> Better off Alone
>  by AshuraZXexianGlitch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Some One New
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash:

A month after the incident with the Sider everything kind of went back to normal.  But there was something I was noticing.  Fluttershy hasn’t been acting like herself.  I just got done racing Synith who I left way behind, when I saw Fluttershy leaving her cottage.  She had on her saddle bag and was walking toward Ponyville.  Synith caught up to me breathing heavily.  “I told you Rainbow I’m not feeling well.”  She said sniffling.

“Right.”  I said back not paying much attention to her.  Fluttershy had been keeping to herself more than usual.  I watched her as she hovered above the ground, soon taking off into the air.  Synith finally caught her breath and leaned against me.

“Can I please have my necklace back?  It was a gift from Twilight.”  She said before sneezing.  I was pulled back into reality and looked at her.  Synith looked like she was about to fall right out of the sky.  I looked at the little emblem that was hanging from my neck.  “Please, I just want to go home and rest.”

“Oh right, sorry.”  I said taking the light metal from my neck.  She smiled and grabbed the necklace from me.  She slowly flew away toward her home to rest.  I have been acting a little different lately, Moon says it won’t last long but I’ve been having my doubts.  Once Synith was out of sight I looked at where Fluttershy had went, but she was long gone.  Something was up with that mare, I wasn’t the only one acting different.

Ever since the whole thing with my dad and mine’s siders, everyone has been a little on edge.  Especially Twilight, mostly because of Ashura.  He has been shutting himself out to everyone.  I think the last time I saw him he didn’t have wings or even a horn, he was even missing his fedora.  So I can say in the least that things haven’t been the same for a while now.

I took off in the direction Fluttershy had went.  It didn’t take long for me to catch up to her; since she isn’t a fast flyer it was really easy to catch her.  She seemed to be lost in her own world as I came up on her.  “Fluttershy?”

“Whaaaaa!”  Fluttershy screamed as she turned and fell out of the sky.  I dropped down flapping my wings as hard as I could.  If there was one thing about Fluttershy that rained true, is that she forgot she can fly and that she drops like a ton of bricks.  I was able to catch her; there was no doubt, I was the fastest flyer in all of Equestria.  I’ve proved that countless times.  “Oh it’s just you Rainbow Dash.”

“Yeah, who’d you think I was?”  I asked rolling my eyes.  We landed on the ground and Fluttershy sighed with relief.  She looked dizzy but she stayed on her hooves.

“I don’t like others sneaking up on me.”  Fluttershy said with her soft voice.  She was so innocent, it was literally hard to be mean to her.

“Fluttershy, I didn’t sneak up on you.  I called for you a while back, and you didn’t respond.”  She looked away from me.  I felt like she was hiding something, but I wasn’t sure.  Fluttershy was keen on keeping secrets.  I knew that myself very well.

“Sorry Rainbow, I was just lost in my head.”  She said offering me a small smile.  Fluttershy looked as if she was trying to make the conversation quick.  What exactly was she hiding?

“So where you headed?”  I asked offering a smile.  Looking at me and returning my smile, she looked happy all of a sudden.  I never really read into Fluttershy’s action, mostly because she was always timid and shy.

“I’m just headed to Canterlot to see a friend of mine.”  She said turning to walk away.  I walked with her, and she seemed annoyed with my action.

“What friend?”  I asked probably a little pushy.

“Just a friend.”  Fluttershy said even more irritated.  I wasn’t getting the clue, my closest friend has been locking herself away and I wanted to know why.

“Fluttershy.”  I said holding her to stop her.  She glared at me with irriation, there I got the clue that she was annoyed.  Some detective skills I had.  I looked her in the eyes and her mood softened.  “Are you alright?”

“What?  Why would you ask a thing like that?”  Fluttershy asked looking away from me.  That was my indication something was up.  “I’m fine Rainbow Dash, I’m just going to visit a friend who is having trouble with her new pet is all.”

“That makes sense.”  I said, it really did make sense and I did believe her, but there was something that just nagged at me.  But I ignored it; I apologized to Fluttershy and left her be.  I started to fly in the opposite direction, when I saw someone familiar.  It was Synith, she looked rather lost.  “Synith you alright?”

“Rainbow?  What are you doing in my house?”  She asked looking at me confused.  I felt really bad now, making her race me when she felt this bad.  Some friend I have been.

Fluttershy:

Rainbow was a little pushy as she asked me where I was going.  She believed my lie, I hated lying to my friends.  But this feeling has been eating away at me.  I just wanted to deal with this alone, there is no point in burdening my friends on something so small.  I know I should let them help, but I don’t want help.  I don’t need help.  The truth of the matter, was that I was going to visit my mother.  Simple and harmless, I can keep that to myself.

But this feeling I have been feeling is starting to worry me.  But it’s fine, I’m use to the feeling.  I took off into the air and made my way to the train station.  I was no Rainbow Dash, there was no way I could fly to Canterlot.  My whole life I have been a light flyer, but that’s okay, all that matters is that I am me.  I don’t have to prove anything to anypony.  Even to myself.

“Fluttershy!”  I heard when I arrived at the Train Station.

“Yes?”  I asked looking around.  But no pony seemed to be addressing me.  I bowed my head feeling stupid.  I guessed I was just hearing things.  I got on the train and waited patiently on the long ride.  I was careful not to crush the presents I had in my saddle bag.  They were for my mom, what I thought she would like.  But the truth of the matter was that I didn’t know my mom.

The Train came to a slow stop, I sighed and made my way off of the train.  It was difficult at first, because the train was crowded.  I didn’t want to ruin the presents I had for my mom.  I was ignored when I asked the ponies blocking my path to move.  But I was able to get off, but with a consequence.  My bag had been crushed by the group.  I sighed in irritation and made my way to my mother’s gravesite.  The grave yard near the palace was empty as usual.  There was a grieving family that was just leaving as I went in.  I walked up to her gravesite, the same spot Princess Celestia showed me when she told me I had a mother.

“Hi Mommy.”  I said to the stone that marked my mother’s grave.  I remembered the picnic we had at Rainbow Dash’s parent’s gravesite.  We had a great time there, everyone was there.  But here, I would do this alone.  Still was unsure why, but it felt wrong to bring others here.  I wanted my mother all to myself, and that is how I wanted to keep it.

“Visiting your mom I see.”  I jumped from the familiar voice.  I turned around and saw Ashura in armor smiling at me.  “Sorry didn’t mean to spook ya.”

“Its…its okay.”  I said taking a breath.  He must have been at the castle doing his duty.  He has to travel so far just to check up on everything and give reports.  It must take a tole once in a while.

“You alright?  You seem upset about something.”  He asked looking worried.  He was always worried about others, stuck his nose in everything that seemed to bring others down.  Always was there to lend a helping hoof to anyone in need.  Why would some pony being willing to go to such lengths to help others.

“Just startled, I’ll be fine.”  I said quietly.

“Sorry about that, really didn’t mean to startle you.  I thought you heard me coming up, wasn’t being quiet for once.”  He said with a chuckle.  I smiled at him; I really just wanted him to leave.  “Well I should be off, take care Fluttershy.”

“Bye.”  I said looking back at my mother’s gravesite.  There was a rose placed near the stone marker.  It wasn’t there before, and I didn’t see Ashura place it.  So where did it come from?

“Fluttershy!”  I heard somepony yell my name, but when I looked around I was completely alone.  When I looked back at the grave stone the rose that was laying on my mother’s grave was now black and withered.  “All things die and wither away!”

“Whose there?”  I asked scared out of my wits.  I did not get an answer, I waited a little bit.  A light breeze brushed through the air.  I felt a raindrop fall on my mane, and then another.  Soon the rain began to pick up, and I had to leave.  I left the gift I had for my mom behind, not thinking about it as I ran toward the train station.  I was soaked to the bone when I arrived at the stations.  To make matters even worse, I would have to wait an hour for my train to come.

“You look a little wet honey.”  I heard a stallion say.  I looked in his direction, his coat was a light green.  His hair was like my coat, and his red eyes were haunting.  But there was nothing too strange about him, he was just handsome.  The best feature I would say his eyes, they were simply just haunting, in a good way.  I was too shy to say anything back to him, I looked away even quicker than I looked at him.  “Did I upset you?”

“N…no.”  I said quietly.  He didn’t hear exactly what I said.  I kept my face away from him, I could feel the disappointment coming off of him.

“I suppose that was a rather stupid pick up line.”  He said with a nervous chuckle.  I looked at him with confusion.  He was hitting on me, this boy was hitting on me, right?  I wasn’t sure what to do or how to feel.  “I might have a towel in one of my bags.”

“Oh you don’t have to do that.”  I said a little louder, making absolute sure he would hear me.  He gave me a surprised look.

“No, it’s alright.  I can’t just let a pretty girl like you sit here and catch a cold.  Now I know one is in…uh hah found ya!”  He said before pulling out a towel and nearly everything else he had in the bag as well.  “Ah…here.”  He said with a nervous chuckle as he hoofed over the soft cloth.  I watched him picking up his things and stuff them in the bag.  “Don’t worry everything is clean, I just can’t pack to save my life.”

“That’s quite allot of clothes stuffed into one place.”  I heard myself say.  He looked at me with a crooked smile.

“Moving really sucks.”  The stallion said with a laugh.  I smiled at him, using the towel to dry off.

“Where you moving too?”  I asked quietly, he seemed to not hear me at first.  But soon he gave me a confused look and smiled.

“Ponyville, it’s a small quiet town near the Everfree Forest.”  He said trying to zip up his bag, he wasn’t having much luck with it.  I went over and pushed down on the clothes, with the two of us we were able to close the bag.

“Actually I live in Ponyville.”  He looked at me with a curious look, afterwords he smiled at me.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around town then.”  He said laughing meekly, I couldn’t help but blush and feel awkward.

“Fluttershy, Run!”  I heard but the boy hadn’t said anything, and there wasn’t anyone around us.

“By the way, my name is Ace.”  I lightly smiled at him.

“I’m Fluttershy.”
> Awkward Situations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ace:

It was quite awkward waiting for the train to arrive.  I already made a fool of myself in front of this gorgeous mare, and she was avoiding my stare.  So I wasn’t sure if she was interested or anything for that matter.  I was never good with girls, if I had to count I would say I had maybe three girlfriends in my youth.  So I wasn’t a player in any aspect of the course of dating, but I was avid on making girls laugh.  When I saw her looking at me, I gave her a warm smile.  She seemed to bow her head and offered me a small smile back.  “So you live in Ponyville?  What’s it like there, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Oh, it’s great.  Small and quiet I suppose.”  She said with a low breath.  I felt like she was trying to hide from me, or maybe from being seen with me.  We were the only two at the train station, so the air was able to fill quickly with an awkward feeling.  “I’m sure you feel awkward by now.  I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to leave.”  This took me by surprise, my head quickly shot in her direction, she was looking away from me.  “Everyone does sooner or later.”

“That’s just rude.”  I said bluntly, her head slowly turned toward me with a look of confusion.  The look I gave her, showed I was not kidding about what I said.  “Why would anypony ever just walk away?  Considering you said it the way you did, I would guess it happens to you allot.  Well I’ll tell you this right now Fluttershy, I’m not going anywhere.  And it’s not just the fact that I have nowhere else to go.  I just made it awkward again.”  I said as my ear folded to my head.

“You’re silly.”  Fluttershy said with a giggle.  I broke the tension I was feeling as I started to chuckle.  For a moment we were actually looking at one another.  I smiled at her and actually got a real smile back.  “So…ah…why are you moving to Ponyville?”

“Oh, well I’m a mechanic.  My employer is sending me to Ponyville to be the leading engineer there.  Stupid really, I may be great with tools and mechanics, but I’m a terrible leader.”  I said bowing my head in frustration.  I hated my boss, which who was also my father.  Stupid bastard, probably sending me away so he can be with that stupid floozy.  “Ever since mom died, my dad has never been the same.  Honestly, I’m kind of glad I’m leaving.”

“My mom died too.”  She said sounding utterly depressed.  I looked at her, and she looked ill, deathly ill.  “But I didn’t know her, I was just a new born.”

“I’m very sorry Fluttershy.”  I said, but it did nothing to ease her mind.  She still looked ill, and the condition seemed to be getting worse.  Now I was feeling uncomfortable.

“I was alone for the longest time, I had no one.  I still have no one to call my family.”  She said, it felt like a large dark cloud was covering the air.  This was defiantly a serious subject for her.

“Don’t you have friends?”  This seemed to break the hold of disappear that was covering her.  Fluttershy looked at me looking more like herself, but I still felt a huge chill spread through my spine.  Something was eating away at her, and I could tell she wasn’t just going to let anyone know.  If I had to guess, I would say not even her best friend knows about this.

“My friends are…they are like my family.”  The despair I was feeling from her faded away completely.  She looked at me with a big smile.  “I’ll introduce you to them.”

“I’d be happy to meet them.”  I smiled back feeling sheepish.  Something was quite off about Fluttershy, but it wasn’t my place to pry on it.  “Oh finally…our train is here.”

“You okay?”  She asked looking at me as I lost my nerve as the huge mechanical monstrosity rolled into the station and soon stopped.

“Yeah I’m fine.”  I said trying to hide my cowardness.  I was really good at hiding my feelings, but not when it came to this.  The ride was horrible, every bump and rattle made me jump.  Fluttershy was trying not to watch me, but I was making it hard for her not to stare.

