//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 Confirmation // Story: In The Twilight of Harmony’s End // by Leonofsweden //------------------------------// In the Twilight of Harmony’s End Chapter 5 Confirmation **** Twilight awoke much more comfortably this time, almost like she had had a nice, long rest. At least, until she remembered what had just happened in the dream. “By Celestia… she's dead… and… you were happy for it Scootaloo?” Twilight whispered as she slowly sat up. She couldn't believe it. Even if Miss Bad Winnie was being portrayed as a bad pony by Scootaloo’s memories, not even she deserved to be ripped apart by Timberwolves… did she? “Twilight? You're awake?” the very hoarse, but still familiar, voice of Applejack uttered from beside her. Twilight looked up in disbelief at a fully awake Applejack who had tears running down her cheeks. “Applejack!” Twilight cried out in relief and joy as she set off towards her friend at a full gallop. “Stop!!!” Applejack cried, just as the chain went taught around Twilight's neck and brought her to an abrupt halt. She gasped in pain as she now lay on her back on the floor, legs pointing in every which way. “Sorry… tried to warn you… Void made it so we can't really reach each other. We might be able to touch the tips of our back hooves together if we really stretch, but not even Pinkie has been able to do that yet… although she hasn't really tried,” Applejack said forlornly and looked over towards the unconscious pink pony. Twilight coughed a few times before staggering up on her hooves again, rubbing at her sore throat. “Right…" cough! "So how are we going to get out of this?” Twilight wondered as she started to look around herself. Applejack just gave a little sniffle before looking up at Twilight again. “Get out of this?” Applejack answered before chuckling. “There's no getting out of this, Twilight… We've already lost. You just slept through everything, and now Void woke you up just so she would have another plaything!” Applejack said in a harsh voice, looking away from a bewildered Twilight. “Applejack, you don't mean that. As long as we're together we can still beat this; we'll save Scootaloo and the rest of Equestria!” Twilight answered with fierce determination, stomping her hoof to drive home the point. “Save Scootaloo?! She is Scootaloo!!! Don't you get it?! Void is Scootaloo!!! And until I saw these memories, I was so angry at her! Cursing her for her weakness in giving into the Nightmare! I had my rightful anger to power me through all that she put us six through… but now I don't even have that!” she said with a blank expression. “How could we have been so blind not to see what was happening to her? I've lived in Ponyville all my life. I knew she was at the orphanage, but I never went there because… it was a bit out of the way… and I thought Miss Bad Winnie was doing a good job and I never ever thought to look if that was actually true…” Applejack said forlornly as she sank down on the cold floor, crying. “I remember that day, you know… when I thought she had stolen from the orchard. I was so enraged when I saw her standing there with one of my precious apples just a day after I thought she’d almost killed Apple Bloom. I thought it proved, beyond a doubt, that all I have thought about her was the truth! I didn't even give her a chance to explain because I already knew the truth! I'm the bloody Element of Honesty so of course I knew the truth! And I was much too stubborn and prideful to think that what I knew might not have been the whole truth!... And Scootaloo paid the price for that!” Applejack said through clenched teeth and hammered her for hoof into the ground in anger at herself. “You mean… The memories are real? It’s not just something Void is making up to fool me?” Twilight asked, not really wanting to know the answer. Applejack, however, just lay there silently, before she finally gave a tiny nod in confirmation. “Yes… They are true… Void said you have lost quite a lot of your memories after the Coronation, but everything I've seen so far matches what I remember myself…” Applejack said, and proceeded retelling the events from her point of view, but when she got to the point where Scootaloo disappeared off into the distance Applejack continued on… **** Applejack stood firmly, watching Scootaloo disappear off towards Ponyville. Finally, she lowered her leg again and stood on all fours, breathing heavily. Dammit! she thought, turning around and beginning to walk back towards her still-unfinished chores around the Sweet Apple Acres. But she stopped at the first apple tree she reached and leaned against it, shaking visibly. ”Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Gosh darn DAMMIT!!!” Applejack yelled and hit the apple tree viciously at every outcry. When she was finished, she stood with her head against the tree trunk, breathing raggedly. “You sure that was a good idea?” an aggravatingly calm voice asked her from a few paces away. With a grunt of annoyance, Applejack looked up at her ever calm giant of a