//------------------------------//
// Proxy 
// Story: Things Change 
// by Goldengriffiness 
//------------------------------//

	She was cold; so cold. It was a chill that crept through her hooves, crawled up her legs and inched up her spine.

'Since when has my bed been this cold? This is ridiculous; the average temperature in Ponyville is at least twice this on a cold day!' she thought wearily.

That was when her mind kicked into gear. Her library was never this cold. And when a velvety bed feels like solid stone, something is wrong.

Violet eyes blinked open grudgingly, only to shoot wide as she took in her surroundings: a cold stone floor, dark ceiling and ominous steely bars that stretched across the only open wall. She was in a dungeon, and she was alone.

Situations like this rarely sent her into a panic. Usually she was one to stay calm, keep her head, and find a logical explanation. The only exception being when she had the time to over-think things.

However, there was something about this place, a lingering chill that crept into her soul and twisted her stomach inside-out. She felt like a pegasus trapped away from the sky, or a wild thing cramped in a tiny cage. Amethyst power sparked around her horn, and for a minute she flickered out of existence—an attempt at teleportation brought about by sheer panic.

She was back in less than a second, panting, her head bowed and her irises small as her breath became mist in the chilly cavern. Determined, she stood on shaking legs. 

Rushing blindly at the bars, she tried to slip a hoof, her horn, anything from the stifling cell. She flailed when all she met was a dull flicker of green—a previously invisible barrier that shot electrocuting jolts up her leg and down her spine. With each surge of foreign magic, she lost the last few shreds of composure she had left. Twisting around in a flailing panic, her back legs snapped out and collided with flickering magic.

The resulting surge sent fire up her legs. She stumbled forward, tripped over her own hooves and collapsed.

How did this happen, she wondered. She was exhausted to the point where she had no energy left for panic. Her bleary mind dragged her back as she studied the memories of that day. Or had it been the one before? Or perhaps even before that…


~…~


Unless something pushed her over the edge, Twilight was a saint where her friends were concerned.

However, she was remarkably close to being pushed over the edge, ears flat as she was forced to endure yet another of Rarity's lectures.

"Darling, I beg you, please!" Rarity was in tears, sprawled on her back over her velvety red couch. "The stones you describe, the beauty, the finesse, the reflection! I simply must have them! I fear I have no reason to linger on without adding them to the boutique!" She looked at Twilight with imploring eyes that wrenched down and beyond the soul, strumming heartstrings.

Twilight might have believed it too, if the same lecture hadn't taken place on an almost daily basis for two months. "For the last time, Rarity! No! That cavern is magic! It breeds anger, resentment and hate! I almost attacked Cadence when I found her."

Rarity pouted, her imploring eyes continuing to fester and prod at Twilight's consciousness. "But, my dear, you are the element of magic! Look at the power you've shown. You've certainly proven yourself powerful enough to deter any magic that tries to make us less, shall we say, civil than we are now."

She'd finally managed to push her friend over the edge. "Less civil? Less? You've been anything but civil! You won't give me a moment's peace about something we all know is a bad idea!" She stomped one hoof, breathing heavily. "I need some time alone, and don't follow me this time!"

Twilight exploded out the door, slamming it shut behind her and starting off in a random direction. She aimed away from the few townsponies as they went along their business and traipsed off, shivering as the pegasi dancing above her jarred the coal-grey cloud-cover into a drizzling rain. It came down, dampening her coat to match her mood.

Twilight ambled along quietly, festering anger beginning to flicker and  fade. She was sick of it; sick of Rarity reminding her of one of the worst times in her recent life. Sick of being angry at a friend…

She found herself walking along the border of the Everfree Forest, grateful for the scarcity of ponies around this area. Her soggy tail, which usually stayed a good few inches above the ground, was dampened and sagging, trailing on the muddy earth. Twilight knew she was getting herself muddy and bedraggled, but she didn't care. Going back to the library meant Spike berating her for yelling at his crush. 

The thought of visiting any of her other friends didn't strike as helpful, either. Pinkie couldn't handle a depressed pony, Fluttershy would just find a way to blame herself, Applejack was exhausted with harvesting the last of the spring crop and couldn't afford to spare the time, and Rainbow was where no one could reach her without a nice pair of wings. The only one she really wanted to talk to was her mentor, and she had no way to contact her without Spike's help.

Without a thought to aid them, her hooves were leading her to the one other who could help. She found herself about to knock on the hut's door before voices echoed from within.

"For the last time, young pony. My answer is no. I have not the spell to give magic more glow!"

The zebra's voice was answered with a huff. "You dare deny the Great and Powerful Trixie her heart's desire? That's what I heard you did for a pony here; you mixed her up a potion and she got her cutie mark early of all things!"

"I cannot contain the rumors that stir, but they are simply absurd. There's not been a spell in but song or rhyme that can make a cutie mark appear before its proper time. The method she used was unorthodox, and ended with but the ailment cutie pox."