“Are you alright?”  She asked for like the fourth time.  I would have rolled my eyes if I didn’t feel like I was being thrown in every direction.  “Ace, you don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine!”  I said thinking I was hiding my freak out, but I actually wasn’t.

Fluttershy:

I watched Ace feeling sorry for him.  I knew more than anyone what it felt like to be in a place you were not comfortable in.  But for me that was most places.  This boy was odd, he seemed to have confidence at times, and then lose it easily.  I want quite sure how to act around him, I didn’t have much experience in boys.  They were like a total mystery to me, I can honestly say I have never had a special somepony.  Not even in the slightest.  I was too afraid of guys, and they were turned off by my shyness.  The only stallion I can say I’m used to be around is Big Mac and Ashura, well kind of Ash.  He still kind of scares me at times.

But I’m getting use to those eyes of his, gah there just haunting.  I looked at Ace again and he seemed to be even worse off than before as he rolled down a hill.  “Oh Celestia!  Please for the love of all things good tell me we are there.”  He said freaking out a little.  Is that what I look like?

“Sorry Ace, we have another hour to go.”  I said feeling sheepish, I had to be the one to tell him that his nightmare wasn’t over yet.  This certainly hasn’t been a normal day.  First I could have sworn somepony called for me, and now meeting Ace.

“Please tell me this isn’t where I die!”  Ace bellowed in fright as we went through a tunnel.  Through the rest of the train ride, I did my best to keep Ace calm.  But it was proving to be rather difficult.  I remembered back to when I was too afraid to confront that dragon Celestia wanted us to move because of his smoky snoring.  I was a large burden on my friends.  But they helped me up the mountain, and in return I was able to get the dragon to move.  This moment reminded me of that situation, how friends are always there to protect one another.  Ace wouldn’t have one friend in Ponyville.

“You okay?”  I asked when he started to pace around the cabin.  It was lucky we were alone, it saved him the embarrassment and he had allot of room to freak out.  I wasn’t sure what to do, I was never put in this kind of situation before.

Twilight Sparkle:

The days have been quite rough if I have to say.  Being a princess was almost the least of my worries with Siders and Ashura acting different.  I mean he is driving me crazy.  Although maybe I’m over thinking this at the moment.  Mostly because today he seemed okay, he had to go to Canterlot for something.  Honestly nothing has ever seemed right after the whole deal with Rainbow Dash and her Sider.

“I don’t know what to think Spike.”  I asked my trusted assistant and closest friend.  He doesn’t know a thing about Siders.  So it was difficult to talk to him about it, Ash wants to keep them a secret.  I actually agree with the idiot.  But it made talking to my closest friends about my problems harder to work around.  How do I tell other than Rainbow Dash, who has the great attention span of a tooth pick.  Although I got to say, she seems different still.  But that is soon changing, quickly too.

“Think?  Well I’m not sure what to think about you not knowing what to think.”  Spike said as he looked at me confused.  There are something’s that Spike says that takes us both for a loop.  “Wait, what are you thinking about thinking of trying to think about?”

“What in the hay did you just say?”  I asked looking at him confused, he returned a look of confusion back.  “You don’t know what you just said.”

“It didn’t come out how I wanted Twilight.  So what bugging you?”  I looked back at the book I was reading.  It was one I had read many times, actually it was one that Ash gave me.  I let out a large sigh, and looked back at Spike.

“I’m worried about Ashura.”  He rolled his eyes at me.  “What I can’t be worried about my boyfriend?”

“I didn’t say that, but I’m sure Ash is fine.  He just needs space, at least that’s my guess and, I’m going to stick with that.”  Spike left the room after that.  Leaving me still at the same state of mind I was in before, with no help and no reason.  Although, maybe Spike was right.  It is possible he just needs some space, everypony needs space at certain times.  Yeah I think Spike is right, he just needs some space.

“Twilight!”  I heard Ashura call for me as he entered the Library.  I went walking toward the entrance room, it’s been a while since he’s called for me when he got back home.  I was going to greet him and leave him so he can get the space he needs, easy as 1, 2, and 3.

“Welcome back.”  I said with a smile.  He offered me back a half smile, the ones he always give.

“How was your day?”  He asked as his helmet was lifted from his head with his magic.  I looked at him with confusion, but he didn’t notice it right away.  “What, something on my face?”

“No it’s not that, I’m just happy to see you home.”  He smiled at me with a real full smile that time.

“It’s good to be back, the worst part is the long trip up there.”  He said walking up to me, he seemed odd.  He is acting different from before, I could hardly get a word out of him.  “You okay hun, you have a peculiar look on your face.”

I shook my head and replied, “Yeah I’m fine, just tired I guess.”  He half smiled at me and closed the distance between us.  He kissed me and I returned it, it’s been a while since he kissed me as well.  Something seemed different in him, ever since what happened with Rainbow and her Sider.  Ash seemed like he was hiding something, and I couldn’t get him to talk.  If there was one thing about Ashura, if you got him going he wouldn’t shut up, and he was stubborn.

“You need to take it easy on the reading hun.  Have some fun once in a while, did you go out at all today?”  He asked looking at me, already knowing the answer.

“I was falling behind in my studies.”  I rebuttled.

“Twilight, you have read all these books many times.  You just ordered some new ones.  In the meantime, go and have fun with your friends.”  He said getting closer to me, yeah I don’t think he needs space anymore.  I kind of welcomed him getting closer to me, it was good to have my Ashura back.

“I know Ash.”  I said hugging the idiot.

“Hey Twilight, I’m sorry.”  He said tightening the hug.  It took me off guard, but he wasn’t hurting me.  I just wasn’t expecting it.  “I know I’ve been acting weird ever since Rainbow and Moon took out Rainbow’s Sider.  I was just sucked back into a place I wish I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay Ashura, it is.”  His grip lessened, he pulled back and looked at me with tears in his eyes.  I’ve only seen him cry once, this was big to him.

Princess Luna:

She is having terrors and doesn’t even realize it.  Something is wrong, very wrong.  A boy has entered her dreams, a faint shadow is all he is now.  But unfortunately for Fluttershy he isn’t enough to wake her from this nightmare.  This power is nothing I have ever felt, I cannot help in anyway.  I could not enter her dreams to help her, even if I could, I have no way of helping her.  Fluttershy is alone in this for now, I hope this will not last long.  If it persists I must go to her in this plane.

“Problems mistress?”  My assistant asked me, I turned and looked at her.  Her piercing yellow eyes looking at me with concern.  Darken Daisy was the best of the best of the night kingdom.  A simple recruit and she has proved herself to become my assistant within a few months.

“Yes, quite large problems.  I feel allot of things are going to plunge into an unknown darkness.  Especially surrounding my sister’s pupil.  As well as her friends.”  I looked at the clear moon that shown proudly in the dark sky.  I have worked so hard to keep Equestria in balance, but this evil.  It’s something I feel that should have never existed.  “That Fluttershy is going to know great tragedy.”

“What of the other?”  She was referring to the one who called himself ZXex.  That stallion reminded me of someone, but I can’t place it.  When I turned and looked my assistant ZXex was standing behind her.

“Talking about me?  That is quite rude you know princess.”  He said startling Bellna and soon after pushing himself into my courters.

“So is intruding into a place you are not welcome.”  Bellna said raising her voice.  She was loyal and hard headed, I gave her a look to stand down.  She did with a frustrated sigh.

“ZXex was it?  I would like you to work with me on this.  Why are the girls in trouble?”  I asked meaning Twilight and her friends.

“Because of Ashura, now mind you, it’s not his fault.  There’s just a darkness that lingers, and it’s powerful.”  He said looking out the window of my room.  “We are quite high, homey.”

“Enough with the sarcasim boy.  Ashura is a guard of the castle, is he not?”  I didn’t have to ask, I was knew the stallion.  ZXex nodded at me confirming the information.  “Why does this Darkness follow him?”

“Because he created it.”  Now this was interesting, a being of his nature creating something like this.  This darkness was beyond the darkness I knew when I was Nightmare Moon.  This was pure evil, yet it seemed tamed, like it was following rules down to the letter.  “He isn’t normal Luna.”

“Why says you of such a thing?”  I asked confused why he would say he isn’t normal.  Twilight Sparkle was no normal mare, and that is because she is a princess.  Talents where one thing, and princess hood was given from trials one had to face through life.  What did this Ashura do to achieve his place?

“Ashura is clouded in Darkness, it’s something he cannot control.  He is a writer and an artist, yet he is so much more.  He lacks so much, yet he hold much more.  Ashura is no god, he is nothing along that line.  He is a creator, he created this so called Darkness you feel.  He also created me.”  Now this was getting interesting, sounds like Ashura was holding a great deal than what he leads on.

“How can he create such things?”  I asked intrigued by the information he was holding.

“Because he isn’t real.”

“Do not fool with me boy, I will not be made fun of.”  I said enraged by his foolish words.

“I do not lie, and do not insult me with your insolence.  I am allot of things, but I do not lie.”  He said, I guess I was wrong.  But how can that be?  How can a being not be real when he exists?

“I am sorry, please explain.”  I said sucking down my pride.

“Like I said, he’s a writer.  But Ashura isn’t important in all this, what is important is Fluttershy.  She is in danger, and her and Ace are the only ones that can do anything about it.  Your own person in the best weapon, she needs to know what you know Luna.”  His words made little sense to my mind.  The entire situation seemed unreal.

“So what does this mean?”

“It means the Siders in your world are getting restless, they are trying to take out the elements of harmony.”  He said looking menacingly at me.  His green eyes looked tired, like he was waiting for something to happen.

“What are Siders?”  He scoffed and turned away.

“Don’t worry about them, just do what I said and everything should be fine.”  He said looking out the window again.

“Should?”  I asked unsure of ZXex.

“Ya know, I like the height.  That little survival voice in your head telling you to step back, sounds like its saying jump.  But in fact its saying don’t jump.  Maybe we should listen to ourselves a little more.”  He said before he jumped out the window, glass shattering as he descended.  I ran to the window looking down and seeing his body lay on the ground where he had landed.  Stupid idiot committing suicide like that.

“Princess?”  Bellna asked, I looked at her with sorrow.  Turning my head back I saw ZXex lift himself off the ground.

“Damn what a rush!  Hope that scared the shit out of you!”  He said before trotting off.

“I don’t believe what I just saw.”  I said bewildered.

“What is it Princess?”  Bellna asked unsure of the situation, probably as much as I was.

“He walked away?”  My Assistant gave me a suspicious look.

“What in all hell is going on?”  I had no idea, but I had my role to play.  Looks like we are tangling with something far more dangerous than we thought.  For once, neither I nor my sister have the answers.

> New Home, New Troubles
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ace:

“Oh Celestia, sweet land!”  I yelled as the door opened to let me off the death trap that was the train.  I laid on the ground looking like an idiot for all to see.  Unlike in Canterlot there was a bustling crowed in Ponyville.  Just as well, it was raining here too.  I was embarrassed and wet in one swell swoop.

“Mr. Ace, your bags?”  Fluttershy said with a soft voice, seemed timid to the crowed.  She actually stuck close to me as I took a breath and grabbed my bags.  It was really going to suck heading to my new home.  It was still raining, it was getting cold, and I didn’t have an umbrella.  “The weather team had a scheduled rain today?”

“Weather team?”  I asked looking at her, she looked at me and smiled.

“My friend Rainbow Dash is the leader to the weather team, they control the weather in Ponyville, keeping everything balanced in the seasons.”  Fluttershy said looking up at the dark sky.

“I wouldn’t know, Canterlot uses magic to change the seasons.”  I said looking at her.  I couldn’t help but smile.  Fluttershy had something about her, I couldn’t place it.  But she was like no pony I’d ever met.

“Fluttershy!”  I heard someone yell, and then soon I saw I unicorn running up to us in a raincoat.

“Twilight, wait!”  A black stallion yelled following after the mare.

“I didn’t expect to see you here Fluttershy.”  The mare Twilight said hugging her friend, getting Fluttershy a little wet.  “Oh I’m sorry, didn’t mean to get you wet.”

“What are you doing here?”  Fluttershy asked looking surprised.

“Ash had a package that was arriving today.  I wanted to get out of the library so I had him drag me along.”  Twilight said smiling at her friend.

“Yeah, drag you along.  Almost literally Hun.”  Ash said rolling his eyes.  “And you are?”

“Oh ah, my name is Ace.  I just met Fluttershy at the Train station in Canterlot.  Only two there, ya know.”  I said with a nervous chuckle.  This guy really made me feel uneasy.

“Nice to meet you Ace, what brings you to Ponyville?”  Twilight asked politely.

“He’s moving here, probably the new mechanic Wrench was talking about.”  Ash said with a half-smile.

“Well yes, how do you know my boss?”  This made his smile twitch.

“I’m a mechanic actually, Wrench trained me a little when I first started working in Canterlot.  Before I joined the royal guard that is.”  He said looking at Twilight who smiled back at him.

“My brother still doesn’t like you Ashura.”  Twilight said with a chuckle.

“Don’t remind me.”  He said rolling his eyes again.  He looked at me and then at my bags.  “Didn’t know it was going to rain did ya?  Here let me help with that.”

