Guilt and Hate

by Mindblower

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

*******

Twilight, instead of jolting ‘awake’ like she usually did when she entered her dream dimension, realized she was drifting down rapidly through an ocean of gray space. She slowed her decent and waited patiently for her consciousness to fully enter the dream. It was a slow process, taking usually a minute or two to finalize, but otherwise her thoughts would wander and drift away uncontrollably. Staying awake was hard enough without having to actually think.

Once she had gathered herself, though, she looked around for Verba. He wasn’t present, which was odd, for he usually greeted her just as she entered his realm. She also noticed that the gray space was slightly darker and more shifting, as if the dimension was more dynamic than usual, though there didn’t seem to be any signs of fragility or instability.

“Hmph. About time,” a voice said.

Twilight spun around, shocked to see Guilt standing behind her. He was still occupying his twisted version of Big Macintosh’s body, and he didn’t look pleased. Then again, Guilt never looks pleased, Twilight thought grimly. “How are you in my dream?” she asked. She paused for a moment, then asked, “And... how can you talk?”

Guilt snorted. “First of all, this isn’t your dream. I dragged you into my mind for the night because yours is a complete and utter mess.” Before she could interrupt him, he continued: “And, for the record, this is a dream, Twilight. I can do most anything, and so can you.”

“So I could kill you?” Twilight asked harshly.

Guilt laughed. “I dare you to try,” he said, his tone as cold as Twilight’s.

Twilight backed down. “S-Sorry,” she stammered.

“Oh, think nothing of it. You have every right to want to murder me. This is neither the time nor the place, though,” Guilt stated.

“So why did you take me into your dream?” Twilight asked. “And how?”

“The ‘why’ is... rather complicated, as is the ‘how,’” Guilt began. “Why I brought you here is because your mind is unstable. Somepony is attempting to take it over, and they succeeded for a few minutes yesterday, which is why I took it upon myself to hide you for the night.”

“‘Hide’ me?” Twilight asked.

“Whatever foe is after you seeks either to control you or to destroy you. For the time being, I have wrapped my soul around yours, sort of like a blanket,” Guilt explained. “You are invisible until I release you back into your own body.”

“So you mean that conversation Applejack and I had with Indicina?” Twilight asked, shaking her head. “Wait... back up. How do I know you didn’t do all that?”

Guilt laughed again, and Twilight was starting to get irritated. Does he think I’m a foal? Well... I guess I probably am, compared to him, but he still doesn’t have to treat me like one.

Guilt’s laugh dropped to a chuckle, but the notion still seemed to genuinely entertain him. “Didn’t you sense her aura?”

“Indicina’s? You mean that creepy, static-y feel? A little, but... it didn’t tell me anything,” Twilight growled defensively. “Guilt, I don’t deserved to be treated like I’m an idiot just because I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Guilt said, his speech dripping with sarcasm. “And I suppose you think I do? I’m just another pawn that’s being played. But I sure know much more about being an Element of Magic than you seem to.” He ran a hoof through his mane as he prepared to explain the term ‘aura’ to her. “Essentially, auras are runoff energy flowing off of any and all ponies. It more or less a byproduct of living; it’s the fire that burns in our bodies. Elements, and sometimes powerful magicians, have the ability to detect them, sometimes to a very strong degree if the aura is from a strong pony. If I were to sit next to you casually, for instance, you would be repelled simply because of my nature, and vice versa, akin to like-charge magnets.”

“...Okay, I think I understand,” Twilight said. “So Indicina’s aura is particularly strong?”

“Well... yes and no. Her aura is definitely strong, but it’s being covered up by the aura you described as ‘static-y.’ It’s not her true aura, but it’s still enormously powerful,” Guilt explained. “That aside, how I brought you here was another matter entirely. Your consciousness wasn’t mixing with your mind very properly at the time, no doubt due to this ‘Indicina’ figure-”

“You know her?” Twilight interrupted.

