I awoke feeling surprisingly good. No cold, no hunger, no anything. I stood and tried to walk, but I found myself stumbling as if I had never walked as a pony before. My head hit the low hanging doorway into the next room. I stood there, slightly stunned. My head had never even come close to hitting that before. In fact, no pony's head ever came close to that ceiling except Celestia... The princess in question was standing in front of me. I looked straight forward into her eyes. Straight forward, not up. I glanced down at my feet. My long, slender legs. "W-what?"
"Carmen, the Elements of harmony have awoken you and Chance Wind. You must help them in defeating Nightmare Storm. Luna and I cannot help you."
"But why? Why us?" Celestia shook her head.
"There is no time to explain that even if I knew. They chose you for something, exactly what is a mystery to me. Now, go. Hurry. The others are waiting for you at Sweet Apple Acres." I nodded, galloping unsteadily off towards the orchards. Ponies gave me surprised glanced as I ran through town, and it suddenly occurred to me that, as an alicorn, I had wings. I could fly instead.
I spread my multicolored wings, noticing that their color had returned in full, and sped off through the sky. I soared above the apple trees, searching for the others. I found them close to the barn. I locked onto the tall, brown alicorn and dived at him, tackling him at full speed and hugging him tight. I looked him over. He looked much more regal, and I expect that I must've too. We stood and walked over to the Element ponies. "Where do we have to go?" I asked.
Twilight turned no me. "Canterlot." I was surprise slightly.
"But what if somepony gets hurt."
"Carmen, this has to be done. We can't let her stay in the throne." They started off towards the train station. I followed, an uneasy feeling growing in my stomach. Chance walked next to me, but we didn't talk.
We got on the train. Naturally, I figured, I would be sitting with Chance, but no. I looked around. Chance had sat with Twilight, and they were discussing stuff about when we got there. Every other seat in the carriage was taken. I moved on to the next one and sat by myself, watching the others through the door's tiny window. I fell asleep, curled up on the seat, for most of the ride. I woke again when the train was coming close to Canterlot.
Feeling upset that Chance had practically forced me to sit alone in the next carriage, I exited the train car and walked over. I did know that what they were talking about was important, but-- I looked around to find my group already trotting away towards the castle. They can't be serious... I don't even know what we're doing yet! We can't fight Sam like this! I galloped after them, trying to reach them, but a group of passengers leaving Canterlot kept me back. They were fleeing from the city.
By the time they were gone, so was my group. They had left me behind. How could they have done that? They must figure I'm right behind them. They'll come back when they realize I'm not. But they didn't come back, for whatever reason.
______________________________________________________
You know, I'm still really sorry about that...
I know, I know...
______________________________________________________
It wasn't too long before I realized that if they weren't coming to get me, then I would have to go find them or something. I had no idea where they were though, so the only place I could really go was the castle. As I crept along the abandoned streets, visions of my past came to mind. Walking down this very street...
Regally, I strode about the streets. Ponies bowed when I walked by, and I had to suppress a grimace every time. No matter how hard I try to fit in with the rest of the pony folk, I stick out. It's my eyes, I suppose. Their technicolored appearance gives me away every time. Even when I perform spells of myself to give myself a normal height. I can never mask my wings, but I can keep them at my side and wear a hat over my horn.
Today, however, I'm not hiding who I am. I am walking to the square to deliver a message. The ponies have all noticed how little they see of Luna, even during her night. They are worried that something is going on, and I am to put their minds at rest. Such is the task of a noble princess. I am nervous that I may not sound convincing enough though, for even now I can feel an evil at work inside my older sister. She has seemed less colorful as of recent.
As I climb up to the small square platform, feeling even more hopeless and nervous, a bright red stallion in pearly white armor approaches me. It's a member of my guard. It has to be. Celestia's guards are all white or gray or light colors, Luna's guard all are born into their stature seeing as they are all Equinocs, or Night Ponies, and Gale and Tempest's guards would never be used to contact me. Plus, none of the guards besides my own were so brightly colored.
'Princess,' he called to me through a telepathic link I had established for all my guard, 'Celestia wishes for an audience with you.' I blinked, surprised. Didn't Tia know that I was doing this today? Of course she did, she was the one who told me to!
'Right now?' I asked, 'But what about the speech?'
'She said it was urgent.' I sighed. 'Don't worry. I'll handle the crowd. Just go.' I nodded, spreading my wings. A few in the gathering crowd gaped at them in awe, but I tried not to look at them. Pumping hard, I glided up to the castle, landing on Celestia's balcony. I opened the door and entered my eldest sister's room and walked inside...
Breaking from my reverie, I found myself in front of the castle. I looked around, slightly paranoid, but didn't see anypony. My ears folded back against my head and I backed away from the looming structure. Something felt wrong. I swiftly turned around to leave, but something caught my eye and I stopped. A feather. A bright canary yellow feather. Fluttershy. They were here.
An explosive boom shook the castle. I turned, terrified, to face an avalanche of rocks from the castle walls. They were fighting her. I had to help. Deftly dodging the raining chunks of ruined castle, I galloped through the front door. I sped along the long hallway, not stopping until I was a good distance away from the hazardous falling rocks. I made my way towards a flight of stairs, racing up them three at a time. I came to the second floor landing and galloped through the hallways, looking for somepony. Anypony. But they weren't there. They must be on a higher level. I raced up another flight of stairs and repeated my searching action, but still didn't find anypony.