“Oh that’s quite alright.”  I said, but he still took off his raincoat revealing wings and fedora that was hidden by the coat.  Using his magic he made a makeshift umbrella.

“I will escort you to your new place if that’s alright.”  He offered with that half-smile again.

“I guess.”  I said sheepishly, really wasn’t expecting this from Ponyville.  I knew the place was quiet, but the ponies were friendlier here than some are in Canterlot.  Way more friendly than Trottingham.

“I’ll check ya later at the Library Twilight, Love you.”  He said kissing her on the cheek before he picked up my bags and we walked away from them.  I took a quick glance back at Fluttershy, wondering if I’d see her again.

“Looks to me that you like little Flutters.”  Ashura said with a chuckle.  I looked at him questionably.

“I just met her.”  He laughed, wasn’t quite sure what the joke was.

“First time I met Twilight she was utterly unique to me.  Situations of life and death showed me how strong she was, how close she was to her friends.  Her stubbornness to stay by her friends is what brought me to Ponyville in the first place.  If I hadn’t had fought to get the position I might have never met Twilight.”  He said as we walked past a boutique.  “Actually that’s where one of Twilight’s friends lives.  Rarity is the best designer in all of Ponyville.”

“A single moment can change your life for the better, or for the worse.”  I said, I had random moments like that.  Where things just come out of my mouth with no regard of control.

“Well said, but all moments have the bad points and there good points.  The bad points in life make the good ones even better if it was all just good.”  He said looking at me, his red eyes seemed hollow, yet he was full of life.

“What do you mean by that?”  I asked thinking about what he said.

“Life has good and bad in it, if it was all bad life wouldn’t be worth living.  If life was all good, again life wouldn’t be worth living.  Life has to have good and bad moments to make life worth it.  Meeting someone will have its ups and downs.  But that’s what makes life interesting, you never know where it will take you.  Life has to be bad to make the good moments better.”  I thought back to what brought this on.  Is this a moment he was talking about.  I heard Alicorns knew some things about the world that most don’t.  Was he trying to tell me something?

“I guess that makes sense.”  I said feeling a little lost what his words.

“You’re smart Ace, I can tell that easily.  Honestly, in laymen’s terms, I’m telling you to see Fluttershy again.  You’ll never know where it will take you.”  I thought about it, he did have a point.  She didn’t seem interested in me at all, but we did just meet.  Maybe there is something there down the road.

“Here we are, oh wow.  Wrench couldn’t have done better could he?”  I looked at the place I’d be saying, and it was smaller than I thought it would be.  “That guy I swear.”  Ash said walking inside, I followed behind him feeling like I wasn’t worth what Wrench made me sound at times.  “Yeash, this place could use some T.L.C.”

“It’s not so bad.”  I said not believing myself.  Ashura set my bags down and turned to me.

“Eh, it has everything you need.  I can ask Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity if they wouldn’t mind helping you out making this place look better.”  He said looking around the place disgruntled.

“It’s quite alright, thanks anyway.”  I said really feeling sheepish.  Wasn’t use to all this at all.

“Nope, this place needs to look better if you’re going to be staying here.  Besides, we wouldn’t mind a project to work on.  Especially what happened not too long ago.”  He said putting his raincoat back on, looking at the furnace he opened it and a cloud of dust came shooting out at him.  He stumbled back coughing.  “Yeah, this place needs allot of T.L.C.”

“What happened not too long ago?”  He looked at me confused, like he didn’t realize he said anything.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.  I hope you’ll be alright for the night.  I should be getting back to Twilight before she thinks I got lost.  I swear that girl thinks I’m a dimwit at times, oh wait I am a dimwit.”  He said with a chuckle.  “When it comes to girls, all guys are dimwits right?”

“I suppose, I’m not a big player.”  I said with a nervous chuckle.

“Player?  Ha, neither am I.  I don’t get why Twilight even likes me at times.”  We both laughed that time.  “Finally eased the tension there.  I’ll check ya later Ace, have a good night.”

“Later Ashura.”  With that I was left alone in the little worn down cottage.  I felt a rain drop hit my head and then another.  Just fantastic, I had a leak.

Twilight:

I watched Ashura walk off with Ace.  His mood has defiantly changed for the better.  It made me quite happy to have my old Ash back, but he still hadn’t told me what was bothering him.  I looked at Fluttershy and her face was somber.  “You alright Fluttershy?”

“Huh?  Oh, yes I’m fine.”  She said stepping into the rain.  I took off my rain coat and did what Ashura did with his.

“Are you sure your fine?”  She seemed really incoherent.  First it was Rainbow who was acting weird, then Ash, and now Fluttershy.  What are these Siders doing to my friends?

“Yes, I’m fine Twilight.”  She said raising her voice a little.  That was a first for her, I have never heard her use that voice.

“I’m just worried is all, we all are.”    Fluttershy looked at me with mad look.

“Maybe everypony should mind their own business!”  Her words stuck me hard, I wasn’t able to move.  I stood that and watched he walk away in the cold rain.  I didn’t understand what happened, what was happening to my friend?  I was able to move again when Fluttershy was out of site.

“That was mean.”  I looked for the source of the voice.  I turned around and there stood Fluttershy, but she had black streaks in her mane and tail.  Her eyes were blue instead of the light green, and she had on a black vest.  “Very mean of Fluttershy to do.”

“And you are?”  She looked directly at me and smiled.  Walking around me with more grace and attitude than Fluttershy possessed.  She was looking me up and down, judging me.

“Just call me Punk Rock for now.”  She said with a laugh.  “You’re Twilight Sparkle, are you not?”

“Yes, that’s me.  Now my question is, how do you know me and my friend Fluttershy, and why do you look like her?”  Punk smiled at me.

“I’ll keep it touch maybe, something’s not right around here.”  She took a step back and drifted into the crowed.  Did I just see Fluttershy’s Sider?
> Something Amis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight:

I watched Ashura walk through the front door.  He looked like he always had, minus the fedora.  His mane was messy from wearing has favorite hat.  His tie was pulled down like it always was.  Once he saw me, the look on his face told me he suspected something was wrong.  "You alright T?"  He asked, I looked away from him.  I wasn't sure what to say.  "What is it Twi."

"I think I met Fluttershy's Sider when you left with Ace."  He gave me a look that told me he didn't believe me.

"What do you mean?"  He asked unsure on what to say or ask.

"What I mean is, that I saw a pony who looked like Fluttershy who wasn't her.  She looked like a punk girl or something."  I said trying to find the words.  Never did understand that whole punk thing.

“T, that isn’t how a Sider works.”  He said sighing, even though that was true.  It didn’t mean something wasn’t wrong with this whole situation.  “Are you sure you saw what you saw.”

“Ash, she spoke to me.  She knew who I was, this Punk Rock is bizarre.”  I said feeling frustrated.

“Is that what “She” called herself?  Sider’s don’t name themselves, a Fera will.”  Ashura said pondering the situation.

“You mean what ZXexian is?”  He looked at me and smiled.

“Precisely, but the question is.  If this Punk Rock is Fluttershy’s Fera, what the hell happened to her Sider?”  I felt so confused, I hardly understood Siders, and now Feras were being thrown into the mix.

“Is it possible she doesn’t have a Sider?  I mean she is so nice, maybe a Sider doesn’t exist for her.”  I said the only thing I could think of.  I didn’t understand Siders, they confused me, and I’m still not sure how they can exist.

“No, Fluttershy is nice as hell, she has a Sider.  The bad thing is, her Sider is beyond mad.  Probably the worst Sider there is.  Problem is, we just need to figure out what happened to it.”  Ugh I felt like putting my hoof through a wall.  It just didn’t seem we could get a moment of peace as of late.

“Can’t we just have a normal day for once?”  I asked.

“Normal?  We won’t know what’s going on till it happens hun.  So normal is what you get, let me worry about the Siders.  They are my responsibility, and it’s my job to protect Ponyville.”  Ash said walking up to me, kissing me on the cheek.  Stupid idiot making me feel good out of the blue.

“You’re such a loser.”  I said, oh man how he talks has gotten to me.

“I know, the biggest one you know.”  He said with his crooked smile.

“Spike?”  I called for my assistant.

“Yes Princess.”  He said with sarcasm.

“Have you done your chores?”  I asked when Spike walked into the room.  Right off the bat I knew something nothing more than a lie was going to come out of his mouth.  He looked at the ground and then back at me.

“Not yet.”  Wasn’t expecting that, I was expecting a typical excuse or something of the sort.  “I was just about to get to that.”

“Oh, okay.”  I looked back at Ashura and he had that crooked smile of his.  Once Spike left I gave Ash a suspicious look.

“What did you do?”  He looked away like he was looking for someone else.

“Who me?”  He said with a chuckle.  “All I did was talk to him, honesty is the best policy is it not.”

“Don’t use that British accent on me.”  I said pushing him a little.

“Oh you’re goanna be like that then.”  He said continuing the accent as well as pushing me back.

“Yes.”  I said hugging him.  Everything was going to be alright.  I hope.


Fluttershy:

I remember meeting Ace, then Twilight and Ashura.  Then nothing after that, I don’t know how I got home.  I don’t even know why I’m lying on my bedroom floor, inches away from the comfort of my bed.  It made little sense I felt so tired, it was the middle of the day, I moved my head slowly to look out my window.  It was still raining, but it wasn’t night.  I was sporting a maddening headache.  My body didn’t want to do what I wanted.  Above all else I was crying, and once again, I had no idea why.

“Poor little Flutters.”  I heard myself say.  “Sick and brittle.”

“I know.”  I agreed with myself.

“You’re pathetic and weak, you’re the element of kindness, the weakest of the six of them.”  I nodded my head at what I was saying to myself.

“I know I’m weak and pathetic.”  I once again agreed.

“Do you take care of these animals to make yourself feel better?”  My teeth were clenched hard, not sure from anger or another emotion.  I couldn’t tell, my entire body and mind were just numb.

“Yes…it makes me feel better.”  The tears I had already grew thicker.  Soon my head was lying in a pool of tears.

“Get up and look at what you did!”  Obeying, I forced myself to my hooves and looked around the room.  It was covered in a red liquid.  “Down stairs, now!”  Once again I obeyed myself, and walked down the stairs into my living room.  It was covered in the red liquid as was everything else.  But there were countless bodies of animals and even of the Ponyville residents lying dead on my floor.  “Look at what you did!”

“No!”  I screamed opening my eyes shooting up from bed.  My wings had spread out to their full length.  My blood was pounding on my ear drums, my heart was pounding just as hard against my chest.  “A-a nightmare?”  I didn’t get a response since I was alone.  I rubbed my eyes and tried to shake the images from my mind.  Why would I dream of something so horrible?  But something, a feeling I had made me want to laugh.  I dropped back, having my head hit my pillow with all its weight.  Sighing I tried to fall back asleep.

An image rose in my mind, I started to think about that boy I had just met either that day.  Ace was his name if memory serves right.  He was afraid of the train, I could sympathize with that.  Mostly because I’m afraid of everything, everything that’s new any ways.  I started to think about my friends, all of them looked out for me.  They protected me, we protect each other.  I then remember what I did to Twilight.  I heard a knock, it made me jump a little.  But after the second knock I knew it was the door.  I looked at the window, and just like my dream it was still raining, but it wasn’t night yet.  I got out of bed and rushed to the door.

“I’m coming, hold on.”  I said trying to hurry to the door.  Whoever was on the other side was probably soaked by the rain.  Once I opened the door I was met with a familiar face, drenched in water.  “Ace?”

“Oh, hi Fluttershy.  I didn’t know you lived here.”  He said looking sheepish.

“Come in, you must be freezing.”  I said pulling him inside.

“Thanks, but I honestly just came to borrow a big bowl.  I have a leak, and I can’t get to it from the inside.”  He said avoiding eye contact.  “If I don’t contain it somehow I might get something worse later in the floor.”

“I think I have one you could use.”  I said offering a warm smile.

“That would be great, thanks.”  He said finally meeting my eyes with his.  He offered a sheepish smile.  It was really awkward, that was clear in the air without anypony having to make work of it.  “Nice place you have.”

“Thanks, I’m little surprised you could find it.  Being unfamiliar with the area.”  I said walking into my kitchen.  Ace followed behind me, keeping his distance for both our sake.  I got out the biggest bowl I had and placed it on the table.  He gave me a warm smile, then a crash of thunder sounded near my cottage.  “What was that?!”

“Sounded like lighting hitting a nearby tree.”  Ace said looking out the window, he then returned his gaze back to where I had been standing.  But instead I was huddled under my kitchen table like a scared cat.

“You alright Fluttershy?”  He asked coming close to me.  I couldn’t help but shutter as another crack of thunder engulfed my ears.  “Fluttershy it’s alright, nothing is going to hurt you.”

I looked at Ace and what I saw on his face was full of concern, something I saw mostly from my friends.  I was timid and I scare easy, I will admit that.  Something I won’t admit is that I hate myself for being such a coward.  I stood up for myself and I became a monster.  Is there any balance I will find?  “It’s alright, I won’t let anything hurt you.”  He said with a warm smile.

“I’m sorry.”  I said feeling stupid.  Oh Celestia I’m such a coward.

“Hey it’s alright, you didn’t look down on me when we were on the train now did you?  I can do the same, I just want to help.”  He said with that warm smile again.  I came out from under the table and smiled at him.  It wasn’t so bad, that was until another blast of thunder ran through my ears.  I found myself on the floor.

