//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - Clipper's Story // Story: Null-Magic Pegasus // by Scors //------------------------------// Two Years before Clipper entered the scene BOOM! The sound of the fireball hitting a solid object could be heard all across the field. BOOM! BOOM! A double whammy. Sterling must really be giving this instructor a run for her money, Silver thought as she zipped up the hill that separated the Silver Family mansion and the training field devoted to the art of war. Sterling had explained to her why it was part of the estate, but Silver didn't care much. She never was really interested in the history of the Silver family, especially their father's obsession with warfare and combat. Two things that should never be part of Equestria. An electric blue shield came into view as Silver crested the hill, her small wings buzzing much like a bee's. She could see the burn marks on the uniquely solid barrier where half a dozen fireballs had tried to come from above to penetrate it, but Sterling was too skilled for that to work. Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom. Silver crested the hill just in time to watch the magic instructor try the famous last-ditch effort to break her sister's shield: The Gaitling-style bombardment. It was a unique bombardment style, designed to chip away at the target over time. It had actually been recently invented by a unicorn, Sir Rapid Gait. He wanted to make a magic style that could take out normal shields and use less focus than a massive, one fireball assault. The latter may have drained the shield user, but it also drained the attacker, putting them in a stalemate. Sir Gait's strategy, however, allowed the attacker enough energy left over to bring the final blow. It was devised for the royal guard, who were the only ponies outside of specialty instructors allowed to use it. She touched down on the top of the hill and watched as a seemingly endless stream of fireballs hit the overly large electric blue shield. In the middle of the shield stood a single unicorn, her appearance pristine and her posture perfect, her eyes closed. Sterling had a true silver coat, unlike Silver's off-white. Her mane was long, luxurious, and shone the same color as her shield. The soft yellow highlights ran the length of Sterling's mane and practically multiplied as they went on, making Sterling's mane end in a beautiful yellow rather than the electric blue it started as. She was incredibly attractive, as was evidenced by the colts that followed her at school. Sterling opened her eyes, revealing two electric blue irises that matched her mane in intensity. They could hold a lot of compassion despite this intensity, however. Something Silver knew very well firsthoof. Sterling moved her right hoof an inch outwards, ruining her perfect pose but signaling that she was ready to wrap up this particular 'training' exercise. Silver watched intently, eager to get every detail as her sister moved. The shield around her sister seemed to grow more opaque as Sterling slid her right foreleg further outwards. She was splitting her shield into two, one inside the other. The next move caught the instructor by complete surprise and was almost too fast for Silver to keep track of, which was impressive. Sterling moved her right foreleg forward in a quick motion, her eyes focusing on the black mare in front of her. The outer shell suddenly deformed, a tendril large enough to surround the pony shooting outwards, engulfing the instructor who still hadn't relented on her fireball barrage. Some fireballs managed to be sent down the tendril but were stopped by the inner shell. Sterling then reeled her in quickly, her right foreleg commanding the tendril and her eyes never leaving her target. In a few seconds, the instructor was caught between the two shields, flipped over then placed on the ground on her back. The shields dissolved a few seconds later as Sterling lowered her head, her horn still glowing from the electric blue restraints around the instructor's upturned legs. The instructor stared wide-eyed at Sterling as her little sister buzzed down the hill. Even at this distance, Silver could hear the instructor's words as clearly as if she was right next to the pair. "That was amazing! Impressive, as well, and really quick, to boot!" Sterling released the instructor from the electric-blue bonds around her legs. Sterling's voice was mature for her young age and held a sense of propriety. These traits, however, could never take from Sterling the kindness she wanted to convey, "Thank you. I have to be honest, though: that is the oldest trick I have. I'm not sure why my parents didn't inform you of it." "I'm not sure, either, but you obviously surpass any defensive training I could possibly provide you. Oh, and who's this?" The instructor asked as Silver trotted up next to her sister, a look of praise on her face. The instructor had returned to her hooves whilst admiring Sterling's skill and now stood upright, her posture one of elegance. "This is