Eclipse

by Golden Hoof

The Middle...

~Terribly sorry about the author's note, but I just have a few things to clear up before you start reading. Just as a forewarning, this chapter was incredibly rushed. In my opinion, this is the worst work I have possibly ever done in my short career. The reason for this being the sheer number of times I spent changing around the fabric of the chapter itself. Please be merciful in your readings, and if you have any constructive criticism, please feel free to post a comment and help me fix the problems. Thank you for your time, and please enjoy.
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Cherry stepped slowly towards the pedestal at the center of the chamber. Using her magic, she lifted the small necklace that layed limply on its smooth surface. The necklace was adorned by a large red gemstone in the shape of a lightning bolt, held together by an ornate chain of gold. No doubt this was one of the elements she was looking for; but which one was it? She already had Laughter, Honesty, and what else? Generosity? Maybe it was magic. She had no way of telling; it was usually Eclipse who told her which elements were which. On cue, her invisible mistress decided to speak up.

"That looks like Typhoon's necklace... She was the element of Loyalty." she whispered.

Even after all the years Cherry had spent with Eclipse, she couldn't help but shiver when she spoke. Her mysterious words echoing around her head... It was like a cold wave that would run down through her entire body and end at the tip of her hooves, only to rush back up to her horn. She had failed to ask for the fear that Eclipse would deem her weak; one thing she had dealt with enough in her life. "Typhoon?" Cherry asked after the cold spell had faded..

"One of the original six who defeated me. She was a pegasus. And a stubborn one indeed..."

Cherry paused. This was the first time she had ever heard of these ponies in such detail. In addition, she had never heard Eclipse speak of, well, anypony in such a way. "You never did tell me much about those six, Eclipse."

"It never crossed me as important." she snapped back, quick to dismiss the topic.

"I think it is."

"You are in no position to tell me what is and isn't important you pathetic wretch! I suggest you remember your place soon or find all your efforts will be in vain." Eclipse snapped back.

The alicorn was not one to cross Eclipse, especially when she had more important things to focus on. So she chose to remain silent, slipping the necklace loosely around her neck as she stepped from the chamber. Before she knew it, all was silent once again, back into the dark tunnels of the Catacombs. The Catacombs, for those who don't already know, are a long series of tunnels buried deep beneath the streets of Canterlot. While their main purpose is to house the deceased heros and heroines of Equestria, in later years it has taken up being used more of as a place of storage, and alternatively as an escape route for the Princesses to escape the castle in times of peril. The dark and snakelike tunnels are actually a well kept secret that has been guarded by the royal family for generations; mainly for the reasons stated above. So secret in fact that, until recently, only three ponies knew of its existence; Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and now Cherry.

The elusive alicorn owed her knowledge of such a secret to nopony but Eclipse. Her mysterious partner had quickly guided her into the Catacombs through a secret entrance in the castle, and then to each of the chambers where the Elements were housed; almost as though she had been there before. No big surprise, being as old as she claimed to be. Cherry didn't question any of this and proceeded blindly forward, following Eclipse's directions to the letter. Being as isolated and abandon as the tunnels were, she quickly grew bored wandering about the uninteresting space, and slowly drifted off into thought. She snapped back when she collided against the rocky edge of the tunnel, backing off to find herself at an intersection between tunnels. "So... Which way now Eclipse?" she asked blankly, unsure of where she had been going.

"Go left for thirty paces and then make a right. Also, please try and remain somewhat interested, Cherry. I am doing this for you, in case you have forgotten." she hissed.

Her orders clear, Cherry continued down the tunnels as directed. Despite Eclipse's warning, she soon found herself drifting off once more; this time of more relevant topics, mainly Tia's punishment; how she would make her pay for the pain she had forced her through. The alicorn happily dreamed of the suffering her old friend would be subjected too once the plan was brought full circle... But something felt strange... A peculiar and distant feeling that tugged at her insides the more she thought of Tia. Did she feel sorry for her; after everything she had subjected her too, was she truly feeling sorry for that... Thing?! Or was it that she felt as though her friend was truly sorry for what she had done. Maybe she had changed? It was always a possibility. Maybe they could forgive one another; go back to the way things used to be?

"Is something troubling you my student?" Eclipse asked, sensing Cherry's confusion.

"I suppose..." she responded uneasily. "I can't shake the feeling that there's something we're overlooking here."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... Its something about Tia. There's just something about her that makes me think... Well... Maybe she has changed-

"I doubt that wretch has changed one bit." Eclipse retorted, quick to dismiss the subject.