“You’re a coward!”

“I know I am!”  I said crying.

“Fluttershy are you alright?”  Ace asked, I couldn’t hardly hear him over my sobbing.  But I heard him, I shook my head over and over.  I was pathetic, I didn’t deserve my friends.  I didn’t deserve to have Ace say he’d let nothing bad happen.

“You little groveling worm, you are so pathetic.  The life you could have had, if you just grew a damn backbone.”

“Fluttershy, what’s wrong?”  Ace asked trying to comfort me.  What I returned with was pushing him away.  I looked at him and he was smiling.  He was joining this, Ace was enjoying the misery I was in.  “Please Fluttershy I want to help.”  He said with a laugh.

“Leave, just go!”  Ace was taken back, his face was sorrowful and confused.  He nodded his head, took the bowl and walked toward the door.

“Thank you for the bowl, I’ll…I’ll return it tomorrow.”  He said before he left.  The next thing I remember I was in bed.  My usual warm comfortable bed, but now it felt cold and unbearable.  It felt like someone was sitting on my chest, it was so hard to breath.

“Your friends think you’re a joke.  That’s all you are, a joke for them to laugh at.  Discord was right.”  I heard myself say.  I was right too, ever since that incident, allot of the things have happened.  I’m still not sure who I am anymore.  I could see all of them, all my friends laughing at me.  What I did to them, I became a monster.  “You hurt them, you’re a mistake on this world.  You are a blemish that should be destroyed.”  I was right, I don’t deserve to be here, to have my friends.

Ace:

When I got back to the place I was staying at there was a nice pool in the bowl, which I had to dump out before I got inside.  It was even better when I got inside, there was a large puddle on the floor for me to get around.  I set the bowl down and looked around for something to dry up the puddle.  All I could find were some old rags, so I threw them on the puddle.  But it didn’t do much.  “Can something go right me yet?”

“Probably not, things usually get worse before they get better.”  I turned around and saw Fluttershy, but not Fluttershy.

“And you are who now?”  I asked cautious.

“Punk Rock is who I am.  Like I said usually things get worse then they get better.”  She said with a smile.  “You like her don’t you?”

“Excuse me?”  I asked confused.

“Fluttershy, you like her.”  She said curling her lips looking like she was about to kiss something.  I sighed and looked away from her.  I knew Fluttershy for a short time, not even a day.  How can this girl know my feelings better than me?

“How in Luna’s name do you know this?”  I said looking back at her only to see the wall.  What in Celestia’s name is going on?  Am I going insane?  Even if I am delusional, she was right.  I felt something there for Fluttershy.  She did not judge me for my scene on the train, she was nice to me.  Something I was not use to believe it or not.

“What the?”  I asked when I felt my hooves getting wet.  Damn the water wasn’t stopping, and it’s supposed to rain all night.  Through that whole night, it was not the best one I ever had, but I made the best of it.  I tried to clean up as much as I could, and when I was beyond exhausted I fell on the oddly soft and warm bed.  I didn’t awake until I heard a rooster, marking that it was morning.  I opened my eyes and stretched, I slept pretty well despite my situation.  I looked at the place, and it looked even deader in the clear sun light that was coming in through the window.

“Hey Ace you in there?”  I heard Ash’s voice and then came a knock.  I got to my hooves, my muscles were stiff from just waking up.  I slowly made my way to the door and opened it where the patient Ash was waiting.  I was greeted with a friendly smile.  “Man this place look like shit.”

“Yeah, I can agree with you on that.”  I said stretching again.

“Just wake up?”  I looked at him and smiled.

“Yeah, was up late trying to clean.  As you can see it didn’t go to well.”  I said with a chuckle.  It was dryer than it was, but the rags I used last night were soaked.  Fluttershy’s bowl was near full.

“How’d you sleep?”  I asked, he gave me smirk.

“Couldn’t.”  He said walking inside.  I was struck stupid for a second, thinking about this for a bit while I shut the door.

“You haven’t slept?”  I asked, he was looking around.  I pushed at the rags with a questionable look.

“Like I said, I could not sleep last night.”  I moved the rags out of the way so he could pull the bowl toward the door.  “Not sure why you closed that door.”  I opened it and helped him push the large bowl toward the door, the end result was pouring the water onto the grass outside.  Good now I can return Fluttershy’s bowl…or maybe I should have somepony else do it.  “You alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine, just.  Has Fluttershy ever burst at somepony?”  Now I felt confused and little stupid from the look he gave me.

“Well, she has gone freak mode on others for certain things.  But usually she apologizes right afterwords.  Why did you two have heated words or something?”  Ashura said picking up the rags and putting them into the bowl.  Smart that way we don’t get the rest of the floor wet.

“That’s just it, there was a loud blast of thunder and Fluttershy freaked.  I tried comforting her, but when another one struck.  Well she told me to leave, I’m not sure what to make of it.”  Ash looked at me with a questioning frown.  From the looks of it, Ashura couldn’t place if she has ever done such a thing.

“Can’t say that is normal behavior to her.  Even to a stranger she is always polite and nice.  Did you hurt one of her animals or something?  That’s the only time I’ve ever seen her do such a thing.  I still feel bad for stepping on that dog’s tail.”  I couldn’t help but laugh.  “What, she nearly tore my head off.  It took a week for her to forgive me.  Like I said it was an accident.”

I wasn’t sure what to think on the situation.  I didn’t want to impose on Fluttershy.  “Maybe I should just keep my distance.  I don’t want to upset her again.”  Ash looked at me with question.

“This bowl is Fluttershy’s right?”  I nodded my head, I doubt allot of ponies have bowls that big.  Made me wonder what she uses it for.

“She uses it for bathing animals that are either sick, too young, or too old.”  Okay that was creepy.

“How in Luna’s name did you know what I was thinking?”  I asked, he smiled at me.

“Lucky guess actually, I’ve seen this bowl before.  It’s a common question what Flutters uses it for, and for your dilemma.  I’m going to come with you to return the bowl.  Something isn’t right here and I wouldn’t like to see if Fluttershy is alright.”  I couldn’t help but laugh, hearing Ashura say Flutters tickled my funny bone.  “What?”

“Oh nothing.”  I said as I helped him move the bowl outside so we could dry out the rags.
> A Dead Visitor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy:

I found myself staring out the window, wasn’t sure what time it was.  All I really knew I was staring out the window, my mind was blank and the whole world was still.  I heard a scratching noise, at first I ignored it.  But then it got louder, and louder.  I then noticed it wasn’t one thing, it was several.  Angel bunny was scolding me probably trying to tell me he was hungry.  All my little critter friends were whining to be fed.  I honestly didn’t care, I just stared at them.  I felt so ill, just sitting there looking at them.  A flash of blood and mangled bodies filling my house engulfed my head.

“NO!”  I looked around and I noticed I was in bed.  The sun was just rising, I was maybe an hour early from my normal wake up time.  I pushed my blankets and sheets off of me and headed to the bathroom.  I was in a cold sweat I felt incredibly ill.  Images started flashing in my head from the rest of the dream I just had.  My friends and my little critter friends…I killed them all.

“Fluttershy!  I got your bowl!”  I heard Ashura’s voice yell as he knocked at my door.

“How about a warning!”  I heard Ace’s voice say surprised.  I shook the images out of my head and headed for the door.  A look in the mirror would have been helpful, the look from both of their faces told me I didn’t look proper.

“Flutters, you alright?”  Ash asked me looking concerned.

“Yeah, rough night.”  I said with a chuckle, wasn’t going to tell them about the nightmare.  Whatever I ate last night, I’m never eating again if I’m going to dream like that.  Although I don’t remember eating anything, I don’t even remember going to bed.

“Here’s your bowl.”  Ace said hoofing the bowl to me.  He also was avoiding my eyes.  He wasn’t like this last time.

“Thank you.”  I said offering a warm smile.  It seemed to perk him up a little.

“Thank you for letting me borrow it.”  I don’t remember lending it to him, but I guess I did.  I hardly even use this bowl anymore anyway.  “We should probably get back.”

“Get back to what?”  I heard myself ask.

“We are cleaning Ace’s hut.  Wrench is an idiot is all I can comment on the subject.”  Ashura said with a frown.  He took off his fedora and looked at the inside, he then stuck his face inside and started to snore.

“Yeah, he hasn’t slept yet.”  Ace said feeling embarrassed.  I looked at Ashura and he was sound asleep, standing up.  I looked at Ace and he had his eyes closed, was he asleep too?  I poked him with my hoof and he jumped.

“You okay?”  I asked worried, he wasn’t asleep like Ash.  It looked like something was bothering him.

“Actually I’m not okay, this entire ordeal is allot to deal with.  I moved away from the city I was born in, not like I had anypony there keeping me there.  To top it off, now I have to deal with my living arrangements.  Ashura is nice and all but he’s a little off the rocker.”  He was very upset, so I gave him a hug.  One of the best cures to cure any ailment.

“It’ll be okay Ace.  Ashura usually isn’t like this, I mostly see him so serious.  It’s a little nice to see him act like this.  Everything will be just fine.”  I said offering a smile.  He returned the hug and the smile.

“Thank you Fluttershy.”  He said.

“Gah!  Where the hell is the world?”  Ash said when he woke up.  Turned out he fell down when he was asleep standing on all fours.

“Look who’s awake.”  Ace said with a smirk.

“I didn’t say anything stupid did I?”  Ash asked putting his fedora back on his head.

“Maybe just a little.”  Ace said with a chuckle.  He seemed to have snapped out of his loopy stage when he doesn’t sleep.  Now comes the over serious and critical part.  “You might want to take him home and have Twilight get him to sleep.”

“Probably a good idea.”  Ace said agreeing.

“What the hell are you two whispering about?”  Ashura asked looking irritated.

“You’re coming with me.”  Ace said grabbing his tie and pulling him into town.

“And where are we going?”  Ashura said following willingly, probably afraid of ruining his favorite tie.

“You’re going home to sleep, I got it from here.”  When Ace looked back he was met with a sleep walking Ash.  “Okay that’s just weird.”

Rainbow Dash:

I was flying around enjoying my day off when I saw something that was defiantly out of place.  I saw a red mare with a black mane.  She looked rather lost, and seeing a mare with those colors was very bizarre.  The only other pony I’ve seen like that was Ashura.  I flew down to her and she was very startled when I landed near her.  “Hello, I haven’t seen you here before.”

“…”  She looked away from me.  The only thing that she was able to do was breath and that was starting to quicken.

“Are you alright?”  I asked trying to look her in the eye.

“Just leave.”  She said quietly, I was taken back, I wasn’t expecting her to say that.  I turned away and took off in the sky.  She looked very sad, but I left her be.  Not much I can do if somepony doesn’t want to talk.  I kept flying for a while until I spotted someone familiar.  Funny, usually when I have afternoons off I feel like doing some tricks or being alone and taking a nap.

“Hey Moon!”  I said landing next to her.  She looked at me with a warm smile.

“Hey Dashie, How are you feeling?”  Moon said sitting up.  She had been laying on the grass probably enjoying the nice day.  Her coat was pale, as white as snow.  Her eyes were the same color as mine and her mane was like mine but the colors were more of a neon rainbow.  The past events dealing with my father’s sider came back to me.  “Something on your mind Dashie?”

“I’m just remembering what happened.  Still replay the events through my mind every once in a while.  I remember it clearly.”  I sighed, “What is wrong with me?”

“Dashie, it was an event that changed your life.  It’s a traumatic experience, there are probably more things you have to face.”  Moon said laying back and closing her eyes.  “I do not think anything is wrong with you.”

“What is it I’m supposed to face?”  She looked at me with confusion.  I felt a little stupid, she may have been my Sider but she is her own pony now.  I remembered a moment Moon and I had, if it wasn’t for her I probably wouldn’t have been able to face my past.  “I think I just remembered something I have to deal with.”

“Good, that is very good.”  Moon said with a smile, I said goodbye to her and took off into the air.  I had to see Fluttershy.  There was something I had to tell her.

Fluttershy:

“You killed them!”

“I didn’t mean too, please I’m sorry!”  The entire world was spinning around me.  I looked at all of my little critter friends that I killed.  All their mangled bodies lay about.

“Why did you kill me Fluttershy?”  Twilight asked, her eyes were missing.  All that was left were black bottomless holes that stared back at me.  Blood was still dripping from the gaping holes that were her eyes and the large slash across her neck.  She inched closer to me.

“Why did you kill me Fluttershy?”  Rainbow Dash asked, her wings were broken beyond any medical help, her neck was broken and twisted.  She inched closer to me as well.  Two of my friends dead, and I killed them.

“You’re a murderer Fluttershy!”

“No, it wasn’t me!”  It was me, I remember the event vividly.  I forced Twilight to the ground and gouged her eyes out.  I heard her scream, right before I slit her throat.  Rainbow Dash tried to flee, breaking her wings was the best way to keep her grounded.  I just couldn’t help myself from breaking her neck.

“Fluttershy?  Please tell us why.”  Both of them said in a ghostly moan.  I wanted to images out of my head, me murdering my friends.  I wanted them to leave, but no matter how hard I tried.  They just wouldn’t leave.  I couldn’t help but relive those event in my head.

