//------------------------------// // Shadow Jumps // Story: Violet Lace // by DemonAngel13 //------------------------------// Violet felt the wooden floorboards underneath her quake and shiver. Confused, her gaze traveled down to her hooves. Much to her dissatisfaction, she found that it was her that was shaking. It made sense. Given the cold sweat that clumped her mane into chunks and her light and feathery breaths, it didn't make any difference if another sign of her fear was added. It was clear that she was terrified. The bright light that showed her demise grew ever closer as the line to her fate grew shorter. "I can go with you, if ya want..." Cloudy had offered as she entered the testing room. "My play doesn't start until an hour from now, so I really can stay..." "No." Violet had regretfully insisted. "You need to get there early to scope out the competition." And to be the first in line... Violet added silently. She had seen those judge ponies enter the auditorium, and she recognized them as the type to bore easily. Cloudy had to be one of the first in line, her acceptance in the school depended on it. "If... if you say so..." Cloudy had then wandered off, leaving Violet shaking in her place. As the ponies in front of her slowly made there way into the testing room, the cold feeling in her stomach grew more intense and turned her stomach acid into a cold slush. Bright lights, magical pops, and trails of smoke crawled out of bottom of the door. A few unicorns came out with smiles, filled to the brim with confidence. But more often then not, a sad filly or colt would sulk out of the room, their hooves seemingly heavy with the stones of their failure. Violet's ears twitched behind her. "I heard that the judges are really tough this year!" A young unicorn filly whispered. The colt next to her gasped in shock. "Like, after the 'Sparkle' incident, they really had to intensify everything to make sure nopony got hurt... or turned into plants." Though the colt next to her snorted at the last comment, Violet felt the sickening feeling of dread fill her veins. The line kept getting shorter. One painful step at a time. "Violet Lace!" A voice called from the cold room. "Violet Lace!" Violet swallowed her fear and puffed out her chest. Her shawl clung onto the wind behind her as she walked into the room. However, as soon as she fell victim to the rooms harsh lighting, cold temperature, and sharp edges, the fear grew deeply rooted in her stomach. "You can start whenever you're ready, miss Lace." A stallion said. He had a highly pronounced mustache, and his tie seemed to be a solid slab of red stone. Violet heard the words 'Start soon, or you'll fail.' instead of what was actually said. "U-um..." Violet stuttered. "Okay..." She glanced at the book that was tied to her back. It was the moonstone book. She took it upon herself to skim over a few pages while at the beach, but the strange handwriting and incomprehensible symbols made her head ache. But still, it was the only thing she had. Her typical levitation wasn't anywhere close to amazing, and the other spell books proved to be rather useless. Determined to learn at least one spell before today, she forced herself to practice the first spell on the first page. A memory spell. It seemed to work, what with Cloudy suddenly remembering whether or not she brushed her teeth on the Tuesday of five weeks ago (she did, thank Celestia!), but Violet still had doubts on whether or not it was the spell, or just simply Cloudy's personality. Lifting the book out of it's bag, she opened the cover at looked at the now familiar spell. She focused on one of the three judges in front of her. An old mare, with wrinkles and a silver-white mane. Her eyes were cold and hard, like gray stones, and her lips showed a permanent look of disdain. Violet knew that she couldn't just make her remember a random day from a random week. She had to make it big, and noticeable. Violet felt her magic reach her horn, all the way from the depths of her heart. It popped and fizzed and bubbled. Her chest started to burn as she forgot how to breathe, and her head started to ache from the strain. She forced herself to keep pushing. Nopony died from overusing magic... right? Suddenly, right as she was at her limit, something in Violet's mind clicked. It was like a door was open, and suddenly all of the magic in her being was unleashed upon the world. The pain in her head grew, but her body seemed separate from the pain. There was a loud sound, like that of a piece of fabric being ripped, that echoed and bounced along the room's walls and marble ceiling. The chandelier shook, and a few of the chairs that sat underneath the tables were nudged away from Violet ever so slightly. Violet opened her now pain riddled eyes to see a sight that she never thought she'd see. A white light, like that of moonlight, streaked down the center of the room. She and the judges watched in awe as the light separated into two beams, and pulled themselves apart like curtains. But, instead of seeing the judge ponies on the other side like she was expecting, she saw a different scene. A wedding scene. There was a mare, with bright blue eyes and a pretty copper mane. Her muzzle was small and her lips were freshly glossed. White roses