Guilt tossed her an irritated glance. “I was speaking. ...Yes, I do know her, but... the implications of her presence are troubling, and if I told you too much about her now, I could be feeding you false information. It’s best I dwell over it alone until I have a better understanding of her nature. I can tell you, though, that the Indicina I know was around back when I was a foal. She dates back to the inception of the Elements. I do not know much more than that at the moment... though I do have some hypotheses.”

As old as the Elements... Just what are we up against? Twilight absently wondered. “Thank you. Go on, please.”

Guilt nodded. “While your mind was unstable, there was a chance it could collapse completely, rendering you permanently comatose. I simply lifted your mind out of your body temporarily when I believed you were being attacked, and I shall return it after this conversation in the hopes that the situation may have calmed down. A few minutes spent in a dream can be hours on the outside, and I do not think Indicina would have wasted time dallying in Luna’s stronghold.”

“...So do I owe you a ‘thank-you’ or something?” Twilight asked.

“Your thanks would be best expressed through you putting a good word in for me when I am unable. I have done much for you in these short few days, Twilight, and I have plans to do much more, but I cannot help you unless I am released from prison peacefully,” Guilt stated.

“...I guess I could do that,” Twilight mused. He’s done so much wrong, but... I still don’t know why. He said it’s for his brother, but that’s too vague. I need to know his motivation for doing all of this, his purpose. Without knowing that, I’ll never be able to convince the others. “Hey, Guilt? I have a question.”

A low thunder rumbled through the realm. Guilt glanced upward for a moment before refocusing his gaze on Twilight. “Hurry, for we have little time left.”

“Why do you want to help us? Why are you helping your arch enemies?” Twilight asked.

“...I still believe there is a chance I can find my brother. He is with you, somewhere, and I am determined to find out where,” Guilt eventually said. “I told you the tides have shifted, Twilight, and the future is uncertain for all of us. Throughout all our time together, Hate has expressed a desire to right the wrongs of his past, though I never had much wish or reason to do so. I believe I owe him for remaining with me throughout the war when he may not have been sure whose side he was truly on. He isn’t very consistent at times, of course... but his heart has always been in the right place. So when he wakes, I will continue to follow him, silently, as I always have... whether that means I walk toward the dusk, or the dawn.”

Twilight exhaled, her eyes wide. “Wow... It shouldn’t be hard to convince them now.”

Guilt laughed for the third time, but his laughter was full and jovial, not tinged with malice like it almost always was. “Oh, come now, I had rehearsed that!” he stated truthfully.

Twilight laughed for a moment, too, before realising what Guilt had done to her and her friends. He sounds like he wants to help us... but how can I know if he’s really on our side? How can I prove to the others that his love for his brother overpowers his love for pain? How can I know if he’s really... She shook her head. Her thoughts were getting fuzzy, and her mind seemed to be drifting somewhere it hadn’t been for a long time. ...the way he was before?

Then, as slowly as it had started, Twilight felt the dream fading away. By the time she thought to reach for it, to somehow claw her way back into her shared laughter with one of the most dangerous and infamous ponies in Equestria, she was already waking.

=====================================================================

*******

Twilight blinked. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and getting the sand out of them before looking around.

She was still in the hospital, but this time, she was in a different section of the building. To her right, there was a wall-to-ceiling window, and it displayed Fillydelphia in all its splendor. Scaffolding hung from damaged buildings, and broken windows on various skyscrapers were in the process of replacement. Other than that, Twilight’s new room was nearly identical to her first one. Its walls were a pale shade of blue, and its floor was made of a smooth, marble tile. The rays of the setting sun were falling over the city, and they cast a pretty glow on the hospital room.

Twilight tried to move, but she realized that she was just as weak as, if not weaker than, before. A tube was connected on the inside of her foreleg, probably life support. To her right, Twilight saw Applejack lying on her back in an adjacent bed with a similar setup. She was snoring peacefully.

