A Heart of Change

by SilentBelle

Chapter 21 - Determination

A Heart of Change – Chapter 21: Determination

By: SilentBelle
Proofreading by: Mac349 & Plebeian

The hospital was a small building, composed of opaque, dark-green crystal and burgundy wooden window frames. Most of the windows on the upper levels were opened to the fair late-summer weather. A pleasant breeze played through the streets and called at Scootaloo to stretch her wings to fly. Had the two flanking guard ponies, as well as Sky Chaser, not been around and had Scootaloo's own objective not weighed so heavily upon her mind, she would have been off the ground long ago.

It was apparent to Scootaloo, as she scanned the skies above the green building, that the weather ponies in the Crystal Empire had no doubt decided to have clear sunny weather to offset the deluge that had encroached upon their city for the better half of the week prior.

As she and the other ponies made their way inside the building, Scootaloo felt a twinge of regret. She spied corridors branching off from the reception room, and they were not as wide as those in Ponyville Hospice. Barely two ponies could fit side by side, and Scootaloo imagined that the nursing staff would assuredly have one heck of a time if they ever were racing to bring a pony through the halls on a gurney.

Aside from the cramped hallways, the too low ceiling, and the overall shadowy interior of the hospital, the scent of disinfectant saturated the air, and Scootaloo found herself idly wishing that the windows on the first floor were open, as she had spotted the upper floors' were. She let out a nervous sigh and forced herself forward with the rest of the party.

A single crystal mare of a grayish green colouration was sitting at the receptionist's counter. Her eyes widened visibly as she looked up at the approaching guards. Scootaloo noted her eyes darted toward the crystalline plating of the guards' armour.

“Oh, palace guards? Can I help you with something?”

Lord Sky stepped forward with an easy smile springing to his lips. “Why yes. We have been dispatched from the palace, under Prince Shining Armor's orders, to find a patient that your hospital is currently tending to.”

“Oh?” The mare seemed slightly worried, and her crystal shimmer seemed to lessen as she frowned. “You know that we do not share our clients information without the proper authorization. I cannot allow you in to see a patient unless you are next of kin or a certified doctor.”

Which clearly, we are not, Scootaloo finished the unspoken words in her head.

“Oh yes, we do have a royal fiat right here.” Sky Chaser lifted a letter from a hidden pocket within his flamboyant outfit and deposited it upon the dark countertop. “It has the royal seal and all. We're looking for a child named Azure, if you would be so kind as to take us to his room.”

The mare squinted as she looked at the letter before her and then stood up in surprise. “But these authorizations are meant for doctors and specialists!”

“And specialists we are,” Sky Chaser said. “I know the guards are perhaps a bit overbearing; however, they shall not enter the room. It will be just the three of us. Our good mare, Scootaloo, has the talent required to heal what ailment afflicts Azure. And we two,” Sky Chaser pointed a hoof first to Apple Bloom then to himself, “are here to assist our specialist in her task.”

“But—” The mare looked frustrated at the group before her.

“We are acting on royal fiat,” Lord Sky reminded her and pointed a hoof at the documents. “Azure's affliction is one born not of physical ailment, but rather of a more devious magic. This is an illness that only a select few have the talent to overcome.”

The mare looked torn, and Scootaloo was sure that there had to be a number of other procedures that this royally sanctioned letter was bypassing, procedures that could cost the mare her job.

“His situation worsens with each passing moment,” Sky Chaser urged. “You have my word, and Prince Shining Armor's, that while what we will do here is, indeed, not conventional, it will be absolutely necessary in order to save the child from what dark magics plague him. Please, do not tarry.”

The mare cast an anxious glance down one of the halls, and her hoof pawed at the tile beneath her. The movement of her hoof carried a rhythm similar to a heartbeat until her eyes fell upon a wall-mounted clock.

“Alright,” the mare conceded sourly. She took another look at the letter. “You know, I could lose my job over shoddy paperwork like this.”

“Rest assured, I shall not allow that to happen.”

The mare motioned for them to follow her down the northern hallway, and the group followed in single file, save for the two guards at the rear, who marched abreast each other.

“Sometime later, I will have to reassure myself about your ‘royal documentation’. Doctor Sparker hates incomplete paperwork.” The crystal mare gave the guard ponies a scathing glare as they continued down the hall. “And try not to disturb the patients. The last thing anypony here needs to see is a bunch of strange faces dressed in armour. What was the prince thinking, sending the royal guard here?”

Oh Luna, what am I doing here? Scootaloo couldn't help the thought, but in the next moment, she clenched her wings tighter to her side and pulled herself out of a slouch. I'm doing what I have to do, she told herself, although the thought rang hollow to her, especially, since the sky outside seemed so open and welcoming from behind the closed windows of the hospital. What if I just flew away?

Scootaloo and the rest of the party followed the mare to the second floor, which had a hallway boasting a few open windows, a fresh breeze, and a great deal of reflected sunlight. Scootaloo felt her wings reflexively loosen at her side.

They came to a halt outside the fourth room down the hallway, and the receptionist brought her hoof to perform a gentle rapping upon the wooden door, sounding more similar to the chime of a bell rather than a hoof rapping against wood.

“Yes?” a mare's voice called out from the other side of the door. Scootaloo heard the owner of the voice get to her hooves to move to open the door.

The mare on the other side of the door was a light-gray coloured crystal mare. Her hue and expression reminded Scootaloo of a cloud about to rain but not about to storm.

“I am sorry to interrupt you, Miss Stone, but there has been”—the mare paused as she searched for the appropriate word—“a complication in your son's condition, which has been brought to light.”

“What is it?” The mother observed the group, and she couldn’t mask an expression of fear when she laid eyes upon the flanking guards. She swallowed nervously before putting on a determined face. She stood up straight. “But the doctor said—”

“—that he's in a coma,” Sky Chaser finished, nodding gravely as he stepped forward. “Yet, as your son's body remains comatose, he struggles within his mind against dangerous magic.”

The mare's eyes widened in shock. “But, how?”

“That is a long story, which I, Lord Sky Chaser, Scrymaster of the Crystal Palace, shall regale you with in full detail. However, we do not have the time for that at the moment. We must begin with all haste. Azure's life hangs in the balance.”

Scootaloo gulped as the mother opened the door wide and stepped aside to reveal a sparsely furnished room: a bed, a table with a vase of fresh-picked flowers, two chairs, and an open window. Upon the bed, Azure lay, sleeping.

His life hangs in the balance? Sky Chaser's just blowing it out of proportion to get this over with quicker, Scootaloo told herself, but instead of calming her nerves, her heart only began to beat quicker.

Casting a glance at the sleeping child, Scootaloo vaguely remembered him. It was a hazy memory, and everything past that moment had been a falling sensation until she had awoken in the middle of a street, pinned under Apple Bloom. Scootaloo focused on that last fragmented moment and remembered that she had somehow managed to peer through the child's eyes as if they were her own, and there had been some sort of strange connection she had felt. Scootaloo remembered the anger she had held back then and how she had somehow poured it into the colt, flooded him, and controlled him for just a moment. Scootaloo winced at the memory and cast her eyes toward the crystalline-tiled floor.

“Don't worry, Miss,” Sweetie's voice said, thick with pride. “Scoots is going to save Azure!”

“Who was that?” the mare asked, looking between the ponies before her.

“Sweetie,” Apple Bloom said with a roll of her eyes, “don't spook ponies like that.”

“Hey!” Scootaloo felt the amulet rise slightly from her neck with Sweetie Belle's protestations. “Just because I don't have a body doesn't mean I shouldn't be allowed to talk!”

“The amulet!” Miss Stone exclaimed in a squeak.

“You could show a little tact now an' then.” Apple Bloom prodded the amulet with a hoof before turning to Azure's mother. “Sorry, ma'am, we didn't mean ta frighten you any.”

“And so you meet our rather intriguing team, selected by the crown, to help out your son.” Sky Chaser shot the mare a sympathetic smile, but Scootaloo noticed the smile in his eyes found more amusement in the scene before him than his words gave credit to. He then proceeded to levitate the royal letter to the mare, as well as a small tied pouch. “This letter serves as verification of our authority on this matter, and in the pouch you will find some monetary assistance from the crown in these troubled times.”

“Tell me what exactly happened to my son!” Miss Stone demanded.

“As we said, your son is plagued by dark magic. We are trying to save him and also track down the magic's source, so no further ponies can fall under its influence.” Sky Chaser set the letter and pouch on the bedside table for the mare to take at her own leisure.

“But why Azure? He's done nothing to deserve this!”

“We don't know why,” Sky Chaser admitted darkly. “We don't know if it was happenstance or some deeper plan. But we are trying to find that out. Please, Miss Stone, I would ask that you allow us to try and help your son.”

“And if I don't want you to try whatever it is you're going to do to him? What will happen to him then?”

“I am not the most well-versed in matters of the mind,” Sky said apologetically. “Perhaps Sweetie Belle could hypothesize as to what could happen.”

“Well, by himself with that foul magic, the best possible outcome would be if Azure managed to take that magic out through his own force of will. Although, I wouldn't really count on that. Ponies caught in spells that are meant to ensnare would likely break out earlier rather than later if they were able to at all.” Sweetie's amulet glowed, and she let out a small hum as she considered the colt. “I can see the magic in there though. It's pretty complex, but it seems kind of dormant at the moment. The spell's there, meshed right in with Azure's own magic pattern, and it's not changing at all, but it is latched on pretty seamlessly. I think if we left Azure alone, he could end up becoming a puppet for the one behind this spell.”

“A puppet?” Azure's mother asked and cast a tearful gaze to her son.

“Yeah,” Sweetie said rather nonchalantly. “He'd just be the plaything of the guy who cast the spell. Eventually, the unicorn behind it could remove Azure's will entirely if he spent enough time and energy. I don't know if he would though. It would take quite a while to do something like that."

Scootaloo licked her lips nervously and then stepped forward. “We should act now before that snake has a chance to use Azure or cause any lasting damage. No one should have to go through that sort of manipulation.”

“Ah agree,” Apple Bloom said and looked directly at Azure's mother. “Please, Miss. We want ta help your son.”

The mare stamped a hoof. “Now wait just a minute! What exactly are you going to do to my son?!”

“I’m going to enter his dreams, where the nightmares are attacking him,” Scootaloo said, the chill tone of her own voice surprising her. “I’m going to save him.” I owe it to him and to the princess.

“With that,” Sky Chaser said gravely, “it would be appreciated if you waited outside the room for us, or at the very least quietly observed from the corner. We can't afford any distractions. This is mind magic we are dealing with, and a mind is a very delicate thing.”

“I understand.” Miss Stone wrenched the note and pouch from the bedside table and walked to the door. “I'll be right outside, waiting.” She paused at the doorway and looked directly at Scootaloo. “Save my son.”