"Trixie doesn't care! Make Trixie stronger! Trix—"

She was cut off by the door opening and a bedraggled Twilight walking in, eyes narrowed. "Leave Zecora alone, Trixie. There isn't a spell in Equestria for what you're after."

The showpony snorted at her appearance. Twilight's mane and tail were flecked with mud, so much that it gave the illusion she was an earthy brown. It wasn't until the blue mare caught sight of her cutie mark that her eyes widened in recognition and she raced wordlessly out the door.

Zecora looked at Twilight. "Ah, Twilight, as ever your presence is a gift. But seeing you makes me wonder, might your spirits need a lift?"

She nodded tiredly, sighing. "Yeah. I guess I wanted to be alone, but I also didn't… Is it wrong to want a little space, even when you care so much about somepony?"

Zecora's eyes softened. "Sometimes from even your friends you need a break, not having space can cause even the best friendship to shake. My little pony, can I offer you a cup of tea? It will help to sooth your nerves, you'll see."

"That sounds wonderful," Twilight replied gratefully. "A warm drink would do me a fair deal of good." She shivered, realizing she was dripping on Zecora's floor and leaving muddy hoofprints. "Do you have a towel I could use first? I'd hate to dirty even more of your house. I'm sorry."

Zecora shuffled around, collecting herbs and wooden dishes. "Worry not about it, Twilight dear, but as for a towel, take it. It's here." She took a moment to point her head at where a thick woven towel hung on a rack.

"Thanks again, Zecora," Twilight said fervently, levitating the warm towel to rub it stiffly against her drenched fur. "It means a lot."

The zebra set the cup that had been in her mouth down and smiled. "It really is no trouble, Twilight, none at all. Whenever you need me, feel free to call."

Twilight just stood there sipping strong herbal tea that truly did chase the cold from the mud and rainwater away. This was one of the few things more she wished she could share with her friends. A time when they weren't doing anything—no talking, no arguing, no hyperactivity. Fluttershy came closest, but usually before too long she'd be itching to go back to her animals. Nothing compared to the times she and Celestia had spent merely standing side by side, looking to the sky. Especially when the stars peaked their heads into the coal-black skyline. Those afternoons had sparked her interest in the night sky.

Maybe I reminded her of Luna…

A good hour passed, and eventually Twilight had to admit to herself that the rain was not going to let up for a good while. When she admitting this aloud, Zecora looked at her worriedly. "I fear a fell warning rides the wind's back. If you leave now, you may never come back."

Twilight shivered, but shrugged. "It's probably nothing; it's pretty drafty out. I'll be fine."

"Beware as light is lost beneath the trees, many fowl things linger in Forest Everfree."

But Twilight was already out the door. Though she was usually overly polite, the late hour, her argument with Rarity, and the run-in with Trixie had left her about a placid as a colt on his first day to the dentist. 

She trailed into the woods. The eerie silence was punctuated by nothing—no rustles, no waving trees. It was as if the Everfree itself waited with bated breath.

The silence curdled and spun in the still air, making Twilight wary. While the forest was usually quiet, there was always the rustle of a squirrel, a wandering pony, a manticore or, Celestia forbid, an ursa. The silence was thicker than syrup, almost tangible. Twilight winced every time one of her hooves landed on soil with a damp thump.

'Now,' she thought, trying to reassure herself, 'there's no rational reason to fear silence, it is merely the absence of sound. I just need to take a deep breath and keep go—'

A terrified scream cut through the silence like a spear. Twilight would know Trixie's voice anywhere; she'd certainly heard it enough in the few days the showpony had been in Ponyville.

Gritting her teeth, she bolted towards the sound, shoving nerves to the back of her mind. "Trixie! Trixie, where are you?"

As the trees flashed by, she thought she spotted something bright. Not the sky-blue she was looking for, but the white of freshly-fallen snow. Digging hooves into damp earth, she came to a skidding stop and turned to see one of the last ponies she would ever expect to find in the Everfree Forest.

Warm as the dawn, white as the snow, and familiar as the embrace of a mother, Twilight would know the sun princess anywhere. However, something seemed off. Her white coat seemed tinted, her mane a little less ethereal, her eyes flickering between the usual violet and something else she couldn't see well enough to identify.

Twilight swallowed. Why am I afraid? It's Celestia! I've known her for years and she would never do anything to hurt me!

Shivering as the sounds of her hoof-steps rebounded through the silent wood like hammer blows, Twilight approached. "Princess?"

"Twilight Sparkle. It is good to see you. I have awaited this for some time."

"Er, okay, but right now I really need your help! I just heard someone scream and I think it might be somepony I know and it's really important we find her because there are some pretty dangerous creatures out here that she's already proven she can't handle!" Twilight huffed out without pausing for breath, leaning nervously towards her friend and mentor. Was it this cold before? Her limbs were shaky and weak; her stomach felt like it was down around her hooves. Energy was pulling away from her, leaving her swaying.

"Princess…I don't feel too…" She was cut off by a snort.

The last thing Twilight saw before everything faded into darkness was two shimmering pools of green.

"I'm sorry, little pony, but you have the wrong mare."