Why would I need life support? Twilight asked herself. Am I really that unstable? Guilt said my mind was being torn apart, but I don’t even know what that means, really.

A small ‘Bleep. Bleep. Bleep,’ sound came from the machine next to her. After a moment or two, a doctor rushed in, as did Rarity.

“Goodness! Twilight, are you alright?” Rarity asked. She had dark circles under her eyes, but her mane was perfectly kept, as usual. In fact, aside from her eyes showing obvious signs of weariness, Rarity almost looked too good, as if she had been working on her appearance most of the night.

The doctor gave Twilight instructions, most of which only required a small amount of effort to complete. Move this leg, move that leg, look to the left, follow the light, and say ‘Ahh’ were directions Twilight followed without complaint, though she felt fine, something she was sure to stress to the doctor.

“Why was I hooked up to all this, Doctor?” Twilight asked as he began to disconnect her from the equipment. He had a reddish brown pelt and a mane that had grayed with age, though he still looked fairly young. Spectacles covered his blue eyes.

“You can call me Dr. Knocking,” he said. He motioned for Rarity to have a seat on the sofa at the base of the window. “As for why you’re here, well... I’m not sure, to be quite honest. I’m not the one that hooked you up here, for sure, because as far as I’m concerned, you’re completely healthy. But... that doesn’t mean you looked fine about ten hours ago, or so.”

Twilight glanced at the setting sun, absently wondering if it had been evening when she met Indicina, as well, but she let the thought pass. “Do you know what happened?”

“I was probably with a patient when you were brought here,” Knocking said. “Your friend is here to give you all the details. I was just sent to make sure you’re alright. While you two chat, I’m going to see if I can get in contact with Princess Luna. She looked shaken when she left the hospital, and I think she’d like to know you’re safe and sound.” With a friendly smile, he exited the room.

“He’s a pleasant stallion,” Rarity said, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

“Are you okay, Rarity?” Twilight asked.

“That’s a silly question,” Rarity mumbled, slightly irritated. “After you dropped off the face of Equestria right in front of the Princess, I could barely get a wink of sleep, I was so worried about you. It didn’t help that my bedroom faces west, either, with the blasted sun peeking through my curtains. So no, Twilight, I’m not fine, by any stretch of imagination, and I’m a little angry that I stayed up all night worrying over you when you look like you’re ready to climb Mount Nevercrest all over again.”

“I’m sorry, Rarity, but... I really just don’t know what happened,” Twilight stated truthfully.

“Oh, I know, darling; I’m just not in all that good a mood. I’m sorry if I say anything mean unintentionally,” Rarity said. “It’s just been very difficult the past few days. I thought returning to Fillydelphia would be, at the very least, easi-er than climbing a mountain, but no, the two seem to be about equal in difficulty,” she said bitterly.

Twilight sighed. I feel bad for worrying her so much. Did she really lose all that sleep over just me? “Well, Rarity, if you don’t want to talk, I could just ask Luna when she arrives.”

Rarity chuckled sadly. “The Princess probably won’t be in any better a state than I am, Twilight. According to her, you just fell to the ground in the middle of the conversation. Now, I didn’t see this myself, but... you didn’t close your eyes when you fell unconscious. You just stared at nothing, and you wouldn’t respond to anything the doctors did. Once they cast a spell on you called Anesthesium, though, you closed your eyes and were out like a light. You scared the living daylights out of everypony there when you collapsed. I think you even stopped breathing for a few seconds after the initial attack.”

Twilight swallowed. I feel terrible for putting everypony through that, she thought, her ears folding back against her head. So was that what Guilt meant by somepony trying to take over my mind?

“Well, it wasn’t just you that had an episode, darling,” Rarity said, seeing Twilight’s expression. “Applejack had an attack the same time you did, in fact. She just fell on the ground, kicking and screaming like a maniac. This was just outside the hall where I was visiting Pinkie, but they managed to calm her down slightly by the time I got there. After taking you both to the emergency room, which Applejack was not happy about, for some reason, they sent you both here, and you’ve been asleep ever since.”