Scootaloo nodded, not trusting her own voice to conceal her nervousness.

“Thank you.” Sky Chaser gave her an apologetic smile.

Miss Stone left the room, slamming the door behind her. This startled the receptionist, to attention.

“I hope you know what you are doing,” the receptionist said under her breath as she moved to the door. “For her sake, as well as mine.” With a disparaging shake of her head, she left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

“So.” Scootaloo let out an anxious breath. “You and Sweetie are going to track the magic first, right?”

“Oh, we can do that while you help out Azure. What we'll be looking to do is to trace the magic back to its source, and that never takes much longer than a few minutes.”

“Besides,” Sweetie added, “if the guy behind it catches onto what you're doing, he'll be too distracted to notice our own scrying spell.”

Sky Chaser nodded and flicked his staff forward. “Precisely! We should all start at once. It might give us an advantage to strike out together.”

“Okay.” Scootaloo sighed and walked right up to the bed.

The sleeping crystal pony lay, expressionless. If the child's chest wasn't rising and falling ever so slightly, Scootaloo could almost have convinced herself that Azure was a statue. And if I enter into his mind to save him, I might just cause him more pain or irreversible damage, the thought came unbidden. No! She stomped hoof and glared at the child—past the child to the magic that she knew was there, holding him captive. She felt a warm fire spark to life in her heart, a spark of anger. It doesn't matter if I do him damage. If nopony tries to save him, that snake is going to do as much damage or worse to him anyway. Luna's right; I have to try!

As she steeled herself, Scootaloo tried to recall the feeling from when she had struck down Bulwark. For a moment, she just stood glaring at the child. Anger? Yes, that was it. I can use it to— She felt a familiar twinge behind her eyes and a mounting pressure behind it. Opening her eyes wide, she willed the feeling forward, right towards the child before her.

The pressure surged forth, and Scootaloo felt suddenly tugged uncontrollably towards the child. She would have let out a small yelp, but her body didn't seem inclined to do so. Her vision collided with the child in what Scootaloo was expecting to be a headbutt, but she felt no contact. Instead, a flash of white, purple, and green glowing lights filled her sight and blurred the world around her into a foggy haze.

* * *

Interesting, Sweetie Belle thought to herself as she focused on Scootaloo's glowing magical pattern. It always amazed her how brightly Scootaloo could shine when she really started using her magic, and consequently it irked Sweetie Belle when her friend couldn't understand the incredible amount of magic Scootaloo held within herself. After Scootaloo had looked at Azure a bit, it appeared as though she had found a way to manipulate her own inner magic, as any unicorn could. There was one exception though: Scootaloo had no horn.

The violet magic welled up inside Scootaloo, pooling towards her head. Then, as Scootaloo's brow furrowed in concentration, or perhaps frustration, the magic began to shift, flowing out of the pegasus' eyes. It formed an intricate latticework which reached out towards Azure's head. The magic eased down upon Azure in a pattern that reminded Sweetie of a wing, and those times when Scootaloo would lend a comforting, feathery embrace around Sweetie’s shoulders. The outstretching tips of the 'wings' of the spell touched down on the child. With a touch as light as a feather, both the foul magic and Azure's own magic pattern connected with Scootaloo's in a fluid motion.

Apple Bloom, who had been watching just as thoroughly Sweetie had, moved in and caught Scootaloo before the pegasus could fall and eased her to the floor. “So, she's in his mind then?”

And so she begins. Sweetie was tempted to insert her own magic into the fray, but a sparking of golden magic from nearby reminded of her own task.

“Indeed,” Sky Chaser said. His magic shone as regal as a crown and as bright as the sun's rays. He was feeding his own scrying spell pattern into the gem affixed atop his staff. The magic flowed forth like a snapping whip, and in only a moment, it moved toward the child as if it were a small golden needle with a tail of thread following behind. “Watch my staff carefully,” he said to Apple Bloom and moved his staff in between him and her. “The crystal atop my staff shall reveal where this unicorn is hiding.”

Well, I should at least be of use here. Sweetie reached towards Scoddri's shard and pulled out some magic of her own and shot it forward quickly, chasing after Sky Chaser's spell.

Before the leading point of the scrying spell could come into contact with the mess of magic brewing within Azure, Sweetie used her magic to grab a hold of Sky Chaser's spell and stopped it just before it could collide with Scootaloo's magic.

“Hey, Sky, there's a lot of magic in there,” Sweetie said, and slowly she directed it between the wings of Scootaloo's mind-magic and towards the sickly spell hiding alongside Azure's magic. “I'll help you catch the real source.”

“That is most appreciated,” he said and gave a smile. “I was planning on sending in as many scrying probes as I had to until I'd caught the proper trace of magic.”

Sweetie Belle shot the spell forward into the foul magic. It plunged in like a needle through cloth, and Sky Chaser's spell became a small thread trailing off the tangled web of magic inside Azure. In a moment, the golden needle flashed, and a second strand of magic shot up from the child.

“Ah, perfect!” Sky Chaser smiled and flared his magic.

Sweetie Belle noticed the secondary strand extending out in length past the open window and beyond her senses.

“So you managed to catch it?” Apple Bloom asked and peered into the crystal atop Sky Chaser's staff.

“It should appear in just a few moments,” Sky Chaser said as his magic fed into his spell, steady yet firm.

Sweetie Belle couldn't help but notice that Sky Chaser did control his magic with a finesse that warranted his rather prideful boasting. There wasn't an uneven ripple in his magic feeding the spell; it was as smooth as silk. Even on the most basic of spells, Sweetie would have given herself a migraine trying to perform a spell with such fluid grace. Sure, she could see the magic and manipulate it with her own in subtle ways, but whenever she harnessed the magic, it inevitably quivered within her grasp. Hay, even Twilight would probably find it hard to cast a spell so smoothly. I think I've only ever seen that kind of precision from Rarity with her needles.

At the thought of her sister, Sweetie turned her focus toward the crystal affixed atop Sky Chaser's staff. This guy has Rarity. Once we find him, I'm going to give him solid bucking, whether I have my own body or not!

“Ah,” Sky Chaser murmured as the crystal sparked, and an image was revealed within. It showed a large, snow-capped mountain with snow-covered evergreens sprawling out from the mountain’s base. “Northeast, nearly a hundred miles, that ought to be close to Frostford.”

“Land sakes,” Apple Bloom whispered as she stared at the staff wide-eyed. “It's late summer, and look at all that snow.”

“He had controlled the weather, Bloom. I wouldn't be surprised if he made all of that himself.” Sweetie focused on the crystal and took in as many details as she could.

The image moved in toward the mountain, and revealed a small cave entrance. The spell sped forward, but once it moved into the shadow laden entrance, it collided with something.

“A barrier?” Sky Chaser nearly jumped as his spell flashed, and Sweetie saw the entirety of his spell's pattern crack and shatter, the magics separating and diffusing into the air. Were the spell not spanning across more than a hundred miles, Sweetie would have expected a more explosive result. “I've never seen anything quite like that before.”

“You called it a barrier.” Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Doesn't that mean you've seen something like it before?”

“Not this particular kind of barrier.” Sky Chaser frowned at his staff's now clear crystal. “A barrier shouldn't be able to stop this kind of scrying spell. My spell was fused with his own spell, so it shouldn't have been detected.”

“It was still your magic and not his,” Sweetie supplied. “His spell was probably made to detect anything that doesn't bear his exact magic imprint. The colour of your spell was your own golden yellow, and his is that disgusting purple-green.”

“But it was part of his spell,” Sky Chaser reasoned, sounding slightly frustrated. “That should have protected it from detection. And even though it didn't, destroying my spell should also have destroyed his.” He pointed a hoof at Scootaloo and Azure, both still unconscious. “They should have woken up because of that.”

“Only if it were your typical barrier for destroying foreign magics,” Sweetie argued back. “His spell must have had a different function. It's a subtle thing, like plucking a single thread out of a dress, rather than taking shears to the whole ensemble.”

Sky Chaser blinked at the analogy and then paused for thought. The frustration across his face quickly disappeared, and he smiled at the amulet. “I suppose that does make a certain amount of sense. Though it is still thoroughly displeasing to have one's wardrobe mishandled in such a manner.”

“Well, we can't change that now, and it's not as though the spell was fruitless.” Apple Bloom moved over to the open window and looked out toward the outskirts of the city. “Well, we know where he's hiding, at least as of now. We should tell Shining Armor right away. He'll send the guard, and they can capture that unicorn.”

“While we just sit here and wait?” Sweetie Belle scoffed. “We're going to go find that jerk as soon as Scoots gets up and give his sorry flank a solid kicking, without the help of Shining Armor’s guards. I know Scoots would agree with me on that.”

“But he’s a hundred miles away, in a place we've never been, and it's neck deep in snow!” Apple Bloom turned from the window and looked at Sweetie's amulet in disapproval. “We should at least go with the guards when they send them out.”

“That will be too slow!” Sweetie argued. “We have to get there as fast as we can and rescue our sisters!”

“But what can the three of us really do if we go there?” Apple Bloom asked, rounding on the amulet. “Sweetie Belle, why can't you get it through yer thick head that we ain't heroes!”

“Well, maybe if I had a body, my head would be less thick!” Sweetie rebuked and pulled on her magic. She used it to unlatch herself from Scootaloo's neck and float eye-level with Apple Bloom. “And somepony has to do something, or this isn't going to end! It might as well be us!”

“Sweetie, can't you see that you're just gonna get us killed?!” Apple Bloom turned from the amulet. “This isn't a game! Running in blindly is suicide, Sweetie Belle! You'll drag us in over our heads! Do you think I want to see you two get caught by that unicorn like our sisters—or worse, get killed?!”

Before Sweetie could respond, Apple Bloom ran over to the room's door, pulled it open and rushed out.

“Hey!” Sweetie Belle shouted after her. “Bloom! I'm not trying to get us killed!”

If Apple Bloom had heard her, Apple Bloom certainly didn't pay any heed, and in the next second Apple Bloom was running off down the hallway.

“Damn it! What's her problem?”

Sky Chaser sighed and walked slowly to the door, a sad smile on his face. He did not look towards the amulet, but rather down the hallway in the direction that Apple Bloom had run. “She's scared, you know. Scared that you two will disappear.”

“We aren't going anywhere that she's not. We aren't just about to disappear on her.”

“Indeed. You two have been with her since before this all started. Yet, you lost your body, and Scootaloo was on the brink of a fate arguably worse than death,” Sky Chaser supplied, and the small smile on his face left.

“But we pulled through,” Sweetie Belle argued back. “ As we always have and always will. The three of us can overcome anything we set our minds to. If she's forgotten that, then I just need to remind her.”