my little sister, Quick," Sterling said as she nuzzled the pegasus foal. "Quick, this is Miss Charcoal. She's here to instruct me on how to throw fireballs." "A pleasure to meet you," Charcoal said to the filly. Silver smiled in return, noting the mare's bright red mane and orange highlights. Yep, she's definitely a firey one, Silver mused to herself. "So, shall we begin? Uhm, is there some non-flammable target we can use in this field?" Charcoal looked around at the various equipment lying around the field. The field itself was a large dirt area surrounded by short, neatly-cut grass and was nestled between several rolling hills, making a naturally formed bowl. The edges of the field held various exercise and training equipment. The equipment was like the stuff normally found in an average gym only fed with steroids and filled with pure lead. Needless to say training out in the field was a chore for anypony, but it would get them into shape in about a quarter of the time of a normal gym. "Sis, you want to volunteer?" Sterling looked at her sister, smiling. "Now hold on. I am not--" "Sure!" Silver said instantly, happy to help out her sister any way she could. Then she thought about it a minute. "As long as we don't burn my mane," Silver said methodically. "Now wait just a minute! I am not going to allow you to use your little sister as a target!" Charcoal stamped her hoof on the ground, as if to make the decision final. "I'll be fine," Silver said simply. "Watch." Silver took off, her wings buzzing loudly again as she gained some altitude. Once she could see the manor across the hill, Silver yelled back down to Sterling, "Alright! Let it fly!" Charcoal watched in horror as Sterling conjured a fireball and shot it towards the flying pegasus. Silver smiled as she watched the fireball come at her. Sterling had quickly learned how to form a fireball, but it honestly did very little. Sterling had once tried to light a campfire with it, only watching as the fireball had dissipated on the sticks. It didn't matter here, though. Sterling wanted to prove a point, even if her example wasn't totally honest. Unlike her fireballs, Sterling's aim was extremely impressive, though it didn't really matter when Silver was actually trying to dodge. Silver could feel the heat when the fireball was close to her. She closed her eyes and felt the wave of warmth wash over her as the fireball practically dissolved against her coat. The warm magic warped itself around her, surrounding her sides and licking at her back. Sadly the warmth had to subside, and when it did Silver opened her eyes to see a jaw-dropped black mare staring up at her. She laughed as she did a backflip, just to prove she was fine. "My sister can't be directly affected by magic," Sterling explained to the stunned mare. "Experts call her null-magic, though I have to say that's a very unintelligent way of putting it." The mare was still staring at Silver, who started feeling a little uncomfortable, when she spoke, "how is that possible? It's never been heard of before. I mean, there's magical shields and spells to block and counter another's magic, but a pegasus can't use them. At least, not normally." Sterling's giggle at the mare's stating of the obvious made Silver smile. "There's no special magic spell about her, she just can't be touched by it. Not always a good thing." Sterling raised a hoof to punctuate her final statement. "Look, you're here to teach me on throwing fireballs, and Silver's the best choice for training. I'm not going with anything or anypony else." Charcoal was beginning to recover at this point, her jaw moving itself back to the skull it hung from. "Well, I guess she'll work wonderfully, then. I just hope nopony realizes we're using a foal for target practice." Silver waved as Charcoal began instructing Sterling on how to 'properly' form a fireball. Sterling waved back, signaling that she knew Silver was listening in. Just in case Sterling needed a rehash during her training. Silver was the knowledge book and training partner, doing it all for her sister. Sterling was the sister who cared, who gave it all when it came to Quick Silver. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Doc had been watching the mare sink into her thoughts for a few moments now. It was obvious she wasn't registering anything outside of her mind. Doc wasn't about to intrude onto those thoughts, either. He's been warned repeatedly about Silver's 'warrior personality,' as his predecessors had called it, and the 'volatility' of it. What a load of bunk, Doc thought as he remembered the notes on Silver's file. The silver pegasus finally looked at the Doc, her eyes pretty much telling him she was back in the real world. He had to work from the last point she'd told him, which had been her running from her troubles in front of a club in the middle of Manehatten and leaving her two friends behind. She knows how to make a good cliffhanger, Doc thought to himself. "Well, I can't say running away was your best choice of action, but I do have