Chapter 13 – Fragments of Memories
Fragments of Memories
By Starwin
Chapter 13 – Fragments of Memories
The rain was really starting to fall now. The once crowded streets quickly emptied, leaving behind a muffled silence under the soft patter of rain. Most ponies had already made their way home, back to nice warm fires and comfy beds. Unfortunately for Spike, Rarity and Pinkie they currently didn’t have a home to seek shelter in.
The party of three was currently huddled under a vacant overhang. It wasn’t warm here, it wasn’t even really dry, but it wasn’t out in the open. They were standing in front of an empty shop. All of the lights inside had been extinguished and a “CLOSED” sign hung in the window. The shop across the street was the same, as were the shops on either side. It almost felt like the city was abandoned.
“We can’t keep going in this weather, we’ll freeze!” said Rarity with a shiver. “I already feel soaked.”
“Hold on!” said Pinkie. With a quick flick of her hoof, she popped open the top of her trunk and ducked her head inside. A moment later she reappeared with three bright yellow rain coats.
“I… but… how?” asked Spike in confusion. She tossed him one of the coats and he caught it in surprise. It seemed to be just about his size. A moment later matching boots and a pinwheel striped umbrella hat landed at his feet.
“Uh, it’s Canterlot,” said Pinkie rolling her eyes. “It rains on Thursdays.”
“Oh, yeah… right,” said Spike absently. He pulled on the coat. It wasn’t very thick, but at least it seemed to be waterproof. The boots also felt nice as he slipped his clawed feet into them. “You couldn’t have given these to us sooner?”
“And open my trunk in the rain?” said Pinkie wide-eyed.
“Yeah, okay, good point,” said Spike as he fastened the buttons on his new coat. He was still thinking about what Rarity had said to him, what she had done to Twilight. He had told her that she was forgiven, that he wasn’t mad at her. But that wasn’t completely true.
When she had told him he simply hadn’t felt anything, like her words had hollowed him out. Now that emptiness was starting to fill back in, but with what, he couldn’t yet be sure.
Spikes eyes drifted towards Rarity. She was in the middle of slipping into her own yellow rain coat. She had it half way on. Her damp fur glistened from the rain and somehow the mist seemed to make Rarity sparkle. Spike couldn’t help but stare at her, his mouth hanging open.
“So how are we going to do it?” asked Rarity. She flicked her head so that her perfect mane shimmered in the late afternoon light. Spike blinked at her in confusion.
“I… what?” asked Spike. He could feel his heart suddenly pounding erratically in his chest, as if it were set to explode at any moment. Pinkie stepped between them blocking Spike’s line of sight. She lifted the umbrella hat that Spike had neglected to put on and fastened it to his head.
“How are we going to get into the castle?” repeated Rarity. Pinkie moved to help Rarity with her umbrella hat. “Thank you dear.”
“Right,” said Spike with a nod. “The castle… Back when I lived there with Twilight, I used to have a lot of time to just wander around, while she was in class. I know the castle grounds pretty well but there aren’t really lots of ways in an out.
“We already tried the main gate, its one of four. But I don’t think any of the gates will be open, or unguarded. So, we don’t have a lot of options. Since none of us have wings, we can’t just fly over the walls. Unless…” he looked towards Pinkie, “You have some kind of flying machine in there, or a grappling hook, or something…”
“No, don’t be silly,” said Pinkie with a wave of her hoof. “Why would I ever need a grappling hook?”
“With you I can honestly never tell,” answered Spike. “So, going over the walls is out. That really only leaves us one other way in. The main sewer pipe…” Rarity’s eyes widened in horror.
“You must be joking!” cried Rarity in alarm. “A sewer?”
“It won’t be guarded,” said Spike. “And it’s our best way to get into the castle.”
“We could always try asking nicely?” suggested Pinkie. “Explaining the situation and maybe offering them some candy?”
“I don’t think so,” said Spike with a shake of his head. “Those guardspoines weren’t willing to budge. Guards follow orders and without orders to let us in…” Spike shook his head again. “No, we would just be wasting our time.”
“But a sewer!” cried Rarity. “Aren’t we already damp enough as it is? We might freeze trying to get in that way. Or be washed away!”
“And we would stink afterwards!” said Pinkie. “And I didn’t bring any bubble bath!”
