It has been years and Twilight looks through her Scrap Book that has been collecting dust for time.
Many years have passed in Ponyville and Twilight Sparkle has never yet found love. Until this point, she thinks she never will find it. Although she hasn't put that much thought into her romance life, she stumbled upon a very old and dusty book hidden in the depths of her library. Twilight finds her old scrap book and remembers her childhood when she lived in Canterlot. Upon seeing the Scrap Book, she is determined to set off to find some old friends, before the ones in Ponyville.
Although this tale of Twilight is meant for her to re-unite with childhood friends, and with a stallion she's denied, Winter's unforgiving season will determine the fate of her love, her friends, and her sanity.
Note: This story will have alot of mood change. Prepare for some funny moments and depressing moments to... boring moments/tension build up moments.
Fun: On the side from all this, try to spot out as many Vietnam referances in this story.
I HIGHLY advise you read the description if you haven't already to get where this story is going. Also if you want to have some mini scavenger hunt. Enjoy the story. (Yes, 1st fic and yes I was in Vietnam)
It was a silent and peaceful winter morning in the town of Ponyville. The only existing sound was that of wind passing through trees. As morning slowly arose and the dawn disappeared, the crickets of the night ceased their midnight symphonies and were then replaced with the soft chirping of birds awakening. Upon hearing the sounds of the birds, a purple scaled dragon arose from his night slumber, tired as he was, he proceeded to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for himself and the sleeping lilac mare.
After an hour or so, the peaceful unicorn awoke slowly and softly mumbled to the side of her bedside as if though somepony lay there, but as she slowly opened her eyes, she finds nothing but books from the previous night. A frown formed on her face as she let out a soft and depressing sigh of depression. The familiar and relaxing scent of Steamed Seasoned Daisies filled the air and her nose. The frown quickly disappeared and brightened up Twilights morning as she regained all of her senses in seconds. Before heading downstairs however, she stretched out her muscles and fixes up her mane.
As she made her way to the dining table, she notices Spike feasting on some Turquoise Gems that he received in the mail from Braeburn in Appleooza. A note tagged along the box saying that it was a gift from the Buffalo, to be exact, Chief Thunderhooves. The delivering of the package however could have been better. The cross eyed pegasus that delivers these packages is clumsy and always drops her mail constantly.
"Morning Twilight" said Spike cheerfully as the violet unicorn came to a halt at the dining table. "Good Morning Spike" says Twilight without any kind of emotion. Although Spike had noticed that something is obviously bothering Twilight, he figured it was best to ask her later mainly because he was chowing down on his Gems. Twilight lifted her fork using her magic and began to eat her Steamed Seasoned Daisies which had certainly brightened her mood better than she thought they would. Spike, content to his friend back to her normal self, was still a bit skeptical. "I'll ask her later on..." he mumbled to himself this time, as he finished eating the rest of the gems.
"Those Daisies were fantastic Spike!" Twilight says gladly.
"Now Hurry on upstairs and get ready because we're going out to find some sort of fabric Rarity needs to finish her new winter season Attire"
"But Twi, I need to wash the dishes and then go over to Fluttershy's to help her shop for some ingredients so she can make a new recipe for the picnic tomorrow!" Spike says as if though he was in trouble.
"Oh, so you're HER assistant now? I thought you loved Rarity, Spike" Twilight says sarcastically
"No Twilight! I promised her yesterday! I would ne-" Spike's panic was silenced as Twilight rested her hoof over his mouth so he can calm himself down.
"I know Spike, I was there with you when she asked you to help her, remember?" she said and let out a giggle. Spike wiped the sweat off from his forehead and let out a sigh of relief. Twilight was indeed right, she was there with him when Fluttershy had asked for his help. As Spike proceeded to wash the dishes, Twilight made her way to the staircase to go upstairs. As she went, she took a slow look upon her library, just admiring the hundreds upon thousands of books she had accumulated throughout the years... but then... but then she noticed a book in the depths of the library that was tattered and sat there collecting dust. Using her horn, she retrieved the book and wiped off the cobble webs that had covered it. "I'll look into this when I head upstairs" she mumbled.
As she trotted her way up, she looked behind herself as if though there were somepony there, she could even feel the essence of a figure standing right there watching her go upstairs, but instead she found nobody. She assumed it was her imagination and brushed the thought of another pony in her house off her mind. She walked to her bed and removed the saddle from under the bed so she can get ready to go outside for Rarity's fabric. Then she laid down on her bed, eager to see what this mysterious book is. the cover was dusty and you couldn't tell what was written on the cover. With a few swipes from her hoof, the title of the book was now visible.
The title read "Canterlot Memories" in an elegant, thick and gold font. With just the title alone, Twilight had remembered the hundreds of memories of herself when she was just a foal. It was at that moment that Twilight realized that it wasn't no ordinary book, it was her scrap book from Canterlot. Again, she felt that strange essence as if though she was being watched, she looked up from her scrap book and again, nothing stood there. The only thing noticeable were the sounds of dished clashing the metal sink and Spike whistling "Ride of the Valkyries". Twilight sat there... and hummed the tune herself as she remembers how Hubert, one of her old pegasus friends always claimed it as his theme song as he soared through the sky.
She lay on her back on the bed with a smile just at the thought of her finding her scrap book again. Twi took a deep sigh then at last opened the book of her childhood memories. The first page had the dedication written saying "To the two ponies that have been there for me in the darkest of times. From dawns fall to midnights rise, Syra and Kale". Upon reading these two names, she had a grin from ear to ear just overjoyed to hear those two names again. As she turned the page her eyes settled on what was there in front of her. There was Twilight as a filly with her other friends in front of Princess Celestia's Castle, celebrating how Twilight was now a somewhat assistant of the Princess of Equestria herself. Even now, Twilight could see true joy in her own eyes as a filly, not like now. Again, she lets out a sigh and gives thoughts on each pony on the picture.
She ran her hoof across the picture and named all her friends starting on the right. "Right there is Victor and his brother Charlie" she whispers softly. Indeed, there on the picture were two similar looking ponies. Victor had a blonde mane, similar to Applejacks and had a red coat similar to Big Mac's. For his cutie mark, he had a plain yellow star, nothing too fancy, just very plain. As for his brother Charlie, he looked exactly like Victor except he his colors were inverted, "Like Yin and Yang, they were really nice but their names were a bit strange..."
Moving her eyes from the right of the brothers, she saw the pegasus, Hubert, but everyone always called him Huey. He was a very fortunate son, a fortunate pony. His parents worked as royal guards for the princess and that meant that his parents had connections with the wonderbolts, too bad Hubert wasn't THAT fast, definately not fast enough to be a wonderbolt, he always mentioned how he wanted to work as a weatherpony. Always an adventurous pegasus that would take on great dangers headstrong. "If Rainbow Dash ever met him, boom! I can tell they would have fallen for each other easily" she laughed at the thought but then realized she shouldn't be the one to talk.
Last but not least, Twilight spotted Syra. The unicorn was easy to spot due to her dual colored mane, and her unique fur color. Syra was also a unicorn, a very very loyal friend who has been there with twilight in the darkest of times to the brightest, although, she was very loyal, she can get distracted so easily. Her magenta and white mane was unforgettable her coat was rare, a dark and glittery silver. Her cutie mark, a gold shield lined with silver and crossed with a pink quill. "She never liked the spring and summer weather, she would always spend her times near the mountain area's, like Kale!.. speaking of Kale..." Twilight scanned the picture again and didn't seem to find him. She turned the page and her question was answered. There was a picture of her, a year before she went to Ponyville, of Syra and Kale with her. Kale was a regular one, nothing special about him but his courage and his kindness. He truly was an example of what everypony should be like. His black mane really matched his khaki fur. "What was his cute mark again? I completely forgot..." Twilight said in her mind. "Never hurts to find out, besides, it's not like anything important is happening right now with me. Wait... how about I go over to Canterlot myself and see them all again! Oh it's been years! It'll be so great! I can see it now, me finally seeing Victor and Syra, and Charlie and Hubert and especially Ka-"
Twilight turned around and saw Spike standing there bewildered at what Twilight was talking about and also why she was bouncing on her bed as if though she were some foal. "Especially Kay? What in Celestia's name are you talking about Twilight?" asked Spike in confusion. "Oh! I was saying uhmm... ehh..Special K! You know? those delicious bars that are like what? 100 calories or so?" Twilight smiled and made a squee. Spike was weirded out by the excessive amount of sweat of Twilight. "Hey Twilight, are you alright? Your sweating like a dog in a Chinese restraunt right now..."
"Oh! I was just... it's so hot outside! This weather is really getting to me"
"Twi... it's winter... the sun isn't shining that much..."
"Oh well... agent O really got to me this year"
"Wait, what? What in Equestria are yo-"
"Spike! Aren't you late? Hurry on out!" Twilight levitated the dragon outside the door and shut it as soon as she got Spike out of the house.
"What was that all about? Sheesh... she's a nut sometimes..." Spike said as his footsteps were fainter and fainter. Finally Twilight let out a sigh of relief and started writing a note to Princess Celestia.
Dear Princess Celestia, Today I found my old scrap book me and my friends back in Canterlot made when I used to live there. I was wondering if you knew anything about: Syra Swirlz, Kale Sherridan, Victor and Charlie Cong, and Hubert Hastings. I want to go to Canterlot to visit them but there is no point of me going if I don't know where they are. Also if you can send over a some royal guards to give me a lift because all the other services are closed due to the extremes of this cold winter. If you can do me the favor of looking into them and telling me where they are now, I would love it! Please Princess, this is all I ask of you.
Your Faithful Student,
- Twilight Sparkle
Twilight sealed the letter slowly and questioned herself as to how she will send the letter. "Spike is gone and won't be back until this afternoon and walking to the post office is going to take some time" she said in a little above a whisper. That is when the idea of asking Owlicious to deliver it to Derpy struck her mind. Twilight had to awaken Owlicious from her sleep to tell her of the unfortunate task she had to carry out. "Now listen to me here, I want you to find a cross eyed pegasus named Derpy Hooves, ok?" said the violet unicorn as if though she were in a hurry. "Who?" replied the owl. "Derpy Hooves, you can't miss her, she's the cross eyed pega... your messing with me aren't you?" "Who?" "Nevermind, here take this letter and please go find her, tell her to give this envelope to... wait, why don't i just write down the address like I should have?... ugh... I should have had Spike here to send the letter, would have been faster" Twilight continued to ramble on and on as Owlicious had a confused look.
"Ok, so to wrap this up just give this letter to Derpy ok? She'll know what to do from there" with saying that, Twilight gave the letter to Owlicious which she then grasped with her talons and soared out the window in search of cross eyes pegasus. Twilight again, lets out another sigh of releif and goes back to her bed. She takes one last look at her scrap book and before closing it, she removes the picture of herself, Syra, and Kale. "I really do miss them... but why haven't they bothered looking for me? It's not like them to forget me, I know I can never forget them... but I did... didn't I?" Twilight said sadly. Tears formed in her eyes but she refuses to let them out.
"I might as well go and find that fabric Rarity needs while I wait for Princess Celestia's letter" with that, Twilight rested her scrap book on top of her bed and looked at herself one last time in the mirror. Twilight put on a cloak Rarity had crafted for her the previous year. It was made of a black silk lined with magenta silicon. She fixed her cloak so that it covers her well from the season and then levitates her saddle and straps it on herself. Twilight walked downstairs and puts 20 Bits in her saddle bag, a To-Do list, and last but not least, the picture of herself, Kale, and Syra. The unicorn placed some food for Owlicious when she comes back and then opens the door to the outside, she took one last look at her home before leaving and closed the door with her magic as she walked out into the cold and snowy winter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Few hours passed and still no one was home. A cold breeze blew open one of Twilight windows. The winter was unforgiving and cold. A few books were thrown on the ground and Twilights scrap book was opened. After a few minutes the cold breeze retreated back outdoors closing the window it blew open. Again, peace and quiet in the home of the lilac unicorn. Everything was back to normal except for the scrap book. It was perfectly fine, but the picture of Twilight and her friends standing in front of Canterlot castle was modified. The picture was a bit wet from the melting snow, but Syra on the picture, was no longer of flesh and bone. Syra was frozen as if though she were encased in ice. Her smile faded and all that remained on her face was nothing more than the expression of depression combined with fear.
Note: If you are new, again I say, I advise you to please read the description before proceeding. Also vietnam referances are VERY low here, but very obvious to spot out, don't work yourself hard trying to find them. In the Bazaar scene, a very special character everyone is familiar with will appear. Good friend of mine. Thank You for taking time to read this. -Rambo
"Now what market stands here are selling Silk Stride 7?" Twilight questioned herself as she meandered through the Bazaar and its fine markets. "What in Equestria does this fabric even look like"? She paced slowly due to the massive crowd in the area. Many kinds of people were there, not just ponies, but bulls, mules, goats, and even a few zebra's walked amongst each other without hostility towards one another. The winter was reaching a very chilling temperature and many walked slowly, hoping that they can all secretly warm themselves with the body heat of the other strangers around them. The stores in Ponyville were closed down due to the fact that some of the store attendants were either sick or bad weather. The stores that were open however, did not contribute to Twilights search of Rarity's fabric.
"While I am here, I should look for a present if I manage to go to Canterlot later today or tomorrow to visit everypony after all these years" she told herself quietly. The mare stopped at a large tent with a sign out front. The sign had nothing written on it but a symbol. Suddenly a stallion bumped into her from the side. "Aye! Mira por donde vas! Idiota!" (Hey! Watch where you're going! Idiot!) Yelled the stallion as he marched forward to his business. Twilight was angered but let it slip; she knew how the people on the east side of Equestria were like. These people were much like the Canterlot ponies, they have strong words but they are absolutely hopeless in combat. There was no real point to argue with a professional trash talker. Curiosity struck Twilight and she proceeded to the tent flap and went inside for a look. Many antiques of all kinds, from lamps to night stands and from bookshelves to paintings. "This small bookshelf looks perfect for my collection of the Daring Do series" Twilight said a little above a whisper. "HEY! Who's there?" Twilight let out a small shriek and looked behind herself and saw that a pony with a blind eye emerge from a room behind the counter.
"What is it that you're doing here stranger? What's your business?" the strange fearsome pony demanded. Twilight nearly dropped the bookcase and started to stutter as she spoke. After a few seconds and finally regaining her full senses again, she finally said. "Oh hello, I'm just browsing through your inventory is all, see, I saw some symbols out front and was curi-" the mare was cut off by the owner's cackling and raspy laugh.
"Oh my dear, i'm just messing with ya. If you need any help with something let me know, I got a lot of good things on sale stranger, just call me Tyco, dear" said the tent owner as he scratched at his head vigorously.
Twilight finally got a good look at the stallion behind the counter. He wore a purple scarf around the face and a black thick cloak...for the winter assumed Twilight. His species of pony was unknown, one thing for sure though, he was not a unicorn. After a few moments of thinking, Twilight finally said "Well actually there is, see, I'm going to Canterlot... I was thinking you had some items that could be interesting or nice enough to pass as a gift". Tyco sat in his rocking chair, thinking to himself while he stroked his chin slowly. "Ahhhhh, I see then, take a look at this area and tell me if something strikes your eyes, dear" He rocked forward and his hooves made movement under the counter when at last a loud *Click* was heard. Behind Twilight a secret shelf of numerous objects were revealed to her.
The switch the merchant had clicked not only introduced new lighting to the tent and the shelves around, a machine had removed a blanket from a shelf that hadn't been there before, introducing Twilight to some very fine jewelry and products of any kind. The purple unicorn scanned through many items placed on the shelf. She picked out a pair of flying goggles for Hubert and a pair of phoenix feathers, made into quills for herself and Syra. "There's nothing else here thats eye-catching or useful to the others. But these gifts are good enough" she told Tyco as she trotted towards the counter to pay for her gifts. She layed out the items on the counter in front of curious merchant, eager to see what she had selected to purchase.
"Ahhhhh, I see you have a sharp eye for products, but it won't cost you cheap, for all this, i'm charging you 15 bits, stranger" said Tyco without any emotion or even glancing at Twilights face. His body posture emitted a serious attitude. The mare was starting to question whether or not it was worth it. "I only brought 20 bits with me and I have to shop for something else... is there something I can do to have the price lowered?" Twilight asked Tyco politely. The Merchants eyes grew wide with greed and even though her wore a scarf, Twilight could tell he was grinning from ear to ear. "Well there is one thing Stranger... what are you selling?" he asked in a low and dark tone. The lilac unicorn blinked a few times at his proposal thinking if she had brought anything of value to sell.
After a few seconds of thinking, she pulled out a pair of snow boots she had placed in her saddle the previous night, thinking that she would probably need them the next day if the winter grew strong. "How much for these?" she asked demandingly. The merchant rocked forward enough on his chair to get up and examine the newly placed out boots. "Ahhhhh, I'll buy it at a high price stranger... how about we make a trade, I give you all those items plus another item of your choice from that shelf, and I get these precious boots?". After taking a few moments to think, Twilight had agreed but as she trotted over to the shelf, she reminded herself of Rarity's fabric. "Excuse me, Tyco?" the merchant looked up at the mare waiting for her to ask her question.
"Do you happen to have Silk Stride 7? It's a fabric I need for a friend and she was hopi-" again, Twilight was cut off by the merchant. "Oh yes dear I have a plentiful amount of that fabric, I'll gladly give you a yard at most in exchange instead of you having to choose a gift from the shelf, stranger" He got up from the rocking chair and walked to the back room. Twilight looked around and was confused on why a strange store such as this that sold antiques, would sell a supposed high value fabric. She convinced herself that it was best not to be rude and not to ask him. But still it was a curiosity that never exited her mind.
He came back out with a beautiful dark red silk. "Here ya are dear, take care of it. Although I may have a surplus, that does not mean it comes cheap from where I get it. Make it count." Tyco had said while commencing to sit down on his rocking chair again. The unicorn nodded to notify him that she understood the silk was precious and began to exit the tent, but as she came to the tent flap, Tyco had called out to her and said one last thing.
"Oh! Come back anytime and stranger... whatever pony it is your looking for out there, they're gone, they always have been. Don't let this unforgiving winter be your death" he calmly said with each word having no kind of expression. Twilight turned around to question the mysterious merchant, but he was gone, as well as his rocking chair. All that remained was a lit blue torch at the front desk that flickered and scattered the shadows that covered his counter.
"I must be seeing things... or he is one very fast pony" she giggled nervously to herself thinking about what he just said."There's no possible way he knows about my childhood friends from Canterlot... no way..." Twilight closed her eyes as she walked back outside into the Bazaar. "Where did that torch even come from? I haven't seen anything like it" The winter was becoming more dense and horrid every minute. Soon the streets were starting to have nobody in them. Some of the stands even closed and some of the customers faded off into the fog of winter. Twilight, although was cautious as she exited the Bazaar, content with her purchase and began to trot across a plain back to Ponyville.
"Oh Twilight! Such a pleasant surprise to see you here!". Twilight jumped and let out a yelp as she was frightened by the unexpected voice, but was eased down once she was able to make out the voice, the voice of the white and gorgeous unicorn herself. "Rarity! You startled me right there!" said Twilight catching her breath from the scare. Then a thought struck Twilight, "What the hay are you doing out here anyways Rarity? It's absolutely freezing and it's going to get worse later today!" said Twilight. Rarity wore a silver thick cloack and a scarf, that matched her mane, across her face. She giggled for a few moments and finally spoke "Spike had told me how you came all the way out here in this dreadful weather just to fetch my silly fabric, I just HAD to come to see if you were ok and to also accompany you back home" Rarity said in her regular tone. "Oh it was nothing really Rarity, I always like to help out" as the purple alicorn said this, she pointed at a dirt path that led to a system of other roads, which would take them to Ponyville. "Let's hurry on out home, its only a matter of time before this winter shows it's true power and form"
As they trotted down the road of Cassidy and up Hamburger Hill, along the path they played a few games and lectured many stories to each other of their youth and events that had happened to them before they all met. Even a joke or two were passed around.
"So Rarity... what did the Veteran chicken say to his friends at the bar when they asked him how he lost his leg?" "Hmm... ehhhhh... I was... I'm not sure Twilight, please do tell. What did he say?" "The veteran chicken said Lost my leg in 'NOM!" The two unicorns howled with laughter and after some minutes of trotting and recovering their lost breath, Rarity finally said "What's Nom, dear?" Twilight didn't answer, All they did was continue their journey back home.
Neither could teleport in the strongest part of winter, the amount of power it would take to simply get a few miles would exhaust them. The white beautiful unicorn kept glancing inside of Twilight's tarnished saddle every now and then, as well as examine Twilight herself.
"So Twilight, do you need a new cloak? That one I made for you that you are wearing right now looks like it doesn't help you much with this type of winter" Rarity asked Twilight in a worried tone of voice "Oh no Rarity, this works just fine, trust me" The purple mare said and smiled at her so the lie can convince her. The white majestic alicorn nodded to indicate that she understood. "Oh and also Twilight, what is it that you have in your saddle? It looks like it's weighing you down" Twilight blinked a few times to try and remember what it is she had placed inside her saddle bag from the Bazaar to tell Rarity. Before she had opened her mouth to tell her the snow began to fall a little thicker than before.
"Well the saddle weighs more than the things I bought, I mainly wore this because I thought it could help warm me up I guess, and it does" the powerful magenta unicorn said with a smile of glee. "Also Rarity, I had some friends back in Canterlot when I was younger" Rarity leaned in closer to hear Twilights tale. The fog of winter grew even thicker with each passing second and the snow fell alot heavier than it did earlier in the day. The time of the day was unknown, but it was defiantly the afternoon. "Please go on dear, I want to hear this" said Rarity. "Well, just earlier this morning, I found my scrap book I made back in Canterlot. I saw the friends I used to have back there and planned to visit them today or tomorrow, I even had Spike send the princess a letter to ask if it was ok that I go visit. When I went to the Bazaar, I came across a strange tent and bought your silk, which, oh jeez Rarity, I completely forgot about your silk! Do you want it right no-" Twilight was cut off.
A loud and terrifying howl was barked and its echo stretched across the plain that Rarity and Twilight had been walking on. Both of the unicorns looked at each other in terror, that sound... that howl, was very familiar indeed. "Timberwolves" they both said very frightened to each other. "They must have followed us this entire time from the forest that was near Hamburger Hill! Damnit!" the lilac mare roared in an anger, yet worried tone. Both of the unicorns started pacing forward faster hoping the timberwolves hadn't spotted them. "We need to go, right now" Twilight said quietly. After trotting up the road for a few meters, again there it was again.
AWOOOOOOOO!!! Yet another howl of a timberwolf was let out and shattered the winters silence as it echoed farther than before. Rarity and Twilight started to jog down the dirt path. The fog grew so much more heavier, only a few feet can be seen in front of them. The snow now was raining down on them heavier than ever before. The fog may have been thick but they both spotted a nearby forest on the left side of the dirt road. Shifting white figures moved at lightning speed through the trees, as if winter spirits raced.
"Twilight dear, might I may a suggestion?" Rarity asked and looked more worried than ever. Her face grew pale, her eyes showed fear and nothing more. Twilight completely ignored her question and now noticed the dirt had disappeared. It was all covered with the snow and soon to be covered with their blood if they do not make it out of the plains. Twilight now going at a light sprint with Rarity, doesn't know whether she was even on the path to Ponyville at all.
Both began to draw deep breaths as their stamina was being used in both their fast trot and their fear. Soft tatters of a running animal could be heard off in the far distance of the plain, but nothing at all could be seen. "DAMNIT!" Twilight had lost complete track of the trail and also she stepped on a sharp stone. Recovering in a flash, their jog was faster now. Rarity started to look sick, her fur coat matched that of the snow but her cloak is what made her stand out the most. Few seconds later, Twilight was begining to sweat and Rarity's small sprinting was silenced. Twilight assumed her friend was merely resting but then, the white pale unicorn spoke.
"Twi?"
""What is it Rarity?"
"Run"
The magenta alicorn turned around and not only was the dust of snow being tossed into the air from the advancing timberwolves, but Rarity was now encased in ice. The frozen unicorn stood in mid-trot and her eyes were frozen in terror, the tears that formed in her eyes were frozen in place before they could run down her cheeks. Rarity was now a statue of ice in the middle of a snow covered terrain. "Rarity! RARITY!" Twilight scolded at the ice statue. "Hold on Rarity! Don't leave me, I'll get you out of there!" and as Twilight lay the slightest touch on the frozen mare, it cracked. The sculpture cracked on all limbs and shattered into several pieces right in front of Twilight. Twilight now knew what it really meant, to be afraid. She looked down the road only to see the snow that was being thrown into the air was closer to her than before. Twilight would have cried, but the tears would have frozen before they even left her eyes. "Goodbye Rarity..." the distraught unicorn whispered as she took off in a sprint to wherever it is that would keep her safe... if there was even such a haven.
Everything looked the same, nothing had changed, the snow, the dreadful snow was everywhere. Nothing at all could be seen but Twilight knew that anywhere was better than being the dinner of a pack of Timberwolves. The howls of their blood thirst grew louder and closer every few seconds. The growls of their hunger were near enough for Twilight to make out what side they were. Twilight couldn't sprint any longer; she grew fatigue of sprinting across the land only to find nothing but the end of her life. As Twilight took her final breathes in her sprint, she began to face the fact, her life comes to an end now and was ready to stop running from death. "There's no way I can outrun these predators... they'll hunt me down until I drop" and right as the doomed and exhaushted mare said that, she bumped into a heavy armored figure that stood tall above her. She fell on the ground and lost her sense of vision temporarily, after a few seconds, she rubbed her eyes and saw a Royal Guard of Princess Celestia standing before her, two of them. What luck, what a miracle it must have been for Twilight to see this with her own very eyes
"Ms. Sparkle! The Princess was informed of your late arrival back home from your companion reptile by the name of Spike. She sent us out immidiately to locate and return you back to your home" the Royal Guard said in a thunderous voice, louder than the heavy sound of the wind blasting through their eardrums. The unicorn just lay there on the ground still trying to see if this was a mirage of the winter, or if she was indeed seeing a real Royal Guard in front of her. Few moments were passed and Twilight had remembered of the oncoming Timberwolves.
"Timberwolves! There's damn timberwolves out there!" Twilight yelled and pointed in the direction of where the Timberwolves were and where her hoofprints came from. The guards stood in a battle position after hearing what the violet mare told them. Nothing came at them, nothing at all. The only thing that came from the direction of where the timberwolves were supposedly at, was a dashing gray rabbit disappearing into the fog. The twin pegasus let their guard down seeing as how there was no threat in the area. "Ms.Sparkle, I think this lethal storm is only playing mindgames with you" said the second Guard. She was speechless, upon hearing this nonsense from the guard and remembered Rarity's shattered remains. "Wait! I need to see something for myself! Theres still somepony out there! Please let me show you! We need to save her!" cried the fearful weakened Twilight.
