"Ooh, my head," Soren groaned. He sat up and started rubbing his head. Once the pain mostly went away, he looked at his surroundings. He wasn't surprised to be in a completely different location. Soren noticed that he was in a cave, yet there was no sign of fungi or moisture. 'This cave is relatively new,' Soren deducted. The cave room he was in was dome shaped and only had one entrance.
As he continued to scan his surroundings, Soren heard a noise nearby. Remembering that Terra captured him, he started sneaking towards the opening of the cave room. When he approached the opening to a new room, he saw magic bars blocking the opening. 'I'm not just in a cave, I'm in a cell.' Soren poked his head around the corner and looked through the bars. He could now hear a voice and see a pony. He saw Terra looking at the ground where more symbols were drawn. She seemed to be talking to herself.
"So close," Terra thought aloud. "We are so close, mother." 'Mother?' Soren questioned to himself. "With the alicorn captured, this town should be easy to protect. My stallions are already at work and will be invulnerable for a few nights due to the eclipse. Redemption will soon be ours, even after...what you did." Soren decided now would be a good time to speak to her, but as he opened his mouth to talk, Terra spoke first.
"Are you confused yet, Soren?" Soren just stood there, shocked. Terra turned towards him. "Don't be surprised that I know your name and that I knew you were listening. I've lived in this cave for years, so I know how to listen for the slightest noises in here, but I'm rambling. Would you like to say something?" Soren stepped closer to the bars.
"I don't mind you rambling, but I need to ask a few things. I want to know about your mother and your 'redemption.'" Terra was slightly surprised by that request. She took a step back and seemed reluctant to answer. Soren looked at her with soft eyes. "Please...Terra." She looked at him, confused. He actually called her by her name; the alicorn who was so stubborn before.
"...Fine. But I'm only telling you because you're trapped here." Soren nodded. "The redemption I crave is to right the wrongs that my mother caused. When I was a child, my mother and I lived in a small village. The village disappeared but I'll get to that soon. Our family knows a great skill that we pass on to generation after generation. Our generations are earth ponies, every single one of us, so the skill we learned is to use magic like unicorns. It is a very arcane and powerful magic, but eventually that skill was misused...by my mother. She was a fast learner and mastered almost every spell at her disposal. After I was born, she had a horrible plan: to teach me magic and to combine our forces so we could become as powerful as the princesses themselves. Can you guess what we would first test our magic on?"
"The village..."
"Exactly. When I was skilled enough to use magic as if second nature, my mother said it was time. I didn't know about her plan until that very day, but after she explained her...idea, I wanted no part of it. She became so angry with me when I refused to use my magic for evil that she caged me within our own house as she laid siege to the village. She put me next to a window so I could watch the mayhem that she caused. Since she was fueled by anger and blinded by power, she didn't realize that I could escape the cage I was in. I escaped and went straight to Canterlot. I had to teleport there, and I was only able to do that because of the pictures that my mother has shown me of the shining capitol.
I managed to send word to Princess Celestia, so she flew to the village to stop my mother. She was successful in stopping my mother...but not in saving the village. When the princess arrived at the scene, some families were hiding or fleeing as their homes burned to the ground. When Celestia returned to Canterlot, I asked about my mother's punishment, but she said it was best not to ask. Of course, as I grew up, I realized what became of my mother." Terra finished, and Soren saw tears starting to form.
"I'm so sorry, Terra. I truly am. Your mother was power crazy. She had some sort of plan and your home was only the start for her. You mentioned redemption. Why? Wasn't justice served that day?" Terra walked closer to the bars.
"Not for me. I became an outcast. Ponies feared me because they knew what I was capable of. When I realized that ponies ran from me, I fled civilization and started planning how I could redeem myself. I created a plan to defend a town that truly needed help."
"Ponyville."
"Yes. I heard rumors of all the villains that show up here. I noticed that it only became worse when a certain alicorn arrived in town." Soren looked down.
"You're not the only pony who thinks that," he muttered.
"Hmm?"
"Lately, I realized that my very presence in Ponyville is bringing harm. No matter how many times I defeat evil, I can't help but think that I caused it in the first place. Knowing that, Terra, if I bring evil to this town, what does that make you?"
"You listen to me: I am not evil. I can save this town. Being raised by that monster of a pony, I learned that I need to do good so others don't think of me as evil, but...I believe my actions today will prevent me from seeming heroic, especially considering how easily you defeated my shadow stallions." Terra looked down and sighed.
"Terra, look at me." She looked back up as Soren got as close as he could to the bars. "I know what you did today was wrong, but maybe there's a chance to make things right. Your stallions aren't attacking anyone in Ponyville right?" Terra nodded. "So maybe you can pass it off as a one time thing. I can explain to everypony out there that all you wanted to do was to help. What do you say?" Terra turned her back to Soren.
"Forget it. They won't believe that. I've already caused too much damage." She groaned in frustration. "What was I thinking?! Invading the town so I could defend it?!"
Soren was going to tell Terra to calm down, but he came up with a better idea. He sat down on the ground and started tapping a beat. Terra's ears perked, but she didn't turn back around. Pretty soon, Soren started singing.
I can't see where you comin' from
But I know just what you runnin' from
And what matters ain't the who's baddest but the
Ones who stop you falling from your ladder
When you feel like you're feeling now
And doin' things just to please your crowd
When I know you like the way I know you
And I suffer but I ain't gonna cut you 'cause
This ain't no place for no hero
This ain't no place for no better colt
This ain't no place for no hero
To call "home"
This ain't no place for no hero
This ain't no place for no better colt
This ain't no place for no hero
To call "home"
And every time I close my eyes
I think, I think 'bout you inside
And your mother givin' up on asking why
Why you lie and you cheat
and you try to make a fool out of she
I can't see where you comin' from
But I know just what you runnin' from
And what matters ain't the who's baddest but the
Ones who stop you falling from your ladder, cause
This ain't no place for no hero
This ain't no place for no better colt
This ain't no place for no hero
To call "home"
This ain't no place for no hero
This ain't no place for no better colt
This ain't no place for no hero
To call "home"
Soren had his eyes closed as he tapped the beat and sang the song. When his song ended, Soren heard a faint noise. Opening his eyes, Soren saw Terra crying.
"Terra?" he called out. Terra was sitting down with her face buried in her hooves. Suddenly, the bars standing between them disappeared. Soren slowly walked over to the mare as she wept. He sat beside her and embraced her. After feeling the hug, Terra slowly stopped crying.
"Thank you," she said weakly.
"I had an old friend that felt like an outcast just like you. She did evil things, but I gave her a second chance..." Soren abruptly stopped, sighing at the painful memory. "I can help, we can all help, my friends and I. Just give us a chance, and we can make life better for you. Just come back to Ponyville, apologize, and we'll ask them to forgive you." Terra wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and looked at Soren.
"OK, I'll go. Soren...I'm sorry for everything. I just wanted to help."
"It's alright," he said softly. "You'll be considered a good pony before you know it." Soren noticed a vision of Ponyville on the ground near Terra. He saw that it was nighttime and looked at the moon; he saw something peculiar. "Umm, Terra?"
"Yes?"
"Exactly how long were we gone?"
"Almost two days. Why do you ask?" Soren continued to look at the slightly waxed, white moon.
"Umm, no reason." 'So that spell knocked me out for two days? How am I not starving?' Soren thought to himself. "Let's just go to Ponyville and straighten this mess out."
"Alright." Terra then started to draw symbols on the ground again. Soren soon realized how skilled and complex the spells she uses are. The floor became a shining green as the light covered the two ponies. A green light flashed and they were gone from the Everfree cave.