“Well, I guess there is maybe one other way,” said Spike thoughtfully. His eyes returned to Rarity. She suddenly looked uncomfortable under his gaze.
“What?” asked Rarity.
“If we can’t go over the walls, and we can’t go under…” said Spike.
“OH! OH! We can go through them!” exclaimed Pinkie in excitement.
“But you just said we can’t get past the guards,” said Rarity, not following.
“Yes, but Rarity, you’re a unicorn,” explained Spike.
“So you can use that horn and we can spin you like a drill and make a hole through the wall into the castle!” cried Pinkie. Both Spike and Rarity looked at the pink pony with apprehension. “What?”
“Uh, no,” said Spike. “I was thinking more… magical. Rarity, do you think you can teleport us?”
“Tele… port?” said Rarity in shock. There was a long moment of silence while Spike and Pinkie both waited for Rarity to go on. “I suppose if it’s the only way…”
“We can always try the sewers,” reminded Pinkie.
“Yes. Yes I can teleport us,” said Rarity determinately.
The raincoats made the trek through the downfall much more bearable. They did eventually spot a few other ponies out and about, but for the most part the streets were empty.
If Spike hadn’t been so high strung about what they were about to attempt, he might have found the rain almost peaceful. That is, until a flash of lightning lit up the sky and the boom of thunder made him jump.
The trio approached the castle from the east side. The same river that ran along the southern entrance continued along here, dividing the city from the castle grounds. They avoided a path that crossed the river and led straight up to the east entrance. That way was no good, they didn’t want to be spotted.
So instead they had to travel much further east, almost to the edge of the city. Here they found the last bridge that crossed the river. No more than a dozen hooves beyond the bridge the waters flowed over the side of the mountain, cascading down in a brilliant waterfall. The friends made their way across the bridge and trotted back towards the castle.
They stayed off the cobbled stone path, moving through the cover of the trees and bushes instead. Pinkie was still dragging her trunk behind her. Spike had tried to get her to leave it behind, but she insisted that it was important. The large wheeled box didn’t seem to fair as well in the damp grass as it had on the stone paths, but it didn’t slow their progress too much.
After a few minutes of walking, the group reached the furthest point of the other wall. They couldn’t see the eastern gate from here, and there seemed to be no other ponies around. In a storm like this patrols would be minimal and lookouts would have limited visibility.
“Alright,” said Spike. “Just on the other side of this wall are the gardens. Once we are in, I can keep us out of sight and get us to the castle. Then we just have to find Celestia or TD and explain what happened.” Rarity and Pinkie nodded. “Rarity, are you ready?”
“Ye… yes,” said Rarity looking a little hesitant.
“You don’t have to go too far, just a dozen hooves or so,” reminded Spike. He waved the group to move closer so that the three of them stood in a tiny circle beside the wall. “And you just have to wait until there is another lightning strike. That will help hide the flash and the sound.”
“Right,” said Rarity with a nod. “Right, wait for the lightning…”
“Uh, Rarity,” said Spike. “You have teleported before, right?”
“What? Yes, oh, yes, of course dear,” said Rarity nervously with a hesitant little laugh. There was something about the way she was looking around that made Spike feel like she wasn’t being entirely honest.
“Pinkie,” said Spike. “Do you get and ‘sense’ about lightning? Like a tingle or something?”
“Oh yeah,” said Pinkie. “I can totally tell when there is a lightning strike.”
“Good,” said Spike. “Just let Rarity know so she can time our teleport.”
“Okie-dokie-pokie!” said Pinkie with a grin.
“Rarity, get ready,” instructed Spike. Rarity nodded and closed her eyes. “Focus and be prepared to go when Pinkie gives you the…” The sky lit-up blue with another lightning strike and an instant later the boom of thunder rolled over them.
“Lightning stri-mrhpf!” shouted Pinkie, just before Spike clapped is claw over her mouth to keep the pony quiet.
“Pinkie, what the hay?” asked Spike in frustration. He pulled his claw away. “I thought you said you could predict lightning strikes?”
“What, no, I never said that, I can see and hear them, just like everypony else,” said Pinkie with a smile. “It’s not like I can…” a shiver ran up Pinkie’s whole body. “Now Rarity! Teleport now!”
Rarity’s horn sparked with magic just as another blast of lightning raced overhead.
