Collision Code

by SSJRandomMaster

Act 3 Chapter 12

Act III: Collision of Wills
Chapter 12: Open Hearts
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Twilight jogged through the halls at a steady pace. Just as her friends told her, she was set to find Corey. But she had no idea where she’d start her search; if he was even in the castle to begin with. But still she searched and hoped, hoped that around each corner she’d finally find him. Soon though, as she searched the castle up and down, Twilight couldn’t run any further and had to stop. With a hand to the wall beside her, Twilight took a moment to rest, trying to catch her breath quickly so that she could continue searching.

“Where are you…?” she asked, believing she was alone in the hall. She was wrong.

“Who?” Caught off-guard, Twilight jumped a bit. But she recognized the voice, and as she turned, she saw that it was exactly who she thought it was.

“Cadance?” her sister in law was standing not far from her, casting over a smile.

“W-what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be resting?” questioned Twilight. Cadance simply chuckled and made her way over to Twilight.

“I’ve rested enough, Twilight,” when Cadance was within arm’s length, she raised her hand and placed it on Twilight’s cheek, “You on the other hand, look like you could use some yourself.”

She could see it in Twilight’s eyes. The exhaustion wasn’t physical; clearly mental in nature. But Twilight didn’t care. In her eyes, there was something more important to tend to than some sleep.

“I can’t, not now… I have to find Corey!” she said.

Cadance tilted her head. During the battle, Twilight and Shining had her in a secure area removed from the chaos. Now that it was over and she’d returned, she still didn’t know everything that had happened. But there was one thing she’d overheard after the battle with Slayer. That after the dust had settled, one of Twilight’s friends was worse for the wear. Now that she’d managed to put a face on it, and noticing the worry on Twilight’s own…

“Tell me what happened,” Cadance said, but Twilight took a step back, her face showing strain, showing haste.

“I’ll tell you late, but right now I can’t afford to waste time!” Twilight turned, ready to continue her run. However a hand came down on her shoulder, causing her to stop before she began.

“And what are you going to do when you find him?” asked Cadance. Twilight paused. She had been so busy trying to find Corey that she hadn’t even thought of what she’d say when she did. Twilight half-turned back, her eyes glued to the ground in thought.

“I-I don’t know, I’ll think of something,” she said. Using both hands, Cadance turned Twilight around the rest of the way, both hands on her shoulders.

“Twilight, I know you,” said Cadance, “You’re the kind of pony who won’t do anything with a plan.”

“But—“

“No buts,” said Cadance, waving a finger, “If you aren’t sure what to do, then you might accidentally make things worse. I can feel it, how badly you want to help him, and I want to help you do that. But I can’t accomplish that unless I know the full story.”

Twilight bit her bottom lip, trying to figure out what to do. She wanted nothing more than to just run and find Corey, but she knew Cadance was right. She didn’t have a plan, she didn’t know what to say, all of it was completely out of her element. If she wanted to help Corey, then it was clear she would need some help, and who better than family to do it?

“It all started when we found that book…”
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Twilight told Cadance everything she could, trying not to leave out any details. At this point, she knew for a fact that hiding anything wouldn’t help Corey. Cadance simply stood in silence the whole time, taking in everything she’d missed since going into hiding. She had to admit, some of the things she’d heard took her by surprise. But still, she remained quiet, giving Twilight as much time as she needed. Eventually, the tale began to catch up to today’s events.

“When it was all over he seemed…” Twilight shivered, “Empty…broken. I found out later; after his wounds were treated, he just wandered off, and I don’t know where he is.” Finally, her story had ended. Cadance now knew what had happened.

“Wow, that’s…quite the story,” said Cadance, still processing everything she’d heard, “Sounds like the two of you went through a lot during all of this.”

Twilight nodded. Every twist and turn over the course of the last few days was more than she’d ever experienced in her life.

“But it also sounds like he was able to overcome it,” again Cadance put her hand to Twilight’s shoulder, “Because of you.”

Twilight looked up to her in surprise for a moment before looking away.

