Veil of Twilight

by QT-Mark

Daisies and Poison Joke - Chapter 4

“Pinkamina, my sweet filly,” the elderly mare said, “why are you crying?”

“Because everything is so scary!” The little pink filly replied with teary eyes.

“What’s so scary? What has been scaring you?” The older pony questioned.

“The monsters! Under my bed, my closet, outside my window… They’re everywhere.” The flat-maned pony responded with a soft sob.

“Shh, come here. It’s okay. It’s okay.” The elder calmed. “You don’t have to be afraid of them.”

“I… I don’t?” Pinkie hiccupped.

“No, of course not. All you have to do is stand up above those monsters and giggle! You can make all your fears fade away if you just laugh at them.” The elderly mare explained.

Pinkie smiled a little and giggled. “So, a-all I have to d-do is laugh and the scary monsters will go away?”

“Of course, Pinkamina. It’s as simple as that, dear.”

Pinkie giggled and wrapped her arms around the elderly pony. “Thanks Grammy Pie. I promise to laugh every time I feel scared.”

“That’s my filly. Now, why don’t you dry those eyes and come downstairs and get some supper?” Grammy suggested.

Pinkie nodded with a bright smile on her face. “Mhm! I’m really hungry.”

The pink filly and the elderly mare both descended down a staircase, into the living room to meet the rest of the family.

~~~~~~

Sunshine crept into the once brightly colored room. A room of pink and yellow, but dulled by age. The paint was peeling and the wooden floors were creaky and old. A worn bed sat by a window with its shutters closed tight and boarded up. There were only a few cracks, but the cracks were wide enough for light to enter the room.

Pinkie gave a slight groan as she pushed herself away from the hardwood floor. She looked around the room, especially focusing on the bed. “Nng, why didn’t I sleep on the bed?” Pinkie questioned herself. She got up and walked over to the bed, which had a large hole in it. “Oh, right, that’s why.”

Pinkie analyzed what her room had become. It was dank, messy, and looked as though it could all fall apart at a quake. She looked at her hooves and sighed. Her colorful and bright room was just a dusty old memory in a dark world now.

Pinkie Pie clenched her fists as a tear fell from her eyes. She quickly walked over to her closet and opened it. It was empty inside except for a safe in the back that was seemingly untouched by time. It was smooth and shiny, and was so black that it was impossible to see unless you knew it was there and could focus on it.

There was a combination knob on the front of it. Pinkie grabbed hold of it and turned the knob. She turned left and stopped on fifteen, turned right and landed on thirty-two, then back left and stopped on zero. It clicked, and the door opened, revealing only a small, light blue, crescent-shape gem placed in a golden, crescent-shaped socket.

Pinkie swiftly took the medallion and clenched it in her fist. She got up on her hooves and made her way out of her room. She started down the stairs and stopped before got to the bottom. She looked over and saw that the shop had been just as trashed and dulled as her room. She couldn’t see it well last night when it was dark, but now that there was a little sunlight, she could see the horror of the damage that this era dealt.

The pink pony opened the door of the sweet shop carefully. She peeked outside. The dust devils and rolling clouds of smoke were the only things in motion to be seen. Pinkie Pie left the shop, the strap of her satchel thrown over her opposite shoulder, the medallion placed safely inside it.

Pinkie shifted her eyes back and forth, looking for the others, making sure they weren’t around. She didn’t worry, though. It was still too early for any of them to be up. They didn’t wake up until noon, and it was far from noon.

Pinkie Pie hurriedly started down a path out of town. Her hooves kicked up dust as she trotted away. She glanced behind her, an expression of despair upon her face.

“I’m sorry, girls… But somepony has to finish this quest, and I’m the one that was chosen to.” Pinkie mumbled to herself as she turned and continued down the path, further, deeper into the rolling clouds of dust, and far away from Ponyville.

~~~~~~

“So, why are you helping me, exactly?” Trixie asked the caramel stallion while stuffing her face with a piece of toast and an apple. “I mean, not that I’m not appreciative…”

Vanilla smiled and took a drink of apple cider. “Well, because we share the same motives. It’s an awful place under some psychotic mare’s control, and we want to leave. I figured that was reason enough.” He took another sip.

