//------------------------------// // If Not Friends, Then Not Enemies // Story: A Touch of Chaos // by Written Out //------------------------------// Shift. Move. Can’t move. Arms tied. Think. Can’t think. Head feels… fuzzy. Where am I? John came awake all at once, his eyes shooting open wide. He tried to stand up, but thick straps pinning down his arm, legs, and even his neck held him down. Panic washed over him for a moment, and he thrashed in his bonds before he forced himself to calm down. Panic wouldn’t help anything. His breathing slowly evening out, he tried to understand what had happened to him. The room he was lying in was fairly large across, even if the roof did seem a little low. A solitary moth fluttered around a florescent light on the ceiling, its wings flapping wildly as it flittered around the source of warmth and light. There was a single open window on the side of the room, but a single glance was all it took for John to realize that it was too small for him to squeeze through. A gentle breeze blew across his skin, and it was then that John realized that his clothes had been removed while he slept, a single towel draped across his groin was the only thing protecting his modesty. Flexing his arms, John tested the strength of the straps holding him down. He put as much force as he was able to into his arm, even tensing his entire body, but his bonds stubbornly refused to give. His head softly thudded against the board as he relaxed, cushioned by his dirty yellow hair. A lock of hair fell into his eyes, and he quickly blew it away. What happened to me? he wondered. All he could remember was pain, a deep, soul-searing pain that tore all the way through his body. I must have been captured. Those horse-like creatures must have finally caught him. There was nowhere to run anymore. He vaguely remembered the purple unicorn, and a flash of pure red hatred flashed through his mind as he thought about the last time he had seen her. Wait, no. That wasn’t right. John shook his head. His memories were still fuzzy and unclear, but they were slowly starting to come together. She had been standing behind him. The hatred wasn’t aimed at her, it was aimed at… aimed at… Who? Try as he might, he couldn’t remember who he hated or why he hated them. All he could remember was a pair of eyes; a pair of cyan eyes, their slit pupils staring condescendingly at him. But no matter how he tried, he couldn’t remember why he should be angry. His anger started to fade, the red-hot flames dying out with nothing to sustain them. Right before the rage disappeared entirely, he heard a faint noise like a finger snap in the back of his head. As if that snap tore away the block on his memories, he suddenly remembered everything. His mind felt clearer then ever before, like cobwebs that had been deliberately placed in his brain were blown away in an instant. The meaning of those eyes came back to him and he remembered exactly what that creature had done. She had manipulated him, forcing to attack and nearly kill those small creatures. What had they ever done to him? Nothing. They’ve been acting in self defence, he realized. Against… me. His hands tightened into a fist as he realized exactly what that meant. Everything that had gone wrong for him had happened because of that creature with the slit eyes. A scream of rage tore from his throat as his goal became clear. No matter what, he was going to kill the owner of those eyes. A few rooms away, six mares were locked in a conversation, oblivious to the creature waking only a few short meters away from them. They were loud, and there was no way their voices would fail to reach the one who had once, and could still be, their enemy. “…and the way you just fell away from the window,” Rainbow Dash said from where she lay on her hospital bed, her squeaky voice shaking with suppressed laughter. “That was hilarious.” “Humph,” Rarity replied, an annoyed look in her eyes as she turned her head away from the bed-ridden pegasus. “If you had seen it, you wouldn’t think it was so funny.” Her offended tone was almost enough to draw attention away from the embarrassed blush that lightly stained her cheeks. Unfortunately for her, Dash picked up on what she was trying to hide right away. “Bwaahaha!” Dash laughed, easily blowing away Rarity’s flimsy rebuttal. “So what if I had seen it? It was a changeling. For Celestia’s sake, we beat ‘em by the dozens before, and even their Queen wasn’t all that impressive.” “It didn’t feel like we were looking at one of the changelings from the wedding,” Twilight said, her eyes darting back and forth as she skimmed the book she had levitated in front of her. She just knew she would find the answers she needed in here. She just had to. When that large changeling had looked up here, it had felt like… like… “It felt like a predator,” Fluttershy whispered, unknowingly finishing Twilight’s thought. Trust the animal lover to know these things. “Well, shoot,” Applejack said as Twilight disappointedly put the book aside. “Now that ya mention it, Ah reckon that sounds about right, ‘Shy. Ah think Ah felt about the same the first time Ah saw one of them timberwolves hangin’ around the farm. Ah was just a filly and just hid in the farm, hopin’ against hope it wouldn’t find me.” She chuckled nostalgically at the mental image of her, no more than Apple Bloom’s age, hiding in the barn rafters and praying the giant wooden carnivore wouldn’t look up. “But,” Rarity said, breaking Applejack out of her reminisce, “you didn’t seem to have any trouble facing down that hydra. Even