Twilight boarded the chariot that the guards had brought with them and followed Twilights hoofprints to the location she had led them to. "There! Stop right there!" the mare shouted with desperation as she pointed towards the ground, around the area where her friend had shattered. The Guards came to a halt right on the spot where Twilight advised them to do. Before she stepped off from the chariot, she heard the guard letting out a chuckle.
"That's very cute Twilight, but this winter is freezing our wings and not to mention our flanks! Thank you for showing us this but, we need to go if we want to survive" the first guard said with yet again his thunderous voice at rocked the snow floor. I cannot believe what I am hearing right now! How can they find this "cute"? But when Twilight had stepped off from the chariot to see Rarity's remains, she instead saw a snowpony. Nothing special about it and nothing of apparel, just a plain snowpony stood there in the middle of the plain. "Ms. Sparkle, we need to go NOW" He said, this time being more serious than the last time. She started to slowly trot backward still keeping her eyes on the snowpony. "This doesn't make any sense, Rarity? RARITY!" Twilight charged at the snowpony with cold streams of tears running down her face, hoping that it was a case that held Rarity, hoping to see if she can break her away from her tomb. Before the mare could get any closer, a guard seized her by the mane and turned her around.
"Now Twilight, listen, we need to go now, or we die out here, if only we were snowponies! Right Hubert?"
"That's right, we need to go now"
Twilight stepped backwards and onto the chariot nervously hoping this was all a nightmare or to worry if this entire incident actually happened. As the chariot took off into the skies her eyes were glued onto the strange snowpony even as it blended into the snowy ground. She sat on the chariot, trying to regain the body heat she had lost during her sprint in the snowy plain while thinking to herself. Am I insane? Have I gone insane? What's happening? First the merchant and now this? What the hay is going on? As they soared past the snowpony one last time, the magenta mare looked at her hoof prints but something was wrong. Only Twilight's hoof prints were spotted, Rarity's were never spotted or found.
"Ms. Sparkle... are you ok? You look as if though you've just seen a ghost" said the great and magnificent pegasus. Twilight only nodded to show him that she was ok, but all at the same time, she questioned that to herself that same exact thing. Was Rarity ever with me? Was I running for no reason? Were there any timberwolves to begin with? The questions raced around her mind leaving her with no space to think of a possible solution. If she could, she would cry, but the tears of Twilight were all gone, as if they froze before they were even released. "I just hope that we're able to see far enough in this fog, I can barely see a damn thing" yelled the 2nd pegasus. As all three ponies blazed and cut through winter's snow, cutting a hole through the sky as they went. All Twilight did was gaze out into the woods below them as they cracked the sky, seeing hundreds of glowing red eyes look up at her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a few hours when Twilight had left, the snowpony still stood their only getting buried under the snow. A pack of timberwolves raced past the bystanding figure, and no other sound but of the wind was heard. A large snowflake, falling from grace, landed right on the snowpony's nose with elegance.The snow hardened suddenly and began to crack slowly but surely. After seconds, the face and body of Syra was revealed, having the same facial expression as she had in the scrap book. Fear and Sadness. The entire pack of Timberwolves howled to announce the coming of nightfall, and as their booming voices stretched across the plains, the ice form of Syra cracked and began to fall into pieces, just as Rarity had... and just
Note: Don't think there will be any references in this chapter. Just a heads up if your preparing yourself for a hunt. This chapter and the next one will tie up and or solve any of your thoughts but are not the endings. Ending is a VERY big surprise you'll decide what happens, literally.
The sun. It rose forcing the night's retreat. The work of Princess Celestia must be a stressful act to do every morning, to know your job is to wake everypony in Equestria from their long sleep. Slowly the young Twilight Sparkle awoke as the sun beams had struck her eyes. "Twilight, sweetie, wake up" a mysterious voice called out to her. She opened her eyes only to be blinded by the light which forced her to shut them again. Straight out of nowhere, Twilight felt somepony tap her lightly on the cheek. "Get up Twi, it's morning, we have a lot to do today since next week you do go to Ponyville". As soon as the sleeping tired unicorn heard this, she stood straight up with a jolt of energy and looked around her environment.
She was in Canterlot, gazing out of the stranger’s bedroom and the snow fell lightly and many ponies were out for a stroll. "Twi, sweetie what’s wrong?" asked a voice, now sounding more familiar. Twilight gasped as she remembered where she heard the voice. A smile formed on her face as she turned around slowly and before her stood the one and only, Syra Swirlz. "Welcome home dear" said Syra as he returned the smile back. "Syra! Oh how I missed you!" Twilight stood up from the bed and ran towards him to embrace a hug, but when she made attempted to wrap her front legs around her, she disappeared and a black shadowy aura outlined Syra. "You shouldn't have left Twilight, none of this would have happened and most of all, you shouldn't have betrayed me, now do me a favor, and don't come back". Suddenly the black aura engulfed Syra and his entire body turned into shadow and consumed the entire bedroom. The magenta alicorn was suffocating, everything was black, nothing could be seen, and her cries for help were drowned in the shadow.
Suddenly a flash of white appeared in the darkness and the shadow's scattered in all directions as if the light was death. From the light came through Khaki coated Pegasus. "SYRA! JUST GO! SHE ISN’T THE ONE TO BLAME FOR ALL THIS! JUST LEAVE HER ALONE!" The flash was then consumed in the shadow and a laugh of evil was spread in all directions in the darkness. Again, another bright flash appeared and this time followed by a defining sound echoed through Twilights eardrums and the shrieks of terror from all 3 were shared in this fight between the darkness and light.
"GAH!" Twilight was blinded by the white flash and deafening sound, as if a timberwolf itself had howled into her ear. The buzzing ceased and the flash retreated. The lilac unicorn now found herself standing in front of the door to the outside and saw hoof prints of snow leading to the door, the problem was, there was only one set. As she opened the door slowly, Victor voice was heard saying "Don't come home", Twilight jumped and turned around to see him but instead nothing stood there but a single rocking chair, similar to the one Tyco, the merchant had. Twilight gulped nervously scared to see what the other side has in store for her, but when she opened the door, all that was seen outside was night and slow heavy snow falling, this time however, there was no fog obscuring Twilights Vision.
In the far distance, there seemed to be a light post with a flickering torch of the color blue that had revealed a figure next to it. The blue flames could not shine enough to reveal the whole night, only a small portion. Looking back at the house one last time, she stepped forth into the darkness and winter, leaving the shelter of Kale's home. "Where is everypony? Where am I even at?" Twilight whispered as she continued to walk towards the figure and blue flame. Even in the darkest of nights, one can be able to make out a few figures in the darkness. But instead, absolutely nothing was visible, only a small path, and the light post with the figure.
After a few meters, growls of hunger started to sprout out of the silence. The mare was frightened and looked around in the night, trying to see what was hidden in the shadows, but the only thing that came out of the dark was growls and panting as if whatever lied in the night was exhausted. Almost reaching the light post, red eyes started to appear in the night, all of them looking down on her. She looked back to see if reaching the shelter of Kale's home was possible but even the house itself was consumed by the darkness, it was absolutely invisible now. The Mare took a gulped down her saliva nervous if the eyes of the figures would race out to attack, but they all kept looking at her every movement followed by growls and coughs.
The thousands of red eyes all started to disappear and the sounds of the predators ceased. Twilight was able to make out the figure by the blue torch now; it was Kale standing there with his back turned to her, not moving at all. From the night, the howls of a thousand hungry timberwolves completely broke the silence and their mighty howls lasted for a few seconds before they edged down. Twilights heart was now beating heavy and fast, sweat dripped from her forehead as she was now only yards from the light post. The tatters of thousands of paws hitting the snow were heard coming behind her. Twilight went into a sprint fearing the worst behind her but as the blue torch illuminated her face, she turned around and nothing was there, only her hoof prints signed into the snow covered ground.
The light post containing the blue torch illuminated the ground to reveal that a small portion of the ground surrounding the lightpost and Kale was that of grass and a few leaves of purple roses, matching Twilights coat of fur. The magenta alicorn regained her strength and senses to know that she was safe but was confused on why this mysterious flame had warded off whatever it is that was in night's darkness. "What the?" Twilight noticed that small insects crawled around the grass around her and life lived around the blue flame, as if though the torch was emitting some act of witchcraft.
"Kale?" Twilight said as she calmly walked towards her khaki furred friend. He had frost on his mane and on the corners of his knees. Kale didn't move, "Kale?" Twilight called out to him once again before she actually made a serious approach towards him.
"Stop kidding around Kale, lets hurry back home" commanded the unicorn but when Twilight had laid her hoof on his shoulder, he was solid and freezing, as if though it were only a rock of ice in the form of Kale standing in front of her. She let out a gasp of horror at remembering how Rarity was in this state as well and also how a familiar voice shot out from the behind her. "Ahhhh! Stranger! Twilight Sparkle! Is it not? Happy to see you here!" Tyco the merchant had stepped out from the shadows to reveal himself in the blue torch. Twilight gaped in horror at the face of Tyco, half of his face was skeletal and had an eye of red, to be even more exact, this portion of his face was illuminated by the blue torch whereas the rest of his face was still hidden in the night, but she was able to make out the rest of his face was normal.
"Ty...Tyco? What are you doi-... how did you? Where? WHAT?" Twilight stuttered until Tyco let out a deep crackling laugh. "Oh Twilight, you should have listened to my warning, I told you there was nothing waiting for you here, yet you come here to Canterlot looking for HIM" Tyco yelled as he pointed at Kale, still having his back turned. Twilight was speechless and dismayed. Tyco waited for an answer and having received none, he let out a loud laughter to crack the silence, but not break it. "You still don't get it do you Sparkle? Just look around and you'll see" As Twilight turned around to face Kale, he was turned around with his face frozen in a state of absolute terror. His eyes were gauged out and had no pupils of any sort. His eyes were as black as the night itself that surrounded them, except for his blind left eye that remained blank. Most importantly, he also was encased in a prison of ice, however, Tyco was able to move.
Twilight took a few paces backwards horrified at the unpleasant sight only to bump into Tyco. He held Twilight in his front hooves and let out a horrifying laughter as he pushed Twilight into view of the blue torch. Tyco now stepped into complete view of the torch, his face now fully skeletal. The mare’s poor heart was the loudest sound around the area; true fear had once again struck her. Crying was no option, but a must. Tears streamed down Twilghts face as Tyco picked her up from the ground where she had stumbled upon, except Tyco had not picked her up with his forelegs, but black shadows coming from out of his black winter coat. The shadow tentacles had brought Twilight face to face with Tyco.
"He's gone Twilight, he's all mine, and will always be part of me" said Tyco to Twilight in a whisper. The now mortified alicorn turned to see the ice form of Kale was beginning to crack on all sides.
Tyco reached his head with his fore hooves and gently clapped his hooves together. He slid down the hood off his head and swiped the scarf covering his face off. He consisted of having a very familiar mane. With a quick jerk of his head upwards, Twilight was now face to face with her old faithful friend, Syra Swirlz herself. The lilac mare was now being killed by a new enemy that had joined the ranks of the night, fear. Syra's eyes had a glow the same red as that of the eyes of the darkness. The breathing of the tangled unicorn became heavy and rapid as she was brought closer to Syra's face. Tears ran down her face only to be stopped in place as they froze on her cheeks.
Then, there was no sound coming from the area around them, as if time itself froze. She opened her eyes to see around herself, the snowflakes that were falling, stopped, the ones that were already making the journey towards the ground, had frozen in place. The blue flame no longer flickered and moved to the ways of the wind, but stood still. Everything around them froze completely to the will of Syra or nature itself, but when Twilight looked back at the glowing red demonic eyes of her friend, Syra smiled.
The heart of the magenta unicorn could be heard even from Syra, as she put her mouth next to Twilight's ear. She rubbed Twilight chin and shoulder and let out a groan of anger.
"Oh Twilight, listen and listen good" syra whispered into her ear.
"I warned you before, he's gone, he'll never see you again, so do me a favor, and don't come back"
Twilight gasped in a terror as Syra jerked her head away from Twilight's ear. Whatever Twilight saw then, was an image that will never be erased from her mind, for years to come. Syra's face was absolutely frozen and pale. Her white fur mixed in with the frost that grew on the tips and light blue ice spread all over her face. Twilight's pupils dilated in horror and Twilight herself were now feeling a chill, an unexpected cold that ran up her spine and started to grow from her back legs upwards. The insane unicorn's horn grew a black aura, as if the horn itself was casting shadows. A demonic laugh of triumph echoed through Twilight ears as the waves of the laugh bounced from wall to wall in her skull.
The shadow tentacles let go of her and Twilight looked down at herself, she was standing out of reach of the blue flame, but the flame illuminated a partial area of Twilight, her front legs. Moving was impossible, the snow from all around her gathered around and as if it had a life of their own, the snow started climbing upwards onto her legs over her body, and up her neck. The cold element stopped their infection midway up her neck, as Syra walked towards Twilight.
After what seemed like centuries, Twilight finally spoke to her long lost friend. "Syra... what happe-... why are you doing this? I'm your friend, Twilight! Remember Syra! Twilight!"
A small frown formed on the blonde alicorn's face as she kept approaching, but once she was face to face with the powerful unicorn herself, a grin formed from ear to ear. "Friend, Twilight? A friend?" A howl of laughter was casted by the insane unicorn, to make matters worse, the timberwolves themselves had howled in chorus to the laugh of Syra.
"Oh Twilight... as if you don't remember what you did. Goodbye, and if you survive, don't come back" Syra spoke. Her back was turned to Twilight and the infection of the ice continued to grow onto the alicorn when from the darkness itself, a red flame that shone brightly, zipped through the night, leaving a trail of fire as it went. Twilight could only keep her eye on it for so long, until the ice had completely taken over. The ice hardened slowly, blackness filled her eyes and Twilight knew that death was now her next step in life.
The screech of an unfamiliar animal awoke Twilight before she had given up all hope in life. Twilight lifted her eyes one last time in the small space she had left inside of her frozen tomb. She didn't expect the scenery to change, only to see Syra walk off into the night leaving her stranded to become one with winter. The red flame reappeared which is what caught her eye, she figured she'll just stare as the flame the size of an ember soared away, but it was the complete opposite, instead, this bolt of fire rocketed right towards right at her in an amazing speed. She feared the worst of what the flame will do, so she shut her eyes awaiting for her death, as well as embrace herself for the impact but instead, she could feel heat forming around her face, and her mane drifting slowly back over her forehead, wet from the melted ice.
Soon, heat was restored all over her body, maybe a little too much heat. Twilight noticed the end of her mane was on fire. "AHH!" she quickly put out the fire by slamming her head onto the snow. When she stood back up brushing away the remaining snow and ice on her body. It was until then, that heat was felt on her back and noticed her shadow was casted over the snow with an aura of a moving red aura. Twilight quickly turned her head around eagerly to see what creature was it that had not only freed her from the prison of ice, but saved her life altogether. A smile formed on her face, as two figures stood before her.
There in front of her was Kale and Philomena, Princess Celestia's pet Phoenix. She was absolutely speechless but more so, confused on the entire event of what had occurred that day. Twilight only took a single step when suddenly Philomena rose a few yards above the ground. The mystic creature twirled in a pattern and finally shot straight up to unleash a powerful blinding light of orange and red. As the mare closed her eyes from the rays Philomena was casting, the bird ceased its power and landed safely on a patch of grass. All around the 3 figures, grass and flowers were found.
"Kale, what's happening?" Twilight ran to embrace a hug from Kale, hoping to finally speak with him, but as she did, nothing was felt. She stopped her sprint and looked back at Philomena lighting up Kale's body and face. The Khaki furred pegasi was transparent but still had an aura of blue outlining his body. He approached Twilight slowly and she walked closer towards him. When only a few feet from each other, Kale held out his hoof to notify Twilight to stop walking. Confused as she was, what made her melt with joy, was Kale, coming up to her and lightly laying a kiss on her cheek. Twilight only blushed and when about to return the kiss, Kale had literally evaporated into thin air right in front of her. Philoemna screeched a cry and soared past Twilight right side.
She was confused; nothing made sense, what was happening? She believed she was insane, just as she told herself on the chariot she was riding on from her encounter with the timberwolves and Rarity. "Kale?..." no one answer to her, but someone had tapped her right on the shoulder. Eager to see Kale, she turned around in joy quickly to finally talk to her lost love. Syra stood in front of her again, this time with half of her face melted off. Philoemena's work, Twilight assumed, but half of the melted face of Syra and revealed her skull. Twilight's breath was taken right out of her lungs as the sight.
Face to face with her newly found enemy, Syra said one thing and one thing only.
"Go home Twilight"
Syra pushed Twilight with such force, it knocked her backwards. Bracing for the impact to hit the ground, Twilight felt nothing, instead she continuously flipped through the dark void she had fallen in. Pitch black darkness consumed her sight and the laughter of evil accompanied her fall. She was lost, forever, in oblivion.
Thanks for reading this far people. I know, I know, this chapter is probably the BIGGEST mindf*** so far but PLEASE remain calm. I promise you the next chapter (Homecoming - Part 2) will clear up HALF of the events that took place just now. Chapter 5 will basically reveal more, and next chapter more, etc. etc. I am doing the best that I can to provide weekly chapters so stay with me, don't sweat on me! Again, thank you for reading, you all are getting a free ride on my Huey sometime in the future, if Charlie doesn't kill me. - With love and Bullets, Rambo
Note: Some referances here. Ease down your little scavenger hunt, they are easy to spot. Note 2: Won't say an exact date BUT the story WILL finish BEFORE May 24th Note 3: "What will this chapter be about?" Answer: What happened, alot of truth and story will be explained here and in the next chapter, around the dinner conversation. Note 4: Am I seriously shipping Rainbow Dash with *****? I have no clue! Towards the end you'll find out because I am having mixed feelings myself of shipping a character from the series with a fictional character I created.
The void, endless, dark, infinite and a fall of despair. It's been only minutes and Twilight kept flipping to her demise. After seconds, the mare finally balanced herself by pointing her head straight downwards and not moving in order to prevent herself from turning. At the bottom of what seemed to be an eternal pit, was a bright glow of red and yellow, lashing out into the dark. The falling continued and small whispers were heard. Twilight looked around in hopes to see a ledge or any kind of crevice to break her fall and to prevent her own death, but she had second thoughts, maybe death was better than insanity. Instead what she saw as she looked around, the supernatural started to appear before her eyes.
Spirits, white haunting spirits of others accompanied her fall. Some bolted straight forward with a maniacal laugh, to endure the awaiting flames at the bottom of the pit. Others flailed their arms shouting their screams of terror, praying for death himself to take them now than to face the torturous flames. The most frightening however, were the spirits that fell without making any particular movement or sound, as if the spirits were dead themselves. Suddenly, the spirits started to disappear one by one, evaporating or drifting back into the shelter of the darkness. Out of the dark void to replace the falling spirits, came Kale and Syra. Walking on the air as if solid ground were right beneath their hooves. They walked together approaching Twilight who was still falling.
"Here's your stop dear" Syra said. The glow of the flame at the bottom of the pit emitted a light that revealed both of the ghostly spirits in full view. They no longer had their horrific and ghastly appearance; they looked absolutely normal and just as amazing as they had in reality, not in this supernatural form. "Syra, why are you doing all of this" the helpless lilac unicorn pleaded. Syra chuckled at her question and walked closer to her as Kale followed. Her steps were letting out a white smoke emit from them as she walked. Syra looked back at Kale over her shoulder and nodded. Kale took two steps to be by her side and right then and there, both Syra and Kale shared a passionate kiss in front of the falling Twilight. The fires were now dangerously close but it didn't matter much to her, a few memories of both of her friends started to make Twilight realize a small portion of Syra's actions.
Right as the large arm of flames lashed out to grab Twilight; Syra spoke to her once again. "Twilight?" she asked. The purple unicorn looked towards her; again, Syra was in her horrific ice form with her eyes glowing a blood red while half of her face was melted off by the fires of Philomena. She then spoke...
"Wake up"
"Huh?"
"Wake up!"
The voice of a very familiar dragon was ringing into Twilights ear.
"DAMNIT TWILIGHT! WAKE UP!"
Spike had laid a large slap right across her face in order for her to regain her consciousness. She looked around, a shiver ran down her spine and her hooves were completely numb. She was in a room with blue and white walls, decorated with a few portraits and in the corner of the room was a stand with a flowerpot sitting on it. She saw that she was next to a fireplace and the ground around her was wet. "Ew" she said, she questioned herself what the liquid that used to be there was but figured it was best that she doesn’t know.
"It's just water, or at least it became water after what happened" Spike said drinking a glass of liquid sapphires. Twilight cleared away her moist mane from her forehead and she took let a large sigh of relief drift from her mouth. It had just then occurred to her about the ride the royal guards have given her from the middle of the snowy plains. She got up quickly on her hooves to fully examine the room; it was very plain but a majestic oriented type of "plain".
"Hey hey! Slow down Twi! What's the rush?" Spike called after her as she ran towards a window. Twilight noticed that the ponies were on the street were all dressed in a fancy attire of winter, some which have been bought in Rarity's store. Her breathing became rapid due to the fact that her reason and arrival at Canterlot was unknown.
What happened? How did I get here? WHEN did I get here? Did I pass out? AM I ? The questions circled continuously into Twilights head when her view caught the face of her assistant, cowering towards the door to exit the room, fearing that his faithful friend has yet again went insane for a brief period of time. "SPIKE! What happened? Tell me what happened!"
A pinkish purple glow, circled Spike as Twilight had levitated him into the air and started drifting him towards her. "Twilight! TWILIGHT GET AWAY! YOU'VE GONE BONKERS!" the now semi-child dragon started to flail his arms around in hope of getting a firm grip on the floorboard, but when he was only inches from Twilights grasp, the door burst open suddenly allowing a light cold breeze to spread over the room. The tatters of hooves were heard as a pony entered the room.
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" said a deep male voice! Spike dropped dead on his back moaning with pain and then the wind knocked out as Twilight had ran right over his stomach, forcing the wind to be knocked out of him. "Oh man... this hurts" he said in pain. Twilight broke into a sprint with a smile that challenged Pinkie when she meets a new friend.
"HUBERT!" she said in excitement, ready to embrace a hug from her pegasi friend that was dressed in golden armor with a crest of blue on the top of his helmet. They fell into each other’s arms and were locked in savoring the moment of joy. "Hey! Twi-Twi! It's so good to see you after all these years! We all thought you'd forgotten us since the day you moved into Ponyville!" Twilight shook her head quickly to show him that she would never forget. The question suddenly occurred to her, did she REALLY forget them? She had asked herself this question before back home and fought back the tears fearing the that it was indeed true that she had forgotten. In the arms of Hubert, she continued to fight the tears and warded off the thought of forgetting.
"You don't actually think I'd forget you guys!... wait, what do you mean by 'we'?" Twilight asked the soft and scarred pegasi. "We? Well Charlie and Victor are here too! They're home obviously but rest assured Twi, they know you are here and are eager to see you today if that is even possible, you must have had such a traumatizing adventure, more than the time I was in 'Nam!" He finished saying to her. The lilac mare was happy but all yet, confused at how he had finished his small talk. "What did he mean by "Traumatizing" adventure? Did something happen? Now that he brings it up, those scars on him, some are old, I know that, but there are some on his wings that are still fresh".
"Hubert, what exactly happened? Wait... I knew one of the guards said your name but I didn't put much thought into it being you, and... WOW! You became a ROYAL Guard? Here in Canterlot? What ever happened to becoming a weatherpony and such? Why is it when we met on the field, you didn't even bother to say 'hi' at the very least?" She kept rambling on, asking numerous amounts of questions.
Hubert was being overwhelmed with one too many questions and stood up to her. "hey hey! Settle down now Twilight, we can discuss all that tonight, I promise, the thing I am worried about right now is what you just said, what do you mean you don't remember what happened? Oh dear Celestia, that smack to the head must have been more severe than we thought it would be"
"I'll ask again Huey, what do you mean we?
"Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot to mention her. You and your pretty friend... Rainbow Dash was it? I'm telling you Twilight, she really did get alot more beautiful since the time we served. Both had magazines up the the knee when we were being surrounded. .45 APC's and let's not forget the Dread Dragon Platoon in '67, poor bastards..."
"What in EQUESTRIA are you talking about? Are you telling me you met Rainbow before?"
"I did? I mean- ok look, we'll save all this for tonight at supper, Our group is going to be there"
"Our group? You mean? Charlie, Victor, you and the rest?"
"That's right, and also one of your fri-"
Before Hubert could finish telling Twilight of the surprise guest for the supper that evening, inside came the brave and noble Rainbow Dash with her trademark Rainbow mane. "Hey Twilight! I heard what happened at the field and everyone was worried about you. Rarity is in her room just crying her eyes out yelling at the top of her lungs saying it was her fault how she nearly caused your death!"
"Wait, what? My death? What are you talking... you mean the whole Timberwolf thing?"
"Timberwolves? No! The chariot, it crashed! How do you no-"
Hubert slammed his hoof into her mouth, forcing her to be quiet. "SHHHHH! We'll talk about this later tonight for dinner, she doesn't know a thing Dash and it's going to be hard explaining all this to her" Dashie removed the large hoof of the royal guard from her mouth and spit out the snow that was lodged into her mouth.
"Are you telling me that she was knocked out so hard that she lost all memory as to what happened?"
"That's exactly what i'm saying"
"But that doesn't explain that she doesn't rememember ANYTHING"
"Yeah, your right, but no really dear, we'll talk about this later tonight"
Twilight was confused as it is, listening to the two talk back and forth of a secret they were keeping from Twilight. She shook her head and questioned both of them of the crash Rainbow Dash had mentioned to her. Neither one answered the real answer and instead repeated what they said before, that they will present this information to her later on in the night. AS frustrated and curious as Twilight was, she gave up on asking, realizing it would be pointless to repeatedly ask a question only to receive the same answer from the both of them.
They opened the door to the outside of the majestic town of Canterlot. Ponies of all kind walked calmly to their destination seeing as how the snow fell lightly on their heads. Everypony but Spike had left the home of Hubert due to the oncoming night. Spike bade them farewell telling them he was on his way to Joe's doughnut shop.