"But at the party... She seemed so sincere when I spoke with her..."

"Her emotions were nothing but a ruse. The reactions that came from that monster were to be expected; you had her cornered, and she did what had to so she could to earn your temporary trust."

"Well, yes... But-

"Let me tell you something, Cherry. the voice began once more. If there is one thing I have learned in my time, is that the more people change, the more they stay the same. While she may seem sincere to you; deep down she's still the same power-hungry monster you've grown to hate."

"... I-

"Remember the saying I taught you my student? The one that would keep you alive? Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice-"

"... Shame on me." she finished quietly. There was a long silence after she spoke, as though her mentor was startled of her memory such a trivial phrase.

"... So you do remember. Very good, my student. But enough talk; the plan is coming together, and we don't want to be late for its final execution. Get moving."

Cherry stood silently in the dark while she thought about what her mentor had said. There was some sense in the words... But the feeling still remained. Through her will alone, Cherry forced the suspicions and feelings down to the pit of her stomach and subdued them. Eclipse was right; there was no room at this point for error, and no turning back. As she navigated her way down the dark and lonely tunnels though, memories still managed to surface and occupy her time as she made her way towards revenge. Against her will, the images played in her head as though to serve as a reminder to her punishment; and why she would hate her friend forever, or at least the beginning of it. Seemed like it was just yesterday...

Three years. It had been three long, enduring years since that fateful encounter in the courtyard brought friendship into the lives of three unsuspecting fillies. Since that moment, the three had been inseparable, spending their time together as they survived the daily riffraff of New Beginnings orphanage. Ponies came into their lives only to disappear as quickly as they had arrived. In those three years, their friendship had grown stronger than ever. It was a rare occasion to catch the three apart as they spent most, if not all, of their precious time together. There even came a time when they forgot about adoption. Company with one another was all they truly needed. For once in their short, bleak lives, they were actually happy...

The end of the day was drawing near; the sun just beginning its descent in the evening sky, shrouded the orphanage and the surrounding woods in a beautiful orange glow. Just about time for Cherry to meet with Tia and Murky in their usual spot on the roof to watch the sunset. They had been gathering there every evening for the last few years to get away from the end-day chaos of the orphanage as fillies and colts tried to get as much playtime as possible before bedtime, and today was no exception. The red haired mare rushed through the crowded hall, toppling a few fillies in play as she made her way to the backdoor. She was just within sight of the courtyard when she was unexpectedly stopped by a field of magic that levitated her up into the air. "Oh what now..." she muttered, instantly recognizing the energy as none other than that of Old Lady Serenity.

She was flipped in reverse to face the wrinkly, disgruntled face of the supervisor who glared at her with fading eyes. The last years had not been kind to the old mare. Her face, having already been wrinkled and faded, now resembled more of a skeletal shape. In addition to her soured looks, her attitude experienced similar changes as well. Now she was hard to look at, AND hard to stay with. "Now just where are you off to in such a hurry, young filly?" she questioned creakily.

"Just off to see some friends, Serenity. Nothing wrong with that now is there?" Cherry answered innocently, adjusting her glasses nonchalantly with her free hoof as she hovered in place.

Serenity examined her for a moment, grumbling incoherently to herself. "Well... I suppose not... But I'm sure they can wait a little for you to get there. You know you're not supposed to be running in the halls like that."

"Sorry ma'am. I'll watch my speed in the future." she responded instinctively, desperately trying to contain the urge to roll her eyes.

Just before she was set back down, the old mare suddenly lifted her back up into the air. "Oh yes I almost forgot! I need you to do something for me."

"Forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm." she thought sarcastically. "What is it ma'am?

Serenity paused for a moment, staring off in the distance as though deep in thought, only to snap back with a gleam in her eyes. "Tell Tia that I would like to speak to her on a matter of great importance."

"... A matter of great importance?"

"Thats what I said isn't it? A matter of great importance." As she finished, she stared at Cherry as though the orphan had suddenly sprouted a second head. "What are you just standing there for? Go tell her!"

"Well... I can't move until you release me, ma'am."

"Oh yes thats right." the ailing mare muttered, releasing Cherry from her magical grasp. "And tell her that I expect her to be in my office in the next half an hour! No lollygagging!"

