Chapter edited by: Brickbrock24
Quick puffs of air came heavily out of Glimmer's mouth. Her heart was pumping at a rate of one hundred per minute. The thickening clouds limited her vision to see only a few inches in front of her. Glimmer raised her ear to listen to the Shadowbolts she had managed to elude. She could only make out a few words from their mumblings, but it was enough to get the basic gist of what they were talking about.
"...Freaking kidding...right now!” one of the stallions growled, “How the heck did we screw this up?! ...Pool of gold coins when we get back to the fortress!”
"...Mean ‘we?!’” said his partner, “You’re the one who looked out the window..."
"...Nightglimmer is down on the surface somewhere. We must report this to Lady..."
“...Agreed!"
“...Yeah! I’m super excited!"
After a few minutes, silence filled the clouds, Glimmer popped her head out to insure that the minions had fled.
I can't stay here, not after what just happened. She wants me, but why? Glimmer thought anxiously. She had flown farther away from the Academy than planned and decided that the best course of action would be to continue on her journey of safety. I must find my father. I know he can help me! Glimmer nodded at her impromptu plan of action and zoomed out of the clouds. She headed towards Manehattan, her home.
After the many hours of flight, Glimmer tried stopping for rest. In her mind, she thought the distance from Cloudsdale to Manehattan was a hop, skip, and a jump away. But in reality, Glimmer realized she was biting off more than she could chew trying to fly such a long journey. Her wings grew tired after the hours of flying non-stop. As every flap gradually became harder to control, Glimmer slowly began to lose altitude. Eventually, her wings just couldn’t take anymore punishment and gave way. Glimmer plummeted down to the ground like an airmail package and blacked out mere seconds after landing.
"Daddy, Daddy! Look what I found!" Filly Glimmer shouted as she ran over to her father's side. Luscious green grass tickled her hooves as she ran to the front of their house.
"What do we have here? A dream daisy?" Thunder Skies asked.
"Yeah! Isn't it pretty?" Glimmer stared longingly at the light blue flower. Its petals were so fragile they could slip away if she were to even so much as breathe on it. "Let's make a wish," she said eagerly.
"Okay, what do you want to wish for?" Thunder Skies asked his daughter. His eyes sparkled in anticipation to what the little filly’s imagination could produce.
"Um, I don't know." Glimmer stood there, brainstorming for an idea. Her wish then popped into her mind and she turned to her father and said, "I-I wish for Mom to come back." The filly opened her eyes and saw her father's expression of surprise.
"Glimmer, I told you, she's on a very, very long-” Thunder Skies hesitated for minute, trying to find the appropriate word to finish his sentence, “-...mission." Thunder Skies could feel tears beginning to well up in his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away before his daughter could spot them.
"But she has been gone for almost a month now. Where could she have gone?" Glimmer asked.
"I-I don't know." Her father broke away from the silent conversation and stared at the ground.
"Okay, then I wish that we will forever live happily ever after just like in the story books." Glimmer glanced at her father again. He smiled, and so did the filly. Glimmer breathed in a large gulp of air and blew it on the small flower. The petals instantly detached from the middle and sailed into the sky, carried by the wind. Glimmer and her father watch the petals scatter into the sky until they were all out of sight.
"Glimmer? I love you."
"I love you too."
Glimmer's past memory slowly faded away with each blink as she opened her eyes. The sun had set and now the moon was out. The moon may have been full, but Luna’s Light only barely helped Glimmer regain her bearings and assess her situation. A forest of tall trees surrounded her, shrouding the area in a cloak of eerie darkness. Glimmer got up and felt the extreme burning pain that radiated from her wings after flying for so long. She folded them up to her side and started to walk. Not a sound was present. No living creature stirred.
Glimmer's heartbeat began to hasten as she started to wander around. She was ground bound, and there was nothing she could do about it. Glimmer's ears perked up when she heard rustling in the darkness in front of her. Anxiously, Glimmer looked around and tiptoed forward. Her heart pounded in her chest like a savage creature banging the bars of a cage. Beads of sweat began to form on her head, which then trickled down her face. Her legs felt like they were made of jelly as each step she took was more like a wobble. Glimmer was sure somepony was following her. It was possible that it could have been those two goons sent by her mother earlier. The rustling sounds continued. Glimmer stared at the source of the noise, her ears twitching, waiting for any movement. There were other sounds besides the rustling.
"W-who's there?" Glimmer barely said in a whisper. In a matter of seconds, a bunny popped out from the bushes, he sniffed around then hopped back into the underbrush. Glimmer breathed a sigh of relief.
"What are you still standing outside there for? I told you to come in!” said Nightshade when she saw the two anxious looking Shadowbolt soldiers dawdling outside the throne room. “Did you two accomplish your task and retrieve my daughter from the clutches of those putrid Wonderbolts?”
"Well, we have some bad news," one of the minions said slowly, feeling like she was tickling a sleeping dragon’s tail as she spoke to her master. Nightshade's eyebrow raised then she sighed.
"Go on, tell me."
"Mistress?" The two minions said together. Both were astonished of Nightshade's calm reaction. "Uh, we were unable to capture her."
"I see," Nightshade said as she checked her hooves, "I really must be losing my touch when it comes to creating powerful warriors. Why can’t you bumbling pawns be more like Darkflight and actually accomplish the tasks I give you?”
"We apologize, Lady Nightshade. We tried to catch her, but she got away! She flies at the speed of sound!"
Always like her father, Nightshade thought. “By the way, what happened to your nose, corporal?” asked Nightshade as she took notice of the Shadowbolt’s disjointed, bruised nose.
“Oh um… I, uh, got into a tangle with a Wonderbolt on the way back here.” The two Shadowbolts were careful not to mention that Nightglimmer’s escape was partially their fault. If Lady Nightshade knew of such an act of stupidity, the two minions feared she would probably use her magic to blow them to smithereens.
"AHHHHHHH!" Nightshade suddenly shouted in pain. She threw her arms up to her head, which was pounding like crazy.
What is going on? Nightshade could barely think. When she closed her eyes, she could see brief visions of the past. Staring down at Thunder Skies after asking him to come rule Equestria with her. The terrified expression on his face surprised Nightshade. The two minions looked petrified watching their mistress scream in pain.
"Don't just stand there! Get help!" Nightshade barely got out of her mouth. Both of the Shadowbolts nodded and rushed out of the throne room.
Why is this happening now? I had my memories blocked! Nightshade knew that if she ever remembered her family again, her formidable dark powers would surely weaken. After minutes of enduring the intense pain, Nightshade couldn't bare it any longer and blacked out.
"Come with me! Let's start a new life. One with a purpose! We can be a family together."
"Cloud Dancer, I'm sorry, but I can't. I have a job and a daughter to take care of if you will not take the responsibility of protecting her." Cloud Dancer turned grim, her expression saddened. Nothing could fill a hole of betrayal faster than hate. A rush of adrenaline coursed through her. She could feel it taking control of her emotions. If the love of her life didn't want to go with her, then she would just have to continue the journey on her own.
"I never want to see you again! You betrayed me!" Cloud Dancer shouted "I thought you would love me enough to stay with me forever, but I was a wrong!" In a matter of seconds tears flooded endlessly down her cheeks. Cloud Dancer turned and flew out of the house, never to return to her old life again.