The blue pony giggled and took a sip of her own cider. “Well, it’s very nice of you to help me.” Trixie wiped the crumbs from her mouth and lied back in her bed. She turned her head to look out the window. It was a beautiful morning. A true rarity. Trixie watched the wicked, dusty clouds dash through the sky, dissolving and washing away like ocean waves. She had forgotten what true natural beauty was; it had been destroyed under industrialization.

Vanilla sighed and looked at the wall by his bed, facing away from Trixie. “Things aren’t like they used to be. I remember when oceans, lakes, and ponds were crystal blue and even common see around Equestria… Well, for lakes and ponds I mean. I remember when trees were lively, bright, colorful. All these machines, and factories, and abominations… This entire industrialized era has virtually crushed happiness and hope.”

Trixie wanted to go to him and take him in her arms immediately. She wanted nuzzle him and tell that there will always be hope. She wanted to give him happiness in some way, but maybe she was thinking this too fast. She doesn’t know anything about this stallion, really. How can she throw herself into his arms? For all she knew, this colt was just going to betray her and set up a fake escape plan for him to earn a big reward for her death. But something felt safer about him. It felt safer being with him, than it did being out in the halls alone. She felt like she could trust him, and she was going to take that trust as far as she could.

“You up for a game of Pegasus Feathers?” Vanilla smiled and held up a deck of cards.

“I don’t think I’ve ever played that game before.” The blue mare replied, setting a cup of cider on the nightstand by her bed.

“It’s simple. Here, I’ll explain along the game.” The stallion replied.

The two ponies sat on the edge of their beds on either side of a small table Vanilla had set up. Trixie held six cards in her hand, as did Vanilla. “Alright, so here’s how it works. We each have six cards maximum,” Vanilla explained, “and, like in most card games, you draw a card after you play one. Alright, so now that that’s out of the way, it’s time to explain the actual rules.” He giggled.

“Alright.” Trixie said as she stared at the cards in her hands.

“Okay, so, this game is originally intended as a joke game. So, it’s pretty easy. The player that goes first lays down their highest card. In this game, Aces are one, so King is highest, and the Joker is like a reset button. Here, I’ll go first.” Vanilla laid down a seven of clubs. “Now the next player, you, lays down the lowest card they have.”

“O-okay.” Trixie laid down a two of hearts. “Now what?”

“Okay, so now, we have to lay down one card in between that range. We can only play cards between two and seven. You can either play a single card in between that range, or play two card of the same suit to add together to get in that range, or two cards of a different suit, to subtract to get in that range.” Vanilla continued.

“Right, I think I got it. Do we only draw one card?” Trixie asked.

“You draw until you have six again. The objective of this game is to get more points than the other. It’s basically based on math. You want to play higher cards within the range. Single cards are how many points you get, like playing a four gets you four points. Playing a two and three of the same suit doesn’t get you five points, however. Between two cards, if they’re of the same suit, you count the difference between those two cards as points. The difference between two and three is one, so you’d get one point. Now if you play two cards of a different suit, you do add the two cards together. In this case, a two and three of a different suit would get you five points, but the difference of two and three is one, so you wouldn’t make it in the range, and wouldn’t get the points.” The stallion finished and looked up at Trixie, who seemed to understand a little.

Trixie was never good at math since she focused all her attention on being a show stopper. She looked up at Vanilla Delights and nodded. “Okay, is that it?”

“Pretty much.” The caramel pony nodded back and laid down a four of diamonds. “Four for me.” He said, smiling.

“In between the range, hm?” Trixie reminded herself with that question, and then placed a King of spades and a seven of hearts. She grinned smugly. “Now, I’m not that good mathematics, but I think that’s twenty points for me, right?” Trixie giggled and looked at Vanilla’s shocked face.

“Yeah, twenty points. Hah, beginners luck, I say.” Vanilla claimed as he laid down an eight of clubs and a four of hearts. “Sixteen points total.”

“So, why do they call this game ‘Pegasus Feathers’?” Trixie asked as she played a card, drawing another one.

The stallion chuckled. “Interested in a little history, eh?” He played two more cards and drew. “Well, most ponies now a days just claim that it’s because the rules of the game are a load of pegasus feathers. But, good ol’ Vanilla, here, knows the real reason.” He laughed.