"Yes Serenity..." Cherry muttered, she flipping around to resume her rush outside. If she was lucky, then she could still beat Tia and Murky up to the roof, even with the unexpected delay.

The path up to the roof of the orphanage was a treacherous one indeed. To reach the secluded location, one needed to meticulously scale a series of conveniently placed crates around on the blindside of the building where the orphanage met the forest. This path was all to familiar to nothing new to our mare though; she had scaled the path many times before, and quickly scaled the rickety structure, pulling herself up onto the shingled rooftop. Dusting herself off, she scanned around for Tia and Murky who, as expected, had already taken their respective spots at the far end of the rooftop facing the setting sun; two silhouettes against the bright, orange glow of the setting sun. Cherry did her best to remain quiet, playfully creeping up behind Tia and giving her a light shove. She put a bit more strength than intended however, and Tia was pushed clear over the edge of the roof.

For a brief moment, she stood at the edge of the roof, mouth agape as she watched her friend disappear quickly over the side. Cherry edged closer to peek down when Tia suddenly reappeared, flapping her wings angrily. "I thought you said you were going to stop doing that Cher!" the flustered alicorn shouted.

"Just trying to keep you on your hooves Tia!" she replied laughing.

"You laugh now, but one day i'll get you back!" she teased back, settling down on the roof next to her sister.

"That'll be the day; little Tia getting back at big ol' Cherry." Cherry smirked at the very idea.

"Hey, what do you know? It could happen tomorrow!" Tia replied.

"We'll just have to wait and see I suppose."

"Now that we've gotten all that out of the way; why don't you settle down? We'll miss the sunset if you don't!"

"Oh yeah that reminds me. Tia, Serenity said she wanted to speak with you."

"Me? Why me?"

"She didn't say. She did mention that it was about a 'matter of great importance', whatever that could be."

"Oh... Alright. Don't you two go anywhere without me."

She smiled as her friend departed, gliding down to the surface and leaving the two alone to watch the sunset together. Cherry quietly edged over to the edge of the roof, letting her hooves dangle over the edge as she and Murky watched the sun. For a while, neither of them said much of anything. Cherry watched her friend stare blankly off into the horizon out of the corner of her eye, waiting for her to say something about her day, or one of the usual things they talked about at these little meetings, but she said nothing. Murky was always a bit weird, more-so than Cherry was used to, but this was a little strange. Maybe she wanted her to start the conversation? Might as well give it a try. "It's beautiful isn't it?" Cherry began, trying to break the ice..

"I guess... But I prefer the majesty of the lunar phases myself." Murky answered stoically, trying to look away from her friend.

"The moon is cool too I guess." Cherry responded awkwardly. And then came more silence. "Great... That went over flawlessly..." she scolded herself, her mind racing to come up with another conversation starter. It appeared that she wouldn't need one though, as Murky finally decided to speak up for herself.

"Cherry?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah Murky?"

The alicorn paused for a moment in deep thought, gazing deeply into the setting sun. "...Do you think we'll be friends forever?"

The question took Cherry by surprise. "Well why wouldn't we be?" she asked incredulously

"Nothing lasts forever... Even I know that." Murky responded somberly, staring quietly down to the earth.

After another long pause, Cherry patted her friend comfortingly on the back. "Friendship is one exception to that rule Murky. It doesn't matter how much time passes, whether it be a day or a thousand years, we'll always be friends. Because friendship lasts forever!"

Murky turned back, looking Cherry straight in the eyes. "You really think so?"

"I'm positive." she finished, smiling. The two laughed together for a long time. Soon the sun was almost completely hidden behind the trees. The sky now glowed a dark red as the day finally drew to a close. "Wow... It sure has been a while... Where's Tia?" As if on cue, the white alicorn stepped between them and sat down, folding her wings up against her body. She didn't look at either one and was oddly silent, keeping her face hidden in a small veil of darkness that hid her expression. They sat there for a bit waiting for her to suddenly chime in as she usually did, but no reply came. "So... What did old lady Serenity want this time Tia?" Cherry finally started jokingly. "Did she want to complain about how much fun you were having the other day or something?"

"No..." Tia replied stoically. "She didn't say anything important."

This caught Cherry by surprise. Why was her normally cheery friend acting like this? She studied Tia for a moment, watching as she gazed idly off to into the distance. There didn't appear anything wrong with her... Maybe she was just imagining things; she did have a tendency to overreact... Cherry let the feelings go and turned away. "Oh, alright then..."