“I…I just did what I could. If it had been any of the others, I’m sure they would have been able to do it too,” she said. Modest as Twilight was, Cadance didn’t agree. She knew there was more to it than that.

“I don’t think it’s that simple, Twilight,” she said, “From the moment I saw you two together, I noticed something. All friends may share a bond, but what you and he have seems to be stronger.”

You make him want to be a better person.

Twilight wasn’t sure why John’s words resurfaced now, but it caused her to blush—small, but there.

“I—We’re just friends…” she said, turning her face away from Cadance, hoping to hide the evidence that threatened to set her face on fire. But it was far too late; she’d already seen it, and already an idea was forming in her head.

“Do me a favor,” Cadance said, “Close your eyes.”

Twilight paused for a moment, confused as to her request. But she nodded and did as she was told, closing her eyes and waiting for what to do next. Unknown to her, Cadance raised a hand, her magic forming around her horn as well. In front of Twilight, a heart shape began to appear, one that was gray in color.

“Now, I want you to describe Corey to me—the way you see him. Try not to leave anything out, okay?”

Twilight twiddled her thumbs for a moment, biting her bottom lip. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt anxious about this. Still, she trusted Cadance, and if this would give her a clue on how to help Corey, then she was willing to try.

“I’ve only known him for a short time, but I feel that I’ve grown to learn a lot from him. At first he was scared, distant…and a little awkward,” Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at the memory of Corey’s early attempts at communication, “But I guess it was just the shock of finding himself in a new world. Once he started to open up though…that’s when I started to see the real him. He’s so open to new things, always wanting to learn more, and maybe a little critical about his own abilities.”

Sounds familiar… thought Cadance, suppressing a giggle of her own.

“But then there are these moments…moments where he really seems to light up. During those times he’s just filled with this confidence, this joy…and every time I saw it, I just wanted it to last a little longer.” The heart in front of Twilight, which had up until now been gray, began to flicker, color showing up.

“But when the attacks started to happen, I was afraid he’d close himself off again. Maybe he did for a bit, but that was short-lived. Next thing I knew, he was preparing himself for it as well. He hardly even knew the basics of magic, yet he was willing to put himself in danger.”

“Takes a good friend to put himself in danger for some else,” said Cadance, “Or was there another reason?”

A small blush appeared on Twilight’s face, and the heart began to glow brighter, flushing red.

“I…I once talked to him about the dangers, and that’s when he told me,” Twilight paused for a moment, the words echoing in her head, “T-that he’d do anything, if it meant he could protect me.” Again she stopped, clearing her throat as a smile spread across her lips.

“But…” Her smile faded and her brow furrowed. The heart in front of her, however, didn’t lose any of its color or glow, “That all changed when Slayer showed himself. I’ve seen Corey angry before, and with good reason. But this…this wasn’t just anger. It was an obsession, and though he wouldn’t admit it at the time, it was clearly hurting him. It pushed him to a point where I couldn’t recognize him anymore.”

“I…I never want to see him like that again. I never want to see him hurt so badly ever again. That’s why I have to find him, that’s why I have to—“ Twilight opened her eyes. She could now see the heart floating in front of her. It was glowing bright red and beating, and the sight of it took the words out of Twilight’s mouth.

She’d seen this spell before; she knew exactly what it was supposed to do, and it only surprised her even more. She looked past the heart to Cadance, who was staring back at her with a large and warming smile.

“Do you understand now?” asked Cadance. Twilight stood in silence. Her eyes went back to the heart still floating between them. Slowly, she reached out to it. The moment her hand made contact with it, the heart vanished.

“I…I do.” Twilight said, finally.

“Then, do you know what to say?”

Twilight’s moment of surprise passed, a smile returning to her face. With a look of confidence, Twilight nodded, and turned and ran down the hall. As Cadance watched Twilight run, she leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, a smile on her face.

I’m proud of you, Twilight.
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With her resolve rekindled, Twilight continued through the castle, though now she was sure of what she would do, she still needed to find Corey. But during her search, something caused her to stop, a sound that echoed through the halls. She didn’t know what it was at first, but then she recognized it. It was like something had just crumbled to the floor.

