//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 Black and White stripes stained with blood. // Story: Voices. // by Appledash //------------------------------// Voices. Chapter 3 Black and White stripes stained with blood. The six ponies arrived at the border between Everfree forest and Ponyville. “Okay girls. We are here, the point of no return, you are all really sure you want to do this?” Asked Twilight with a shaken voice. All the ponies nodded their heads, “We are doing this for you Twilight, darling” Rarity said in a calm manner. Slowly they started to walk into Everfree Forest. The forest became dark rather quickly, and Twilight's head started to hurt and pound, but she didn't tell anypony about it. She started to hear whispers from the dark free growing trees, the whispers however quickly changed into mumbling voices. Twilight couldn't make out what the voices said, they were very unclear at the moment, but she knew that they will become clearer at some point. “Okay girls, lets take a break for a while.” Twilight said. Everypony but Rarity sat down on the ground and rested. “Sit down and rest Rarity, ya need it.” Said Applejack. “And get my coat all dirty? No thanks!” Rarity said with a ladylike voice. Everypony rolled their eyes and sighed. “Fine be that way.” Said Applejack “In this rate we should be there about dusk. And I really hope that Zecora don't mind us sleeping over there. Everypony knows how dangerous Everfree forest is at night.” Twilight said while looking at a map. As Twilight stood up to walk away, she got dizzy and unstable. “Oh... Not again...” She said to herself just before she fainted. She could hear her friends voices fade away and the darkness got thicker. When she woke up she knew that this was just another dream. One thing that made it obvious was that she was in her library back in Ponyville. She looked around and saw something lurking in the shadows. It started to slowly walk towards her, she recognized this pony, the half face and the strange walk, the grunts it was making. It was the monster that had scratched her on the chest. When the monster started to get close to twilight she closed her eyes and just wanted to wake up. But this time something was different, the monster couldn't get to close to her. When it got stopped by some mystical force it got angry and let out the ear piercing scream and disappeared in a smoke cloud. Twilight opened her eyes and saw that the monster was gone. “Oh, you can thank me later.” A mystical voice said. Twilight turned around and saw a familiar body. “S..Spike...?” “No, well yes but I'm not the real deal, you killed me remember? I'm just something your mind is making up to protect you in situations like this. But don't get relieved, I will not always be here. I noticed that you are heading to Zecora, the book you found, you know who it belonged to?” “Yes, some soldier that were in some kind of war.” “Exactly, you know who he was fighting?” “No that wasn't in the book.” “He was in war with the zebras Twilight. I'm warning you. If you take this book to Zecora, you might face severe consequences, Oh and one more thing before I go, You should really wake up now.” Twilight woke up with a gasp, with heavy breathing she looked around. “Where... Where am I?” She said with troubled voice. “You are safe, darling. We are at Zecora. You fainted where we rested.” Rarity answered. Twilight looked at Rarity and her eyes started to well up with tears, “I saw Spike, Rarity. In my dream he was there and he was talking to me” Twilight said with a mournful voice, and hugged Rarity. “It was just a dream darling. Just a dream” Rarity answered as her own eyes started to well up, “come, we need to see the other and tell them you are okay” “Yeah, we should, just let me get something first.” Answered Twilight while wiping a tear of her cheek. She walked over to her saddlebags and pulled out the red book. She saw that something was strange with the cover of the book. The three scratch marks had become clearer and longer. She started to inspect the scratches closer and saw a faint red glow. She heard Rarity clear her throat to speak. “Are you coming dear?” “Yes, Yes.” She quickly lost focus on the scratches and turned around to walk with Rarity. They entered the room where everypony else was. Everypony's head turned and looked at Twilight. “Twi, ya okay! We though ya was in a coma or something.” Said Applejack with a worried voice. “Yeah, I'm just fine, you don't have to worry at all.” Answered Twilight with a calm voice. “I have dinner ready, you need to eat.” Zecora said. While everypony was at the table and eating, Twilight laid the book on the table and pushed it towards Zecora. “Do you know what this is Zecora?” The first thing Zecora saw was the three scratches. “NO! Take it out of here!” She yelled and threw away the book. “Where did you find that?” “In the basement of my library? What is it?” Asked Twilight scared and confused. “Three scratches, the number of the demon!” Zecora Yelled. “Isn't six the number of the demon?” Twilight asked. “No. Six is the number of the Devil, three is the number of the demon. Have you had strange experience with this book?” “Yes a lot! I killed spike because of this book!” “Oh no... It have already started. We need to lock it in. Quick use this magic.” Zecora pulled out a book from a small bookcase, flipped the pages until she found what she was searching. “Here, conjure this spell and the book will be safe until morning, so I can examine it closer.” Twilight read the words and her horn slowly started to glow, a cage of purple lightnings started to surround the book. “Good, now you are the only one that can break that cage. And pray to Celestia that the demon isn't strong enough yet to take over your magic.” Said Zecora. “Its late we need to sleep and get some rest” Twilight couldn't sleep, something was disturbing her mind, something was glowing somewhere in the room. Twilight got irritated and started to search for the source of the glow. What she found was not what she had expected, the three scratches on the book cover was glowing a bright red. As closer Twilight got to the book a voice got clearer. “Open the cage, release me, use my power, don't trust the Zebra! KILL HER!” Now something took over Twilight's mind just like that time when she killed Spike. But it was different this time. It was stronger. Twilight's horn stared to glow and she started to whisper some strange demonic words, and the cage around the book disappeared in a bright flash. Bright enough to wake up Zecora. “Twilight What are you doing!?” Twilight slowly turned around, her eyes was black and blood was slowly welling up and ran down her cheek. “Twilight.... Isn't...here! I am in control now Zebra! Twilight is a lost soul, and soon her body will be mine forever!” A demonic voice spoke those words from Twilight's lips. “No... It can't be!” Zecora looked at Twilight's possessed body, she saw how her horn glowed and the book was out of the cage. “Twilight! I know you can hear me! You need to fight it! You can do it! Zecora felt how she got lifted of the ground. “Ha...Ha...Ha. You cannot stop me Zebra! How hard you even try you can't reach Twilight. You are too weak!” The Demonic voice said. Zecora felt how her limbs started to stretch out, The possessed body of Twilight started to walk around the room, and searched for something big and sharp. “Ohh... This looks nice!” It said. A big sword from the homeland of the Zebras was stuck to the wall. “No! Twilight! I know you can hear me! You need to fight it!” Zecora said with a shaken voice. “SHUT UP! YOU STUPID ZEBRA!” It Yelled! “No! I will not...” A slice sound followed by a loud thud interrupted Zecora, the Demon had penetrated her with the sword. With the little life left in her she managed to speak a few words. “Twilight, you are stronger.... than him, just fight it!” “SHUT UP!” Another slice and the Zebra was quiet forever. A silent scream could be heard. It was Fluttershy, she heard the noises and wondered what it was and she had been watching everything. The Demon looked her way, it horn started to glow and the sword levitated beside it. Fluttershy started to cry, the demon stopped and looked at Fluttershy. “Twilight, what... What are you doing?” Fluttershy managed to speak between her sobs. The sword dropped to the floor and Twilight's eyes started to turn to normal. “Twilight.... please don't hurt anypony else.” The soft words from Fluttershy's soft voice could reach to Twilight's soul and bring her back to her body. The demon let out a final scream that was so loud everypony in Zecora's cottage woke up. Twilight collapsed on the floor, the last she could hear before she fainted was the sound of running hoofs End of Chapter 3