to say I'm glad to hear you held your friend back. I can't imagine how you must've felt then." Doc had to hold back that sense of grief that had welled inside him earlier. He had a heightened empathy towards his patients, and this one had a lot of strong emotions behind her words, even if it wasn't spoken. The unspoken stuff was the hardest for him to ignore, given he invested himself in her story even more than the mare had. At least this time he wasn't crying. That was an improvement. "My world had just shattered, Doc. It's still shattered. I didn't want my friend to go and get himself thrown in jail. I still don't regret it." Silver looked at the Doc, her silver irises warping a little from the tears that had been forming. Doc had figured out a while ago that Silver was wearing contacts that gave her eyes a more normal appearance. That is to say, giving her black pupils to go with her silver irises. "Well, it shows a strength of character and I have to say that's impressive for a pony of your history." "Thank you," Silver said with a small smile. Her story was getting closer to the present, Doc figured, so the emotional side of it was going to keep hitting her harder and harder which also meant hitting him harder, too. If she has one more emotional blow in this story I'm going to need a psychologist! Maybe even a psychiatrist! Doc thought before once again letting the story play in his head. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They'd been searching all night, originally in the direction silver had gone in and then spreading out to search the city. There was no sign of the silver pegasus, however, no matter how high or low they looked. "Are you completely sure she wasn't fit to fly?" Clipper asked as he landed on the street in front of the musician. Octavia had decided early on to help him find Silver. She had to help. The pegasus had, in one night, saved her life and lost her own, and the musician knew she had to help, though didn't know why she knew. "Yes, absolutely. She told us her wings had fractured, remember? When we were still on those dark streets." Octavia looked up at the sky. Luna's moon had gone a while ago and a red hue began to mark the few clouds in the sky, signaling the coming of Celestia's sun. "Is it possible she went back home?" Octavia's question didn't have a real origin, it had just come out. "I doubt it, but at this point that's the only place that makes sense to look. We'd never find her if we keep searching the streets, especially if she doesn't want to be found. Blast it, Boss! I should still beat the--" "Clipper," Octavia interrupted the orange pegasus. She tried to emulate the authority Silver had earlier that night, but the attempt backfired. "What?" He shot, glaring at Octavia who took a step back. After a second he closed his eyes and looked away. "I'm sorry, it's just not finding Silver is getting to me. She's out there, somewhere, alone. I want to find her. I want to help her. I feel lost without her." Clipper sat on the street, hanging his head and letting his wings fall on the ground. "You know, Silver's always there when somepony needs her, but always thinks she's alone when she needs somepony." Clipper took the bag hanging around his neck in his hoof, looking at the fragments within. "Well, it's like you said," Octavia tried gently. "She seems like the kind of pony that can completely disappear if she really wanted to, wings or not. There's no point in searching every street for her if that's the case. The only thing to do is wait for her." "You know you didn't have to stay, Octavia." "I know," Octavia replied simply. "I want to help any way I can." Clipper looked at Octavia, a smirk crossing his face. "You sure about that? Because your mane doesn't seem to like it all that much." It was true. Octavia's mane had been nearly perfect when the night began, and even in the police station. Over the course of the search, however, her mane had become very unkempt, hairs leaving their positioning and blowing freely. It wasn't that her mane had completely lost its shape, it just gained a fuzzier outline than normal. A lot fuzzier than normal. "Neither does my beauty rest," Octavia replied as she yawned. Honestly, why am I out here? I know what she did for me, but is this completely necessary? Octavia's answer was obvious, though. Yes, a small voice inside her head confirmed. "You should head home, Octavia. You look pretty beat," Clipper said. "But we haven't--" "Octavia, you're right. If she wanted to be found we'd have found her by now. The only thing we can do now is head home. Hopefully she'll turn up." Clipper started heading down the street they had been in, his head hanging low. Octavia looked around at the empty buildings for a moment before catching up to Clipper. Her muscles had also taken a toll from the overnight search, but she kept it from showing. Octavia walked in silence for a bit before the question she'd been wanting to ask Clipper all night finally returned to her. "How long have you known Silver?" Octavia asked