Trixie giggled and played her cards. “Well, I do enjoy a little bit history.”

“Well, there were three pegasi that were known as the Plumeshine Brothers. They had the softest, most beautifully preened feathers in all of Equestria. One day a pegasus with beautiful, golden feathers boasted that his feathers were much more breath-taking than the Plumeshine Brothers’,” Vanilla told Trixie as he laid down his card, “and challenged them to a race. He claimed that his feathers were not only beautiful, but could carry him through the wind faster than any other pegasus in Equestria. He also claimed that the Plumeshine Brothers’ feathers were just for show and nothing more. The eldest brother of the three scoffed at the stallion’s ignorance and accepted his challenge.

“The youngest brother went first. They were to race from Canterlot to Cloudsdale and back. Whoever made it back first was the victor. The checkered flag was brought down and the two bolted out of sight within seconds. A few minutes later, the golden-feathered pony had made it back and left the youngest Plumeshine brother in the dust. The next oldest brother stepped up. The golden-feathered pony smirked and they dashed off, disappearing behind the clouds faster than in the last race. But, again, the golden-feathered stallion came back first. With this second victory, the eldest brother stepped up next. He asked the golden-feather pony if he needed to catch his breath. He assured him that he would lose, but the golden-feathered pony just scoffed at the Plumeshine brother’s boast and shook his head. With the drop of the flag, they were gone.

“The eldest brother and the golden-feathered pony were side by side, and Cloudsdale was coming into view quickly. But before they even got there, the golden-feathered pony had mounted the Plumeshine brother, and began ripping his feathers out swiftly. As they got into Cloudsdale, the Plumeshine brother didn’t have enough feathers to fly and he crashed into the clouds. Before he crashed, the golden-feathered pony jumped off and went to fly away, but the elder brother had appeared in front of his. The Plumeshine brother was breathing heavily from using so much strength to keep him afloat, but it was just enough time for him to take hold of the golden-feathered pony. He pulled him back to the clouds and pushed him into them. He sat in his back and took the base of one of his wings in his mouth. Without hesitation, he twisted his head and snapped the wing, breaking it and ensuring he couldn’t fly. He quickly took the other wing and broke it as well, and with both of them broken he ripped all his feathers out. He took them back down to Canterlot, along with his brothers, leaving the defeated pony, with two broken, useless wings, in pain and agony.

“After the Plumeshine Brothers’ victory, they went back to their home in Canterlot. They wanted to celebrate their victory, and so they came up with this game with cards and used the golden feathers to bet. The one with the most points at the end of each game gets all the feathers that were bet. They decided to call this game Pegasus Feathers. Not everypony plays with bets though, like how you and I are playing. We’re just playing for points and fun. But, anyway, that’s how Pegasus Feathers came to be.” Vanilla finished and looked at Trixie, who was smiling and watching him, as if intently listening.

“My, what an interesting story. But, do you realize that you’ve lost?” Trixie snickered as she played two cards. “One hundred twenty-four points total.”

Vanilla looked up at her, and then at the cards. “Hey, no fair, I wasn’t focused!” He chuckled and stood up. “I call a rematch.”

Trixie stood up and crashed down on the bed. “I call sleep.” She said, giggling. “We can play again tomorrow.”

“But it’s morning.” Vanilla laughed. “How can you always be tired?”

“Well, there’s not a whole lot to do around here, and besides, I need my strength for when I escape.” Trixie smiled and rolled over.

“Alright, well, maybe it is a good idea that we don’t sleep at the same time, so that I can throw you in the secret room if guards come around.” The caramel stallion snickered and began picking up the cards, pilling them in a neat stack.

Trixie smirked. “Throw me? You’re a nice pony, aren’t you?”

Vanilla jumped into Trixie’s bed and lied back, making Trixie roll back over. “Yeah, I’m quite the charmer, you know.”

“Pff, yeah, a charmer. You’re something alright.” Trixie said.

“Yep. I’m gonna lay here and watch the door for you, Lazy Plot.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Trixie giggled, “just wake me up in an hour.”

