//------------------------------// // Act II Chapter 2: The Weight of Guilt // Story: Welcome to Wherever You Are // by FrozenInTime //------------------------------// A gasp echoed through the foggy air, as Rainbow's eyes snapped open. She immediately coughed from taking in breath so fast. The only other sound was her rapid heartbeat, and her labored breathing. Using her forelegs to push herself up off her back, she took a few moments to calm down and take in her surroundings, while wondering how she got here, or where here even was. Any thought was cut off by a whisper that sounded both extremely distant and frighteningly close. Rainbow Dash... "W-what?! Who's there?" The only reply was that of her own voice, echoing through the emptiness. A pony that appeared to be made out of black fog caught her eye, but immediately trotted away and disappeared. Seeing no other immediate options, Rainbow began galloping through the seemingly endless fog, towards the whisper that called her name and the pony. The sky was blotted out completely by the fog. She had to dodge several trees as they materialized out of the incredibly dense mist. The wet, gnarled, marshy ground quickly wore her out. Rainbow Dash... The whisper came from her right, so she immediately turned towards it and ran until she was out of breath. Panting heavily, she stopped to gather her strength, thoughts, and composure. She didn't even notice the whispers coming from all around her, until she stopped panting. The voices were familiar, yet also completely foreign, as they echoed around her. All the words were melded together into a shrill noise, but she could somehow understand every word. A chill rushed down her spine as the air instantly became unbearably cold. A few areas in the mist became completely black, and formed the rough outline of ponies. The whispers were now coming from the pillars of black fog. Rainbow Dash... We don't want nor need you, and that's the honest truth!... You're not killing anything today, you monstrosity... Kill them! Kill them both!... Please... get Scootaloo... You must resist her, Rainbow... I promise I'll never leave you... I love you, Rainbow Dash... Spike! Where's Spike?! All the whispers stopped at the exact same instant, and whatever was holding the black fog pillars together vanished. The remains of the black mist spread apart and floated upwards, out of sight. Looking around, her heart still pounding way too fast, she saw a faint purple light deep in the fog. She knew that light. She had seen it too many times to ever forget. It was the glow of Twilight's horn. There was no mistaking it. Her assumption proved to only be half true. It was the glow of Twilight's horn, but this couldn't be Twilight... She couldn't get to the light. Every step she took made the light move one step further away. She was just close enough to make out the outline of an Alicorn, but the light covered all other details. Rainbow Dash... Her heart skipped a beat. There was no doubt that was Twilight's voice, coming directly from the light. She took another step forward, but stopped when she heard a splash. She looked down and nearly retched at the sight. All around her, the ground had turned blood-red, the shallow puddles of water transmuting to actual blood. This was far from the worst sight she would see. Black smoke flooded from the blood, wrapping around and up her foreleg like a vine. She tried vainly to break free, and even stomped on it with her free hoof. Logic was not on her side, as her hoof passed right through the smoke. How was it holding her there if it wasn't solid? Digging her rear hooves into the ground as leverage, she pulled back as hard as she could. "Let... go!" She continued to struggle as it moved further up, beginning to wrap around her midsection. She shivered as it ran along her spine. It split in several directions, further constricting her body. One found its way to her neck and pushed upwards, forcing her to look up again. The purple light was gone... ...but it's source wasn't. Two empty eye sockets stared at Rainbow from a tilted head, an impossibly wide grin resting underneath them. Blood poured from its mouth and nostrils, and soon began flowing from the hollow eye holes. It's eyeless stare pierced through Rainbow, stabbing into her soul like a flurry of icy knives. Eyes wide, Rainbow looked in horror instead of panic, even as the vine of smoke continued to extend around her neck and body. The creature resembling an inconceivably mutilated Twilight Sparkle took a step forward, flaring it's battered, bloody wings out. Another step. It's grin somehow grew wider. Another. The fog itself began to turn red. Yet another. It spoke. "...You failed me." The creature's mockery of Twilight's voice would have made Rainbow Dash seethe with pure, untapped rage. Seeing a monster as terrifying as this curbed any emotion but fear, however. The voice carried through everything. It circumvented the fog, burrowed through the ground, and even sliced through Rainbow's very being. It was warped and distorted, just adding to the atrocity of this abomination. "...You let them take me. You let me die, Rainbow." It feigned an innocent voice. "You let them cut me open, and tear me apart, inside and out. It