Charity limped back into the forest for the umpteenth time and once more she was met by an overwhelming force that repelled her. It was one thing to resist the whole forest to find her goal. That in and of itself was pathetically impossible. But to just walk past this single guardian that blocked her, was proving just as pitiful. She was out of her element, if she had any to begin with. She had no talent for magic, no strength or agility. Were in not for the church, the land would have killed her as just another casualty of the war. What had this all been for? What was the point of journeying across a war torn land if she couldn't even move forward without help. She was a prophet of saint Rarity. A scion of harmony. An ember of hope. But what did any of that even mean if she had no strength to move forward?
"I really don't want to keep doing this to ya. Ya ain't going back into the forest. It's too dangerous." Gala Snaps stood stalwartly in the way of Charity's path. No sign of remorse was in his voice and action. He held nothing back as he shoved and bucked into the edge of the woods, letting the bite of the cold night air welcome the little filly. And with each touch his power manifested and jolted Charity's small frame with an electric charge.
"I have to go back. If I don't find Fluttershy it would be meaningless." Charity tried to rise up once more but every fibre of her being was either frozen or fried.and aching.
"There's nothing to find here. Go home." Gala Snaps slammed his moves into the ground an a strange pulse of light cascade along the ground and carried Charity even further away from the forest edge. The filly downtrodden reached out towards the forest but her strength waned to its very limit. Giving herself up to bitter laughter Charity let herself be taken by the worlds cruelty.
There was nothing that could be done. She was faced with a foe she could not defeat, all alone with no one to help her she was simply going to die having achieved nothing.
The demon mare laughed at her fate.
---
You could never get use to this feeling. It was one thing to fight armies and ponies at arms in combat. It was a simple fact of the world. You either killed them or you and everyone you loved was dead. But when it came to lost souls like this, repelling them with his own hooves even as they reach out for help, you never get use to it. It's easy to say they chose their fate, they kept coming and you kept them back. You gave your warnings you staved off their advances. You left them alive enough to leave.
When it gets to the point when innocents have to die like this. Being the guardian of the forest was never as noble as it seems. You tell yourself it was a necessity. If the forest was known to welcome strangers, who knew what kind of strangers would come to corrupt this forest? Better to not invite trouble. Better for the whole of Equestria to know that the Everfree forest cannot be conquered, cannot be bargained with and can never be sabotaged.
Your carelessness cannot let anything happen to the last fragment of the old world. The last apple cannot shame his whole family.
The temptation to leave was strong as ever. But for atonement for everything possible innocent soul left to die out in the edge of these woods. You don't abandon them for dead. You wait at the edge and watch them die with your own eyes. It's the honest thing to do, not only to make sure the pony will never return but to also let it be known to yourself, that it was by your hooves that you killed that pony.
With no more strength to stand, the cold of the night will eventually take that filly and then she can begin to merely be a memory in your mind.
---
"Come to play with me again?" The pink mare poured Charity a cup of blood, flies and tea. Each chunk of congealed blood or fly carcass plopping into the pool within her cup. Pinkie Pie hummed a happy tune to herself as she continued to pour, overflowing Charity's cup.
"This might actually be the last time." Pinkie Pie stopped at that and gave Charity a venomous look.
There no fear in Charity, Pinkie could only see that look of resignation. That willingness to die for nothing.
"I told you a long time ago. The world is cruel and you could never survive alone in it." Pinkie held Charity in a cruel, bittersweet embrace. The touch Charity abhorred, but when it all came down to it. The only pony who's embrace would feel so real and sincere.
"Only I can protect you from this cruel world. Only I can give you the power you need to reach your goals." Her mind flashed back to the first days of her freedom. When that power coursed through her. That feeling of invincibility and joy. She was right as well. Our goals did align to together. We both had invested interest in the elements. Finding them was both of our goals.
"I don't think you listen that often, but I've told you time and time and again. I love you Charity. You are a precious friend to me." Like a loving mother Pinkie kissed the little filly. Pinkie smelled like cotton candy. Charity never saw such a thing before, but the words and knowledge formed in her mind. This sweet scent, the warmth, somehow Charity knew that this was what Pinkie could be described as.
"I only want to help you. All I want is for us to be together."
Charity's eyes wondered to the others present. Absent-mindedly she looked up and saw no one.
"All I want is for us to be together." A tear had formed in Charity's eye and she sobbed. No one was there for her by Pinkie.
"I want us to be together." Suddenly her vision showed her of a stetson wearing colt. The words echoed in her mind. There was fear and sadness in his eyes as he said. He never wanted to hurt anyone, but all he could do was do just that.
He was a pony born to fight and protect. But like this embrace, he could never feel this kind of embrace. Because his touch would hurt everyone that got too close.
---
"Gala Snaps" Gala turned to meet the voice only to be met by a flying filly careening in his direction. He wanted to scream. No! Don't touch me! But it was too late. Charity slammed into the colt and was racked with pain all over her body. She fought through it and focused on the feeling she felt with him so close. The feeling of a colt that never felt an embrace in his whole life.
Both slammed into a nearby tree and everything went white.