Everfree: Innocence Lost
Twilight Sparkle did not visit me the next day, nor the one after. She had cut her story off rather abruptly. At the time, I thought little of it, but something crossed her face whenever she mentioned Princess Celestia. It was a mixture of emotions. In a single instant, I saw anger, sorrow, fear, and bitterness. She barely made it through two sentences after the princess's arrival before she stood up and strode out my door without another word. I was mildly shocked, and then I was glad. I hoped she wouldn't come back.
But of course, I was a foal to think Twilight Sparkle would abandon anything before working her way through to the end.
The morning she came back I read in the papers that another pony had been viciously murdered. It had been a pegasus this time, and it carried all the calling cards of our arcane horror. The pony had been riddled with cuts and what wasn't cut had been burned by some as of then unidentified means. I heard later that it was meticulously controlled lightning which all but cemented the idea that it was Twilight's doing. They had found that the pegasus's basement had been converted into something of a hospital surgery, a surgery that had been used recently, and this pegasus clearly had no medical license. They found the bodies hours later.
Still, noble intentions or not, I was horrified by Twilight's course of action. When she appeared again in my living room, I yelled and pleaded for her to leave me in peace, to find somepony else, to just go away. She simply stood in my living room, eyes closed, rubbing her right eye with her hoof. She waited for me to run out of pleas, accusations, and empty threats. When I ran out of words, she slowly opened her eyes and quietly asked me to calm down. It was a simple request, even with a polite "please" thrown in for my benefit, but her voice sounded drained. It was so empty, so sad. I could not even muster up another complaint as she sat down in one of my chairs.
I couldn't ask her to leave and I couldn't ask her what was wrong. Thoughts of the paper floated through my mind. I knew what was wrong. She was a ponykiller. And she was in my house. Again. Fear tickled at my spine. I had not done anything to incur her wrath, but I could not help but imagine myself in the same position as that pegasus. I could find no words, save for a single question: "Why are you here?"
Twilight had stared at me for a while longer, her calm expression losing its hold. There was sadness there, with a twinge of pity and regret. She knew what her presence in my house was doing to me, what a burden she had become on my mind. I was lucky the neighbors had not noticed her for who she was. I spent every day dreading her next visit. She was a curse to me, but she did not apologize. She simply answered my question, or not perhaps. Maybe she simply knew I could not resist letting the spoken word die in the recesses of mere memory. Great ponies' words must be remembered, and terrible as she was, Twilight Sparkle was a definitive example of a great pony. I simply cannot let the record skip entirely. After all, what is a record if it is incomplete? So she told me another story, another dreadful story that started with those truly horrible words:
"Once upon a time..."
And I sat down, quill and parchment at the ready. At that moment I became resigned to my fate to see this through. I could do nothing else, for this is my calling, my life, my special talent: record and repeat, record and repeat.
Chapter 3: Terror Rising –2 Years, 5 Months ANM
The streets of Fillydelphia weren't as full as Manehatten, but it still surprised Twilight how many were going about their business. What was it with large cities and the night life? It was approaching two in the morning and still ponies lingered, walking, flying, and even a few talented unicorns teleporting about. It made trailing Cloudsurfer a little safer, less likely to be noticed. Apparently she was an artist of some sort, trying to introduce a new medium into the culture: that of cloud art.
She had gotten some recognition a while back for sculpting a ten story ice cream cone in a single day. Her special talent for gathering moisture for clouds aided her exploits greatly. Unfortunately, the creation also offset the weather patterns quite a bit and nearly caused an unexpected torrential downpour that would have lasted for days. The weather ponies and police of Fillydelphia were not amused. They had banned her from performing any further cloud art over the city.
However, Twilight was never much of a connoisseur of art. The seal on her eye burned furiously whenever she looked in the pegasus's direction, and that was reason enough to be suspicious. The seal could guide her, but it had burned for other reasons before. It had not been wrong yet, but Twilight needed to be sure. She couldn't do it if she wasn't sure, and if she couldn't release it now, she didn't know what would happen. An uncontrolled release... Twilight shuddered. She wouldn't want to be anywhere near another pony if that happened.
So here she was, carefully trotting and teleporting after the silver pegasus as she flitted about in the air, obviously trying to get somewhere but looking around every so often. Twilight teleported again, reducing the flash that accompanied her as much as possible. As Cloudsurfer stopped yet again midflight, Twilight ducked under a stand with an umbrella on the street, pretending to be interested in a trinket that wasn't there. The owner had probably closed shop hours ago and taken his merchandise home. Still, from Cloudsurfer's height, it would look like she was just another pony doing some last minute shopping before hitting the hay.