Slowly, she walked down the hall and took the next corner. There, she found someone walking towards her.

“John?” she asked in surprise, she’d thought John would have joined the others in the throne room by now. John looked up to Twilight. In his eyes, Twilight saw something that was out of place for him. He looked…sad.

“Is everything alright?” she asked. John looked down for a moment, letting out a sigh as he looked down the hall behind him.

“Things could be better, Twilight,” he said. Twilight was confused at first, until she remembered what room was down that hall.

‘You’ve talked to him, haven’t you?” she asked. John went silent again, his fists tightening in what seemed to be frustration.

“Yeah, he’s…I can’t help him, Twilight,” he said, “I tried…but I failed. There’s nothing I can do now.”

Twilight could feel it, the utter defeat in being unable to help a friend. Reaching out, Twilight placed her hands on his shoulders.

“You’ve done everything you can, that’s all anyone can ask for,” she said, “Now it’s my turn, and I promise, I will bring him back.”

John looked back to Twilight, a sign of hope in his eyes. Twilight nodded at him and pressed forward, now knowing where he would be. And as soon as she reached the door, she saw him.

“Corey…”

He didn’t seem to notice her just yet. She slowly walked towards him. Twilight couldn’t see his face, but she could already take a guess it was that empty, lifeless stare again. As she drew closer to the open hole in the wall at which Corey stood, her eyes flicked over to her left. There was the remains of the desk Corey had destroyed in his anger the day before. And amidst the dust and debris, she could see them.

His glasses… she thought, gently moving the other stuff aside. The lenses were dirty from where they had been for the night, but other than that, weren’t too harmed. Retrieving the glasses, Twilight began to work her magic. At the sound of this, Corey’s ears both twitched, but they remained folded down at the sides of his head. He turned his head slightly to look, but quickly turned away.

“Please…” Corey said, his voice sounding weak and so, so tired, “I don’t have anything to say, Twilight. It’s not going to make a difference anyway.”

“You…” Twilight started, “Corey, it’s not…”

“It’s not a big deal…?” Corey asked, turning to face her, “I just about killed someone with my bare hands, in cold blood. I definitely didn’t make it quick either…”

So this is what John was… Twilight thought, Has he…given up?

“Corey, please, just listen to me…” Twilight pleaded.

“What can you say that’ll take back what I’ve done over the course of the last few days?” Corey turned to her slightly, but seemed to be deliberately avoiding her eyes, “Even though the moment’s over, I can still see it all around me… In the end, I became a monster. I’m surprised people still look to me.”

“Corey…” Twilight said. She finally walked over to him. Corey caught this and drew back. He looked over to her for just a moment before looking away, scooting over a bit more than necessary, “I’m not going to abandon you for this one thing. Yes, you behaved irrationally; yes, you were unapproachable; yes, you did bring it onto yourself, but between everything that happened to you in this short amount of time, it’s not like I can’t understand--”

“It’s not an excuse, though,” Corey’s voice fluctuated a bit, but he still remained cold, “My wrath got the better of me, just like it always does, only this time, it was even worse. In the end, I’m just a monster now, unable to control his emotions and lashing out on whatever’s giving him a reason…I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to—“

“Corey, look at me,” Twilight said, bringing her voice down. Corey’s eyes closed, and his jaw set. Twilight slowly reached out for him, and his arm moved slightly, but it wasn’t enough. He turned his head ever so slightly, but still refused to meet her eyes, “Do you remember the first lesson you learned?”

Corey said nothing, but his eyes flickered just a little.

“Magic is guided by will…” Twilight repeated, “If you had really been ruled by your wrath, there would have been nothing anyone could have done to stop you. You’d have kept going.”

“It doesn’t…” Corey’s gaze flicked away again, and his shoulders started to shake, “But it doesn’t excuse what…what I did before then…”

“You weren’t thinking straight…” Twilight said, “I guess I should have seen the signs sooner. But after what we heard…that your arrival also may have—“

“Did,” Corey said flatly, “Did let out all those criminals…”

Twilight blinked, taken aback by the sheer guilt in his tone, “You weren’t in the right state of mind to make the right calls. And then you began taking it all on yourself, right?”