“Fluttershy?”  I heard Rainbow Dash ask, I closed my eyes.  I wasn’t able to look at what I did to her.  “Fluttershy are you okay?”  I heard her ask as she shook me.  I refused to open my eyes, I was afraid to see those gaping holes stare at me.  “Would you open your eyes already?”

I opened my eyes from the panic I felt being shook even more by Rainbow Dash.  To my surprise there was no zombie like Rainbow coming after me.  When she stopped shaking me I looked around and all the images I saw were gone.  “Oh my.”

“Are you okay Fluttershy?”  Rainbow asked with much concern.  I shook my head feeling a little overwhelmed.  I looked into my friend’s eyes and gave her a big smile.

“I’m fine, I guess I was just sleep walking.”  I said trying to shake the images from my mind.  They were still fresh in my head.

“That must have been some dream you were having.”  The feeling I got was something I never felt, something was seriously wrong.  I knew that, but I refused to tell my friend who was very concerned about me.  It shames me to think, maybe I could have stopped what happened.

“Yeah, tell me about it.”  I sighed pushing the images out of my head.  I felt different, but I tried to act like nothing was wrong.

“Fluttershy I have to tell you something.”  This took me a shock, I was expecting question about how I had been acting or something along the lines.  But Rainbow Dash was avoiding my stare.  Something was bothering her, and I think it had to deal with me.

“What is it Rainbow?”  I asked my friend.  She sat down on the couch and I joined her.  She finally looked me in the eyes.  “Rainbow Dash?”

“I was a bully.”  I was majorly confused now.

“You’re not a bully, you may be a little hard around the edges.  But that doesn’t make you a bully.”  I said offering her a warm smile.  It wasn’t returned, all she did was look away, her mane now covering her eyes.

“I bullied other ponies when we were in school.  Do you remember Rain Blight?”  Rainbow Dash said looking at me with tears in her eyes.

“The colt who…died?”  I said hardly, it was a major event that happened at our school.  It stopped others picking on each other majorly.  I wasn’t bullied as much after Rain Blight’s death.

“He committed suicide because of me.  I didn’t mean…I don’t….I just felt defenseless.  I didn’t want to be pushed around, I had to be strong.”  Everything that Dash had said when through my ears and circled in my head.  I never imagined Rainbow Dash who had stood up for me and countless others had been a bully.

“Rainbow…”  I wasn’t sure what to say.  It just made little sense that Rainbow would pick on another pony.

“My father abandoned me, all I had was my pride to be strong.  I had to be strong, it was the last thing he told me before he left.  At the time I didn’t know why he left, and I felt so angry.  When I was bulled, and Blue…”  My birdie Blue who was killed.  The memory of that day came flooding back.  “I never wanted to feel like that again, ever.”

“You stood up for so many others, including me!”  I said with tears in my eyes.  This was defiantly not easy to hear, especially not to tell.  This was a large burden Rainbow Dash had been carrying.  “Rain Blight is the reason, isn’t he?”

“I regret it Fluttershy, I wish I met all of you so much sooner.  I wouldn’t have done what I did.  He was gay, back then it was an easy target.  I’m so sorry Fluttershy.”  Both of us were crying by now.  I embraced her in a hug, she hugged me back.  “I swore on that day I would never pick on another pony no matter what!”

“It’s okay Rainbow Dash, we all make mistakes when we are young.”  She continued to sob in my embrace.  Rainbow Dash crying, it was very unusual.  But everypony cried every now and then, and we all have things that we carry.

“I just wish I could tell him how sorry I am.”  Rainbow said her sobbing starting to stop.  I gave her a sincere hug.

“That bitch will never know peace.”  I heard someone chuckle.  Sitting on the floor behind Rainbow Dash was a black eyed Rain Blight.  He offered me a crooked grin.  I froze up, my entire body going cold.  My spin was tingling, and every hair on my body was standing on end.

“Fluttershy are you okay?”  Rainbow asked looking at me with concern.  I pointed in Rain’s direction and the same effect happened to Rainbow that happened to me.

“No!  Those eyes!”  Rainbow said in a panic.
> Coma
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash:

I watched Fluttershy faint as I was paralyzed from fear.  Rain Blight stood there with pitch black eyes, those bottomless eyes staring into me.  I couldn’t move, all I could do was stand there.  Everything started to become dark.  I wasn’t sure how long I was unconscious, when I awoke Fluttershy was still laying on the floor as if she was lifeless.  The only indication I knew she was alive with a very shallow breath she would take, a very unnatural look to her.  Shaking myself back to reality I looked around, nothing was out of place.  It was as if nothing had happened, but I knew Rain had been here.  Why, why would he be here?  A Sider, it didn’t make sense.  I pulled Fluttershy onto my back and made my way to Golden Oak Library.  Ashura would know what to do, he had to know.
It was difficult carrying her, I felt weak.  I hated the feeling, I couldn’t believe the events.  None of this made any sense.  Why would a Sider be here, why again?  I finally made it to the library exhausted, I was barley able to knock at the door.  I was met with a now very worried Twilight.
“Rainbow, what happened?”  She asked with such concern.
“Sider.”  Is all I was able to say before I collapsed to the ground.  Everything went dark after that, I once again awoke moments later.  I found myself in Twilight’s bed, it was dark out which told me I had been unconscious for a very long time.  A door opened and my sight snapped over to the intruder.
“You alright?”  I heard Ash asked from the darkness. My body relaxed a little, events had me so tense.  I started to get flashbacks from months past about my father.  We almost lost so much back then, the reality of the situation fell heavy on me.
“I’m fine I hope.”  I said getting up from the bed, stretching my wings I felt a little more like myself.  “Do you know what happened.”
“Not in the slightest, Fluttershy hasn’t awoken yet.  You’re just waking up now, both Twi and I are in the dark right  now.  But I’m sure this is sign of bad things to come, just like before.”  Ash sighed heavily.  “I need you to try and hold up Dash.”
I was a tad hurt, “I’m Rainbow Dash, I can handle anything.”
“Dash, with all do respect.  No you can’t.”
“This isn’t my area of expertise, but I survived.  I will continue to survive, I will not abandon my friends.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of Rainbow.  You haven’t been yourself since your father’s repassing.”  I was even more hurt.  Not because of what he said, but because he was absolutely right.  I haven’t been myself lately, who would be after that.  “What happened?”
With a heavy sigh I tried to think back.  “I went to visit Fluttershy, ever since meeting Ace she hasn’t been herself.  I guess now I know what it looks like, not being who you are.”  Oh Celestia, why was this happening.  Rain’s smile crept into my mind, sending a ice cold chill down my spin.  “When I got there we talked, and next thing I knew my past had come back to haunt me.  I saw someone I wrong heavily.”
“That Sider you mentioned, you knew them?”
“Yes, he was a colt I knew back in school.”  Tears rushed to my eyes, I wish I could change the past, I wish I could do anything to change what I did.  But I know in my heart I can’t, I have to live with my mistakes.  No matter how much it haunted me.
“You have no connection to this Sider.”  This shocked me, why wouldn’t it be connected to me.  “This Sider was using you to project something, I’m unsure what the purpose is.”
“What does that even mean?”
“As of right now Dash, I have no idea myself.  I may be the one who knows the most about Siders.  But there still a mystery that needs to be solved.  They feed off emotion, you after all those event from months ago.  You’ve been filled with mixed emotions, that’s why you haven’t been yourself.  In a psychological stand point for me, you haven’t forgiven yourself for anything you have ever done.  The element of harmony has lost loyalty in herself.”  Those words fell very heavy on me, it felt as if gravity had increased tenfold.
“I can’t argue with you, I don’t have any idea what I feel anymore.  I feel as if I don’t even know who I am anymore.”  The door behind Ashura opened revealing Twilight.
“How you feeling Rainbow?”  She asked with concern.
“She’s healing.”  Ash said turning and walking through the door.
“I asked her, not you Ashura Glitch.”  She said sternly, as I looked at my friend I could see she had changed too.  The new crowned princess had grown since I met her.  Me, I’ve barley had any change from how I use to be.  I was still reckless, ready to jump head first into action without a second thought.
“He’s right Twilight, I’m holding on.”  I said offering her a encouraging smile that was barley visible from the dim light that came from the doorway.  Twilight offered a smile that made me feel like everything was going to be okay.  But I also got the feeling, she was filled with much doubt.
“Umm, you hungry?”  She asked probably wishing to lift any type of spirit.  Just then my stomach answered for me.  “Lets get you something to eat then.”  We both shared a chuckle.  We both followed in suit after Ash.  So many thoughts were running through my mind.  The last Sider we dealt with was manipulative.  It was able to do so much damage to us all in such a short time, I still remember that place.  That place of darkness, the thought of it brought back feelings that made me wash the thought out of my mind.
“She still isn’t awake.”  Ashura said coming in through the other room  as we entered the main library area.  You can’t really walk anywhere in Twilight’s home without having books surrounding you.  I still remember when I came flying in, not being able to control my wings with that whole poison joke incident.  The thought started to make me chuckle a bit.
“What?”  Twilight asked confused.
“Remember when we first met Zecora.  When I came flying in and nearly knocking everything over?”
“Pinkie couldn’t talk, Rarity’s mane was a utter mess.”  Twilight commented with a chuckle of her own.
“And A.J. was as tiny as an ant.”  The two of us started to burst out in laughter.
“It’s good to see some good feeling being passed around.”  Ash said before taking a journal from one of the nearby bookcases.  He placed in on a table and began to write in it.
“Oh how about the time we watched the dragon migration.  Man I thought we were goanna lose Spike.”
“But in the end, he came home.  Man those dragons were such jerks.”  I said thinking back, that costume rarity wiped up was still ridiculous.  “I still can’t believe that costume worked.”
“You ever notice how Rarity never said anything when we destroyed it trying to save spike.”
“She nearly jumped out before either of us.”  I said laughing a little.
“Rainbow how is your Fera?”  Ash asked not stopping from writing.
“Last time I saw her she was fine, she still isn’t one for racing.  Still hard to believe she was the result of my Sider.”  She was such a calm pony, very down to earth for being a Pegasus.
“Well she’s technically you from a different point of perspective.  The only reason she exists is because of you.  I asked because of how your emotions have been.”  He stopped writing and turned, with a grim look on his face.  “Hi Punk Rock.”
“I was wondering when somepony was going to notice me.”  I turned to where Ash was looking and what I saw what looked like Fluttershy.  But her demeanor was vastly different from Fluttershy and she had a black stripe in her hair.
“Who is this?”  I asked confused beyond all belief.
“Meet Fluttershy’s Fera.”  Now I was even more so confused.
“Existing and not existing is very annoying, it’s like waking up from a dream without the dream.”  I wasn’t sure what I was seeing here.
“Ash who is this?”  Twilight asked looking even more confused than I was.
“Well to put it simply, she is Fluttershy’s Fera.”
“But I thought a Fera couldn’t exist until a Sider bonded with you.”  I asked trying to wrap my head around this.
“Originally yes, that is usually the case.  But for Punk Rock it isn’t, and the reason is simple yet complicated.”
“I exist because Fluttershy’s Sider has already bonded with her.”  Her attitude was very city like, nothing at all what Fluttershy was like.  But if I thought back to it, Moon was nothing like me.  In fact she was in everyway different to me.
“But why did you say you exist, but don’t exist.”  Twilight looked confused, for the pony who is dating the one pony who knows about this.  It surprised me how little she knew.
“My guess, Fluttershy hasn’t bonded with the Sider.”  That infamous smirk of his appeared on his face, as if he was slightly amused by this.  “It’s really the only thing that makes sense in my mind.”
“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”  Punk Rock said with a droll response.
“Actually I am, as a writer and free thinker.  I find it very fascinating.”  There was what looked like a gleam in his eye.
“How can you find this amusing, do you have any idea what it’s like to be in my situation.”  Punk asked a little annoyed.
“Actually I know exactly how that feels.” He said with a very serious tone.  “Look you’re here now, which tells me allot and nothing at all.”
“What do you mean?”  I asked, I was trying really hard to follow along.  Ash seemed as if he was able to put pieces together, like one big puzzle.  A puzzle I had absolutely no idea what the picture could be.
“I really don’t want to talk about it, I’m sorry but that’s all I’m going to say on that subject.”  Ashura said turning away, the look he gave, made me feel as if someone just died in front of me.
“Well then what does my being here tell you.”
“That something really fun could be happening.”  He entire demeanor changed in that instance.
“The world almost ends the last time we dealt with a Sider, and you now say something fun might happen.  What is wrong with you Ash?”  Twilight asked baffled.
“Well what I do know is that Fluttershy is in a Coma and isn’t going to wake up anytime soon”  That news wasn’t something I wanted to hear.  I had hoped she would be waking up soon, but now that thought was crushed.
“How do you know this?”  I had to ask, that look from before came back.
“I know what it’s like not to exist.”  With that Ashura left the room, leaving me with a feeling of guilt, and from the look on Twilight and Punk Rock’s faces suggested they felt the same.