were interwoven into her mane, which was intricately braided and lightly covered with a veil. The dress she wore was hideous, with puffy sleeves and an overuse of tool and flowers. But she was happy. The happiest Violet had ever seen a pony. She and the judges watched the ceremony take place. They watched the bride get walked down the isle, the vows be said, and the rings be placed. They watched the kiss and the dance and the tears. It was beautiful, even the harshest of judge ponies would agree to that. Once the scene ended, the white light faded away. Violet watched, the fear finding its way back into her heart, as the judge ponies sat unblinking at the air in front of them. Violet shrunk, trying to get as close to the ground as possible. She curled her muzzle into her knees, and wrapped her tail around her front hooves. She heard hoofsteps, and looked up to see the old mare, crying. Violet realized that her eyes weren't grey, but a blue that had faded over time. The mare let out a shuddering sigh. "You passed." She said. Violet was silent, unable to process what was said. It wasn't until the mare helped her to her hooves did the words finally reach her mind. "I... passed." She said to herself. "You passed." The mare repeated. "And as much as I would like you to stay in our company, you must leave." She smiled at Violet then, reminding Violet of the fact that she was indeed the mare from the wedding scene. Violet quickly scuttled out of the room. She couldn't remember how she got to the entryway, but she was quickly forced back into reality as she rammed into another ponies chest. "Ooof!" She landed on her rear with a painful thud. The pony in front of her let out a startled gasp, and too landed harshly on the polished ground. "Terribly sorry about that!" The mare shouted quickly. She had a thick accent, as though she came from somewhere down south. Her voice screamed of the ocean, and the intense wave of vanilla and coconut that Violet faced after the aforementioned collision told her that her assumption was correct. Violet shook her head, trying to disperse the last of the cobwebs. She saw the mare, eagerly searching for something on the ground. She had a bright white mane. It was so unnaturally bright, that Violet almost had to shield her aching eyes away as the sun reflected off of it. Her coat was a bright orange, and her eyes were the deepest navy she had ever seen. "Oh!" The mare sighed. "Where is that gosh darn thing?" She kept fiddling, eagerly scanning the ground for some unnamed object. She kept mumbling to herself. "Five years. Five years! Hardly any time at all! Certainly not enough time to be dealing with this!" Suddenly, she looked up, her navy eyes found Violet's. "Oh, and again, sorry! As you can probably see, I'm in a bit of a rush." "It's... not a problem." Violet kept staring at the strange mare. She watched, her eyebrow quirking higher, as the strange mare reached into her bright white mane and pulled out a piece of paper. "Hmm..." She seemed to think to herself for a second. "Ah, never mind then." She looked towards Violet again. "I forgot the pathway, a few minutes behind, nothing more. Everything is right on track. Should be happening in ten seconds or so. See you on the other side, little moonstone." Her words came out rapidly, as though it were common logic that didn't need to be said at all and was simply taking up time and space. Violet couldn't process what she said. "What?" She tilted her head. "I'm sorry, but I-" "Well, I'll be off then." The mare quickly started to trot down the hall. When Violet turned her head to watch her go, her eye caught something gleaming in the sunlight. She looked closer, and saw that it was a pretty silver pocket watch. Rather bland as far as design went, it held a gentle simplicity that Violet could admire. "Miss?" Violet called. The mare turned back with an odd look on her face. It almost looked... smug. "I'm afraid I was a few seconds off, Violet." She said. Violet's ears perked at the sound of her name. Did she introduce herself already? "But don't worry, it's just a little skip is all. A cheat code. Skipping the tutorial to get to the boss, you see." "Wh..." The mare was speaking some sort of gibberish to her. "What? Um... is this what you were looking for? Your pocket w-" When Violet reached for the accessory, there was a pop, and a bright flash of light. Before Violet could process the feeling of fear, she felt her entire body being stretched and contorted. She felt her muscles pop and her mane and tail be pulled at there bases. Her entire body was thrown into some sort of abyss, and she wasn't even able to feel afraid. ... Violet ran. She ran and ran and ran. Her hooves pounded on bright white marble-link flooring, and a harsh light pounded her the sky. Everything was highlighted. The split ends in her mane, the sweat that slowly crawled out of her coat as she ran, her cracked and peeling lips from a lack of hydration. Everything. Suddenly, before her, a deafening crack sounded. It caused her bones to vibrate, it was so loud. The ground opened up, and a black abyss blocked her path. She stopped running, and skidded roughly to a stop. She looked down, and felt her stomach drop as she couldn't see the bottom of the dark pit. A cold wind