“Alright, sleep well…”

~~~~~~

“Applejack, wake up! I can’t find Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash said, violently shaking Applejack awake.

“Calm down, calm down, Ah’m awake!” Applejack dizzily replied.

“Uhm, girls…” Fluttershy spoke up.

“We need to find Pinkie Pie, AJ! We’re weaker without everypony together.” Rainbow yelled.

“Ya think Ah don’t know that?” Applejack replied.

“Girls…” Fluttershy tried again.

“Where could she have gone? You know what? That’s it, I’m going to go find her.” Rainbow Dash told her.

“Not without the rest of us, ya ain’t.” Applejack assured her.

“Uhm…” Fluttershy walked over to them, trying to get their attention.

“Well, we can’t just stand around all day! She could be dying out there! Or already dead!” The blue pony began to raise her voice.

“You’ll be dead too if ya rush into this like an idiot!” Applejack matched Rainbow’s volume.

“GIRLS!” Fluttershy spoke up. The other two ceased their fighting and turned to Fluttershy. “We need to go find Pinkie Pie, and, yes, together, but Rarity is missing too. So, instead of fighting, we need to pack up our things and get going. Understood?”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack nodded and began stuffing their satchels with their belongings. Rainbow threw the strap of her bag around her shoulder while Applejack tightened the belt with her smaller satchels on it and throwing her backpack strap over her shoulders.

“So Rarity is missing, too?” Rainbow Dash asked. Fluttershy nodded. “I wonder where she could have gone. Maybe after Pinkie? But why would Rarity go alone?”

“Who knows, but we need to find them, and fast.” Applejack said heading for the door. “Ah sure hope they’re alright.”

~~~~~~

Pinkie Pie walked endlessly through the dust and sand of Equestria. She seemed to walking through an endless wasteland, but she had no fear of death, for she was almost near her destination. Pinkie thought of several funny jokes and moments of her life, keeping her giggling along the way. It was her only weapon against death.

She made her way over a hill of dust and saw what she had been looking for. The Everfree Heartlands. The Everfree Forest was destroyed by the hazardous pollution of industrialization, but the Heartlands were unscathed. Nobody knew why, but Pinkie knew. She knew how the Everfree worked. It was virtually built upon magic entirely, and the source of life of magic came from the Everfree Heartland.

Before her was a lush, beautiful forest. She could even see a crystal pool of water from where she was standing. She spoke no words, but began to slide down the other side of dust mound to run toward the Everfree. She ran up to the edge, her hooves right before the wet grass.

With hesitation, she touched her hoof the green plant life. She flattened her hoof and smiled wide. It had been so long since she felt the soft feeling of grass under her hooves. She stopped for a moment to enjoy the feeling, but didn’t waste too must time. She made her way into the large forest, being reminded of the scent of life around her. The emerald green leaves met with the shine of light reflecting from the surface of them from the precipitation.

Pinkie looked around the forest and smiled. She hadn’t been this happy in so long. And she realized that it was the death of almost all life in Equestria that had caused her happiness to diminish. Pinkie wanted to just stay here forever, but she had a job to do, and she felt that we weren’t getting anywhere wasting nights going from town to town as they worm their way into the palace. But she had a different task…

“Pinkamina,” Grammy Pie whispered to the pink filly, “I want you to have this.” The elder mare opened a small jewelry box that lay in between the two. She pulled out a crescent-shaped medallion, a blue crescent-shaped gem placed in a gold crescent-shaped socket.

“What is it?” Pinkie asked staring at its captivating beauty.

“This is a one-of-a-kind treasure, my dear. You cannot tell anypony of its existence. Do you promise?” Grammy Pie asked her.

“Oh, oh, I’ll make up a special promise just for you. I cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Pinkie smiled and did a cute motion of her crossing her heart, pretending to fly, and shoving in object into her eye.

The elderly pony giggled. “Okay, okay, as long as you promise. But, you can never break that promise. It’s a special promise, okay?”

“Okay, Grammy.” Pinkie leaned in and smiled.

“Okay… This is known as an Element of Harmony. It was one of the six Elements of Harmony created by Princess Celestia to banish Nightmare Moon.” Grammy explained.

“But, Grammy, isn’t that just an old mare’s tale?” Pinkie tilted her head and inquired.

