Scion of Chaos

by SilentBelle

Chapter 17 - Reflecting Voices

“That is indeed Canterlot, girl,” Scoddri said nonchalantly.

“Yeah, I know it is, but why? Why are we going to Canterlot?” Sweetie Belle huffed. “I mean, what was the point of going through the Everfree Forest, of going to the diamond dog's caves, of all of this?” she demanded, as she gestured to the scenery around her. “There's a road that goes directly to Canterlot from Ponyville. If that's where you wanted me to go this whole time, then why didn't you just tell me to go there in the first place?”

Scoddri sighed. “Because, my dear, you weren't ready for Canterlot at that time. And besides, the journey has always been more important than the destination.”

“I've been to Canterlot before, more than once, you know. What do you mean by 'not ready'?”

“Think of your magic, girl. It was only mere days ago when what you needed, more than anything else, was isolation from outside interference. I am certain that the press of hundreds of ponies would have proven to be more of an obstacle than you could have handled on your own.”

Sweetie Belle looked down at the shadowy grasses beneath her for a while, the sun had yet to touch anything other than the tops of the distant mountains on the other side of the lake. Seeing past the shadows--or perhaps alongside the shadows was more accurate--she could easily distinguish each blade of grass by its magic. “So, you think I'm ready now?”

“My girl, you managed to waltz through a den of diamond dogs, and they are all still alive and well, for the most part. I would say you have managed to obtain a great deal of control over your abilities.”

“But, that still leaves me with my original question,” she argued. “Why do you want me to go to Canterlot?

“To meet with me, face to face of course.” Scoddri paused and let out a laugh. “Oh, come now girl, is it really such a surprise to learn that this voice does indeed have a body that matches its splendor?”

“You mean that you have been talking to me from Canterlot this whole time?” Sweetie Belle reasoned. Then that dream I had was actually Scoddri's? Which means that Scoddri is...

“Haven't I told you before? The best way to answer your questions is through hooves-on experience. So, allow me ask you this Sweetie Belle,” the voice countered. “Are you going to seek out the answer to your question, or will you be complacent in your assumptions?”

“I...” she trailed off as she thought back to the dream she'd had, but only for a moment, before nodding to herself. “I'm going to Canterlot, but I'm not going because you told me to. I'm doing this because I want to. Because it's my choice.”

“Ah, and so you realize that the only things worth doing, the only things you won't regret, are those that you decide to do yourself. A fine lesson to learn for one so young.”

“Stop talking as if I can't hear you,” the filly protested, with a hint of anger making its way into her voice. “It's annoying.”

Scoddri simply chuckled in response, but otherwise kept his silence.

Looking out across the lake, Sweetie Belle saw the great city there, nestled amongst the distant mountains, embraced in celestial splendor. It truly was a beautiful sight of golden white and she stared at it for a while. My goal. Where I need to go. With her mind focused on the task at hoof, she brought her gaze back to the forest around her, and began plodding off around the circumference of the lake.

“Why is it always grass?” the filly asked as she contemplated her new meal before her. It was still a few hours from noon, but she was hungry, hungry enough to eat grass again.

“You tell me, girl. You are the one that keeps eating it, are you not?”

“Well, at least there's water to wash it down with,” she said, looking out over the lake. Canterlot was indeed closer, but still quite distant. The city was halfway obscured by the trees that encompassed the lake. “But Canterlot is still really far away,” she said with a sigh and began her impromptu meal.

“My dear, you just don't realize how much closer you are when you keep looking to it every five minutes. Though, I agree, it will take some time to get there.”

Sweetie Belle swallowed, in what could only be described as a painfully slow fashion. Her expression painted her dissatisfaction quite visibly, had there been any other pony to see her.

In the next moment, the little filly began siphoning off water from the lake, as quickly as she dared.

“You certainly are getting quite good at this, girl. It has only been hours since you learned how to do that particular trick. Quite the natural talent you have.”

Sweetie Belle tilted her head at his praise, not sure if he was mocking her or was being sincere. She found it quite hard to figure out the honesty of his voice sometimes. And she was quite certain that Scoddri did this intentionally, for his own amusement.

Her own interpretation of Scoddri's dialogue was cut short and quickly forgotten when she noticed something streak across the sky. A rainbow trail followed in its wake, and when it stopped, the blue figure in the distance left no question as to who it was.

“Rainbow Dash,” she whispered to herself. Looking up at the figure, she saw the pegasus hovering out over the lake, performing a quick full-circle sweep until she faced Sweetie Belle. The cyan mare only paused for a moment, then she flew off, away from Canterlot, and out of sight from the filly's eyes. “She saw me.”