quietly. "Silver the pony or Silver the pony?" Clipper asked in reply, his head still low. "Pardon?" Octavia's confusion was summed up in that one word. "How long have I known the mental Silver or Silver in general?" Clipper elaborated. "There's a difference?" Octavia had heard her share of ponies with multiple personalities, but Silver didn't seem like one of those ponies. She seemed relatively normal. "Yes, there is," Clipper replied before taking a deep breath. "I originally met Silver back when we were foals. She'd already gotten her cutie mark when I'd met her. She was the first to get it in our class." Octavia could hear the colt's voice start to fade into memories. "Back then, she was a normal filly. She had this energy that nopony else could keep up with, a constant bounce to her step. Her family, however, didn't see her energy as a good thing. They saw Silver-- No, that's not fair." Clipper stopped in the road for a minute, shaking his head as if to bat away flies. Octavia just waited for him, quietly anticipating the story. After a moment Clipper resumed his slow walk, Octavia matching him step for step. "Silver's family didn't understand her. Their entire family tree was filled with unicorns. No pegasi. No earth ponies. They didn't get that Silver was just a normal filly. They thought they had to reel her in, become prim and proper like they'd been trained to be. Match in with the 'Silver Family Attitude.'" Clipper couldn't hide the venom in those last three words. "They didn't know what to do, so they called a psychologist every time something happened. 'Silver fell out of a tree!' 'Get the psychologist!' 'Silver's hovering!' 'Get a psychologist!' 'Silver's hanging from the chandelier!' 'Get a psychiatrist!' Oh, the psychiatrists were the worst. They didn't only talk with silver, they were allowed to prescribe medication for anything they see. And Silver's parents had them all convinced she needed them when she didn't. "I counted seven meds Silver was taking at the highest count. I also watched as my friend was slowly decaying because of them. Turns out her parents never informed one psychiatrist of another's prescription, so they had no idea that they were giving the filly more meds she didn't need. Silver became unstable. 'Sporadic' was the word her parents used. She got angered easily and got into more fights in a week than she'd had in the year before. She'd forget the smallest details then get frustrated because she couldn't remember them. It was hard for me to watch my friend degrade before my eyes no matter how hard I tried to keep her sane. It was hard to watch my friend fade from who she was." Clipper stopped walking and sat down, tears rolling down his cheeks as he remembered those times. "I almost lost her. I almost lost my best friend, Octavia," Clipper said as he looked at the musician. He was obviously crying and made no motion to hide it. He sat there a few moments before resuming his walk and his story. "I decided after a few weeks that I had to tell somepony about Silver," Clipper continued, his eyes returning to the front again. "So I told the one pony I knew who could intervene. I told Sterling, Silver's sister. Sterling hadn't seen what I'd seen, and I guessed it was because her parents probably shielded her from what they thought was an already damaged little filly. Oh, you should've seen her face when I told her the truth. She was sooooooo mad," Clipper's voice started to lift from the sadness. "I didn't get to watch the fallout, but I really wish I had. From what Silver had told me Sterling had actually railed on their parents about the whole ordeal. Not physically, mind you," Clipper added as he looked at Octavia's slightly horrified expression, "but her voice could be heard clear across the countryside as she screamed at them. They had to be cowering from her, the anger she'd shown when I told her was pretty intense. Her parents had tried to hide her sister's condition from her, be it real or imagined. Needless to say they didn't try that again. "In the end, Silver's meds were all stopped, but the damage was done. She wasn't the same pony, though she did recover her energetic side. She was easier to anger, and was more open to depression and sadness. Anything really bad made her shut down completely, times where she wouldn't register anything. She began referring to major events as 'the beginning of new chapters' and, well, she was never the same. The affection I'd come to enjoy was gone, the naivety had been stripped and Silver was, at her core, different. I missed the days when we'd lay in the grass and she'd curl up next to me. Then I missed her completely when she disappeared from the world without so much as a 'goodbye.' That day was the hardest in my life," Clipper concluded his story with a sigh. The tears from before had dried out, but Octavia could still see the memories weighed heavily on him. "She obviously came back, though, at some point." Octavia tried her best to lighten the orange pegasus's mood. "Yeah, a few months ago. I'd just