After a few seconds Cloudsurfer seemed satisfied. She adjusted the strap holding the bag across her back and began flying straight down the street. Seriously, how could she think she was being inconspicuous? Even Pinkie Pie would have noticed somepony that paranoid, and she could be pretty oblivious at times. Regardless, Twilight was glad that she had read Urban Stealth: Tips and Tricks last week. There was no way Twilight could have followed her otherwise. She trotted along after Cloudsurfer, hoping this game of Red Light-Green Light would end soon. She had been following the pegasus for the past ten minutes and the tall buildings and shop filled streets were giving way to the quiet residential suburbs. Twilight didn't know if she could successfully tail Cloudsurfer if there was no way to disguise her movements.
Suddenly, Cloudsurfer darted down into a small park. She zipped towards a cluster of trees before beating her powerful wings to bring herself to a graceful stop. Twilight froze for a moment, breathing heavily before deciding to walk past the park as if her destination lay beyond. A couple ponies looked at her strangely, but then began ignoring her. Thank Celestia for the impersonal nature of the city. She watched Cloudsurfer out of the corner of her eye as she passed, taking in the fact that the pegasus was undoing the strap for her bag. Twilight's eye began to itch again as Cloudsurfer stepped between the trees and put the bag down. Twilight would have watched more had her view not been cut off by another house.
Quickly, she doubled back, peering around the corner at the pegasus. The trees blocked most of her view, but she could tell Cloudsurfer was doing something in the center of the cluster. The seal flared again, and Twilight brought a hoof to her eye, wincing. She bit her tongue a bit to keep herself from making noise. A fierce rage gripped her, and she trembled as she tried to restrain herself from using magic to rip apart the cluster of trees. She wanted that pegasus. She wanted her to feel pain. She wanted her DEAD! KILL HER NOW!
Twilight gasped for breath and tried to calm down. This was not her. It was the seal. The buildup. She couldn't do this. Not yet. She needed to be sure. She couldn't do it if she wasn't sure. Slowly, the waves of fury began to calm. As Twilight came back to herself, she felt a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead and past her horn. This was not good. She couldn't contain it much longer. Her gasps slowly died down as she regained control of her breathing as well. She frowned in confusion. When had she leaned on the wall for support? Had she stumbled?
"Are you alright miss?" Twilight jumped as a stallion spoke up behind her. He was a unicorn that looked much like her brother. A purple earth pony mare stood a few steps behind him. Both were staring at her concernedly.
Twilight tried to give them a smile that probably looked more like a grimace. Her eye burned again, but not quite so fiercely. "I'll be fine. I'm just on my way home."
The mare stepped forward tentatively. "Would you like us to walk you there? You don't look great."
"No, no," Twilight said shaking her head. "It's just down the road here. I'm fine thanks."
The unicorn frowned at her. "You're sure? It wouldn't be a bother."
"No thank you," Twilight said a little more forcefully. The couple jerked their heads back a bit surprised. Twilight cleared her throat nervously before trying again. "I mean, thanks, but I just need a moment and then I'll be on my way. You don't need to worry about me."
The couple looked at each other, then back at her. "Well, if you're sure," the unicorn said as he started to walk past her. "Come on dear. Let's get home too." The mare was slightly more hesitant, but she too began walking again.
Sighing in relief, Twilight looked back towards the park only to see Cloudsurfer taking off. She flew above the trees before soaring up and away towards the skyscrapers and downtown where she lived, apparently no longer concerned about being followed. Twilight growled in frustration. Now she couldn't follow the pegasus. She was long gone. But maybe...
Twilight trotted towards the trees Cloudsurfer had been hiding in. As she stepped in the center, she silently thanked Princess Luna for the bright moon and stars that let her see the loose dirt on the ground. Cloudsurfer had been digging here. But for what? Twilight carefully began scraping around the earth with her magic, moving only small layers at a time. After a few short moments, the light from her horn lit up a bit of black cloth. Cloudsurfer's bag! What did she need to hide? And why would she hide it in such a shallow hole?
Carefully, Twilight unearthed the bag. It was moderately large and round, with a single side extending outward from the center and ending in a point. Satisfied there was nothing else in the hole, Twilight tipped the bag upside down, dumping the contents onto the ground.
She had to stop herself from screaming as the charred unicorn head hit the earth.
Gasping, she quickly covered the head with the bag again. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. This wasn't right. This shouldn't be happening. Wasn't the seal enough?
The seal.