“So it would seem, and yet she left you alone. That's not what one would normally expect from such an impulsive mare.”

“I wonder why,” the filly said, not expecting to find an answer, as her eyes wandered the sky.

“Why not wonder as you wander towards Canterlot?” the voice asked snidely.

“Oh, be quiet Scoddri,” she said with a roll of her eyes, though she did comply with his request. She moved onward, and the day slowly began to pass as she quickly became lost in thought.

Is Rainbow following me? Or maybe she didn't see me. Or... I don't know. The cycle of various thoughts and reasons had run through the filly's mind countless times. Eventually she noticed her thoughts were looping and shook her head vigorously to try and clear her mind, and was surprised by an unbidden yawn escaping as she did so. There's no point in randomly guessing at why Rainbow Dash was there. I won't find any answers out here.

Blinking, Sweetie Belle suddenly noticed that it was already early afternoon, and it had been a long time since she had last seen Canterlot, she had no idea how close she was, but at this point she didn't care that much. There was a new thought on her mind: Sleep. And that thought was only reinforced by the silent burning that resided within the now-cramping muscles of her legs.

“Hey, Scoddri,” the filly began sweetly while dropping down the ground to lay amongst the light foliage that covered the forest floor. A cool breeze floated gently up from lake beside her, cutting the edge off of what would have otherwise been an unruly summer day. It soothed the feeling of her knotted muscles.

“Why, hello there Sweetie Belle, have you finished daydreaming?” the voice replied.

“I wasn't daydreaming,” she shot back, but yawned as she did so. “I'm just tired, I don't think I can walk another step.”

“It has been a while since you last woke,” Scoddri mused. “Rest now, if you so choose.”

“Thanks, I will.”

“Sweetie Belle,” a voice called to her, piercing past her heavy eyelids. “Sweetie Belle.”

“Twilight?” she asked blearily as she opened her eyes. It was darker now, twilight in fact. “Where are you?” she called out quietly, as she wiped at an eye with a fore-hoof and strained her ears to hear that voice again.

A moment later the voice returned, distant and beckoning, “Sweetie Belle.”

There was no mistaking that voice, even distant and shimmering as it was. It is Twilight. She turned her head in the voice's direction. It was coming from the lake.

Getting up onto her hooves, she made her way to the crest of the steep hill that bordered the lake. Gazing down into the placid waters she saw a magenta glow swirling amidst its waters. She was certain she saw something else as well, but she couldn't make it out from this distance. “What is that?” she whispered the thought aloud.

“Scrying magic, and Twilight Sparkle's no doubt. An intricate spell.”

With her curiousity piqued, Sweetie Belle managed to slide her way down the side of the hill to its base by the dark water's surface. With a drawn breath she looked into the waters examining the magenta spell that coursed over its surface. “Twilight?” she asked at the waters dubiously.

“Sweetie Belle!” a distant, yet familiar, voice shouted. “She's there, thank Celestia, she's there!”

“Sis?” the filly responded, dumbfounded.

In the next moment, the tendrils of magic flexed into an intricate weave and snapped together reflexively, forming a large circular pattern upon the water's surface. The center began to glow a dusty silver colour, like a dim full-moon. But then, silhouettes began to form within the pale circle.

She could suddenly make out their features as the image focused before her, gaining a slight semblance of colour.

“Rarity! Twilight! Oh wow, how did you find me?”

“Well that's-” Twilight began but was promptly interrupted by Rarity.

“Sweetie Belle, you're safe! You don't know how much we've been worried about you. Oh, and what happened to your hair, it looks just dreadful. Was it those impudent diamond dogs? I swear if they rose a single paw to hurt you-”

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle interjected, as she ran a hoof through her mess of a mane. “I'm fine, the diamond dogs didn't do anything to my hair, it was my own fault. But I'm glad to see you, and I'm sorry for running away like I did.”

“But why, Sweetie? Why did you run away from home? Do I mean so little to you? You know you can always come to me with your problems and we'll work them out together, as sisters.”

“I know, but I had to go. It was the only way to save Twilight. I didn't have control of my magic, and I was draining her. So I ran until it stopped.”

“But why didn't you come back, Sweetie Belle?” the lavender unicorn questioned. “Why wouldn't you come back to Ponyville once you got far enough away.”

“Because, I got lost,” the filly replied, turning her eyes away from the watery image.

“But, even then, why didn't you come back with Rainbow Dash when she found you? Why run from her? There must be some other reason.”