moved here myself when I heard of a new DJ going through the clubs. A DJ with a rather uninventive name: 'DJ Silver.' Usually DJ's wouldn't use their real names, but hearing hers made me want to find her, even if she didn't turn out to be Silver. She was, though she was different again. I can't put my hoof on how, but it seems each time a new 'chapter' gets written in her life Silver changes. Her entire mind seems to rewrite itself every time, the memories of the past buried." Octavia had gotten more than she'd intended, but she now understood the two pegasi more. She was thankful for that. "That must be why she has such a strong connection to the sunglasses," Octavia thought aloud. "Her only constant tie to her good chapter, when she was that affectionate little filly." Clipper supplied the reasoning, though Octavia had already put it together. Still, it made her feel better hearing it spoken, even if by a heartbroken colt. The buildings around the pair had slowly changed from empty brick cubes to taller, more rectangular structures. The existence of gardens and balconies hanging off the sides showed that they were apartment buildings, though not as high-income as Octavia was used to. That's not to say they were total wrecks, namely because they weren't, but they were obviously low-income despite the pristine maintenance. Ponies began stepping out of the apartment buildings as Clipper turned a corner and Octavia soon followed. Every pony that passed them as they walked up the street looked at Octavia. My hair must really be a mess, she thought as soft glares came at her. Like she was out of place but not exactly intruding. The looks of the other ponies around her did make her feel very uncomfortable, though. "Everypony living in these buildings helps maintain the buildings exteriors," Clipper explained as Octavia looked around at the ponies and buildings. "While the rooms within may not be as neat, the buildings themselves remain presentable thanks to a combined effort. Everypony pitches in something, be it free work hours or money to help buy supplies or anything the buildings could need. It's a close-knit community, so I should warn you: outsiders aren't always welcome, but you're not in danger, either." Clipper's warming smile as he finished eased Octavia's worries about the neighborhood. "I'll see you later today, Eight. Just be good, and be careful." The voice wafted down the street from the direction Clipper and Octavia were walking. It stuck out because it was a voice they both recognized: "Silver?" They asked in unison. As if on cue, the ponies on the pathway split down the middle, giving clear line of sight to the rounded end of the street. Not too far from the end, however, a young, green filly was walking towards the pair. She was accompanied by a mare Octavia could only guess was a teacher. Hopefully she was a teacher. But the green filly and her escort were quickly forgotten as Octavia looked at the pony the filly was smiling at. The silver eyes smiling back. In a flash Clipper had gone from barely walking to flying full bore at Silver, the impact sliding them both down the sidewalk a good seven feet. Octavia picked up the evidence bag from the ground, the string haven been broken by Clipper's sudden acceleration. By the time Octavia caught up Clipper had the silver pegasus in a bear hug, which Silver was returning in kind. Octavia could just see the shades of blue forming from a lack of air on the ponies when they finally released. "Silver, where were you? Why'd you run off? Why are you back?" Clipper's last question was filled with more skepticism than concern. "Inside, explanation," Silver replied, nodding to Octavia. "You're welcome to come in, if you'd like." Octavia just smiled and returned the nod. She, too, wanted to know what had happened and why the mare was apparently back home and happy. Or at least seemed happy. The interior of the apartment building was just as pristine as the outside. The carpet was obviously old, but very well maintained. The elevator shone in a bronze brilliance as the three friends took it to the fourth floor. The doors along the hallway showed great care to detail, almost no hoofmarks or damage on any of them. They were arranged in an offset manner within the soft yellow walls, right first then left. It's amazing, Octavia thought to herself, it's like being in my apartment building only the residents maintain it. I kind of wish more buildings like these existed. Or at least more communities willing to work together. Silver and Clipper stopped at the last door in the hallway, this one being on the left side. Silver pressed on the bronze handle and the door opened inward, practically dragging the small silver pegasus inside. Clipper followed her, leaving Octavia to marvel at the detail of the hallway. A loud thud from within the apartment jolted Octavia from her admiration, however. She jumped the last few steps into the doorway. The apartment behind the door wasn't as well kept as the buildings and the hallways outside. That's