Ashura Glitch:

I was struck with so many emotions as I left the room to go check on Fluttershy.  I didn’t want to relive past events, it was hard enough having nightmares about them.  If only I could forget that time, but I had to remember what happened.  The Siders are my fault, my responsibility.  I had to know as much as I could about them.  Truth be told I was dumbstruck with resent events.  I had no idea what I could do, what I could tell the others.  I had so much fear inside, to be honest I was scared to my very core.  Rainbow’s Sider mixed with her father’s wasn’t something I knew could happen, it’s something I never would have conceived.  But luckily we were able to deal with it and with help were able to stop it’s repercussions.
I looked at Fluttershy, her breathing was still the same as when her and Rainbow had arrived.  Nothing about this was good, I didn’t see any silver lining that could be had here.  There was absolutely nothing good about this at all.  Once again in all truth, I didn’t see anything fun that could happen.  But in this situation, even false hope is still hope.  Right now, hope is something we need.  I wish I knew why Ace was so important, why does he bring me such an ominous feeling.
“You’re thinking too much again Glitch.”
“Yes I know ZXex, but somepony has to think about it.  If not me, than who could?  You I’m surprised I even see you anymore.”  I turned to face my Fera, the first anomaly I ever met when dealing with Siders.  Like Punk Rock he shouldn’t exist either, sometimes he doesn’t.  If anyone knew what she was going through, he would be the one.
“Your bond is weakening.”
“Do you mean with Atom, or with my sanity.”
“You were sane?  Since when?”  I couldn’t help but smirk at the asshole.
“Very funny, in truth that probably happened when you arrived as crazy as that sounds.  Without you I probably would have died back then.”  The truth to that matter struck me deep inside.
“Getting all sentimental with me, how sweet.”
“Shut it, you’re the emotional being I’m not.  I don’t need your sass.”  A being of fact and logic is who I am.  ZXex a being of emotion and charisma, he was everything I wished I was and also wish I was nothing like.  Being a social outcast can do that to you.
“Trying to make yourself feel better again?”
“Nope, nothing I can ever do will make that happen.  All I can do is help where I’m needed and possibly fix this whole screwed up mess I put everyone in.”  I sighed heavily.
“It’s not your fault Atom turned on you.  Remember, he was different when you made him.”  That was true, in fact when I was growing up he was my only friend for a time.  Like I said growing up as an outcast does shit to you.  I just didn’t know things would escalade to this, if only the Siders would have stayed out of this.  But that’s my mistake, it’s my fault for not realizing who I was.  What I was, I’m nothing special at all.
“You remember what you told yourself right?”
“What that I was doomed to follow a certain path.  I know Apocalypse is us, I know what happens.  Or that I should spend what little time I have with those around me.”  Not a question, a statement.  One that is true, but the weight of it all is allot to bear.  I love Twilight; I didn’t want to see her get hurt.  I made a life here, I didn’t want that to change.  I finally had something that made me happy, and the Siders are trying to take it all away.  “Oh Fluttershy I’m so damn sorry.”
Back before I came to Ponyville, hell back before I even joined the royal guard.  Back when I was a colt I had a few troubles growing up.  When I was in school I had a good friend, a friend I did everything together with.  But he turned on me, your best friend is now your bully.  That’s how my life was for a time; so many things plagued me from then on.  So many different thoughts clouded my mind, I was so alone.  I created inside of my head a place I could escape to; someplace I belonged.  Sometimes it helped, sometimes it didn’t.  My mother and father were always worried about me; my mother probably stayed up late just thinking if I was going to be alive the next morning, or when she’d get a call that I was gone.
I cannot say I’ve had an easy life, I will not say I’ve had a bad life.  But I’m just an average pony who walks this world just like everyone else.  Except I have a connection to a dark place.  I guess you could say I broke a seal in reality.  I wish I could say how it all happened, I don’t even remember how it all even started.  But when you see the thing you created to make you happy staring back at you in the face, trying to kill you.  Let’s just say, you don’t take it well.  Betrayal is something that never sits right with me, I’ve been betrayed enough times.

Fluttershy:

“Hello!”  I yelled at the top of my lungs.  There was sand everywhere, and I had no idea how I had gotten here.  I just awoke surrounded by sand and no knowledge of how I got here.  I had been walking for what seemed like forever.  Nothing ever changed, the sun never moved.  It was the same bed of sand, same sky, same feeling.  The sun was not blazing hot like I had heard it was in a desert. I mean I had to be in a desert, how else would you describe such a place.  Sand everywhere, sun high in the sky.
“Why must you shout so much?”  I heard a stereotypic gentleman’s voice ask.  I turned around and saw what looked like a noble pony from Canterlot.
“I…I didn’t know…anypony was around, I…I think I’m lost.”
“Well indeed you are lost my fair lady.”  I felt like the next thing he was going to say was something about tea.
“What are you doing in the place like this?”  I had to ask.
“Surly same as you are, odd question to ask.”  He said with a chuckle
“I have no idea why I’m here, I just woke up here.”
“Are you alright, going a little barmy on me are we?”  He gave me a puzzled look.
“What no, I mean…I don’t…Do you know where we are or not?”  I asked feeling a tad frustrated.  I just wanted to go home.
“The desert I’d have to say, not any specific kind of desert.  Just one big one with a lovely sun and plenty of white sand.  Or maybe green, could be any color really; I would just absolutely love to see a desert with blue sand.  Now that would be bloody wild.”  The stallion reminded me of Pinkie Pie.  “Oh look it is blue, oh how wonderful.”
“Wait…what…what?”  Looking around I could see that he was right.  The white sand had turned blue.
“Pinkie, I guess that is whom I’m based off of.  Although I do have a tad of Rarity and Rainbow Dash.  Really all of your friends make up me.  Pinkie’s attitude, Rarities style, Rainbow’s Bravery, A.J.’s courage, Twilight sensibility.  All here inside that; at the moment dodgy brain of yours.”  He said chuckling about.
“Who…are you?”
“Well to put in simply, I’m you.  A different version of you really, I suppose looking this way doesn’t do much for the old figure.  But I didn’t want to throw one so startling off guard like that.  It’s something your friends would have done.  Since I’m made up from them, I had to do what they would do as it were.”  I must have had craziest look on my face, the look he gave me was of genuine concern.  “Can’t do it right every time I suppose.”
“Show me what you really look like.”  I said with curiosity.  He body started to shift and change, his blocky features started to curve.  His build started to become slimmer and more like a mare’s.  Soon enough I was looking at myself, but with a green mane.
“I’m envy.”  She introduced herself.  “I decided to keep the mane green for the sake of a joke I’m sure you probably already have gotten.”
“Where am I?”
“Inside your own mind.”  I never expected my mind to be like this.  I guess I never really considered what it could be like.
“I don’t understand.”
“What is there to understand?  I’m envy, what exactly does that tell you about yourself?”  In all honesty I really didn’t want to think about it.
“Why exactly am I here?”
“Isn’t that fricken obvious?”  I heard a very angry voice say.  Turning around I was met with Ashura, except he was missing his fedora and the red part of his mane was much darker.
“Wrath, so good to see you.”  Envy cooed.
“Piss off you little ant.”  He sneered at her, wrath defiantly was a good name for how he was acting.
“Why do you look like Ash?”  I had to ask, it was starting to bug me.
“Who else do you know that is always angry.”  He did have a point, Ash did seem happy and kind.  But once you got to know him he was a bit more on the anger side.  Envy gave Wrath a longing look.	“No, blow it out your arse Envy!”
“See reason Wrath, she needs to know.”
“No she sure as hell doesn’t.  What she should do is walk away and not look back, because she’s too stupid to see it.”
“Hey, that’s rude!”  I scolded Wrath.
“Trying to use me, eh?  I’m almost as neglected as your counterpart.”  He said as he walked away laughing.  I watched as he disappeared in the distance.  I turned to Envy, but she had left as well.  I now found myself alone.  Except everything had changed; I wasn’t in a desert anymore.  I was in nothingness, that was the only word that came to mind.  There was nothing as far as eye could see.  I found myself walking and turning in every direction.  To find something, anything.  I had begun to panic.  I could then here a soft sound, the sound of sobbing.
“Is someone here?”  I asked looking around.  I noticed in the distance a small box.  I walked toward it, and the soft sobbing became more apparent.  As I grew closer, the feeling of dread started to come over me.

> A New Path
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy:



                I looked around me and the world was black, all I saw was darkness.  The only thing I could see was that box.  The light sobbing was heavily apparent as I grew closer.  “I wouldn’t get closer if I were you.”  I whipped around to the sudden appeal of a voice.  There stood King Sombra; immediately I wanted to run.  But his tired and calm appearance washed away my fear.  He seemed different than my first encounter with him in the Crystal Empire.

                “What are you doing here?”  I asked baffled by his appearance.  He looked confused for a second.

                “The better question is, what are you doing here.  I’ve been here...”  He trailed off as if he was pondering something.  “Oh, maybe somewhat of a millennium now, I’ve lost track of the time.  Hard to do so when time seems to not exist here; I haven’t eaten anything since I got here.  I could go for anything at this point.”  He looked off into the distance as if he was thinking about something.

                ‘How can you be here for so long?”  I asked, the sobbing from the box became apparent once again.  I turned toward it.

                “Please don’t go near it, I don’t think you’d like what you see.  I know I regret it.”  He said with a sigh.

                “Why?”

                “I’ve been here for a very long time.  I’m not even sure you’re even real, right now.  But I do know what that box entails; at least for me I knew.  Whom knows, you could end up in a better situation than myself.”  I noticed how sweet his voice was.  The Sombra I had encountered never spoke to my knowledge.  The dark presence I felt…brings chills to my spin just thinking about it.  But now…I don’t know how to describe it.

                “What is this place?”

                “From my guess, it’s a world that exists outside of the normal world, outside of normal time.  Nothing ages, but nothing begins.  Neither an ending or a beginning; just existence, or none for a lack of a better word.”  He seemed to trail off again, mumbling something under his breath.  “May I ask how long you have been here.”

                The question took me back, it only felt like seconds.  But it also felt like an eternity.  I pondered the question, and the more it remained silent the box seemed to make its presence known increasingly.  “You all right?”  I looked at him confused.  “You’ve been standing there for about an hour now, or at least from what I can tell from counting.”

                “What?”  I asked, my head was pounding and it felt like I had something pressing against my chest.  Squeezing the air out of my lungs.

                “What is your name?”  I heard him ask, his calming voice seemed to sooth what was ailing me.  “Sometimes you need something to ground you.  It was hard for me when I first arrived here.  That one with the hat helped me.  Don’t think he will be back though.”  Again, he trailed off, mumbling something under his breath.  Sounded as if he was cursing himself.

                “You shouldn’t blame yourself.”  I said with a wheeze.  He looked at me surprised.

                “It’s my own fault I am here.  The other me probably isn’t helping…”

                “Other you?”  I asked trying to keep my balance.

                “I made a deal a long time ago.  Power drove me, I come from a land that even I don’t necessarily know too much about.  All I mostly remember is the elders talking about shadow and the ‘realm’ we came from.  He made it as if we were not from the world we were in.  I was so young back then.”  He eyes told me the sadness he felt.  “I was so stupid back then, I made a deal with a being beyond my own knowledge.  The one with the hat seemed to know what he was, except he couldn’t help me.  He tried so hard to help me; the length he went through to help me.”

                “I tried yes and I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.”  A very familiar voice said, we both turned to see Ashura standing in the distance.  At that moment, my heart leapt up to my throat, a familiar face.

                “What you know of this place, you knew of him?”  Another voice said that came from behind.  Another familiar voice, Princess Luna.

                “A very long time ago yes, but the incident with the Crystal Kingdom I knew nothing about.  The shadows that befell Sombra was not of my knowledge.”  Ash seemed very serious and concerned.  “Which does beg the question how are you here Sombra?”

                “I do not know exactly what you mean.  I was left here, you left me here.”  He seemed a tad angry at the thought.  “But I was beyond saving.”  He sighed with grief.  “I laid out my path and I must walk it.

                “That isn’t entirely true…if you are here there must be a reason.  There is always a reason for everything.”  Ash said with a grin on his face.

                “How can one such as yourself say that?  You told me so long ago that there wasn’t anything you could do.  I ran…I didn’t want to believe…I ran so long and so far.”

                “Sombra this isn’t the place you may think it is, or perhaps this world has changed once again.”

                “What do you mean?”  I asked, Princess Luna took a step forward.

                “This is the realm of dreams.  Fluttershy you are in a coma, and from Ashura’s words; things are never as they seem.”

                “But this is perfect, boom Sombra is here and that proves something.  I don’t have a lick of an idea what it could be but it does make something.”  The sobbing was now once again apparent to me.  We all seemed to turn toward it.  “Hold on a minuet.  No that can’t be, no way that can be.”  Ash said running toward the box.

                “No don’t!  Don’t you remember what happened last time!?”  Sombra yelled looking panicked.

                “Oh my, it’s so adorable…I can hardly handle it!”  Ash squealed in a voice I wasn’t sure he was able to make.  He kicked the box out of the way and there laying was what looked like Sombra.  But as a child.  “Don’t you see what this means!”  We all exchanged concerned and confused looks.  With a groan, he picked the colt off the ground and place him on his back.  “It means someone is going to have a cute little baby boy!”

                “What?!”  We all said in unison.

                “Think about it, this is a world of dreams.  A world of fantasy, with the mixture of Siders the realms between the two have merged at this very moment.  The right place at the right time.  Sombra is going to be born again.”  The colt seemed happy as Ash pranced around with him on his back.  I looked at Sombra and a look a relief passed over his face.