It was nothing but a minor event in their busy lives. She paid no attention to it. She should have, but she didn't. If only she knew what was coming; what plans her so called friend had in store for her... The one opportunity she had to change everything, and she let it slip by like a cold breeze on a winter's evening. If only she knew...

The next morning came with little surprise. Everypony awoke around nine-ish and began the daily routine. Inspection, breakfast, then playtime; after that came the afternoon inspection and lunch; then finally at the end of the day was final inspection, dinner, and bedtime. Quite a boring daily routine, especially to Cherry, who had been doing the morning inspection for five years in a row now. No big surprise that she would decide to slip out a bit early and 'miss' the first inspection. After all, why spend time sitting in line when you could spend more time with your friends on the empty playground?

Her secret small spell she had learned a while back when looking through some dusty old books from Serenity's private stash. It was a novice spell usually reserved for those with a tight schedule who had to be somewhere early. Almost like an internal alarm clock. She had hers set about half an hour before waking time so she was able to easily slip out before the fillies all lined up for inspection. After escaping the boarding room, she would rendezvous with Tia and Murky just outside by the playground where they could play unbothered.

As usual, her plan went without a hitch. Slipping past the sleeping fillies and colts, she crept down the hallway and out the backdoor. She carefully shut the door behind her and turned, ready to greet her friends with a smile. For some strange reason though... Nopony was there to greet her back. There was a moment of silence as she looked ahead with a blank expression on her face. "Strange..." she said aloud to herself. "They've never been late before... Have they?" She quickly scanned through her memory for any such incident but found no matches. "I guess there's a first time for everything..." she reassured herself, slumping down against the wall. There was nothing left she could do except wait. If she went back in, she ran the risk of alerting somepony and jeopardizing the whole plan. So, she sat there and waited.

After a while, she heard the morning bell ring from inside the orphanage, and still no sign of the sisters. She sighed and slowly edged her way back into the orphanage. No sense in waiting around for nopony and missing breakfast. She'd probably find those two inside anyhow. Strange how they didn't show up.

The rest of the day went on as any other had. She couldn't seem to find her two friends anywhere, but they were probably out playing somewhere. Even best friends had to get away from each other once in a while. She didn't let it get her down though; she did what everypony else did on a normal day at the orphanage. She read, played, normal things. Several hours passed and soon, the sun was beginning its descent from the sky to the earth. Instinctually, Cherry made her way to the usual meeting place high up on the roof. So far, she had failed to see her friends for the entire day! They had forgotten to play in the morning, reading time at noon... There was no way they would forget this meeting though; then she'd know something was wrong. She started out the front door when suddenly Tia rushed frantically into her, knocking her over. "Tia? What's up with you? Is something wrong?" she asked as she pushed herself from the ground.

"Its Murky!" she began fearfully. "She's lost somewhere in the woods!"

This caught Cherry's attention. There was her explanation as to where they'd been all day. "Murky?! What happened?"

"W-we were just playing around with some of the other fillies in the woods," Tia began, "and she wandered off! I looked forever but I still couldn't find her!"

"Where are the fillies you were playing with?" Cherry questioned.

"They're out looking for her as well; I came back to get more help from everypony."

"Alright, I'll go and look. Get the old lady, she'll know what to do." Cherry stated, taking charge of the situation.

The two nodded with out further word, and went their respective ways. Cherry charged headfirst into the clearing to the woods calling out for the young filly. She shouted till her face was red but Murky was nowhere to be found. She crossed over logs and rivers and through the brush calling every step of the way, but to no avail... It wasn't long before the sun just barely peeked over the distant horizon, shrouding the forest in a thin veil of shadows that halted her searching in its tracks.

Out of breath and near collapse, Cherry stopped in the last clearing she came across. She scanned the surrounding forests, hoping that she would see the familiar face of her close friend amongst the branches smiling brightly and ready to come home. Nothing but shadows. She scrunched her face together in desperation and to stifle her tears as the situation grew more and more hopeless.

"You can't give up now!" she panted to herself. "You just can't!" The tired mare bent down on one knee to gather herself, but she couldn't catch her breath. "But you can't go on!" she cried miserably.

Before she turned around though, she had to try one more thing. She sucked in as deep a breath as she possibly could, and shouted at the top of her lungs. "MURKY!" she cried listening carefully as her words rebounded off of the trees and echoed back to her. Her voice was to hoarse to try it again. Defeated, she turned back towards the orphanage. Hopefully she wouldn't have to be the one to tell Tia the news...

