//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 - Guilty Insanity // Story: A Thieve's Redemption // by Gsbrill //------------------------------// The Sun hadn’t even risen yet but me and my mother were forced out of sleep. My brain wasn’t fully functional yet so it took me a while to understand what was happening. There was a colt with a white coat and a green mane, and a red cross for a cutie mark. He seemed shocked, fact that could easily be explained by seeing his own wife, sleeping on the living room while hugging another colt, less than half her age, both with content smiles on their faces. It was my father, who had just come back from the hospital. And being the strong and secure colt he is, he promptly freaked out and started crying, asking my mother what he had done wrong to deserve that. I took me quite a while to explain the situation (especially because Quill wouldn’t stop laughing, even managing to choke even without having lungs), and just about the same time for him to process the fact that I was really his son, that had come back from the dead. He ended up crying even more than my mother, and hugging me until I choked. We talked for a few hours, we had plenty to catch up after all these years, and it was almost a monologue since I was the one that spoke for most of the time, especially after my dad knocked down my hat and I had to explain the whole magic gem situation. Their jaws almost hit the floor when they saw my wings burning. Despite having to relive all those painful memories once more, I was happy. Happy that Pinkie forced me to visit them, happy that I finally got to meet my parents again and happy that Quill had finally shut up after laughing for almost half an hour. The two of them were especially happy after I told them I was planning on getting married as soon as I bought my own house, despite my mother being a bit angry at me for getting Pinkie pregnant before the marriage. Everypony was happy, until my dad brought something up. “Hey son…” he spoke in an uneasy tone that I quickly noticed. “What is it dad?” “I know we’ve just got reunited, but I think that there’s somepony else that also wants to see you.” I froze. The only ponies that would possibly remember me, or actually care that I was missing were my parents. Or at least they were the ones I wanted to. The only possibility left disgusted me. “A-and who is it?” I stuttered, already knowing the answer. “It’s Nightshade. She’s the one that would want… no, she’s the one that needs to see you the most right now.” He answered in the same uneasy tone. “But she was the one that…” I started, anger creeping on my voice, but then just stopped. My parents didn’t know, nopony knew, I just told everypony that I fell by accident, and I wanted it to stay that way. I took a deep breath and calmed myself before answering again. “Well, why not? Where is she now?” I answered casually. A smile slowly crept on my face and a very tempting idea did the same on my mind. This time my mother was the one to answer. “We better show you. Come on.” She walked out of the house, followed by my father and me, while Quill floated above me, speaking so loud almost to the point of screaming. “No, I know that smile pretty damn well Ember. If you’re having any stupid ideas just forget it, you don’t want to do anything you’ll regret. Remember that time on Appleloosa? You had that same smile on your face. That same damn smile.” I tried to ignore him. Of course I remembered it pretty well. I was nearly dead when I got there, hadn’t had any food or water for days. I needed to find something to eat desperately. I could ask for food, that’s what Quill suggested, but I couldn’t have the risk of not getting any, and I would certainly die if that happened. I had reached the point of starvation when you begin to hallucinate, and there wasn’t even any grass in that damn place. It was then that I noticed a pony, pulling a small cart full of apples towards the town. He was still almost half a mile away, and he hadn’t spotted me yet. I hid behind a rock until he passed by. I was smiling at the before the prospect of food after starvation. So when he was close enough, I charged towards him with a large stone in my mouth. I smacked it in his head twice and he fell to the ground. I managed to eat half the content of the cart, and stuffed my saddlebags with the rest. By then I was wondering how long would it take for him to wake up. It was only then that I realized he wasn’t breathing. I had never killed anypony before in my entire life, and hadn’t done it again since then. He was a young colt, about the same age I have now. I still have nightmares about it, and I regret what I did every day ever since. But I wouldn’t regret this. Not this time. -/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/--/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/- I didn’t know where my parents were taking me, but I had a plan in my head, despite all of Quill’s complaints. But it all came crashing down when I saw where we were. A sanatorium. Of all places. That was where Nightshade was. And as we walked through the cramped corridors dotted by cell-like rooms, followed by a guard, I asked to nopony in particular. “So, does she work here now? I always thought that by the bat wing cutie mark she would have some talent related to flying.” “No Quill. She’s in here. I think you should go by yourself, she hasn’t been very receptive to visitors, but you may be able to help.” My dad said, pointing at one of the doors that the guard then opened, followed by a remark. “Visitors aren’t allowed to stay for more than half an hour. And don’t worry, she is restrained.” The guard said dryly. I entered the room, followed by Quill, and the door was closed behind us. The room was no more than a concrete box with a door, a window and a bed, all of it made to float on the clouds through magic, like all the other cells. I looked around confused. I was expecting this to be some sort of joke, but there was nopony to show up and tell me the punch line. The walls were covered in scratches, forming phrases. The few ones that were readable said “I’m sorry” and “Please come back”, repeated over and over again. The real shock came when I looked at the bed. There was somepony laying down on it, with its back turned on me. If I didn’t recognize the black coat and the gray mane, I would definitely recognize the bat wings cutie-mark. Nightshade was curled in a fetal position, apparently asleep. I just stood there for a while, looking at her, not really knowing what to do. She was thin, almost anorexic. Her once strong wings were now hurt and atrophied, being strapped to her sides, while her fronthooves were held together by