“But Apple Bloom does not see it that way,” Sky Chaser said simply as he walked through the doorway and paused, turning his head to give one last look at the amulet. “She knows that if you make one slip-up, it really will all be over. She's deathly afraid of losing you two, and she wants to get into a position in which, when you do mess things up, it won't involve the loss of her best friends. It may have taken a few drinks for her to admit it, but that's how she feels. You two are as much family to her as her sister and brother.”

“Hey! Where are you going?” Sweetie shouted.

“For a walk and to report my findings to the prince, of course,” the stallion said dismissively. “Worry not, I'll inform Miss Stone that her son is in capable hooves and to have patience for a while longer. Make sure that you and Scootaloo do call on her when you're done.”

With that said, Sky Chaser whispered something under his breath to one of the guards as he passed and got a curt nod in response. He then retreated down the hallway and out of sight.

Sweetie Belle was of half a mind to chase after him, but then she cast her focus back upon the intricate spell pattern laced between Scootaloo and Azure. I'll be here to help Scootaloo if she needs it. I don't abandon my friends, no matter what Apple Bloom says. I keep them safe.

* * *

A vortex of colours construe
Images: past, present and new.
She moved slowly, forward.
Stepped, swam, flew.
Until the world awakened,
To a scene of a darker hue.

* * *

Scootaloo opened her eyes to the dreamscape that appeared before her. She could feel a sour breeze, warm and pungent, like the scent of spoiled milk. She peered through the darkness and saw the barest outlines of grass at her hooves.

Alright, she told herself, Azure's clearly having a nightmare of some sort, if that smell is anything to go by. No surprise there. I'll just have to do this as quickly and efficiently as I can.

Reaching out with her mind, she did as Luna had taught her years ago: she focused on the terrible scent, and knew it didn’t exist. As expected, the smell went away. She then brought forth the image of Azure in her mind and gave it a gentle pull. She felt a springy resistance, as if Azure were being drawn closer but was snapped back away as soon as he got too close.

Alright, then. I can hunt if I have to. Scootaloo concentrated on Azure, and instead of pulling, she imagined a golden string drawn toward the child.

To her satisfaction, a golden line bloomed into life in front of her, and with all the haste of a seasoned athlete, she spread her wings and shot forth after the cord.

Time was a difficult concept to wrap one's head around within a dream, but it seemed to Scootaloo to only take a moment for her dash to lead her to a looming, blurred mountain and into the mouth of a cave. The stench had thickened as she entered the dark passageway.

The dream was different from those Scootaloo was used to. The details of everything around her were vague shapes and mostly blurred, as opposed to the highly detailed scenes that she often played with in her own dreams. I guess that's where the 'lucid' part of 'Lucid Dreamer' comes from. Well, a blurry nightmare is probably better than some of those highly detailed ones that I used to have. Like that one where Luna—

She cut her thoughts short and refocused her mind. She couldn't afford stray thoughts in a dream. That would only feed the nightmares.

She landed from her momentary dash, and Scootaloo concentrated on her surroundings, willing them to light up and reveal themselves.

The darkness melted away, revealing a deep gray stone on all sides around her, which formed a small cavern of sorts. Right in the center of the stony chamber, a blue crystal pony lay on his back, eyes staring upward, wide with fear. But what truly drew Scootaloo's eyes was what was surrounding the colt. White strands of dripping spiderwebs half-mummified the child, locking him firmly to the ground, while small black arachnids covered the child's exposed skin, poised to bite him.

Above Azure, an enormous spider, easily as large as a bear, perched hungrily upon a ceiling of cobwebs, its numerous eyes stared, fixated on the child. When Scootaloo glanced at the spider, she felt a deep sense of poisonous wrong. The center of the nightmare, she reasoned.

Without hesitation, Scootaloo focused on the colt and willed the webs and miniscule spiders away from him and out of existence. As if that were the trigger for it to spring, the nightmare spider plunged from the ceiling towards the child.

Azure screamed, and Scootaloo sprung into action.

With a mere thought, she summoned her guardian. In a second, a ethereal vision of Rainbow Dash burst into existence and shot forward like a bullet. She knocked the spider out of its nest, evaporating on contact. Before the spider could hit the ground, it let out an eerie hiss and disappeared in a plume of darkness.

As it did, so too did the cave. Scootaloo saw the world melt away around her, leaving just the child and Scootaloo as the only visible deviations from the darkness of the place.

Scootaloo walked over to the child and gave him an appraising look. With a quick thought, Scootaloo banished the spider bites that marked Azure's skin. For his part, Azure let out a scared yelp and scrambled to get his feet back under him.

“What do you want?! W-Who are you?!”

“I am Scootaloo,” she said, as evenly as she could, trying to remember how Luna had first approached her in her own dreams. “I'm here to save you from these nightmares.”

“Th-that's what the last one said. Then he turned into a spider.” The colt lost his footing as he backed away from Scootaloo. He fell back to the ground and collapsed in a shivering heap. “They were everywhere. All over me. They bit me if I tried to move. I tried not to move, but eventually I had to, then they would bite again. It hurt a lot, and it wouldn't stop."

“It's okay now,” Scootaloo said remaining where she stood, though her voice sounded harsher to her own ears than she would have liked. “That spider is just a nightmare, born from dark magic. It cannot hurt you if you don't want it to.”

“But it did! It bit me! It attacked me!”

“And I will again!” a barely articulated voice erupted from above, and the enormous spider descended from the darkness toward Azure.

Azure let out a terrified scream and frantically tried to scramble away.

Scootaloo just grimaced and reached out with her mind toward the spider and held it restrained in the open air, just a few feet above the child. “Nightmare! You do not belong here, begone!” Scootaloo shouted and forced her will against it.

The spider hissed once again and faded into darkness. “I belong wherever there is fear. I belong everywhere!”

“Azure!” Scootaloo stamped a hoof in frustration. “You cannot let this nightmare scare you! If you want to be rid of it, you have to face it and overcome it!”

Azure only moaned and curled himself up tightly in a fetal position.

Oh great, Scootaloo thought with an irritated sigh. Now, I have to face a nightmare with an endless supply of fear fueling it. And here I was, hoping that saving a kid might be an easy thing to do.

* * *

Darn it! Why'd Ah have to go an' blow up like that?! Apple Bloom sat down fiercely on a sturdy, crystalline park bench. Ah'm such an idiot! But Sweetie is being such a dunce too! This isn't some game or new spell to figure out, one mistake and its all over! Why can't she see the danger?

For a time she just sat, stewing in her frustration as she regarded her surroundings. Apple Bloom was sitting in a small park that comprised mostly of a few rolling hills and some washed out garden beds. A few elm trees encircled the park, separating it from the rest of the surrounding city.

Many ponies were going about the outskirts of the park, carrying supplies of various kinds to a number of different destinations. Amongst all the work though, there was a small group of foals running about in the park, being watched over by a couple of mares. The foals' carefree laughter wrapped around Apple Bloom like a soft breeze and eased a bit of the tension out of her.

After a few minutes, she shook herself out of her stupor, and her hooves itched to be doing something, anything. She began fishing through her saddlebags for something to take her mind off of her outburst. With a bit of shuffling, she found what was looking for.

Apple Bloom opened up her work journal to a bookmarked page with a series of different symbols that seemed to escalate in complexity. She then grabbed a small square of metal firmly between her two forehooves and a small metal chisel between her teeth. She began lightly scraping a pattern into the metal's surface while using the blueprint as a guideline.

If this works, then it means that magic—at least simple magic—could actually be done by earth ponies, supposing they had that right tools and knowledge. The thought was astounding to her, and she shook her head at how amazing Sweetie Belle's knowledge of magic must be. Maybe she could be some kind of hero... Apple Bloom frowned at the thought.

She let her errant mind refocus itself on the task before her. The pattern she was carving into the metal was a fairly simple thing to etch, an oval with a few lines branching off in a symmetrical pattern. According to Sweetie Belle, it was in the shape of a light spell's sigil. But there's still a catch. Even when Ah finish etchin’ this and inkin’ it, supposedly Ah'll need a source of magic to feed into the pattern.

The noontime sun was warm overhead. One of the last days of summer, she supposed as she finished etching off the last bit.

She took a cloth from her bags and wiped the plate free of metal scrapings and proceeded to pull out a small vial and a quill from her bag. Sweetie said that Twilight uses this type of ink for her rituals—sylvite. She said that it was for repeat castings or for casting numerous spells simultaneously. There are also mage-candles and a few oils that she mentioned, but Ah don't have access to any of those at the moment. Ah suppose it won't matter if this doesn't work anyway.

With patient and slow yet fluid strokes, Apple Bloom applied the magical ink to the grooves of the metal plate. Once she finished, the grooves in the plate had a simple silvery impression to them.

“Ah, so that's what you wanted the vial of sylvite for,” Sky Chaser called out from across the park. The stallion was striding her way, wearing his usual smile.

“What are ya doin' here?” Apple Bloom set her metalwork down and frowned at him. “Aren't you and the others supposed ta be helpin' out Azure at the hospital?”

“Oh, Scootaloo is doing a fine job of that. I'm afraid I am as powerless to assist her as you are.” Sky Chaser glanced at the metal engraving and smiled. “And I thought you said Sweetie Belle was the jeweler.”

“There ain't any jewels on this,” Apple Bloom said with a sigh. “You know Ah'm workin' on inventin' things. Hay, ya probably've looked through all mah notes with yer scryin' spells already.”

“An invention, you say?” Sky Chaser's smile widened. “Perhaps this is the first step in your grand scheme of things to come?”

Apple Bloom didn't fail to notice that the stallion did not deny her accusations of snooping her belongings. No sense in getting annoyed over that. Ah've only known him for two days, and Ah can already tell that he ain't gonna stop doin' it.

“Yeah, Ah'm just experimentin',” she admitted and picked up the plate, raising it to eye-level. “Hey, Ah have an idea. Why don't ya feed a small bit o' magic into the sylvite?”

“Oh? Is this a trap?” the unicorn asked playfully and took a seat beside her on the bench. “Perhaps you plan on blowing me up as a means of keeping my rather avid sense of curiosity in line.”

Huh, that's actually not a bad idea, Apple Bloom thought in mild amusement. “Well, it's probably not gonna blow up, or else I'd be sittin' on the next bench over when Ah asked.”

“So what will it do, I wonder?” Sky Chaser asked, and his horn sparked to life. He subtly tilted his horn toward the plate.

In an instant, Apple Bloom saw the ink begin to glow, and from the center of the symbol, a small circular light began to form.

“Oh, very interesting! Although sylvite only lasts for so long, you’d get a few hours of use from this at best.” Sky Chaser laughed in amusement. “To think that an earth pony could create something like this. Quite amazing, my lady.”

