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Chapter 1 - Meetings in Midnight1,151 words
Chapter 2 - Friends1,392 words
Chapter 3 - Memories1,164 words
Chapter 4 - Search? A Plan?1,262 words
Chapter 5 - Everyone Has Their Issues1,609 words
Chapter 6 - One and a Half Truths1,275 words
Chapter 6 ½ – The Other Half585 words
Chapter 7 - Forgiveness1,339 words
Chapter 8 - Alternates1,367 words
Chapter 9 - Alternates (Pt. 2)1,222 words
Chapter 10 - Inner Thoughts (Pt.1)1,161 words
Chapter 11 - Inner Thoughts (Pt.2)1,215 words
Chapter 12 - A New Face1,094 words
Chapter 13 - What is the Past?1,112 words
Chapter 14 - What is the Present?1,310 words
Chapter 15 - Is there a Future?1,136 words
Chapter 16 - Truths and Truths1,175 words
Chapter 17 - Stranger to Reality1,092 words
Chapter 181,243 words
Chapter 19 - Breached1,022 words
Chapter 20 - Twenty1,359 words
Chapter 21 - Questions and Answers1,339 words
Chapter 22- Confession1,255 words
Chapter 23 - Too good to be true?1,587 words
Chapter 24 - The End?1,177 words
Chapter 25 - Once upon a time1,181 words
Chapter 26 - Dreams that Cannot Be1,227 words
Chapter 27 - Partings1,563 words
Chapter 28 - Surviving1,452 words
Chapter 29 - Lost1,020 words

Chapter 20 - Twenty

Rainbow had finally found the room in what seemed like a maze.

“Spitfire?” She whispered, knocking on the door.

A moment later, the door opened, with Spitfire grimacing in pain.

“What?”

“There’s been a invasion.” Rainbow got out.

“Get to Soarin and Fleetfoot.” Spitfire said, “They’ll know what to do.”

Better than I do. She thought in her head.

~~~

But Rainbow had no idea where Soarin or Fleetfoot placed their rooms. She wandered almost aimlessly around until someone tapped her on the shoulder.

“Hey, are you alright?” Soarin asked, “I heard something, and the lights wouldn’t come on.”

“It- it must be an invasion.” Rainbow stammered. “Spitfire said you’d know what to do. ”

What did she say? Soarin was shocked. That didn’t sound like Spitfire at all. As far as he knew, Spitfire always did things and dealt with them herself. But he knew the basics.

“Get to the troop leaders. Tell them to go towards the southwest.” He recited the standard protocol for an invasion. “I’ll go too.”

The night was silent, but the scent of smoke was painfully obvious. Rainbow raced down the hill, not bothering to remove the stones lodged inside her hooves. She went to every troop leader and simply told them to go and head southwest with their troops.

Everything was done. But all she felt was a sinking feeling. The world started to spin around her, and she came to a realization.

They must’ve already been here.

She tested out her steps. If she walked quickly enough, she would be able to catch up.

~~~
Luna hoped that her work would not go to waste. She had worked so hard to free Sombra, but she was too weak. She knew that within the force field, she would not be able to break the curse. But maybe outside, she could.

The smoky haze in the horizon proved that the ruse was indeed successful. Sombra’s army had arrived.

Row upon row of soldiers stepped out, the glowing lights on their helmets forming a sea of multicolored lights. Sombra himself was a cloud of smoke and hazy greens and reds.

She recalled the sweet and shy stallion who had amazed her multiple times with complicated magic tricks and surprises. She tried to see the same pony in that haze of smoke.

It didn’t surprise her that she didn’t. For all she knew, the stallion she loved was trapped somewhere within.

She could hear a frantic hissing as she stepped closer. The edges of the smoke were…on fire?