“Well, yes, of course it is, but I’m only telling you the story that follows this beautiful medallion.” Grammy smiled and pushed it over to the pink filly. “As you know, there are only five known Elements of Harmony: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Loyalty. The sixth is a mystery. But this one is a lost Element known as the Element of Compassion.”

“What does that mean, Grammy Pie?” Pinkie asked holding the medallion to her chest with her hooves.

“It’s a type of care for others.” Grammy told Pinkie. “I want you to hold onto it, okay? It’s very special.” The elderly mare looked into the filly’s eyes. “You will know when the time is right to use it.”

Pinkie looked ahead into the forest. It was endless as far as her eyes could see. It was very pleasing, though, being in an environment that provided fresh air and comfort. She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. “I could stay here forever…”

Pinkie focused and the magic in her armor took effect. Suddenly she took off, running at impossible speeds. She weaved through the forest, dodging and evading trees and large rocks. Then she saw it. The heart of the Everfree. The magic that created the lush forestry and kep it alive.

Pinkie immediately started to slow down, stopping before a pedestal. The pedestal came up to Pinkie’s chest, and on it was a ball made of a light blue crystal material, the same color as the medallion.

Pinkie reached into her bag and pulled out the crescent-shaped medallion. She held it in her hand tightly as it started to glow brightly. She looked at the crystal ball on the pedestal, then back at the medallion.

“This is it. With her, we will take back Equestria and return everything to normal.” The pink pony said as she extended her arm toward the sphere. But before she could touch the medallion to the crystal ball, she felt a sharp sting in her side. She clenched the medallion as tightly as she could but the pain caused her to drop it right beside her as she landed.

“I thought I might find you here, Pinkie Pie.” Said a terrifyingly familiar voice. Pinkie froze immediately, a horrifying chill echoing throughout her body. She pushed herself up and turned, and just as she thought, a lavender unicorn wearing a wicked smile came traipsing up to her, dressed in her usual regal outfit.

“Twi-Twilight…” Pinkie could barely say through her fear. How could Twilight have found her? Why was she here? Shouldn’t she be at the palace? All these thoughts raced through her mind, and she was wishing she was just having a terrible nightmare or even a hallucination.

“Yes, it’s me. I missed you, Pinkie.” Twilight told the pink pony. She stood over Pinkie Pie, casting a shivering shadow over her.

Pinkie looked up into Twilight’s sinister, violet, eyes. “H-how could you have possibly known t-to find me here?”

“My, we haven’t gotten much smarter since we last saw each other, have we?” Twilight laughed. “My beautiful creations live and populate in this very forest. They are harmless, but they alert me when somepony is lurking around, looking for food or water because it’s the only place full of life left in Equestria.” The purple pony reached down and picked up the crescent-shaped medallion. “I actually came for this, Pinkie.” Pinkie cringed and reached for it. Twilight smirked. “No, I didn’t come to kill you. As a matter of fact, I want you alive, and I want you to go back to the others. I want to fight all of you at the same time.”

“Twilight…” Pinkie wanted to say something but couldn’t think of anything proper to say.

Twilight seemed to flinch and change for a moment. “Pinkie Pie,” she said with tears forming in her eyes, looking deep into her friend’s eyes, “I’m so sorry… Please forgive me.”

Pinkie’s mouthed dropped slightly, tears forming in her eyes now. “Twi-Twilight… I…” She stopped. Twilight gasped and fell to her knees revealing a white pony with a purple mane behind her. Twilight dropped the medallion. “Rarity?” Pinkie got up to her hooves. Twilight staggered to get to her hooves as well.

“Come on, Pinkie, we don’t have time to stand around.” Rarity shouted at her friend.

“But I have to do something, it won’t take long, I promise. Just keep Twilight busy for a moment.” Pinkie told Rarity.

“Pinkie Pie! Augh, alright, but please hurry!” Rarity said. As Twilight tried to stand up, her head dizzy and a new cut in her back, leaking blood, Rarity pushed Twilight back down.

Pinkie quickly grabbed the medallion off the ground and held it to the crystal ball on the pedestal. Twilight’s eyes glowed a bright white as she turned and became infuriated. Her horn glowed a purple aura and she teleported over to Pinkie. Pinkie Pie turned and a struck a horrified face.