“Good, the ink actually works,” Apple Bloom said, relieved that at least something was going according to plan. “Ah needed to test it to make certain it would work on a basic level. Ah'll need different materials if Ah want to make somethin' more permanent,” she explained, then paused for a moment. “Also, Ah thought Ah told ya not to call me a lady.”

Sky Chaser smiled at her annoyed voice and stopped feeding his magic into the plate of metal. “And I didn't, at least for a time. But it is a title that suits you, I think. Better than you might imagine.”

Apple Bloom let out a derisive snort. “Ah know that Ah'm just an Apple, and Ah always will be an Apple. Call Sweetie Belle a lady, Ah'm sure she'd wear a title like that proudly.” She paused for a moment and folded a cloth around the metal plate before setting it back in her bags. “Geez, what's gotten into her anyway? Ah know she likes ta push things an all, but it's almost as though she doesn't even care about the repercussions anymore.”

“You think she's playing the hero?”

“Yeah, and that's just crazy. We don't have ta do this. Even mah sister, who is a hero, after a fashion, wouldn't go out seeking trouble like Sweetie. Mah sister always told me that she only did what had ta be done, nothin' more, an' nothin' less. But, the worst thing is that Sweetie's also not completely wrong with her reasonin' either,” Apple Bloom admitted. “She's a good pony, and she wants ta help everypony, but it just irks me, ya know?”

“Perhaps you are arguing with her for argument's sake,” Sky Chaser suggested.

“Maybe.” Apple Bloom sighed. “But it is dangerous. This is just about the most dangerous situation we've ever been in.”

“Oh? 'Just about'? Now colour me intrigued, Apple Bloom.”

“Well, there was one time that Scootaloo and Ah left Ponyville ta chase after Sweetie Belle when she ran away. We got lost in the Everfree Forest and ran into a basilisk, and before Ah knew it, Ah got turned ta stone. If our sisters hadn't found us...” Apple Bloom shivered. “Scootaloo woke up in tears fer days after that. Ah've never seen her so spooked. That sort o' thing stays with a pony, ya know? Even now, not a day goes by where Ah don't remember just how close Ah was ta leavin' a gapin' hole in my family and friends by not bein' there.”

“You think your family would crumble without you there?”

Apple Bloom looked up to the seamless blue sky and searched its depths as she let her thoughts out slowly. “AJ and Mac, they've seen a lot o' loss in their time. With mah parents dying before Ah can even remember, Ah began to realize that the only reason they probably could keep going was because o' me and each other. I needed them, and they wanted to protect me. AJ and Mac were more of a father and mother ta me than a brother and sister. It made me realize just how significant Ah was to the family. Protectin' me and our family was what got mah sister ta do everything she did.”

“Keeping one's family safe is an admirable virtue.” Sky Chaser nodded.

“And Ah just know if Ah ever ended up disappearin' on either o' them, it could stop their hearts after all they've been through.” Apple Bloom brought her eyes back to the park around her. “Ah can't let that happen.”

“Hmm, curious,” Sky Chaser said and gave Apple Bloom a sidelong glance. “How would your brother feel if he knew what has happened to Applejack?”

“He'd...” Apple Bloom considered her brother for a moment. “Ah don't want to think 'bout it. He'd be mad, angrier than I'd ever seen him, Ah think.”

“And you want to stop him from having to feel that,” Sky Chaser continued. “So, I think the answer is simple, Apple Bloom. What would Applejack do if you were trapped in crystal and she were not?”

“She'd rush in ta save me,” Apple Bloom reasoned. She could imagine her sister running into a cavern all alone, where Apple Bloom was trapped in crystal. Applejack would scowl at her sister's captor and charge straight at him, never minding the fact that she'd just be encased in crystal by his magics. She's always been like that when Ah got inta danger. She just acts. Straightforward, determined, and willin' ta give everything she has. “Then, should I do the same thing?”

“You are not your sister,” Sky Chaser replied. “But you do care for your family. And as brash as our young friend Sweetie Belle is, she is right about one thing: if we do not act, we won't be able to get out of this. We can wait for others to save us, but there is no guarantee.”

“But what if acting makes it worse? Chasing after Sweetie Belle all those years ago almost cost us everything.”

“But do you regret it? You could have stayed in Ponyville and waited. Things would have turned out fine, correct?”

Apple Bloom gave Sky Chaser a worried look. “They would have. Scootaloo and Ah didn't help nothin'. We just got in the way and complicated it. But still, even after all these years, Ah don't regret chasin' after her. Ah had ta know what Ah could do. Ah had ta try, even if, as it turned out, Ah couldn't do anythin'.”

“And how about now? Will you stay here in the Crystal Empire and just watch as your two friends run off without you?”

“No! Ah can't let them go off without me! If Ah go with them, then Ah can help them. And we'll need all the help we can get.”

Sky Chaser nodded, and with a swift motion of his horn, he procured a smooth amber orb about half the length of his hoof in diameter from a pocket in his robe. “I'll give you this, Apple Bloom, so that I may offer what little assistance I can from afar. Just be sure to return it to me when you and your friends get back.”

“Wait, you're just gonna let us go? Ah figured you'd stop us from tryin' ta leave the Empire. Since we're royal guests, or somethin'.”

“If I recall,” Sky Chaser began, “you three were to help me investigate the origins of this mysterious unicorn's spells. Perhaps you three are heading out to further that investigation.”

Apple Bloom raised and eyebrow. “Seriously? Ya think Shining Armor is going to buy that one?”

“Oh, of course not.” Sky Chaser laughed. “However, he'll have no option other than to accept it, I imagine, with resources spread as thinly as they are. The prince is very practical, and he realizes when his actions would be a waste, not unlike yourself, Apple Bloom.”

“So, once we get out of the city, he won't send guards to chase after us?” Apple Bloom wondered for a moment. “And you're gonna let him know after we've already left the city, then? That could be a pretty big blow to your position, underminin' your boss' trust in you like that. What do you get out of all of this?”

“You mean aside from a way to spy on three young mares?” He nodded at the amber orb that Apple Bloom held gently clasped between her hooves. “You are right, I have my reasons, Apple Bloom. However, they are mine to reveal when I so choose.”

Apple Bloom frowned and placed the amber orb into her saddlebags. She then began to put her notebook, the sylvite bottle, and paintbrush away. “Well, Ah'm gonna need an answer when Ah get back.”

“And you shall have it,” Sky Chaser promised. “Oh, and don't worry about your deal with Jaden. I'll make some arrangements with him.”

Apple Bloom felt a surge of annoyance from within. “That's a private deal, Lord Sky! Ya can't just waltz in on it and do whatever ya want with it!”

“Oh, I know. But I am something of a business pony, after a fashion. Information can be a commodity much like any other. I will discuss the situation with our good diamond dog friend and perhaps come to an agreement.”

“Oh, great.” Apple Bloom sighed and got to her hooves.

“Indeed,” Sky Chaser said with a smile on his lips. “Care to catch a late lunch?”

* * *

Sweetie Belle focused her attention back to Scootaloo's magic pattern and took note as the magic began to strengthen. Each line of the sigil deepened in contrast, and she felt their power deepening with every passing moment. It was not unlike whenever Sweetie Belle had watched Scootaloo start off with a slow flight, only to slowly build up to a cascading rush of wind, magic, and movement.

Sweetie wondered at what exactly was going on within the spell, but the tangled mass of the three different magics, of them Scootaloo's burning the brightest, kept Sweetie from diving right into it with her own spell. I'll be ready if she needs help. Unlike Bloom, I'm here to help my friends.

Aside from the magic before her, and a light breeze filtering through the open window, there was little for Sweetie Belle to focus on, so she turned her mind back to an earlier topic that she was almost certain she had worked out a plan for. How to get my body back.

Say, Scoddri? she thought the question tentatively.

“Girl?” the voice replied in a tired drawl.

It surprised her that she could feel his voice echoing inside her. It was the one sound she heard that didn't seem to be generated by any magic that she could sense. It irked her that she couldn't locate its source directly, but it was a mystery that she would have to investigate some other day. Today, she had a different particular bit of magic to figure out.

Sweetie idly pulled the fragment closer with a levitation spell, being sure to keep the protective spell sigil in place, which allowed her siphon magic from the fragment yet keep it from being drawn into the necklace. The shard seemed to have a natural propensity for pulling in magic from its surroundings; that magic was then naturally attracted to its larger counterpart in the necklace. Having the shard was akin to having a near limitless number of single gemstones that she could only use one at a time.

Back in that tower, when that dragon tried to eat me, she began her question. No, it would have eaten me, if it were not for you. Back then, what did you do?

The voice didn't respond right away, and after a few seconds a small chuckle drifted through Sweetie's mind as soft as the breeze, she almost didn't hear the sound.

“I struggled pointlessly.”

It was not pointless. You saved my life!

“Is that what your bodiless self wants to call this? Stuck in magic, locked in by the whims of others, that's what you call 'safe', girl?”

It's safer than being dead! she argued back.

“How I wish I wish I shared your naïvety.” Scoddri laughed sardonically.

She felt a deep frustration building, and her thoughts burned acidic as they formed. Scoddri, I'm going to get my body back! I'll show you, prove it to you! I am not just something to be used by the whims of others! And neither are you!

“Oh, I would like nothing better,” the voice replied sarcastically. “To be free of one prison only to be ousted into another one.

Well, if you're not going to try to grab that freedom for yourself, then I'll just have to do it for you. So tell me, Scoddri! What did you do to me back in the tower?

“Magic.” Scoddri made a snorting sound.

It was teleportation magic, wasn't it?

“Does it matter?” the voice asked lazily.

Of course it matters. If I want to fix this, then I need to know what went wrong in the first place! Sweetie slammed Scoddri's fragment harshly against the wall.

“To bring yourself back to how you were is not possible, girl,” Scoddri said. “Your body is gone. You may as well accept your fate. You are destined to be used by others, just as I am. Time will pass through you and wear you down, until eventually you will fade from this world.”

There's no such fate, Scoddri, unless that's what you’ve chosen for yourself.

“Oh?” his voice darkened, “is that so? Have you ever thought that I might not have chosen to be used, yet I was used anyway? Did you ever think that I might have chosen to end it all, and yet it did not end? Fate is an insurmountable force that one cannot overcome, no matter how much magic they possess, or how clever they think they are. Fate is the only absolute in this world.”

You're only trapped like that because you've given up. The Scoddri I knew wouldn't have ever given up. You were trapped for a thousand years in stone, yet you kept on waiting and dreaming of your freedom, and you almost had it.

