//------------------------------// // Best Friend of Two Worlds // Story: Creature of the Night Episode 2- Pure of Heart // by CreatureofTheNight //------------------------------// A stunned silence fell in the room as Celestia's accusation began to weigh in. Dueling, Creature, or whatever somepony wanted to call him, killed his best friend. He killed Purity Heart. Eye contact was not broken by the off-white alicorn and the dark green vampire pony, as the latter held onto his claim: "Pure was not killed by me, Tia! I loved her, more than any pony in Equestria. I would never hurt her. My mother came for me for revenge, she was trying to kill me and Pure..." "Shut up!" thundered Celestia - the castle walls vibrated from the sound of her voice, her hair glowed as bright as the sun. Twilight saw the look in her eyes: a look that she'd never seen before on her teacher: hatred. She continued "I should have known you would have done this. I let myself honestly think that you were different, you weren't like the other vampire ponies we were arresting and slaying back than. I was wrong... and finally... you will receive justice." Seeing her horn glow, Creature said "Yeah, bit of a problem with that." She paused as the vampire pony leaped out of the window and spread out his wings, dodging the beams Celestia was firing at him, hurtling towards the horizon and landing in the Everfree forest. Celestia hissed as she turned away "Princess Celestia! Wait!" Twilight called out, stretching out her hoof as she saw the older alicorn slowly shift her figure into one of compassion, and not of rage. "There's so much I don't understand. I know Creature is scary, but he saved me and my friends from a Hydra. He... doesn't seem like a killer..." there was a feeling of heat in the room as she continued on "And... then... there is this Purity Heart or... Pure, who in Equestria was she? I... I need to..." She felt Celestia's right forehoof being placed on her head as Celestia sat down. "I apologize, Twilight," She began, "Sometimes I forget that even though you are my equal now, and not my student, there are things in this world that you don't know." She withdrew her forehoof and said "Perhaps if I fill you in, I can help you." With a heavy sigh Celestia began... She felt Celestia's right forhoof being placed on her head as Celestia sat down. "I apologize Twilight," She begain speaking "Sometimes I forget that even though you are my equal now, and not my student, there are things in this world that you don't know." She withdrew her forehoof and said "Perhaps if I fill you in, I can help you." With a heavy sigh Celestia began "Before there was a such thing as Equestia, there were just two little fillies who enjoyed each other's company, and no... this wasn't me and Luna. It was myself, and Purity Heart. A kind soul with a troubled life, an inspiration to all, honestly. She and I used to play together a lot. She was a unicorn with a desire to become one thing... a Princess. She wanted to be just like me, a leader, a princess, a heroine..." A low growl emenated from Celestia's lips "Then... that thing came in. I was so foolish, when Purity introduced us, I honestly thought that... that he was different from the rumors I've heard of the monsters that were being seen at night, giving poor Luna nightmares. He asked me on that day... if he could marry her. I said yes, not knowing of the horror I would see. My best friend... killed... by the very colt she swore wouldn't do it. That's why I'm going to stop him, Twilight. He needs to be destroyed. His outlandish claim was the same as it has been for centuries and I will not fall for his lie. He will be stopped, and nopony else has to die" "Princess," Twilight said slowly, but Celestia left the room. Something wasn't settling in right with Twilght though, it couldn't be that simple, could it? That it was just the case of a monster hiding in plain sight that the Princess was trying to protect Equestria from? It was so weird, Celestia always seemed... a hundred percent right about everything. She eyed the Everfree and quietly got up, leaving without a word, heading to the one place where she knew Creature would be. "Creature?" Twilight shouted as she looked around "I'm alone! You are here aren't you?" "Yeah" Creature said causing the purple alicorn to look up and see Creature by the tombstones of the old castle. "You here to kill me too?" Walking towards him quietly Twilight sat down next to him and said "No... I need some answers... a name you mentioned... your special some pony?" "Pure," Creature said, softly, his voice oddly poignant. Twilight notice his tone shift instantly, in almost a blissful state he began talking to himself quietly. "Pure was...she was..." He took a pleasant sigh and continued with a rhetorical question. "Have you ever met somepony or many ponies who you can just simply say are the ones who made your world?" Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike, flashed slowly in Twilight's head and she joined in Creature's smile, with a simple "Yeah." ""That was Pure to me," He continued, "That mare... completed me. I never told you about my mother... and there are several good reasons for that. My mother... wasn't a very nice pony," said the vampire pony with a tone that said that he was putting it lightly. "Her world view was... everypony who wasn't like us... wasn't... you know... a vampire, are no more than prey to what we are. She absolutely forbade any member of the clan to interact with anyone else who was a mortal. I broke that rule... with Pure." He looked out quietly. "I told you before I have drank a few ponies before right?" There was a tentative nod from Twilight as Creature continued "One of my pony victims was... an abusive father, my father was there and he taught me to hunt ponies who would not be missed all that much. That was... Pure's father... she said that... after that day... things looked up for her. She met Celestia, was there for Luna's birth, and... all around, her life improved. I was her hero, and I didn't even know it." "A lot of bad things happened" Creature said quietly "I got in a bad way, and Pure... she then became... my heroine. She helped me become a better pony, she taught me a way to keep my strength up and survive without having to hurt others. She made my life... I... loved her... dearly." For only the second time since she'd met him she saw Creature begin to tear up. Fat, heavy tears began to roll down his cheeks. He wept bitterly, and silently. Twilight asked quietly "Creature... what happened to Purity?" A rage filled growling, horrifying, sound came from Creature, something monsterous and full of rage as he said "My mother happened...she went crazy...slaughtered almost every pony in the clan. Then she came after me...she wanted to hurt me, but she didn't know how. Until Pure...bless her" His eyes watered again as he slowly wiped them with his left forhoof. "She tried to fight for me...she was killed right infront of me" A rage-filled growling, horrifying, sound came from Creature, something monstrous and full of rage and quite unlike any noise Twilight had ever heard a mortal pony make. "My mother happened... she went crazy... slaughtered almost everypony in the clan. Then she came after me... she wanted to hurt me, but she didn't know how. Until Pure... bless her;" His eyes watered again, but he wiped the tears away with his left forhoof. "She tried to fight for me... she was killed right in front of me" Twilight looked at Creature and said quietly "I'm sorry..." "It's okay..." Creature said take a deep breath to calm down. He looked a little embarrassed, but relieved too. "Time does heal all wounds eventually, it doesn't hurt as much. I still miss her. You know... that day... it was going so well until my mother came. Pure got accepted to be one of the new princess's advisers, a jeweler gave me that ring I've placed on her grave, I was this close to popping the question and then... in a instant... the best day of my life... turned to the worst." His words came out in bits, like sobs. He looked utterly pitiful, his wings drooping, his face forlorn. Embarrassed, Twilight turned to go, but before she could, Creature addressed her once more. "By the way... Twilight... you remind me of her. She would have really liked you." Twilight returned to the castle, pacing back and forth as she began thinking about this. Creature and Celestia both sounded so sure about what happened to Purity Heart. Pacing back once more she looked at a sleeping Spike and remembered that there was a way to find out exactly what happened. Starswirl's Time Travel Spell! "But wait...' Twilight wondered aloud. She remembered all too well the past two times that she or somepony else had used that spell. "A lot of bad can come out of that spell." She went back to pacing, putting magic means to the back of her mind... at least for now. Meanwhile, Creature was desolately wandering around the courtyard when he saw a bright light flashing in front of him. He turned and looked up in shock to see... "Luna?"