Twilight paused. “Wait... I had a dream that Luna froze right in front of me. Then I met you, Pinkie, and Applejack in a hallway. Everypony in the hospital besides us four seemed to just freeze, and the walls and floor didn’t look solid. Pinkie ran off, and you followed her, but Applejack and I went to the lobby of the hotel, where we met somepony called Indicina...” she trailed off. “Did none of that actually happen?”

“Well, I’ve never heard of a pony named Indicina before, but I certainly don’t remember chasing Pinkie anywhere. In fact, I can’t really imagine Pinkie running anywhere right now; she’s been confined to her bed for about two days,” Rarity said, rubbing sleep out of her eyes once more.

“How is she liking it?” Twilight asked.

Rarity thought for a moment. “Well, she’s enjoying it well enough, but... well, I can’t speak for anypony around her,” she said, smiling slightly. “Those poor nurses made the mistake of trying to sedate her. I’m not quite sure what happened, but I’m fairly certain it was the exact opposite of what was intended.”

Twilight giggled. “I can only imagine.” She paused, contemplating the situation. “So... basically, what you’re saying is that I collapsed in front of Luna, and then I was brought here with Applejack, who collapsed around the same time I did?”

Rarity nodded. “Something along those lines, yes.”

So... that must have been when Indicina took over my mind. If it was even Indicina, Twilight pondered. I wonder if Guilt knew about Applejack’s attack. Could somepony be trying to take over both of our minds? Or could it be more than one pony? She shook her head. “I’m sorry for scaring all of you. I actually think I might know what’s going on, at least, a little bit.”

A black chariot shot past the window, rattling the room and threatening to break the windows.

“Well, you’d best explain it to Luna, then,” Rarity said, rubbing her eyes. “I’m in no condition to listen at the moment. I’ll be at my apartment if you need me, Twilight. Luna will give you your new address after she’s sure you’re okay.”

Twilight nodded. “Get some rest, Rarity. You look like you need it, and badly.”

“That’s what I was...” she trailed off, yawning, “...planning on doing anyway. Oh, and Twilight?” she asked as she got up and started toward the exit.

“Yes?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight... please be careful,” Rarity said seriously. “Equestrians aren’t sticking together as well as they used to, and without you...” She shook her head. “Luna will explain more when she arrives.” With that final warning, Rarity departed.

Just a few moments later, Luna was rushing into Twilight’s room. She looked the same as yesterday, but her pelt was an even paler blue, as if her magic had been further drained. “Twilight! Are-”

“Yes, I’m fine, I’m fine,” Twilight interjected, stepping out of bed to greet the moon goddess, “but... are you alright, Princess?”

Luna rubbed her eyes. “Oh, I was so worried about you, Twilight. Did Rarity explain what happened?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, she did. I’m sorry I gave you such a scare.”

Luna sighed. “It wasn’t just Rarity and I you scared. The situation’s gotten much worse since your episode, I’m afraid.”

Twilight swallowed. “Just how bad did it get?”

“Well... bad enough to make both of us look like idiots,” Luna muttered. “I made the mistake of having a press conference before consulting my advisors. I wasn’t in my right mind when I made that decision. At any rate, rumors are now circulating that I either poisoned you, you’re insane, both, that either of us are Deception... I’ve never been that good with media.” She sighed, rubbing her eyes. “I’ve really made a mess out of things... but there is a way to fix them.”

“Okay...?” Twilight asked hopefully.

“A couple major political figures wish to hold a conference with you and Applejack tomorrow,” Luna explained. “I will also be there, and my helpers will be there to guide you through it. You’re to meet with an ambassador sent from Vengeance, Malachai, and the leader of a radical group called the Sans Sucre, Drammatica. It will be a more or less private conference, and, if we’re lucky, it will relax the situation temporarily.”

“Who are they?” Twilight immediately asked.