“It was a false freedom, girl. Reaching for it shattered me into useless bits of paralyzed sentience. Do you know what that's like? To be in seven different places at once, aware of it, yet unable to do anything? To have pieces of you that have fragmented so small that you will never regain them no matter how you search? There are boundaries that cannot be overcome!” Scoddri's shout echoed through Sweetie Belle's mind. “Do not presume to know me, girl. Your mentor Twilight Sparkle knew me far better. She was right, you know. I never was trying to help you. I was going to use you to my own ends and discard you once I was free. How have you deluded yourself so much, girl?”

His words stung her and had she a body, Sweetie would have fiery tears flowing down her face. No! she rebuked. You're wrong, Scoddri! You may have been using me to your own ends, but you've been deluding yourself. Don't you remember teaching me about the world? Helping me learn my magic? My gift? Seeing me through struggle after struggle, when your silence could have spelled the end for me? If you didn't care, you wouldn't have said half the stuff you did! If you weren't really my friend, I wouldn't be who I am today.

“Who you are?” the snide voice asked. “A bubble of magic with no body. Yes, being my 'friend' has helped you so much, hasn't it?”

Damn it, Scoddri! Then why don't I prove it to you? What have you got to lose?

“My sanity?” The voice laughed, a bitter sound. “Very well. Show me how you're going to fight fate then. I'll be watching. Always watching. As if I had a choice.”

I just need to know what you did with your magic in the tower. Then you can sit back and watch me work my magic.

“Is that so?” Scoddri snorted derisively, but nonetheless began his explanation. “There was a great, distant magic at work, somewhere near the boundary of our world and countless others. It was wild and powerful, and it was composed of an ever-changing sigil. It was a magic unlike any I had ever felt. Not necessarily beyond my ability, mind you, but something new, something I had never considered. After all these years, seeing something like that, it burned bright in my mind's eye. In a flash, I reached for it, grabbed it, and anchored the magic to me. I then weaved a teleportation spell from it just as you were about to be bitten. The magic slipped from my control as the one who is using my fragments focused his will over this fragment. With his will clamped down around me, what little control I had managed to secure fell to pieces. The teleportation spell broke down midway through.”

A stopped teleportation spell? Sweetie Belle wondered at the implications of that. She had experimented with the spell quite a few times over the years and had even tried to stop the spell partway through before, but the spell pattern had always been so strong that it had been like pushing against an iron bar with her hoof and hoping it would break. So then, my body was stuck as a collection of magic? Similar to what it turns into during the spell?

“Yes, however, two unexpected things happened. The spell, which I had tethered to this fragment, it reacted to that other crystal, which was present, and coalesced, depositing that other Sweetie Belle into our world. While that happened, this amulet you're stuck in, the element of my being, it pulled in as much of your magic as it could and contained you within it. Much of your magic was lost through dissipation, but what remains of it is what you are now.”

You pulled in a spell from another world to try and save me? Sweetie thought in wonderment.

“In one last bid for my own freedom from this stagnation,” Scoddri supplied bitterly. “I did not do it for you, girl. You have always been a means to an end.”

Sweetie made a scoffing sound with a quick weave of magic. Actions speak louder than words ever could, Scoddri.

“Indeed they do. Assume all you will, Sweetie Belle. I'll be watching and waiting.”

You do that, Sweetie replied.

She waited for a while, but the voice didn't make any response, and the world fell back into its gentle hum of simplicity. As the simple magics of the world surrounded her, Sweetie began to plan exactly what sort of spell she'd have to make to get her body back. If I use the matrices as well—

Her thoughts were cut short as she noticed a sudden spike in Scootaloo's magic.

* * *

Scootaloo pushed the giant spider away once again with her mind for the umpteenth time. This is getting me nowhere, she thought. Thankfully, Azure had stopped shouting and finally pulled himself into a standing position, although the child would still go shaky in the legs whenever the nightmare resurfaced.

“Alright, Azure, I'm gonna do something to try and end this. A nightmare can only be defeated when it's confronted.”

As Scootaloo spoke, the spider swung down from above, threatening to crush them. Instinctively, Scootaloo shot her disbelief at the creature, and it faded into the darkness once again.

“See? It'll keep coming back so long as you haven't overcome your fear of it.”

“How?” Azure asked as he looked into the darkness above him with frantic, searching eyes.

“Stick with me, and I'll show you.” Before the child could respond, Scootaloo imagined the empty space around her changed into a limitless sky blue. Her surroundings followed suit.

“Reveal yourself, nightmare! I am not afraid of you!” Scootaloo focused upon her surroundings and believed the nightmare was in front of her.

After a second, a cloud of darkness appeared against the faux-sky background. “Of the child's fears, you may not share,” a genderless voice said from within the cloud. “But everyone has fears! You will both succumb to your fears!”

“Try and show me my fears, then!” Scootaloo shouted her challenge and leaped toward the cloud. “Unless you're scared of me!”

As Scootaloo touched the dark cloud with a hoof, it expanded around her. Azure disappeared behind her, and for a moment, she was standing in an empty space.

“Scoots!” a familiar voice shouted in warning from behind her.

Scootaloo turned to see Sweetie Belle scream as she was skewered by the jaws of an enormous serpent.

It took all her focus to not shout out Sweetie Belle's name. “You're just using my own memories against me. It's just a false image! You can't scare me with that!” And Scootaloo pressed her will against the nightmare.

With a hiss, the false Sweetie Belle and the snake fell into pieces and the darkness thinned a bit.

“And now,” a serpentine voice said as a shadowy unicorn appeared. He had glowing purple-green eyes with reptilian slit pupils. With a smoky forehoof he gestured to a series of ponies who appeared before him. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hung limply in the air while Rainbow Dash and the other Element bearers stood as crystalline statues, lifeless and still. “Now, I shall kill them right before your eyes.”

His horn glowed brightly, then he paused to consider. “Or better yet...” The shadow unicorn shot a spell at Sweetie and Apple Bloom and then released them.

They fell to the ground, and each shook themselves as they got clumsily to their hooves. Their eyes opened to reveal the poisonous magic colouring their eyes while a rictus crossed their faces. They slowly began to walk toward Scootaloo.

“Why should I kill them when I could use them to kill you?”

“I deny you, nightmare. I don't fear you! You aren't real!” Scootaloo shouted through the tears forming in her eyes. She pushed at the images of her friends with her mind, and they shattered as though they were a glass window that had a stone tossed through it. The dark cloud around her lightened slightly, it was almost more of a fog than inky darkness.

“Sweetie...” Scootaloo heard her own apprehensive voice sound out.

She turned in anger to see the spitting image of both herself and Sweetie Belle standing, facing each other.

“I have something that I want to tell you,” Scootaloo's counterpart continued. “Sweetie, I—”

“No!” Scootaloo shouted a primal shout. It wasn't born out of fear, but it was a fiery anger that took hold of her. “You are not real!” With that shout, the two false ponies shattered, and the cloud of darkness receded to a small ball floating just in front of her.

“You may show me my fears, but you do not get to take that moment from me! It's my future, and it's mine to face when I choose to! You will never take that from me! Never!” As she shouted, she spread her wings and felt her body burst into a swarm of violet and orange flames. She rushed forward to strike the small shadowy ball.

Her flaming hoof connected, and the small sphere hissed and emitted a small plume of smoke as it slowly shrunk smaller and was burned away into nothing.

“Whoa!” Scootaloo heard an awestruck voice that sounded vaguely distorted, coming from behind her. Azure took a hesitant step toward her, with his eyes open wide. “How'd you do that?”

Scootaloo felt her anger subside, the flame died down, and she regained her equine form. She looked at Azure, the crystal colt was a blurry, blue figure upon a darker blue backdrop. Blurrier than his nightmare was, that's for sure. Scootaloo knew she should give the child an assuring smile as she was certain Luna would have, but Scootaloo couldn't manage it. Instead, she offered a tired sigh.

“It's emotion,” Scootaloo said as she looked out at the endless blue around her. “Fear is just one emotion, and nightmares disappear when you deny them that fear, or when you face it and overcome it. Anger is a surprisingly good way to fight fear, kid. If you get angry enough that it drowns out everything else, you can face just about anything, but it's not really pleasant.” Scootaloo imagined a cloud beneath her and slumped down onto it. “It'd probably be easier if you just remembered what makes you happy.”

“Huh?” Azure blinked in confusion. “I don't get it.”

“Neither do I half the time,” Scootaloo said with a snort. “But dreams are ruled by thoughts and emotions, you know? Impulsive things. That's why they are always changing. Sometimes emotions overcome each other. Sometimes you have to work through the emotions. Our insecure thoughts and our fears, those things form the nightmares.”

Azure blinked and a look of uncertainty crossed his face. “So is it gone, then? The spider?”

“That damn fake nightmare was destroyed. I burned it away.”

“Fake nightmare?” The blurred voice asked.

“Look, kid. As fun as it would be to explain it to you, you aren't going to remember even a tenth of what happened here. It's all just a dream to you. So forgive me if I decide it's best to forego any more explanations.”

Before Azure could offer any more protestations, Scootaloo reached within herself and gave herself a waking jolt. She felt the familiar sense of falling into darkness, and then she opened her eyes.

The light of the hospital room bloomed before her eyes, a harsh gold and green colour, which was beautiful in its own right. She immediately became aware that she wasn't standing, but rather laying upon her side next to the bed.

“Scoots?” Sweetie Belle's voice called out tentatively.

“Yeah, I'm back,” Scootaloo responded as she rolled over into a sitting position. “I got rid of that damn nightmare, and the kid should wake up soon enough.”

“Uh-huh,” Sweetie affirmed. “I saw your magic push against the other spell's pattern, taking its place, until the spell wasn't even touching Azure's magic at all. Then your magic flared and burned the other magic away. It was pretty neat to watch.”

“Well, it wasn't fun to go through,” Scootaloo muttered and rubbed her forehead. She could feel a small ache budding within. “Even after all these years of facing nightmares in dreams, I don't think I'll ever get used to them.”

“What did you do? I mean how did you beat the nightmare?” Sweetie Belle's amulet swooped in and fastened itself around Scootaloo's neck. “Welcome back, by the way.”

Scootaloo reflected for a moment at how alien it seemed to be talking to a piece of jewelry. In many ways, it was just as strange as the realm of dreams. That the fake 'Sweetie Belle's from within the dream could, in many ways, seem more realistic than the Sweetie in the amulet. Scootaloo winced at the thought. How she wished the metal around her neck was a pair of hooves forming a welcoming hug to collapse into.

“I faced the nightmare and starved it off,” Scootaloo explained and grimaced slightly. “I caught its attention, and I decided to face it on my own because that kid was just feeding it all the fear it could ever want.”

Scootaloo gave the bed with the sleeping colt on it a frown. “But I can't be mad at the kid for that. It's not as though he was all that aware of what was happening. Hay, most ponies don't remember much about their dreams, just passing emotions and stuff. And that pony who's behind this, he knows that most ponies are pretty much defenseless in their dreams, and that these nightmares will break most of them.”