“That's...” Sweetie Belle trailed off, feeling entirely conflicted. She had been sure at that time, she had made up her mind. And if I don't follow through now, then there wouldn't have been any point to running away in the first place. With an inhalation of breath the filly found her resolve. “That's true, there's another reason why I left Ponyville. I wanted to learn how to use my magic, to keep it under control so I wouldn't hurt my friends and family. I care too much about you all to risk being near you while my magic was so wild. But then I learned that you were coming after me, it hurt to know that I would put you in danger no matter what did or where I went.”

“Sweetie,” Rarity whispered.

“Still,” Twilight said firmly. “You have managed to get your magic under control, Sweetie Belle. So why are you still running? Why do you want to stay away from us?”

“Want?! I didn't want any of this to happen! I want nothing more than to go back to Ponyville and see everypony again! But I'm still going, because there's one last thing I need to do, one last thing that I need to know, and I need to find it out by myself!”

“And what is that thing?” Twilight asked evenly. “Perhaps I know the answer. I have read a lot books.”

“No.” Sweetie Belle shook her head sadly. “It's not something that another pony can tell me, it's something that I have to do by myself. But I promise, once I do that, I'll come home right away. Honest.”

Twilight's face grew pensive as she considered the problem before her. But a look of surprise took hold as a muffled shout echoed through the scrying spell.

“Get back here, you two!” Sweetie Belle could make out Applejack's shout.

Then two smaller figures ran into periphery of the spell. She recognized her friends instantly.

“Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom shouted out, pointing an accusing hoof at her. “Why in hay did you go an' run off like that? How could you do that ta us?”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo piped up. “If you were going on an adventure you should have brought us along too.”

“Apple Bloom! Scootaloo! Why are you with Twilight and Rarity?”

“Well,” Applejack said with a sigh, as she entered the circle as well. “Ah reckon it was a mite foolhardy of us ta leave those two back in Ponyville without supervision. It didn't take too long fer us to realize that they were a followin' us through the Everfree. By that point it just made more sense ta bring 'em with us. Safety in numbers an' all that. 'Sides, we know that they wouldn't just stay put at home when their best friend was in danger."

“Oh,” Sweetie Belle muttered to herself, as the feeling of guilt seemed to increase its weigh upon her heart. “I'm sorry Apple Bloom, Scootaloo. I really am.”

“Hey don't sweat it,” Scootaloo said with a grin. “We got to go on an awesome adventure through the Everfree thanks to you.”

“Well, ah'm still kinda sore 'bout ya not listenin' to me before ya ran off,” Apple Bloom admitted. “But Ah forgive ya. After all, ya had yer reasons, right?”

“Thanks, girls.” Sweetie Belle was astonished to say the least. “You're the best friends ever.”

“Hmm, hmm,” Twilight cleared her throat, gaining everypony's attention. “Now if we can please get back to the matter at hoof. Sweetie Belle, I can tell that you are determined and you intend to keep your promise, but wouldn't it be fine if we tagged along with you to wherever it is you are headed? We just don't want to see you get hurt.”

“No,” she stated her answer firmly. “I have a good reason, but I can't tell you yet. Please just let me go, I promise I'll be back.”

“But-” the lavender unicorn replied, before Rarity interceded.

“Very well,” she stated serenely. “If she wishes to go and her decision is made, then all we can do is let her go.”

“Rarity,” Twilight said with a dumbfounded expression plastered on her face. “Are you sure?”

“Twilight, darling, I most certainly am. She's my little sister, yes. However she is also her own pony, and nopony can decide what she is going to do other than herself. Not even I.”

The purple mare's expression changed from uncertainty to irritated submission. “I suppose you're right,” she agreed, though not before shooting Rarity a discerning look.

“Really Sis? You mean it?” Sweetie Belle asked in utter astonishment.

Rarity smiled and nodded, her eyes a quavering blue, which shone out of the tranquil water. "Just please be careful, Sweetie."

“Thanks, Rarity. Thanks, everypony. I'll see you all real soon,” the filly said with a wave.

In almost perfect synchronicity with her motion, she saw the magic tendrils of the spell dissipate and sink beneath the surface of the dark waters. She thought she heard one last whisper trail from the waters. “Please, be safe.”

“Well, that was quite the spectacle, wasn't it?”

“Huh,” the filly hummed considering the voice for a moment. “You know, I'm surprised you managed keep quiet for the whole thing. And, I guess I want to say thanks for that.”

“Yes, well they say words are made from silver tongues, and silence is golden. Either way, I fancy myself to be a rich fellow,” the voice replied and chuckled to himself.

“Scoddri, sometimes you say the weirdest things,” Sweetie Belle said, shaking her head, but allowing a smirk to reach her lips nonetheless.