“I was getting to that,” Luna began. “Malachai is a dragon, and dragons have traditionally been on the side of Discord. He looks young, for a dragon, but he has been around even since I was a foal. I believe he has extended his life artificially, but through what means, I am not certain. He wishes to drive Equestrians apart and scatter us across the globe, and he is working with Vengeance in order to make those wishes a reality.

“Drammatica is a figure who seemed to have been planning an uprising for several years, only to execute it now. She leads the Sans Sucre, a group bent on overthrowing my sister and I and replacing us with a democracy. They have instigated almost every riot so far and have proven to be not only uncompromising, but unruly and violent at times, as well. Drammatica, who has just recently revealed that she was the founder of the organization, has so far refused any and all contact with me, which is why this meeting will be so important. ...To be fair, I have nothing against their purpose, but it would be difficult to accomplish the goals they have in mind without leaving ourselves open to an attack from Vengeance, who ultimately seeks to conquer Equestria. I have kept both of them at bay for a little under a week, now, but my time is running out. I will have a little more room to strategize if you lower tensions, though. That is what I need at the moment.”

Twilight paused for a moment, then nodded. “...Okay. I think I can do that. As long as my mind doesn’t get taken over again.”

“Pardon me?” Luna asked.

Twilight took a breath, then relayed to her the circumstances surrounding her consciousness, and Guilt’s hypothesis on the matter. After she finished, she asked, “Where do we stand on getting him to repair Dash’s wings, by the way?”

“It will be decided at the first conference whether we should allow Guilt to operate on Dash,” Luna stated.

“Shouldn’t we ask Dash if that’s okay first?” Twilight asked. “They are her wings, after all. If she doesn’t want Guilt to touch them, then we shouldn’t waste time discussing it.”

“I was going to take you to her as soon as we finished our conversation. Your reunion is long overdue,” Luna said, grinning slightly. She motioned toward the door. “This way. Her room is just down the hall.”

Twilight walked by Luna’s side as the moon goddess slowly informed Twilight of Dash’s condition.

“Her wings are being preserved at the moment by a complex spell that’s keeping all of the individual cells alive, and will do so for up to a week from today. However, the overall structure of her wing is missing several key parts that the doctors weren’t able to save. She won’t be able to fly properly without them,” Luna stated sadly.

“Like a wagon without wheels,” Twilight nodded glumly. “But don’t worry, Princess. I’m sure I’ll be able to convince her.”

“Convincing Dash isn’t what I’m worried about. It’s convincing Drammatica that will be the true test of our diplomatic abilities,” Luna grumbled, almost bumping into a nurse. “She hates all Elements with a passion unlike anypony else’s. I’m not sure what we’ve done to warrant it, though, and she refuses to tell me.”

“What does she have to do with it?” Twilight asked.

“Drammatica’s influence is beginning to overshadow my own,” Luna sighed. “With a wave of her hoof, she could throw all of Fillydelphia into anarchy. Until I find a way to win back the general populace, I will have to accept some of her orders, one of which is keeping Guilt under lock and key.”

“And what about Malachai?” Twilight asked as they rounded a corner.

“He will not be too hard to convince. In fact, the lack of resistance from him on the matter is what truly worries me,” Luna admitted. They were at the stairwell now, and beginning to descend.

“You think it could be a trap?” Twilight inquired, almost tripping over herself down the stairs.

“I’m not sure,” Luna said. “Guilt’s offer to help is the last thing I would have expected. Then again, the Elements of Discord are anything but predictable.”

Twilight nodded. They exited the stairwell and continued silently for a few moments before arriving at Dash’s room. Twilight glanced at Luna expectantly as she started to push the door open. “Aren’t you coming, too?”