“What does a nightmare even do?” Sweetie asked. “I mean, I know it's supposed to be scary and stuff, but what is it really?”

Scootaloo sighed and considered the question for a moment. “I don't really know. It's like a reflection of your own worst fears. They are most effective when their targets are not aware of what they are but rather when they see them as the fears that they’ve become.”

“So they figure out what you're scared of and become that?”

“Pretty much,” Scootaloo said, as she felt an itch of irritation with where the line of conversation was going.

“So...” Sweetie lead on thoughtfully. “You faced the nightmare, what did it turn into?”

“My worst fears,” Scootaloo said simply.

“Which are?”

“None of your business, Sweetie,” Scootaloo said more firmly than she intended, as she felt the burning anger from earlier mounting in her chest once again.

Sweetie, for her part, seemed to catch onto Scootaloo's irritation and stopped herself. “Alright. I get it. I suppose I wouldn't want you to know my worst fears either.”

Scootaloo glanced around the sparse room and blinked, suddenly realizing just how quiet the place was. “Where's Bloom and that Sky Chaser guy?”

“Hay, if I know,” Sweetie replied with a more sour voice than Scootaloo was expecting.

“You got in a fight,” Scootaloo reasoned.

“She's just being dense.”

Scootaloo let out a small laugh, which dispelled her budding anger. “Who'd have thought? You calling somepony dense, especially Apple Bloom.”

“Hey!” Sweetie snapped back. “You heard her defeatist attitude on the way here. She just thinks that if we don't do anything to help, the situation will just get better somehow.”

“Well, when you put it that way, sure she sounds dense,” Scootaloo admitted. “But you know she's worried about what's going to happen, and hay, what's already happened. She's worried that your magic and our guts won't be enough to stop this unicorn. And I can see why. He's been in my mind, Sweetie. He could break just about anypony with that magic.”

“Which is all the more reason to set out to stop him. Especially now that we know where he is!”

“Oh, so you managed to track him down?” A small smile found its way to Scootaloo's lips.

“Northeast about a hundred miles, close to a town called Frostford, or something, according to Sky Chaser anyway.”

Scootaloo considered the information for a moment then got to her hooves. “So, you're thinking of heading out as soon as possible. Right?”

“Of course.” Sweetie's amulet flashed brightly. “But there is one last thing I want to do before we leave the city.”

“Convince Apple Bloom to get back here and come with us?” Scootaloo asked hopefully.

“No,” Sweetie said sternly. “While that would be nice, it would take too much time. I'm going to get my body back this evening.”

Scootaloo let out a short gasp. “You found it? Where is it? I'll fly us there right away!”

“It's not anywhere, Scoots.” As she spoke, Scootaloo could imagine a small devilish smile on her friend's lips. “I'm going to remake my body.”

* * *

Apple Bloom had to admit that Sky Chaser seemed to know just the sort of place to find the sort of hearty meal that she hadn't even known that she had been craving. They had shared a late lunch of surprisingly tasty potato slices, topped with cheese and an assortment of other local summer vegetables, all of it lathered in a delectable brown sauce of onion and garlic. It was a salty yet filling meal that she was already planning to try and replicate the meal when she next found herself alone with a stove and some spare time.

Her time, however, could not be spared at the moment, there was much to deal with. If we're goin' to be traveling over a hundred miles, we're gonna need a lot of supplies. Especially since we're headin' towards some mountains. Knowin' Sweetie Belle, she's likely not gonna think ta bring anything at all, and Scootaloo's gonna manage to bring even less, the irritated thoughts started bubbling in her mind as she followed Sky Chaser down a few busy streets.

“Making plans?” Sky Chaser asked as he cast a glance at her over his shoulder.

“Yeah,” she admitted and frowned. She found it rather uncanny how he managed to predict what was on her mind so easily. Yet, she found a certain comfort in having those thoughts acknowledged. “We'll need supplies for the trip. Supposing we travel at maybe fifteen miles per day, it could take us a week to get there, and a week ta get back.”

“Ah, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. I'll get you royal permission to raid the palace stores of any equipment or food you may need on the journey.”

Apple Bloom stopped in her tracks and shook her head. “But you can't just do that for us. We should pay for our supplies.”

“Nonsense!” Sky Chaser replied with a laugh. “It is well within my power to give royal permissions to any whom I deem worthy of it. I work for the prince and princess after all. Such a position allows me to mitigate many of these mundane sorts of problems.”

“But it just doesn't feel right,” Apple Bloom said, a hint of disgust worming its way into her voice. “Ever since we got here, it feels as though we've just been livin' off o' the Empire's good graces. Ah don't like bein' spoon-fed all the answers to these problems, whether they're mundane or not.”

Sky Chaser's grin reached his eyes. “And I find that, if it is for a pony of such firm ethics, helping them is never a question; it's merely an obligation for those who have the ability to help. Wouldn't you agree?”

Ah suppose if Ah were in the position ta help a pony like mahself, Ah'd do it in a heartbeat. Apple Bloom let out a sigh of defeat. “Yeah, Ah get ya. But there comes a point when it starts makin' me feel a mite useless. Starts feelin' as if Ah'm not workin' as hard as Ah could be, acceptin' all this charity.”

“In that case,” Sky Chaser offered nonchalantly, “how about we turn it into a deal? I'm doing these things: getting you access to supplies and turning a blind eye to your friends leaving the city. So, how about in return, once you get back, you complete your little project you have planned with Sweetie Belle and Jaden, all under the Crystal Empire's supervision?”

Apple Bloom blinked in surprise. “Has this been your plan all along?”

“One of many,” Sky Chaser admitted.

We could be sponsored by the Empire? The things that we could make, if Ah can get them to work, they'd pay back the Crystal Empire for all the help they've offered us so far. The thought burned in her mind for a while. “But how can you expect me to make such a deal with ya, when you've even admitted that you have more tricks and plans up your sleeve?” Apple Bloom asked finally. “Seriously, you're hidin' too much from me for me ta even judge if it's safe ta trust ya.”

“Indeed, information can be the most crucial commodity to any plan,” Sky Chaser nodded modestly, his smile leaving his face. “And sometimes I wrap myself in this game of intrigue so entirely that I forget about the pony beneath it all.”

With a sudden golden glow of his horn, his gaudy sequin-encrusted outfit shifted upon him. The cloth hiding his hindquarters moved away to reveal his deep blue fur and a mark upon his flank, a golden crescent moon and golden sun, both were above and to either side of a wide golden eye.

In the next moment, his clothing slipped neatly back into place, and Sky Chaser's gaze was set skyward as if he were contemplating some sight hidden within the endless blue. “I am always searching and hoping to find what I am looking for. Perhaps your answer might be just that.”

Apple Bloom could only cock an eyebrow in confusion. “What in tarnation are ya talkin' about?”

“Just a silly personal dream. Its importance is not of relevance to our current predicament.”

“Ah don't know what you're goin' on about,” Apple Bloom said as she gave the unicorn a measuring gaze. How a pony could become more of an enigma with every moment she spent with him. It only served to frustrate her. “But if you're talkin' about dreams and the like, then Ah can say that you're wrong!” Apple Bloom looked back at her own flank and smiled at the three gears and apple. “Especially at a time like this, remembering our dreams is the most important thing. We have ta remember why we need ta succeed. Those dreams are our strength, not a pointless distraction.”

Sky Chaser seemed to find her words amusing enough to let out a small chuckle. “I do suppose you have a point, young Apple Bloom. Thank you for reminding me of that.”

“Well, you're welcome, Ah guess. And thanks, Ah suppose, fer showin' me your cutie mark.” Though now ya just made me curious. What dream do ya have that would land you a cutie mark like that? I wonder, what do you see when you look at your own mark?

Apple Bloom shook her head and she took the lead, heading back toward the palace. “We should get those supplies.”

“Of course.” Sky Chaser nodded but used his staff to point back toward the city. “But first, we should swing by the hospital one last time. It would appear that Scootaloo has managed to rescue the child.”

She felt a moment of relief after hearing that the child was alright. But then a thought came to her mind, one regarding a certain emerald amulet. Facing Sweetie Belle after their squabble wasn't really what Apple Bloom wanted to do at the moment.

“Oh, don't worry,” Sky Chaser said as he noticed her unease. “Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle have headed back to the palace by now, escorted by the guards. I'm not certain exactly what those two are doing, as Sweetie Belle seems to make a point of taking apart my spells before I can get any clear visuals, but at least they haven't headed out of the city yet. Perhaps they are waiting for you to return. However, I must talk to Azure's mother, Missus Stone and assure her that she can send a message directly to me should the child relapse.”

“Alright, then I'll come with you,” Apple Bloom said as her unease faded, only to be replaced by distaste at her own reaction. Sweetie's one of my best friends. I shouldn't feel uneasy 'bout talkin' to her.

Apple Bloom followed Sky Chaser through the city. All the while, she began contemplating how she should approach Sweetie Belle when she saw her next.

* * *

Scootaloo was eating some food that had been delivered to their room at their request. It was a fine assortment of roasted vegetables served with a pitcher of refreshing iced tea. It was just what she needed after the couple hours spent within Azure's dreams. Sweetie Belle had claimed that Scootaloo had expended a lot of her own magic while she was within the colt's mind, but Scootaloo only shook her head at the explanation. She had been hungry because time had passed, and ponies got hungry over time, not because she was casting spells as though she were some random unicorn and needed to rebuild her reserves. It was just that simple. There was nothing particularly magical about it as far as she was concerned.

Prism, the pony who had been sent to wait on them, had been quite happy to be of service to them. She had regaled to Scootaloo a whole assortment of food that could be brought up to them. And after two minutes of trying to remember the different dishes, while Sweetie Belle added her own commentary as to what sounded the most delicious, Scootaloo just felt too famished to really care what she ate. It came to the point when Scootaloo just let out a defeated sigh and said, “Surprise me.”

And the food she got was a welcome surprise indeed.

Aside from the food, however, Sweetie had also managed to coax Prism into procuring her some supplies: no fewer than twelve emerald gemstones, a quill, and a bottle of sylvite. Mentioning the items in question had gotten Prism to raise an eyebrow in curiosity, but she assured Sweetie that she could get them once Sweetie Belle had first assured her that it was going to be used for magic in service of the empire.

For her part, Prism had nodded and managed to get the items in less than half an hour. After delivering them, Sweetie asked Prism to leave, as the spell Sweetie was going to perform would take all of her concentration. Prism nodded once again and said she'd be back in an hour to check on them.

Scootaloo finished the last of her rather delectable meal. The grilled zucchini was something she hadn't tried before, but it certainly was better than she'd ever have imagined. As she licked the platter clean, she watched Sweetie Belle's amulet float around the room, positioning the twelve emeralds around her and taking the bottle of ink, carefully drawing intricate interconnecting lines between them.