The streets were crowded minorly, even around the castle itself. Guards were at the large golden gates on duty, protecting the princess of foes and threats. "Don't bother going in there, the Princess has been very busy lately and she is in no condition to look forward to any guests at all" Hubert told the purple unicorn, knowing her eye contact was with that of the castle. Their walk down the streets of Canterlot was rather enjoyable, foals playing in the snow and adults walking in their fancy new attire's, but something caught Twilight's eye, there was a snowpony that was created and stood alone on the side of the street. A very elegant and beautifully created snowpony too, but she quickly turned away and brushed the thought off her mind, when the snowpony's eyes began to glow a very faint glow of red. She pretended as if she never saw it to begin with.
"So Rainbow Dash... you find that special somepony since the last time we met back when we served?" "Where? In Saigon? Ha! Nah, of course not. Why do you ask?" "Oh just wondering is all" Hubert looked at his wings, the scars still as fresh as ever, not even the cold can freeze the cuts. "Exactly where were you trying to go with that question?" "No where in particular" "That's not what I heard you say earlier today" "We can discuss this at DINNER with the whole gang alright. alot of things need to be cleared up because this entire thing isn't making much sense to Twilight... and the readers" "Wait what did you sa-" "NOTHING! Nothing at all!"
Cracking a few short comments on each other, the three ponies reached a building that was painted a dark shade of red with the roof consisting of white and yellow. The front of the door had a green helmet that was covered with scratches and still had stains of dried mud. A black band tied down a card with a card of ace and the symbol of peace.
"Yeah don't ask, the decorations out here are just lovely compared to what’s inside" said Hubert "What do you mean?" Twilight asked back at him "Just nevermind"
Hubert knocked on the door with a metallic bar attached to the door. The bar was dull and old, the paint was beginning to scratch off while hanging loose. The steps of another pony were heard from the other side, running down the stairs making their way to the door. "Just give me a sec right here Hue, you know how Charlie gets when all the locks aren't set up for the night" a voice from inside the house said. The three that stood outside could hear various locks being opened, whether it is by combination or key locks.
A complete minute passed when the door finally had opened and right in the doorway stood a red coated pony with a blonde mane. "Twilight? Is that really you?" asked the owner of the building in amazement. "When did you get so pretty Twi?" He smiled as the kind words left his lips and entered the ears of the audience outside of the house. "Victor, is that really you? Wow! You changed so much over the years!"
Victor's face was perfectly fine but the edges of his mane had burn marks, along with some stains. His coat was also fine but there were small rough patches scattered around, not to mention some scars as well. Nonetheless, Victor looked just like his foal self, but only older and a bit more different. "The one and only, Charlie is upstairs getting his face washed and all, you know how much of a germaphobe he is, ridiculous if you ask me. But he is my brother; I should be used to it by now". The three outside laughed and were then welcomed inside the home.
They made their way calmly to the living room of the house where they sat on padded floors. The entire house was odd, very odd. Majority of the walls were a pale white and a few decorations hung on the nails planted into the walls. The decorations were very odd; some were regular paintings of pegasi ponies flying over what appeared to be a jungle but the odd decorations were ones like a wooden stock with tally marks engraved on its side.
"So can I get you all anything to drink? We made hot coco since it's rather cold outside" said Victor
"Oh no I'm fine Vic, had some myself before I came here" Hubert said cheerfully
"Wait, you had some coco and you didn't bother to serve ME a cup?" Rainbow Dash retorted at Hubert.
"Hey hey! Ease down now Ace, I told you but you were too busy showing off your flying"
"Don't call me Ace, Hue, I told you I didn't like that part of my life"
"I don't either but we have to live with it and besides, ace suits you just fine"
"So I take it you want some coco Rainbow Dash? No worries, I got you. What about you Twilight?" asked Victor.
"Oh well... ok, why not? Sure, i'd like a cup myself" replied the purple unicorn.
Above them all the ceiling started to shake and a growing noise of steps was heard going from one end of the room to the other. Loud as it was, the only obvious reason why the ceiling would shake was that Charlie was running towards the stairway. "Get ready Twi, Charlie is a very love oriented pony. The second her heard you were coming to visit... swear to Celestia, this guy went nuts" said the red laughing earth pony. "Well I’m sure it can't be that bad, after all, Charlie was always the wea-"
From the corner of the room a yellow nose poked out of cover. Even from a distance, a smile could be seen right under the nostrils of none other than Charlie himself. Victor stood up to take a few paces away from Twilight. Closing his eyes, he began to count down "3...2...1..." Hooves thundered across the house and a gold furred stallion dashed in such speed, he was only a blur to the audience in the living room. "Oh Charlie! It's so good to finally see you agai-OOF! a-a-again!" Twilight's eyes dilated and her breathing became slow. The gold stallion not only tackled her to the ground, but he also picked her right back up and gave a very loving yet lethal hug.
"TWI TWI! I'M SO HAPPY TO FINALLY SEE YOU AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! THANK CELESTIA YOU CAME! WE ALL THOUGHT YOU ABANDONED US!" Charlie squealed in joy as he began to not only squeeze harder in his hug, but also spin at such a speed that Twilight began to get sick and her face started to turn into multiple shades of green. "It's great to see you too Charlie! Would you mind- ULP! Setting me down?" Twilight pleaded. The gold earth pony had a confused look on his face upon hearing Twilights words.
"But Twilight, I set you down a few seconds ago, your spinning on your own" he chuckled lightly. The purple unicorn then realized the grip around her body was relieved and she had been spinning on her own for more than a few seconds. She slowed her spin and fell to the ground with a thump as her eyes continued to spin around. Everypony laughed at her but she couldn't help but laugh at herself either.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a small amount of talk in the living room, the sun began to set over the horizon of the city of Canterlot before anypony could realize the time they had spent went by quicker than expected. Luna's shift was near and everypony inside of the house of the twin brothers was busy with a dinner chore. Victor and Charlie prepared the dinner in the kitchen for the house guests, Rainbow Dash went outside to the front of the house to light torches on the front corners of the house, and Twilight was having a conversation with Hubert in the living room about how the life of a Royal Guard is like. As curious as Twilight was to know as to how he became a guard, the only response she earned out of that from Hubert was, "I'm saving that for dinner time, Victor just love making fun of me about how I became a royal guard and I actually think it's pretty funny too, so in dinner I'll spill the beans"
Rainbow Dash came back inside the house and shook off the snow from her hooves on the "Welcome" mat that was parked on the front door of the house. The snow was falling very lightly and calm outside upon the city. "-and that's what my daily routine is like for me, not as interesting as people make it out to be" Hubert finished saying and began to drink some ale that was given to him by Charlie. "Daily routing of wha-" a spray of ale showered Rainbow Dash while she was asking the question. "DAMNIT DASHIE! Don't scare me like tha- OOF!" Rainbow Dash slapped him right across the cheek mid-sentence. "Oh don't act stupid Hue, you knew it was me!" She yelled but then started to laugh.
The living room was filled with a light amount of laughter from all 3 ponies. As the laughter began to die down, Rainbow Dash nuzzled her nose into Hubert’s neck which made Hubert rest his head on hers. "Ahem?" Twilight said with a wry smile on her face, knowing that her prediction of Hubert and Rainbow Dash falling in love would be instant. "Oh! Sorry Twi! Completely forgot you were here!" both the embarrassed pegasi laughed awkwardly trying to try to ease down the moment. The unicorns only response to this was closing her eyes and shaking her head while face palming.
"Hey hey hey! Who's hungry for my Equstrian favorite "Platano (Banana type of fruit) and Seasoned Fried Rice?" Victor walking into the room with a smile on his face. The food smelled absolutely amazing. The aroma scent of freshly fried bananas, topped with seasoning and a few daisies was easily a delicacy to anypony. "That smells amazing Victor!" Rainbow Dash said, her jaw dropped and her tongue began to flail in the air. The smell of the food alone was just too much for her to bear. "Easy now Dashie, you haven't seen anything yet" Hubert insisted as he held back Rainbow Dash from the wings.
Just a minute later, Charlie walked out from the Kitchen empty handed but had a joyous smile on his face, walking to the dining table. "Don't ask what is it Hubert, after seeing how your girlfriend is reacting to Victor's food, it's best I save the desert for last or else she'll mob it" Charlie laughed while saying that. No pony asked what the desert plate contained but instead focused their attention towards the food that was served right in front of them. "Wait! Charlie! She isn't my-... well... never mind" Hubert started to retreat due to the fact Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed. They all received a fair serving of the food and began to feast... except Rainbow Dash, she acted like a complete barbarian when she began to eat the mouthwatering food.
Time slowly passes and the torches outside of the house warded off the darkness that surrounded them, the night was going well and the dinner was simply amazing. After eating their dinner, Victor stood up from his seat and walked towards the kitchen to retrieve the mysterious desert the guests were craving for. During the hour of desert, was also the hour of communing with one another in a serious manner and Twilight knew, it was the hour she would find out about the chariot crash and the location of Kale and Syra.
"... and that's why we have all those locks on our door because of Victor's post traumatic stress disorder. Weird isn't it?"
"Well you can't really blame him Charlie, I mean, when I was dropping the 'Canned Goods' and my wing was injured, I had to survive for 2 damn days in the jungle until this beautiful pegasi dropped in to help" Hubert finished saying with a grin.
"Hey Twilight! You mind passing out the plates? I'm about to come in with the desert!" Victor shouted from the kitchen.
Twilight used her magic to serve a small plate to everypony around the table, accompanied with a spoon. Victor walked straight in the room carrying a spectacular, mouthwatering, jaw dropping...house? It was a house made of ginger bread topped with several sweets of different kinds and ice cream around the ice to represent snow. After a closer examination of the breath-taking desert, everyone realized it was a replica of Victor and Charlie's house.
Rainbow's jaw literally hit the floor and her taste buds tingled at the sight of the magnificent creation of Charlie. Hubert chuckled at her reaction, and closed her jaw gently. "Wow Charlie! Where in Equestria did you learn to make this kind of food! It's just... just... just amazing!" the lone unicorn stated with her eyes sparkling at the gingerbread house. Victor carefully set down the treat and then the words everyone was dying to hear were heard. "Well... dig in!"
Everypony served and ate their fair portion of the gingerbread house, enough for their to be up to at least 3 servings for each one. Rainbow Dash completely devoured her 1st and 2nd serving but could no longer fit anymore food into her stomach. While continuing their feast, Twilight decided it was time to break the silence once again and have the communication amongst everypony commence.
"I think now is a pretty good time to ask you Huey, how DID you become a Royal Guard?" she asked.
"Hmph?" Hubert swallowed a peice of the gingerbread house before replying.
"Well it all started when Hubert was busy burning them go-" Charlie was interrupted when a chunk of ginger was thrown at his face.
"Hey Charlie! She was asking ME not YOU! Sheesh... anyways Twilight, the way I became a Royal Guard is going to be a bit hard to believe. It all started around '67 when I was serving. Like I said, when I was busy dropping the goods, my wing was injured and I crashed down. Survived in the damn jungle for 2 days until Dashie here came and saved me, I am one lucky bastard. One because I was saved and two because I met you Rainbow" Hubert finished saying as the rainbow colored pegasus nuzzled her face into his neck.
"Hey hey! Keep it PG in here damnit, you’re in my house. You want to do the naughty stuff, it belongs in the bedroom, but in YOUR bedroom, not MY HOUSE bedroom" Victor said as he eyed down Hubert.
"But Hubert, that doesn't explain how you became a Guard, you only said you were saved but how does that mean you became a guard?" said the lilac unicorn. She was right, although Hubert explained a story that wasn't necessary; he never did explain how the guard duty came into play.
"I didn't really explain how I became one didn't I? Well to be completely honost with you, the reason I became a Royal Guard was becau-"
"Was because he was kissing his friends ass begging for him to be one!" Charlie cut in and began to howl with laughter at saying it. Victor joined in the laugh and the twin brothers were now a mess with ginger crumbs spewing out of their mouths and laughter killing the calm atmosphere. Hubert did nothing but close his eyes slowly and laugh himself.
"Alright, alright, in a way Charlie IS right. My best friend Brutus helped me get in on it. Brutus was also serving in '67, but his acts during the war were FAR more memorable in that single year alone than the 3 years I was there. He came back here injured and Princess Celestia sent her condoldences. She knew that Brutus was a stallion of true power, will, and loyalty. So he became a royal guard. When I came back, there was absolutely nothing. People at the landing docks gave me a hard time; I couldn't find any job except being a busboy at that fancy restraunt down the street. After some time of doing that lousy job, I begged my brother if he could get me in the whole "Guard" business. At first he didn't like the idea, but I convinced him soon enough after doing a lot of favors for him. Not too long after I became a guard, he died because of that damn Agent Orange, tore him down to nothing. Celestia knew the pain it caused me and I took up his place. Now... now I'm this high ranked Royal Guard... even though I never deserved it, I got here because of Brutus and I'll never forget that" Hubert finished his story with a tone of sadness.
The room fell silent when Victor finally spoke saying "Yeah but he did make you go through that Pegasus flight camp for fillies remember? Oh man! Now that was a killer laugh for me and Charlie when those kids kept smacking you when they didn't know how to control their speed"
"Yeah, that was a bit funny but damnit Victor! They REALLY didn't know how to fly! I swear to you!"
"What’s this about doing flight camp for fillies Hubert?" Rainbow Dash was starting to get interested on the subject
"It was nothing! Absolutely nothing! Some lame favor Brutus asked me to do because originally he was the one in charge, that bastard..."
"No no, tell me what happened exactly? That actually sounds like a really funny story"
"Uhmm... well... WAIT! Don't be so selfish! We still didn't explain to Twilight about the crash!"
It had then occurred to Twilight that he was right, the chariot crash was still a mystery to her. Did i really forget to ask this entire time about how I ALMOST DIED? Twilight shook her head in astonishment that she had forgotten. But how I could i forget a story like that? Wait, there's one thing that is more important to me than the crash, one thing that I've been dying to ask them all.
"So Twilight, when I and Blackburn were flying you here to Canterlot, you fell unconscious. Completely blacked out and I don't blame you. You barely got out of that frozen hell alive. Wait before I go any further, what the hell was the matter with you? I looked back to you when we were flying and your eyes were completely blank and you were staring out into the snow like you just saw some f***ing ghost"
"Hubert! The LANGUAGE!" "Sorry Dashie"
"I did... I did see a ghost..."
The twin stallions both held their ginger bread in place with their eyes wide in a confused manner at Twilight but all at the same time held in their laughter in fear that they were mocking her. Rainbow Dash herself was speechless while Hubert started to laugh at her supposed 'sarcasm'. "You can't be serious here Twi, I was only joking, there's no such things as ghosts and everypony knows that. Anyways, as I was saying, me and Blackburn were flying here to Canterlot in lightning speed, but dear lord, i swear to you some other pegasus was flying right with us wearing a cape, a cloak of some sort. Now listen up guys, I swear to you, when the hood came off her, it was a UNICORN? Scared the hell out of me! The eyes were glowing red and held of her damn face was missi-" Before Hubert could finish his tale, Twilight cut in to ask a question she had been avoiding to ask the entire night.
"Victor... Charlie... Hubert... Wheres Kale and Syra?"
Charlie spit his hot coco into Victor's face when Twilight uttered those two names. "Victor! Did you set roof torch on? Tell me you set the roof torch on?" Charlie asked wildly while shaking Victor from the shoulders. "I think we did, you know, it's been over a year and you still haven't told me why you set that darn thing on every night until the winter wrap up"
"Damnit Victor, no!" Charlie ran away from the living room and thundered his way upstairs where his footsteps grew fainter and fainter with every passing second until nothing more was heard. "What the hell was that all about Victor? You can't be serious he's still in shellshock from '67?" Hubert demanded. "Well I’m pretty sure that's what the whole thing is and not to mention our dear Twilight here doesn't know a single damn thing about them"
"About who? Syra and Kale? " Twilight's words were said but were buried under the sudden arguement that sparked between Hubert and Victor.
"Huey, huey! We both know she came here for them but I was actually starting to think she had forgotten"
"Forgotten? FORGOTTEN? Victor, those two were her bestfriends, she isn't going to seriously forget them!"
"Well it was a hunch! She never mentioned them the entire evening!"
"But she wanted to ask where they were! She probably thought they were going to appear later on the night"
"And look at that? They didn't? I wonder why!? She's probably confused on what the hell is going on right now"
"What the hell do you want to do then? Spill the beans? Tell her everything? The whole chariot crash and what I truly saw?"
"It's now or never Hubert and you know it! Tell her everything, tell her how your plan flopped and mine went through until now"
"F*** YOU VICTOR! A full year's worth of letter we had to throw to the wastes hoping she'd forget but she didn't!" It was a good plan and you know it! Anyone would have beleived they moved to Phillydelhpia!" "Hue, what's going on?" "Dashie please, stay out of this"
"Anypony but TWILIGHT! You honostly thought sh-"
SILENCE!
The living room was quiet and all turned their attention to the confused, worried and sad unicorn. Twilight had a thought of where all this was coming from, where the plague eating her sanity spawned.
"Hubert, stop arguing, just tell me one thing and one thing only, NOPONY ELSE TALK!" Twilight shouted and then finally with a calm tone asked her friend the question she's been longing an answer for.
"Hubert, where is Syra and Kale?
Hubert looked around the table to see if Victor or Rainbow can help him, but it seemed that the truth finally had to be said, to prevent further harm to Twilight.
"Twilight... Kale and Syra...they're gone, been gone for about 4 years, i'm so sorry Twi, I just co-
"Hubert, what do you mean they're 'gone'?" Twilight asked him worringly.
"Twi, Kale and Syra, they're dead"
The lights in the living room flickered and even in the quiet of the night, everypony could hear, the shattering of Twilight's heart.
There MIGHT just MIGHT be a repeating paragraph in there, I edited the entire thing but I know there's a mistake in there somwhere, I'll find it.
A portion of truth was revealed. Next chapter I do plan on telling the ENTIRE chariot crash and other things which will lead to the ending which will then leave me to the "You decide what happens" chapters. At the end, it will take me a while to write 2 chapters both containing different endings.
Note: The Vietnam referances and foreshadow of future stories is going to lower drastically from this chapter to the end to the story.
Note 2: What will this chapter be about? Twilight's reaction to the news (if she even gets it...), and that's pretty much it... sorry. I figured that the 2nd part to this is going to make this chapter at least over 7000 words so I'm going to split this chapter (that was originally going to be named "Colors of Reunion") in two, this chapter will be short BUT the next chapter will come out faster because I already know what to write for it. Also the NEXT chapter WILL be named "colors of Reunion" because it fits in better to chapter 6 than chapter 5
Note 3: Was it worth it? Waiting for this chapter? I'll be honost, no, I sorta rushed this chapter because I do NOT want to make you all wait for another week for an exciting chapter. Some of you will like this chapter, some won't. It's just to fill in gaps I left.
Final note: This is the chapter where is starts to lead towards the ending. At the end of this chapter I'll go more into detail of what the outcomes are.
"Twilight... sweetie... are you okay?" Hubert was starting to have beads of sweat roll down his cheeks. Never before had he seen Twilight in a state of shock this severe. "Hubert, who's Kale and Syra?" the rainbow mane pegasus asked. Silence was still the dominant power in the room, nopony spoke until Hubert had realized Rainbow Dash was speaking to him. "Before the friends in Ponyville, Twilight had friends here and amongst them, Syra and Kale were her best friends and now they're...gone" the word 'gone' bounced through the unicorns skull not being able to believe what she was hearing.
She was standing perfectly still, not even a bit of movement was spotted, instead her eyes dilated to a massive size and a single strand of her mane stood up. Everyone was watching in both worriment and curiosity to see what will become of her. After a few minutes, she then began to breathe normally and everyone about Twilight was back to normal. She then said "Dead? That's a funny one Victor, for a second I thought you were actually being serious, but no really? Where is Syra and Kale? No better yet, tell me about this chariot crash, let's get our minds off this madness"
"Okay Twilight... your starting to... never mind" Victor was saying and then whispered over to Hubert saying "She's lost it, tell her the chariot crash and lets leave it at that while we still have a chance" I know what they said, I know what I heard but there's one thing I have to know, to know that I'm not this insane mare I originally thought I was, to know that I'm not the only one being affected by this damn winter. "Tell me Hubert, tell me about the crash completely, from start to finish, I want to know the whole story BUT, the truth, I don't care how crazy or embarrassing of a story it is, tell me the whole damn truth" Twilight commanded the frightened pegasus.
"Ok ok, calm down now Twi... well like I was saying before... me and Bly were flying back here toward Canterlot to rescue you from the snow. You obviously didn't know, but the pegasi couldn't control an upcoming storm cloud that was coming from the east, heading straight for a plain which you were walking in. Your friend... Spike? Well anyways, Spike wrote to the princess about your late arrival from the Bazaar and feared the worst, we all did."
"Cut the nonsense; just tell me what happened already!" Twilight demanded. Fires of rage were seen in the back of her eyes, it frightened Hubert very much that it forced him to submit to the command of the crazed unicorn. "Okay! okay! Calm yourself down! Alright, I'll be honest here, I went A-WOLL along with Bly and we came looking for you, despite Shining Armor's command. It wasn't easy. We saw you running along the field but from above we could see the terrain, it was not pretty. Rocks, pits, trees, I'm surprised you didn't run into any of it..." Twilight then glared at him to notify that she was not being amused by the story.
Before Hubert continued, he coughed up some ginger that was stuck in his throat and resumed the story to the moment Twilight's been wanted to here. "Can you stop glaring at me like that? I'm getting to it..." Hubert pleaded. Twilight then noticed she was on the dinner table itself and sat back down on her seat waiting the continue of the story.
"Thanks, well like I was saying, we fly over, we see you running, we land, you run into Bly, and then you tell us about TIMBERWOLVES? Seriously Twilight, what was that about? You had me and Bly scared half to death when you said a PACK was heading our way!" Twilight was starting to get aggravated at his rise in voice; a quick glare quickly set him back in his place. "Twilight, what's wrong" Rainbow Dash asked.
"You, shut up, I want to know something Dash, something Hubert isn't telling me"
"What do you mean? I'm not hiding anything, I’m telling you what happened about the crash and you’re not letting me say a damn word!"
"Fine fine, hurry it up, I won't intterupt this time"
The tension in the room rose slightly and the snow outside began to fall heavier than it did earlier in the evening.
"Well when we started to fly off after your little snowpony creation was shown to us, we started to run into some...turbulence, as in heavy snow, turbulence. We strapped on the issued winter flight goggles and it rarely helped. The snow may have been out of our eyes but the terrain was obscured, we could barely see a damn thing. When I look back at you, you were completely frozen Twilight, from head to hoof, frost started to grow on you and that cloak you were wearing wasn't helping much at all, I was getting worried... scared actually. I've never been in such a storm like that, it was a nightmare. Then to see you near death, the adrenaline kicked in. I and Bly raced forth to the city, as far away as it was; the sillihouette was visible in the far distance. Just about a mile or two away, you were talking, began saying how you were sorry..." Hubert paused briefly to re-think about the entire crash. He placed his hoof under his chin and began to stroke the small beard he had. Before he could speak Twilight cut in to say her goal of the entire conversation.
"And then what? Please Hubert... I know what you said before and I want to know something"
"I'm getting to it, hold on a moment" He drank a small portion of a glass of coco before he continued.
"When we began to fly, we had to fly higher to achieve a high enough altitude to reach the city of course. We began to go up and in the process the cold... by Celestia... was the most challenging thing since my stay in Do Lung Bridge... I... I..." Hubert began to tear up upon saying the word remembering the horrors of the past but he fought back the tears knowing that he being a royal guard, crying is the last thing he would want to do. "Ok...Ok... so we flew higher up, ice started to form around our goggles..."
Dear reader, what you are about to read is a flashback. As the flashback is being told from HUBERT'S POINT OF VIEW, the story of the crash is being told to Twilight at the same time. You'll get the jist of it as you read.
Canterlot Mountains Time - 6:47 P.M Weather: Nightmare _________________________________________
"Hubert! I can't see anything in this damn snow! How much farther until the city?"
"Oh man... hang in there Twilight, we're almost there, don't die on me, don't die on me damnit!"
"HUEY! WAKE UP MAN! My flank is freezing and my wings can't handle this snow! We need to find shelter as close as possible if the city is too far away!"
"Huh? Sorry! I had other thoughts on mind! The city is just up ahead! We need to fly higher!"
"Well isn't that just some s*** that doesn't stink! Let's hurry this up! Double time!"
We began to fly upwards to the city and thats when the snow really got bad, a freak of nature is what Bly called it. Don't blame him...
"Heads up! We have a... civilian? By the sun goddess, what the hell is this pegasus doing out here in this storm? Bly! Bly! We got a pegasus right here!"
"Where? I can't see a damn thing! Wait... hold on, I see it! Call out! That kid sure has a lot of guts to be out here and obviously knows what to do; we need a guide in this storm! Call out to her! To him! Just call out, we need help!"
The snow... you should have seen it, came at us like rocks and hurt like hell. What was meant to be calm winter, turned into our demise. A blizzard more powerful than any other I have seen. Twilight was still knocked out cold but frost started to grow on her, her life endangered worried me more than my own life itself. But when I called out for help, that's when I saw it all... when I saw the eyes
"Hey, you! Kid! We need help out here!"
The cloaked pegasus continued to fly towards the city at an amazing speed that it was enough to challenge Rainbow Dash! The cries for help I shouted were unheard and I realized then that the pegasus was flying to Canterlot. Although the assistance was never given, I took matters into my own hand. I don't really blame the poor thing, we could barely even hear ourselves think, it was ridiculous!
"Damnit! Bly, get ready, we're going in hot, we CAN NOT lose sight of that pegasus! It's our only hope, ready your wings and... I wasn't ready... neither of us were, our wings were literally starting to get frozen in place the higher we flew… FORWARD!" We shot right across, keeping close behind the tail of that pegasus, damn good was a flyer alright! Haven't seen anything speed that fast since '67!
The city was visible; I could see it in the distance! We were about to make it there when a strong gust of snow broke my vision, I cleared the snow from my face, only to see not only the pegasus disappearing, but Canterlot too!
"HUBERT! Where's the damn city!?" Bly not only had rage in his voice and something a royal guard is not meant to have, fear.
"i don't have a f***ing clue!" I was scared too, I won't deny it, I honestly thought this flight was going to get us killed. But that's when "it" appeared right next to me this time. I'll never forget what happened right after that...
"Hubert... oh Huey... the city isn't near for miles, you should really come and join me, let's dance with the angels"
I looked beside myself to see what in Equestria this damn psycho was talking about but it disappeared! I look in front of me and a black hooded figure raced towards me... a black shadow of darkness, like Charlie moving in the bushed... when it was near enough I realized then, the shadows intentions. It was that damn pegasus with those red eyes and that sinister hellish smile. I don't know what happened after that... I mean like, I can't explain what happened. I heard a laugh... a laugh of evil and it felt like the winter cold grew to a temperature below freezing for a brief few seconds.
