//------------------------------// // Memories of a dying light // Story: Welcome to Ponyville! // by CharcoalShift //------------------------------// Charcoal sits on a bench at the train station, waiting for the train to arrive. He's anxious about going back to a place he once loathed. Cobblestone streets filled with upper class ponies who scoff at the lower class and the uncouth. Even to this day Charcoal is disgusted at the thought of it all. Killing some time, he decides to try the memory spell once more. He cringes and focuses all of his magic to his horn as it begins to glow. He can see a small group of ponies near a building, one of which seems vaguely familiar. As Charcoal unconsciously approach them, two unicorns break off and confront him in a hostile manner. "Get out of here! She doesn't want to see you!" one of the unicorns yells. "Like it would matter, she doesn't even remember him!" the other responded, laughing menacingly. The vision starts to fade as Charcoal is greeted with the sound of the train, and a massive headache. "Looks like I can't escape the truth after all..." he said with a sorrowful tone. Charcoal boards the train and sets off to Canterlot to find Twilight. Shadow and the others wait in Ponyville square, anticipating the supposed inevitable, prophesized by Discord. Dark clouds loomed over the town, and the buildings that were once filled with life are now barren and deserted. "How much time do we have left?" Fluttershy whimpered. "Less than ten hours...” Rarity sighed. Everypony seemed discouraged, but Applejack stood strong. "Ah'm sure Charky will be back with Twilight! Ah just know it!" she stomped a hoof to the floor and looked up towards the direction of Canterlot, which was miles away. "Are you so sure about that? For where the past looms, reckless decisions are made." a sly voice chuckled from a distance. A part of the dark clouds broke off and began to form a body, which revealed to be Discord. "I left the coup de grace back at Canterlot. One that is sure to leave our hero in disarray." "Don't you be playing around with my Charcoal like that!" Applejack grits her teeth. "Now now, what I set up for him will only influence the decision he'll make in the next couple of hours. In the end he'll be your downfall." Discord grins "But don't you worry, once Charcoal realizes what he has done, I'll be sure you all get to watch him die as he takes his own life." Everypony gasps. "No! He won't! He's not going to do that!" Applejack tries to hold back her tears. "My dear country pony, you fail to see how broken down he is." Discord turns towards Rarity "You should know this, Ms. Fashionista. Though magic buildup usually wears down the user's physical state, it seems that the magic young Charcoal has built up is deteriorating his mind instead." "That's not possible! If that's the case--" Rarity is cut off by Discord "He is nothing more than a ticking time bomb." The train arrives to Canterlot with a loud hiss. Charcoal takes a step out and recollects his bearings as the city he once lived in stands before him. As the dark unicorn trots by, the citizens pass by him as if he were invisible. Nothing's changed at all, which was quite odd considering all of the weird events that went on in Ponyville. Charcoal looks around for leads of where Twilight might be. Schools, Libraries, Workshops, the magical mare couldn't be found anywhere. "Where could she be?" Charcoal said to himself. Suddenly, two unicorns notice him and trot in his direction. "Well well, if it isn't the middle class wash up." the cocky blue stallion grins as a golden yellow mare giggles beside him. "Having trouble with your 'magic issues' again?" she waves her hoof sarcastically, flipping her hair. "That's none of your business, and I have more important matters to deal with than to argue with the likes of you." Charcoal grunted, trotting ahead. "Please, I bet what you have to do is so easy I could do it with one hoof tied behind my back." The stallion boasted. "I hear he's dating that common country mare." she whispers. The stallion laughs. "Figures! She'd be the only one to stoop as low as to go with a reject like him!" Charcoal stops cold and turns towards them, giving them a burning glare that can melt through diamonds. Charcoal steps forward slowly, his horn glowing without him noticing. "You try and gather the elements of harmony in under 72 hours, all while avoiding danger from the god of chaos himself, and coping with a magic deficiency that would've already killed you!" his body is now covered in a green aura, and the mare faints from surprise. The dark stallion cringes as a pulsating headache hits him, and his magic begins to lose control. "Y-you're a freak! Get away!" The blue stallion backs away and cowers in fear. Charcoal grips his head in pain as the magic begins to form into a ball around his horn. He is then forced to the floor with a blue aura covering him. "That's enough Charcoal. You know the rules of equestria better than anypony." Boomed a loud voice. He looks up and sees the princess of the moon herself standing before him. "We have to discuss something with you." she booms again before teleporting the both of them to the front of the castle. Charcoal is still cringing in pain and refuses to sit up. "What is it that you need? I desperately have to find twilight." "Twilight? Has she disappeared? Regardless, I must discuss with you something more important than that I'm afraid." she sighs. What could possibly be more important than finding the element of magic to save Equestira? Charcoal follows Princess Luna inside the castle. There were no guards in sight, and the atmosphere seemed cold and morbid. Luna trots into the throne room and turns to Charcoal. "My sister has been acting different, and this worries us so." She points to the throne, to which the princess of the sun sits upon. The colors of her mane have dimmed and her eyes are distant. "Has something happened during her trip to Ponyville?" Charcoal looks at Luna with concern and nods silently. "Too much has happened in fact. Discord is back, and he's more violent that he usually is." he trots up to Celestia and gets a closer look. She's obviously still alive, but she isn't moving at all. "Celestia. Celestia are you ok?" "Six hours.... twenty seven minutes...." she responds quietly "The clock is ticking...." Charcoal took a step back and stood quiet. She was telling the time he had left to find Twilight. He quickly turned and started to leave the throne room. "Where are you going? What about our sister?" Luna looks on, Charcoal stopping at the door. "Keep an eye on her. I need to find Twilight so we can get everything back the way it was." he pauses for a bit. "....Where can I find her? I've searched everywhere...” "There is a house.... Near the entrance of Canterlot... find her there." Celestia groans.