Spike felt the spell take hold of him in a strange, unpleasant sort of way. Teleporting had never felt like this with Twilight. Everything seemed to slow down, to stop. He was able to look up and see the bolt of lightning frozen in the sky above. He could see the sound waves rippling through the clouds down towards him.
Then a moment later something gave him a sharp tug and he was thrown completely into darkness. He felt his body slide through the space between spaces. He twisted and bent moving in ways that were impossible as he squeezed through the stones in the wall.
Then just as quickly as it had started, it was over. He was abruptly shoved back into the world. Except it was still dark. And the world was tumbling all around him. Something hit him in the shoulder, then the face. He was pelted by dozens of small objects from every direction.
There was a shout of alarm that hadn’t come from him but beyond that he couldn’t make out any other sounds. The world around him was tumbling in a mess of things, packing him in, smothering him. He couldn’t see anything.
With a sudden thud, everything finally stopped moving. He was pinned flat on his stomach, with a mountain of stuff piled on top of him. It was pitch black but at least it seemed dry.
Above him he could hear the soft patter of rain. It wasn’t falling on him, it sounded like it was falling on some kind of roof. Just where was he?
A muffled voice was saying something above him, but he couldn’t make out the words. He tried to say something but he was packed in so tight that he could hardly breathe.
He lay still and listened, trying to hear past the rain. There were voices speaking but not to him.
“… do you think it came from?” asked one of the voices. Spike only caught the last bit. When the next voice spoke he could hear it much better, much closer.
“I have no idea, but it nearly took my head off,” replied somepony else. “Should we report it?”
Spike struggled to move but he was still trapped under… something sticky? He couldn’t see what it was. Whatever stuff had landed on top of him he couldn’t get out from under it. If he stayed silent he might be trapped forever!
Before Spike could decide one way or another a loud startling clunk echoed all around him. He didn’t know what to do. All he could think about was…
Rarity reacted as Pinkie shouted for her to go. Magic was not her specialty. Sure, she could do many simple spells. And yes, she had teleported a few times before, when she had been younger… by accident.
But she was a unicorn! Magic was innately within her. She could do this! And at first, it seemed like everything had worked just like she had intended. She felt the teleport spell release. Time began to slow and stretch as reality was warped around them by the spell. The magic expanded to Pinkie and Spike and then… something else. Something heavy. Something unexpected.
Rarity strained under the added burden, she hadn’t accounted for this ‘thing’. It was like an anchor, weighing her down, holding her back. She was attempting to teleport herself, Spike and Pinkie. Yet, her spell had latched onto something else. Now she felt like she was being pulled between their destination on the other side of the wall and being yanked back here. And she could feel herself starting to panic.
They began to slide through reality, teleporting across the boundary of space and time. But they weren’t moving like they should. Instead they were being stretched, torn apart while half of them went one way and another half stayed right here.
Any moment the spell might complete and if Rarity didn’t do something quickly, they would be ripped to shreds. Then her eyes finally found the cause of the problem. She could have kicked herself, if she had been able to move.
The trunk. Pinkies enormous trunk. It was only partly caught in the teleport. Half of it was still stuck in reality, anchoring them there while also attempting to come with.
Unable to stop her spell, Rarity did the best she could. She tried to force the trunk out, and let the rest of them move on. And much to her surprise, it worked. The trunk popped out of the teleport.
That’s when everything really went wrong.
It was like a bomb had gone off between them. Spike and Pinkie and the trunk were all flung out of the spell. Rarity felt the magic carry her, jerking her through pockets of empty space as she soared upwards into the sky.
She felt herself twist like she was a leaf being carried in a hurricane. Up was down and in was out. She had no idea where the spell was taking her.
Then, an instant of an instant of an instant after she had first cast the teleport spell, time resumed its normal flow. The magic ended and Rarity felt herself pop back into reality.
Something hard caught her under her front legs and nearly knocked the wind out of her. For a moment she felt like she had been falling but the hard thing had caught her. Now she held tightly to it, slightly out of breath.
Her momentary disorientation passed and Rarity found herself several dozen hooves above the ground, hanging from a tree branch. But she was the only one. Spike wasn’t here. Pinkie wasn’t here. Where had they gone? Were they okay?