I had shivers run down to the marrow of my bones, the cold ice itself was running through my veins and my entire body went completely numb, but it was at that moment that I realized it was no ice that ran in my bloodstream, it was fear, and fear did take over at the moment. You would think that's it? You would think we finally arrived after that blood curdling shriek of laughter but no, that was the start.
"Bly! You see that? Did you just see that?" I had no response, maybe the sound of my voice was muffled by the snow, I didn't know
"Bly! Do you read me? BLY! RESPOND!" Still I hear nothing from him, was my voice not booming enough or did he really not hear me?
"DAMNIT BLY! RESPOND THIS INSTANT! DO YOU READ ME?" That damn Bly... I was starting to question his qualities of being a Royal Guard, Hubert began to chuckle at his own thought.
"SON OF A B****! RESPOND NOW OR I SWEAR THIS FLIGHT IS GOI-" I finally looked over to my right to see what the hell that panzy was doing... I regret looking over
"Holy s***! BLY?! YOU THERE?" I won't ever forget what I saw...scarred into mind like a knife just split open my head...
Right there in front of me was Bly alright, but it seemed to me like the snow did him in. Poor bastard was completely covered in ice that he blended in with the environment. That wasn’t what scarred me though, even in the dense fog, I could still make out his figure. I don't know what happened, but Bly... he wasn't covered in ice, no. I know what I saw and he was made out of it. That's when... that's when the Chari-
"AGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Victor stood up from the table suddenly and dropped his glass of coco onto the floor. The glass shattered in all directions and the coco was starting to be absorbed by the carpet placed right under the table. Twilight was quick to react and managed to clean most of the glass with her horn before Victor could step on it but was unfortunate to not act fast enough to remove the spilled coco. Victor slipped on the spilled refreshment but was caught by the magenta unicorn's magic. "That was Charlie" Victor said coldly
Everypony on the room looked at each other seriously and worried together. It was a shriek of terror that interrupted Hubert's story, the shriek that had once again blocked the truth to Twilight. "Ace you stay here with Twilight, me and Victor are going upstairs to check on Charlie" Hubert said to the worried pegasus that was resting her head on his shoulder.
"I told you to stop calling me Ace"
"Can't help it, sorry Dash. Stay here like I said, I'll be back"
"Wait no, we'll go with yo-"
"Whatever made Charlie yell like that is certainly not friendly, stay here for your own safety"
"But..."
"No but's, stay"
"Alright Victor, lets go... Victor? Where are you"
"Right behind you"
Hubert slowly turned around and had seen that Victor had his mane tied back with a makeshift bandana of a pale yellow, the same yellow that had been painted onto M79's in tiger stripe. In his hoof was a rather large knife that was made more for wilderness survival. "I'm ready, let’s go. No one is breaking into my house and hurting my brother". What was strange of the entire situation, is that this entire conflict was happening in Canterlot, the city of Celestia, the home of The Royal Guard, why would anyone want to commit a crime in this secure of a city is beyond the knowing of Twilight.
While in the deep thought, Victor and Hubert trotted in a sprint down the hallway and up the stairs to see the situation that was taking place. Meanwhile Twilight and Rainbow Dash were standing up right beside the dinner table trying to comprehend what was going on. "Twi, what's going on?" she said while walking over to her troubled friend. "I don't know... but I think it's time you say your part. Twilight brushed the hoof of blue pegasus off her shoulder.
"What do you mean Twi?" "Hubert never finished... but he said you were there, I remember him saying that if it wasn't for you showing up, he would have died, I would have died. I want to know Dash, I want to know what happened!" "Hey hey! Ease down there! Why do you want to know so badly? I mean like, come on Twi, I sa-" "Rainbow please... I want to know the truth, you were here talking with him while I was passed out when we were at his home"
After thinking for a few moments, Rainbow Dash had decided it was for the best she must tell Twilight her part of the story. The rainbow mane pegasus stretched out her wings and then sat back down onto her chair. "Sit down, it's going to be brief but I swear everything i'm about to tell you is the truth, I don't know anything more" Rainbow said while she was scratching her mane.
The eager purple coated friend sat down craving for the knowledge as if she were a predator in search of prey. "So Twilight, long story short, I was one of the pegasus sent to attempt to push back the oncoming storm along with a squadron of other pegasi. It didn't really matter how many of us there were, we couldn't push it back, and the storm was huge, something of a supernatural! I called off the operation and we all retreated back to Cloudsdale to rest. I went back to Ponyville to warn everypony that the storm MIGHT hit the town but was unsure. Knocked on all the doors to spread the news of the warning. Applejack must be weeping right now because of the trees that were probably destroyed... anyways, when I went to your home, nopony was there, only Spike" she paused briefly to scratch and straighten her mane before continuing on.
"So then I went to Pinkie's, she took the news... like any other news... happily" Dash said in a sigh, it wasn't news that Pinkie treat everything playfully. Told Fluttershy, she reinforced the homes of the chicken coops in an instant and all the other animals, she made sure that their homes were prepared, Applejack was worried of her trees as I said, and then I went to Rarity's last. Before I knocked on her door, I could hear her crying inside from her bedroom. II flew inside from an open window upstairs into Sweetiebells room. At the time Sweetiebell was in SweetApple Acres with Applebloom. When I walked into Rarity's room she didn't seem to care I was there watching her mope around and all. I tried to calm her down but she used her fancy shmancy magic to push me away and she cried even harder"
"So did you find out why she was crying?" Twilight pleaded.
"Yeah I did, it was because of you Twilight" she replied coldly.
Twilight used her magic to claim her cup of hot coco and drank the chocolate beverage so that it had warmed up her spirits. After some few sips while Rainbow Dash was collecting her thoughts together, Twilight began to get a bit drowsy.
"Well you ready to hear the story Twi?"
"Huh, oh what? Uhmmm yeah, yeah, lets hear it!"
"Rarity, what's wrong? You gotta tell me what's troubling you" Rainbow Dash was demanding worryingly.
A light blue glow had engulfed Dash as she was slammed onto Rarity's shoulder. Rarity continued to cry as her tears were splashing on Rainbow Dash's face. This oughtta be good... she said coldly in her mind.
"Oh Dashie! It's horrible, it's mortifying, it's tragic! Out of all the worse possible things that could happen this is honestly THE.WORST.POSSIBLE.THING! Rarity cried out into the pegasi's ear. Definitely haven’t heard that one before. Dash thought to herself. "Rarity, calm down, just breathe in and out, in and out"
Rarity obliged and levitated a tissue to her cheek to wipe away the tears and to blow her nose. The white unicorn's breathing became steady and soft after following Rainbow Dash's guidance to tell her of the reason of her tears. "Oh Rainbow this is absolutely terrible" she stuttered.
"Ok Rarity, I know it's bad. Just calm down and tell me what's wrong"
"I...I... I asked Twilight to do me a favor, but..." Again, the unicorn began to weep into the pegasi's shoulder.
Rainbow Dash slapped her hoof onto her face and dragged it down to Rarity's mane. She slowly stroked it to let her know that she was all ear to listen to her story. Rarity stopped her tears at a near instant and stood up throwing the tissue onto the floor. "Oh Dash, just yesterday... I asked Twilight if she could do me a favor" said Rarity.
"What kind of favor?"
"A pick up favour, I asked her if she could be a darling and find me a fabric just yesterday, but I had... NO IDEA SHE WAS GOING TO DO ME THAT FAVOR TODAY!" Rarity continued to sob.
"What's the big deal Rarity? You sound like a babbling brook, listen, Twilight just went to the Corduba (Fabric store) to find your little precious cloth and she'll be ba-"
"NO SHE WON'T!" she cried out
"Ok then Rarity, where DID she go?"
"Spike was here a few minutes ago to tell me if I had seen Twilight, I responded with no so he told me the news that she... went to the BAZAAR!" [insert more crying]
"Calm your flank down Rarity! It can't be that far, right?"
"Dash... the Bazaar is 10 miles east of Las Pegasus"
Rainbow Dash's jaw hit the floor when she heard Rarity's words. "D-Did you say, LAS PEGASUS? Oh no...Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!" Rainbow Dash's fur was turning into a darker shade of blue and her mane was becoming dull as well. "Rarity! This is NOT good!"
"Now you tell me Dash! Now you tell me! Now you know why I am crying!" "Yeah, now I know!" "Good! Twilight is such a dear, but to know that she's all the way out there getting me MY fabric just breaks my heart" "Wait, what are you talking about? Are you crying beca-" "I'M CRYING BECAUSE OF ALL THE WALKING SHE NEEDS TO DO! WHAT A FRIEND TWILIGHT IS!"
The pegasi's face was expressionless. Expecting for Rarity to know of the incoming snowstorm say something about it, she instead received news of how she feels bad for all the walking Twilight had to do. "Rarity... don't you know about the storm?" Rainbow Dash asked. "What storm?" asked the worried marshmallow. "Uh... well you see Rarity, I came here to warn you about an incoming snowstorm stretching from the La Drang Plains to Fillydelphia..." she stopped mid sentence and took in the fear and sorrow feeling Rarity was emitting.
"I... I KILLED TWILIGHT?"
"Aaaaaaand that's pretty much it Twi... she was crying, throwing a tantrum, I mean like, I was worried about you too! All the way out there in those dangerous plains near the timberwolves home and all, you must have been nuts to venture that far on your own!"
"Well it was for a good cause right?" "But it was going to cost you your LIFE if it hadn't been for me recognizing Huehue's distress call!" "Huehue? Really Dash? You like him or something?" Twilight giggled. "Hey! Shut up, this is important remember!" "Right, sorry"
Both of the mares had their eyes wander the walls of the house of Charlie and Victor. Very strange decorations were covering the wall. From an empty metal rectangular box to a necklace of what appeared to be rotting teeth. The question still remained of HOW Rainbow Dash find Twilight.
"Wait a second, so how exactly did you find me?" "Huh?-oh, yeah! Forgot to mention that. It was by Celestia's grace that I found you, and Hubert distress call. See, when Rarity told me of the news, she through me out of her house and scolded me, telling me to get a search party for you. Obviously I just went by myself instead to go find you, the storm was coming quick and I didn't need anypony else to slow me down, time was limited. On my way towards the plains however I saw some snowpony built on the middle of the field for no apparent reason and... the remains of a grey rabbit" Rainbow Dash shuttered at the image that re-appeared on her mind
"Wait, you saw a snowpony in the field?" "Well yeah, it was weird actually. The snowpony was untouched and didn't have a single scr-" "Oh thank Celestia! I thought I was insane! I thought I was going mad because of Syra! But why! Why does she want to kill me?? What have I done to deserve her torment!" "Twilight.... what are you talking about?.."
Twilight stopped for a moment to catch her breathe and to control her joy of happiness. While she was thinking for a few seconds to try to explain to her, upstairs, there were hooves trotting and spells being casted were heard. Both of the mares ignored the sound thinking it was just the guy’s horse playing (no pun intended). "Well you see Dash, like Hubert said, before all of you in Ponyville, I had friends here in Canterlot... 5 of them to be exact. I see you've known one for a while now, Hubert, and now you've met Charlie and Vic-" more spells were being casted upstairs and Twilight was beginning to be frustrated at the disturbance.
"Wait, so your telling me that before all of us in Ponyville, you had friends here in Canterlot? I thought you said you were too much of a bookwarm to socialize?" Rainbow Dash asked confused.
"Well... it was before I got into the studying. Even during the studying I still had my moments with them, especially Kale and-"
"Syra" Rainbow Dash finished Twilights sentance. The magenta unicorn was not only surprised to hear her friend finish her sentance, but even more surprised to hearing her say the name "Syra", considering the fact that she doesn't even know her.
"Yes...and Syra...how did you even know about her? I know I mentioned her at the dinner table but do you know anything about her?” Asked Twilight in an astonished manner. "Oh, I know everything Twilight" replied the pegasus menacingly. She stood up from her seat and slowly paced towards the unicorn with a look of a physco smeared across her face. Creeped out by the approaching rainbow mane pegasus, Twilight stood from her own chair as well and began to paced backwards but a little more quickly than the pace of Rainbow Dash.
"I know how you were the cause of Syra and Kale's death, how you left them here to die, how you betrayed both Syra and Kale, I know everything" said Rainbow Dash with her tone in voice growing louder with each word. "What are you talking about Rainbow? I'm just as lost as every other pony, I don't know how they died or where they died, hell! I want to know WHY they died! I'm just in the dark here! Don't you understand? I'M IN THE DARK! Why would I kill my best friends?! Why?! Two... of the ponies I loved the most, GONE!"
"BECAUSE OF YOU!" with that last shout of Rainbow Dash, all the windows in the house shattered and all the lights inside of the home were extinguished with a mighty gust coming from the outside of the raging winter. It was dark inside the house of Charlie and Victor, the only visible light was that of the moon's glow shining through the window on the left side of the window where Twilight was standing.
Twilight stood with half of her face being revealed by Luna's graceful light. "Rainbow...are you still there?" asked Twilight cautiously. Not a single response in the few seconds that she waited, the only response she received was another gust of wind blowing through the window. "Dash?" still no response. Suddenly in the midst of the darkness, a scream of pain fused with horror was heard coming from the upstairs only to be quickly silenced by a thunderous crash. Everything was muted to Twilight but the beating of her heart. Her eyes dilated and her breathing became rapid and heavy like once before. She stepped away from the light to retreat to the darkness that shrouded the house.
Beads of sweat ran down her forehead and onto the floor. The ceiling was starting to creak loudly and a few cracks of the wood were heard and in the darkest of the night, Twilight could see furniture and miscellaneous items fall from the ceiling that had caved in and a gaping hole formed. What in Celestia's name is going on up there? The frightened mare questioned herself. A few more falling objects fell from the hole on the ceiling followed by a few sounds of shattering glass.
Again, everything was muted to her but the beating of her heart and the disturbing sounds coming from the darkness. Soft faint moans were heard coming from directly in front of Twilight from the other side of the darkness. The only thing that separated the left and right side of the dark house was the moon's beam coming from the window on the left.
She gulped down the saliva that had filled her mouth and wiped away the sweat dripping from her forehead. From the night, the howl...the dreaded howl from the plains returned and broke the mute Twilight set to the environment. Timberwolves? Here in Canterlot?The lilac unicorn couldn't believe what she was hearing, such animals as dangerous as Timberwolves was impossible. Then from out the darkness, stepped out a blue furred hoof into the moonlit area of the living room in front of Twilight.
"Dash?" she said, stepping out of the shelter of the darkness to present her full face in the moonlight. The blue hoof quickly retreated making Twilight step forward to reveal her entire body in the moonlight. "Dash are you feeling alright?" no response. Another howl of Timberwolves coming from the outside was spread throughout Canterlot. The sounds of soft growls surrounded Twilight from all directions. "Dash, Hubert, Charlie, Victor? Anypony there?!" Twilight was starting to panic and the adrenaline kicked in hoping that this was not another situation that would put her life in peril again.
Another howl of the bloodthirsty timberwolves echoed throughout the night sky while clashing against Twilight's ear drums. "Ok guys... stop kidding around..." no response still, Then from out of the darkness, from the other side of the living room, a pair of glowing eyes appeared with he color of blood red, followed by soft faint growls. Twilight retreated back slowly into the shelter of her darkness behind her, stepping away from the moonlight's beam. As she did, more eyes started appearing in the darkness, 5 pairs of blood red eyes staring at her even though she couldn’t see herself in the dark, the eyes could see her.
The growls grew louder and louder and with the blink of an eye, the entire room across from twilight was filled with hundreds of eyes all staring at her. She could hear saliva slapping against lips, growls and snarls of hungry demons, the red eyes glowing brighter with each breath Twilight drew. Then all at once, the night was silenced once again, all the eyes staring at her disappeared and the sound of hooves walking across the wooden floor echoed through the house.
Twilight at first cowered by covering her face in the corner of the house but then she realized she's been chased down before, she wasn't going to go down without a fight. Taking a few more deep breathes and shaking off the sweat, she charged at the approaching figure. The sound of the hooves stopped and Twilight did as well when she reached the white moonlight, still hiding in the shadows. "Come on! Get me! What are you waiting for?" Yelled Twilight at the mysterious stranger that continued to stay in the dark.
"Twilight...Twilight dear, come out"
Twilight gasped when she heard the voice...that damn voice...the same one that has haunted her ever since she discovered the scrap book. "W-W-Who's there?" Stuttered the mare.
"Twilight..."
Twilight didn't wait; she created a light with her horn and illuminated the figure from the neck down with her pinkish light. After recognizing the body for a moment, she took a step back so she was barely revealed from the moonlight. "SHOW YOURSELF DAMNIT!" scorched out Twilight. The mysterious pony, stepped forward to finally reveal itself. Right there in the beam of the moonlight, in flesh and bone, not ice like before, stood Syra with her eyes glowing the darkest of all reds to a point where it was nearly black. Syra grinned in Twilight direction with a mischievous look on her face.
"Twilight dear, come out of the darkness, come, lets dance with the angels"
That's it for this chapter. HOPE you enjoyed it. The next 2 chapters will be called: Colors of Reunion and Revelations. Look forward to that. This chapter is a BIT rushed because I'm already writing Colors of Reunion and I didn't want to make you all wait. Colors of Reunion and Revelations will have the most action in them (CoR will have the most) then come the ending chapters. I was ORIGINALLY going to post this on Friday but I DID promise I wouldn't make you all wait for over 2 weeks and I realized today marks 2 weeks EXACT, so I posted this today.
By the way, I DID make an update saying I would make this 2 parts long but deleted the update. Read the ending statements, they will make you happy. Alright? Good.
Previously on Unforgiven Winter...
Twilight gasped when she heard the voice...that damn voice...the same one that has haunted her ever since she discovered the scrap book. "W-W-Who's there?" Stuttered the mare.
"Twilight...
Twilight didn't wait; she created a light with her horn and illuminated the figure from the neck down with her pinkish light. After recognizing the body for a moment, she took a step back so she was barely revealed from the moonlight. "SHOW YOURSELF DAMNIT!" scorched out Twilight. The mysterious pony, stepped forward to finally reveal itself. Right there in the beam of the moonlight, in flesh and bone, not ice like before, stood Syra with her eyes glowing the darkest of all reds to a point where it was nearly black. Syra grinned in Twilight's direction with a mischievous look on her face.
"Twilight dear, come out of the darkness, come, lets dance with the angels"
Mini Update: In case you all are wondering how exactly the Ice Prison looks like (When Rarity was turning to Ice in chapter 2 and such), to give you a visual picture, it's similar to the iceification (is that even a word) in the episode: Hearths Warming Eve, when they were arguing in the cave EXCEPT it's not just a block of ice. Do you all remember Twilight being made out of stone by that cockatrice thing? Well think of both of them combined. Just a heads up if you want a visual picture.
Unforgiven Winter
Chapter 6
Colors of Reunion
Note: Most intense chapter of the story yet. Prepare yourselves.
"Sy-Syra! I can't believe it's you...after all these years..." Twilight started to say but the sentence was finished by the demonic unicorn, "After all these years you remembered us. If it wasn't for that scrapbook of yours you and Kale put together, we would have all been lost forever in your mind."
Twilight was disheartened to hear the words she knew were true. Syra stepped out of the moonlight and began to walk around the shine to Twilight. "You see what you've done here Twilight? Do you see this pain you brought upon all of us? You should have listened to Tyco back in the Bazaar, he warned you not to come back, we all did." said Syra. Twilight's heart began to beat at a normal pace once again, knowing that although Syra meant harm, she was certainly not on the offensive at the moment. Twilight didn't respond, she knew that Syra craved for a response.
"No comment? Nothing at all? Hmph...well then, I can't say I'm not surprised. So many years... so many years it's been... since I've gotten rid of you. So many years it's been since you... killed us" Syra finished with a grin of evil. "I DIDN'T KILL ANYPONY!" yelled back Twilight with rage in her voice. "Says YOU Ms. Sparkle!" Twilight's horn began to glow at the tip, ready to cast a spell at the ghostly pony. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Sparkle." she paused momentarily. "Who are you to judge your own actions, Twilight? I know what you did, you might not remember, you might have even brushed the thought away from your mind, but Twilight, it has never left your life."
"What are you talking about? You know I would never kill anypony, especially my best friends!" Twilight was starting to get aggravated by Syra's mind games. "That's what I THOUGHT of you, but then we both became victims of you" Syra paused and during her pause, Twilight cut in "You know damn well I didn't do anything! What do you want from me?! Why are you doing this to me Syra!? I loved you, you know it!" Tears were beginning to ease Twilight's rage, but have yet to extinguish it.
"You said it yourself, LOVED. You LOVED me, but more importantly, you LOVED him. Such a sad tale isn't it, Sparkle? You neglect your actions to yourself AND to me? After killing me, you still continue to hide the lie! Sad... very very... sad. You live a lie Twilight... probably the work of that wicked Princess Celestia... you killed me... you killed...Kale" Syra finished, her dark blood eyes narrowed accompanied with a demonic smile that shone as brightly as freshly laid out snow.
"SHUT UP!!!"
Twilight's horn began to illuminate the entire room, before she released not only her tears, but a bolt of a purple projectile right towards the devilish apparition. "It appears I hit a soft spot, haven't I?" said Syra as she laughed away not caring of the incoming projectile. Just before the bolt of magic struck down Syra, she disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving behind remains of snowflakes and the ice her hooves left behind. The bolt didn't stop, however, it went down the corridor of the house leading towards door, illuminating the walls momentarilly as it passed by before giving off a small explosion as it collided against the wall.
Twilight's sweat was running down her face and splattered on the floor, drop by drop echoed through the house. "SYRA! WHERE ARE YOU!?" the unicorn's behavior was unreal, something greater than anything she's ever felt before, rage. Twilight felt something brush right along her tail that was moist and yet cold. She quickly turned around to fire another leathal bolt of magic at the moving figure. Again, the bolt flew across the room lighting up a small area as it flew by and it hit the wall. She stepped into the light of the moon and planted her feet there to have maximum visibility of the area.
"You never really were the 'fighter' type Twi, I guess that's why you didn't fight for what you loved" said Syra with her voice sounding disoriented. "Show yourself!" yelled out the mare in frustration. "Right over here!" Syra said from across the room, a blue light from the tip of her horn revealed her position.
Twilight cast another shot of the magic bolt straight towards Syra, only to see that she had missed again. "You just have the worst aim" giggled the apparition. "Face me you coward!” The pattern continued for about a minute until Twilight was exhausted from firing multiple bursts of the lethal magic. The entire black room had no change of scenery but it did in fact smell of smoke and ashes.
"I-I-I can't do it anymore!" cried out Twilight before she continued her sentence once she took another breath. "I can't do it anymore! I can't! Syra! What do you want from me!? I don't ever remember killing anypony, I would NEVER kill anypony!" Twilight collapsed onto the ground breathing heavily, trying to regain the stamina she had lost in the useless fight. "I expected so much more from you, but as I said already, you're not much of a fighter" Twilight could feel the presence of Syra right behind her. Syra laughed from her regular tone of voice into a demonic laughter from the bowels of hell.
"Gotcha..." whispered Twilight to herself. She formed a smirk on her face as her horn began to glow once again. Syra was lost in her own laughter that it had been un-noticeable for her to see Twilight's new actions. With the purple aura surrounding her horn, Twilight formed a wedge around it (her horn) while she still lay on the ground. Twilight concentrated her last remaining amount of strength to her legs timing her action perfectly. "I'm so sorry Syra..." With those last words leaving her mouth, Twilight stood up in a flash and faced her once best friend.
Still in her deep trance of laughter, Syra still had not noticed Twilight until she heard her hooves smack against the wooden floorboards. "I'M SORRY!" yelled Twilight just as she lunged at Syra with the magical wedge formed around her horn. "Twilight NO, wa- UGH!" Syra stood with her fore-hooves up into the air, attempting to ward off Twilight's attack but it was no use. The magenta unicorn sank her enchanted horn deep into Syra's heart, feeling the pain she has caused to her friend. "W-Wa-Wait..." Syra finished saying, her dark blood eyes began to go darker and darker. Just before the color in her eyes went black, Twilight whispered once again "I'm sorry..."
She continued to stand with her horn lodged into Syra's heart with tears streaming out from her eyes like a trail of water going down a hill. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Twilight kept repeating those two words for what seemed like an eternity. After a few seconds, Syra's dead weight fell onto Twilight, giving more pressure onto Twilight's neck. She looked down on the floor, seeing nothing but her tattered hooves and never once looked up to see the dead face of Syra.
She didn't mind, didn't mind at all of her dead friend lying on her. Twilight had killed her best friend and for what reason? For driving Twilight to near insanity? After killing Syra, Twilight began to wonder if this was the final push it took for her to step into the mad world. Liquid trickled down Twilight's still lightly glowing horn and onto her face to accompany her tears to the bottom of her cheeks. Twilight knew the blood of her friend was sliding down her face but there was something off of the blood, Syra's blood was ice cold. A small droplet landed upon her top lip, edging its way slowly to bottom one.
Twilight couldn't help it; she had licked the cold blood droplet straight from her lip to taste the odd blood. "Wait... this isn't..." the taste of the supposed blood was cold and flavorless. It was no blood that had been spilling onto her face; it was very icy water that had been spilled. After realizing it was just mere water, a small stream suddenly started to pour down onto Twilight's face from where she had impaled Syra. While her entire head was being drenched by the unfamiliar liquid, she stood there trying to decipher whether it be blood or water she was being covered with.
"Was Syra so evil that her heart ran as cold as her blood? Was she really a cold blood lunatic, or is it just plain regular water I am bathing in?" Her imagination ran wild with the several ideas that came to mind and the thoughts only made her shiver in fear, until a sudden action in the scene took place.
Twilight stood there being covered in whatever type of liquid it was with Syra's deadweight, when Syra began to move again. She was completely caught off guard and was not prepared for such a shocking event to follow her murder. Slowly, Twilight moved her eyes from the floor to the face of Syra. The slayed unicorn's skin was whitening more than it already was and a blue-ish tone was being mixed in as well.
"I'm amazed at you Twilight, I really am" said Syra in a faint voice. Twilight's heart skipped a beat, making her nearly pass out. "She's...she's ALIVE?" she said in her mind. "No dear, I'm not, I never was to begin with". said Syra , followed by a pattern of light laughs. "How did she even know what I was-", Twilight was cut off. "Thinking?" Syra finished her sentence.
