//------------------------------// // First Contact // Story: Regenerator 228 // by Hopefullygoodgrammar //------------------------------// Regenerator 228 Chapter 3 They were gone. Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash. Even Fluttershy of all ponies. Gone. Because of Discord. Twilight would have ground her teeth in anger had she not been so utterly miserable, the sadness of losing her friends to the Spirit of Chaos lay over her heart like an iron pall, it weighed her down, made her look at the ground and her hooves as she walked, as if in a trance, back to her library, her home. Home. Can I still call it that after all that’s happened? Can I call it a home when all that I have has been torn away from me? You still have Spike. offered a part of her mind that had not been clouded by Discord’s corrupting magic and Twilight’s own sorrow. Spike IS like a brother to me. she thought, allowing a single ray of hope to pierce the darkness, but that hope was snuffed out, But he isn't like the girls, he and I don’t have as much in common and- And what? YOU raised him, he is YOUR friend and he DOES like you as a friend. As for the girls, who’s to say that there still isn't hope that you can redeem them? After what they said and did? I’m not sure that they’d ever accept me again. They were corrupted by Discord, Twilight! You are too, just try to remember all of the good things that they’ve done for you and all the good that you’ve done for THEM. “Like what?” She said aloud, her voice strained with unshed tears. “ Like alienating Rainbow Dash by pretending to be Mare Do Well? Like scoffing at Pinkie when she said that Gilda was mean? Letting Trixie make a mockery of my friends or not stopping them from heckling her in the first place? No, I’m a terrible friend and… and they don’t deserve me.” Tears came to Twilight Sparkle’s eyes as she slumped to the ground not a foot away from her door, she let out a low moan that gradually built until it became a wail of anguish.  Do horses cry?  thought 228 as he watched the tears flow from the purple horse’s overly-large eyes, which were squeezed shut as if in pain. 228 had been creeping up on the horse for a bit now, taking his time, waiting for a chance to strike, anticipating the feeling of her warm blood in his maw. But then she, he was sure it was a “she” because of her feminine voice, had said those things about not deserving friends, which had been followed by her bursting into tears. Now 228 wasn't sure if he could call her “food” anymore, he wasn't even sure what to think of this odd creature. He looked closer at her and saw the small horn protruding from underneath her long purple and pink mane. The image of a horse with a horn was… somehow familiar to 228, but he had no clue why.  He could also see that her fur wasn't actually purple, it was a sort of purple-gray mix, like her natural color had been muted, -Maybe this horse thing has fur that changes color to match what she’s feeling? - he wondered as he moved a step closer, Maybe she’s just like a human and I should eat her anyway? No… that wouldn't be right…. but I don’t know why. thought 228, his hairless brow furrowing in annoyance, since when had he started to deny his natural hunger? Shouldn't the Plagas be telling me to eat her? Wait… have they even talked to me once since I got here? The realization that the Las Plagas within him had been silent hit him like a ton of bricks, 228 lifted a hand to his face, almost expecting to find the rough, gray skin and talons to be gone, but they were still there. 228 looked back at the purple horse and stared into her eyes, he saw more than just an animal, her lavender eyes contained an incredible amount of intelligence, sadness and fear. The fear was probably because she was looking… right… at him. Uh-oh. The purple horse let out a scream that could have shattered glass before bolting into her home (which 228 just now realized was a very big tree with windows and a balcony) Twilight had only just stopped her wail and was starting to cry again when she felt a presence behind her. She knew right away that it wasn't one of her friends: even if they were Discorded they still would have hailed her or insulted her or something. It’s Discord, he’s come to gloat. she thought angrily as she turned to confront the draconequus, but it wasn't Discord that she saw standing before her, it was something wholly unexpected and wholly terrifying. The creature- that was the only word that could truly describe what it was- stood a full five feet taller than her, it was naked, but lacked genitals, its skin was gray and scaly, its long arms dangled at its sides in a manner that she could have mistaken for nonchalant had she not seen the muscles bunching under its skin Its face was the worst aspect of it, however, it lacked a nose, instead possessing two slits set into the flesh like they had been carved there. Its mouth was massive and filled with teeth that were as big as her horn, its eyes were long and cat-like, with red sclera and orange pupils that seemed to glow as it looked at her. Its jaws closed with an audible SNAP!, the sound was enough to shake Twilight out of her fear-induced stupor and she bolted into her house, screaming like a banshee. She shut the door and quadruple locked it, she levitated one of her bookshelves and her desk in front of the door, then she bolted to the window and looked out: the creature was looking at her house with a cocked head, almost like a dog. A really, REALLY ugly dog. she thought as she watched the creature move and noted its unnatural gait. She breathed a sigh of relief when the creature walked away, but that relief quickly turned to blood-shilling terror when a thought popped into her mind, What if that thing goes after one of my friends? Oh sweet Celestia it could KILL THEM!! Twilight immediately began to look for a weapon, she knew a few offensive spells, but she had never used them and she didn't entirely trust herself not to get any of them right considering most of them required a clear head, she looked through her broom closet, but didn't find anything, so she went down to her lab to see if she could make something useful, but the fear kept her mind from settling. Finally she gave up and raced up to her library. Spike had woken up and was now in the kitchen cooking, at the sight of the little dragon Twilight gave a relieved sigh and ran to him, pulling the little drake into a hug before he knew that happened. “Uhh… Hi Twilight?” “Oh Spike, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Twilight said, feeling a few tears leak from her eyes, Spike, bless his little heart, caught on to his adopted sister’s state of mind and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. “Are you okay?” asked Spike, pulling away and looking her in the eyes, Twilight shook her head and said, “I’m afraid for my friend’s lives and I need to go find them, but I don’t know what I can do to help them!” She pulled away and began to head to the door, Spike followed her, “Is is Discord? Is he going to hurt them?” he asked, Twilight shook her head. “I don’t think physically hurting somepony is his style, but I doubt I can say the same for the monster that I met a few minutes ago.” Spike looked at her with interest and opened his mouth, Twilight knew what he was going to ask and shot him a look, “No you cannot come Spike. This thing is dangerous, you didn't see it and I thank Celestia for that.” She walked to the door, did a quick breathing exercise, then she looked at Spike and said, “Promise me that you’ll lock and barricade the doors.” Spike nodded and Twilight stepped out of her library and into the chaotic whirlwind that was Ponyville, knowing that, one way or another, she was going to meet a monster and save her friends whether they wanted saving or not.