big brother who looked off into the distance, after the now gone Scootaloo. “She was stealing from us! And I won't let her get near Apple Bloom again! So... so I had no choice!” Applejack said defensively. Big Mac looked back at her but said nothing, the quiet digging into Applejack more than any words possibly could have. “Okay! Okay! I might have gone a little overboard! You happy!!!” Applejack yelled at him and threw her hoofs in the air in defeat. Big Mac, however, just continued looking at her calmly moving his wheat stalk from one side of the mouth to the other. After a few more minutes, Applejack gave a reluctant sigh. “We… we both know I’m going to forgive her, Big Mac, but Scootaloo almost… almost…” Applejack's whole face scrunched up as she fought back tears. “If something would have happened to Apple Bloom yesterday… I don't know what I would have done!” Applejack said and stomped her hoof into the ground again. “I'm just going to keep them apart for a while… She needs to learn responsibility. I won't have Scootaloo endangering my little sister again, Big Mac. I won't allow it!” she said with fierce determination in her voice as she looked up towards Ponyville in the distance. “She's grown up without having to think about any pony but herself, so it's no wonder she's not responsible or thinks about the well-being of others around her,” Applejack said with a sigh. “But still… that might not be her fault, so I'll give her another chance eventually…” she uttered reluctantly. “And once Apple Bloom starts helping around here a little more, maybe we can teach Scootaloo how to help out at the same time. Give her some good old fashion Apple Family common sense and values… But, for right now, she needs to stay away so she learns that her actions will have consequences for her…” Applejack finally stated firmly, before once again starting to head back towards the barn, leaving a still thoughtful Big Mac pondering behind her. **** ”Well, isn't that nice of you Applejack…” the harsh voice of Void said from the darkness. Both Applejack and Twilight snapped their heads towards the two burning eyes looking out at them from the shadows. “I am mistreated my whole life, right in front of every pony, and, in the end, even you six supposed heroes turn on me… and YOU were going to forgive ME?!” Void said in a dangerous voice as she stepped up and glared down at Applejack. “I am sorry, Scoots. But nopony knew… how were we supposed to know?” Applejack asked apologetically. “How where you supposed to know? I freaking told you!!!” Void bellowed down at the now cowering Applejack. “But! But! The others-” WHACK! The echoing sound of Void’s hoof striking Applejack was heard throughout the cavern. And when Void moved aside, Twilight could see a now unconscious Applejack sprawled out on the stone floor. “Bitch…” Void grumbled, mostly to herself. “Why would you do that?! I know she was wrong about you stealing, but that doesn't excuse all of this!” Twilight shouted at Void, who just turned towards her, glaring angrily. “You think this is all because of what you six did up until those memories ended? You have no idea what you girls did to me…” Void hissed at Twilight, who staggered back from the hatred she saw in Void’s eyes. “Scootaloo, please I’m sorry for what ever-” SLAP! The back-hoofed below cut off anything Twilight was about to say as she just froze where she stood, cheek burning intensely from the slap. “I told you before, Twilight… I'm not Scootaloo anymore. You six killed her,” Void said, nonchalantly sauntering past Twilight. “I am Void now, and the next time you forget I will not be so lenient with you… or maybe one of your friends,” Void said calmly as she looked past Twilight to the four unconscious mares behind her. “So now, I suggest you settle down and await your next day of memories. They should start any minute now and I'm sure you'll find them… entertaining,” Void said with a smirk as she sat down on her throne again. “Why?” Twilight asked. “Why what? You have to be a bit more specific, my dear scholar,” Void stated as she looked the mare in the eyes. “Why would they be entertaining? Of what I've seen so far there is nothing funny about any of this,” Twilight said. Void tapped her hoof against her chin, as if in thought. “Hummm… mostly because you will soon feature in them… and I will have a few questions for you when you do. So yeah, you probably won't find them entertaining but I sure as Tartarus will, and I will love to hear how you react to yourself,” Void said with a grin that sent cold shivers down Twilight’s spine. “What did I do to… to…” Twilight took one stumbling step to the side. “No… not yet, I had longer last time… it's… it's too early…” she said as she sank down onto the floor feeling incredibly sleepy once again. “Yes, well I got bored, so I added a bit more power to the spells to see if that would speed things up. And guess what?! It did!” Void said and laughed while Twilight once again fell into the inky black depths of unconsciousness. **** Thanks to Syvvak - pre-reader/editor