With Heart and Sword

by FALG

Void?

As I woke up, my head ached like hell. At first my blurry vision didn't allow me to see at my own hoof, but after some time I could see books around me, and some more books in shelves.

It was Twilight's house.

Why I was in her house? Did I miss some part in my life or what?
I stood up slowly, and called Twilight to get her attention:

"Oh Flare you're awake! That's good" the unicorn said.

"Huh? Why would it be bad if I didn't?" I accidentally asked her.

"Do you need a reason for that?" she asked back.

"I guess no, sorry" I replied, realising how stupid the question was.

"Do you know anything about what happened to me?" I asked her, hoping for a concrete answer.

"Not really, Fluttershy explained me a bit..."

"FLUTTERSHY! Where is she, how is she?!" I yelled.

"Shut up!" she shushed me quietly "She's still sleeping and she is okay! Look behind you"
I did so, and saw Fluttershy in a little mattress with a blanket, and I realised something.

"She slept at my side?"

"Yeah, she came here with you on her back pleading for help" Twilight explained "and she didn't separate from you the whole night"
By reaction, I looked at the window, the sun was coming up.

"How long has it passed since she brought me here?" I asked

"I dunno, a few hours, I kept searching the books I have for something that linked to your problem"
Then it hit me.

"Waitwaitwaitwait, why did she bring me here in the first place?"

"See for yourself" the unicorn said walking towards me.
And she signaled my flank.

A feeble white light was coming from where my cutie mark is, or was; it wasn't there anymore.

"What is this?!" I asked desperate.

"Calm down, I don't know either but it's nothing to worry, yet." Twilight said.

"Yet? What does that mean?"

"I read some books I have about cutie marks since Fluttershy brought you here and pointed that light coming from you, this is very rare, and I haven't got any sturdy theory about what is happening."

"Do you know somepony that may?" I asked

"I already sent a letter to Princess Celestia telling her the problem, she should be talking to her wizard council now, somepony has to know about this; she will send me a letter once she finds out something, meanwhile I'm looking for an answer on my own."

"Oh okay"

"Don't worry, we will find a solution" she assured me.

After half an hour a green light came from upstairs, and then a little dragon came with a parchment.

"Twilight, from the Princess!" said the dragon "oh hey Flare, how are you holding up?" he said looking at me.

"Hey Spike, I've been better, but I'm fine, thanks."
Twilight then grabbed the letter with her magic and read to herself, until she looked at me.

"We got it" she said with a smile

"What is it? The solution?" I asked her

"Kind of."

"Kind of? Just tell me what it is and I'll do it." I said

"It's not that simple, this isn't any kind of disease or illness, this is something like a... characteristic? I can't put it clearly" Twilight said worried.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Ugh, I think you need to hear what they found out about this" she suggested.

She explained me the problem, it has no name, and only a few cases were shown in the whole history of Equestria.
Supposedly, it is some kind of ancient power, granted normally to warriors with more than one special talent.

"But there are ponies with more than one special talent Twilight" I stopped her.

"Yes, but those have talents which are linked to their cutie marks, which normally are one" she explained.

"So are you telling me..."

"That in fact, this kind of power grants a second cutie mark, but related to the pony's purpose" she finished.

"WHAT?! I mean, why me? I'm not even important to this world!" I said

"These things are not decided on renown, be it present or future, it depends on the purpose of the pony in life; not all had the chance to find out their second cutie mark." she replied.

"How many have had their chance?" I asked.

"The record is very vague" she said "maybe there are five to ten cases including you of this. But not all were able to solve it"

"Well what's the worst that can happen?" I said

"Actually that is not known either" the unicorn answered worried.

I looked at Twilight surprised.

"What does that mean?" I asked again

"This isn't any kind of power, it's like a test, a time trial to be specific" she explained.

"Alright, I already lost then..." I said calmly but nervous on the inside.

"No you didn't, you have a week until the time runs out." she said

"So what will happen if that happens?"
She kept silent some moments, and then spoke again.

"The council is not sure about that either, but the records say that those affected, after the lapse of a week, haven't been found again ever."
That made me shiver, what she said would mean that:

"Will I die?"

"Perhaps, but I'm not sure, the ponies weren't found; their corpses, in case they died, weren't found either." Twilight said.

"So what will happen to me? Will I die or be sucked into come kind of void to the moon or other universe or..."

"Calm down, you still have one week, you got time until something happens to you, make sure to find the solution."

"Oh yeah? What do I have to do then?" I asked impatiently.

"According to the council, the solution lies in a past event, you have to think what happened recently to find your purpose."

"Past event?" I repeated

"Yeah, what happened recently that gave you this kind of light?" she pointed to the light coming from my flank.

"Well, I was..." I got interrupted since a yellow pony threw me to the floor.

---

After a while Fluttershy finally calmed down, and we were able to tell her the situation; but when Twilight asked her what happened, she didn't want to say it.

"If you don't want to tell me that's fine" the unicorn said to her friend "but don't keep it with yourself."
The pegasus agreed, and then Twilight looked at me.

"I think you should go to Canterlot, you may find more information in the castle's archives." she said.

"What makes you think I can enter the castle?" I asked her impatiently.

"I can help you with that, I'll write another letter to the princess asking her to await you."

It made sense, if she was the princess' personal student, she surely had benefits within the royalty.

"I guess I'll have to take the next train to Canterlot, do you have any idea when does the next one leave?"

"Hey no need to rush, it's still midday" Twilight said
I looked at the window, a few hours passed since I woke up, it was midday indeed.

"Well I'll come back later, I have to tell this to my brother too; so I better get going."

I left the library without another word, I'd come later if I needed to.