The purple unicorn's jaw dropped to not only see Syra's blood red eye color returning, but to also hear her speak, even after impaling her. "Bu-but-but how did you know I was about to say that?" Twilight demanded. Syra's entire body was starting to liquefy into a cold water, drip by drip hitting the floor. "You can't kill what's already dead Twi" laughed out Syra. After saying that, she completely turned to water and drenched Twilight with herself. The cold water completely soaked Twilight from head to hoof and with the combination of the winter's weather blowing through the window, the water started to freeze right onto Twilight.
The icy coffin started to trap Twilight in place, forcing her hooves to stick to the ground. She was still weak from the excessive magic repulsions she was unleashing earlier and barely had any strength to break free from Syra's attack. "What's wrong dear? Just a few minutes ago you killed me, oh wait, never mind. That was a few YEARS ago" it was is if the laughter was coming from inside of Twilight's mind, but how exactly, Twilight did not know. Just as the ice was forming around the base of her neck, the entire case of the cold coffin forming around Twilight cracked right along the center where her spine was located.
Knowing of the newfound weakness in the ice prison, she attempted to break free. "What do you think you are doing?! BE STILL AND SUFFER!" said the voice of Syra inside of Twilight's head. "Why is it I hear her in my mind? I don't understand!" Twilight paused her thought momentarily, focusing more on breaking free before continuing."It doesn't matter now, I'm not letting her get inside my head","I'M ALREADY INSIDE YOUR HEAD" boomed out the malicious voice.
Twilight's strength was not enough to shatter her demise, forcing her to give up on breaking free. "There you go, relax. I promise you won't feel a thing" said the insane unicorn. As her laughter filled Twilight's head, the doomed mare expelled a final tear before she had lost all hope in her survival and her love. "I'm so sorry Kale, I'm so sorry Syra, so sorry..."
As doomed as she was, she still had a single strand of hope left in her. The many memories she shared with her friends in Canterlot and Ponyville all came to mind at once. Never did she see her life ending so suddenly and so slowly, it was enough time to look at the last of the bleak scenery before she had been fully consumed by the ice and fall victim to her friend Syra.
Not too far from the end of the room, Twilight saw herself being covered by Syra's attack."Wait...why is it I can...BINGO!" Twilight grinned and a flush of happiness filled her body with hope once more. Using her magic, she spurted out a flare like spell, a ball of energy that let off a fiery purple glow to the middle of the room, just a far enough so it is out of the moonlights view and far enough to light up the few objects around the area.
It was as she had hoped it would be, at the end of the room, lay a nearly shattered mirror that had fell from the ceiling. It was fortunate for the mirror to land straight upwards but unfortunate it was a bit broken from the bottom. "It's all of nothing right now; I'm not leaving this place without answers!" Twilight said loudly. Just what in Equestria are you... NO!" Syra had seen her prey's plan but was too slow to react to her sudden action.
Twilight took in her last deep icy breath and held it in her lungs just before she had let out the final amount of stamina in her body to release the last bolt of magic straight at the mirror ahead of her. "NOOOOO!!!" the voice boomed through Twilight's skull. She exhaled the final breath she held in her lungs and smiled. The last thing she saw, was her magic bolt hitting the mirror and it bouncing right back towards her. The ice prison was completely covering Twilight now with the smile now frozen onto her face; however, her frozen demise was not strong enough to withstand the mighty blast of energy the clever unicorn summoned.
Syra's plan was completely shattered in an instant once the energy bolt struck the ice prison. Twilight opened her eyes once the impact had passed away and she was completely free from deaths reach. Looking around the bleak scenery, the feeling in the atmosphere was far beyond safe. She trotted quickly into the darkness to avoid being seen from Syra, if she was even there. "You just couldn't accept death, could you Twilight?" said Syra's voice, as if though it was coming out of thin air.
Twilight stood nearby the holy light of the moon but not close enough to reveal her position. "Hiding in the shadows for your safety is probably the last thing you want to do" whispered Syra's disembodied voice right next to Twilight. She shrieked out in both surprise and terror, jumping into the moonlight's view.
Panting heavily from the current fatal events, Twilight was completely thrown off guard when a gust of the winter wind swept in 3 piles of snow, all aligned and massive. She stood their confused for a few seconds before the snow moved on its own. She took a few steps back, fearing it was yet another one of Syra's traps to kill her. "I already told you Twilight, you can't kill what's already dead" Syra's ghastly voice paused before she continued, "Have you no shame Twilight? You killed me... twice; you really want me dead don't you?" a series of giggles followed her words.
"Syra please, you know this entire thing must be a misunderstanding, I've never done anything to you, to Kale, to anyone"
"No harm to anyone? Just look around you, Sparkle! You brought our deaths, you brought forth the destruction of the home of your friends, for all I know, and they’re probably dead! Listen closely and you'll notice this entire time, not a single noise by them was made. You bring death wherever you walk Twilight."
"I don't believe in your words, Swirlz. A grand illusion is what this whole act is and you know it!"
"I know nothing except for the fact you need to be condemned for your actions"
"Then what have you been waiting for? You have more than enough power to have me dead yet you let me live every time we run into each other. Are you a coward or do you still possess the feelings that-"
"ENOUGH! No more of this petty talk, you are right... then again not right. I wanted to make you suffer, make you lose your sanity so you take your own life...but I see now that your blinding arrogance is the only thing that saves you"
The pile of snow that lay in the middle began to move violently and ceased its movement. Slowly the snow started to build up on each other and began to take figure. right before Twilight, Syra was beginning to re-animate back to life but in her ice form. "I've said it once and i'll say it again, you can't kill what's already dead" the pile of snow formed quickly to create Syra but instead of having her icy cold skin staying that way, magically she turned into flesh and bone. She shook her head violently to shake off the water that was still in her mane and to position it correctly so that her eyes still shone the bloody red.
"You're right Twilight. I have more than enough power to kill you, I've been taking my sweet time to do so, but no more" she closed her eyes and held her head high before she revealed her trick with the other two piles of snow. She smirked and clapped her hooves together 3 times as she chanted "Hell frozen rain falls down". The left and right piles of snow shifted up and down quickly only to settle in a state of being completely flat. Snow from the outskirts of the pile jumped towards the middle forming a small mound of snow.
In only a few seconds, the snow started to take shape of the vicious predator that has been stalking Twilight for some time. Both on the left and right side of Syra, were two fully built timberwolves made of snow. The eyes shone a brighter more sinister red that Syra's and their teeth were licked to a shine with the saliva, hungry for food.
"See here darling, these are my pets, the same things that you brought upon us at the mountains, the same things that killed us this very day, 5 winters ago." Syra raised her left hoof and shook her head with eyes closed. "You know Twilight, it pains me to see you join the ranks of me and Kale, but your crimes can never be forgiven, goodbye dear friend, let your red blood bring color to this black reunion." Syra shouted in a powerful tone towards Twilight that is shook the floors of the house. " Listen to me beasts of the winter season, I am Syra Swirlz, the victim that has fallen by your claws, that has fallen by your hunger, that has fallen because of HER! Give Twilight her redemption, obey the one who was betrayed by the hooves of a friend, obey me, Syra, OBEY THE PRAETOR OF THIS UNFORGIVEN WINTER!"
Howls...the dreadful howls of the twin timberwolves breaking the winter’s harsh atmosphere were too much. As tired as Twilight was, she wasn't going to stand there and let the beasts tear her to pieces, no. Instead... she shot out the same bolt of energy she had casted to scatter the shadows in all directions to reveal the mirror at the far end of the living room to blind and fend off the wolves considering how the bolt had an extremely high temperature.
Just as predicted, the mare sprinted towards the end of the corridor where she had previously shot out a bolt of magic which turns out she hit nothing but the wall, The pink flare burned out a few seconds after Twilight burst through the door. "The guards, the city, the princess! I need to get to the city!" Twilight sprinted in full throttle at half the speed of a Wonderbolt to make it to the haven of the city. The home of Charlie and Victor lay on the outskirts of Canterlot where the "high class living" status was lowered down greatly.
The falling snow obscured her vision but it didn't slow her speed down at all, instead it only forced her to sprint faster. The timberwolves were hot on her tail angry over the obstacle Twilight laid to delay their movements. "Hold on a second..." she slowed her running down slowly until she was at a complete stop. She regained the very little breath she had used during the sprint but her heart still pounded hard from breaking free of the ice.
"They are made of snow, my magic is made up energy and heat, a well-placed shot can blast a hole right through them!" she grinned in delight, knowing that her newly created plan is just stupid enough to work. She was about to face two fully grown mature timberwolves the size of 2 ponies together, she was starting to question her plan but by then it was too late, their howls shook the snow off of the nearby leafless trees.
She slammed her fore hooves on either side of herself in a battle stance ready for the oncoming winter beasts. Their foolish behavior to howl every once in a while gave their position away easily to the battle ready Twilight. Her breath was steady and her attitude was eager to vanquish her foes, but her heart was beyond the stage of being mended together.
In the short distance of the starry night a two pairs of glowing red slits in the black, were racing at an incredible speed towards her. She sighed out a warm breath that it showed up in the night in front of her. When the last shout of the Timberwolf was made, she shot out the same exact spell she had used to make illuminate the room back at Charlie's home, the same glowing fiery ball.
The night was silent, the red eyes disappeared and the tension rose faster than ever before. The only sound this time was just the wind passing through the dead trees and the small light snowflakes hitting the floor to mix in with the rest of the snow.
The second a drop of sweat struck the ground, the purple flare was starting to die down very slowly and rapidly. The sizzling of melting snow could be heard and the crackling of the energy bolt was beginning to die down until finally the light was completely extinguished. Twilight already had her horn pre-ready by having the very tip glow the dull purple aura she always carried with her. What felt like eons were actually just the passing seconds of tension? Small soft growls were made but no sight of them at all.
They're close... they're very close, I could not see it yet but I could feel it, whatever was going to happen, it wasn't the way this winter was going to end
The growls turned into a roar of an attack and then at that moment, Twilight barrel rolled to the left and saw that both of the wolves collided into each other head first and plopped to the ground. Both were now blinded with rage and fury that made them careless but more dangerous nonetheless. She used their careless behavior to her advantage, making it easier to shoot her bolts.
In rapid succession, Twilight fired off 5 small but quick shots of the purple bullet-like energy at her foe. It was as if these wolves were winter itself, the harder they fought, and the more severe the snow fell on them all. The moon being covered by the black clouds of this damned night made it nearly impossible to see in the dark but it hadn't stopped Twilight from fighting to the fullest of her abilities.
One of the wolves launched itself into the air to attempt a pounce on Twilight; it was its biggest mistake. As the timberwolf flew downwards with its claws ready to sink into Twilight's skin and mouth open to gnaw on her flesh, she charged up a powerful spell of energy that was shot straight towards the beast’s heart. It yelped in pain and landed straight on its head, breaking his skull open. Amazingly it stood right back up only to wildly yelp in pain and frustration at his defeat.
The wolf stood on its hind legs while his front legs clawed at its split open skull hoping it would stop the pain in any way. The 2nd wolf ran off into the night but the battle-ready unicorn knew it's only leaving so she would put down her guard; it wasn't going to perform a sneak attack on her.
She eyed the pained winter beast to see the damage she had done to it, what she had seen was un-explainable. There was a rather large hole in his chest from where Twilight had laid her blast and split skull resulting from the fall, that was disturbed her though, black spewed from its wounds. A mysterious flow of black shadow was spilling out of the wounds and stained the white virgin snow.
"What in Celestia's name..." she spoke softly to herself. Even though it was an enemy, Twilight couldn't bear to see the ghostly wolf suffer any longer. Aiming straight for the head, she shot out a bolt of energy, forcing the top of the timberwolve's head to be blown off. It fell to the ground lifeless as the black shadow continued to spew out from its skull making a small puddle around its body. Twilight rested, the presence of the 2nd wolf weren't felt, and she knew the night ...was for the moment safe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She sat down and sobbed, getting her mane covering her eyes and snow falling calmly on the floor and on her.
The black clouds moved away and the Luna's graceful light shone once more revealing the entire field on the bleak winter now painted gray and black with the vengeance and death all caused by the hatred between two rival mares. Once they were the greatest of friends and now both of them to have a goal of wanting the other out of their lives. For what caused the hatred between two friends was still unknown to Twilight, but she knew at last that blood will be the only thing that can bring color to this reunion.
Twilight...it's okay, everything is ok.
She turned around slowly upon hearing the familiar voice, the voice that she had rejected so many years ago. Perhaps there was still hope to avenge fallen friends.
Important Notice
Is this the end of the chapter? Nope, Sorry to say but this is the end of part 1, part 2 will be released POSSIBLY tomorrow OR Wednesday. Part 1 has been finished for some time but I have been working on part 2 so I don't make you all wait for so long. Part 2 is at the conclusion and I estimate it's about 2-3 thousand words long.It will contain the rest of the action, somepony has a turn for the worse, the return of Syra and Kale and the 2nd to last chapter, I will go into detail about when I release it.
This is a LONG chapter but an ACTION chapter. I will have a xCHECKPOINTx along the story. Whats this for you ask? Well this IS a long chapter, I know I don't have very many people viewing this and to those who are reading this story, I want to make sure I make this story give you a real ride. I have created the checkpoint so you all do not become bored while reading. I can admit even my favorite stories bore me at times and I come back to read them later on. Basically, the checkpoint is just there for you to either stop reading and do your other life activities, or to take a break from reading and come back to it later. Do not want to bore you, now then, off to the climax of the story!
Also I can tell many have lost interest in this story by now. Due to a sudden sickness I received a few days ago, I've been dead on writing for a FULL week. I'll go into further detail about this later, if you do not want to read the story, please have the courtesy to go to the end to know what is going to happen.
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Note: I forgot to add this but the timberwolf, the one Twilight killed, the black shadows puring out formed a circle/puddle around it and the Timberwolf turned back into a mound of snow. Forgot to add that so just keep that in mind.
Unforgiven Winter
Chapter 7
Colors of Reunion
"Ka-Ka-Kale!" stuttered Twilight as she turned her head around to see if the familiar voice she had just heard had the same memorable face. Her was quickly turned into a semi-frown when she saw the figure that stood in front of her. Right there in the from of her stood... Mare Do Well?
"Mare Do Well?!"
"In the flesh Ms.Sparkle"
"But... but... you're just-"
"A fictional character of your imagination?"
She had no response to the heroic pony that stood in front of her, no matter how similar it sounded to Kale. "Are you alright Twi?" asked Mare Do Well. It took Twilight a few seconds to recover her mixed thoughts accordingly so she could answer him. She continued to stay dumbfounded upon seeing her own creation being alive in front of her. For a few moments she was thinking to herself completely ignoring his questions to think about the few possibilities of who was in the suit, but in the end, each one had a contradiction forcing her to believe it was... somepony else.
"Hey! Are you all ri-"
"I'm fine! I'm...fine...sorry I just, spaced out there for a moment"
It was a moment of awkwardness and confusion at the very moment. MDW (Mare Do Well) is supposed to be a character we created to stop Rainbow Dash's cocky attitude, I don't understand, who is this supposed to be? Why does she sound like Kale? Her voice... HIS voice is so similar to Kale but there's some sort of disorientation in his voice, similar to Syra's. the thought circled Twilight's mind. Mare Do Well sighed out a cold breathe that turned to small icicles and slowly hit the ground. Guess I should just reveal the big secret I have, you shouldn't be surprised, with that look onto your face I can tell you're just trying to deny who I am. he chuckled lightly.
The mysterious mustang slowly leaned forward so that the hat would slip off his head and fall to the ground. He then proceeded to shake his head quickly to that the mask would become loose enough for him to slip it off his skull. Twilight craved to see if it really was him, to see if it really was the love she had turned down for such reason years ago. Inch by inch the mask was coming off and more of the face was being revealed to the eager Twilight until the mighty pegasus completely took it off all at once while it was halfway in one swift motion.
She had to see it to believe it; her mouth gaped open in surprise and a flush of pure joy filled her heart. Hope was restored but not innocence, innocence was the first casualty during the conflict between her and the sudden change of heart Syra. Aside from her stood the long lost loved pegasus, Kale.
"KALE!" shouted Twilight with color and pure joy and a smile so wide that it had reflected the moons light straight to Kale's face, blinding him momentarily. "Agh! Hey Twi-Twi! It's been so lo-OOF" his breath was knocked out of him as Twilight had tackled him to the ground out of happiness. "Oh Kale! It's been years and they... Hubert said you've been dead this whole time and I KNEW he was lying! he always does that! But Syra, she's evil! PURE EVIL! She tried to kill him and her magic is, oh Celestia, her magic is absolutely HORRIFIC! Her illusions almost drove me to insanity, I didn't think I’d survive if it wasn't for that last strand of hope I had left in me, which was to see you again before I had died, to see ALL of you before I die! I would never forget any -"
Her ramblings, apologies, comments, and questions flooded the night but the winter snow now fell lightly and calmly on the ground. Snow soft enough for it to feel like a freshly crafted bed made of cloud and feather. The still dressed Kale just lay there on the ground beside Twi on the fresh laid out snow, not minding her talk. He simply sighed and nodded after everything she said with his eyes closed and a smile on his face. His wings rested at his side except for his left one which occasionally kept touching Twilight on the side of her leg and to scratch his forehoof.
It hadn't been more than 5 minutes until she started telling Kale about Syra and how she destroyed the house. Kale didn't have any change of emotion or reaction; he continued to lie down on the snow with Twilight, bathing in the lights of the moon.
Kale opened his eyes for a brief moment to catch a glimpse of Twi and made eye contact with her. He closed his eyes and without Twilight noticing, (due to the fact she was still rambling on about what happened) he became part of the calm and sacred night. Twilight turned her body so that it faces him only to see a terrible sight, Kale's back legs were turning to ice. It was spreading slowly but surely upwards towards chest and then chest.
"KALE NO!" shouted Twilight in horror. She attempted to stand up but was pulled right back down quickly by Kale's wing. She looked back down at her leg and snow covered hoof to see Kale's wing was back at his side. Looking at the lower part of his body, she also noticed the ice that was forming around his legs was retreating slowly back to the snow on the ground.
"Shhhhh, sit down Twi" pleaded Kale. She obliged and sat down closely beside him to hear what it was he had to say to her. Few seconds passed until he finally stood up leaving the mask on the ground and shaking off the snow that was planted onto his back. Twilight's mane was still a bit down because of the little bath Syra had given her before when they had their conflict inside the house. Some of the mane was down and covered her right eye partially but didn't obscure her vision.
Before saying anything, he cleared his throat out with a cough and carefully clearing the mane from Twilight's eye. Listen Twilight, I would really love for us to be here together and to speak more of what is happening, but just think about everything that HAS happened right now, did you forget about all the friends you left behind at the house so quickly?" he chuckled heartily. Kale knew very well that Twilight had explained to him already but was just trying to switch the subject back to the lost friends at the house.
The thought did strike Twilight, her friends are probably dead, the twins home was destroyed, she vanquished Syra and her winter pets, and all she did at the moment was rejoice to the reunion of her and her long lost love Kale and tell him all the nightmare-ish events that has happened to her. She felt terrible for having not spoken too much of Hubert, Charlie, Victor, and Rainbow Dash, but she rather not want to know their fates and what the wicked unicorn had done to them if they lived.
"But I told you everything that happened! I'm not a bad mare..."
She pouted with her head looking downwards at her hooves.
Kale lifter up her head so that she looked up at Kale and they were both on the same eye level. "Hey now, don't be sad, it'll all be okay..." he paused momentarily so that he and Twi were fave to fave as he leaned in closer. "Now listen Twi, this is a winter that has been as haunting as the ones in the recent years of your absence. To you, no. To Charlie and Victor, yes, and to Hubert?... yes. It was... some sort of seal that has been protecting you for so long. If you are here now, then obviously it means that the seal has broken your protection against... her."
"What do you mean seal? What are you talking about?" "Twilight dear... if only you knew her reasons, but I can't say them now, not in the world of dream" "Huh? What in Celestia's name are you talking about?" "Look Twilight, just wait for him to arrive, when he comes, I'll tell you what going to happen"
The mare was more confused and her reply to Kale was only a puzzled look on her face. "I-I don't understand." Said Twilight in hopes of Kale being more detailed with his words. "You will soon Twilight dear, trust me. Look Twi, we can go into further detail later tonight okay? Right now you need to get back to your world" said Kale with passion in his voice. He smiled and shook off the softly laid snow from his black mane and yelled out a chant in the night saying "Philias Plumbatarii Ronstraa!"
Kale sat back down upon shouting his words and sat down with his eyes closed and a smile on his face. He looked pleased with what he had chanted but remained silent sitting down. "Uh... Kale, what did you do?" Twilight asked more puzzled that ever. Kale didn't need to answer her question; instead, the newly introduced creature answered it for him. They were in Canterlot after all, the city built high on the mountain side. From the farthest distance in the darkness, a blue light was seen.
Kale continued to sit patiently with the same grin on his face while Twilight eyed the mysterious fast moving blue light. The light grew bigger and brighter with every second and the lilac unicorn trying to decipher what it is that she is seeing in the distance. It was then that it was within Twilight's view.
It was a phoenix, a fire blue phoenix that flew towards them at high velocity. When it reached out of the darkness and started to fly in the moons light, it flew with pride and beauty. How graceful did the phoenix fly, with such elegance, such passion, it took Twilight's breath away. Its sapphire aura of flames only shone even more elegant in the moon's ever-charming rays of white holy shine.
Now nearing the two, he hovered slightly and sank it's talons into the freshly made ice as he landed softly beside Kale. After closer examination, Twilight noticed that the beautiful blue creature was none other than Philomena. Kale started to pet Philomena by stroking its back slowly and calmly. It was as if the creature was in reverse, instead of a normal phoenix that burns everything it touches and had flames of bright red and yellow embers, Philomena had sapphire blue flames that added beauty to the night and froze anything within a close proximity.
Seeing how Philomena was enjoying the feel of Kale's hoof, Twilight didn't see anything more interesting than to pet a phoenix herself. Just before her hoof touched it, Kale pushed Twilight's hoof away and laughed softly. "I wouldn't do that if I were you Twi, you're only a mortal" Kale said smiling and looking deep into Twilight's eyes. She was very confused of what Kale meant by mortal.
"So... why did you call him here exactly? Also, ho-"
"You'll see right now"
Kale nodded at Philomena and the graceful beautiful phoenix spread its magnificent wings ad hovered slightly off the frozen ground, glowing a brighter shade of blue by the second. In a quick jolt of movement, he shot up straight into the sky illuminating the darkness and leaving behind some of its blue flames on the ground where he was recently at. "You might want to step back right now dear..." Kale insisted. Twilight was way ahead of him upon seeing Philomena did a U-turn only to do a corkscrew right back towards the ground at the unicorn and pegasus.
"What's going on Kale?" pleaded Twilight
You'll see sweetie... hey listen Twi, when you are back to your dimension, meet me outside on the balcony of the 2nd floor. Take a right on your way out of the bedroom and when you see the door with frost forming around the frame, go outside". said the pegasus. She didn't seem to understand what all this useless information stood for. Trying to decipher what exactly it was he was trying to say, she figured out it had to be some sort of joke from long ago and she doesn't seem to remember it.
Twilight only giggled in confusion and said "Uhm... yeah... sure will?" Kale facehoofed and then told her.
"You're in a world of Dream Twilight, but now that we've been finally been able to speak face to face, I can finally tell you-"
Philomena was only feet away and the buzzing of air being ripped through disoriented the Kale's voice. With a crash like thunder, the blue majestic phoenix formed a type of hole on the ground. Much like the puddle of black shadow that had engulfed the timberwolf, it was a puddle of blue icy flames mixed with shadow, like a holy fire.
"Step in Twilight, go back to your world. Don't worry, we will see each other again if you follow my instructions, ok?"
"But-but... I really don't know what you’re trying to pull off here!"
"Don't argue with me right now, it's not safe, she's lurking around here... now go! Hurry before she stops your escape!"
"Escape to-"
"JUST HURRY AND STEP IN! MEET ME ON THE BALCONY"
Twilight never had Kale shout at her and when he did, it was because he was absolutely serious. She didn't talk back but hesitated to step into the blue flames of Philomena. Where Philomena was, Twilight didn't know but at the same time didn't question it, she just wanted to stay with Kale but knew that he sensed trouble. It was just then that hundreds of red eyes started to appear in the direction from where Charlie and Victor lived.
Twilight took a breath and feared what lay at the other side and what Kale meant by "The world of dreams" she was currently in, nonetheless, she was about to find out everything about Syra and Kale, about what happened so many winters ago. She put one hoof into the flaming blue void and it was just then that Kale had lifted it up. She looked up puzzled at why he would stop her from doing an action he told her to commit. "Hey, are you going to let me go or-"
Twilight was shut up instantly and felt her entire body feel like jello. Kale had locked his lips onto hers and together they shared a deep and passionate kiss, one they both longed for. Just as Twilight was feeling passion and lust in his form of kiss, his lips started to grow cold, almost instantly, as if she were just kissing ice itself. Twilight opened her eyes to see her lovers face but hoped that she had never opened her eyes to begin with.
All around Twilight, were thousands of hungry and bloodthirsty timberwolves ready to pounce and tear her to peices. She yelped in horror at the sight and screamed in absolute horror when she saw Kale. He was completely frozen and made of ice while still wearing the Mare Do Well clothing.
"Get out"
The mare turned around to see a furious ghostly form of Syra and for a brief second, Twilight saw something deep in her eyes, she saw...death. Syra did the same maneuver as she had done before, push Twilight into the mysterious void only this time when she was falling, the words of Kale finally made sense. She fell into the blue flamed void and when at the other side she found herself falling upwards in a white oblivion. She was indeed in a world of dreams.
Twilight opened her eyes instantly and gasped as if though she hadn't breathed in such a long time. She looked at her surroundings and saw that she was inside a bedroom, Charlie and Victor's guest bedroom. She rubbed her eyes to see if she was only seeing things but she wasn't, she really was inside of the bedroom. She could hear snoring from across the house and the only thing that was illuminating the bedroom was a small minuscule lantern in the corner of her room on the floor.
She let out a sigh of relief realizing it was all just a dream, but the question occurred to her, when exactly DID the dream even start? Not only that but a blue ember floated down to the floor and burned out within seconds. "That...that was no dream wasn't it?" she asked herself. She was laying there for a few minutes looking up at the ceiling trying to figure out what had just happened in the realm of dream, she met Kale again, that was good, but he specifically told her to go meet him outside in a balcony once she woke up. "Better late than never right?" she grinned as she said that and stepped out of her bed examining the wooden floorboards, making sure which ones will squeak and avoiding to step on them to prevent anypony from waking up.