After what seemed like an eternity of shuffling through the brush, the orphanage finally dawned into view. The broken mare sighed, stepping somberly through the front gates. Most, if not all of the lights were dark within the worn building. She most likely up past bedtime. Just another obstacle she would have to overcome; the other Murky. What was she going to tell Tia? How was she going to tell her? These questions ran circles around in her head as she snuck around to the window that lead to their room. The light was on, meaning Tia was still awake. Cherry sighed. "Well... Here goes nothing..." she mumbled encouragingly to herself, taking a few steps back for the long jump up. Taking a quick breath, she sprinted and leapt up towards the window ledge, flailing her legs wildly to catch hold. Using her magic, she poped open the window and crept inside, landing hard against the wooden floor inside.

After a few moments to catch her breath, Cherry picked her head up to see Tia packing the last of her few toys into a small bag. Tia glanced over to her for a moment nonchalantly, then returned to packing. For a moment, the red haired mare said nothing; finding comfort in the awkward silence that had suddenly lay itself over the two. A few more moments of this turned out to be too much for the unicorn, and she forced herself up, moving over to her friend. "Tia... I-I couldn't find-" she paused mid-sentence, glancing over to her left. Murky was there, packing her bags alongside her sister, unharmed.

"There is no need for that, Cherry." Tia answered quietly, closing her bag. She lifted it with her magic and set it gently on the floor beside her. Murky finished shortly after, and briskly exited the room, leaving the two alone.

"What... What's going on Tia?" Cherry stammered, still in a state of shock. "How did you find Murky?"

"Oh, her?" her friend answered casually. "She never left."

"W-what..? What are you..." She stuttered, to shocked to find the correct words. "Why?"

"Because," the alicorn began unnervingly. "I needed you out of the way for our adoption."

It was almost to crazy to believe. What was Tia saying? Cherry's mouth hung agape as she tried to wrap her mind around what Tia was saying. "Your adoption? How would I get in the way of your adoption, Tia? I would never upstage you!"

"I couldn't take any chances, especially when somepony as important as the Queen of Equestria is involved."

"Y-you... The Queen?" The more she thought about it, the crazier it sounded. Surely somepony would have told them- unless... "So thats what Serenity wanted to speak to you about yesterday... She wanted you to get everypony ready...

"Indeed. My plan went off without a hitch."

"W-what about the others?!" Cherry stammered. "Certainly the Queen would have considered the dozens of other fillies here for adoption as well?"

"Oh, they were much more difficult to get rid of. A simple game of hide and seek fixed that right up however."

Cherry felt a small sting beneath her eyes as her vision began to blue. She tried to adjust her glasses to see better but to no avail. "How could you do this?" she whimpered.

"Oh, it was rather simple," Tia began almost emotionlessly, "you see-"

"No, how could you do this to your own friend?" she began in disbelief. "Lie to the one who kept you company when you had nopony to rely on but yourself?! What happened to all those years we spent together, playing, sharing secrets, having fun; does all that mean nothing to you?!" The alicorn grinned back at her and laughed

"Well, you see Cherry, friends are... Hrm... How should I explain this?" She glanced around for something quickly, finding one of her old toys, a small teddy bear with a loose eye, on the floor beside her bed. She levitated it between the two and continued speaking. "Friendship, one could say, is like an old toy; it's fun at first and it brings you so much happiness and joy. But after a while... The toy grows old... Decrepit... Boring... You slowly begin to find less and less joy in playing with the toy and after too long, you outgrow it. You forget about all the fun you had with the toy, and find something new, and more meaningful to satisfy yourself with." Ruthlessly, she crushed the toy into dust between with her magic, specs slowly descending to the floor into a small, pitiful pile. "But i'll cut to the chase. What i'm trying to say to you, Cherry, is that I've outgrown you."

Cherry froze in silence, a small tear running down her cheek. What her friend was saying... It was impossible. Maybe this was all just a nightmare. No, it couldn't be... Everything was too real. It was far too real... Her friend though... She was the nightmare. She wasn't real... There was no way...

"Murky and I no longer require your company to get through the day. While at first, it brought me comfort to know that there was somepony who cared about me... Well, i'd just be repeating myself, wouldn't I?"

"Well then," Cherry whimpered, tears streaming gently down her cheeks. "what do you need?"

Tia stepped forward, whispering a single word into her old friend's ear. "Power."