was not quick. I died slowly." It actually began laughing in its horrid voice. "You let them kill me, Rainbow. You let me die. You let me die. You let me die..." It was suddenly a lot closer to Rainbow. "Or maybe I'm not dead. Maybe they did something worse." The creature teleported far back into the red fog, its purple light returning. The vine of smoke held fast to Rainbow. A bright flash of violet came from the creature, and all the fog was blown away by unfelt winds. The creature didn't stop with the fog; it kept going, blowing away the trees and the ground itself, leaving nothing but a black emptiness, itself, Rainbow Dash, and the binding smoke. Green orbs of light began appearing in random areas of the cold void. The creature now had Twilight's real eyes, and looked like it was keeled over in pain. Sickening ripping sounds filled Rainbow's ears as Twilight's fur and wings turned black. Her mane and tail faded to teal, with the stripes turning light blue and white. Her eyes went completely purple, except the pupils, which had narrowed to black slits. Holes started to appear in her legs and wings. She let out a sound that was both a roar and a shriek, and her black horn flared to life. Finally, two fangs protruded from her mouth, reaching down past her chin. Her horn ever so slightly curved upwards. The creature began cackling again, amused by Rainbow's look of pure horror. As if she had seen this before. Rainbow's final sight was Twilight's face millimeters away from her own, her fangs touching Rainbow's lips. A final screech escaped both of them as her fangs touched Rainbow's throat. Rainbow's eyes snapped open once again. This time, it was real. She was instantly blinded by the whiteness all around her, and she half-closed her eyes to let them adjust. She couldn't help but notice the IV needle in her foreleg, and the distinct lack of bandages on her wing. It didn't hurt; in fact, it felt as good as ever, if a bit numb. She heard excited whispers from across the room, only seeing the source when her eyes fully adapted to the light. There were to nurses, both talking to a very familiar stallion by the name of Hopeful Cure. "She's awake!" Nurse Redheart said quite observantly. "Get her off the machine for a moment. Keep the IV in for now," the stallion gave his orders to the nurses. Rainbow didn't even notice the needle in her throat until it was removed by Nurse Redheart. What it was doing there, she had no idea. She now wished she payed attention to Twilight more during her medical lessons about flight-related injuries, instead of Twilight herself... "Twi..." she whispered in such a low voice that nopony should have been able to hear. Somehow, the medical personnel didn't but the dark blue Pegasus mare across the room did. Rainbow didn't even notice her until she got up from her seat and spoke. The Pegasus had a bright white mane and tail, the latter having a slight curl in the end. Her eyes matched her fur, while her Primary and Secondary feathers matched her mane, being a bright white. "I will inform Applejack that you're awake. She will explain everything, I promise you." The Pegasus gave a concerned look to Rainbow before turning and trotting out the door. The doctor and nurses had finally left the room, leaving Rainbow Dash to collect her thoughts. What was real? What wasn't? Was Twilight okay? The most important question didn't show up until later. She sat up against her pillow on the hospital bed when she heard a familiar farm pony speaking outside her room. "I just know I don't want to be the one to go tellin' her about..." Silence followed. Rainbow spoke when two figures opened the door and stepped in. "Tell me what?" Applejack's pupils shrank. "Uh... could you give us a bit of privacy?" The dark blue and white Pegasus from before quickly turned to walk out of the room again. "The doctors will be back to check on you in a little while." "Thanks, Wolf." Applejack called out to the Pegasus as she turned the corner. Removing her stetson, Applejack trotted across the room and took a seat next to Rainbow Dash's hospital bed. She held her hat across her chest. "Firs' thing I wanna say is, I'm sorry sugarcube. I'm sorry for starting that fight, I'm sorry for not believing Twilight, and I'm sorry we couldn't get her out of there before the Changeling's did. It hurt me bad when we had to call off the se-" Applejack immediately cut herself off, realizing the mistake she had just made. "What?! How could you stop searching for her?! It's barely been any time at all since she was taken!" Applejack winced at the comment, which Rainbow noticed right away. It was then that the most important question entered her mind, which she instantly gave a voice to. "Applejack... how long have I been out?" she asked somewhat hesitantly, afraid of the answer. She was especially frightened that Applejack couldn't lie to her. Of course she wanted to know the truth, but as an old enemy would say, sometimes a lie is easier to take. Applejack looked down and closed her eyes, wanting to not answer the question. She knew it was inevitable. "Applejack... How. Long. Have. I. Been. Out." Applejack's eyes clenched, and she took a deep breath, preparing for the worst response from Rainbow. "Two months."