//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: Fracturing Reality // by FaelaArts //------------------------------// Twilight awoke the next morning in hopeful spirits. The dawning sun spoke of the feeling in her body that spoke ‘nothing could go wrong.’ Of course, Twilight didn’t believe in just going by her feelings, and attempted to reserve her own judgement but as her thoughts centred on the voice from last night she let out a quiet squeal of utter happiness and decided to just enjoy the feeling. Trotting downstairs to meet her newfound friends, who may actually be old friends but she wasn’t entirely sure yet as she didn’t have all the facts, were quietly having a quick breakfast. “Good morning sunshine, looks like somepony awoke on tha right side of tha bed” spoke Dapplejack, who she simply beamed a smile towards in response as she walked over and began eating at a plate that had obviously been set aside for her. It was then that she realised they were glancing at her strangely. “Ah Twilight…” Rosé Pie stated, glancing to Dapplejack for reinforcement. “That’s not your food.” Twilight immediately put down the food and what was remaining on the plate and backed away. “I-I’m sorry! It was wrong of me to just assume you would let a complete stranger who you gave lodging for the night food for the morning as well I am so sorry.” Dapplejack rubbed the back of her head and glanced toward the door, where a plate of smelly leftovers were. Twilight frowned slightly. “It’s not tha’ we don’t want to feed you. It’s just tha we don’t have much food ourselves. So we got what we could and put if over there for ya.” Twilight’s frown deepened as she moved away from the table and to the food nearby the door. What was up with Dapplejack, it was almost a like she didn’t like Twilight. Suddenly, the door opened and smacked Twilight straight in the nose. “Oh I’m sorry dear, I didn’t see you” spoke a tone that Twilight immediately recognised as she raised her head. Opening her mouth, she shut it instantly when she was it was a different pony, and that she was approaching the table to speak with the other three. “I heard there was some darling pony here that was going to give a poor poor Pegasus some nourishment for her hard hard work trying to bring these unruly clouds in line?” As the purple pony with white hair pouted, Dapplejack merely chuckled and held out the half eaten plate. “Sorry Virtuity, some hungry pony got into it before we could tell her it was for you.” As the pony turned and glanced to Twilight, she couldn’t help notice how alike their hairs were and yet it was a completely different hairstyle. She also wondered why she hadn’t dreamed of this pony. “Oh that’s perfectly alright, here dear you eat up. You look more deserving of a meal then me.” Twilight blinked touched how generous this pony had been and walked over to the table and ate a few mouthfuls. “Thank you so much ah-Virtuity was it?” she spoke, finishing her meal and sighing happily. She chuckled and waved a hoof, dismissing the subject. “Nonsense Twilight, there is no reason I wouldn’t give a dear friend my meal if she was hungry. I mean how degrading would it be to each that sloppy filth, no offence Dapplejack. And yes it is Virtuity my dear.” Twilight smiled warmly at her instant friend, noticing Dapplejack’s eye twitch as Virtuity spoke. “How did you know my name?” Twilight asked, frowning slightly in between her smiles. “Oh that’s silly darling, I dreamt about it in a Hearts induced dream, I would have assumed you would have had the same thing.” Twilight blinked, wondering how she both knew Twilight had, apparently, eaten one of those accursed plants, and that she dreamed her friends before meeting them. “So when was your last dose?” the pony asked Twilight. She blinked, and managed a quick ‘wha’ of confusion before Virtuity began talking again. “Dose of Desire my dear, when was your last ‘fix’ of Desire?” Twilight blinked in shock, glancing between all four ponies. “Y-You mean you are still taking the flower?!” Virtuity glanced to Dapplejack and frowned. “You mean you haven’t explained the situation to her yet?” Dapplejack merely glanced downward. Virtuity growled in annoyance, and put a gentle hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “My dear, please bear with me while I tell you about it. It’s not as bad as it sounds okay?” She paused, waiting for Twilight to answer. Twilight nodded and waited for her to continue. “Well dear, dear Twilight; I, Dapplejack, Rosé Pie, Stuttershy, and our other friend you have yet to meet both first experienced Desire though an overdose. Now, I do not know if our other friend still does it because she says she’s sworn off the Desire, not that we believe her, but ever since that first dose all five of us have been taking small doses so we experience our Desire as we sleep. If you don’t take a dose of Hearts every so often, the dreams you experience while under its influence start to wane and disappear.” She paused for a breath, and Twilight couldn’t believe what was coming out of her friend’s mouth. “Twilight, do you really want to live in a world our races are divided, a world where ponies die for no good reason just to satisfy someone’s wallet? A world where hard work gets no results and we barely survive day by day? I know we don’t, but darling it is up to you if you wish to join us. All we want is to return to the Ponyville we so dearly Desire, don’t you?” Twilight gazed between the three of them, Stuttershy cowering in case Twilight exploded into fury. Twilight was amazed her friends were so caught up in an addiction, and it almost made her cry. But Twilight was stronger than that, and she had facts to put on the table. “Ponyville is real.” All three laughed at her, Stuttershy merely glanced up at her. “Ponyville is real, I have proof” she repeated, gaining all four of their gazes. “Alright then Twilight, put your bits where your mouth is.” Twilight glanced between each of them, and then her face filled with concern. “Guys, don’t you remember? I have-had an assistant called Spike who was a dragon. Do you know how long dragons live for?” They glanced at her; they wanted her to get to the point. “Stuttershy, Rosé Pie, we met Spike in the forest REMEMBER?” The four ponies gazed at each other, and then Rosé spoke up. “I don’t remember any dragon, maybe you dreamt it. You did go unconscious REMEMBER?” The other three visually relaxed, and Twilight felt her eyes mist. “You don’t believe me?” Twilight then knew this day had gone from being likely to be good, to a horrible horrible day. “Nah.” “No darling.” “N-No." “Nopeity Nope.”