Time stopped in that very second. Cherry's mind processed the information as fast as it could, but even still, it was a minute before either one said a word. "So..." she began somberly. "You're trading me for a spot next to the Queen; is that it? You can't take comfort in what you have? You can't take comfort in our friendship anymore?"

"Oh it's more than just that. I'm not just securing power; I'm securing my very future." Cherry stood in silence as she listened to Tia drone on about her grand scheme. Deep inside of her chest, she felt a small spark form. From that spark, grew an ember. From that ember, an inferno. It was anger. Before long, she felt the wildfire flourish inside of her. She began shaking as her vision narrowed to mere slits. Her entire world melted into a mixture of red as she glared at Tia.

"... The fact of the matter is this; an opportunity presented itself to me, and I took it by the reins." Tia ended smugly. "You won't understand my reasoning, Cherry. You could never take an opportunity and make something of it. In fact, you probably wouldn't know an opportunity if it came and bit you on the horn, not that you would be able to see it."

That was the last insult. In an instant, all of her anger and sorrow burst in a brilliant explosion of intense fury. She screamed in sorrow and anger as she threw herself onto her friend, tackling her across the room and out the bedroom window. As the two locked together in the air, a single thought managed its way into her mind. A strange and cold thought that seemed to amplify her anger even further. "I will make you pay Tia." it said.

Cherry snapped back from her memories. She froze in place as cold reality flooded her senses. The first sound that came to her was the soft, pitter patter of water against the cold stone floor. She was crying. Those memories... Those nightmares... They were but the beginning of her pain. Even still, the message was clear enough to remind her of her why she was there, alone in the dark tomb. The end was not necessary at this point; only how it began. Tia betrayed her; abandon her one and only friend to oblivion. There was nothing more to be said. No forgiveness... No reconciliation... No mercy.

She sniffled, wiping the tears from her face. She was desperate to conceal her emotions from her invisible friend, but it proved more difficult than expected. The memories opened up old wounds that still had yet to heal, even after thousands of years. Emotion proved to powerful of a foe for the alicorn however, and her legs gave out from beneath her. Her knees collided with the stone floor, sending a powerful shock-wave of pain up her legs. She cringed and curled her head against her chest to fight it off. This was the final straw. The weak dam that held back her emotions finally burst in a sudden and heart-wrenching scream that echoed all around her.

"I can feel your pain Cherry." Came the motherly whisper of her company. "I know how much it hurts."

"H-how could she do that to me?" she whimpered. "How could she say those things? Why?"

There was a pause, as though the voice was collecting itself, and then it spoke again. "Because your precious Tia is evil. Because she never really loved you..."

"She was my friend! She cared for me!" she cried, shutting her eyes to stifle the emotions building inside.

"Then why did she leave you? Have you ever once thought that maybe, she was never really your friend to begin with? That she used you from the very beginning? Have you ever thought of that, Cherry?"

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" she shrieked, exploding in a fit of anger and sorrow. She did everything she could to shut out the voice but it was useless. The words echoed around in her head as she tried to drown them out. "She was never really your friend." it said; over and over and over again until her legs grew weak. She collapsed to the floor weeping as Eclipse continued to berate her.

"I know this is hard to accept Cherry..." she whispered, retaining her caring overtone. "But there is truth to my words, and you know it. Why are we here? Because of what she did to you. Why did she do this to you? Because she is evil, and must be stopped."

She sniffled letting Eclipse's words sink in as a new feeling began to boil inside.

"I sense your anger, your frustration... She did this to you. Made you what you are today... What will you do about it?"
The new feeling was suffocating, but it gave her strength. Cherry rose to her feet with newfound energy that continued to grow inside of her. She knew why she was here now. There were no more doubts. No more questions. She would not be fooled again. The Orphanage... Then Canterlot... It was enough. Now was her time. Her time to get vengeance for the pain. "I'm will get my revenge." she whispered blankly.

Eclipse snikered. That's what I thought you'd say...

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Author's note: Sweet mother of Celestia that took three months longer than I thought it would. Sorry I kept you all waiting with this story! A lot has happened to me between this chapter and the last, and I just couldn't keep up with it. It went through a total of three complete revisions; two full checks; and a whole lot of drama. Thanks to everypony who stuck with it all the way; you are a true inspiration! Thats all I have to say for now, stick around for the next chapter! Hopefully it'll come out sooner than this chapter.

~Golden Hoof