Rarity appeared from the shadows behind Twilight and pushed her away. “Please hurry, Pinkie!”

“Just a few more seconds, Rarity.” Pinkie continued to press the medallion to the crystal ball, the auras and lights around them gleaming brighter and brighter.

Twilight held her hands down low, palms out, and as before Rarity could get close enough to Twilight to strike her, her hooves had been frozen to the ground. “Pinkie Pie, darling, I’m a bit stuck so, now would be a good time to stop messing around!”

As Rarity said that, the ground shook, and a bright and large tower of light shot from the orb and into the sky. The light pushed punched a hole in the clouds, and made a gigantic area of the sky crystal blue and bright again. “Okay, we can leave now!”

“You think you can hide from me? You can’t even escape from me! I control the darkness! I can see everything!” Twilight explained to them.

Thump thump thump!

Twilight gasped and fell to her knees. Three arrows were lodged into her back. Rarity and Pinkie looked up to see Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash off in the distance. Applejack had her bow held out in front of her.

“C’mon ya’ll. Now is the time to get the hay out of here. Now!” Applejack called out to them.

“Let’s go, hurry.” Pinkie said, looking over to Rarity. Rarity nodded and they ran toward the others.

“So why did you run away?” Rarity said as they made their way to the other three.

“I didn’t… I was completing a mission. Fulfilling a secret destiny.” Pinkie assured Rarity as she started to breathe heavier.

“A secret destiny?” Rarity asked confused.

“I’ll explain when we’re not running from death itself.” Pinkie giggled. They ran for the edge as fast as they could, not looking or caring where they stepped, as long as they could get away from Twilight. They weren’t ready to face her just yet.

~~~~~~

“So you ran all the out into the heart of the Everfree forest, by yourself to recharge this medallion?” Rarity asked, making sure that’s what had been said.

“Yes,” Pinkie said, “and when I was a little filly, my Grammy Pie told me that that medallion is the seventh Element of Harmony, the lost element.

“The seventh element?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Well, what does it represent?”

“Compassion.” Pinkie answered. “It’s the Element of Compassion. It was a prototype element created as a test.”

“Then how do you have it?” Rainbow inquired.

“It was thrown away and abandoned. Time had stolen it away, but a few generations ago, someone dug it up and pawned it off, thinking it was a useless piece of jewelry. The pony who bought it was my grandmother.” The pink pony explained.

“Fate works in strange ways.” Fluttershy squeaked.

“Yeah, if my grandmother hadn’t passed this down to me, we wouldn’t be able to find the pony that this element belongs to.” Pinkie told them.

“So, the pony this belongs to is still alive!?” Rainbow Dash asked excitedly.

“Apparently so,” Pinkie said, “but it’s so supposed to show us where they are. It just keeps pulsing this light blue glow like it’s searching, like it knows that the spirit of Compassion is still alive. If they were dead, the medallion would have broken or turn black or lose color or something like that.”

“Well maybe it’s because the area that they’re in is caged by a magical barrier or somewhere there is large amounts of magical energy.” Rarity theorized.

“Well, if that’s the case, then that means they’re in or near the palace. Twilight is the only one with that much energy to prevent an Element of Harmony from doing a task.” Applejack said.

“So what should we do?” Pinkie asked. “Should we go looked for her?”

“No,” Rainbow Dash said, “we should jump from safehouse to safehouse until that thing shows us where that pony is.”

“But if they’re near Twilight or a slave of hers, they might die before we even get to them.” Rarity said.

“She’s right ya’ll. We need to double our speed and try to get to the palace even faster.”

“Uhm, I-I have a request.” Fluttershy said with her gentle voice. “There’s a sacred spot in the Everfree Heartlands that we can go to. I’d really like to be around some lively nature, if that’s okay.”

“And you know for certain that we’ll be safe there?” Rarity asked.

“Oh, yes, um, I used to go there all the time with Angel. It’s the purest most sacred place and repels anything truly evil.” The yellow pegasus told them. “Twilight and her monsters wouldn’t be able to touch us.”

“Wait a moment.” Rarity said emphasizing the word ‘wait’. “Exactly how big is this area of protection?”

“Well, it’s, um, about the size of two of this room in radius.” Fluttershy explained, stretching out her arms.

“Well, then we should head that way, and then straight to the palace.” Applejack told everyone, looking over at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow nodded when she looked back to Applejack.

The five gathered their things and left the library, heading out in the direction of the Everfree.