“Not that I really have a right to anymore…”

“You didn’t have to,” Twilight continued, “You never had to in the first place…”

Corey seemed like he wanted to say something else, but Twilight gently put both her hands to his face. This got his attention even more. He stared blankly, but she knew that he was definitely not looking away now.

“I’m here, Corey,” Twilight said, “I’ve always been here, and I want to keep being there in the future. From the moment I met you I’ve felt this urge I couldn’t explain…” It was a bit of a stretch, but given how long it had been since then, it wasn’t like she was lying, either, “An urge to see you happy, to shoulder any pain you may feel…because…Because I care for you Corey, more than I knew.”

Corey’s eyes shot open at this. He made a move that felt like he was trying to pull away, but he didn’t move an inch.

“So please,” Twilight said, “Stop trying to shoulder everything alone, because you have all of us. And you have me.”

Corey’s eyes filled with tears, and he turned his head. It was too late, though; they started to fall, and with them, came a complete deluge of emotions that spilled out along with them.

“How can I not??” he asked, “I was the one who ran the code that caused all this! I wasn’t even sure what it’d do and I got a friend of mine—I got me—stuck here for it! Worse…I let out that bastard too!”

“I-it’s okay,” Twilight said, putting her hand to his shoulder, “No one’s blaming you…”

“I…I didn’t know it at the time but I almost lead him right to your doorstep…! I fell for his act!” Corey strained, his tears still not stopping.

“W-wait…what??” Twilight asked, alarmed.

“That red guy…after Lyon…That was Slayer all along…” Corey said, looking over to her, “And I didn’t even know it… He was after you.”

“He…completely played you…” Twilight’s ears wilted, “But…you ran him off. You saved me…”

“And just what kind of person…” Corey continued, still caught up in the flow of emotions, “Can make everyone around him afraid of him… Even the one he l-loves…!?”

The way his sentence broke at the end, followed immediately by the expression he’d made afterward, told Twilight all she needed to know. Her ears perked up, and she put a hand over her heart. Corey closed his eyes, his right fist clenching over his chest.

“What am I saying…” Corey said, his voice going back to sad, moving to stand, “I can’t expect…I can’t expect you to—“

He hadn’t even taken his first step before she stood up, grabbing his arm in one swift movement. Corey stopped dead in his tracks before he’d even started following them.

“Corey, don’t turn away…” Twilight said. As soon as Corey turned to face her, he felt something encircle him—two arms, around his shoulders, pulling him close again.

“T-Twilight?” he asked, blinking, his breath hitching slightly.

“I won’t let you out of my sight…” Twilight said, “Not until I’m sure you’re better for this.”

Corey’s arms twitched once. Then, after some hesitation, they eventually found their way around her. Twilight couldn’t help but gasp.

“Twilight…I’m so sorry…I shouldn’t have—“ Corey started in again.

“Shh…” Twilight said, “You don’t need to tell me.”

They remained in that position for several long moments, neither wanting to let the other go. Twilight eventually pulled back a bit.

“Here…” she said, smiling as she reached into her pocket, where she’d put his glasses since finishing with them, “Put these back on.”

Corey reached out for the lenses. After a few seconds of fiddling with them, he slowly put his glasses back on. Though he knew for sure she was there, after so long of not wearing them, he could see it completely clearly.

“What do you see in front of you?” she asked.

Twilight was standing not more than a foot from him, if that. He could see the pleasant, warm smile she was giving him, the mild blush on her face, even the signs of fatigue in her expression.

“I see…” Corey said, rubbing his eyes, the faintest beginnings of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, “An… a-angel, who I owe a lot to right now…”

“H-huh?” Twilight stuttered, the blush growing deeper, her smile faltering, “I-I wouldn’t go…”

Corey put one hand out to her face, gently resting the palm on her cheek, “T…Twilight, I’m done.”

