a bench.
She stared at the ground, tears blemishing her pale cheeks, as she played with a chain tied to her chest. Twilight hadn’t noticed the strange linkages shackled to the pegasus’ chest until now. Clearly time had got the best of it; most of the kinks were riddled with rust, to the point they had disintegrated. The mare glanced uneasily at Spike.
“What’s with the chain attached to her chest?”
“That’s the Chain of Fate. When a soul exits the body, this chain acts as an anchor, linking the two together. When your body dies, that chain is severed, and if your spirit remains in this world, the severed chain will remain attached to your spiritual form.”
“And the rust?” Twilight asked.
“If your spirit spends too long in this world, your Chain of Fate will begin to rust. If it corrodes entirely, your soul corrodes away too, until all that’s left is a shell of your former self. Until all that’s left is a Hollow.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped as she scrambled for words.
“Wait, so... so does this mean that if her mother keeps refusing the Konso, she’ll also turn into a Hollow?”
The dragon simply nodded. The purple mare’s gaze returned to Chrome’s mother, who had curled up on the bench, and was sobbing silently.
“Wait here.” she whispered.
Twilight trotted over to the pegasus, and sat on the bench beside her. She looked up at the substitute Soul Reaper with an unsurprised expression, and wiped away her tears.
“Hello again, my dear. Did you talk with my stubborn child?” she asked softly, a small smile creeping across her face.
Twilight nodded somberly, “Yeah, and now I understand. You know what’ll happen to you if you don’t accept the Konso, right?”
The mare’s cheek twitched, and the smile distorted, “Yes. But I can’t abandon my child. That’s why I’m still attached to this world, Miss Sparkle; I can’t leave my only living child alone.”
Grief tittered around Twilight’s stomach, as familiar memories filled her head. She glanced up at the moon again.
“My mom died protecting me the same way you did protecting your children. I thought it was my fault, and I blamed myself.” her gaze returned to pegasus in front of her. “I have an older brother too. His name’s Shining Armor. He protected me from myself; he told me it wasn’t my fault... I would do anything for my brother. I can understand what Chrome’s trying to do.”
“What’re you trying to tell me, my dear?” Chrome’s mother asked.
Twilight shivered slightly in the chilling night air, “Chrome reminds me of myself. I know if I had kept blaming myself, I wouldn’t be here. If Chrome keeps blaming herself, I worry if she’ll kill not only herself, but maybe others around her.
“Now that I have these powers, I know I can make a difference.” Twilight said, determination emblazoned in her eyes. “I know I can protect many ponies, but... I can’t protect somepony from their own foolishness: I can’t save Chrome from herself.”
The mare smiled kindly, “You are brave, Miss Sparkle. But you’re wrong: you can save Chrome. I know you can.” she sighed, “My time on this world is almost at its end, and I can’t protect her any longer.”
A single link from the chain fell to the ground, withering away as it dissolved into rust. The pegasus watched it fall solemnly.
“This isn’t your responsibility anymore. It never should have been. That responsibility should have been taken from your shoulders when you died. You’ve given your life to her, and she’s throwing it away, making your whole family suffer. You were never protecting her; you were helping her destroy herself.”
The pegasus lowered her head as the Chain of Fate eroded even more.
“I know… deep inside I’ve always known. But I can’t leave my daughter all alone-”
Twilight placed a hoof on the mare’s shoulder, “No. She won’t be alone; she’s got her friends. We are her friends.”
The pegasus raised her head, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“Trust me.” Twilight reassured her.
Spike approached the pair, his crimson glove already on his claw.
“Are we ready?
The pegasus nodded meekly. She closed her eyes, and started to cry.
“Tell Chrome I love her. I-I love her so, so much.”
Thank you, Twilight Sparkle.
The sun rose in the sky, banishing the cold and dark of night. The celestial body dyed the horizon a beautiful mix of orange and crimson, and stirred the residents of Ponyville from their slumber.
Heterochrome was already up early that morning. She went about her usual routine, as she prepared herself for the day ahead. After gathering her books, she stepped outside and reveled in the brilliant sunrise.
“Good morning, Chrome!”
The voice startled the pegasus as she yelped in surprise, swivelling around to face her unknown visitor. Twilight stood at the bottom of the stairs, smiling as she waved her hoof. The pegasus grinned sheepishly, and trotted slowly to her direction.
“Twilight! Why’re you here? And so early?”
“Just wanted somepony to talk to before going to class.” she answered quickly, an unconvincing grin contorting her face. “Can we go together today?”
Chrome‘s blushed, “O-of course! You know, after everything that happened yesterday, I was scared you wouldn’t like me anymore.”
Twilight chuckled, “Why I wouldn’t I like you, Chrome? You’re trying to save your brother.”
Chrome beamed and blushed, “Thank you, Miss Sparkle.”
“It’s Twilight!” the unicorn sighed.