“So, what's all the prep-work for?” Scootaloo asked.

“To remake my body, I’m going to need a lot of magic. With this sigil on the ground, the gemstones, and fusing Scoddri's fragment to the amulet, I should have enough magic to create a closed matrix that the other Sweetie told me about, and that will feed me enough magic to complete the spell.”

Scootaloo quirked an eyebrow at her friend. “So then, how does that make you a new body? How do you remake it?”

“Magic,” Sweetie said with a laugh. “Well, I figured it out when I went into your mind last night. When I was there, I got my body back, my subconscious remembered what my body looked like, felt like, what it was. It's similar to when you teleport really, your subconscious knows who you are and will reform your body after the spell. I'm going to use that to remake my body.”

“Will it work?”

“In theory, yes. But I've never cast a spell with so much magic behind it. The only spells that I've seen that had more magic was that storm spell we faced back in that mountain and the otherworldly teleportation that the other Sweetie Belle did to enter and leave this world, and both of those were stretched over far greater distances,” Sweetie explained as she finished inking the last bit of the pattern on the floor. “I'm gonna need you to stay as far from the center of the room as possible. It could be dangerous if you're too close. Though any flares in excess magic should be stopped by that bracelet.”

Scootaloo cast a look at amethyst-studded bracelet on her foreleg, swallowed nervously, and walked over to the closed door to stand in front of it. “I'll watch from here. Don't worry, Sweetie. I'm here with you, as you were with me back at that hospital.”

“Thanks, Scoots. It really means a lot to me. Now then, it's time to do this!” Sweetie's amulet pulsed to life with light, and Scootaloo watched as the emerald shard of Discord spiraled toward and touched down upon the amulet.

A flash of light erupted before Scootaloo with a strange humming sound that seemed to come from all around her, as if the room itself were groaning. She had to close her eyes and raise a hoof to protect them from the harsh magical light, which only seemed to intensify. “Sweetie!” A feeling of dread fell upon her as the air around her grew cold, as if she had just flown up half a thousand feet into the sky. What's happening in there?

* * *

A torrent of magic erupted as she brought the fragment down into herself. It flooded her world with its emerald glory, but Sweetie forced herself to reach out and grab the raw magic. She channeled it downward, and it slowly began to lessen as it diffused into sigil below her.

Eventually, the overwhelming magic began to form its discernible patterns, and the room became filled with a vortex of swirling magic drawing from all of the room’s surroundings: the air, the crystalline walls, the glass windows. All the magic was being fed into the center of the pattern below her for Sweetie to use at her whim. The magic seemed as endless as a river, and the mere thought of it made her feel giddy with delight.

Alright, teleportation sigil, she told herself forcefully and fed the magic quickly into the spell. The starting point was firmly attached to her amulet, and the end point of the spell, she anchored only a few feet in front of her. As she felt the familiar shifting of the world around her, she pulled at the endless magic beneath her.

She recalled those ancient words that had guided every teleportation she had ever made: “Girl, remember where you are!” Those words had been a mantra for her, repeated so that she might never get lost midway through a teleportation. She had to know with certainty where she was and who she was.

My body! She pictured who she was, what she looked like, what she remembered feeling like, what it felt like to have a body. She reached down into herself and knew, I am Sweetie Belle.

She sensed the flow of the teleportation spell fling her forward. Then, with an eruption as thoroughly overwhelming as the initial moment of her spell, she felt it. It filled her mind: a piercing crack of sound, a brilliant light, the taste of dust, the choking smell of sweat and oxidization. Pain.

* * *

“Damn it!” Scootaloo shouted into the freezing air as a crack sounded through the chamber and then all went silent. She blinked her eyes fiercely, trying to clear them of phantom purple blazes which flooded her sight.

Each blink seemed to work as the room came back into focus before her. Though what she saw took her breath away harsher than the cold air around her. The center of the room, with its opaque crystalline floor, was now marred by a scorched ring and a haze of fog lingered above it. Away from the center of the room, past where the sigil on the ground had been drawn, a thick frost carpeted the floor, encroaching upon the burned ring. The glass panes of the windows had all disappeared, and above it all, Scootaloo noticed sprinkles of sandy dust trickling down from the roof.

“Sweetie!” Scootaloo shouted, running toward the dark ring and peering desperately past the thick fog, looking for a sign of her friend, either her body or her amulet.

Scootaloo heard a cough as she arrived. “Hah,” a pained but familiar voice said. “It worked, Scoots! Oh sweet Celestia, the pain! It hurts!” Sweetie Belle laughed. “I can feel again!” Her laughter continued, disjointed by gasps of breath.

Scootaloo looked through the dissipating fog and spied her friend's familiar lilac and pink curled mane, her alabaster coat, and her shining emerald cutie mark.

Scootaloo let out a sigh of relief and sat down beside her on the blackened ground. “Sweetie, you have your—”

Scootaloo's breath caught in her lungs as the finer details of her friend appeared. Sweetie's blinking emerald eyes were not the same. They had slight slits marking the pupils, that reminded Scootaloo uncomfortably of a snake's. From Sweetie Belle's laughing mouth, two small fangs protruded, larger than the rest of her teeth. And around her neck, a golden chain hung limply, the emerald treasure it once held now completely gone.

“Sweetie?” Scootaloo asked, her voice quavering. “What happened?”

* * *

End of Chapter 21

Comments

[chaoticevl]

As much as I like this story, I wish I knew wether sky chaser was good or bad, as I want to like him but at the same time I keep thinking he's going to betray them at some point.

[Whitespace Only]

It's... Scoddribelle!

[Dangerfang]

Woop! Sweetie belle has a body once more! The changes I think are because she used discord's magic along with her own.

[Sketch Scribbles]

4620259
I don't think so. Dissy doesn't have vertical slit-style eyes, or fangs. he has a fang, but not a set. There are however two other former vilenesses who DO have both those traits. One's a princess, the other looks like a bug. Both have the ability to shapeshift, and since SB's new body is made from magic, maybe she can too? Maybe those traits are just a shape shifter thing?

[Geminii]

4620190 He may not be specifically either. He has his duties, his personal goals, his hobbies, and the various personality masks he wears around others for numerous reasons. He seems to be happy enough to help the Crusaders, citizens of the Empire, and the Crown, but it's also entirely possible that he's connected to so many deals and arrangements and moral grey areas that he might act against any of these (particularly the Crusaders) at any time because of prior agreements or seeing a potential future profit for the Empire or himself.

Effectively, he's powerful, unpredictable, and the CMC are pretty much being forced into close proximity. The way he's been presented seems to indicate that he's smart and powerful enough (with his information-gathering) to stay on top of most politics and play things the way he wants to, which in turn would indicate that the actions he's taken with the Crusaders are probably at least mostly genuine, and that he honestly does like serving the Empire with his skills. He doesn't seem the cackling Grand Vizier type.

[VcSaJen]

---

“It's not anywhere, Scoots.” As she spoke, Scootaloo could imagine a small devilish smile on her friend's lips. “I'm going to remake my body.”

"We can rebuild her. We have the technology."

[OneOverTwo]

Is Scoots in lesbians with Sweetie? If so, honestly that would just make me feel like the friendship was weaker. Even if it isn't, *shrug*

[vader10001]

Hm, I think that she may have just absorbed those fragments of Discord. Also, Silentbelle, you are a terrible person, leaving us on a cliffhanger like that.

[Capacitor]

So... Sweetie basically dematerialised the gem holding her personality/magic/soul/whatever and rematerialised it as her body using her subconscious morphic field or something along those lines.
That probably means she now has got Scoddri/Discord stuck in her head on a permanent basis and the remaining fragments might react to her.
The big question is: Will these shard fuse with her, and if, what will happen to the excess magic and how will it affect Sweetie? What about Scoddri/Discord?
Maybe Sweetie's body might even begin to display shenanigans close to those of Discord's (transforming, floating, falling apart and reassembling, etc.).
Only one thing's for sure: It's gonna stay real exciting and be one hell of a ride.

[notapony]

I'm wondering if Sweetie Bell's new physical traits are at all influenced by the dragon that forced her disembodiment on her. The way the process was described it is very much a mental/magical thing, and the fact that she was almost food for a dragon had to leave a lasting impression. Possibly the emergence of these new physical traits is that she was thinking of the dragon, at least in part, when she was remaking her body. Regardless of the reasons why she is the way she is now I'm glad she has her body back and look forward to seeing what happens in the future.

Thanks for the new chapter Silentbelle.

[The Letter J]

4620190
I know what you mean. In my opinion, it seems like he's got his own motivations and goals that may or may not align with those of the CMC. But at the very least, I don't think he's secretly working for the villain here.

4620612
It's kind of been implied that she is for a while now. Probably since chapter one, but it's been so long that I can't say for certain.

[TheGreatEater]

It would take quite a while to do something like that.

needs end " marks.
___________________

“They were everywhere. All over me. They bit me if I tried to move. I tried not to move, but eventually I had to, then they would bite again. It hurt a lot, and it wouldn't stop.

needs end " marks.
____________________

I have the image of Nightmare Moon X Sweetie Belle Fusion in my head now. Seriously great chapter. Although I wonder what the heck happened.

4621173
4620612

Yeah the drops are hinted that she has feelings for Sweets. And I agree that Discord isn't secretly working for the villain. Although 4620612 I don't know how that makes the friendship weaker.

[OneOverTwo]

4621354
Romantic inclinations makes it seem easier for the two to stick together (even if it would be one sided) while it's all the more touching & meaningful when that level of commitment is shown platonically because it feels like it's more work to maintain the relationship that way.

My opinion anyways,

[DrWhooves007]

a flash of white, purple, and green glowing lights filled her sight

PARTY TIEM!!!

Ain't no party like a PewDiePie party!

Lol

I'm trolling bi@#ches! yay!
encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRlxTuaM9L6aKKfFh904p41Db6HgAIfSRgXlXZ_9Wp01SwM0dXtBw

I'm horrible at this am I?
Yes you are

[DrWhooves007]

Since my cousin here has gone..... mad(insane), me-
-And me
Are going to replace him
At commenting ;)

I'm going to remake my body.

You know, last time I heard a line of that nature, it always end up badly
Oh, just give her a chance!
Give me £ 5.00 If I'm right?
Vice versa
Deal!
*shake hands*

They had slight slits marking the pupils, that reminded Scootaloo uncomfortably of a snake's. From Sweetie Belle's laughing mouth, two small fangs protruded, larger than the rest of her teeth. And around her neck, a golden chain hung limply, the emerald treasure it once held now completely gone.
“Sweetie?” Scootaloo asked, her voice quavering. “What happened?”