As soon as she reached the other side of the room to exit out through the door, she heard someone walk up the hallway towards a room she felt was right across from her. Twilight laid her head on the door to listen closely and heard the squeaking springs of a bed and small laughter that was attempted to be held in. She couldn't tell whether it was Charlie or Victor that spoke next but was nonetheless happy to hear that one of them was alive, maybe even both. She heard him say "Son of a bitch..."
Twilight held in her giggles of the very dry way he said it, it had no emotion at all but laughed even more when she heard his reaction. When she heard his reaction she was able to now know it was Victor who was at the other side of the door.
"AWWW YOU SICK BUCKS! I TOLD YOU NOT UNDER MY ROOF! NOT HERE, NOT NOW, NOT ANYWHERE IN MY HOME!" The voice of Hubert responded to his reaction and Rainbow Dash yelped in surprise.
"WAIT WAIT, VICTOR!.. This isn't what it looks like! I swear to Celestia!"
"SWEAR TO ME DAMNIT! WHAT THE HAY WAS GOING ON?" "Okay okay! Calm down! See how confident I am right now? I'm being completely serious that this really wasn't what it looked like"
"Well then? go on! Explain yourself!" "Victor... my friend... have you bounced on these beds? They're basically a trampoline! Come hither Ace, lets sho-"
"NO! NO! first of all, you don't use that fancy shmancy old english crap with me, second, I DO NOT want to see you two bounce on the bed and THIRD, this bed is very fragile! Don't bounce on it!"
"No wait! Look! I'm being completely serious! Seriously Dash lets go at it again and show him what was happening"
Twilight was curious to see what was happening at the other side of the door and looked through the small keyhole that was right under the door knob. What she was looking at was actually rather entertaining and funny that dirty. She was seeing Rainbow Dash and Hubert both bouncing all around the bed as if they were young again and Victor placing his hoof on his face. What made it even funnier was that the bed crashed down and wasn't able to see Victors wrath. He stood there silent and stepped inside slowly closing the door.
Seeing how this was her chance, Twilight quickly made it out of her bedroom and followed the directions Kale had given her in the dream. She trotted quickly down the hallway only to be interrupted by the loud thunderous anger of Victor. "WHAT THE BUCK DID I SAY? DON'T BOUNCE ON THEM! I WENT TO NAM AND BACK FOR THIS? DO LUNG! DO-F***ING-LUNG FOR THIS!? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE-" Twilight looked back, shook her head and smiled. "None of my concern"
When she turned back around, the hallway was completely dark and mysterious but sure enough at the end of the hallway was a door... a door with frost forming around the frame but what was even more surprising, was the frost glowing light blue, the same blue the reverse Philomena was bearing. Before opening the door to the balcony outside, she rested her hoof around the door frame and embraced the cold touch. Taking in a deep breath, she grabbed the frozen door knob and turned it to enter the outside, to enter the snow covered balcony.
It was truly an amazing view, from the balcony Twilight could see Manehattan in the distance and its glorious glows of light shining.The snow was coming down as soft and calm as it did in the dream when she was with Kale. The wind was passing through the dead trees branches resulting in a beautiful night symphony that enchanted the night. She stood there in the semi-cold for a long time awaiting to see if Kale really was going to come from the realm where fantasies come true. Still nothing happened but it didn't change the atmosphere of safety that she was feeling around her.
"So... he called you here to didn't he?"
xCHECKPOINTx
There are parts in the conversation that aren't very well detailed because I WAS EXTREMELY sick and couldn't think straight, sorry.
Twilight turned around to see Charlie standing there with a bandage around his back left leg. He was fine and healthy and was happy to know he was not killed. "What do you mean?" asked Twilight in disbelief that Charlie was summoned here too by Kale. Charlie shook his head and walked towards Twilight. "You know exactly why, Kale. He brought us here, don't hide it" said the red maned stallion politely. "You've see her too... you've seen... Syra haven't you?"
Twilight had her jaw hit the floor upon hearing that Charlie was going through the same nightmare as her. This entire event that was going on with Twilight has been happening to him as well and for all she knew, it could be happening to everypony else.
Charlie walked past Twilight and lay his hooves on the balcony looking over to the horizon where he could see the city of Manehattan. "For years Twilight... for so many years every damn winter she comes back, looking for vengeance... looking for you... now that you're here, she's more angry than ever" shaking his head, he pouted and began to rub his leg where the bandage was placed. They both stood silent there for a few minutes, both ponies awaiting the arrival of Kale.
"So... has this been happening to you only?"
"No"
She turned around and saw the rest of the cast standing right there, Victor, Hubert, and Rainbow Dash, all wide awake despite the time feel of 2am. Each one stepped onto the balcony to join in on the conversation at hoof. "It's been like this for years Twilight, it's you that Syra wants, she's been here tormenting us all thinking we were all in on it together, that we were all hiding your location... truth is we were" Hubert said with a wry smile on his face.
"What do you mean? Are you telling me that this entire winter, it was all an entire set up?"
"No no no, nobody set anybody up, hell! We didn't even know you were coming to visit us!" Victor yelled.
They all stood there in a circle staring at each other as if though they were about to go into a old western shoot out. Twilight was the first to put down her guard and the first to speak after several minutes of waiting, the weather was actually starting to become a bit colder.
"He called all of us here, how did he call you all?"
"I was monitoring my bandage, this is going to sound crazy but... he was in my room right next to the window. To be completely honest with you all, it's not the first time I see him, so I wasn't really surprised to see him, only surprised at what time he dropped by" Charlie exclaimed. "I'm in on this with Charlie, we've both been seeing him, hell, and he’s actually been giving us company every winter. Hence, why we always leave that blue torch lit on our roof, that blue torch is to ward off Syra and to welcome in Kale" Victor finished.
"Care to go into detail?" Twilight suggested, curious to know as to how this magic worked.
"I'd love to Twi, but I’ll go into more detail about that when he parks up, look behind you?"
Before she even looked behind herself, she looked down at the snowy floorboards and saw a faint blue glow giving color to the white snow and giving Twilight a shadow. "You don't actually think I'm gone, do you?" Twilight yelped and turned around in an instant, horn glowing, ready for battle, only to see that just a few yards away, a blue elegant phoenix was flying towards the open balcony. The closer it was to the balcony, the larger it started to become and the more form it started to take.
The phoenix was magnificent as it was in the nightmare Twilight had the very same night. When it got closer, its wings turned large and he started to grow legs from the front and back. When the phoenix was only 10 yards away, it took complete form of a pegasus, still flying with the blue sapphire flames surrounding it's body. It landed with a loud thud that it shook the balcony's icicles off the safety guards, making them fall towards the ground. The flaming blue pegasus took a few steps towards the crowd, leaving behind it's cold and menacing flames with every step it took.
"Welcome back Kale" said Victor softly.
"Yeah, thanks Vic. I see me contacting you all here was successful...except for you, who exactly are you?" Kale said while pointing his hoof towards Rainbow Dash.
"Oh me? I'm just...ehhh... Twilights friend from Ponyville...who are YOU?"
"Your worst nightmare"
Rainbow Dash quickly shut up but shut down her cocky attitude that she always had. Kale took in a deep breath, and exhaled with a blue flame coming out instead of the normal breath everypony else had. "Nice to see you all again...especially you Twilight, it's been quiet some time...some time since you... left us and me..." said Kale, turning his back on them. "Kale... you know that I've always-" the fire blue pegasus laid his hoof on her mouth. "Say no more dear, we can talk about this another time" much like what happened with Syra, Kale's fire was completely extinguished and was now of flesh and bone, no longer of blue flames.
"Cool new party trick Kale, anything else you'd like to show us?" exclaimed Hubert, making Rainbow Dash giggle.
"And you... Hubert...I see you didn't take any advice from last year’s winter on cracking your witty jokes"
Hubert was silent and responded with "It's nice to see you too Kale". They all stood there embracing the awkward moment, all except for Twilight whose face was completely turned in all directions at what she just saw. She was trying to calculate every single event that just happened right there on the balcony. She finds out all her Canterlot friends have been having this winter haunting, she meets her love only for him to pretend like the dream and kiss never happened, her friends greet Kale as if though he never died, and last of all, she was never informed of any of this despite the numerous amount of letters she had sent out to Canterlot years before. shouting
"Alright now, Twilight, I think you should know about all this. I know that right now I may seem all...normal, but rest assured... I am indeed dead and it wasn't because of you. Don't believe what Syra tells you, she's gone mad but she isn't an enemy either" Kale said strongly.
"Hasn't gone mad? The REAL question here is if YOU'RE mad! She's completely insane! Nearly killed me alone so many times. When I was at Charlie’s Birthday, when I was on flight patrol around the city, hell! Even when I was flying Twilight to Canterlot after I picked her up from the fields! SHE'S A MENACE! What in Celestia's good name could have made her like this?" Hubert was at Kale, which in his response was "Me".
Nobody spoke.
"What do you mean 'you' Kale?" asked Twilight.
"Twilight dear... it pains me to say this but, you can never know the real truth behind what happened to me and her, the only thing I will tell you however, is that you have a part in this, but never once did you take a fault, I understand your actions were well intended and were never created to cause us any harm... but sadly in the end it cost us our lives" everyone leaned forward in awe to listen to Kales Tale.
"Please Kale, this entire winter has been nothing but misery and torment, I want to know how this all happened, and why Syra is acting like this, why she's tearing us apart!"
"I'm afraid I can't say it, not even Hubert, Charlie, or Victor can help you with this, I haven't told any of them either. The only ones that know the truth are me and Syra and your brother"
"Shining Armor?"
"The one and only"
Hubert cut in, "But the commander is at Baltimare, that is HUNDREDS of miles away from here! Twilight isn't-"
"Going to find out the truth, that much I know. She never can"
"and why's that? Why can't I know the truth?"
"Because the truth will destroy you from within, I've instructed your brother to not say a word"
"Until when?! WHEN? When is the day somepony will tell me why this STUPID winter has been nothing but demise!"
xCHECKPOINTx
Twilight’s anger and frustration got the best of her. Her booming voice echoed throughout the night and extinguished the blue flames Kale had placed when he was walking. Much tension was in the air and everyone could taste the palpable anger Twilight was ejecting. The moon was now set directly above them shining down and lighting up the entire mountain side with a magnificent white glow, to a point that it looked like a haven to all who stare at it.
"In your mind's eye, lives a memory hard to find, blinded by sorrow, and her cold voice, sings a melody, hear her sing: Hell frozen rain falls down...melody...hell frozen rain...By Celestia's good name... TWILIGHT!"
Kale ran over to her and squeezed his hooves onto her cheeks. Kale could feel the hot intensity of the hatred she bore. "Did she curse you? DID SHE SING HER MELODY?" Kale was worried, his eye color was gone and instead his entire eye was just plain white. "Well sh-" she was cut off. "DID SHE TURN MORPH? Please...no..."
"Well actually she did -" she paused. A sudden urge of... a stomach ache? A painful feeling in the pits of her intestines felt strange. She lunged forward and hung her head over the balcony bars thinking this was about to vomit out something that was ingested during the dinner. "Bad time to throw out chunks Twi, you going to do that do it over the balcony" laughed out Rainbow Dash.
This however was no laughing manner, something cold was crawling up and around her bowels, freezing her innards quickly. Twilight began to spas out performing grotesque movements that a normal pony wouldn't be able to perform. Everyone circled around and watched in horror at what happening to Twilight. "You didn't actually think I was gone that easily did you?" the mare opened her eyes at least after much squirming with rage consuming her iris. Her body began to shake violently and the cold liquid ran through not only her veins but began to infect the rest of her brain.
The cold liquid started to inflict severe damage inside of her, Kale attempted to not only calm her down from her frightening spasms, but was hoping to have a deep look into her eyes to confirm his theory. He held Twilight head in place so that he was able to look directly into her pupils and was undoubtedly correct. "Everyone, retreat now" he demanded from the by-standing allies. "Kale, what's going on? Is she alright" asked Hubert, worriment in his voice.
"I said get inside NOW!"
He was starting to turn back into the ghostly apparition that he was before. A sense of pain, weakness was in his voice after finding out Twilight was not in pain, but in suffering. "Twilight listen to me! She's inside of you right now! If you don- that way yo- it's going to ha-" his voice was cutting in and out to mare's ears. She was morphing, changing; she didn't know what was happening except that she was being lost in her own mind.
"Thanks for welcoming me into your pathetic mind Sparkle, when you sipped in that bit of me, I slowly grew inside becoming stronger and stronger. I might just become one with the real world again; your blood donation to my survival and Resurrection is much appreciated. You're the only one who can hear me at the moment might I say" her haunting laugh boomed and bounced around Twilight's skull, to a point where she was starting to pound her head onto the floor. She ceased herself injuring actions to prevent any more horror to her love and by standing friends and also because of what she said. "At the MOMENT? AH!-" the purple unicorn started to float up slowly off the ground as if though she was using her own magic to levitate.
"By Faust... Rainbow Dash, go inside now before she see's you"
The rainbow maned pegasus was confused and questioned Kale's commands. "What do you mean "she" sees me?” her answer was given to her when Twilight flopped back to the floor, face first and lay still for seconds. Nopony moved a single muscle, they all stood their hoping that she was well and her violent spasms were ceased.
"Y'know... locking me away Kale really wasn't your boldest move, and in a the realm of imaginations, of dream!? That's the last place you want me"
Twilight was still on the ground with her face buried into the snow but the voice of Syra wasn't a trick, it wasn't something created by the wind, but the evil winter spirit's voice, came from Twilight herself. Kale was stunned with absolute fear. Her voice coming from Twilight caught him completely off guard forcing him to let out a gasp.
A mysterious blue glow formed on the outline of Twilight, ghostly and yet a majestic feel to it. As if though it were some kind of magic trick gone wrong, she started to stand on all 4 with bones and cartilage cracking with every movement she made especially a loud snap whenever she bent her knees even the slightest bit. Just like it was an exorcism, Twilight neck was spinning in full 360 degrees giving off the sound of breaking bones. Suddenly she stopped her horrifying magic show just like she had stopped her violent spasms. The battle within Twilight had stopped but the victor was this self-conflict was not what you imagined it to be.
"Surprise, Surprise!"
Twilight's eyes rolled to the back of her head so that only whiteness was the color of her eyes. White as the snow that was dropping from the skies like hell frozen rain. Haunting as the spirits and horrors that were brought upon everyone during the reign of Syra. Dead as the pegasus she aimed her eyes towards.
"It can't be... "And yet it is, don't worry about me, she'll be back soon, I don't plan on using this tarnished and wasted body for too long, what I want is something more, mobile" Syra darted her eyes straight at the pegasus who's mane was that of Rainbow.
Nobody moved everyone was too scared of what might happen next until Charlie and Victor stood in a fighting pose. Hubert himself didn't hold back, he hovered slightly above Rainbow Dash who was absolutely terrified of Syra. One of her greatest friends, Twilight, was gone and she had never felt such grief until that very moment.
"No...NO! Rainbow Dash! Fly while you have the ch-UGH!"
Syra was using Twilight powerful body as a capsule, as if though she were a parasite only hitching a ride. Instead of firing a weak and lilac bolt of energy, she instead fired a beam of a blood red energy, blasting away Kale to a point where he nearly fell off the balcony. Charlie and Victor charged at the body controlled Twilight only to meet the same fate of being blasted away. Victor landed on the edge of the balcony, saved by the handrail while Charlie was blasted into the house, through the door.
Only Hubert and Rainbow Dash remained on the roof when they witnessed Twilight fighting back for her own body, to get rid of the evil that was Syra. "Please! Dash! Hubert Save me! You have to sa- JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING SPARKLE? Fighting back for my life and to destroy yours! FOOL! YOU CANNOT KILL WHATS ALREADY DE- whoever said anything about killing you? My plan is to- AHHHH!There now, let me continue"
The self-conflict ended and it was clear to the two loving pegasus that their friend was trapped inside the body and could not be released. "No, this can't be, SYRA! GIVE US BACK OUR TWILIGHT!" shouted out Hubert in frustration. With deep anger in his heart and tears dripping from his eyes, he readied his wings and charged towards Syra to a speed where it nearly caused a sonic rainboom. "Not your boldest move Huey" Syra whispered. Twilight's horn started to glow the same yellow and let out a powerful beam that sent Hubert flying off the balcony, to crash towards the summit of the mountain they were on the edge on.
"No... Hubert! HUBERT!"
"Don't cry Dash, you'll see him again, in death"
When Rainbow Dash turned her head to face the evil spirit, she barely had anytime to recognize what was happening. With godlike speed, Twilight sprinted right next to Dash as if though it was magic she had used to obtain such a speed in such little time. What happened next was not what anypony wanted to see that night, a death.
"I'M SO SORRY DASH! I CAN'T CONTROL IT!"
Hubert never fell to the summit, he was only blown off course and managed to fly back to the balcony to fight against Syra. What Hubert saw was an image that was scarred into his mind, never to leave and or be replaced by any other memory, more tragic than what he had witnessed.
"Dash...Ace... How-...no... I failed her... I lost my love, my Rainbow Dash, I LOST HER! I LOST MY LOVE! NO!"
Twilight, which was being controlled by Syra, went at such speed that it had caught the pegasus off guard. She blasted through her defenses and sank her lilac horn straight into her heart. Her eyes dropped down to face Syra, who only replied to her silent demise with a demonic grin. Now Twilight knew what Syra meant to bring color to this night.
For on that night, Syra spilled the scarlet blood to bring true color to the black reunion
After Note: I deleted the update. Long story short. At the time I was sick and i wrote a crappy chapter. I deleted about 4000 words and restarted to make it better. Moral? Don't write when you're sick, you can't concentrate too well.
"Hmph... another weak and arrogant foal to the afterlife, although you seem to benefit more than Sparkle"
Rainbow Dash was dying slowly and very painfully due to the horn lodged into her chest. Her gasps for breathe were slowing down and her eyes started to close down slowly, she never spoke; it would only quicken her death, which she tried to avoid doing. The bright white eyes of the controlled Twilight started to shine brighter by the second until the light was as blinding as the sun.
Hubert could do nothing but watch in awe at what was becoming of his impaled love. Twilight's horn began glowing a deep royal blue into the stabbed pegasus. Dash's body aura was starting to glow the same blue as the horn until the horn's light was dying down. Dash's full outline was now emitting the royal blue and body movement was starting to be made slowly. Hubert couldn't decide whether he should be happy to see Rainbow Dash moving once again or if he should be terrified, after all, she was stabbed in the heart, the chances of surviving are very unlikely.
"Thanks for the ride Sparkle, I hope this... reunion was to your liking as it was to mine, alas it's time your friend dances with the angels" the final laughter of the hellish spirit echoed through Twilight's eardrums and suddenly Twilight could see the light again, she could taste, smell, feel, all of her senses were coming back to her, she was finally taking control of her own body once more. The fresh breeze blowing through her mane and cooling off her anger and fear was rather relaxing to her.
She took a deep breath of a cold winter breeze that was passing by, such a deep freeze that it hurt her nostrils a small bit because of how fresh and cold the breeze was. She was happy to know in her mind that the spirit was ridden from her body and she was now back in full control of herself, at least she hoped. Syra did mention before that a small portion of herself was inside of Twilight still.
She felt a small warm drop of a liquid slide down to the base of her horn, slowly making its way down between her eyes and around the ridges of her nose to the edge of her lip. She dare not taste what it was; instead Twilight wiped off the warm droplet and awakened her eyes to see the reality of the world. She was no longer dreaming that she was certain of, but it was at a time like this, she hoped this entire catastrophe was merely another nightmare like from the previous nights.
When she embraced the partially moon-lit white snow into her eyes, she looked up to see if her friend was doing well, to see if she had survived the malicious attack, she did... or at least she was trying. Her breathing was rapid and heavy, her head started to shake violently in different directions and most importantly foam was starting to spew out from her mouth as quickly as snow fell from the sky.
As much as Twilight wanted to help her friend, she didn't know whether removing her horn would cause harm or good to her dear friend, either way, it was best for her to stay put and do nothing at all. Rainbow Dash's body started to shake violently and shift her body in a grotesque fashion. The stream of blood that was exiting from her wound was now spiraling down Twilight's horn and down to her eyes. Twilight closed them so that the blood stream would go around her eyes and below them and they did. The blood ran down from under her eyes and down her cheeks so that it gave the impersonation that Twilight had been crying blood.
She did nothing; she couldn't do anything at all. Rainbow Dash's body language was starting to creep out both Hubert and Twilight. Rainbow Dash's foam may have stopped but instead the foam was replaced with an even more horrific action. While still impaled her body started to shake harder now followed by screams of pain. As much as Twilight wanted to assist, all she could do was watch and listen to her friend's agonizing pain break across the silent winter night. All they could do was watch the horror show play out in front of them.
After only seconds, Rainbow Dash's torturous behavior stopped, the purple unicorn peered out to the left side to see Hubert hovering above the summit with his head hanging low. His mane covered his face and a few drops of tears were leaking across his cheeks. If you listened very closely, you could ignore his sobs and listen as a single drop of his tear made its journey down the summit and hitting the ground.
"Oh Hubert..." Twilight said in her mind. Then she looked back up at Rainbow Dash. Her dead weight was now starting to tire out Twilight's neck which made her think about taking her horn out at last. As much as she didn't want to believe it, she just witnessed and heard her friend's death right before her. Twilight wiped the blood-like tears away from her cheeks to look back up at her friend, to bid her a last farewell.
When she did look up, all she saw was Rainbow Dash's head leaning forward and looking down. Much like Hubert, the face wasn't visible due to the fact her mane was blocking the view. Her mane was wrangled and messy, not the same straight and neatly combed mane as she always did have. The winter breeze cooly kissed the sweat dripping from her neck until the sweat froze in place.
Silence was the only symphony of the night until she awoke. Both Twilight and Hubert looked up with eyes wide at what happened to not only Rainbow Dash but the scenery around them. Rainbow Dash's eyes may have been closed, that much was true, but her eyes darted at Twilight with an angry expression; her face too had an expression of anger written on it.
Rainbow Dash turned her head towards Hubert who was there hovering with shock, too petrified with terror to move his body. "Dash..." he whispered sadly to her. The demonic pegasus looked right back at Twilight and opened her eyes at last. It was only pitch darkness in those two sockets where her eyes lay, two black oblivions stare right into the depths off Twilight's heart.
She opened her mouth slowly and inhaled a deep raspy sounding intake of the cool winter breeze. She then exhaled onto Twilight's face forming frost around the ridges of her face. As if though it wasn't horrifying enough, her face went from sudden anger, to a depressing horror. A small snowflake of pure ice landed on the tip of her nose and became one with the rest of her body status. Twilight was paralyzed with the purest form of shock there was to offer, Hubert himself nearly forgot that the only thing that kept him alive.
Rainbow Dash's head span around in exactly 360 degrees having her spinal bones produce a cracking sound when they went far beyond their normal reach length. Twilight and Hubert both watched in complete horror as the scenery began to take shape of what Syra had told them before that the winter would be true colors, of black and white and the only true color to represent itself would be blood.
After the long freak show, Rainbow Dash finally awakened her eyes slowly as she tilted her head upwards to face the night, snowy sky. What happened next is what shifted the beauty of the winter night into black and white. It was as if two strobe lights rocketed out of Rainbow Dash's eye sockets to try and spot an enemy flyer. The royal blue light were screaming the sounds of dying and banished souls of many the dead.
She opened her mouth to take intake more oxygen but instead her mouth grew larger and larger right before them. The pegasi's head expanded to be able to have the mouth 5 times its normal size. It opened its gaping mouth to indicate to everyone that she was going to take in another breath but instead this time she breathed in a little... too much air. Her mouth grew to the limits of the new size it grew to and the beam-like lights that were striking out of her eyes disappeared completely and imitated the same action as that of the mouth.
Rainbow Dash bounced her body backwards so that Twilight's horn would slide out with ease. Her body plumped to the ground and she lay there like a heap continuing to suck in a heavy and long breath. At that point, the environment around everyone was now starting to take shape to the exact description that Syra had given her Twilight a few nights ago. The only two conscious ponies saw their world turn white and black as Rainbow Dash sucked the color out of the night. Once all the color was absorbed into her eyes and mouth, the color of even her began to be sucked out of her. After all the color of the world was gone, she fell back to a heap on the ground, motionless.
The world now looked like a vintage 1940's movie around them. The only color... the only true color that stood out in the entire night was the crimson puddle of blood that was expanding around the body of the motionless Rainbow Dash. Hubert had his man covering his eyes and had his head hang low as he slowly floated over towards Twilight and Ace's body. He landed with a smooth touch on the balcony right next to the both of them. Neither one said anything at all, they just stood there and stared at their dead friend for a few minutes as if expecting for her to be playing a prank and she would be back to her normal self at any moment.
Every second was the same thing and both Hubert and Twilight knew that they were trying to figure out the others thoughts. A single pure white teardrop left his eyes and landed on the wound where Twilight had impaled her. "Oh Ace...oh Ace... Why Twilight... why did you come back" asked the crest fallen pegasus with a tone of sorrow. "None of this would have ever happened if you just stayed home, away from this insanity, away from this...this mad world! Is this REALLY why you came back here to Canterlot? To-to cause havoc and pain!"
"Hubert, this was bound to happen some point in our lives and you know just as well as me if I knew this would happen, I would have never came here in the first place"
"Is that so... here I am... a Royal Guard of Canterlot and look at me! Nearly on the brink of going insane because you came! Was this all intentional? Are you just working with Syra? To get us ALL killed?!"
The snow began to drop down flakes the size of beanbags on the two arguing friends. The more frustration that grew between the two, the harder the snow fell and the surrounding colors began to Bolden. The black became darker, the white grew brighter, and the red started to glow slightly at the cause of the enforcement of the colors around them.
"Hubert, it's me! Twilight! I don't want to cause any more trouble but we've come this far, if I leave now, she'll end up killing all of us!"
"Oh no no no no no, I'm not dying for....for something you f***ed up on a few years ago with her! What have you DONE to make her so upset! DID YOU KILL HER!"
"I DIDN'T KILL ANYPONY! THAT IS THE LAST TIME I WILL SAY IT!"
"MY LOVE IS DEAD BY YOUR HOOVES! YOU BROUGHT THIS UP-"
"ENOUGH!"
The argument between the two allies was ceased in a sudden halt by the booming voice of the noble Kale himself. He stood there looking as if he just had awakened from being unconscious for a while. He slowly trotted over to them with his back left leg having a majority of the skin torn off. Before Twilight suggested if she could give him medical assistance, the snow that was all over the balcony start lifting up and attaching itself to his wound, mending the skin together.
