Imbalanced

by Nameless Narrator

The Shadow King: Lonely Bat

[Choking's Entry]

Blaze is in Canterlot castle infirmary right now, sleeping after the best surgeons and princess Celestia herself took care of him. Nopony is allowed close to him and he's being guarded night and day, not that it will help, according to Betty, if the enemy decides to strike again. The only pony allowed in his room is me because I'm not interfering with his recovery, more like the exact opposite thanks to him being a changeling.

The worst thing is that deep down I keep thinking this is my fault. From what Betty said most of the wounds Blaze sustained were from trying to body block the knife from hitting me. It also didn't help that he didn't have the grabbing ability of his arm. I was so happy when he got his leg back and look what it led to.

Betty told me that the attacker was most likely the Element of Suffering from the mirror world which means Sombra is still alive and kicking. We still don't know whether the real target was me or Blaze but Betty is currently protecting me. I think he's hurt by the fact that he wasn't able to stop another Element and he said that there's higher chance of him being useful to me right now.

I know I should stay here to help Blaze heal faster but right now I think that dealing with the vision Scream showed me is more important. I just feel like I have to do something.

The sight of him with tubes stuck wherever they would fit is... too much.

[End Entry]

---

"Princess Luna, I need you to take me to Scream's dimension," I say after Sharp lets me visit the princess, trying desperately to ignore the future Scream showed me.

"As much as I'd like to, I tried getting inside but Scream's magic blocked me every single time. What is the reason for your request?"

"I need to talk to her. She invited me about a month ago and showed me a vision of the future. I wasn't sure whether to trust her or not but now that Blaze has been attacked by an Element bearer I think Scream wasn't plotting anything."

"I can try to get us there again, perhaps with you accompanying me we might get in. Stay watchful though, Scream has fooled everypony once already."

The dark blue horn of the lunar princess glows and our surroudings rapidly change. No longer am I worried when I spot the piles of pony bones and I just look around to find a golden alicorn. Scream is nowhere to be found but a slight brush of wind on my tail makes me turn around and look up into glowing golden eyes.

"What brings the two of you here?" asks Void. Despite princess Luna being here his tone is warm and friendly.

"Can I talk to Scream?" I ask the pitch-black alicorn.

"I am afraid that is not possible. She is resting after using way too much magic in a very short time."

"What, may we ask was she doing?" interrupts Luna.

"Why so cold, young Luna? Scream is no more your enemy than I am. To answer your question - she has few thousand years of interests to try on me so she was unable to rest after giving miss Darkness here the gift of future sight."

"We are unsure whether-"

"Not important!" I interrupt Luna, "That's why I'm here, Void. The future Scream showed me in her vision is something I want to stop from happening."

"I deeply regret then that Scream will be unable to help you. Perhaps my humble self might be of assistance?"

"Okay. Another rift to the mirror world is going to open, I'm not sure where but the vision showed a weird tree with cutie marks on it and then hordes of enemies like last time attacking changelings."

Luna and Void exchange worried looks.

"The Tree of Harmony," both of them say at the same time.

"That is a problem," comments Luna.

"Indeed it is," agrees Void and I have a feeling that I missed a part of the conversation.

"So how do we destroy it this time to close the rift?"

"That is not possible," begins Void, "the Crystal Heart, while powerful enough, was just an artefact belonging to this world and was possible to break using a higher power like an Element of Harmony-"

"Like Blaze did."

"Exactly. The Tree of Harmony, however, is different. From what I was told long time ago, there were three ancient gods involved in the creation of this world - Nightmare, Discord and one more. While Nightmare and Discord were what you ponies would call evil, the last one was their exact opposite but he was not powerful enough to balance out both of them. Thus he made a pact with them. In exchange for their free rule, he sacrificed himself to create the Elements of Harmony, this world's absolute power even over those two which would appear when Discord and Nightmare messed up too much. With that pact, both remaining gods had fairly free reign until the Elements decided that situation was critical and their power had to be limited. As such, the Elements are the good one's remains and the Tree of Harmony is his will. There is no higher power which could destroy it aside from maybe the entire world uniting under Discord and Nightmare working together and willingly giving up their only hope."

"Which wouldn't exactly be called a good outcome."

"Indeed. You might go as far as to say there would not be a worse possible outcome."

"Void," Luna speaks up again, "How do you know so much? I know you are older than me or my sister but there are no records of what you've told us."

"You are forgetting that I used to be a close friend of alicorns of Time and Magic long before you were born. My knowledge is unparalelled in this world."

"So what do we do?" I ask, once again feeling completely useless.

"Where is queen Chrysalis?" asks Luna.

"While I am bound to silence by a promise to Scream, I think the situation requires me to somehow help her little changelings. The main hive is under the ancient pony city nearby the castle from which you and your sister once ruled together. The castle under which the Tree of Harmony is hidden."

"I will tell my sister to start gathering our forces and send them there. If we get there in time we might be able to fight."

"Like last time?" I can't stop the snide remark.

"Hold your tongue! My sister had Twilight Sparkle research the magic used and we should limit the access point to just a small rift through which the enemy forces might not get fast enough to overwhelm us. Unlike what happened in the Crystal Empire."

"No matter what you do, be careful not to hurt Scream's subjects. I do not want to consider my helping you a mistake. Anything else?"

"My sister will be informed immediately. Come, miss Darkness!" commands Luna.

"Mind if I stay here for a while?" I ask

"I will send her home when she is done here," nods Void.

"Then I will tell Sharp Biscuit to bring your body to his office in the meantime. Thank you for the help, Void."

"Anytime, Luna."

When she disappears I sit down on the carpet.

"What is bothering you, young one?"

"Is it possible to change the future?" I ask.

"The future changes all the time."

"How can I know what to do so things end up different?"

"Tell me everything. This brooding mood does not fit you."

I lean my head to his when he sits down to me and my forehead touches his horn. A slight headache and then the feeling of peace come to me as he understands what I wanted him to do. When he stops rummaging through my head he sighs.

"Choices and decisions, the most difficult things in life. A choice between your closest friend and your lover... and you do not even know whether it is your choice. Let me ask you, why are you wearing an Element of Harmony?"

"Blaze told Betty to protect me after he was attacked. Oops, forgot to tell you that part. He's lying in a coma in Canterlot right now."

"Intriguing. The magical body Scream created should have been more than sufficient protection."

"He was attacked by an another Element."

"I see. Unfortunately, I cannot help you. Maybe you should go against your lover's wish like I did few minutes ago and ask the Element to go against his bearer's order and protect him instead of you."

"That's a good idea. I mean I can at least run away if something happens. Blaze... he can't even breathe without a machine right now."

"I feel sorry that such a weighty choice has been placed on your back at your age."

"Stuff happens, I just have to deal with it."

"My words exactly. If I think of something I will find you."

"Thanks, Void. Bye."

"I wish you the best of luck."

Everything blurs.