though it did this,” she gestured at the various bandages and splints that covered the farmpony’s body, “to you.” The fond look on Applejack’s face vanished, replaced with a self-disappointed scowl. “Ah’m older now, and the critter was threatenin’ my family. No way would I turn tail and run.” “You go, girl,” Dash said with a grin, punching the air in front of her. Rarity looked like she wanted to say something, but stopped as she considered Applejack’s words. After a few second’s thought, she inclined her head in acknowledgement. “I suppose that’s fair. I probably would have done the same for Sweetie Belle.” Twilight nodded her head as she turned to look at the others in turn. “I think we can agree that the situation’s changed,” she told the others. “If the changelings came all this way, they’re probably after us.” “Not to question ya, Twi, but do ya really think so, sugarcube?” Applejack asked. “Why would them changelings want to come after us, right after they’ve gone and taken Canterlot?” “Ain’t it obvious, AJ?” Dash said, her rough voice nearly cracking with excitement. “We’re the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Those freaky things know we’re a threat.” She banged her front hooves together, a violent smile spreading on her features. “And I look forward to proving them right! I’ll show those buggy things a thing or two even with both wings tied behind my back.” “Ah know Ah'm normally supposed ta keep Dash from rushin’ in and doing somethin’ dumb,” Applejack interjected, looking at the others, “but this time, Ah agree with her. The sooner we kick them out, the sooner we can get things back to normal.” “That’s sounds like so much fun!” Pinkie burst out, bouncing around the room and leaving all sorts of colorful party streamers and confetti in her wake. “And once we beat them, we can throw a Yay-We-Saved-Canterlot-Party!” Rarity cleared her throat awkwardly, cautiously edging away from the colorful detritus the party animal was spreading around the room. If any of that stuff ended up in her mane, it would be a nightmare to clean out. “Well, dear,” Rarity said, unobtrusively distancing herself from Pinkie as the eccentric earth pony made another pass around the room. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves now.” As Pinkie bounced past the doorway, a new voice entered the conversation. “The best of friends to the end. These are those who Equestria would depend. If this is who the world would choose, then truly we are in good hooves.” As one, the six mares turned to look at the doorway as Zecora entered the room, the zebra’s jewelry jangling slightly as her hooves beat a short pattern against the floor. “Oh, Zecora,” Twilight greeted the arrival, disentangling herself from the hug. Her horn glowing, she zipped over a pair of chairs, one for her and one for the tired looking zebra. “Is this… about what we talked about last night?” Zecora shook her head, gingerly dropping herself down on the offered chair. Her eyes looking both sad and serious, she gazed at the six mares as they quieted down and listened to her. “Listen my friends, and listen well, to this story that I must tell.” The six mares listened in silence as Zecora explained to them what she had witnessed down at the train station. From when the mayor had stood up to the two changelings, to when Spike and Apple Bloom and her friends had disappeared onto the train, while Zecora had done nothing to stop them. “Oh, Spike…” Twilight mumbled, staring out the window. She could almost feel as the warm, comfortable life she had built up was coming crashing down around her. “So, you said that you did nothin’ to stop them, Zecora. Mind explainin’ yourself?” Applejack asked the zebra. When Zecora only looked down at the floor shamefully instead of answering, Applejack sighed as she leaned into the hospital pillow. “Ah suppose you had your reasons. If you don’t want to share, Ah won’t pry.” “Well, we were just talking about leaving,” Rarity said as she stretched, her back giving a satisfying pop. “Now we’ve got our destination. Canterlot. And then I am sitting Sweetie Belle down and giving her such a lecture.” “Do we even know they’re in Canterlot?” Fluttershy asked. The meek pegasus was unsure about simply charging into what was now changeling headquarters. “I mean, it would be so frightening to show up and the girls aren’t even there.” Before any of the ponies could respond, a horrible, blood-curdling scream tore through the air. Every one of the mares recoiled, flinching away from the noise or dropping defensively onto the ground. Twilight’s ears flicked as a faint part of her mind recognized the primordial scream. How could she not? She had heard it so often over the past week. “He’s awake,” she muttered to herself before bolting out the door, seeking the source of the scream. Silence filled the room, and the other five ponies turned to each other, picking up where their conversation had left off. As a result, none of them noticed Zecora silently slipping out through the doorway. Twilight’s heart pounded in her ears as she slowly walked down the hospital hallway. A door was slightly ajar ahead of her, and she was certain that what she was looking for lay beyond it. Unfortunately, she had no idea what she was going to do after that. After a long pain-filled week, she and her friends had finally managed to capture the creature in the forest. But what was she supposed to do with it now? There were no prisons in Ponyville, Canterlot was overrun, and Princess Celestia was… missing. That left it up to her to think of some