“Oh, of course, Twilight.” Chrome corrected, grinning at her audacious informalities.
Twilight smiled, “C’mon, we better get going.”
The unicorn started trotting along the path, and Chrome followed. The two mares walked together towards the campus, the subject of that day's classes being the topic of the journey.
The entire day, the unicorn and the pegasus were together: sitting side to side in their classes, eagerly discussing the work, or eating together during their breaks. Spike kept his distance. Occasionally, the dragon checked his cell phone for Hollows, but the creatures were seemingly absent that day.
Guess we’re lucky today. Hope this Hollow Detector isn’t broken...
Twilight was thankful for the return to semi-normality; it was a refreshing break from the last few days. However the thought of Chrome’s mother never faded from her mind. The only thing she could do was tell herself that it was the right thing to do, and pretend that, maybe, she could believe herself.
“Twilight?”
The unicorn focused, her thoughts interrupted, “Huh?”
“Twilight, you looked like you were about to fall asleep!” Chrome laughed, “I said we should go to the park today.”
Twilight glanced around the emptying classroom. The lecturer had left, and the students were filing out the door.
“O-of course, Chrome.” Twilight said, smiling. She glanced back at Spike, who was leaning back on his seat absentmindedly. He focused his gaze on her and nodded stiffly. Not a word was uttered but the meaning was clear.
Twilight got up and walked towards the door, “Yeah I need to go there anyway...”
That green bench was there, but today it seemed lonelier than the previous. Somehow it appeared more ominous than it did at night. Twilight felt a knot build up in her stomach.
“My mother didn’t die here.” Chrome explained, “She died at our old home, in Manehattan. But every once in a while the whole family would come here to spend the weekend together.” Chrome smiled as she recalled the memory. “We used to have picnics, and we loved this place: peaceful and tranquil Ponyville. That’s why me and White Cloud moved here, and that’s why mom’s spirit is attached to this place... All our most precious memories are here…”
The pegasus stopped speaking as they approached the bench. She glanced around uneasily. The park was too quiet.
“Is she here? Why can’t I hear her?”
Only the the wind answered her questions.
Chrome turned to Twilight, “Can you see her?” she asked.
“She’s not here, Chrome.” Twilight stated.
“W-what do you mean?” Chrome demanded, panic rising in her voice. “Of course she’s here, she’s just... being quiet, right? Being quiet!”
The unicorn shook her head.
“Stop it, Twilight! You’re scaring me.” Chrome shouted, turning back to the bench. “Mom? Mom! Where are you? Stop messing around, it’s not funny!”
“I gave her the Konso, Chrome.”
“You did WHAT!?” the pegasus yelled, leaping in front of Twilight and getting in her face. Rage roared in the furnace of her eyes.
“I gave her the Konso. It’s my duty as a Soul Reaper.” Twilight stated, unflinching.
“How could you? HOW COULD YOU, TWILIGHT?” Chrome screamed, launching herself at Twilight. “YOU BETRAYED ME! WHY?”
The pair fell to the ground, the pegasus pinning the unicorn to the floor.
“You were just pretending to be my friend! It was all just a façade! You betrayed me!” Chrome howled, tears falling from her face in small rivers. With each sentence, she punched Twilight in her chest. “Give me back my mother! Give her back to me!”
Although Chrome wasn’t physically strong, her rage-fueled punches were enough to make Twilight grimace, but she made no attempt to stop her.
“Give her back to me, Twilight Sparkle!” Chrome howled, “I need her! I can’t... I can’t do this without her.”
The vortex of emotions swimming around Chrome’s head began to wane her strength: her final punch faded into a weak slap. She buried her head in Twilight mane and sobbed loudly.
“Nothing can bring her back, Chrome.”
Chrome looked up to see Spike walking over. His expression was torn between sadness and guilt.
“She died.” the dragon continued, “She was trying to help you get over her own death, but you grew so attached to her that she felt like she couldn’t leave this world. And still she didn’t believe that sacrifice was enough, so she started giving her life to you. She was turning into a Hollow, Chrome. A few more weeks, maybe a month, and she’d be just another Hollow rampaging throughout Ponyville.”
“But now... My brother… He’s all I have left.” Chrome wailed.
Twilight slapped the pegasus, “He’s everything you have?” the unicorn shouted, “What about yourself? Don’t you ever consider yourself?”
“None of you understand. I shouldn’t have trusted either of you!” Chrome screamed, her eyes were red from crying.
Spike interrupted the conversation, “Wait... This is-”
An menacing spiritual pressure washed over the party, crushing the breath from their lungs.
“Twilight?” Spike gasped.
The unicorn nodded, “Yeah, I feel it too.” she breathed.
The murmurs were interrupted by a cruel, booming laugh. It reverberated throughout the park, as if being pumped solely through a bass speaker. It rattled their ribs, and shook their heads as the sheer power of the sadistic voice chuckled menacingly.
