//------------------------------// // Chapter Thirteen: Breaking Point // Story: Battle Ready // by D101 Reviews //------------------------------// Chapter Thirteen: Breaking Point The lavender alicorn stood in the corner, a mocking, sneering look on her face as he curled up into a ball. Your fault. Everything was your fault. "No..." Yes. It was all your fault. Everything that's been happening? Everything that happened? All, because, of you! Twilight felt something was wrong. Something in her quaint little life had snapped. The air was filled with misgivings and unease. Twilight didn't remember returning home last night, and yet somehow she had awoken in her bed. She sat bolt upright, terrified. So leaped out of her bed and began to walk downstairs, slowly, uncertainly. It was just like the previous night all over again, knowing something bad was waiting for her, but wanting to know all the same. The library was in shambles. Books had been strewn across the floor, papers clinging to every surface. Twilight's desk had been reduced to splinters and there were deep gouge marks in the floor and walls. On the back of the door was smeared a bloody hand-print. Twilight bit her lip as the details leaped out at her. "Battle," she whispered. "What have you done?" Invisible he had watched him. He had been watching him for the past month, on Celestia's word of course. Honestly, having friends was the most irritatingly pleasant thing he had ever experienced... and he'd been turned to a rock twice in his lifetime. It wasn't as though the stallion was uninteresting. Far from it in fact. His night-time escapades provided him with a veritable source of constant entertainment. Too constant. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep since that damn stallion had arrived in Equestria. He was constantly awake. It didn't help that a certain Princess of the Night wasn't doing her job and chasing away the stallion's nightmares that kept him awake! This morning however... That had been worrying even for him. It was a wonder Twilight Sparkle hadn't woken up earlier than she did. "And it was like this when you woke up?" Rarity asked, aghast. "Yeah," Twilight said softly, putting another book on top of the pile she had been creating. "I... I don't know what happened." "Maybe ya'll should tell us what happened last night?" Applejack suggested. Twilight sighed and pinched her nose. "That mysterious stallion going around and saving ponies from being attacked," she started. "Oh please tell me this is going where I think it is," Dash chuckled. "I think... no, it is Battle," Twilight said. "Yes!" Dash cried pumping the air. "Pinkie you owe me fifty bits!" Pinkie pouted. "I don't see how this could have caused him to... freak out like this," Rarity replied. "If he's been doing this for all the while he's been here I don't suppose it did," Applejack reasoned. "Um, girls..." "Maybe the lack of sleep's gotten to him?" Dash suggested. "Last time I checked he looked like Applejack during the apple-bucking season." "I'll thank ya kindly not to remind me o' that," Applejack growled. "I don't think it's the sleep that's gotten to him," Pinkie said. "I think he's just crazy." "Girls..." "He's not crazy he's just..." Twilight struggled to find the words. "Twilight did something happen last night?" Rarity asked. "GIRLS!" yelled Fluttershy. The other five ponies looked at her and finally noticed the bizarre nature of what was happening. Books were floating gently about the room. The remains of Twilight's desk had suddenly turned into various wildflowers A large gumball hung from the ceiling, that glowed and throbbed like a disco ball. Fluttershy cleared her throat and put her hands behind her back, eyes turning stern. "Discord," she said sternly. The books returned to their various places on the shelves. Twilight's desk reassembled itself to the way it had been the night before and the gumball dropped from the ceiling and landed heavily on the floor, where it was immediately set upon by a ravenous Pinkie Pie. The reigning King of Chaos appeared over Fluttershy's shoulder, pouting. "I was having fun," Discord sighed. "It wasn't like I was hurting anypony." "Well you were clearly trying to get our attention," Fluttershy said. "Now what is it." "Oh very well," Discord sighed, floating into a lying down position. "I think you'll find however Pinkie's assumption that your friend is crazy isn't entirely off the mark." Twilight scowled. "And what's that supposed to mean?" Discord appeared behind Twilight. "Oh dear naive Twilight Sparkle," Discord chuckled. "You're the one he bared his soul to last night. Surely you should know?" Twilight turned crimson. "Have you been spying on me?" "Spying? No, I've been watching. On you? No, on your good friend." "What in tarnation do you have to do with Battle?" Applejack asked. "Nothing really," Discord shrugged. "Celestia is and has been worried about him. And rightly too. Poor stallion has some issues to work out." "What kind of issues?" Dash demanded. "Well I'm sure Twilight here could tell you all about it," Discord pondered. "But her dear friend Battle told her this in confidence. I won't tell of course, so that leaves Princess Celestia and Luna. Of course Celestia know only what Twilight knows, Luna's got the scoop on his nightmares and I'm just here to deliver the psychosis." "Nightmares?" Fluttershy whimpered. "Oh yes," Discord chuckled. "Horrible nightmares too if Luna's right. End of the world type paranoia. But then, I'm not