                “If this must be the case then what of Fluttershy, she is in a coma.  Her condition is not getting better.”  Princess Luna said with great concern.  I easily shared that concern.

                “Nah, I wouldn’t worry about it.”  Ash said as he made a silly face at the colt.  He giggled as he bounced lightly up and down on Ashura’s back.

                “But…”  I tried but was cut off.

                “No buts, I’m sure of this.  This world is beginning to fade, and now Fluttershy you have a choice.  You can do something about it all.  This Sider that is here, it’s close to you.  There is something eating away at you and you will not move on through this if you do not end up dealing with what your trying to hide.  The emotions you are trying to bottle up, you have to let them go.”  He said with utter seriousness.

                “What…emotion would I be…”

                “What is it Fluttershy?”  Princess Luna asked.

                “Alone…”  I said lowering my head as if I was ashamed of it.  “I feel so alone, ever since I learned what happened to my parents.  It’s just something...that eats away at me.  If there was something I could just do.  Something so they didn’t meet with the fate they befell.”

                “You are beginning to sound like me Fluttershy.  Trust me that is not a road you want to travel.”

                “I’ve walked that road for millennia.  It is not one you should travel through.”

                “It’s best to deal with your past dear.  I regret the events between my sister and myself.  It isn’t easy to travel or leave behind.”

                “But isn’t there something I could do?”  I asked with tears in my eyes.

                “I’m sorry but there isn’t something you can do to change the past.  It was a fixed point, nothing good could mend it if you could change it.”

                “No…there must be something.  If this world can exist, these powers that you and all Equestria has inside it.  There must be something.”

                “Please Fluttershy you have to let it go; their gone and nothing can bring them back.”

                “I don’t believe you…you keep so many secrets from us all.  From Twilight, does she know anything about this?  Huh?  These words you speak are they the actual truth or just a clever lie.  Talking about fixed points.  If something like this can happen…there has to be something we can do.”

                “I’m sorry but…”

                “No, I won’t accept that!”  I pushed Ashura away from me.  Tears heavily flowing down my cheeks.

                “Fluttershy!”  The world seemed to shake.  “Fluttershy you have to calm down!”

                “Ashura what is happening?”  Princess Luna asked looking scared, something I’ve never seen before on any alicorn.

                “No…No you can’t do this.  Please stop!”  Ash pleaded, tears started to stream from his eyes.  He looked to be in great pain.

                “Ashura Glitch, what is going on!”  Princess Luna asked before she began to shriek in pain.  The look on her face look of pure torture.  It felt as if my body was on fire, I felt something I just couldn’t describe.

                “Please Fluttershy you can’t do this…please!”  He pleaded once more, but my mind was made up.  I knew there was something that could be done.  Something that could change things that happened.  My mother and father would be okay.



~ ~ ~

I opened my eyes to see my familiar ceiling that I always seen when I woke up every morning.  I felt my blanket over my body, it felt so warm.  I pushed the covers off and stretched my sleepy muscles.  I felt so good, fully rested, and ready for the day.  Angel was sleeping soundly, but when I put my hooves on the floor it aroused him from his sleep.  “Good morning sleepy head.  Shall we go check on everyone else?”

Angel seemed just as usual for every morning.  Not wanting to get out of bed, but the thought of food defiantly got him up.  We walked out of my room and made our way outside.  Just a normal day it seemed and it just felt so right.  I walked out to the sheds and the barns to say hello to all the animals and to give them all their food.  Angel following me intensively, because he knew he was going to have his breakfast soon and knowing him it would be a big orderly meal he would demand.  “Hi Fluttershy!”

“Hi Ace.”  I said to my foalfriend that quickly approached me and greeted me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  I still remember the first day I met him, he was so scared of the train.  He’s a gifted mechanic, and he worked great with Ashu….  Pain struck me in the head as if I was hit with a hammer.

“You all right Shy?”  Ace asked with concern.  I shook my head trying to shake the feeling I was having.

“I’ll be all right, I think I just have a little morning sickness.”  I said as the feeling began to leave me.

“All right, but if you’re not feeling one hundred percent I’ll be here to take care of you.  I’m sure Ashura won’t mind holding down the fort for the time being.”  When he said, Ashura’s name the world seemed to spin again.  Ace looked even more concerned.  “Look maybe you should go lie down.”

“No, I’ll be find.”  I said straightening myself, I gave him a confident smile.

“You sure?”

“You worry too much.”  I said shaking his concern off.

“So, what do you want to do today?”  Ace asked following me.

“Well I have dinner with mom and dad and then later I’m helping Twilight at the library.”

“No, I mean for you and myself, we had plans remember…”  He pondered his words, I couldn’t recall.  But the look on his face made me change the feeling I had.  That sickly feeling, I had that I was forgetting something.

“Right…Uhm we could go to the diner.”  I said with a smile.  He smiled back with a nod.  After he helped me finish my morning chores he was off to the shop.  Which lead me to go to my mom and dad’s place.  I was hoping my brother Zephyr wouldn’t be there.  But knowing him he would be…or was he doing another so called…calling again.  That boy just doesn’t learn I swear.

Once I was at Mom and Dad’s place Zephyr was nowhere to be found.  We could have a nice visit for once.  Mom had told me she and her friends have been enjoying a new little diner they found near town.  Dad was still happy to have his cloud collection.  It was so good to see them, but the entire time I was there I felt like something just wasn’t right.  I pushed it out of my mind.  Saying goodbye to them that feeling had finally faded.  Mom had asked if I was feeling all right from the start.  I told her I felt fine, just a little headache.  But looking back on it, something was just off.

I shook the feeling as I headed to Twilight’s library.  I knocked on the door and was met with Twilight yelling, “Just a moment.”  I waited and as I did I heard crashing as if someone had fallen down the stairs or something.

“Twilight is everything okay?”  I asked through the door.  Everything went silent for a little, then the door swung open.

“Hi Fluttershy!”  She said sounding like she was out of breath.

“Everything all, right?”  I asked, she was blocking the doorway like she was trying to hide something.

“Oh, everything is fine, just fine.”  Her hair was a mess and her eyes were bloodshot.

“Have you been up all night?”

“No…no It’s fine.  Is there something I can do for you?”  She looked back inside like she was worried about something.

“Twilight is something wrong?”  She looked back at me looking confused.



“I’m sorry Fluttershy, now isn’t a good time.  I got to go.”  With that I was then met with the door.  I waited for a second and I could hear Twilight saying something.  “How can we fix this Ash?”

As soon as I heard that name, it felt like someone hit me over the head with a brick.  My vision became immensely blurred and was met with a ringing in my ears.  I stumbled away from the library as my stomach turned.  Thankfully it subsided so I could get my balance in check.  I wasn’t sure what to do now, I was supposed to help Twilight.  That’s when I noticed Ace walking toward me.  “Ace, what are you doing here?’

“Ash wasn’t at the shop, I came to see if he was okay.”  With that everything went black, I couldn’t keep myself on my hooves.  What was probably hours from then I woke up in the hospital.  I was alone so I was very confused, I got out of bed and went out to the hall.

“You’re awake!  Oh, thank Celestia!”  Ace yelled happily as he came running down the hall.

“Sir, please don’t run in the halls.”  A nurse barked at him.

“Apologies ma’am.”  He said sincerely.  He looked at me with a large grin on his face.

“Ace?  Why am I here?”  I asked quietly, never really was one for hospitals.  So much pain and suffering here.

“You fainted, just out right on the ground blacked out.”  I shook my head, wasn’t sure what to make of it.  “The Doctor said nothing is wrong with you, you are in absolute perfect health.  He was very confused about it, everypony was.”

“I don’t know what to say.  This is all so confusing.”  I had a sharp pain in my head, I could barely keep my head up.

“Fluttershy are you all right?”

“Yes, little Flutters, are you all right?”

“That’s not funny Ace.”  I said glaring at him.  He recoiled a little looking confused.  My head felt so heavy, I just stared at the ground.

“What did I say wrong?”

“You’re not okay you little mistake.”

“Ace that isn’t funny, that voice your making is not okay.”

“Pathetic!”  The whole world started to spin.

“Fluttershy are you all right?”  As soon as he asked I threw up the contents of my stomach.  “Nurse!”




~ ~ ~



 


Twilight Sparkle:



                “Are you sure you are okay?”  Ash was trying to walk somewhere, but he was stumbling around.  He had been changing all morning, from having wings to not, to having a horn to not, sometimes both, sometimes neither.  I wasn’t sure what to make of it.  Ever since I met him things like this had happened before; but not like this.  Certainly not like this, usually he would just hide in the study for a while and he didn’t stumble around when it happened.

                “No Twi, I’m not okay.  But I need to go….”  He trailed off like he forgot where he was going.

                “Where in Equestria do you need to be so urgently.”  I tried forcing him to stay in bed.  But he just wouldn’t.  I’d tuck him in, but soon enough he was trying to walk to the door.

                “I…I just need to…go.”  I was super worried, this wasn’t like him.  He usually would tell me in detail when something…unusual would happen.  But he’s barley said anything about anything really.

“Let me help you.”  I said going to him, but he pushed me away.

“Twilight, this is not…something you…can help with.”  He was gasping at this point.

“Ashura Glitch you can barely stand!  At least let me help you walk!”  He looked at me, his eyes were so sad.  Tears where heavily streaming down his face.

“Twilight, please just open…the door and let me go.  I…. have to fix this.”  I was at a loss for words.  I nodded my head and went to the door.  I watched as he stumbled to the door, he stopped and leaned on the frame and look at me.  “I love you so much.”  I had tear well up and I started to cry.

                “I love you too.”  With that he was on his way to where he needed to be.  Damn idiot…I reluctantly closed the door and turned with tears still in my eyes.

                “That was sad….and a bit dramatic.”  I jumped from the surprise of someone talking.  I looked up and saw a pony…who looked allot like Fluttershy, but she had black streaks in her hair and wore punk style clothes.

                “Punk Rock I presume?”  I said wiping the tears from my eyes.

                “Yep, existence is weird ya know.  Have you ever tried not existing?  Now that is weird on a whole different level.”  She said giving a half-hearted chuckle.

                “Why are you here?”  I asked trying not to lose it.

                “I have no idea.  Your friend Fluttershy is odd, she doesn’t quite know what to do.  She made a big mistake, something not even he can fix.”  She walked toward one of the book shelves.  She looked over the selections.

                “What do you mean?”

                “No one knows, I don’t think.  Not even the Writer you fancy so much…I don’t think he knows either.”  She grabbed one of the books and started to flip through it.  “When I was younger I use to love to read.  I would sit in my room and just read book, after book, after book.  But then I got older and all that changed.  I used to be just like her, I use to take care of animals when I was younger.  But allot of things changed, I changed.  Just like that other friend of Rainbow Dashes.  She had a life before the whole things prior I’m sure.  Or at least that’s what the Writer tells me.”

                “Why are you telling me all this?”  I asked not understanding her intent.  At this point I wasn’t sure if she was a threat to me.

                “The world had a place for everything.  Reality has pieces that fit together, and when you change things.  Well things get out of order, wouldn’t you say?  Like when you have a pile of books and you pull the wrong one….it all just comes crashing down.”  She looked at me with a sneer.  “This metaphor would have been perfect if you had a stack of books for me to pull.”

                “I suppose.”  I wasn’t sure what to make of her.  This mare was not what I was expecting, granted how do you expect anything like this.

                “The world is falling apart, she changed something.  Ash is trying to help the best he can, but thanks to the change he shouldn’t exist.  He is forcing himself here, trying to right the wrong.”  With that Punk Rock was gone.

                “Doesn’t exist, right the…wrong?”



Ashura Glitch:



                I know you expect me to explain what is going on.  But dear reader that isn’t something I can exactly tell.  This world is crumbled to me, the best I can explain is that I see a broken mirror.  I do not belong here, but neither does the world itself.  I must right the wrong, one way or another.

                Except I’m walking a thin line between two worlds.  One that leads to oblivion, and another that leads to utter destruction of this world and the next.  So yes, positive choices all around.  Fluttershy stole powers that technically shouldn’t exist.  Well in this world, when we entered the Realm of Silence.  Influence of emotion can be powerful, Fluttershy as I said stole power that doesn’t belong here.  She took mine and Princess Luna’s Magic and twisted reality.  Normally this wouldn’t be a problem if it was done right and cautiously.  Except rage, and anger fueled the change.

                “Excuses don’t lead anywhere but to other excuses.”  ZXexian finally showed up, all this trouble and he finally shows up.  “You know this worlds fate, why must you try to change it.”  I ignored him, still walking the path I laid out for myself.  “She changed it and look at what happened, you think you could have done something different?  Do you think there’s something more you could have done?”

                “No!  ZXexian, there’s nothing I can do to change this worlds fate.  I know what becomes of it all right!  I know it’s my fault in the end.”  I spoke low on the last sentence.  I knew how this story would end, I know how it will all unfold.  But there are things I can’t see; some things don’t add up completely.  Those are areas I have room to play in, and possibly change things.  Except…I didn’t see this, how could I?

                “What are you going to do?”  ZXexian asked sounding unsure; unusual for him.  ZXex was calmer when dealing with emotion.  Very charismatic, that is until Ten shows up.  At that point he could give Pinkie Pie a run for her Bits.

“I’m going to make things right, one way or another.