~~~~~~

It was dark, the moon was shining through the hole in the clouds and through the leaves. Twilight gasped at she pulled out the last arrow from her back with her magic. She quickly used her magic to heal the wounds as she looked up at the moon. She sat against the pedestal, a tear forming and running down her face.

“I believe in you. All of you.” Twilight mumbled to herself as she looked down at the necklace she was wearing. “I know you can stop this…” Twilight cried softly as a purple aura surrounded her, and a flash of light followed. She was gone from the Everfree.

Comments

[Pleaseworkforonce]

nice chapter and also dont do like some authors do and rush to the ending after a certain amount of chapters to be honest if you tried hard enough you could make a trilogy

[kaiserwilhelm]

ooooooooh things are getting interesting...

[QT-Mark]

495292
What are you, a mind reader??

[Pleaseworkforonce]

495356 no but i do seem to be able to do stuff like that to good authors

[THAT_1GUY89]

though pinkie walks through the valley of shadow and death, she feels no fear.

[Neostar]

And I'm back to state my reaction as I read each section! *clears throat* :

Go Grammy!
--
Go Pinkie Pie!
--
I still don't trust Vanilla
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Must be frustrating for your team to just get up and leave in the middle of the night without telling anyone. That's a pretty serious abuse of trust. Would be hard to go to sleep anymore without wondering if you'll get abandoned again
--
Twilight's pretty crazy, taking that kind of punishment and still going strong. It seemed like the friends had a handle on her, but still they ran. I can only assume she's a lot more dangerous than she seemed in that moment.
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Generosity, held by a pony within the palace? I smell something, and it is neither chocolate nor strawberry!
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Hang in there Twilight!

[Zelda Spectrum]

Really good chapter! So is the Element of Compassion supposed to be a fragment of Kindness or something?

[QT-Mark]

I figured it would be appropriate to ask my faithful readers this in comments, to make sure I get an answer:

Since Vanilla (A character I made up) has unexpectedly shown up more in the story than I thought at the beginning, would it be appropriate to edit the story's characters and add "Other" to the list of major characters? I wanted someone's opinion on that because he's come to show up a lot in the story so far and will probably continue to show up and get more important from here on.

[Neostar]

501920

Your story so far doesn't beg for an OC tag; it's been true to the Mane6 + Trixie as the focus. If Vanilla is going to start stealing the spotlight from the other ponies rather than just being supportive then it could use an OC tag, such as if you have a section dedicated to Vanilla's adventures or how he makes a critical difference in some important events.

Bottom line: sounds like you could use an OC tag, but if you really don't want one I don't think you need one. Do keep in mind I'm as new as you are right now

[QT-Mark]

502115

Well, there are two different tags. There is the 'OC' tag and the 'Other' tag. Vanilla is, I suppose an OC, since I made him, but he doesn't represent me or any of my friends, but then again, any character I make up is an Original Character, huh? I feel so blonde.

[Neostar]

503620

I always interpreted "Other" to mean a canon or otherwise existing (batman) character that is not tagged, whereas OC is one who nopony knows a thing about until you describe him. For that reason I'd consider Vanilla an OC, but I've seen people use "Other" instead. *shrug*

P.S. I suddenly started staring at the notification bar for about 10 seconds thinking "I wonder if QT Mark read my comment?" then poof, you replied.

[QT-Mark]

503651
Baha. I was in school when I got your comment. And I decided to randomly check my FIM Fic and hey look, Neo replied to my comment. And thanks for the opinion on the OC (And I cannot forget the awesome "Thoughts about the story so far" stuff. Loving that most of all). I suppose I shall make the change. I mean, Vanilla's showed up quite a lot for a "non-major" character right?

[bcsnakeeyes]

why do i see ewither vanilla or trixie being the element of compassion. and if its vanilla, why do i see trixie replacing twilight as the element of magic.