It burned, but it did not sear so much as simmer angrily in her eye, and this time Twilight did nothing to hold back the rage. Cloudsurfer was going to pay for this. She gathered the head in the bag and held onto it as she concentrated. A bright glow gathered around her horn, and then with a flash, she was gone.
Cloudsurfer's home was dark when Twilight appeared. The irony of a pegasus living on a ground level apartment struck Twilight for a moment, but she brushed it off. Even in downtown, a "view" probably cost extra, and out of work artists were not known to be in financially sound situations. The streets were emptying now, and nopony gave her a second look as she trotted up to Cloudsurfer's window. Just to be safe though, she quickly checked to make sure Cloudsurfer's bag was still closed. It was. Satisfied, she glanced into the window. The curtains were open. Excellent. With a twinge of concentration, Twilight lit her horn just enough to see inside. Landing next to the round table in the living room would do nicely.
She turned away from the window and walked down the street. Either Cloudsurfer could fall asleep faster than Rainbow Dash or she hadn't returned yet. The seal made Twilight's eye twitch. Perhaps she ought to be there to welcome the artist home. Deeming a block far enough to conceal her destination, she concentrated on the living room next to the table and teleported as softly as possible.
There was barely a flash of lavender light as she materialized in the Cloudsurfer's apartment. Twilight stayed still a moment, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dark. It truly was a tiny apartment. The living room was not divided from the kitchen at all and the table was clearly the only piece of furniture suitable for eating off of. Only one other door led out of the living room besides the front door and it was open. No doubt that was Cloudsurfer's bedroom. Silently thanking city ponies for their absolute need to light the streets at all hours of the night, Twilight stalked forward towards the bedroom. She passed through the doorway and took in the nearly bare room. There was a single dresser with a small mirror on it, a pegasus lying at the foot of the single bed, a window above it, and a small pile of personal belongings in the far corner. "Wait, a pegasus?" she thought, freezing where she was.
"You took your time," Cloudsurfer said quietly.
Twilight dropped the bag holding the unicorn head, distantly noting it rolling away from the door as she stood just inside the room with her mouth agape. Cloudsurfer hopped off the bed, knocking what looked like a pillow to the floor, and landed on her feet. She took a glance at the bag before facing Twilight fully. How? How could she have been waiting? Twilight's mind raced with possibilities and scenarios, and yet she came up with nothing. "You knew?" she managed to choke out. Her rebellious throat and tongue made her sound even more incredulous than she felt.
Cloudsurfer chuckled. "I saw you following me way back on sixth street."
Twilight shook her head. No, that couldn't be right. Sixth street was only four blocks away. She had followed Cloudsurfer for ten whole minutes with the pegasus being none the wiser. How? Unless... "It was all an act then?"
The pegasus scoffed. "Of course it was! What kind of pony flies around like that? But I had to think of something to keep you interested." She adopted a knowing grin, taunting Twilight.
"But then you wanted me to find it!"
"Of course I did!" Again Twilight was speechless. Cloudsurfer laughed quietly at her shocked expression. "I had a feeling about you. I knew it. You didn't call the police, did you? You came alone?" Numbly, Twilight nodded. Cloudsurfer pushed harder. "You came for me, didn't you? You – " she paused, apparently awed by her own thought. She finally whispered, "You're like me."
A cold stone dropped into the pit of Twilight's stomach. She reflexively swallowed as her mouth went dry. The seal burned in her eye, but for once she could not feel the rage generated from it. Her breath quickened as she slowly shook her head. She wasn't like this pony. She wasn't.
Cloudsurfer adopted a blank stare, seeing past Twilight. "I thought I was the only one. That something was so wrong with me. The anger, the need to hurt, to kill..." She looked back into Twilight's eyes. "And then you showed up. Now I know I'm not alone."
Twilight's eye was positively on fire now. She clenched both eyes shut as she violently shook her head this time. She bit her lip, trying not to whimper. She was nearly snorting as she breathed through her nose now.
"I'm glad I got to meet you," Cloudsurfer said, oblivious or not caring about Twilight's state.
"No," Twilight whispered, struggling not to cry. "I'm not like you."
Cloudsurfer sighed. "No, I suppose not. You see, it's much easier if you let your victims come to you."
Twilight's world stopped.
Adrenaline shot through her veins as she opened her eyes. Cloudsurfer's wings were flared as she reared onto her hind legs. Twilight made a mad grab at Cloudsurfer with her telekinesis, but it didn't stop the pegasus from stomping down on her fluffy pillow.
A pillow that shot a bolt of lightning straight at Twilight.