There was a flash of light out in front of Rarity that wasn’t lightning. A second later Pinkie’s trunk burst back into existent, falling out of the sky. It narrowly missed two pegasus guards that were flying past.
It hit the ground with a thud and tumbled end over end before finally coming to a stop. The guards came down, landing next to the trunk and looking at it in confusion. One of the guards gave the trunk a kick with his hoof.
A muffled cry came from inside the trunk and both guards looked at each other in surprise. At last, one popped open the trunk and a moment later, Spike emerged out of it. Rarity couldn’t help but feel relieved that he had made it.
“Well, well, well, it seems we have a second intruder,” said a voice from just behind Rarity. She turned to see who had spoken but as she did, she lost her grip. With a yelp of alarm Rarity felt herself slide off the tree branch.
However, the impact with the ground never came. Instead, she felt hooves catch her and lift her up, carrying her towards Spike. Rarity felt her heart sink as she at last got a good look at the guard that was carrying her.
So she and Spike and Pinkie’s trunk had all made it inside, even if they had been caught, but where was…
Pinkie had felt the sudden tingle in the air. It was coming. Lightning.
“Now! Rarity! Teleport now!” shouted Pinkie. There was a brief flash of light above from the strike, followed by the brilliant glow of blue magic from Rarity. Then a moment later, Pinkie felt tingly all over. Something was about to go wrong. She tried to move, but her whole body was stuck, as if she were submerged in delicious sweet molasses, or taffy, or caramel. Yum.
She tried to talk but her mouth wouldn’t open, like it was stuck together with… no. She had to focus, she had to warn her friends. But it was too late. The spell had already gone wrong.
She felt the funny way the magic moved. She felt the unpleasant sensation of being stuck in place and tugged with a terrible might. She couldn’t explain it, and she couldn’t do anything about it.
The world slid away under her. Pinkie felt like she had been shot out of a giant party cannon. Everything raced past her as she zoomed forward. Briefly she could see the wall race past, then the gardens, then the mountain. Now she was out over the northern desert, she passed over Cloudsdale, the crystal empire flew away beneath her.
And still Pinkie zoomed forward unable to move as the world sped past below.
Now there was an ocean under her and a new continent she didn’t recognize. Hills, towns, lakes and then another ocean. A field of ice as far as she could see. And back to ocean.
Then more land, sparkling and glistening like crystal. Then rivers and hills and towns that she recognized. And… Ponyville? Had she just sped past Ponyville?
Canterlot sprung up in front of her, the mountain, the city, the river, the walls.
All at once, the teleport spell ended and Pinkie popped back into existence. She was standing a half dozen hooves back from where she had started. However it wasn’t Spike or Rarity that stood waiting for her, it was two guardsponies who looked less than pleased to see her.
“Let nopony in or out of this room, under any circumstances,” whispered Luna to her guard as she magically sealed the door behind her. The guard nodded with understanding.
“Is our daughter alright?” asked Velvet rushing forward and surprising Luna.
“You mean our daughters,” corrected Breeze. There was a slight hint of annoyance on Velvet’s face, but she nodded without arguing or apologizing.
“They are as well, as anypony could be in their situation,” answered Doctor Heart before Luna could respond. Luna felt slightly relieved that she wasn’t forced to lie. “The incident with Discord in the garden has left them shaken. For now, I think it would be best to give them some space, and let them rest.”
“So we should just wait out here?” asked Sky.
“If you like,” answered Luna. “But you must not disturb them for the time being.” The parents all shared uncertain glances.
“Is she… I mean they, are they really alright?” asked Night Light.
“As Doctor Heart said,” repeated Luna. “They are as well as can be expected. Now, if you will excuse us.” Luna turned to leave. “We have other important matters that need attending to.”
“About our daughters?” asked Sky quickly, he moved in front of Luna, blocking her path. For a very brief moment Luna felt… anger. How dare he speak to her like this! Who did he think… Luna stopped herself, calming her thoughts. This was no time for that. “Do you want to share it with us?”
“No,” answered Luna shortly. Technically this was true. Their next task didn’t have anything to do with Twilight Dash. Nor did she wish to tell any of them about what she and Doctor Heart were about to do.
“No it’s not about our daughters or no…” began Sky. Luna glared at him as her anger got the better of her for a moment. Sky went suddenly silent. He took a step backwards, looking almost fearful of her.