supposed to tell you that am I?" "You said something about a psychosis?" Twilight said shortly. "Depressive anxiety my dear Twilight," Discord said, twirling over their heads. "A very bizarre disorder brought on by feelings of immense guilt, and can lead to some major psychotic episodes, which include vomiting, fits, delusions and even, if you're lucky, hallucinations." Twilight's mouth dropped. "How... how many...?" "How many times has he nearly dropped himself into madness before today without you noticing?" Discord smiled. "Twelve. And today I think he finally snapped." He stared down at himself for the longest time. The water of the pond shimmered in the morning light. Blood trickled from the cut on his hand, as it refused to clot over. He knew he should probably get it looked at but right now, he needed this time alone. Today he could officially say he was at his worst. Before he had merely conjured up a distorted image of himself or a twisted shadow of one of his departed friends to slander and torture him. Today it had been Twilight. And somehow that made it a thousand times worse. There was no pain. There was no guilt. There was no anything. He felt hollow. Empty. His heart felt dead inside. Cold and hard and petrified. My shame Twilight, is that I survived. Those had been his words, right? He had been the pony to say them? Did he really believe that? I was ill fit to be a Commander. What had ever made him say that? Granted he had felt downright depressed but now...? Get a grip on yourself you foal! Battle jumped to attention, the voice of his drill sergeant echoing though his head. You fell down and grazed your knee? Big deal. You know what I say to that? Get up and get moving! A spark came to Battle's eyes as he crouched down to the water. His reflection shimmered and was replaced by the mocking face of Dagger Swift. "Well well, look who's back for-" "Shove it," Battle said quickly. Dagger's face was quickly replaced by Battle's own, only this was his distorted self. "Some pony grew a backbone at last?" he chuckled. It wasn't mocking though, not any more. "Yes, I have," Battle snarled. "And you know what? I've had it. I have literally had it up to here with this crap. I will not keep doing this to myself." "Oh you naive fool," the reflection chuckled. "You're turning your back on your comrades?" "I never said that," Battle whispered. "I know that what I've done can never be undone. What happened that day, yeah it was my fault." His eyes narrowed. "But it is an insult to the warriors who gave their lives that day if I were to squander my life feeling sorry for myself. I'll be bucked if I hide myself in my pity." "A Warhorse gets up and canters on," the reflection smiled. "He lives long, he dies proud," Battle smiled back. The reflection shimmered again, changing from Battle's to Twilight's. She didn't say a word. She smiled softly at Battle. Battle merely tipped an imaginary hat to her. "Well lookey what I found." Battle got to his feet and turned to see a sight not familiar, but not unwelcome sight. "How long have you been standing there D?" Battle asked. "Didn't I ask you not to call me D?" Discord murmured, checking the claws on his lion paw hand. "Answer the question." "Since, 'shove it'," Discord replied. "Wonderful," Battle sighed. "Working out a few demons?" "Celestia asked you to keep an eye on me huh?" "Indeed she did." "And how was that for you?" "Boring." Battle laughed. "So what happened? I'm assuming you weren't just having a discussion with yourself for no good reason." "It just clicked," Battle said shrugging. "For some reason it just all fell into place. I guess going over the edge helped slightly. I've got my perspective back." Battle's eyes narrowed as he smiled. "I am the Prince of Warhorse. I made a mistake, and you know what? I'm okay with that now. I'm not saying the lives that were lost are any less important. But if I mourn every death everyday for the rest of my life, who will that help?" Battle looked up at the sun. "I know it's my fault, and if coming to terms with that means having a few nightmares, that's a price I'm willing to pay." "How sappy," Discord yawned. "I you'll excuse me, your friends are looking for you." Battle grimaced. "How much did I do?" "Oh nothing I couldn't fix," Discord shrugged. "Yeah that really doesn't help in the-" Battle froze. Discord raised an eyebrow before he shivered. "Did it just suddenly get a lot older out here?" Battle nodded. It had indeed just gotten, very cold. Sub-zero in fact. The water in the pond was freezing solid before his eyes. Discord's breath was fanning out before him in clouds of vapor. Frost was forming on the grass at there feet and the blood on Battle's hand was freezing. "What the me is going on?" Discord muttered. "I know for certain I'm not doing this." "I know you're not," Battle whispered. He gulped and turned around. The shadows beyond the treeline of the little clearing had not been so absolute moments before. Wispy tendrils of darkness wafted through the branches and in between trunks, the bark freezing where the shadows came into contact. A shadowy figure glided in between the trees towards them, his entire body wreathed so deeply in darkness, that he appeared to be nothing but a shapeless mass of writhing dark fires. Battle gulped, but stood his ground. "Hello, my Prince," a hoarse, mocking voice whispered as the shadowy figure came to the edge of the treeline. Battle looked at the place he knew eyes would be. "Hello again Wrath."