shackles. “Quill, get out.” I said coldly. “Look kid, calm down and think before doing anything harsh. I think we both know…” “GET OUT” I repeated, louder this time. He floated through the door while Nightshade shifted on the bed. She turned around and looked at me. I still had the cloak and hat on. “Who are you? I don’t care if you think you can help me, just get out.” She spoke without emotion. I just stood there in silence. She looked like a zombie, something straight out of a horror movie. She had black bags under her eyes and her pupils were shrunk. Her hooves were chipped; apparently she carved the concrete walls with them. I didn’t know what to do. She looked weak, her legs were as thin as a stick, and the bones on her spine had started to appear. If I concentrated a bit on my horn, I could easily break her neck from there. I could do it and nopony would care. She was a lost case already. Her eyes reflected no emotion as she stared at me. “I’m Ember. Remember me?” “Forget it. Others already tried that, I won’t buy it. Ember is dead. I know it. He’s only here now” she said and poked the side of her head with a hoof. “You pushed me off that cloud. You and your other friends. Why did you do that?” My hooves were shaking madly despite the calmness in my voice. I had to stay focused or I would just end up killing her right there. “They forced me to do it. I didn’t want to. I liked you you know. But they forced me. They said that they would hurt me. So I killed you. And now I’m here. ” “How am I dead if I’m talking to you right now?” “I said it. You’re in my head. Why don’t you go away? Maybe they’ll let me out if you go away? But I don’t want you to go away, or I’ll be alone.” She maintained an impassible tone, showing no sign of emotion, just staring blankly at me. “You made my life hell you know? Ever since you threw me down I’ve been running away, fighting to survive. But it’s all over now. I’m getting married soon. I just want you to know that I always thought that I was going to marry you someday, before all that.” Tears ran down her face as she spoke, and for the first time she showed emotion. Her face was contorted in a mix of fear and sadness, and the tears got bigger as she spoke. “Me too. All I wanted was a friend… but now all I want is to get out of here. I want to get better Ember. I want to, but I don’t know how.” She went silent, and the tears continued to fall. I looked at her. I pitied her, despite what she had done to me. But the state she was in, was just miserable. Then I remembered something. Something I still had. “Is that really your greatest desire? Is it really all that you want right now?” I asked and Nightshade nodded in agreement, and looked at me with hope. I closed my eyes and tried to focus. It happened so naturally the other times I didn’t even know how to do it. After a few moments, I felt a strange tingling sensation on my throat. In a single movement, I jerked my head towards the floor and threw up. But what was now there, lying on the ground, was a red stone, shaped like a diamond. I took it in my hooves and looked at it. The first time I saw it, it was bright red, almost as if it was filled with blood. Now, the color was faded and weak, but it still shone. “Here, swallow this.” I extended the stone to her. “What is this?” She held it tightly on her hooves, as if it could disappear anytime. “Don’t make any questions. Just swallow it and remember what you truly want.” She obeyed me and swallowed the stone with no hesitation. Starswirl told me that the stone would only work once more, so I hoped that it would be enough. Just as she did it, a white light enveloped the room, covering her and blinding me for a few seconds. When it faded away, Nightshade was left sitting on the bed, with tears on her eyes and a smile on her face, while she stared at her own hooves. She looked at me and her smile widened. “Ember?! Is that you?!” She asked, apparently having forgotten all that happened earlier. “Yes.” I said dryly. “By Celestia, I thought you were dead! We all thought you were dead!” She said as she slowly walked towards me. “Stop. Just cut the crap already.” Her smile vanished and she stopped dead in her tracks. “What’s wrong Ember?” “I’m sorry but I just can’t take this. Seriously, you push me off a cloud and then expect me to act like nothing happened? Look, I know it wasn’t your fault, but I still hate you for it. I healed you, but don’t think that I’ll ever forgive you. Please don’t look for me. As far as you and everypony else that I knew is concerned, I’m dead.” I spoke harshly and fast, and then turned around, facing the door. “Oh, and by the way, I grew wings, just like you said I would.” I let out a blaze from my wings just as I finished speaking, burning my cloak and hat to ashes and spreading them as much as I could. I unlocked the door with a spell and left, without looking back. Quill was the only one waiting right outside the door, my parents being on a small bench by the end of the corridor. The guard stared at my wings and horn with fear, but I couldn’t care less. I walked slowly towards my parents. “I saw it all. I’m proud of you kid.” Quill said from my side. “I still hate her you know. I really considered shoving my horn in her neck there quite a few times. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive her.” I whispered calmly, not wanting my parents to hear. “I didn’t expect you to forgive her. I just didn’t want you to do anything that would haunt you for the rest of your life, but you did something great there. I mean it, I’m really proud of you.” “So, when are you coming to visit her again?” Asked my father just as we got close enough. “Never” /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-//-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ We walked back home mostly in silence, just enjoying each other’s company. My father asked some occasional questions, including what happened to my clothes, and I just said I lost them. Just as we were about to enter the house, I recognized a silhouette, walking from side to side nervously, in front of the door. She rushed towards me when she saw me. She tried in vain to talk, only managing to emit some indiscernible sounds. She seemed to be in panic, and was breathing heavily. I put a hoof in her shoulder trying to calm her down. “Calm down Fluttershy. Please, take a deep breath and tell me what’s wrong.” I tried to sound as calm as possible. She breathed deeply, but didn’t manage to say more than a few words before panicking again, which were just enough to make me jump off the nearest cloud and fly away as fast as I could, leaving my parents looking at each other in confusion. “Pinkie… the foal… hospital…at Canterlot”