Told you!
Grrh....*sighing in defeat* here you go... *hands over £ 5.00*
But I'm kinda shocked that I'm right considering this pony's mind is Schrödinger.
You mean enigma?
No, Schrödinger!
Enigma!
NO! Ugh... How about this? We Google it! You're right I give you back your money, but if I'm right you give me another £ 5.00!
Deal!
*shakes hand and began Googleing*
*placing a smug face* Hehehehehe....
What are you.... Oh, I see, well here's your money.
Nah, just keep it! Buy yourself an ice cream or something
Yay! Thanks!
No problem!

[TheGreatEater]

4621492

That doesn't mean their friendship would be weaker. Or did you mean a different definition of weaker. All in all, I think things while strained on Scoots end for trying to keep her feelings secret (thus feeding her nightmares), Sweets and Scoots friendship is pretty steadfast. All of the CMC are in away, what with all the trails by fire they've been through.

[OneOverTwo]

4621651
I meant weaker from a story-building perspective,

[Snow]

First and foremost

I love this story! And I am thoroughly excited to see more.

Second, my entry for Wild Mass Guessing:

Ages ago, Discord tried to give Sweetie Belle what he called 'An Element'. Considering it's DISCORD that could either be the element of Chaos, or Change. Sweetie just used at least PART of that Element (capital E there) to recreate a body for herself. If this is in fact the case, her form itself is now that element. We'll know for sure if she absorbs the next shard she touches.

Regarding her appearance: I have a few theories, which are probably all wrong. Most likely: Creating life, even if not actually anything beyond a body, is some seriously dark mojo, which is reflected in the body itself. Second: Could just be a side effect of the Element theory. Third: She pulled in more magic than just her own and Discord's.

[Clocklike]

So magic power up? I wonder if her personality will change as she fused with Discord.

Also I'm calling it more and more, Sky Chaser is the villain! He's a trickster, that's for sure.

[Emerald wake]

Sweetie-cord...
1000 years of chaos!

[The_Forsaken1]

Well this just made my day

[djthomp]

I continue to enjoy the Apple Bloom and Sky Chaser interactions.

Hmn, so Sweetie's body was half teleported? Well that answers that question, now they just need to figure out how to get it out of the pattern buffer before too much decay sets in.

You may show me my fears, but you do not get to take that moment from me! It's my future, and it's mine to face when I choose to! You will never take that from me! Never!” As she shouted, she spread her wings and felt her body burst into a swarm of violet and orange flames. She rushed forward to strike the small shadowy ball.
Her flaming hoof connected, and the small sphere hissed and emitted a small plume of smoke as it slowly shrunk smaller and was burned away into nothing.

Burning Forehoof!

“It's not anywhere, Scoots.” As she spoke, Scootaloo could imagine a small devilish smile on her friend's lips. “I'm going to remake my body.”

Heh, turns out my Star Trek joke wasn't too far off. One suggestion though, Sweetie, see if you can remake yourself as an alicorn, or at least a winged unicorn. The ability to fly is always a tactical advantage, and where you are heading next you might just need all the help you can get.

Scootaloo's breath caught in her lungs as the finer details of her friend appeared. Sweetie's blinking emerald eyes were not the same. They had slight slits marking the pupils, that reminded Scootaloo uncomfortably of a snake's. From Sweetie Belle's laughing mouth, two small fangs protruded, larger than the rest of her teeth. And around her neck, a golden chain hung limply, the emerald treasure it once held now completely gone.

On the other hand, turning yourself half-draconequus is another option.

[Wanderer D]

When Sweetie was about to cast her spell I was thinking of FMA and cringing but I'm glad something positive happened! After all, ChaosGem!Sweetie is an awesome combo.

[Peridork]

Well that ending just made this interesting.

[SilentBelle]

4621354 Thanks for pointing those out.

[TheGreatEater]

4623603

You're welcome, and I'm eager to see more of what's to come. Also Sweetie's new form is totally awesome. I can't wait to see if she gets a power up.

[Snow]

4622496

Don't forget, a villain is separate from an antagonist! He could work against the Crusaders, for example, without being evil or causing harm.

Either that or he's just crushing real hard on Applebloom and it's making him come across as creepy.

[RoboRed]

“Sweetie?” Scootaloo asked, her voice quavering. “What happened?”

Welp...ummm...about damn time, I guess?

Well, at least that's the first step. I was getting tired of her not having a body. I hope she can fix the issue of her now being part draconequus.

[Travel Tech]

I believe some fanart of this new Sweetie Belle is in order

[GMZ_Casper]

Well, this has just hit into a whole new ballpark of mystery (and possibly trouble). Wonder what explanation behind Sweetie's transformation going to be. As for Sky, I am a bit curious about his cutie mark myself. Can't wait to find out more about it!

Short C&C:
AJ and Mac were more of a father and mother ta me then a brother and sister.
> Replace 'then' with 'than'.

[SilentBelle]

4624334 Thanks for pointing that out

[Bugsydor]

You magnificent son of a stallion, I read your fanfic!

And now I get to spend an eternity speculating on what the hay is with Sweetie's new body. Is she now a draconequus? Did she suck up too much ambient dark magic? Is she now a changeling? The world may never know!

Until you update next, that is...

[dNihil]

4624416 Well, if it isn't too late, I have my own additions to the editing quota for the day after chapter release.

flowing out of the pegasus' eyes and foremed an intricate latticework

Ah supposed it won't matter if this doesn't work anyway.

These don't seem to be in the proper tense.

to chase after, him but then

That comma might be better placed after 'him'.

seemed to know just the sort place to find the sort of hearty meal

'Of' should be inserted there, I believe.
I won't leave these edits here alone, so just know that the reason I can only really comment to give out some minor suggestions is because I have nothing to say about this that hasn't already been said. I will quietly admire your art. :D

[Mac349]

4625050 Ah man, I should have seen those. If I get to help again, I'm shooting for no errors. This I swear!

Still, nice job pointing those out. As we got through the fic, twenty pages get daunting pretty quick. Although eight errors at this point is pretty good.

In regards to Sky Chaser, I'll throw in my two cents. I am really hoping that he turns out to be villain. Sky Chaser is one of the most sophisticated, complex characters in this story: " a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma" — Winston Churchill. As such, the myriad of reasons as to why he would be doing this plan have such immense potential. Only time will tell.

Also, 4623536 , sorry Wanderer D, I was curious as to what you were referring to as FMA. I was wondering if you could explain your reference.

[Crystal Static]

Amazing, can't wait for more.

~Crystalline Electrostatic~

[Wanderer D]

4625305 FMA: Full Metal Alchemist

[VcSaJen]

4623718 Yea, he reminds me of Varrick from Legend of Korra. While not "with" BigBad and not a villain, he's pretty much antagonist.

[Rametep]

You told me when you commented on my nightmare belle picture that you had something similar planed for your Sweetie belle in this story, I can see now what you mean and I like it .
But I am curious tho, back in your first story when Scoddri/Discord first offred her that gem at the end of the story, if something similar whould have happend if Sweetie whould have accepted his gift.

[Clue Finder]

Two fangs? Has our mystery stallion cottened onto Sweetie creating a body? Was he around the crystal empire the whole time and managed to stay undetected? Was the scry result just a decoy?

That last part just made me say 'holy sh-(yay)' out loud. o.O;; Now to carefully wait and see if it is all Sweetie, some Discord or that mystery stallion. Loving the story either way.

[SilentBelle]

4625305 Don't worry too about a few slip ups like that. It's nearly 15K words so there are bound to be a few. I have yet to see a fic on this site that has been published without errors when I've read it. Though it is good to keep trying to catch 'em all

4625050 Thanks for pointing those out, I'll go fix them.

4623536 And yes, I was thinking of FMA during that scene as well.

[shirotora]

SWEETIECORD!!!!

[dancing mop]

Heheh, I guess now she's the Scion of Chaos!

You know, having absorbed part of the living embodiment of it. I guess that's what Scoddri meant when he said he was "exchanging one prison for another", or however he put it. And now he's trapped inside Sweetie's body; he's gonna try and take control, as per his ulterior motives from the first story he mentioned.

I don't trust him. Or Sky Chaser.

[Fox]

I get the feeling that Sky Chaser is so interested in Apple Bloom because he wants to, well.. chase the sky; His dream is to fly. Helping her will give him the means to make that happen, and I feel like any concerns about him are probably red herrings.

Also, I wonder if Sweetie's gonna have to share her body with Discord after absorbing the stone in which his soul resided, before having him sacrifice himself to defeat Father Sombra Ambros, Scoddri's long-lost lieutenant/rival/father/son/whatever.

[VcSaJen]

4626399
What if this Snake guy is Discord? Original Discord was fragmented; two biggest pieces have their own minds – Pony-Snake-Discord, and Scoddri-Discord.
Then again, if he was Discord, why Sweetie Belle did not recognize his magic pattern?
4628814
Discord tried it before. It didn't work.

[PoweredByTea]

One of the most amusing things about this chapter were the crusaders trying to explain what was going on to Azure's mother. They were so a character party. I've seen character-party-tried-to-explain-things-to-hapless-NPC happen many times in games. The characters end up talking over each other and contradicting themselves while simultaneously being forced to confront how ridiculous what they're saying actually sounds. I picture the poor NPC becoming increasingly glassy eyed in these situations until all they can do is just nod.

[Clue Finder]

4630240 Plausible though I contest in spite of fragmentation, discords mind is still one, just, well a bit scattered. Really I'm waiting for the big reveal of this mystery voice chap, he's almost like someone beyond the fourth wall, breaking it from the outside and messing with the characters. Maybe it's the dark side of Pinkie? Time shall tell I suppose ^.^

[Fox]

4630240 Magic pattern, or voice, or the fact that Snake Guy referred to Discord in the third person on multiple occasions. His M.O. is identical (trapping you in a purple-green nightmare of your worst fears sound familiar?), and he even showed himself in Azure's dream; if it's not Sombra, then this is a prettttty heavy red herring.

[Arcane Howitzer]

4627377
"One last bid for freedom," indeed.

[Dawn Darkling]

Ooooh. You just had to leave it at such an ending as this, huh?

[Jirodyne]

4620612 I... just... What? You're just picking up on that now? Scoots and Sweetie have been head over heels with eachother since Chapter one. Heck I remember one chapter where the entire thing was Scootaloo freaking out over Sweetiebelle. Have you been reading the story?

4620190 He is eeeevil. And if turns out to only be here to be a love interest for AB, because SC and SB will be lovers and thus AB needs one, I will rage and hate this story so much. Not everyone gets the girl/guy! I hate stories that do that >.< Everyone gets someone, makes it very stupid and unrealistic Sky Chaser just needs to be killed off soon, so far he is the weakest part of the story for me.