“It’s not my place, Twilight. She’s your friend,” Luna pointed out, “and there are other matters that require my attention in the meantime. Oh, I almost forgot; after you are done talking with Dash, Celestia wants to meet you in Manehattan, at the address in this envelope.” Luna’s horn glowed as she conjured a pale yellow envelope out of thin air. It floated down to Twilight, and she caught it in her mouth. “I have a chariot standing by outside. It will take you wherever you want to go at unrivaled speeds. After you have met with Celestia, your new home address is also inside the envelope, as well.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Twilight managed to say out the corner of her mouth. She almost tried to use magic, out of instinct, but thought better of it.

“Don’t mention it, Twilight,” Luna said, pulling in Twilight for a short embrace. “You’ve done a lot for me these past few days, conscious or not. I figure that I owe you at least this much.”

Twilight nodded, then pushed open the door to Dash’s room.

*******

She was lying on her bed, her fully extended wings wrapped in plaster casts, though the bed appeared to have been specifically made for her kind of condition, so there were long extensions to the left and right, cushioning her damaged appendages. A wastebasket full to the brim with used tissues sat to her left, and two tissue boxes sat on her nightstand, one of them empty and the other recently used. A few freshly-bought bouquets and brightly colored boxes of chocolate sat on the windowsill. Dash was covered in a quilt that came up to her chest, and she was quietly reading a book.

“Dash...?” Twilight asked, unsure if Dash had noticed her entrance.

“...Hey,” Dash said after a few moments. She turned a page and didn’t bother to look at Twilight.

“You’re reading,” Twilight observed.

Dash didn’t answer, and she refused to make eye contact.

“I thought you said books were for eggheads,” Twilight said, grinning slyly and taking a couple steps forward.

“It’s a good book,” Dash said simply. Her bottom lip trembled as she anticipated what Twilight was about to say.

“Dash... before I say anything else, let me tell you this: It’s not as bad as it looks,” Twilight said confidently.

Dash’s expression tightened into one of refreshed agony. “Get out. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Twilight tried to continue. “Dash-”

“I said get out.” Dash’s voice was choked with misery. Her hooves trembling slightly, she turned a page and wiped her eyes. Her face was tight with rage, and she took a breath, trying to control the anger that was threatening to boil over violently.

Twilight shrunk back a few steps, then tried again: “Dash, your wings aren’t-”

“Can’t you hear me?!” Dash yelled, throwing her book at Twilight. It narrowly missed. “I’m tired of hearing about it! My wings are NOT fine! My wings are useless, just like I always have been, and I don’t want you butting into my business and trying to make me feel better! It won’t work, so shut up and leave me ALONE!” After she had finished her rant, her sorrow and self-pity took over, forcing tears to flow freely from her eyes. Not wanting Twilight to see her like this, she buried her head in her hooves, trying to stifle her sobbing.

Instinctively, Twilight tried to use magic to pick up the book and levitate it back over to Dash, but her magic failed, only managing to put a faint glow around her target. She sighed. We’re in the exact same situation... “Dash, I’m not here to make you feel better.”

“You sure sound like it,” Dash snarled, blowing her nose. “It’s like everypony in Equestria wants to kick me when I’m down. Wings, this, wings, that. Like they can’t get enough of how worthless I am now! I’m so done with all of this! Every--single--thing I’ve done on this journey has been a big, fat, FAILURE!” She wailed miserably again, crying openly into her quilt.

Twilight gritted her teeth. “They only wanted to help, Dash.”

“I don’t want any help!” Dash yelled. “I’m tired of relying on other ponies!”

“Dash... you’re not a one-mare army. I think that’s what you’re trying to be,” Twilight began, slowly approaching Dash’s bedside. “You’ve been failing so often because you expect to be able to do things nopony can do on their own, and then you feel useless afterward because you couldn’t do the impossible. Dash, you have every right to feel useless, but not because you needed other ponies to help you. You should feel useless because you’re turning down other ponies’ help.”

Dash was still sobbing, but she didn’t argue.

“...Do you know Guilt?” Twilight asked after a brief pause.

“H-How can’t I know him? He al-almost killed all of us,” Dash managed, though she didn’t look up from her quilt.