“You may wait here if you like,” said Luna, deliberately not answering the question. “Or you may return to your rooms. Now, if you will excuse us.” She stepped around Sky and continued walking away. A moment later Doctor Heart hurried to catch up.
“You might have been a bit too hard on them,” said Doctor Heart after they had traveled far enough out of earshot. “After all, they are only concerned about their daughters, and rightly so.”
“Yes, but we could not spare the time for that conversation,” answered Luna. “We must act as quickly as we can. I do not wish Discord to remain within them a moment longer than is necessary.”
“Of course,” said Doctor Heart.
The two of them reached the door leading outside. Luna opened the way, but Doctor Heart paused.
“Don’t you need the Element of Magic?” asked Doctor Heart. “To free Discord’s body so that we can talk to it?”
“No,” answered Luna, shaking her head. “We are not going to talk to his body. We are going to look within his mind.”
Without arguing her point further, Luna stepped out into the rain. The sky was dark gray. It was well after noon but it felt like dusk. Light drops of chilly water sprinkle down on her and Doctor Heart as they made their way along the garden path.
It didn’t take them long before Luna and Doctor Heart found themselves once more at the garden hedge maze. This time however, there were no guards waiting for them. In fact, there were no other ponies in sight at all.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t have brought at least a few guards along?” asked Doctor Heart.
“I think whatever risk there is, my guards would be unable to protect us from it,” said Luna absently. “Besides, we are very short hoofed just now. All of our unicorns currently accompany my sister. And I have sent all the remaining earth pony guards out of the city.” Luna frowned slightly. “I should have put more guards at Twilight Dash’s door. What if Discord tries something? Will they be able to stop him?”
“From what I could see,” said Doctor Heart. “Discord seemed more like an annoyance than a threat. The best thing we can do right now, is gather more information about their situation as quickly as we can.”
“Yes,” said Luna with a nod. “I agree. Come, let us hurry.”
Luna slipped into the maze once more, moving through the hidden entrance beside the real one. The moment they were within the hedge, the rain stopped completely and the bright, afternoon sun shined above them.
Except, Luna could still feel the rain. She couldn’t see it anymore because of the illusion spell but she could still feel it.
“Oh that is strange,” said Doctor Heart. Luna’s horn glowed briefly and an umbrella of blue magic spread out above them. The soft patter of falling rain tapped on the magical barrier, but it remained invisible.
Quickly, Luna hurried her way through the maze with Doctor Heart following close behind. There were no indicators to direct them, but Luna didn’t need to know the path, that wasn’t how this maze worked. She and her sister had designed this place in a very special way. The paths would constantly change, moving whoever was in the maze in one direction, the center. After all, it was a prison built not for keeping others out, but for keeping them in.
The hedges moved and shifted as the two ponies trotted quickly through the maze. It wasn’t long before the clearing opened before them, leading to the heart of the maze. Once more they stood in the garden that was Discord’s prison. The statue, now uglier than before, laughed silently at them from its little island in the center.
Luna approached the tiny island, with Doctor Heart following behind. The maze shifted once more and their way out vanished, trapping them inside.
“Now,” said Luna. “Let us see what has really happened. Are you ready Doctor?” asked Luna. Doctor Heart nodded. Luna’s horn began to glow, as it did, Doctor Heart’s horn also joined in. Atop the head of the statue, both of Discord’s horn shimmered with magic as well.
In an instant the world was washed away to be replaced with a sky full of stars. The distant points of light flickered in all directions, although most were very dim. Luna and Doctor Heart stood in a skyless, groundless world.
Luna had seen it many, many, many times. It was the place between the waking world and dreams, the place where she could travel to enter the dreams of other ponies. Doctor Heart on the otherhoof had only ever caught glimpse of it, mostly while working with Luna and helping her through the issues of her past.
“It’s so beautiful,” said Doctor Heart in awe.
“Yes,” answered Luna with a nod. Her eyes were searching through the stars, looking for the right one. Where Doctor Heart could only see the tiny sparks of light, Luna could see much, much more. She could see every dream rushing through the sky around her. Some were true dreams, others day dreams. Thoughts, ideas, hopes.
Her eyes fixed in front of her, on the faintest silver outline and the tiniest, most insignificant point of light within it. The light felt familiar and she knew it belonged to Discord. Yet, it was different than she remembered, its shape, its size, its color. Discord but, not Discord.