"Hold your tongues! Stop this bickering and nonsense fighting! Look around you, the more discord caused amongst us only brings a heavier snow and a colder night. The snow becomes whiter, the night gets blacker, and the blood that was spilled by Syra's wretched doings only brightens more with the colors around us bolding. Look onto the ground you fools! Your Rainbow Dash lays dead Hubert, not because of Twilight's foolishness but because she wants to make you suffer before she takes your lives. You all are damned to die if we don't resolve our problem. Twilight had nothing to do with this and you know it, don't unleash your fury onto her because you witnessed your love dying by her hoof, she dies by Syra. She's lost, confused and alone, she bares a pure soul encased in a black heart, but... that is only an action YOU can do Twilight, you and I are the only one's here that can save her from her own damnation"
Q: This is Revelations? A: Actually no. I went to San Diego. Come on now, it's summer. I needed a week off. Give me another week and Revelations is out.
Q: This was garbage! Where is Revelations? A: Instead of making you all wait THREE weeks for a what? An 8000 word chapter, this chapter is LITERALLY a huge chunk taken out of "Revelations". I think what I did was a good thing, I give you all another... well a filler basically for the next part (Revelations), and also I get to write MORE now that 2,000 or so words have been transferred to here. Just think of this being... a intro to Revelations. Lets face it, if I started the chapter out like this, it would have probably been a BIT dull. Besides, I end this with a cliffhanger, that's good stuff.
July 5th = Revelations
Before August 10th = The Bad AND good ending. (Undecided titles)
(Yes, I am ending this entire story with the release of two chapters at once)
Note: Charlie has a Gold coat with Red mane : Victor has a Red coat with a Gold mane. in case you all get them confused. Note 2: Revelations was TOO long. I'll go into detail about that at the end.
Unforgiven Winter
Chapter 8
Revelations
Being a royal guard has its benefits, you train to be both mentally and physically strong; but even the strongest of soldiers in all of Equestria still have emotions. For the first time Twilight had seen not a guard weep, but her friend weep. Twilight began to walk over towards him at an attempt to comfort and ease his mind. Both of the friends locked in a hug that had forced tears to start running from the eyes of Hubert down to Twilight's mane which overlapped his shoulder.
"I'm sorry Twilight, I'm sorry Hubert, but if we continue to mourn over lost ones; including you Twilight on still mourning over me, then we lose everything. WE need to be STRONG. Tearing us apart is only the first step in her plan. Twilight, you have nothing to do with our deaths so don't build any feelings towards that subject, I can assure you this entire thing was after you..." he paused for a few seconds examining the knocked out bodies of the twin stallions laying on the balcony before he finished his sentence. "After you turned me down... but enough of that, we need to focus on more important matters"
Kale was no doctor even in the time that he was alive but everyone has to know a small amount of medical conditions. By now everyone should know when someone catches flu, fever, or maybe gets a cut or broken bone. The only trouble with the current problem is that with the current condition of black and white scenery, it didn't help much to look. He knew that Charlie and Victor were fine; he was only checking them to hopefully kill the awkward moment he spawned into the atmosphere.
Twilight patted Hubert on the back a few times to indicate for him to let go. He obliged and wiped the tears away with his scarred and injured wings. "So what now? How are Charlie and Victor holding up?" asked Twilight while she was examining Rainbow Dash's chest wound where she had stabbed her. It took a few seconds for the words to process through Kale's mind before he could give an appropriate answer to her.
"What do you mean 'what now?' Twi? If you haven't noticed, there is no more color around here anymore. This whole place looks like something out of a bleak movie of some sort. It's as if Rainbow herself reversed the world with some spell Syra casted when she took over, ironic if you ask me considering she's the colorful of the 6 of you" Kale finished saying.
Hubert stopped weeping for the loss of his love and at last had spoken after several minutes of mourning. "So what? You don't really expect me to wait until morning for us to finally take action!"
"I'm afraid that's all we can do Hubert, wait out until morning to see if everyone is ok and to find out the next step in Syra's mischief" Twilight said sorrowful. She kept examining Rainbow Dash's body and started to turn her head from left to right to see if there was any clue to reveal if there is any kind of familiar traces of Syra. "Besides..." She paused momentarily to lean in closer on RD's face; "It's not like sleeping is even an option for us after what we -UGHF"
Twilight was knocked back forcing her to do a backflip and landed on her belly. On the side of her cheek was a hoof shaped print of ice along with a small bruise on the outer edges of where the ice was. Kale, Twilight, and Hubert all looked towards the direction of Rainbow Dash so see what had knocked Twilight backwards off her hooves.
By the time everyone had their eyes pointing in their direction of what was claimed to be "deceased friend", what they saw had questioned their beliefs in not only spirits, but on also how the afterlife works.
"What the F*** is going right now?!" exclaimed Hubert in frightened tone.
For the strangest reason, Rainbow Dash was floating just a little above the ground where the puddle of blood formed. Her wings somehow grew larger and she flapped them slowly but with a strong push every time they went down. Her mane was in an absolute mess that covered the front of her face completely. She was looking downwards at the snowy ground without giving off any movement other than her wings giving a powerful thrust.
"Twilight, what kind of sick magic did you do to her!" Hubert shouted straight at Twilight's face. She had no words or correct emotion to what she was witnessing but one thing was clear to her that no one else saw, that wasn't the same Dash everyone else made her out to be.
"Hubert... Hubert"
Kale and Twilight were both nervously moving in place hoping whatever the next act that plays is, it won't harm them or anybody else in the proximity. "Ace! ACE! Oh thank Celestia you're ok!" Hubert's night was once again filled with color, and the black'n white scenery to him was nothing more than an illusion. Just as he was charging towards his supposed lost love, Twilight stepped in front of him to block him off. "Listen to me, and listen to me clear Hubert... that isn't the Rainbow Dash you make her out to be, that's only Syra in there, don't be a fool!"
Hubert narrowed menacingly at Twilight before he knocked her aside onto the ground. "Don't get in my way you animal! It was because of you that she died and now that she's back, we can finally be together again. Get in my way again and I swear it to you, I won't be pushing you aside next time". His tone in voice was a threat that shouldn't be questioned or reasoned with. As much as Twilight didn't want Hubert to get near her, the thought that her friend Hubert from long ago turning against her, made her realize he was in a rage.
"Listen to our friend Hubert, don't get near her and don't ever threaten her like that again"
"Shut that mouth of yours Kale, just because you kept it on a down low that you and Twilight were having some horizontal bopping, doesn't mean that word didn't spread around"
An awkward tension filled the air and both Twilight and Kale took a double take on each other not understanding what he meant.
"Wait what?" questioned Twilight "...I don't either Twilight... I don't know either"
"Hubert... come to me... let's...let's..."
"I'm here sweetie, I'm here! Oh thank Celestia you're okay, for a second there I thought you were gone, out of my life forever! But I knew you still had that same fighting spirit from back in Laos" Hubert said as he rushed to meet Rainbow Dash face to face. He had tears streaming down his eyes when he was about to hug her in happiness, until her wings grew enormously large. Extensions of ice and snow increased the size of Rainbow Dash's wingspan by a large margin, almost as big as herself. Before the doomed royal guard could notice, the massive freezing wings had pushed his entire body up against Dash's.
"Oh Hubert...come with me, let's...let's"
"Honey, you're gripping me a little too tight, I know you're happy to see me again but do you mind setting me down? Also "let's" what sweetie?"
"Let's...LET'S DANCE WITH THE ANGELS!"
Rainbow Dash flipped her mane back to reveal her opened eyes. Out of her eye sockets were two magnificent beams of rainbows and various other colors were spewing out straight into Hubert's eyes. The sounds of a thousand trapped souls gave the beams sound and character.
"MY EYES! MY BUCKING EYES!" Hubert screamed in absolute pain. He was released almost instantly after his screams of pain satisfied his lover. "SYRA! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, I WON'T LET YOU LIVE AFTER WHAT YOU DID!" Kale was consumed by his own anger forcing him to attack Rainbow Dash head-on. He bolted in a flight in an attempt to tackle down Rainbow Dash, leaving a trail of blue ice fire.
"You always were full of yourself, did you know that Kale?" the possessed rainbow drained pegasus dropped Hubert straight on his back which sounded with a loud "thump". Sapphire flames engulfed Kale's pupils when he was merely inches away from the ravaging demon. Syra twirled around to produce a powerful wave of wind which slowed down Kale's velocity by a tremendous amount, enough for him to be vulnerable to be attacked. Razor blade icicles formed on the edges of her talons and with another twirl, laid a clean cut on Kale's chest.
Hubert was still on the ground screaming that his eyes felt as if they were burnt and he couldn't see anything. Blue flames shot out like a raging geyser from Kale's open wound onto Syra. Much like a napalm substance, it stuck onto her even as she spun around hoping the flames would come off. With another powerful gust of wind, she sent Kale flying towards the edge of the balcony, smashing the guardral, sending him plummeting down the summit.
Twilight had faith that he would be able to get his balance back and he'll be flying once again, besides, he was a ghost after all, it's not like he can die right? Once the flames were put out, Syra was starting to see the after effects of the freezing fire and attempted to regenerate the damaged limbs with ice, it was of no use, she was controlling a body of a mortal, healing a mortal body with snow isn't going to do anything but delay further damage. She looked back down on the ground at a wailing blinded pegasus and picked him up off the ground."I still have one loose end to tie!" she yelled straight onto his face. Upon saying those words, Syra locked lips with Hubert in what seemed to be a kiss to Twilight when in reality, she was transferring something into his body, through mouth to mouth.
Syra broke the kiss slowly and wiped the small bit of drool that Hubert left on her lower lip. She laid a menacing grin on her face and dropped Hubert back onto the ground. He landed right on his flank and sat their without moving at all. She launched a volley of snowballs and iceballs towards Twilight which she quickly reacted to and either dodged or blasted them with a bolt of magic. "Ugh...what happened?" sighed out Charlie in confusement, having just woken up from his knock out. Before he even had a second to open look around and adapt to the situation, one of the snowballs hit him straight between the eyes, knocking him unconscious yet again. Gusting out 3 more thrusts with her enormous wings, she flew high into the sky with the 3rd thrust and flew off the balcony, into the night. Her evil laughter could be heard even as she flew far away with only her silhouette showing up on the full moon's view.
"First your friends, then YOUR SANITY, Sparkle!"
All Twilight could do was watch her fly off into the distance, off into the mountains leaving behind a very very small trail of blue flame as she went, as if the flames that were spewed on her weren't fully extinguished yet. Twilight looked on the smashed guardrail to listen to the strong flaps of wings churning the cold wind. Kale had risen from the summit with his entire once black mane, blazing a powerful blue fire."Where is she?! WHERE IS SHE?!" he yelled at Twilight. The mare had no response to his demanding words and instead only pointed towards the many mountains whom's tips touched the skies.
"Oh no... oh no no no no no no... damnit! GOD DAMNIT!" his voice thundered and shook all the ice off of their wooden platform. He had his back towards Twilight and walked to the edge of the broken guardrail where Syra had thrown him off. "Is there something wrong Kale?" the lone unicorn asked cautiously at the raging semi-ghost figure. For a moment he didn't answer and then turned around to face Twilight again; shaking his head. "Yes... something is very very wrong Twilight" he paused to heal his wounds with the snow both falling and from the ground. It was like a strange magic Twilight could never comprehend. Kale's wound was like a magnet that attracted all the particles of ice to his wound, slowly sealing it and having no scars.
"We need to stop her before tomorrow night or else her evils not only finish us off, but it will haunt our loved ones and us in the afterlife... even in death, we won't rest in peace" Kale said slowly. They both looked out towards the moon seeing Syra's silhouette become smaller and small before it looked as if she had stopped. Kale narrowed his eyes to try and cover himself from a bit of the moon light's glares. His flaming mane was back to it's normal black color and his eyes were back to their regular shade of light brown. Twilight just kept staring at him, admiring him for saving her and for rethinking her decision she had made so many years ago.
"Ughhhhh... what happened?" Victor asked, waking up from his "nap". He stood up adjusting to the scenario, limping slowly towards the two friends. Twilight turned to see her bettered red friend's left foreleg have a small piece of wood lodged into it. "Oh sweet Celestia! Victor, are yo-" she was shocked to see his action. Victor put up his foreleg and with his teeth, yanked out the stake-like wood. "I'm fine, this is nothing compared to what I had to experience in Laos... what's up with Hue?" . Victor pointed at Hubert -who was still sitting on his flank looking down- with the wooden stake he pulled out from his leg. "Oh my, he doesn't seem to be alright"
Twilight rushed to meet him and stopped dead track on her hooves when he spoke... but when he spoke, it wasn't exactly... "his voice".
"Say, what's going on here? Where'd that b**** go?! If I see her again I swear i'm going to beat her down to a pulp; why do I feel so heavy?" Hubert jumped straight up from his sitting position and started to loosen up his muscles with a few stretches. His left eye was as white as the snow and his right eye was a black with a white iris. Hubert looked around to see his friends jaws open in confusment, all except Kale, who went from staring out to the moon at Syra's disappearing silhouette, to facehooving himself and shaking his head.
"I really don't need this right now" said Hubert to himself.
"Say... why is everybody looking at me so different? Hey what the hell, I just blacked out and now I'm here standing up and...and what's with the funny face guys? It's like you all just saw a ghost."
"Holy s***, Hubert! Ha...hahaha! Oh man what the hell happened to you man! Are you the pretty broad or are you the royal guard, make up your mind!" said Charlie now fully awake and was laughing at Hubert's newly discovered... "inner-demon" I guess you could call it.
Twilight had mixed feelings on the current situation. Rainbow Dash died in front of her but yet her voice was coming from... Hubert? It was some sort of strange magic she thought she will never be able to learn, even if it takes her years until the day she drops.
"This is supposed to be a joke right? Where the hell is Rainbow Dash? I am Rainbow Dash! Why am I in this old and scarred body? Thanks for making me feel a bit better about myself Ace" Hubert finished saying. "This is getting a bit confusing, how about, we stop finishing each other's sentences and we talk once at a time?" the dismembered body of the rainbow mane'd pegasus suggested.
"Done and... done? Ace, are you alive... INSIDE OF ME?"
"Of course I'm alive, you don't actually think that Syra would actually take me down, I mean like, just look at my...did you just say INSIDE OF YOU?" Hubert began to flip around in the air to examine his own body and landed next to Charlie and Victor. "Oh no... I'M A GUY?! WHAT!" Half of Hubert's personality wept while the other half was trying to calm himself. It was like some sick and twisted disease turned into some comedy act.
All of the veterans were standing in front of the door back to go back inside of the house, arguing about how Hubert's two-face system was either a good or bad thing. "Say, who took all the color out? Vic... VIC! I THINK I'M COLOR BLIND!" Charlie rapidly patted his cheeks and looked around to see the new world of black and white, the true colors of what everyone has been feeling for so many years during Syra's reign.
Kale continued squinting more and more until he opened his eyes wide. His pupils disappeared and both eyes went white like Hubert's left eye. His mane lit up back to its electric blue shock, breaking the black and white. He turned around to see what everyone was doing. He looked back towards the moon and back at his friends, he did at least 4 takes on each scene before he yelled. Twilight looked at the moon to see what he was so worked up on... she regretted looking up. Around the moon clouds started forming around a dancing black figure in the distance, whom's wing's blocked the moonlight and casted a shadow upon Twilight and her friends. The clouds shot both thunder and hail at the same time at the mountains where they were flying over.
Everyone looked up in awe at the amazing winter show taking place when a hole ripped through a cloud and out submerged the supposed myth from long ago. An enormous muzzle of a stallion, like a hand of God, pierced through the gaping hole in the sky. Only the muzzle was shown, and the noise of a wailing mystical animal was heard. The clouds began to spin faster and faster around Syra and the sky was getting black and blacker. Kale took a few steps back from the edge of the balcony before he made his actions. "In the name of Celestia...run... EVERYONE INSIDE NOW!" yelled Kale; he then turned back to the epic muzzle coming from the sky,
Charlie and Victor happily rushed towards the door and went inside quickly, not wanting their question of "why?" answered. Hubert and Twilight however remained on the balcony with a confused expression written on their faces. Kale turned back to see only the inverted twins had obeyed him, while the others were still standing there by his side. "Have you two gone mad!? Go inside, NOW!". The two scolded ponies looked at each other and back to their raging friend. "Why on earth would we want to go ba-AHHH!" Twilight was tackled by Kale, who was gripping her tightly on the ground. "TOO LATE!". Hubert opened his wings and covered Twilight the best as he could as well as covering himself.
It was as if sort of seismic charge was set off in the distance. From a small crack in Kale's grip, Twilight could see a bright yet powerfully dark red wave open up in a circular fashion. The sound around them all was muted and there was nothing but pure silence for only mere seconds until finally a "TWANG" like sound erupted, making a powerful blast, sending many debris of wood and snow at the sheltering friends.
Kale got to his hooves on an instant and opened his wings. Majestic like his man, they too were flaming with the same royal blue as his mane, only difference was that his mane was brighter. He walked to the edge of the balcony and took a deep breath before letting out of sigh that spoke "This was bound to happen".
Twilight stood up and Hubert as well, both in a clumsy manner. "What the hell was that?!" Rainbow Dash's voice said. "I wish I could tell you but in my time as a royal guard, I don't even know..." replied Hubert. It was rather amusing to Twilight, to see him talking to himself was a bit humorous. When she looked back at Kale he was slowly keeping a pace of his wing thrusts, preparing to his voyage out to where Syra was. The giant muzzle that cracked the sky was gone but only to be replaced with hunrdeds upon thousands of what seemed to be bats at the distance they were at.
"Goodbye"
Just as Kale crouched down ready to jump off the edge of the balcony to fly, Twilight grabbed onto his left hoof. Another roar of the invisible wendigo broke the sounds of peace, having everyone have their attention back onto the full moon. "Kale wait, you can't do this alone" Hubert said with enthusiasm. "I'm with the Royal Guard Kale, don't forget that. Don't forget you were basically the leader of us when we were colts" he walked to Hubert side with his semi-controlled body and bowed before Kale. "I'm always ready to serve at your side Ka-" Rainbow Dash interrupted. "I have no choice here, I may be a pegasus but I'm pretty sure she's just using my body as some capsule, I not only need my body back but I just can't fly outta when I get myself back and leave the rest of you here to fight her alone, you're Twilight's... 'friend' I think and I will always be there for her" she finished saying.
Kale grinned and bowed down as well once Hubert stood up straight and gave a 'salute'. Charlie and Victor both came from downstairs, disoriented and wobbling as they came out of the door. The pegasus with the mane of fire chuckled and shook his head. "The element of loyalty at her finest... and Hubert, just like her... i can see why you two have such a bond, you both share your divine loyalty to whoever it is that you care for, but don't lie to me here, you're both only doing this because you two are loyal to each other... love, how sweet" finished Kale while prepping his wings.
"Well what are you two waiting for? Let's fl-"
"Now hold on there a second buddy"
Kale closed his eyes and put his head down whispering to himself "I REALLY don't need this right now". "Yeah, you know what I’m going to say, it's obvious. We're helping toooooo - AHHHHH!" Victor was screaming and pointing his hoof towards the moon...yet again. Three white cloud-looking blobs were coming towards them at the speed of meteors and ironically enough shared the same traits as meteors. They went at such a fast speed they soon turned to nothing but a simple sized snowball that splattered on each of them except for Twilight and the pegasus with two personalities. Everyone looked at each other and shrugged it off as if it was some failure attack of Syra.
"Aaannnyywaaaays... Kale, I don't give a flying feather about your opinion on this, but me and Charlie here decided it's best for us to help you out, we ain't leaving this action to yourselves, we've been terrorized by her as well. The amount of years that we have been terrorized of is too damn high!" Victor finished saying with a nod and grin. Charlie too did the same body language that his brother had done except his nod a bit more nervous. "Wait what, we're gonna go up against a ghost that controls winter apperantly, this isn't some s*** we saw in Du Lang victor!" the golden coated earthpony pleaded.
"Hey hey hey!... shaddup, we've been through worse and besides... we got little twi-twi here with us, I'm not letting anything happen to her, I know you wouldn't want her to be harmed, she has her life good Charlie... we need to help her have it better" retorded his brother.
Kale turned back at them and smiled saying "You two have no wings, what makes you all think you're going to he-" a hoof was shoved in his mouth and he sighed. The red stallion removed his hoof from Kale's mouth and happily said “HOLD THAT THOUGHT Krazy Kale, we got a plan" he then pointed at Hubert and shouted at him saying "Hue! We need Old Reliable to give us a little bit of a lift right here, catch my drift?"
Hubert repeated the name 'Old Reliable' a few times until his eyes widened with surprise and then quickly changed to anger. "You two want OLD RELIABLE!? Oh no no no, that is seriously one of my proudest and most special possession, if you two even lay so much as a scra-"
"Hubert, we got this! Besides, think of Twilight... think of Rainbow Dash, you love her, you need all the help you can get from us" Charlie exclaimed. Kale nodded and told Hubert he agreed with the fact that they do need all the help they can get. He bit his lower lip while he stomped the ground gently thinking hard on the decision. "Are you really struggling with an answer knowing I’m basically controlling a small part of you?" hissed Dash. "Yeah... I’m kind of an idiot okay? Sheesh... alright, go get Old Reliable. I don't want a scratch on her, do you two understand me?"
The inverted stallions both nodded in agreement to ensure they will at the very least try to cause a minimal amount of damage to their ride to the mountains where Syra resides, casting her evils. It was an eventful moment that was mutual to everyone. They see the blackness of their sins printed on them and yet they still have the white on them for their innocence that still existed on them. Each of them bare a different shade of black and white, Hubert still had a small streak of red, so did Victor and Charlie, but that didn't change who they are now.
"Well then, we're off" Charlie ran inside the house and disappeared in the blackness. Victor nodded again at Hubert who replied with a smile, saying one last thing. "If you're thinking about how you'll find us, just remember how I found you all back in La Drang, alright?". Victor saluted Hubert, and took off after Charlie. it was now down to a partially possessed Hubert and a calm spirit of winter who bare the name Kale. "Ready when you are Kale
"Even here at a world's end, I see two ponies united as one by the force we call love, aiding me; a ghost! It's funny but I think it's time this road comes to an end, let's finish this"
"And me?"
The two pegasus look back to see the purple unicorn saddened by the thoughts of her lack in ability to fly. Hubert didn't have anything to say but "We need you here at home Twilight, we can't have you helping us and putting yourself in danger, besides... you don't have any wings, it's like... it's like you were destined to stay here!" he smiled hoping it would make her feel better but instead his words gave her a negative effect.
Kale gave Hue a bad look which his response was a shrug. "Ugh... Twilight, Hubert is right on one part, and that's putting yourself in danger, we don't want that. You need to stay here and be safe until we can defeat her. She can't be saved, not without you, but we can be free, that we can be IF we defeat her... do you understand now Twilight?"
She gave no response; she only looked down onto the ground of snow picking at it, making a circle with her hooves. "Don't feel so bad Twilight! We'll be back faster than you know it, so lighten up egghead!" Rainbow finished her sentence off with a chuckle to show her what she meant was supposed to be taken lightly. Again, no response.
They both shared the same thought that Twilight understood her place in the situation. After a few stretches here and there from Hubert and a deep trance of thought from Kale, they readied they're wings for takeoff, until a bright flash of blue, broke the rule of having a black and white winter. They're jaws dropped and hit the floor at Twilight's new appearance.
"No...way..."
"I've seen this before, but it was on Rarity, never on herself"
"Well well well Twilight... are you coming or what? Let's go stop her and bring back our winter"
Before them stood Twilight with her eyes raging white fumes of smoke, as if the raging winds of the season roared inside of her and in order to see it, you must look through the glass eyes of the mare. Twilight sprouted a more professional looking type of wings that she had casted onto Rarity, the day when Rainbow Dash had a tournament, on herself. The wings were a bit larger than the regular wings of a pegasus but they were certainly more firm and had a more menacing look.
"Let's finish this, it's time for our revelations"
That's a wrap for now. Next chapter (Undecided title at the moment) is going to be the finale which leads to the endings YOU the viewers will choose... let's be honest here, you bastards are gonna look at both endings. I don't blame you all, I'd do the same. NEXT chapter is the most intense one i've ever written.
Now for what I mentioned earlier... Revelations was TOO long. Originally Mad World was part of this and the next chapter I am writing was going to be part of this BUT come on now... that's 8000+ words. Too long. No worries, I literally just took about 1500-2000 words off this story and put it in the next. So i'm already half-way done with the next one! Oh and also... to the guy who sent me a message (You know who you are) asking about my past... let me tell you about it...
I will NOT bullshit my viewers right now, this chapter, is LITERALLY a "lead up" kind of chapter, a FILLER if you want to call it that. If you do NOT want to read a lot of tension and build up, PLEASE look for "checkpoint" line. It marks the "Just read from here if you want the action and setting for the next chapter". That little chapter from last week or so was just me dozing off... explain more at end. If you don't want to read, please be courteous to just read the final statement in the end written in Pink.
Unforgiven Winter
Chapter 10
Breach
"Sweet Celestia these winds are strong... AND PRETTY GOD DAMN COLD TOO!" Hubert shouted at the others. Kale and Twilight were not too far behind Kale's blasting lead on them. "The combination of two speed freak ponies in one body... theres no way nothing can go wrong" said Kale to Twilight. "If that's the case then losing site of them is not an option, then again I doubt they'll leave us behind, let's speed it up" Twilight responded. She thrusted her wings hard to give her an extra boost in velocity to be close to Hubert with Kale leading right behind.
Going against the wind was a hard task but necessary one if they were to stop Syra. Much of their strength was being used up in their wings that they questioned whether Syra had any traps and if she did, how they will be able to fend them off. Now reaching the mountain range where the giant muzzle of the wendigo appeared, the wind current was the least of their worries, with heavy pellets of snow and ice along with a hazardous foggy climate, only the bravest could venture through.
"Hey! Slow it down Hue, they're going to be lost if we keep going this far in with all the fog around us!"
Rainbow Dash broke down the speed to a pace slow enough for Kale and Twilight and fast enough to break the wind's current. "Oh Dash, it's not like I had any intentions of leaving them behind to begin with, besides, where's that adventurous pegasi I worked with in Noy Pek?" replied Hubert cheerfully to himself. "I'm supposedly dead in case you've forgotten" she hissed back.