“Well... Guilt just saved me yesterday from a villain called Indicina. He also says that he isn’t specifically aligned with Vengeance anymore, just his brother, who he thinks is here, somewhere, I guess...” she trailed off.

“S-So?” Dash choked. Her throat was still tight with sorrow, but her anger was receding.

“Well, Guilt says that he can repair your wings, but he has to have your consent, first,” Twilight stated with a slight hint of uncertainty. It’s all or nothing here. Either Dash’s wings are saved, or they aren’t. She added, “This could be your last chance, Dash. But Guilt and I have been talking, and he has no reason to hurt you. He managed to get through deep into Fillydelphia; he could have killed us all by now if he wanted to.”

Dash paused for a long while, her breathing beginning to steady. “So... you want one of the most dangerous ponies in Equestria and one of our arch enemies to p-play doctor and fix my wings? No strings attached?” She glanced at Twilight out of the corner of her eye, her expression looking as if Twilight had just suggested that the next Grand Galloping Gala be held on top of Mount Nevercrest. “Are you insane?!”

“Dash... you really don’t have many other options,” Twilight pointed out. “I wouldn’t be suggesting this to you if I didn’t think it were a good idea, or that it wouldn’t work.”

Dash exhaled in a strange mixture of frustration and relief. She wiped her eyes on her quilt and looked up. “Fine. I’ll do it. I... I guess it really can’t get much worse, anyway.”

Twilight grinned triumphantly, but also with a tiny bit of relief. “Feeling any better?”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry for blowing up on you.” She paused to blow her nose. “But why didn’t you tell me that in the first place?”

“I wanted to, but then you woe-is-me’d yourself into a conniption. Dash, you’ve got to stop being so hard on yourself. Vengeance is going to take those emotions and use them against you,” Twilight warned.

“She can do that?” Dash asked.

Twilight nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“And... we’re going to have to kill her,” Dash assumed.

“If it comes to that... then yes,” Twilight stated solemnly. She picked up Dash’s book and set it on her nightstand. “Now that we have your consent, all I have to do is convince somepony called Drammatica to let Guilt out of prison so that we can have the operation.”

“Who’s that?” Dash asked.

“I’m not completely sure yet, but she has an important position, and she sounds like she’s really attached to the war emotionally. She’ll be tough to argue with, but I’m going to convince her, one way or another,” Twilight promised. She noticed the envelope Luna had given her lying on the ground nearby. I must have dropped it when Dash yelled at me. She clumsily opened it with her hooves, and read the address inside.

“What’s that?” Dash asked.

“It’s where Celestia is supposed to meet me today,” Twilight said. “598 Seventh Street--Meet me at five o’clock p.m. inside the Sunlit Dew.”

“The Sunlit Dew?” Dash asked, scratching her forehead.

“That’s the place where she promised to meet me just before we left Fillydelphia the first time,” Twilight explained, glancing at the window. She moaned upon seeing the setting sun. “But it’s already sunset! I must have missed her by now.”

“Um... no, Twilight. It’s one o’clock p.m,” Dash corrected. She held up a clock on the nightstand that had been hidden by her tissue boxes.

Twilight glanced at it and saw that Dash was right. “B-B... B-...” she sputtered. “That doesn’t make any sense! How can it be sunset this early in the morning?!”

“It’s been sunset ever since the battle,” Dash explained. “Nopony knows why. The sun just stopped moving. But it’s kind of weird--like it’s not just sunset here, it’s sunset everywhere. Nopony can explain it, but...” Dash thought for a moment. “Hey, this kind of reminds me of something. I think Celestia told us back when we first started toward Mt. Nevercrest that there was a different time when this happened, too. Like when the sun was suspended at dawn? When was that, again?”