resonated from it, blowing her mane back and causing a horrid chill to travel down her spine. "The fact that I have to break the earth to get to you, shows dedication." Violet spun around. She saw the same pony that she always saw but could never remember. Her memories slowly started to fill her mind, like a faucet finally being turned on. They trickled into her head, knocking more and more memories out of place, causing an avalanche. "Scarlet Ruby..." Violet swallowed. She didn't look any different than how she always looked. Her dark gray coat was the color of wet ashes, and her greasy red mane was the color of curdled blood. Her face was thin and pretty, and her teeth were a bright white that glowed against her dark coat. The ruby around her neck had changed, having jagged shards poking out in random directions. Scarlet's eyes had grown darker. Her mane and tail were wild, tangled nests. She raised her hoof to her chest, giving her an expression of mock appreciation. "You remember me?" She said this every time Violet's memories were recovered. It had become their routine. "We see each other every day. If anything, you should be the one who is forgotten." She took a step towards Violet. Violet, reacting on instinct, took a step back. She heard the gentle sound of pebbles falling and bouncing against the abyss walls. She was stuck, and couldn't go anywhere. "Four years... we've been doing this for four years..." Scarlet hissed. She flashed a crazed smile. "My power has never been matched, now or back then." Suddenly, her face contorted into a hideous sneer. "How do you keep beating me?!" Red gemstones sprouted out of the ground by her feet. The kept growing higher, curling in Violet's direction like a sinister snake. They were sharp, and the harsh light glistened off them, making them nearly blinding. "Not this time..." Scarlet started to laugh. "I will win!" The crystals started to strike. They were actual snakes. Violet screamed, scared of the pain that would sprout as the gems pierced her chest. But they didn't. Instead, there was a gentle clink. Violet looked down to see the two sharp points of the gems touching a silver watch that hung around her neck. Where did that come from? She felt the soft pressure of the gems, barely pushing the watch into her chest. Black flowers started to grow beneath her hooves. Large roses and soft, felt like leaves caressed her lovingly. "How dare you...." A voice whispered in her ear. She felt a warmth in her stomach, and a blush rise to her cheeks. It was subconscious, she couldn't control the feeling of embarrassment that caused her throat to tighten. She felt as though she shouldn't have been there. She was warned about this wasn't she? She could vaguely remember a voice telling her that she shouldn't have come here... The more she thought about it, the more prominent a vision of dark eyes was unveiled in her mind. Tiny flecks of gold dotted his irises, along with a heavy set of lashes and a near permanent expression of seduction. "My little moon fairy..." The voice continued to whisper. "You never listen." Scarlet was gone. Her gems were gone. Violet was alone, with a warm feeling in her chest, and a voice. The roses continued to grow around her, gently tickling her with their leaves and petals. "Do you like the flowers I grew for you?" The voice asked. "You always ask that question..." She remembered. They were following a script. Her nightmares always ended like this. "You never answer me." The voice said. Violet closed her eyes. She felt a presence in front of her. His muzzle was in front of hers. She felt his breath. It was hot, and it was almost painful to not lean forward. He moved away, and Violet felt disappointed. "We have one year... before we get to see each other again." He said. Violet opened her eyes, only to see an empty room. It was an apartment, with a granite bar and black leather bar stools. A plush black carpet and matching leather couch. There was a hallway, leading presumably to a bedroom and other necessities. The rest of the room was decorated with silver and chrome. Appliances were shiny and new. The most modern and high-tech of devices were displayed. Even with the harsh exterior, Violet felt a warm familiarity. Two of the seats at the bar were more compressed than the others, reminding her of nights that were filled with wit and conversation. The same thing for the corner of the couch, reminding her of movie nights and... just nights... alone, together. "You're filling my head with fake memories again, aren't you?" She asked, walking to the couch. She felt the leather with her hoof. It was warm. "It makes you feel better, doesn't it?" The voice seemed legitimately perplexed. "I want you feel better." "But they're fake. I'm going to forget them...and you don't even know me yet." She sat down on the couch, letting her body sink into the cushions. She looked at the coffee table, noting a stain where she didn't use a coaster. "I will always know you... and remember you." His voice turned into a low mumble. He was right next to her, whispering into her ear again. She felt his breath on her cheek. "In your way..." She closed her eyes and turned towards him. She heard him suck in a breath. "But not the necessary way. Wouldn't you rather this all