The loud thunderclap that shook the room almost covered Twilight's scream as the pain hit her. Her legs spasmed as she collapsed on top of them. Her chest burned and the smell of burnt hair filled her nostrils. Gasping, she opened her eyes to find Cloudsurfer looming over her, a small cloud in hoof. Desperately, Twilight cast a shield just as the pegasus slammed the cloud down on the floor in front of her face.
The lightning bolt blinded her as it lit up her shield and the thunderclap was deafening. Adrenaline and panic flowed through her body as she scrambled to her hooves. She backed up into the door and almost tripped herself as she made her way around the corner into the living room. Black spots filled her already ruined night vision, but they let her see the blur just before it crashed into her.
Cloudsurfer had been flying too fast. The hit hurt, but the pegasus rolled past Twilight into the far wall. Both ponies raced to their hooves again and Twilight barely raised her shield fast enough to stop a repeat tackle. Cloudsurfer screamed in rage and flew in a circle around the physical dome Twilight had erected.
Still trying to catch her breath, Twilight barely kept track of the pegasus as she came to a stop in the bedroom doorway. Cloudsurfer reared up and stomped on the cloud she had dropped there. Again lightning struck her shield and again, Twilight stumbled back blind, only to be shocked as the pegasus shattered the shield and tackled her. Cloudsurfer landed on top of Twilight, straddling her as the unicorn tried to make sense of why she was now on her back. "Die!" Cloudsurfer yelled as she reared again, only this time Twilight's head was going to be the cloud. Desperately, Twilight concentrated on the living room table and teleported. Cloudsurfer's hooves came down not a moment later.
Groaning from where she now lay, Twilight once again raised her shield, but this time she was ready. The lightning blast and subsequent slam against the shield no longer phased her. The shield held. Slowly, she regained her hooves, trembling in pain. She fought the urge to throw up as she mentally felt the pegasus impact on the shield again. The world spun as she looked up for her assailant. No, the world wasn't spinning.
Cloudsurfer was circling the shield.
The pegasus was really pushing herself to the limits. She would have given Dash a run for her money. As she flew, Twilight's coat stood on end. It was getting harder to see Cloudsurfer. It was almost like she was leaving a smoke trail. No, not smoke. It moved like fog.
A cloud. Cloudsurfer was building a huge electrical charge.
Realizing what the pegasus was doing, Twilight quickly modified her shield. She could do this again, couldn't she? And that had been a real lightning bolt last time. This should be easy. Slowly, the top of the purple shield began to collapse inward until a circular funnel formed, a funnel that ended right at the tip of her horn.
Cloudsurfer yelled as she abruptly stopped. Still flying, she kicked her rear hooves at Twilight, and a vast lightning bolt shot out, at least ten times larger than the ones stored in the little cloud. Twilight shook as the bolt hit and was channeled directly into her horn like a lightning rod. The energy lit her mind on fire, but she had played with lightning before. With a yell of her own, she dropped the shield and pointed her horn back where she had last seen the pegasus and everything went white.
The force of the thunderclap threw Twilight backwards and sent her rolling into the kitchen. The scent of ozone was overpowering now and ringing filled her ears. She groaned as she regained her hooves, looking for Cloudsurfer.
The pegasus was lying on her side, smoke rising from her twitching body. Her plumage looked absolutely ruined and a great deal of her coat was much darker than before, even in the dim light. As the ringing died away, Twilight could faintly hear Cloudsurfer coughing weakly and gasping for breath. Twilight stumbled over and was suddenly very conscious of the burning in her right eye. She tried not to relish this reversal of roles as she now stood over the pegasus. Cloudsurfer's eyes were almost closed, but she still managed to look up at Twilight, no longer angry, but fearful.
"You know," Twilight said, "I'm not like you." The eye burned. It burned so much. "I was there when all of this started. I chose this." Now was the time. Ponies were shouting outside. They were pounding at the door, but it didn't matter. She concentrated, and a lavender wedge of pure force formed above Cloudsurfer's head. "I'm not like you." Not a wedge. An axe head. "I'm much worse."
With that said, Twilight brought the axe down at Cloudsurfer's neck and executed the pegasus.
The burning sensation in Twilight's eye disappeared instantly. Sighing, she took a moment to revel in the relief, but the yelling and pounding was becoming quite insistent. They were going to break the door down any moment now. She closed her eyes and began to focus on teleporting long distance. She winced in pain. Breathing deeply, she forced it out of her mind. Cloudsurfer had really done a number on her. This was going to be very difficult to explain. Why couldn't she have gone down as easily as the earth ponies and unicorns?
Bucking pegasi...