It didn’t make any sense. In a way, magic could bend reality, but she didn’t understand why the smoke was on fire. A tear slipped her cautious mask of disinterest as she recalled a similar spell that Sombra had performed for her.

~~~

The grey stallion’s laughed heartily. “Watch this!” He strained slightly to summon the power to light the fireplace, then he lit only half of the wood. The other half was untouched and the smoke wafted lazily out.

Luna was already impressed. To control fire was a difficult skill to master.

“Now watch this!” Sombra smiled and his eyes sparkled as he lit the edges of the flames on fire, creating layer upon layer of flames. Luna’s eyes widened and she pinched herself to prove that it was reality. She knew Sombra harnessed incredible skills and had astonishing talent, but this was beyond her imagination.

Sombra extinguished the flames and smiled. “So how was that?” He asked playfully.

Luna didn’t say a thing. She was too busy trying to comprehend what she had saw.

“Are you okay?” Sombra’s face fell.

“I’m fine…but…” Luna trailed off.

“What?” Sombra edged closer and pulled her into a hug. “What’s wrong?”

Luna thought of the conversation her sister was having with a diplomat. Someone mentioned Sombra.

That, she was sure of.

~~~

Rainbow finally caught up, but she felt more tired than accomplished. In this state, there would be no one to help her.

Strangely, this reminded her of a recurring nightmare she had.

She would chase her sister – her daughter – around, but every time she was going to hold crying Scootaloo, she would recede into mist.

Then she would hear the screams. Horrid, chilling screams that belonged to a war.

If she weren’t awake by then, she would probably see Scootaloo – but dead.

Then she would’ve woken up, half crying and hyperventilating, while calming herself with the fact that lightning was sleeping on the opposite bunk, and Scootaloo was there as well.

Yet no matter times she had the same nightmare, it was all too real.

But where was Scootaloo now? She was living in the same nightmare that she was dreaming.

~~~

Soarin was very worried.

Spitfire never gave responsibilities to anyone else and did everything by herself, even when she could use help.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rainbow limping by, barely able to keep up.

He was afraid of what would happen if he lost her as well, so he went back and headed for her.

~~~

Rainbow saw Soarin coming over, but she couldn’t find the strength to speak. Her mind was filled with gruesome images of organs scattered over the battlefield, blood seeping into the soil. She couldn’t shut them out anymore.

It was the last straw.

Blood was pouring into her eyes and the ground was shaking. She could see the dead everywhere. Then she blinked and everything was back to normal…but not really. She was still trying to find her balance.

A chill ran through her. She had seen these scenes somewhere, but she couldn’t recall where. She knew what she was seeing.

“Rainbow?” Soarin asked.

“Yeah?” Rainbow faked nonchalance.

“Are you alright? I have never seen you walk like that.” Soarin said.

“Yeah, I’m fine, but you don’t look fine.” Rainbow cracked a weak smile at her own joke. Soarin frowned.

“You can tell me anything.” Soarin said. He knew something was up.

“Well…how do I begin this?” Rainbow asked herself out loud. “Scootaloo’s missing, and might already be dead, and I’m a terrible mothe-sister, yes sister, and I can’t stand the blood anymore. If anything, if I had a single wish and were dying, I would wish to end this war so no one would have to see blood.” She felt dizzy again and stopped to steady herself.

“What do you mean by terrible…mother?” Soarin wasn’t sure he heard right.

“Nothing. I’m just a little dizzy right now.” Rainbow said. “Are you alright, or are you hearing things?”

“I don’t know. The longer I’m here, the less of a grip reality has on me.” Soarin replied with a sorrowful tone. “I wish that everything was back to before like you said.”

~~~

Luna headed quietly for her shelter. Her plan had been a disaster.

What did her sister use? Celestia wasn’t that powerful! And she had lost control of the elements of harmony long ago. Besides, when she could use them, she had to share them with Luna.

She couldn’t kill Sombra, even if it were for his own good. She simply wasn’t cold enough to do that. She had a heart.

Now she needed another plan. But was it worth the trouble? All the efforts, the artifacts, and the distractions and the effects her plan had, would it be worth it?

Even if she were still in love, she would never let it get the better of her. She had learned more than once that the heart and mind had to been in sync with each other, else they would lead to a downfall.

There was a reason both the heart and mind existed.

~~~

Rainbow wanted to slap herself.

Stupid, stupid. How could she have said that out loud? It was good that it was war right then, and Soarin didn’t suspect a thing. What the hell was she thinking? If anyone knew the truth, she would not be living it down for years.

And yet, something inside told her that Soarin could be different. Maybe he would accept her, mistakes or not.

But how would she ever tell Scootaloo she was a mistake?

Author's Note:

Hello! Long time no see, everyone!

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Life Between Death - cierragp

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