//------------------------------//
// The Monster Inside 
// Story: Windows to the Soul 
// by Letter Sent 
//------------------------------//

Snowy Sight woke up with a start, she had just had a nightmare and had fallen off of her bed in fright. With a sigh, she reluctantly stood up and tidied her bed with her magic, the sheets, blankets and pillows seemingly flew themselves to position. Many know that unicorn magic is the same color as their eyes, Snowy's eyes were clear, as if there was nothing there.

Because of Snowy's imperfection many ponies thought she was either a freak or blind, staying away from her or pitying her. Snowy walked to her kitchen to find her friend: Temper Trouble passed out on her counter, with a chuckle she jabbed him with her magic, knocking him off of the counter.
“Huh, whaAAAA! Oof!” Temper groaned as he stood up. “That hurt, you know not to wake me up when I'm out.” he chuckled to Snowy
“Well, you were on my counter, you sorta HAD to come off Tempy~” Snowy teased, lifting him up with her magic and carrying him to the guest room, as she lay him on the bed he chuckled.

“You know that when I'm awake I can't fall asleep again, right? And don't call me Tempy!” Temper added that final line with a slight bit of venom, this made Snowy flinch at the possible beating she could get as she knew her friend's anger.
“Look, I'm sorry I yelled, you know I don't like that nickname Snow...” Temper attempted to cheer his friend up, putting a hoof around her neck he pulled her into a warming hug, this action instantly calmed her down and she rested her head against his.

“After that I think I should make you breakfast, don't you think?” Temper offered his friend.
Knowing that he was a brilliant cook, Snowy nodded at her friend's offer and planted a small kiss on his cheek. “You're so sweet sometimes Degrees, I just wish more stallions were like you.”
“Well, I try to be nice, but my name sorta denies me that luxury, I'm a hot-headed ball of anger that could go off at any minute...” Temper sighed and began walking downstairs to the kitchen, a stream of heat left behind him.

Walking to the kitchen, Snowy enjoyed the smell of some of Temper's haycakes, his humming filled her ears as he joyfully flipped them in the pan and served the food. He placed a tall pile of haycakes in the center of the table and Snowy dug in, levitating some haycakes onto her plate she poured lemon juice and sugar onto them.
“Careful now, they're hot you know” Temper commented on his friend's rapid eating. Snowy didn't seem to care as she continued to wolf the haycakes down, one after another almost in a machine like state.

As his friend ate Temper Trouble stared directly into her eyes, hoping to find anything in her being that would tell him how she felt around him, instead what he saw was her nightmare, a white faced mare with no eyes or mouth wearing a suit, tendrils sprouting from the suit and lashing towards the viewer.
“Are you okay Temper? You look like you've seen a monster.” Snowy inquired worriedly.
“I-I think I did... A white mare with a coal black mane... She had no eyes or mouth...”
“You looked into my eyes again didn't you? What have I told you about doing that?” Snowy growled at Temper, her eyelids closing with rage and fear. “I keep telling you that looking into my eyes is a breach in my privacy but you never listen! I think it's time you left Temper...” Snowy sighed, knowing Temper wouldn't leave.

“Not going anywhere until you tell me what that monster was Snowy.” Temper confirmed, Snowy turned away and groaned, displeased by her friend's intrusion.
“It's me, it's who... What I am inside, the being that is housed within me...” Snowy explained in a deadpan voice, knowing Temper wouldn't believe her.
“Bullshit, you're too nice to be that... Thing Snowy, you're a mare who puts anypony before yourself... Even ponies like me...What I'm trying to say is I don't want you to think you're a monster...”

“That thing has been plaguing my dreams for months Temper... Knowing what it is is what makes me afraid...” Snowy began sobbing, prompting Temper to walk to her and put his hooves around her in a loving hug.
“Listen to me Snow, you are a beautiful mare and a good pony, I am not going to let you think that you're some kind of monster, should you be harmed, I'll be there to tear them apart.” Temper calmly stated, promising his protection of Snowy was harder than he thought, his inner fear almost prohibiting him from actually saying it.
The two stood there for a while, just hugging as Snowy continued to sob in fear of herself becoming that monster.

After about ten minutes of hugging her, Temper let go of Snowy, carried her up to her room and lay her in bed, thinking about Snowy sad made the stallion tired as well. Not wanting to leave Snowy alone Temper went to the guest room and grabbed the blanket so he could snooze on her floor.
The afternoon rolled in with an unexpected storm, a single lightning bolt woke the two up as it struck just outside Snowy's house, looking outside they realized these were rouge clouds, not looking like anything they'd ever seen before. The clouds were coal black and the lightning was not yellow like normal, but it was whiter than anything they'd seen in their collective lives.

Snowy, as if in a trance was walking towards her door to go outside, temper noticed this and quickly began attempting to stop her.
“Snowy, it's dangerous out there! Stop, don't listen to whatever is making you do this!” He pleaded his steady-paced friend, almost crying he tried to barricade the door.
“It's what I must do to protect everypony Tempy... I'm sorry that I must do this but I must.” Snowy replied, blowing her door off of it's hinges and walking out into the storm, leaving a screaming Temper behind and galloping towards the Everfree.

Temper tried to leave the house and chase after her but it was if the storm forbade it, forcing him up against the wall and holding him there as he called out for his friend, all of his efforts were to no avail. As the storm dissipated he galloped out of her house at full speed and straight towards the Everfree forest in order to find her.
Hours later Temper emerged from the forest and slowly walked back to his house with only a ring and a note that read: “I am sorry Temper, please forgive me for this but you must take this ring and attach it to your horn, it will help in the future... Love: Snowy Sight.”