Luna lifted a hoof. Doctor Heart’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Luna.
“Luna,” whispered Doctor Heart. “You’re… you’re beautiful!” Luna stopped, feeling slightly confused. Then she realized that Doctor Heart had never really seen her for what she really was. That the Doctor had only every treated a pony, albeit a Princess. But this was the first time she had ever seen a goddess in her true form.
Here Luna was her true self, made from the very fabric of existence, from the stars. Her outline glowed with a billion-billion tiny glinting stars. Her body was insubstantial, made from the deepest black of the night sky. And her mane flowed out in silvery dust gathered from across the whole of the cosmos.
“Thank you,” said Luna softly with a smile.
Her hoof touched Discord’s star. The whole of existence suddenly jerked away around them. With a sensation much like falling the two of them were pulled forward. Yet their hooves never left the ground.
Then, as quickly as the odd sensation had started, it stopped. Luna glanced briefly down at herself to see that her normal dark blue coat had once again returned. At least to Doctor Heart, she would look just like she always did.
“Where are we,” asked Doctor Heart. Her voice had an odd, slightly muffled quality to it.
Luna searched through the unfamiliar darkness before her. They were no longer standing in the infinity of space, nor the small round garden of Discord’s prison. They were some place new. Someplace… empty.
“We are within Discord’s mind,” said Luna.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” answered Doctor Heart. “It feels so different, it feels real, like we are really somewhere else!”
“Yes, you only project others thoughts when you help them,” explained Luna. “But I can physically enter the minds of others. Our bodies are not standing out in the garden while we are here. We are actually within Discord’s mind. Or what little is left of it…”
The light here was dim and a thick still mist, like the tops of clouds, covered the ground. Luna couldn’t tell if they were meant to be outside or inside, high up in the sky or deep underground. The landscape she could see was flat and plain.
This place was vacant and empty. This was not the mind she remembered. This was not Discord. It was a hollow shell.
“Something is wrong here,” said Doctor Heart after a moment. “I have never seen a mind like this. It is… empty and yet… there is something here.”
Luna could sense it too, creeping through the darkness, just beyond their vision. At the very edge of Luna’s sight, the mist churned. A wave spread out like a ripple. Luna stepped forward, putting herself between whatever was out there and Doctor Heart.
“Hello?” called Luna out into the darkness. “Is anyone here?” Although she had tried to speak loudly, her words didn’t carry, sounding more like a whisper.
The something in the mist moved, perhaps reacting to her voice. Luna watched intently but she could not make out a form. It did not answer her, or make even the smallest sound.
“We need you’re help,” shouted Doctor Heart so quietly that even standing beside her, Luna could hardly hear the pony’s words.
The something in the mist stopped. Then it moved again. It was circling them, moving like a shark under the mist.
“Perhaps we should go,” said Luna as she watched the waves in the mist.
“Not yet,” said Doctor Heart. “We do not have what we came for. Twilight Dash is depending on us to get rid of Discord!”
“Dissssscorrrdddd,” hissed the mist so loudly that it sounded like the boom of thunder. Both Luna and Doctor Heart jumped. Doctor Heart moved a little closer to the Princess.
Now there were other shapes in the mist, many other shapes. They circled around the two ponies, gradually coming closer.
“Disssssscoooorrrrddddddd!” hissed the mist again. This time it wasn’t just a single voice but dozens of them. The voices sounded angry.
Luna didn’t like this. She had been in enough minds and enough dreams to know danger when it was right in front of her.
Without even a word, her horn blazed with light atop her head. The mist was suddenly swept away revealing a cold black featureless floor. The light also outlined the things in the mist, making their shapes distinguishable, if not recognizable, for a moment.
And there was something else. It wasn’t something Luna could see, it was something she could feel. Thoughts and memories. These shapes in the mist weren’t monsters. They were parts of a whole, shadowy images of past lives. Luna understood what they had found here, what Discord had left behind.
The light spell faded and the mist slowly crept back towards them. However, Luna could now see dozens of glowing eyes that belonged to whatever was still trapped in here.
“What are they?” asked Doctor Heart, stepping a little closer to Luna and bumping into her.