way to prevent it from becoming a threat. A cool voice whispered into her ear, a memory of something she had heard before. “You lack the strength of will necessary to do whatever it takes for victory,” the voice hissed, its crooning tones whispering sweet temptation into her mind. Twilight shuddered and squashed the voice, trying to ignore just how much she was tempted by the idea. No matter what, she could never take another’s life. The door silently opened as her nose brushed against it, swinging wide on well-oiled hinges. The sterile environs of the hospital room did nothing to distract her from what lay on the gurney in the center. The creature lay there, struggling weakly against the bonds tying him down. His pale skin was exposed to the air, still covered in the grime and the dirt from the Everfree. He hadn’t noticed her appearance yet, and she took the opportunity to try and clear her thoughts. Just seeing him filled her with anger for what he had done, sorrow for what she had lost, and fear for what he might do. Strangely, there was another emotion swirling around in her heart, and it took her a moment to recognize it for what it was. Pity. She felt pity for the creature, this creature that had caused her and her friends so much pain, so much suffering. He had foalnapped Apple Bloom, and was responsible for Applejack’s injuries as well as the wounds to her horn and Rainbow Dash’s wing, yet she couldn’t bring herself to hate him. She wanted to. Celestia help her, she wanted to. She wanted to blame him for everything that had happened and everything that was happening, but she just couldn’t do it. Her heart wouldn’t allow her. If anything, she hated herself for being unable to stop him. I just want everything to go back to normal, she thought sadly. Had it only been a week? A mere seven days had passed since she’d first received that fateful letter from Princess Celestia. So much had changed since then. Not only that, but she didn’t feel like anywhere was safe anymore. In a way, she could understand why Applejack had been so angry at the creature. Even though it hadn’t been her home that had been invaded, she felt… violated. Like by slipping into Ponyville and stealing away one of her friend’s sisters, he had shattered the false sense of security and peace she had built over her home. Twilight shook her head, trying to dispel her thoughts. Maybe this, more than anything else, had been Discord’s intention all along. She felt like things could never go back to the way they had before, all because of her own powerlessness. She groaned as she rubbed her face, wishing that she had been stronger. The creature stiffened, and Twilight realized that it must have heard her groan. Nothing for it now. “Um, hello there,” she said uncertainly, staying out of its line of sight. “I… um… I mean… are you…” She clicked her tongue in frustration, cursing her inability to find the words she was looking for. This wasn’t like her. The creature said something in response, and Twilight sighed in disappointment. She had held a faint hope that he would be able to communicate with her now that Nightmare Moon was gone, but it looked like that was not to be. “I’m sorry,” she said, trotting over to where he could see her and sitting herself down on the cool linoleum floor. His face showed only the slightest amount of emotion when he saw her. There was a crinkling of the skin around the eyes, a slight bearing of the teeth, and the formation of creases along the sides of the mouth. She might not be able to read his expression clearly, but no matter the species, it seemed a smile was universal. She gave him a tiny smile in return, only the slightest quiver along the corner revealing just how much she wanted to break down and scream. She didn’t know if she wanted to scream at him, scream at the hospital, or just scream at the world, but she just wanted to scream. A low deep voice intruded in her thoughts, and she blinked as she looked up at the creature. It had just asked her something in its deep baritone, but of course the words escaped her. She could see concern shimmering clearly in its eyes, and assumed it had just asked about her. “I… I’m alright,” she said, awkwardly rubbing at her elbow. “You saved me, so… Thank you.” She tried to make her gratitude clear in her voice, and it seemed like the creature understood. “But,” she added sadly, looking down at the floor, “my friends…” She couldn’t say it. Even if he couldn’t understand her, she still couldn’t say it. The creature apparently understood anyway, because it let out a small sigh before staring up at the ceiling. It spoke in a quiet, sad voice, its tone tinged with sorrow and bitter regret. “I can’t forgive you,” Twilight interrupted, cutting him off. “What you did, even if it was Nightmare Moon controlling you, I just can’t forgive you.” She scuffed her hoof against the floor, flinching slightly from the screech produced. “I know I should, even Rainbow Dash said she would be willing to forgive you, but I just can’t do it. I’m sorry.” Uncomfortable silence filled the room as the two ceased talking, neither of them sure what they could say to the other even if the other could understand them. Twilight looked up, her mouth open as she was about to say something before she slowly closed her mouth and looked down again. Other than the sounds filtering in through the open window, the low buzz of the light on the ceiling was the only noise in the room for several minutes. Twilight sighed, before carefully walking over to where the creature lay. He turned his head towards