not to say the apartment was a wreck, which it wasn't. In fact the white walls and wood flooring were in good shape. It was just apparent that the apartment received less care than the buildings. The biggest sign was the trash along the edges of the floor, dominantly candy wrappers and brown snack bags. The apartment wasn't as small as Octavia had expected. A dozen ponies could fit into the living room comfortably, if a bit close. An island separated the living room from the small kitchen to the right, which boasted a window view of the building across the alley's orange brick wall. Two doors stood in the back of the living room, centered on the total floorplan rather than just the living room itself. They both showed age and one of them had more wear and tear than the other. The door to the bathroom stood on the left side of the entire apartment, obvious to anypony who looked for it. The apartment wasn't well-furnished. In fact, the only real furnishings were the two forest-green beanbag chairs, a couple of tables near the doorway Octavia stood in and three obviously discounted barstools at the island. The rest of the apartment that Octavia could see was barren, though she had to admit that the few furnishing that did exist worked rather well for the small space. The story of the thud that Octavia had heard was instantly known to her. Clipper, in his minor anger, had jumped Silver when she had turned around. She now lie on her back, Clipper holding her down with his hooves on her shoulders. He looked at her as if he couldn't decide between slapping or kissing the mare. "Okay, Silver," Clipper said, a bit of authority in his voice, "you're going to talk. I'm not letting you up until you do." Octavia walked in, setting the bag on the table nearest the door, and sat to the side of the pair, making sure to give her own stern look at the silver pegasus. Octavia knew she could throw Clipper off of her, but that would end in Clipper getting hurt, something Octavia now knew that Silver didn't want. Armed with Clipper's story, she knew Clipper could press her into talking. "Fine, I'll talk," Silver said, emphasizing the last word, "but only if you get off of me." "Nope. You're staying here until we're done." Clipper's authority had replaced his normally happy inflections. "I agree. You're too fast to let loose, Silver. Talk to us." Octavia didn't like taking sides, but she felt like she deserved an answer. Especially for an entire night lost looking for the pegasus. "And if I promise not to run?" Octavia didn't believe her, but apparently Clipper did. "Promise me?" "Yes, Clipper. I promise you I'll tell you as soon as you get off of me." "Fair enough," Clipper said as he stepped back. Silver propped herself up on an elbow but made no additional moves to get up. Clipper sat at her back hooves, his eyes never leaving hers. Silver looked at Octavia for a moment before opening her mouth to speak again. "I'm sorry I put you through that. Both of you. I shut down. I needed time to think." Silver was obviously delaying, but at least she wasn't running. I just hope it was worth the night, Octavia thought to herself. "Okay, that's not entirely true. I wanted to run, I wanted to leave another chapter behind." Silver's level expression slightly unnerved Octavia. She looked at Clipper, who was also apparently unnerved at the control Silver was demonstrating. "But I didn't because I thought of everything I'd leave behind," Silver continued in her unnaturally controlled manner. "I've left neighbors before. I've left friends before. I didn't regret it then, but I knew I'd regret it this time." "Oh, yeah? Why is that?" Clipper asked, a bit of anger in his voice. Silver looked at the orange pegasus in front of her for a moment before answering. "You." Clipper's expression went blank. "I'd regret leaving you and Eight behind. More so than anything. You made my life here so much better, if a bit harder. I couldn't leave you and Eight, so I decided to stick this chapter out a little longer." Silver finally got up, taking a sitting position in front of the two ponies. She seemed smaller to Octavia at that moment compared to anytime before. "Maybe things will get better, I don't know. But I know you'll-- ho!" Octavia never got to hear what Silver was going to say as Clipper had jumped at the mare, wrapping his forelegs around her and giving her another tight hug. Octavia looked away as she felt a blush forming from the more intimate moment the pegasi were having. She noticed the bathroom door and decided to tend to her mane and tail while the pegasi shared the moment. A little privacy never hurt, right? A/N: Only one thing to say: Thank you DeathChain01 for the constant reviews of my mistakes and inconsistencies. I really appreciate it, and I gotta give credit where credit is due! Otherwise I get beat up about it by my conscience. So, you see DeathChain01 around, give 'em praise! I know I do! Next chapter's goal: no A/N unless something BIG happens. Shouldn't, but you never know. Must break note cycle! I MUST!