“What…What are you saying?” Twilight asked, “Are you…?”

“No, I’m not dropping out of this so-called game. I’m in it whether I want to be or not, after all…” Corey said, “But I’m done being ruled by wrath and rage. I promise you…and everyone else, I won’t let myself fall that far ever again…”

Twilight finally returned his gesture, putting her palm to the other side of his face.

“You won’t,” Twilight said.

The two looked into each other’s eyes for a bit more, before pulling each other into a hug again.

“I’m so glad to have you back, Corey,” Twilight said, “Even if it’s just a start…”

“Thank you, Twilight,” Corey whispered as he trembled in her arms, “For everything you’ve said…”
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Corey wasn’t sure how much time he’d spent in Twilight’s embrace, but it was long enough for him to weep away most if not all of his sorrows for sure. When it was finally done, Corey pulled away slowly, taking a deep breath to compose himself.

“Feel better?” asked Twilight. Corey leaned back for a moment, looking into the sky again.

“Yeah, I actually do,” he said. From the corner of his mouth, Twilight could swear she saw a form of smile on his face. For a while, she just joined him, staring into the sky of the Crystal Empire, doing nothing more than enjoy the moment.

“Do you want to regroup with everyone else?” asked Twilight, “They’ve been worried too, you know.”

Corey went silent for a moment, looking down towards the city as though deep in thought. Eventually, he finally stood up from the floor, dusting himself off and rubbing at the matted fur on his face.

“Can you go on ahead?” he asked, “There’s something else I have to take care of first.”

Twilight tilted her head at that, wondering what that could have been.

“But don’t worry,” Corey said, finally starting to move towards the door, “For sure, I’ll come back, soon as I’m done.”
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John walked through the halls at a slow pace, trying to delay rejoining the others as much as possible. He wasn’t sure if Twilight had successfully pulled Corey out of his funk, but it still felt disheartening to know he could do nothing. He knew deep down he definitely never wanted to see an empty, lifeless shell that used to be Corey ever again.

“John!”

There was the sound of rapid movements behind him, the sound of footsteps. And even though the tone was slightly off, there was no mistaking it. John turned around, seeing Corey running up to him, his glasses back on. More so, the life in his eyes had returned.

“Corey?” John asked. Corey slowed to a stop, pausing to take another deep breath, “Feeling any better?”

“A lot…” Corey said, tapping one foot, “I still owe Twilight a lot of stuff, really.”

“She’s probably the most powerful motivator I’ve seen in your life in a long time, really,” John shrugged.

“But the same goes for you,” Corey said, “Even if I wound up at the same place a month later, even if I took my anger too far, you still at least tried to help me out.”

“Yeah,” John sighed, “But still…”

“I’m tired of being in the cycle, John,” Corey said, “I know I’ve said it before, but after seeing the end result up here,” He shivered, keeping his arms folded, “I mean it this time. Every time I get close to the point of no return; even when I get to the point of no return, someone always manages to pull me away before I pass it.”

“It happened again, too,” John said.

“But I definitely can’t let that keep happening,” Corey said, clenching one fist in front of his face and looking at it, “Especially now. I have strength, I have superpowers. I can’t just follow my emotions every time. You said before, when we were on the train here, this world was changing me. Well, I want it to be for the better. I don’t know exactly how that’s gonna happen. But I’m hoping to find it out sometime soon…”

“You have any ideas on what to do?” John asked, noting as Corey’s stance changed. He stood up slightly straighter. His arms were folded, and towards the end of his speech, he seemed to be restlessly shuffling his feet.

“I think I know at least part of it,” Corey said, his face slowly morphing into a mild snarl, “The first step I’ve got to take is to put this whole fight behind me. But that won’t be easy…forgetting that whole run-in with Slayer—the bastard—will be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done…”

John couldn’t doubt it. Corey’s battle with his anger was a hard-fought one for years now. He’d always been on the losing end, and over time his sanity had slowly eroded. However, this time, when he made the assertion, he seemed completely sure of himself. He knew there was a challenge and was accepting it head-on, rather than typing what may as well have been a noncommittal statement.

