Line Space facing the Mirrored Foe

by Line Space

Chapter 4: Worry

Chapter 4: Worry

The young unicorn was panicking. Her friend had been so badly hurt and then when she found her, the attacker was nowhere to be found. Even Angel, Fluttershy’s faithful if not also sadistic bunny, had disappeared. To make matters worse she couldn’t figure out what to do to help her so she had run to the library hoping to find an answer there.

“Oh, what a day for this to happen. Her dress fitting was today,” Rarity cried out to Twilight as she ran around the library and acted as distressed as possible. This was beginning to annoy Twilight but she accepted it patiently. Rarity was scared for Fluttershy and as the one who had found her felt responsible for her safety. Of course, all the noise was making it hard to care for Fluttershy’s wounds.

Almost as though in reaction to her thoughts, Fluttershy whimpered in pain just beside Twilight’s hooves. Twilight immediately turned her eyes back to her friend and Rarity, noticing the sudden movement came running over. Twilight lowered her head and sighed. She was beginning to feel exhausted by Fluttershy whimpering in her sleep. It just sounded too much like when she was awake. She bit her lip as she looked at all the bandages she had put onto Fluttershy. It was unbelievable to think that somepony could be so cruel as to hurt Fluttershy so much.

“When I find who did, oooohh, they are going to pay,” Rarity said as she paced back away, not being able to bear the sight of her shy friend. Twilight looked to her and decided that she had done what she could and it was time to get to finding this criminal.

“So Rarity, did she say anything to you before you got here? Anything she might have said could help us find her attacker,” Twilight said an edge of anger creeping into her voice. Rarity took a step back at how serious and dark Twilight’s expression had become. Rarity had never thought about it before but this was probably the first time one of Twilight’s friends had been seriously hurt.

“Welllll, she did say something but it doesn’t make much sense,” Rarity said putting a hoof to her chin in thought. Twilight leaned forward expectantly and Rarity smiled at the new expression of impatience on Twilight’s face. Right before Twilight demanded her to continue Rarity said,”something about a red pen.”

Twilights jaw dropped and she started trying to figure out what in the world a red pen could have to do with what happened to Fluttershy. She felt like she should know something about this. She used pens all the time, especially red pens for correcting things. Yet she just couldn’t figure out how one could use it to hurt somepony like Fluttershy had been. She was so deep in her thoughts that she barely heard Spike as he began to talk.

“What if it’s a name,” Spike questioned a look on his face. It was obvious he was trying to remember something.

“Now Spikey Wikey what kind of name is Red Pen,” Rarity asked walking closer to Spike.

“Twilight had me sorting through old newspapers that had been stored in the library and there was one from a few years before we came that had Red Pen in capital letters.”

“What was the article about Spike? What kind of things did it say,” Twilight rushed out running from Fluttershy’s side and grabbing ahold of Spike. He lifted her hooves of his shoulders and she let herself be put on the ground. The intensity with which she had asked made him very uncomfortable with the answer he had for her.

“Well, ummm, I can’t quite remember. I can probably go find the article though and that should be able to help us.”

Rarity intervened before Twilight’s panic led her to make a mistake saying,”How about you let him go find the article and I’ll go get some nurses and doctors from the hospital. And, Twilight.” Twilight looked up at the unfinished sentence and saw the worry in Rarities eyes. “Try to calm down. This Red Pen fellow won’t get away with whatever he’s done to our friend.” Rarity nuzzled her friends muzzle and then ran off through the door. Twilight went back over to Fluttershy and went back to keeping her eye on Fluttershy.

“Ah hem.”

Twilight jumped out of her seat and spun around her horn lit up with magic her eyes glaring. Upon seeing a blue colt with a large bruise over one eye, she quickly began to blush and stammer out an apology.

“Uhmm, I’m so sorr.., I thought you were, I mean, I was about, oh my goodness,” Twilight stammered out. The colt, who was of about average build and had read and orange in his mane, smiled at her and chuckled a little bit.

“That was quite the reaction Twilight Sparkle,” he said, his voice showing his amusement but also had an edge of pain and weariness in it. “ I doubt we’ve met before, my name is Line Space and I figured you might be able to help me with something.” He turned his head left and right as he spoke and then he began to trot around the libraries main hall. It seemed like he was looking for something.

“I’m sorry but I’m kind of busy right now. If you need a book please come back another time. I need to take care of my friend,” Twilight said. She felt a need to get him out. Whether that was because of embarrassment, her protectiveness of Fluttershy, or her current mistrust of strangers was not something she could piece together. Then she realized something else. “How do you know my name? We’ve never met before.”

“Your kind of famous Twilight,” Line Space responded a forced laugh coming out this time. He looked around one last time before muttering so low that Twilight barely heard it,” There don’t seem to be any camera’s here.”

Before she could respond, Twilight heard Fluttershy whimper again. Just before she turned her head she saw in her peripherals that his head had snapped up at the noise. Twilight walked over to Fluttershy and brushed some of her hair out of her face. She heard Line Space come over slowly and as he drew near to her she gasped. His eyes were filled with an unbelievable amount of pain in those eyes.

“I came hoping you could help me stop this from happening. I’m sorry I got here too late. I am so sorry.” His voice broke as he finished this he raised his hoof to his head and grunted in pain as he touched the still fresh bruise that lay there. Twilight found that her curiosity and sympathy beat out any mistrust she had felt earlier. She put a hoof gently on his side.

“Do you know who did this?” He nodded. “Was it this Red Pen guy?” Another nod. Twilight finally asked a question she was afraid would cause him a lot of pain. “Who is he?”

Line Space raised his head and breathed a ragged breath. This was obviously not easy for him. “Twilight. There is no such thing as curse. But what about a spell that never breaks. A spell that gives someone an ailment that nothing can cure. A spell that no proper magic could break. One that tormented a poor soul for the rest of his life. What would you call such a thing?”

“Well. I don’t know. I just don’t know what to say about that. I’ve never heard of a magic like that,” Twilight said wondering just what it is he could be saying and what it could mean.

Line Space looked at her and the look of sadness, guilt, and fear made her step back. His look had the same effect that Twilight’s intensity had on her friends earlier. This time though there was nothing Twilight could say that felt right. She was frozen kept in anticipation of why those eyes were so dark and sad.

“Red Pen is my curse and I am the one who set him free. I am the reason Fluttershy got hurt.”