“Fragments of memories,” said Luna softly. “Other lives, other minds that Discord has taken over the long years. He didn’t just take their body parts, he also stole something else from all those creatures that make up his twisted form.”
“Dissscoorddd,” the fragments hissed again.
“Perhaps they can understand us,” said Doctor Heart. “They seem to know Dis...”
“Dissssscccooorrdddd!” cried the fragments in unison, moving slight closer.
“Yes, him,” said Doctor Heart with a nod. “What can you tell us about what happened to all of you?” The fragments did not respond, they simply stood and stared at the two ponies. “Do you understand us?” Only the silence responded.
“Where is Discord?” demanded Luna her voice carrying for the first time. The fragments did not echo the name. “We might be able to help you, to free you, but we must know where he is first.”
There was a whispered murmur that ran through the air around them. It wasn’t like talking, it was like thinking. Luna could hear the thoughts. She could see them, feel them. It was a confused mess full of fear and distrust.
After a moment, the sounds died down and one of the shapes in the darkness pressed forward. The mist parted around it as it moved. Luna’s horn glowed once more, but softer this time.
The black, shadowy shape of the fragment was outlined in silvery light. It was a pony, or it had been once. Its mane was black, its coat was black, even the cutie mark was black on black. Only its crystal green eyes had any color to them.
“Wha…” rasped the thoughts whirling around Luna. It wasn’t just words, it was emotion, sadness, hopelessness… guilt? It was almost too much to take in.
Luna focused herself. She had guided many ponies through nightmares before. This was no different. Or at least, that was what she told herself.
“Do you understand us?” asked Luna. The shadow pony nodded weakly, like it took a great effort to do so. Its shocking green eyes slid off Luna and found Doctor Heart.
“Do… you have a name?” asked Doctor Heart. For a moment, the shadow did not react. It just stared at the golden unicorn as if it had not heard her. Then its mouth opened and the smallest, tiniest whisper came out.
“Aurora…”
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Yas.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
I'm expecting Aurora, to tell Luna and the Doctor her story, also, you can't leave TDD in a room without nothing to do, y'know, you have Dash' impatience
plus Discord's mischievious mind (insert Discord's emoji) , in conclussion, this is what's going to happen: 
Anyways, I loved the chapter, and as always, I'm waiting expectantly for MOAR!!!
Too bad Aurora is now what left in Discord Mind... They could use Discord... It's very easy, they could try to send Twilight mind to Discord Body, separate Rainbow from Discord and focus mainly in RD body.
After all if Discord could send himself to Twilight Dash body, is possible to do the inverse
Well, I guess Luna just got her 1000 year imprisonent record soundly beat.
That was the worst failure at castle entry I've ever seen! They literally teleported to right before the guards' feet!
Oh my, how delightfully chaotic {insert much needed discord emote}
Just caught up with both stories! I'll be looking forward to the 18th then
Title drop.
Good chapter.
Honestly, getting arrested is probably about the best thing Rarity, Pinkie, and Spike could have hoped for given the circumstances. A third of the Element Bearers invading the castle plus Twilight's little brother/son should surely draw some princessly attention.
So, the original bearer may still be in there!
So if Luna can get inside minds and fix stuff, why hasn't she tried this on TD yet?
5247514 very good point
Roll credits.
5537414
Nice reference to "cinima sins"
5493169
Because Celestia told her not to interfere and let TD work out thier problems on their own.
I just can't believe Pinkie circled the entire globe and landed six feet away from where she started when they tried to teleport.
I swear, it's as if you think making as many bad things as possible happen is key to making good literature or something, not realizing it does the complete opposite. My suspension of disbelief is utterly shot after that failed teleportation spell on top of all the other setbacks, pitfalls, and disasters you've had happen. Spike also struck me as more shallow than usual as he's basically forgiving Rarity for trying to kill his mother/sister figure just because she's beautiful. It was bad enough in canon when he "fell in love" based solely on her looks, now he's practically siding with her instead of family.
5656320 I just cannot believe the utter lack of communication between any of the characters. Nobody tells any body anything!
That is not to say that this story is not Amazing and great, but we can see in this chapter the decision to not tell information that is important and crucial to the plot. It is getting to the point that it is ridiculous.
Roll Credits.
5537414
Ya beat me to it! D:
Just jking gg, gg.
EXTREME DUN DUN DUN