This time, he was going to try to do it.

Extending his hand, John placed it on Corey’s shoulder and smiled.

“You can do it, Corey,” he said, “I know you can.”
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The day passed, everyone in the Crystal Palace unable to contain their excitement at having chased out Cadance’s attacker for a good long while. Though worries were high that there would be a new one at first, reports of Slayer’s final condition left many relieved about how unlikely it was he’d bother them again anytime soon. Some hoped he was scared off for good, but others didn’t get their hopes up. Whatever the case, the fear was gone, replaced by a collective sense of accomplishment for all involved.

It was that night. For a couple, it seemed like déjà vu, but it didn’t matter. Princess Cadance had decided to hold a second banquet that night, and most of everyone had gathered around the table, save for two. This time, it was a celebration of what all had been done.

“I hope we don’t get interrupted again,” said Cadance, “But with all that has happened since you all came up here, there’s no other way I can think of but to try this again.”

“On this night, I’d like to propose a toast. Because of all your hard work, the Slayer was forced to retreat,” Cadance said, “Without your help, he’d probably still be roaming these halls, this city, trying to continue his reign of terror. And because of that, we’ve all come back stronger for it. To all of you, I owe many thanks…”

“It can’t be all of us, though!” Pinkie chirped, pointing out the obvious, “Twi and Corey aren’t here yet!”

The others directed their attention to the empty seats, which were more or less next to one another. Cadance merely let out a small giggle.

“I’m not worried about them,” she said, “After all they’ve went through, I think they deserve a little rest. We can continue without them…”

“Yeah, ‘rest’…” said Rainbow to John as Cadance continued talking.

“I somehow doubt that’s where it’s going…” John said.
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He had been through an emotional upheaval unlike anything he’d ever experienced before, and now he knew he never wanted to experience it again. From the intense guilt he’d felt for accidentally causing the whole ongoing mess in the first place, to the anger he felt for the Slayer’s actions carrying him far beyond the limit he could handle, this entire fight up north had been one emotional rollercoaster. If not for her, he wouldn’t have been able to pull himself back together. Physically, Corey still had bandages covering most of his body, not that you could see that with the clothes that were covering it.

She’d seen what the Slayer was capable of, and was afraid. But that fear had soon been replaced with concern as she watched Corey decline. She had been disappointed when she’d learned he went against her wishes concerning that book, but after the dust had settled, she’d understood it. It didn’t make his behavior any less straining on her; for a time, she’d questioned her feelings and wondered if he’d ever be okay. She hadn’t come out unscathed either, but compared to the damage Corey had sustained in his battle, it just wasn’t as much.

They had both suffered strain, mentally and physically. Without even knowing it, they were worrying about each other, being more or less oblivious to why the other was worrying. But finally, the situation with the Princess Slayer, had passed, at least for now. With the dust settled, and the pieces coming together at last, they had finally elected to take a well-deserved rest.

He was glad to have met her, and to understand she truly cared for him even when he didn’t care for himself. She was glad that she was able to, once again, turn his eyes back towards the light. She was surprised to see the contents of his own heart, but knew she felt the same way. Corey and Twilight were oblivious to each other’s feelings no more, and were now sleeping in the same bed.

Both were on their sides, facing each other, fast asleep. Twilight’s head rested against Corey’s chest. Each of their arms were close to them, but still had enough reach for them to meet in the middle. Their hands were clasped together, fingers intertwined.

Author's Note:

What's this? An early update, on a Monday? What's going on here? Well, one year ago today, I released the first set of chapters. So I decided to put the update up today as a sort of "celebration", if you will.

As for this chapter itself, as you can see, the road to recovery is finally beginning. Well, see you all next Sunday, for the regular update and the end of this arc.

Comments

[Cupcake Fury]

Well. I don't really comment on stories all that often. But I feel motivated to. I like it, and I think Cory's character struggle is perhaps on of the more realistic I've seen (other than the staple lack of really worrying about learn inherent in HiE's).

++Recommend