be real?" A feeling of intense heat sprouted in her cheek. I was like a tiny drop of sunlight landed on her face and showered her with warmth. A kiss of agreement. "You know what to do?" He asked. She nodded. She filled her lungs with air and released a loud, bloodcurdling scream. It had to be loud. "Goodbye... moon fey." ... "Oh, wow. That one sounded like a doozy!" Violet's head shot off her pillow. Long tangles of silver gray mane pooled at her sides and down her back. Sweat made her back sticky. The heavy feeling of harsh night's sleep made her face feel hot and fuzzy. She groaned, her back legs were completely ensnared in her tail, and her worn lace bed sheets didn't help the matter whatsoever. Her long, gangly limbs gently tried to free her other gangly limbs without pain. It didn't work. "You okay?" Cloudy asked, getting out of her bed to help. "You screamed this time. Scared the sunlight out of me!" She got Violet's left leg free. "I don't remember." She sighed, finally free from her own trap. "I never remember." "Hmm." Cloudy hummed in agreement. Everything they said was scripted, but with meaning. Many mornings they had woken up like this, and they always said the same thing as though assuming that the answers would be different. They never were, but that didn't diminish the sincerity. Cloudy helped her out of bed. "What was that? Who screamed?" Their mother quickly exploded into the room, a frying pan firmly grasped in one hoof. Her bedraggled mane and dirty apron told them that she just woke up and was about to prepare breakfast. Her gold mane was slightly streaked with faint lines of silver. Gentle crinkles and creases showed the natural happiness that reflected in her bright eyes. "Violet." Cloudy answered, eagerly raking her hooves through her shoulder length mane. It looked like a gold and peach colored bird's nest. Her mother looked at Violet worriedly. "Did you have another nightmare, sweetie?" She asked, smoothing out Violet's mane. "Oh dear... has the counselor said anything? Do you remember anything?" Violet shook her head. "No more than he already says... and no. I don't." She shrugged casually. She let her mother braid her long mane, knowing that it relieved the stress that she felt on mornings like this. She had gone to the school's counselor for four years now, and there hadn't been any difference in the amount of nightmares. Cloudy had accepted the fact that her sister wasn't the greatest roommate, but looked on the bright side and considered Violet her 'alarm pony'. Their mother, on the other hoof, had a harder time admitting that her adopted daughter was okay with being plagued with nightmares that she could never remember. "Alright..." She said, kissing Violet on the forehead. She had to stretch to reach. "Pancakes will be ready in a few minutes." She turned towards the door before calling out. "And wake up your father, okay? He had a long night." "Okay, mom." Violet said. She pulled the rest of her tail from underneath her bed sheets. She flashed her a smile before she left. "Hmmm..." Cloudy stood in their bathroom, looking at her appearance. "I'm thinking about growing my mane out again, like when we were fillies." She gathered her mane into an imitation of a ponytail, and shook her head and wrinkled her nose in disapproval. Though her mane still fell down in gold and sunlight inspired locks, it definitely had gotten shorter over the years. Now, it barely brushed against her shoulders, and was normally flat ironed into a very chic bob. "You should let it curl today." Violet suggested. She walked till she sat next to her sister, and started fixing her mane as well. "You look like a fairy when you do that." "You have a fairy fetish, Vi." Cloudy said. She snickered. "You trying to get me alone? Was that your plan for the past four and a half years? Gotta give you points for dedication." "Shut up." Violet pushed her shoulder. She let out a squeak, but Cloudy didn't fall. There was a moment of silence. Violet could tell Cloudy was considering her suggestion. "I'm not joking. I think you look very pretty when you wear your mane like that." "Yeah... I guess it would be nice to let in go natural for a day." She brushed out her mane with a pick comb, and gently sprayed it with conditioner. "You want me to help with yours, since I have the time?" "Um... yeah." All of the magic in the world couldn't help her keep her mane in check. Locks of her mane, separated to be straightened, were splayed all around her head. Cloudy quickly took half, keeping them neatly separated in her hooves. One by one, each lock was straightened. The end result was Violet's mane looking like a solid wall of silver. "Beautiful." Cloudy said. "Anti-social, awkward, and possibly crazy, but beautiful" "Thanks." Violet said in return. She flashed her a small smile. "Girls!" A voice called from down stairs. "You need to eat your breakfast before you two head off to school!" "Remember the days when she used to bring the food up to us, with a pink and white polka dotted apron, and said food was a delicious cherry pie?" Cloudy asked as they quickly scrambled to put everything away. "No." Violet said, placing the last bottle of product in their cabinet. "Me neither." Cloudy started to sprint out the door. "Race you down!"