"Aughhh! Where are you? Where are you?" I screamed, my voice reverberating through the marble hallway. Suddenly, my ears picked up shouting and I ran for it. Up several more flights of stairs. Down the hall. Through a door. My hooves screeched to a stop on the smooth floor. A giant hole dominated the wall, hairline cracks running from it to every wall of the room.
My heart nearly stopped as I saw who was in this room. A pitch black alicorn and six smaller ponies. The Elements of Harmony. All of them were caught in a telekinetic grip and their bodies were limp. I thought for one moment that they were dead, but no. Twilight's horn was glowing, despite the fact that she seemed to be unconscious. She didn't seem to be attacking Nightmare Storm though. I didn't know what she was doing. Nightmare Storm had not noticed me yet. She was out on the balcony on the other side of the hole in the wall.
Something in the dark corner opposite me moved slightly. I turned to it, suddenly very tense. A pair of brown wings fluttered helplessly from the corner, and I nearly cried out. I ran to him, wrapping my forehooves around him. "Chance..." The name came out in a whisper, and I felt hot tears rolling down my cheeks. His wings were sticky with blood, and a cut ran along the side of his body. But it looked like the cut was hours old, which would've been impossible... A the moment it didn't really matter though.
"Carmen..." he mumbled, "Go save the others. I'll be fine."
"But..."
"Immortal, remember?" I nodded and stood. I hesitated before turning to face the hole in the wall.
"I'll be back soon." Boldly, I walk to the edge of the room and make my way through the ruined wall. Nightmare Storm...no, she's still Sam... She turned around to face me. Her eyes were all I could make out in her pitch black face and mane. "Sam, why are you doing this?"
"I am no longer Sam, you prismatic princess. I am Storm. Nightmare Storm."
"Personally, I though Tempest was a better name..." I mumbled, "That doesn't answer my question. Why are you doing this?"
"Why? Do you know what it's like to be shunned and cast away from everypony? To not be appreciated for your ability? The ponies of this land say that they love the rain, but why do they spend that time indoors?"
"So...they don't get wet?"
"No! That is not the reason, you foal. They do not appreciate the beauty of the rain and of storms. They shun them and wish them away. They love the sunshine and the beautiful rainbows, so why do they not love the rain? The thunder and lightning that I work hard to bring!"
"But Sam, these storms you have going. You can't keep this up. The plants need the sun to grow. They do need rain too, but not forever. They cannot grow without the sun. Everypony will starve."
"Why should I care about them? They did not care about me? You do not understand what it is like to be unloved!"
"Don't you dare, Sam! Do NOT go there!"
"But it is true. Ponies love your colorful rainbows and your beautiful wings and eyes. Everypony loves the color you bring the world. You cannot know of the solitude and unhappiness I go through."
"I said. Don't go there!" I howled at her, my blood boiling, "I maybe a princess here, but I spent my entire life as a human in solitude! I had no friends! No one to care about me! Don't tell me that I don't know what that is like!" Apparently, my rage had startled her, but she was laughing now.
"Yes, I know. The only reason I ever befriended you was so you wouldn't realize how much everyone hated you."
"No..."
"Everyone that ever was your friend was just doing it so you won't feel like everyone was against you."
"Sam..."
"When really, we all hated to be around you. You hear me? We. All. Hated. You."
"No!" I whirled around at the shout. Chance stood in the doorway. "We didn't all hate her. No one hated her and you know it Sam!" He approached me and stood next to me. I looked him over, finding that his wound was healed nicely.
"Chance," I say, whispering into his ear, "I'll get the Elements. Keep her busy." He nodded ever so slightly. I galloped back into the room.
"Yeah, Carmen! You better run!" Sam taunted. I ran out into the hallway and towards a flight of stairs. I raced up them and ran to the room directly above the one Sam had destroyed. As silently as possible, I opened the window. I backed up, slowly unfurling my wings. One hop, skip, and a jump later I was soaring over the scene. Sam and Chance were yelling now, and hopefully, the Nightmare driven mare would be unaware of my presence. Deftly, I tucked in my wings and rocketed towards the six ponies in Sam's grip. I grabbed them with my own magic and was just barely able to pull them away from her. I carried them to the room above. Sam was howling in rage. I just hoped Chance would be okay.
I set down the six ponies in my telekinetic grasp, taking care to set them down gently. They were all unconscious, but Twilight's horn was still ablaze. As I looked them over, finding many deep cuts and other injuries, I saw that they were healing very quickly. I looked over at the lavender unicorn and realized that it was her doing. But if she kept healing them like that, it could have devastating consequences for her.
I lit my horn and poured as much magic into it as I could. I closed my eyes and imagined the six ponies in my head. I wrapped a magical aura around them and released the magic that I had been building up in my horn. The magic washed over the ponies, healing their wounds. I opened my eyes, and Twilight's horn stopped glowing. The six ponies began to stir, and all sat up at once. Six pairs of eyes locked onto me.
"Carmen?" Twilight asked, "Oh, I'm so sorry. We didn't even use the elements. She got us before we could get her."
"Well, use them now," I replied, "Chance and I might be able to... Chance..." I ran to the open window, where I could see him soaring high above, Sam chasing him. "Chance!" He looked down at me and dived for the window. Sam followed about ten feet behind him. "Get ready." The element ponies nodded, their elements beginning to glow as Chance crashed through the window. A black shape appeared in the window. "Now!"