her, watching her slow approach with curious eyes. She was careful not to make any threatening gestures, and he remained still as her gaze slid along his body, taking in his nearly naked form for the first time. His skin was smooth and free of any imperfections, though since he could quickly heal any wound, she wasn’t really surprised. Indeed, if she hadn’t learned to fear him so much over the past week, she would have thought he was nothing special. She would have thought of him as a scientific curiosity, but certainly not a threat. His chest rose and fell steadily with his breathing, and she cautiously lifted a hoof above his bare torso. He tensed at her movement, and she stopped and looked him in the eye. They locked gazes for several seconds before the creature released a slow shuddering breath and closed its eyes, letting its body relax. Taking this submissive gesture as permission, Twilight warily lowered her foreleg until her fetlock rested against his skin, gently pressing against the thin layer of hair that covered his chest. Closing her eyes, she stopped thinking and just let herself feel. She could feel warmth radiating from him, and a rhythmic beating that she knew had to be his heartbeat. She could easily imagine her heart beating the same pattern as his. Two hearts, together in harmony. She realized then that he really wasn’t that different from her. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she muttered to herself as she lowered her head to the straps that kept him tied down. Gripping the end in her teeth, and with a quick jerk of her head, she released his left arm. Quickly stepping back and out of the creature’s reach as it stared at her in surprise, she walked over to a pile of cloth on the side of the room. “Here’s your clothes,” she said, tossing the pile over to him. He must have figured out what she was doing, because he had already undone the straps around his other arm and neck and quickly undid the ones around his legs. Swinging his freed legs off the gurney and hopping down onto the floor, he picked up his clothes and quickly donned them, turning away from her as he did. Now fully clothed, the creature turned to look at her. He couldn’t say anything to her, but she could still see a question shining brightly in his eyes. A single question, a simple question: Why? “I couldn’t just leave you,” Twilight explained. “I need to go rescue the foals, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. I couldn’t just let you rot here for Celestia knows how long.” The explanation sounded weak even to herself, but she really couldn’t come up with a better explanation. It had just seemed like the right thing to do. She hoped she wouldn’t regret it. The creature stared at her for several seconds before abruptly moving towards her, his long legs quickly closing the distance between them. His hand moved towards her head and she flinched away from him, cowering on the floor. Her back struck the hospital wall, and she closed her eyes as she realized she had unintentionally trapped herself. But instead of the sharp pain followed by oblivion she had been expecting, there was only a light pressure on the top of her head. She cautiously cracked one eye open to see the creature standing above her, one arm outstretched as he tousled her mane. Before she could understand what was happening, the moment ended and the creature removed his hand, disappearing through the open doorway. She could hear his bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor as he ran down the hallway, the sound becoming more and more distant before she could no longer hear it. Minutes passed as she sat in silence, alone with her thoughts. The first hit she had of another presence in the room was when a hoof gently pressed against her shoulder. Twilight looked over to see Zecora standing beside her, the zebra looking at Twilight with concern. “Did I just make a huge mistake?” Twilight asked quietly. “I had to do something, but was it the right thing?” She didn’t really expect Zecora to have an answer, but it was something she felt she needed to say. Zecora slowly shook her head. “I know not,” she admitted. “But you did well to show mercy to one you fought.” “But was it the right thing to do?” Twilight asked again. “After everything he did, everything we did to finally capture him, I just let him go.” Zecora reassuringly rubbed Twilight’s shoulder. “I cannot give you the answer you seek, and I know that you think the future looks bleak. But you shall always have the support of your friends, and even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that the creature has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before this is over.” She gave Twilight’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before letting her hoof fall. As she walked towards the doorway, she looked over her shoulder and gave Twilight one final word of advice. “Just remember your goals, and how you intend to give this whole sad story closure.” Disappearing with a flick of her tail, Zecora left the room, once again leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts. The young unicorn still wondered if she had made the right choice, but she also thought about what she would do from now on. Her thoughts slowly settled, and a determined expression appeared on her face. Remember her goals? She would. If she needed something to fight for to keep her moving forward, then that was exactly what she was going to do. No matter what, she was going to fix everything. She would return everything back to the way it had been.