Twilight stared at the window, as if she were daring the sun to move. It didn’t. It stayed locked in its position, perpetually hanging just above the horizon. “...The Dark Times,” she breathed, her voice barely audible.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Comments

[frits191]

YAY! A New update!!!!!
Awesome, gonna read it right away :P
(btw again first, why do I feel addicted to this series? )

EDIT:
Allright just read it, awesome chapter as always :D
Happy to finally have more dash in the picture
Really hope she'll get her wings working again ;)

Can't wait for the next one!

[Crimson Dawn]

Is it weird that I want to have more Pinkie tries to make friends with the enemy moments?

[Jirodyne]

Why am I just finding this now?! *smacks Fimfiction* Update the list faster so I can read these sooner!

[Jack Ass Knife]

She has no horn, that's why... Right?

Or did Indicina mess with her that badly?

[DaggyTee]

Hmmmm... I wonder. Could Guilt actually be deception? Deception has always had it in for loyalty, so could that be why Guilt wants to get close to Dash? Not to help, but to harm?

[Sunderbraze]

Very curious about Guilt's motives. They sound pure, but with a character like Deception on the loose, it's hard to trust anyone's motives

[thaman]

I like this Guilt. He actually seems happy, truthful, and honest. I just hope he doesn't stab the EoH in the back...

I have a prediction about the letter, but it's really far-fetched. I hope I'm not right. I'm usually not, so it's alright.

Great chapter, Mindblower!

[Zelda Spectrum]

Another great chapter! I'm getting more curious to see what this 'Indicina' is like later in the story. Poor Dash, the sooner Guilt repairs her wings, the better (assuming Drammatica will allow him to do so). Can't wait for the next chapter!

[Octy]

I still dont have words to describe this story. Its brilliant

[Stoob Boots]

An update! Yay! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Pinkie_loool.png

[PonyBlaze]

Yes! It's ouuuut!

Awesome! Been waitin' for this for like... 6 days. I know it was out yesterday, I forgot that was the update day though.

I really lliked this chapter. It seems I have an odd question, again.

Er... How would Indicina knock Twilight out, send Applejack convulsing, all in one meeting?

[Jack Ass Knife]

824021 Do you know what Nihilist is? Or why the Nihilianth was named that in the first place? It doesn't mean worthless...

[Bongoro7]

825500 Of course I do. I was bending my understanding of the word and prefix, knowing that this is a completely different language we're talking about. Why would "Not a fool" be tossed as an insult?

[Jack Ass Knife]

828249 A Nihilist believes that there is no other being above them.

[Rapid Motion]

1) Lets not forget Sweetie Belle, I feel that while everypony is at the meeting Vengeance will make a personal appearance to screw with the EoH via converting Sweetie Belle (or something along those lines).

2) Also I got a felling Justice, Indicina and Vengeance are connected together on a whole new level. What I meant by that is not even the EoD, like Guilt, are aware of all their actions which is leading guilt to do what he does.

3) About Indicina, Twilight's dream Indicina said she will get her and that she cannot hide. Indicina keeps coming after Twilight and Guilt wants to hider Twilight from Indicina. Even I think guilt is stalling the inevitable.

Any how I still hold my tongue on how I think Deception fits into all of this.

[Always Breakfast]

So Guilt (presumably) saved Twilight from brain-rabies with the Milwaukee Protocol.

[Csquared08]

I finally got around to reading this. The first that comes to mind is: I HATE YOU! You give this ending to the chapter, and then go on a two-week vacation?!? Ugh...

Anywho, this Drammatica could be very problematic. The thought of having no idea where Deception is frightens me. Indicina seems quite terrifying. And Guilt is a... good... guy?

[Flutterstrucked]

wow, the whole two week vacation luckly didn't affect me, hmmm, maybe there was something good about my instant-hardly-any-internet vacation im on right now......AND now to use an emoticon that I've never used maybe never will use again.......{ }

[CluelessDetective]

Been a long time since I read a chapter, and I'm still loving it!
Don't worry Dash. it's not all that bad. You could be AJ who fails at everything she does.