The group turned around and saw something sitting upon the bench. Its features were horrifically indescribable, and yet Twilight knew that figure well. She knew that familiar voice. This was the hollow responsible for the deaths of Twilight’s family.
“You!” Twilight hissed, immeasurable rage surging forth from somewhere in her heart that she had long forgotten.
“Shadow Seeker…” Spike growled.
“Oh, well at least someponies remember me.” He said, the grin on his mask never fading. Even when he spoke, he sounded like he was laughing menacingly.
“Shadow Seeker? That’s this thing’s name?”
“Hahahahaaaa!” Shadow Seeker snickered, the laugh made Twilight feel sick. “No, my little ponies, that is not my name. Shadow Seeker’s the name those weak Soul Reapers gave to me. Shadow Seeker’s the name those weak Soul Reapers use to fear me.”
“He’s an Adjucha-class hollow.” Spike whispered. “He’s killed countless Soul Reapers, and consumed their souls, and he’s on the top ten wanted list with one of the highest bounties in history. The nickname Shadow Seeker became quite popular.”
Shadow Seeker rose from his seat, and vanished in a cloud of writhing darkness. He reappeared in front of the group, and chuckled to himself.
“I’ve been looking for that good meal this evening, but it seems that pitiful spirit has moved on. But you... wait,” he paused, and turned to Chrome, “You reek of Hollow. Interesting.”
“C’mon, let me out of my body!” Twilight hissed to Spike, “I’ll tear him to pieces.”
“No, there’s something wrong here.” Spike whispered.
The Hollow continued his advance towards the pegasus.
“W-what do y-you want?” Chrome sobbed.
A sound of sick laughter emitted from the monster, “You’re so pathetic, your soul isn’t worth devouring. But the stench of Hollow clings to you like bees to honey.” A pair of black appendages exploded from the Hollow’s back, and one of them picked the pegasus from the ground. “This is most... interesting.” Shadow Seeker chuckled.
Twilight couldn’t endure the scene any longer, and ran towards the Hollow. Shadow Seeker’s eyes darted over to the unicorn, and his chuckling grew in intensity. Four more obsidian appendages rose from the ground beneath her, and latched onto her legs, halting her advance.
“Stay out of this, little pony; I’ll save your soul for later.”
Spike ran to Twilight, but more appendages sprouted from the ground, and wrapped around his ankles and arms, holding him in place. The dragon cursed silently.
With Chrome in a catatonic state, Shadow Seeker raised his claw to her chest. A malevolent, ruby glow encompassed the pegasus.
A few moments passed.
“Ahh, of course. How could I forget?” Shadow Seeker laughed heartily. “That pathetic fool is still alive. Perhaps he won’t be such a meager meal now.”
He lowered Chrome to the ground, and disappeared in an obsidian mist. The hands restricting Spike and Twilight vanished, and the pressure dissipated. The pair ran to Chrome, who lay unconscious.
Twilight glanced uneasily at the dragon, “What did he mean about his meal? Do you think he found about White Cloud.”
“His category of Hollow is known to be cannibalistic, this doesn’t look good.” Spike groaned. “But we can’t let him eat White Cloud; his power will increase even more if we don’t stop him!”
“Spike, we can’t wait any longer. Let me out my body already!” Twilight yelled.
Spike nodded grimly, and withdrew his glove from his pouch.
It’s so cold. How long have I been here?
He woke up, and looked out of his cage. His prison. It was always so dark, and he was always so lonely. Except when she was here.
Memories come back every now and then. Memories of a life I once lived. Memories of a life I once knew.
She came down to keep him company.
How I want to kill her. Why does she keep me here? I want to escape. I need to escape.
He peered out between the bars of his confinement, the darkness seemingly turning into liquid.
Did I commit a Crime? Am I a criminal? Am I a bad pony? Surely that mare is the bad pony; she won’t let me be free. When I escape I will make her pay.
“White Cloud.” A voice hissed. “Wake up, my little abomination.”
He looked around at the seemingly empty room, “Who are you?” he growled.
“Oh, White Cloud you silly pony, I don’t have a name. Don’t you remember me?”
“I hate you. That’s what I remember.” he hissed, the mysterious voice striking angry chords in his head.
“Ah, you were always so... pathetic, White Cloud.” the voice chortled, the shadows solidifying into a horribly familiar form.
“You!” he roared.
“Hehe,” the creature chuckled, “Yes, it’s me.”
Several shadowy tendrils launched from its back, and latched themselves around the bars to the cage. It exploded as it was ripped apart, and the chains on his legs snapped like thin wood.
And then he was free.
“I didn’t create you to be useless. Go and wreak some havoc, or I’ll kill your precious sister…” the creature said.
“I will grow stronger.” he growled, “And I will kill you.”
With that he launched towards the stairs. He was so hungry, and there was so much food around. The smells taunted him. He barely noticed the destruction he left in his wake.
It’s so cold.