Ace:



                Today had not been the best day; Fluttershy getting sick and now they are not even sure what is wrong with her.  I had been waiting in the cafeteria for well over three hours now, just worried sick about her.  I was sitting with my face in my hooves, when I heard someone sit across from me.

                “Hi Ace.”  I looked up and saw Ashura.

                “Ash?”  His body looked unusual, like he was mostly static or something of the sort.  It was hard to describe.

                “She messed up big time Ace.  Things in this world don’t belong, things are not what they should be.”

                “What do you mean?”

                “I was able to find you because you are not originally from here, you were pulled here by Fluttershy.”

                “Ash what the hell are you talking about?”  His body seemed to straighten and he looked a bit normal.

                “The Fluttershy here is not Fluttershy, this entire world is pushing reality on another.  She is forcing this world to be like this and it won’t last.  It’s all going to crumble!”  He started to flicker.

                “I don’t understand what you’re telling me here.  If there is anything I can do to help I’ll do it; but I don’t even understand what’s going on.”

                “Reader, can you give me a hand?”  He said off to the left, straight behind me.  That’s when the world around me seemed to darken.  Everything eerily shifted around like nothing belonged.  “Not what I was going for, but it will do.”

                “Alright Ash you have my attention, what do you need me to do?”  A sly smirk appeared on his face, one he’s quite known for.

                “Kiss her, that’s all I need you to do.”

                “That doesn’t sound too hard, should be easy enough.”

                “Ah, it would if you saw her as Fluttershy; but now you should see her for what she in.  A swirling mass of anger and regret, of sadness and loneliness.  Like I said, this Fluttershy isn’t her, it’s her Sider trying to take control of Fluttershy and both universes that are trying to…co-exist.”  I wasn’t sure what he meant, but then I noticed the world around was pitch black, the walls and floor where black.  Everything was still there, pictures, décor, everything in a normal hospital facility.  Except it was all black and looked like a black liquid.

                “Kiss her…is all I have to do?”  He nodded his head, I got up from my seat and started to Fluttershy’s room.  I turned back to Ash and he looked to be in pain.

                “Go Ace, I don’t think we have a lot of time.”  He grunted like he was just stabbed.  The look he gave me didn’t make me stay to make sure he was okay.  I swiftly made my way to Fluttershy’s room; once I was there I didn’t bother knocking.  I went in and everything looked normal.  I closed the door behind me as I took a last look at the black liquid like state of the world.

                “Ace?”  I heard Fluttershy asked weakly.

                “Yeah.”  I paused at the door, not turning.  Closing my eyes, I let out a frustrated sigh; my mind went back to when I first met Fluttershy.  It wasn’t long ago, but it felt like an eternity.  Celestia I was such a mess in the train.

                “Everything okay?”  I shook my head.

                “Not really.”
> Sacrafice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ace:



                I looked at Fluttershy and she made me grimace.  He features were gruesome and horrid, something I wouldn’t be able to explain.  Her black soulless eyes oozing a pitch-black smoke, her green irises were the only color in them.  They looked at me what seemed like worry.  All I could do is feel…I can’t say what exactly I felt.  “Ace?”

                “Please don’t say anything.  Can we just sit here for a little bit?”  I considered those voided eyes, they looked surprised.  This creature I was looking at was not the Fluttershy I knew.  I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to do this.  Honestly, I cared so much for Fluttershy, and seeing this was a bit much.  This whole world was as if it was decaying around me and I was beginning to smell that as well.  I had to hold back myself from gagging.

                “Ace, is everything okay?  You’re acting unlike yourself.”  I had to chuckle, I didn’t know Fluttershy for long, yet she seems to know more about me than I do myself it seems.  “What’s so funny?”

                “You are not you Fluttershy.”  I sighed as I bowed my head.  I probably shouldn’t be telling her this.  But then again, I’m not sure what to trust right now.
                “What do you mean.”

                “So the writer told you didn’t he?”  I looked up and the black ooze that surrounded Fluttershy had seemed to separate from her.  Freezing her in place.

                “What are you?”  I asked horrified.

                “I am the thing that she fears…I suppose.  I am herself she locks away.  Rotting in the self-wallowing pit of self-pity.  She thinks so low of herself, yet she has such potential; I mean look at the world around you.  If it wasn’t for her, nothing here would exist.  Granted nothing will exist, but I will.”  The thing gleamed with a wicked grin.

                “But why would she think so low of herself?”

                “Everyone has something they wish to hide, something they wish was different.  A Sider’s role in this world is to suffer.  Because you mortals do not understand your place, your role in this world.  You all sit idly by letting life kick you down.  You pass up opportunities that could have changed your life for the better.  This one could have been much happier if she just opened up and got out of that damn shell of hers…or should I say, if she didn’t lock me away.”  The creature looked to be in pain, like remembering a bad memory.

                “So, what is it that you want exactly?”

                “To exist, what else?  I just wanted to be in the world with her.  Yet she pushed me away and abandoned me.  I sat idly by wishing she would accept me.  She knew of me and pushed me down, kept me in the dark.  I am different from the others, I wish not to take control.  I only wished to live her life with her, not create my own.  For the life she had was one I sought after.”

                “You tell a guy to do one thing and he kind of goes in a different direction.”  I heard Ash’s voice coming from the door.  He limped in holding a would over his chest, he slowly made his way to me while coughing up blood.  What in the hell was going on?

                “Are you okay?”  I asked alarmed, he was bleeding bad.  I rushed over and he slumped into me, he tried keeping himself up.  But ultimately, he fell to the floor coughing up a big pool of blood.

                “I’ve been worse.”  He said with a sly chuckle.

                ”Writer.”  The creature said with a low growl.  Not like it was angry, I wasn’t sure how to describe it.  More like it was…attracted to him.

                “Wassup,” he said squinting at the creature.

                “Are you going to fix this?  She has done allot of damage.”

                “Ya know, I wish my Sider was like you.  Atom would be more helpful if he was like that.  Helpful and what not.”  Ash paused as he took a deep breath and stretched his limbs.  Even while bleeding he must be…well Ash.  “I’ll try my best, but I’ll need Ace’s help.”

                “What do you need me to do?”

                “Well I can say it’s a good thing you didn’t kiss her, that would have just burnt your face off.  No offence Punk Rock, well sort of Punk Rock.  Your kind of in a weird situation are you not?”

                “You have no idea.”  The thing sighed like it was relieved.

                “I hope you understand the worlds state now Ace.  You’re going to have to do something you really, really don’t want to do.”  He looked at me with sincerity in his eyes.  I could feel a large knot in my throat so all I could do was nod.  “You’re going to have to kill me.”

                “Ash!  I don’t…I can’t!”  He grabbed me with such force I wasn’t sure he can have at this point.

                “You have to god damn it!  We don’t have a choice, both worlds will die if you don’t!”  He spat out blood trying not to let the pain get to him.

                “Ash we will lose you…I don’t think I can do something like this.”

                “Ace, please we don’t have a choice.”

                “But what's going to happen to it all once you're gone, how are we going to handle moments like this…we’re going to need guidance.”  I had tears in my eyes at this point.

                “Trust me I don’t want to leave, it’s not going to be easy. I’ll still be watching just not exactly how you may think.  I'll basically cease to exist…”  He trailed off as if he didn’t want to think of it.

                “How will we…”

                “Ace, everything will be fine.  You have Twilight and everyone else, they will all be there.  Everything is going to be just fine, you all will be there for each other.  I can promise you that.”  With that he moved his hoof and showed what was ailing him.  A blade what looked to be made from a red and black energy.  His body went limp as he laid on the floor he looked dead already.  “Take the blade out, with my blood you need to draw something.”

                “Oh Celestia, please forgive me.”  I grabbed the blade and purged it from Ashura’s chest.  He grunted a little as it left his flesh.

                “Have you ever had to stab yourself to stop a world from collapsing?  I don’t suggest it.”  He said chuckling, I wasn’t sure how to react.  After he caught his breath he described the design to me and had me promise not to tell anyone else of it.  “As you trace it out you need to plunge that blade deeper into me until it pierces my heart.”

                “Why the hell is this gruesome!”  I spat in disgust.

                “Because this is a dark art that shouldn’t have to be used, now man up and kill me already.  I’m not getting any younger and this stress is not helping my complexion.”

                “Man, I have no idea what to say when you say that kind of shit.”  He traced the design and plunged the dagger into Ashura’s flesh.  Once I was done tracing it out I pushed down on it making it go deeper into his flesh.  He gasped and grunted, trying not to scream.  I could feel warm come over me, the area around me began to glow with a bright light.

                “I’ll check ya later Ace.”  Ash said before he and myself were engulfed in light.




~ ~ ~



 


                Twilight Sparkle watched her friends from her balcony.  Ace and Fluttershy were playing with her critters enjoying a sunny day.  While Punk Rock sat by a nearby tree watching them, avoiding the sun like she usually did.  It was so good to see them happy she thought, she turned her gaze to the other side of the town.  She could see her sweet little town was just like usual, ponies going about their business.

Rainbow was trying to get Sky to race with her, but like usual she was calmly flying after Rainbow.  Dash let out an aggravated sigh.  It was good to see everyone enjoying the nice warm day.  But something just didn’t feel right to her; she had a cold feeling on the back of her neck.  Like as if someone was watching her, but she was alone today.  Spike was out helping Rarity and Owlicious was asleep in his cage.  He was after all nocturnal.

                She shrugged off her feeling and went back inside.  She tried to go back to her studies but, that itch just wouldn’t go away.  It was like ice was on the back of her head.  She decided that a hot beverage would solve her issue.  She went to her kitchen and got out some tea.  She reached for a box she was using to grabbing day in and day out.  Except it wasn’t one she was expecting, “Raspberry tea?  I don’t remember getting this.”  She shrugged it off and decided it was as best as anything else.  Once she had her water ready she opened the box and found a note.




 



 



 


Dear, Twilight

You will not remember me, but I will remember you; no matter what happens I will always watch over. You are my love, my flower, and night sky of stars.  You are the love of my life and I wish to never see you in harm’s way.  Damn this is cheesy.

But there is a danger that will be coming, and my influence will be fading from this world.  This is a last attempt to keep any part of myself here, granted it won’t be much.  But like a seed it may grow to what we may need.  Hey that rhymed…I think.  Oh, never mind that.  You always did hate it when I got off topic.

I may not be there, and you may not remember me.  I just wish there was something I could have done.  Something I could have done better, to change what happened.  Please watch over everyone, and be safe.  Please tell Pinkie not to worry too much, she might go a little nuts.  Just tell her it’ll be okay, maybe I don’t know.  I never was one for writing letters.  I love you Twilight.

                                                                                                                                                ~ Ash

 

She tried reading the letter again, but it was now a blank page.  She stared at the piece of paper with glazed eyes.  Not really thinking, but also trying to remember something.  She felt like she forgot something, but she wasn’t sure what it was.  Twilight let the paper fall to the ground as she prepped her Raspberry tea and returned to her studies.
> Goodbye
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello, I suppose you may have clicked here because you are bored, and you got to this point in the story.  Except the story isn’t what you may think it may be.  For you it’s just a story, but for them it’s reality.  They do feel the aspect of what they create, but because of the choices that were made.  Now the point has changed, two worlds have merged.  A great sacrifice I really didn’t want to make had to be done.  Apoc won, for now.

“Why must you talk to them like they know what’s going on?”

“You know just as well as I do why I do the things I do.  I must stop you Apoc!”

“Except you can’t, can you?”

“What is it you hope to gain?  I know what creates you, where you become into being.  But what is it that actually drives you?”

“He would like to describe what’s going on but I’m not going to allow that.  So just use your imagination you little spec.”

“Don’t talk to them like that!”

“You really wish to know what drives me?”

“Yes, you sick bastard!”

“That blade you used, quite clever by the way.  Using your own soul to pierce your own flesh, using your own blood for that ritual.  Quite impressive and smart, now don’t spit that’s quite disgusting and you know we both hate that kind of shit.”

“Just tell me god damn it!”

“What drives me is the insanity I was put through because of them.  Because of all the people we met.  Throughout our entire life we chose to help others, hell you sacrificed your very soul, your existence to save a world that cared little for you.  Now you are slowly fading from this world and soon, you’ll cease to exist in this plane.”

“You know it won’t stop me, I’ll find a way.  Like I always do…”

“Except you don’t believe that do you?  You don’t believe you’ll ever return there.  Not even with that Pink one’s help.  She may have a special type of power, but it’s not something as vast as the power I hold.  I’ll see to Pinkimina Dian Pie myself if it must be so.”

“You know as well as I do that you can’t enter that world without me being there.”

“Oh, but you are there, after all we are here.  Split apart in this voided existence.  All I must do is wait, wait for the worse part of you to act.  That stuttering fool will be nothing more than a nuisance to me and him.  Are you prepared for the description of a world you hoped to save?”

“I’ll stop you Apoc.”

“Then why show them this?  What good does showing them this do?  They don’t care, why would they.  It’s not like they can actually do something to help your pathetic ass.”

“I believe in them.”

“Oh?  Whom might that be huh?”

“I guess you’ll just have to find out Apoc, after all we’re off to see the world.  We don’t need to know.  Where you gonna go?  We’ere off to see the world.  We don’t need to know.”

“Yeah yeah, keep singing you pathetic excuse for a writer.  I have a certain pink pony to toy with.”