//------------------------------// // Finding Peace // Story: Schoolhouse Library - Twilee Tales // by The1Ryu //------------------------------// Finding Peace Chapter Tag: Alternate Universe “Die filthy mud pony!” Cheerilee heard the blue unicorn cry and hesitated before peeking out of her hiding place. Electricity arched from the unicorn’s horn and struck the brown earth pony charging towards him. The strike caused the earth pony to whence and stumble a bit, but failed to stop his charge. Whipping his spear around the earth pony struck the unicorn’s horn with a loud crack. The unicorn stumbled to the ground his eyes squeezed painfully shut. As the earth pony loomed over the unicorn, Cheerilee saw herself in the same position only beneath her was a lavender mare who looked far too young to be on the battlefield. A blood rage that had felled two other unicorns only minutes before suddenly disappeared and Cheerilee could not bring herself to strike. The earth pony buck felt no such hesitation. “What are we going to do?” asked Twilight as she knelt beside Cheerilee, peeking out at the same scene. The memory of her pleas to have Cheerilee release, and the heavy-hoofed reminder of her dead brother silencing her, fading from her mind. Cheerilee frowned at Twilight, the way a teacher might to a student who had just said something thoughtless. Twilight gave a sheepish grim realizing that she might have very well alerted the fighting ponies to their presents. If there were anything that might get the two groups of ponies to stop killing one another, it would be to capture a pair of traitors. ------ “Why…” Twilight struggled to find the words to ask the chained Cheerilee why she hadn’t killed her and let herself be captured, but the thick lump in her throat forced her to swallow back the words. “I tired of the fighting I guess,” Cheerilee sighed, understanding Twilight’s confusion without explanation. “The war leaves you feeling drained after a while, you see,” Cheerilee explained in an instructional tone. “You should quiet while you can.” “I don’t really want to fight at all but…” Twilight trailed off looking away from Cheerilee uncertainly. “I see,” Cheerilee nodded remembering the other unicorn’s words about Shining Armor. “This all stopped being about gem mines and rock farms a long time ago. Now it’s just about blood.” There was a sudden flash of light and the chains fell away from Cheerilee’s body. She looked a Twilight in shock, her protests perishing at the fierce look in Twilight’s eyes. “Not any more, not for us,” ------ “Stop it, she saved my life,” insisted Cheerilee as the pair of earth ponies held Twilight down and a third approached to finished her with his spear. “It’s probably just some unicorn trick,” replied the stallion, a delight grim on his face as he raised his spear. “Best to just kill her now.” Suddenly Cheerilee’s body slammed into the soldier’s knocking him to the ground as she shouted, “Twilight run!” The stunned soldiers holding her down couldn’t stop Twilight as she disappear out of their hooves in a flash of light. She reappeared next to Cheerilee as the lead earth pony got back to his hooves, and threw her hooves around Cheerilee’s neck clutching her close. Then they were gone in another flash of light. ------ The dripping of water echoed through the cave, its source not illuminated by the glow of Twilight’s horn. “We should be safe here for now,” Cheerilee breathed out a tense sigh and slumped against the ground. Twilight laid down next to her, watching her intently. “We’ll rest a few hours then keep heading north, after that… maybe the Gryphon kingdoms…” “Earth ponies and unicorns are just going to keep killing one another,” Twilight noted sadly. Cheerilee was struck by the comment. She thought she should be mad at her companion’s lack of focus on their own survival, but instead she just nodded and looked down sadly. “I keep thinking of a quote of Starswril the Bearded. ‘Peace can start with the actions of just one pony,’” Twilight deepened her voice when she said the quote causing them both to chuckle despite the situation. “Two ponies would have a better chance than one.” Cheerilee looked over at Twilight for several long silent moments, images of dozens of battles and countless dead ponies passed before her eyes. She locked eyes with Twilight, “That’s… That would be very difficult, even with two ponies.” Twilight start to lean closer to Cheerilee as she allowed the light of her horn to fade, “I think anything worth doing is always hard… and scary if you have to do it alone.” The light continued to dim until the pair were little more than silhouettes. Cheerilee’s form began to lean toward Twilight’s before the light disappeared completely.