The conjoined partners blazed throw the wind going at such a speed that Hubert's mighty wings sliced the small snowflakes in half. Twilight and Kale shook their heads in disappointment knowing that they had to pick up their pace, two speedy ponies in one body is bound to have a peeve for flying at such a low velocity.
It took several minutes of flying in the freezing night until Kale flinched when he noticed odd movement up ahead and around them. "Hey Twilight, I don't know if my eyes are deceiving me or not but... are those mountains moving?" said Kale aloud in order for his voice to be powerful enough to be heard over the raging winds. She thought of it as a silly thought and perhaps just a mirage of winter until she actually looked around to examine the mountains for herself. Indeed Kale was right, all around them there were shifting shadows and camo'd figures moving in the snow. They didn't know what was watching them and what was moving but one thing was certain, they had to go fly faster, slowing down wasn't an option.
Twilight occasionally looked to her side to see Kale every now and then."How long has it been... since I made my mistake... years, so many years wasted when I could have lived... lively? If it wasn't for my decision, I would have never met the friends I have now in Ponyville, but if I were to be with Kale... what kind of life would I have? Living in Canterlot with my original friends, staying close with the Princess, grow up in my birthplace and perhaps... start a fami- her mind trailed off when she noticed Kale was squinting harder at an upcoming mountain. She figured it was nothing since the mountain had to particular suspicion but but couldn't but hope he had spotted something. The snow began to be a little lighter and the fog was becoming less dense making it possible to see bit farther ahead. Huber could be seen slowing his pace down dramatically looking back at the two oncoming ponies and then back at the enormous mountain not too far ahead of them.
"This little black and white color bearings is disorienting my vision, I can barely see a damn th- bingo!" Kale corkscrewed right past Hubert and towards a black spot on the mountain. The kind pegasus waited for Twilight to catch up and then both flew at the same speed as Kale did to catch up. It was only mere seconds before the fog suddenly broke, as if the mountain had a shield around making it so no weather can affect its form. The lavender unicorn and love-struck royal guard slowed down their pace knowing that the strong winds opposing them was nothing more now than a simple evening breeze. Soon enough once the two reached Kale, they panted heavily and slowly except Kale, since he wasn't amongst the living.
"You two tired already? I pity you Royal Guard..."
"Shut...up" said Hubert in between breaths. But it proved to be difficult regaining his breath with Rainbow Dash laughing very now and then. "Rainbow! Shut... UP!" demanded Hubert. The dismembered voice of Dash still inside Hubert realized that she was living off of Hubert's body. The end of him would also mean the end of her. "It's hard not to laugh! Death by laughter? Pathetic way for us to go; sounds like something Pinkie Pie would die from, not a Guard." snickered Rainbow Dash. "Cut it out you two" hissed Twilight having almost all her breath back.
Kale paced back and forth still squinting at the enormous mountain in front of them looking for any activity that could lead to Syra. "See anything Kale?" asked Hubert in a worn out tone. Kale shook his head to indicate he was just as lost as them and said no word, he was only mumbling to himself until he finally clapped his hooves together.
"I'm an idiot, I forgot I'm a spirit, I don't need to sight to see you Syra... Rainbow Dash!"
"Uhhh... yeah?"
"Close your eyes, trust me on this one, you'll be able to see it too"
"See what?
"Just do as I say please"
Rainbow Dash shrugged but obliged to his request. Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes... well at least the left eye that she had nearly total control of. "Woops sorry" said Hubert and he gladly closed his right eye. Twilight -still recovering her breath- was curious to know what it was they were looking at but didn't bother asking since Kale read her thoughts. "Spirits can see other ones with ease, even if it is through matter, think of it like x-ray Twilight, I don't really expect you to understand 100 percent". She only nodded and let him concentrate on his work.
"Ace... are you seeing... but... hold on i'm alive!"
"So what is it that I'm supposed to be looking at... oh wait... woah, woah! Are you seeing this Kale?"" asked Dash with enthusiasm. Kale didn't bother replying but did indeed smile knowing that Rainbow discovered a new ability she can perform now that she was a spirit. Hubert beg able to see didn't surprise him either. "It's still hard to believe any of you are ghosts, it's hard to believe all this is even happening!" exclaimed the mortal unicorn. Kale chuckled at her comment followed with a reply."Are you saying you don't believe in ghosts Twilight? Do you believe in Ghost Stories?" he asked in a low tone. Twilight shook her head followed by a no. He laughed queitly to himself and then said "Well Twilight... you better start beleiving in them, cause your in one"
____________________________________
"Bu-But..." she was suttering to his dark response. At a complete loss for words, she gave up on coming up with a witty response and at the moment accepted this entire thing was beyond reality, it was a nightmare. "I... I think I see her! Yes I do, she's a bit higher up on the right ridge! It looks like she's... holding something?" Said Rainbow Dash, finally opening her eye and Hubert his. Their breath was restored thankfully due to the healthy body Hubert had but little could be said about their strength, it was near depletion. "I see it to, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
"Now hold on, hold on a moment... we don't know what's up there! For all I know we could be walking right into a trap!"
"Well obviously we'll face some obstacles, it's not exactly going to be a welcome party when we arrive""Yeah Twilight, ease up, we're more than capable of dealing her and whatever goons she throws at us"
"Enough of your babbling Huey, let's just go on with this so we can not only cure everyone of this stupid nightmare, but more importantly... GET MY BODY BACK! Hello?1 Have you all forgotten about that?"
Everyone laughed out at her unfortunate turn of events, a good laugh before a confrontation, the last thing they will probably ever do in their lives. The three traveled northwest of the mountain, upwards to see a rather... dangerous site. As all of them were climbing the altitude, they could see eyes of yellow and red watch them climb higher and higher until they almost reached the peak which is when a few howls were shouted. The familiar bloodcurdling howl sent shivers down Twilight's spine, literally. The altitude they have reached was cold enough for frost and ice to form on them but was solved quickly when a small summit-like naturally made platform was spotted out by Rainbow Dash.
The platform was farther away than they thought when they got closer. Twilight spotted out a flimsy looking bridge they can walk across to get to the platform. The mountain at the top was split in two, one peak separated from the other, where the three brave souls landed was sadly at the peak far from the platform. All of them landed on the base of the naturally made ice bridge that led across the gap of a black oblivion.
"We can rest for the moment... try and see if we can be more prepared for what lies ahead" said Twilight, resting her magic wings aside her. The tattering sounds of footsteps echoed everywhere. Wherever the sounds were coming from, the waves bounced around the small summit making them all believe it was coming from everywhere. "Hey I really think we should start walking, let's save the wing strength for later or so" suggest Hubert. Nobody argued with the idea, all gladly walked the long and yet somehow wide natural bridge.
A very awkward and dangerous aura kept them all silent for the walk. Rainbow Dash began to whistle softly to have everyone ease down their fear and look forward to the bright future. It did little good for during her whistling, a dozen red eyes sprouted all over the side of the mountain they were walking towards. Twilight was starting to feeling nervous, scared in case she fell off the bridge. Her heart sank at the devious thoughts. What gave her the curiosity to look over and take a peek was beyond her knowledge. Just as she peered her head over, her head was quickly jerked away from the edge from Kale's hoof. "Now Twilight, I wouldn't look over if I were you" he said. "Besides, even if you do fall off, remember you have wings featherbrain".
Her confidence was reassured and mind at ease... at least for a moment. An awkward yet dangerous aura feeling was in the air, everyone could feel it as they walked closer to the cave which was now visible. "Now isn't that a sight for sore eyes, eh Ace?" to their right, was an enormous gap where the mountain top splits, giving them a clear view to raging foggy storm of snow that they went through. It was as if a cyclone of hatred swirled around them was the visible version of what was raging deep inside of Syra.
"Let's keep walking Huey... I don't like the looks of this place"
"No one does Dashie... no one does..."
They kept their socializing to a minimum without anymore stop along the way. Ahead of them was nothing but black shadows, and the few red and yellow eyes that struck out of the dark. Hubert was whistling quietly during their journey across, he whistled a the tune of Winter Wrap Up to Fortunate Son until Dash urged him to hush. It wasn't until Dash pointed at that the more noise and closer they were to the dark mysterious cave, the more dangerous the atmosphere felt and more eyes started to spawn from the dark. The bridge lasted for what seemed to be another 80 yards or so, they were close and with every yard taken, a pair of bright white eyes could be seen. Much like a lighthouse, wherever these eyes were looking towards, a beam of white light would stretch out until it met it's destination. All three of the braving ponies were being watched, it was obvious; even more obvious with them being spotted out in the darkness by those dastardly white eyes revealing them all like a spotlight.
"Can we just fly over there? I want to get off this f***ing bridge as fast as possible"
"Rainbow, language!"
"Shut up Twilight, i'm with Dash on this one, this shit's getting really creepy"
"Enough from both of you, I think flying would be what they want us to do, look around at the cave entrance, high ridges and high grounds, being on hoof is looks like the safest way, slow, but safe. Better safe than sorry"
The beaming eyes -as manipulative as they were- only had a limited spot, it's bright beaming eyes were only limited to the size of it's eyes. It constantly switched between Kale and Twilight every few seconds, it's stare time decreasing with every step they took. Now only 50 yards away, two more pairs of white eyes spawned on either side of the original pair; only these eyes were more smaller than the middle one. Each set of eyes had their target, their menacing frightening look impaled Twilight's confidence like a scorching knife through a stick of butter.
"I have a REALLY bad feeling about this guys... why wolves... why did it have to be wolves..." Hubert said nervously. It was obvious to all of them that the Royal Guard's never has broken, every single movement, every SINGLE sound would make him paranoid to an attack. His nostalgic feelings to Canterlot made it even more difficult for him to cooperate with the rest of the team and the lover that dwelled inside of him.
"I'm just as scared as you Hubert but you have me here with you, we have Twilight, we can do this all together"
"Hold it!" Kale held his hooves up to notify the two behind him that the path ahead of them was either an illusion or a real break. While Kale was giving his instructions, Twilight peered over his shoulder (ignoring what he was saying as well) to see what was ahead, all that was seen was a black void. "And furthur more, ARE YOU LISTENING?" Twilight payed back attention to what her friend was saying. Only a few seconds passed before his instruction were fully given to her. Although their wings were still resting, flying only about 20 yards or so was an easy feat for them. Although Twilight's wings were made of passion, determination and pure magic, the wings acted like the real things for her, forcing her to feel all the fatigue as a normal pegasus would.
All three fluttered across the broken segment of the bridge until finally, their long walk was over, their wings rested, and a majority of their strength restored. "I feel almost as good as new, now... what are we waiting for?! Let's go get Syra once an fo- *HOOF*" Kale shoved his mouth into Hubert's mouth, but it was all too late. The howl of a wold bolted across towards the other side. "Pardon my language... but Hubert... this is all going to shit now".
All three stood back to back monitoring the high ridges, the low ridges, the sides, and the cave itself. "We need to hide!" Twilight insisted with endearment. "Use the darkness to our advantage, don't let those damn eyes see you!". The other two couldn't agree more with her as they all dashed to their own set of cover. Even in the darkest of night's, the full moon gave them little light helping them all have a somewhat basic vision of the terrain.
All three could see a medium sized flight of stairs was their last obstacle before finally breaching the Syra's domain. "You cowards, search for them! Kill them on the spot!" Syra's voice boomed from inside the cave. Twilight tried to signal Kale and Hubert with her hooves but it was utterly useless without knowing exactly where they were.
"ALL OF YOU, FIND THEM!"
"YES IMPERATOR!"
The white beams scanning the area all shut off in an instant, it was now or never to find out where everyone was. "Kale, Hubert, SIGNALS ONLY, YOU HEAR? SIGNALS ON-" she ducked her head back down in the burrow nearly being caught by a stronger beam of light. Now it was 10 strobe like lights beaming down. "Damnit, there's five of these bastards?!"
Twilight could make out the very small glow of Kale's burning mane hiding behind a rock. The deathly eyes that were overwatching the area were very distant from her and Kale's position, Twilight thought it would be a great time to get Kale to come with her to the safe haven of the burrow. After reuniting with Kale, finding Hubert would be a sitch since his left eye could be slightly seen in the low-light vision the moon assisted with.
Just as she made her first step having her hoof crunch the snow beneath her, at least 3 of the 5 overwatching unknown demons aimed their eyes in her general direction. She jumped back, groping for Kale, struggling to see him in the dark now that his mane was unseen, and made the mistake of sticking her hoof out once again.
_________________________________________________
-Checkpont-
This story is long isn't it? When I'm finished, i'm going to make a sort of... "Behind the Scenes" like thing, because believe it or not this entire story... I'll just save the truth for the thing. Make sure you hit the "like" button and subscribe and share thi- I'm just horseshitting you all (No pun intended). Self advertising is absolutely un-rewarding. I'm sure you all hear that enough on YT. Back to the story.
"Oh Shhhhhhoot" she muttered under her breath. The light was shining only millimeters away from her hoof, this forced her to let out a very distinctive shriek having all the guardians of Syra looking directly in her area, of course though, the burrow was the only thing that saved from from certain death.
"SARTORIS! I think there's one behind that small mound over there, should we send in the wolves?"
overheard Twilight. 2 of the 5 pairs of the spotlight eyes routed from her shelter. "The wolves? Have you gone mad Voodoo? You know we CAN'T control the wolves, only Syra can!" Twilight could hear his voice getting a bit distant, it was obvious he was walking away from the edge of the high grounds.
"If you call upon the beasts, then I suggest you defend yourself, they're hungry for flesh and if they have none, they hunt us... even if we aren't alive... I'll go with Syra and inform her of the situation, the rest of you 4, stay put and hunt them down if you have to you cowards! GO DOWN THERE AND BRING ME THEIR HEADS! DO NOT call the wolves unless of course you fools can't handle 3 mewling foals"
"YES COMMANDER!"
"Miss me?" just before Twilight could shriek in the surprise, Kale locked his hoof over her mouth. "Remember I'm dead, I don't need to obey mortal physics, now stand up from this burrow, while those numbskulls were busy saluting Sartoris during his departure, I led Hubert right below them"
Twilight was impressed by what he had done in so little time, then again they do have wings, it was only obvious that's what was used. "Now listen to me, there's exactly 4 small pillars that are holding up the balcony they are all standing on, on my cue, we all buck down the pillars, as for the fourth one, use your magic, shoot out one of those bolts. When the Balcony collapses say these EXACT words okay?" Twilight nodded to ensure him she was paying close attention. "Stritus Maktovich" it will alert the horde of hungry wolves, if you didn't eavesdrop on the idiots already, all we have to do is run inside the cave and our problem is solved! Got that all down?"
The mare nodded with a smile of mischief smeared across her face, it was obvious to Kale she was more than ready to take on Syra now that their little wolf problem was solved and out of the way.
"Sartoris is a real bastard isn't he?"
"Syra's favorite..."
"Cocky son of a bitch"
"Our beloved commander..."
The beams of eyes disapeard almost instantly when they began to talk to each other. Twilight blinked to moustirize her eyes and in that blink, Kale was gone. "That's just like Kale alright..." she whispered to herself. It was obvious to her that the two were waiting for her arrivale under the weakened balcony of ice.
"Should we take the fight to them? Two of us go out there to investigate and wipe them out?" asked one of the 4 guards. "Sure, go out there and just finish them off already, don't disappoint Syra now, especially with those Obsidian armed spears, carving that stone is harder than it sounds"
Twilight took the gamble of charging out and flying up the stairs at such speed that it could have suddenly sparked at least a small crack of sound for how speedy she flew. As she flew, she dragged her hooves along the snow; flying low.
"Sir, look, tracks, 2 thick lines parallel to each other". Hubert, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash could all see the fine streaks engraved into the soft snow where Twilight had flown over, dragging her hooves along. "Well... these guys are more clever than they sound..." said Hubert while he slowly inched closer to the wall trying to stay as far away from the edge as possible.
"Hmmm.... by the ninth, good eyes Dima!" said Voodoo, the 2nd in command is what he was assumed to be by the ready-to-ambush ponies underneath them. All 3 stood next to their pillars, Twilight next to hers and her horn pointing directly at the Pillar that was right in front of her which would cause the collapse of the flimsy balcony their foes stood on.
"Well then Dima, you and Ram better quicken the pace if you want to claim the kill first. Me and Cryo will give you two a headstart, don't worry either, last I check these ponies aren't armed with anything like unlike us, weilding this precious stone of hate, Obsidian, make sure they gave upon it's beauty, make sure they look deep in the shadows of the blade, they will see all their sins right before they die; now go! HEADSTART!"
Once again the beam eyes stared straight down at the stairs and the tracks that were clearly visible in the snow. Whether or not this plan worked, it didn't matter, they had the power of flight at their side, from what they know the guardians didn't have any way to fly. "One..." everyone nodded at each other, the tension rose so much, Hubert's sweat was frozen in place. "Two...". "Let's move it Ram! WE GOT HUNTING TO DO! Oh conspirators, how my blades beg for your blood!". "THREE!"
During mid word of saying 'three' all of them bucked their pillars with such force, the ice broke just as easily as a stone breaking glass. Twilight fired a bolt of burning magic right at her 2nd pillar, having the thing have a more explosive result.
They could see the platform not shatter, but slide down the stairs with 2 of Syra's guardians riding it down, yelling in both fear and... excitement? "I could have sworn one of them was celebrating... weird little things" muttered Hubert. "How did this happen?! Cryo!? CRYO! GET BACK IN POSITION! Let so much as a peep out to Syra and i'll make sure you don't resurrect!"
"Aye sir! My apologies but I thought the conspirators were behind this!"
"The conspirators behind this?! Just how stupid can you... actually, that idea isn't half bad..."
"It isn't?"
"No, no... just don't abandon the position again, into this house we're born, unto this world we're thrown, now... let's go pay a small visit to our friends hiding beneath the ruins"
Hoofsteps, they were distant but they grew louder with every passing second. Kale patted both Twilight and Hubert on the shoulders to have them turn around for them to listen to his new orders. He gulped and wiped the frost on his forehead before saying something. "Listen... and listen good, again, on my cue, me and Hubert will be fending off the last remaining guards, as for you Twilight, fly up and shout the words. I know, I know, the horde will come but worry not my dear, we'll have defeated them by then; besides, they'll be too busy feasting on the guards below first, on my cue"
"The nerve these mortals have, facing what acts as a God, they have no chance!"
"ATTACK, NOW!"
Hubert and Kale swooped out of the shelter readying to pounce onto Syra's henchmen. Twilight herself rushed out into the open flying not too far off the ground, about 20 meters or so until she reached a suitable altitude. Before casting the call of what she feared to be Hubert's death (since Kale was immortal... at least that's the thought on her mind) she could see Hubert struggling to push a spear with a pointed black tip away from his throat while Rainbow Dash spat out insult after insult at what she assumed to be Voodoo.
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT US!" yelled out Kale, keenly ducking from a long vicious looking spear. "WE'LL BE THERE, I PROMISE!". Twilight nodded and looked over the horizon. She may not see it but she could feel it, there were eyes watching her, watching her every movement, as if they knew she were about to summon them. At the bottom of the stairs she could see two of Syra's guardians putting their helmets back onto their heads, and mounting small spears onto a gauntlet they both wore. They rushed themselves after seeing her take flight; her staring at them in surprise they hadn't fallen farther down. With one last deep breath of hope, she shouted the words she feared would kill them all.
"STRITUS MAKTOVICH"
Tens...hundreds... thousands of eyes both of blood and sun sprouted on the farthest corners of the mountains. Winter's horde was awaken and the only way to satisfy it's growing hunger was the flesh of the 3 friends.
"About last chapter... The last chapter I posted was "What was Syra doing?" chapter. I myself have been waiting for Bill O'rielly's new chapter for his story... it's been 2 months... anyways, seeing as how my lazy ass was not being productive with the main-line story, I just spewed out a pretty decent chapter I'm sure many of you hated. Sorry but rather to fill you up a bit with whatever...
In conclusion: I wrote that Syra thing in 2 days, because i'm an asshole that didn't want to write for a full week but now I realized that my lazy ass needs to work.
Also, you get your next fill THIS Saturday... or my name isn't John Rambo. Summary of this chapter: Twilight gets seperated from the group because they fight Syra's goons and she goes inside a cave.
Black outline, grey coat, drained colors, and ember red eyes. These traits are what made up the colors of a true Rainbow Dash. Syra walked as she dragged her left wing against the cave wall, admiring it's stony and rough feel. She continued to walk until she reached the peak of the mountain she was stationed at, looking towards the city of Canterlot and the admiring the amazing city that challenged Las Pegasus itself.
"Oh Twilight... how I wish the revenge I take, is an act of mercy... this isn't my intentions at all"
"Mercy? The girl doesn't deserve mercy, she killed me and Kale, after turning him down, she still has the nerve to do such an action!"
Much like a act of Golumn, she saw herself as both innocent and menacing. The good and sane part of her walked directly opposite of her evil counterpart; both walking in around in a circle.
"But it's Twilight... she was gone before our deaths even occured"
"You are truly blinded aren't you Syra? Who ever said she had to be there to end you?"
"But the possibilities ar-"
"Are many, you know it too. Why fight against the truth Syra?"
Syra -still controlling Rainbow Dash's body- looked out in the distance seeing 3 small figures grow a small bit larger every few seconds. She was thinking to herself whether or not her other side, her demonic side, was in the right. After all, it has been leading her for years, why stop listening to it now when her prey are so close to falling before her.
"You loved him... seeing him in pain has caused you nothing but depression. Can't you see Syra? Is it that hidden away from you? Twilight killed you both, to end all her traces with Kale and to prevent your pursuit of happiness, she must be killed for her ill actions". The evil spirit slowed her pace down before saying one last thing. "Her winter is forgiven when she makes winter skies bleed". She came to a halt and slowly faded away to the whatever direction the cold breeze was blowing.
She nodded at a frequent pace before she walked to the edge of the cliff, looking out to the 3 approaching figures become a bit larger with every few seconds. Syra had the complete power of the season, by now she could have easily wiped them all out but that wasn't her intentions. She wants to pick off each of them one by one until Twilight was the last one remaining. Her art was that she would never have to kill Twilight, she would do it herself after having the "truth" pressed against her and seeing how all her friends have died for her actions, she would kill herself out of either insanity or respect.
"Only then... can her winter be forgiven and the raging winds will finally fall to ease once we claim our killer"
Killing Sparkle will make her no better, in fact it would make her an equal to her, she had to be better than that. What better way to have revenge with having not committing the deed at all. The snow was falling lightly on the world and the colors still remained as they were earlier, black and white. Syra had no intentions of rushing her plans, she had the power of winter, them going against the wind was an obstacle enough as it is. They would have to use all their strength in their wings and mind to fight against the wind. By the time they arrive, they will all be weak, making them easy to defeat. Content with her thoughts, Syra walked to the entrance of the cave humming a tune to herself.
She looked at the cave entrance where she made her temporary home at, admiring it's bleak and icy outskirts. Syra reached down, scooping a fair amount of snow. With the makeshift horn she had created herself onto Dash's body, she started using magic to lift the small amount of snow she had picked up and started to shift it in various ways.
"Over and over it calls to your soul Say it isn't so. Emptiness surrounds you No one can help if the angels refuse to come here Who's there?
Cold-faded photos, they lay by your side Something in my room. Never mind blue reason Visions are lying and reasons just live to survive"
After a few minutes she held her newly crafted work in front of her. It was a helmet made of soft snow; very flimsy, soft, and weak.She wasn't much of a craftsman, but she knew her way around on creating fine equipment during her time of actually being alive. She was content with her helmet and decided it was time she had added the much needed accerories. From the cave she levitated 10 small sharp rocks of various sizes and placed them next to herself. Seven of the 10 were placed where the brush of the helmet should be and the remaining 3 were plunged onto the the left side of where the cheekbone should be. The helmet resembled a somewhat crude version of a Canterlot Guard helmet, except only it was to her liking.
Content with her work, she welded with the helmet and all it's pieces together to form a grotesque and yet ferocious looking helmet. She stood there admiring the art before turning her back on the cave. A mound of snow formed on the front entrance of the cave, getting bigger and bigger with the snow falling. She rose her hoof up at the mound and ressurected a snow pony. It had no particular detail, it was just a regular average snowpony. Placing the helmet on the snowpony, she backed away a few steps before waving her hoof over it, creating four more prior to the one she made to have a total of 5. The original one was the biggest compared to 4 other ones that descended from it.
Again, Syra waved her hoof over all 5 only for this time enchanting each of them with a foul black smoke. One by one the soldiers took in a deep breath as if awaken from a long slumber and looked around. They adjusted quickly and stood perfectly straight without expressing any facial or body language of emotions. She walked past the 5 snow soldiers satisfied with the outcome; she then spoke loudly to them. "Attention!"
"IMPERATOR?"
The bulkest of the bunch exclaimed in understandment. The soldiers cocked their helmets and saluted their master like the obedient dogs that they were. Her smile revealed her fangs and sharp teeth to her emotionless soldiers. She let out of sigh of relief to indicate her content spirit. Using magic, she placed more rocks in front of her from the cave. Examining the rocks carefully, she split them in half with a semi-visible wave of her horn. The rocks split, revealing inside, the black malicious stone known as obsidian. "I suspected as much"
"Stay put"
"YES IMPERATOR!"
Syra walked back to the edge of the mountain where she previously stood at and looked down at the lower level that wasn't too much lower, only about 20 yards or so lower of where she was standing. She stood on her hind legs and rose her forehooves into the air, with it came a terrifying sight. Shards and limbs of wood from dead trees started to form a skeletal structure of some kind. The process was repeated with hundreds of times until a small personal army of skeletal beings stood. Next, snow rose from the ground and gave the wooden skeletons shape until the hundred figures were now nothing but a snow version of terrocotta soldiers in wolf form. With the remaining wood, she gave each of them the wooden skin.
The black smoke was casted on the wolve's, bringing them all to life.
"Listen my minions of winter, I created to all to help me end this nightmare that has plauged my friends for so long. It's time we bring down the conspirator known as Twilight Sparkle. When she arrives, she will be weak as well as her friends. Your task is simple, wipe them all out, bring Sparkle to me alive and let blood repaint the winter! Now my beasts, you have taken my life, you must now obey me, the praetor, your creator, you must now take the life of the wretch so I can rest. Now winter beasts, let your cry be mighty! Let your battlecry be death, death and salvation to us all!"
With that, the howls of hundreds of wolves filled the silent void, echoing their battlecry far beyond the summit, powerful enough to shake the snowcaps that rest on the mountain tops.
"Funny...funny how just a few days ago I was waking up from my bed... hoping to see someone in front of my eyes, someone I could call my own till the day I die. What did I get in return? This endless loop of havoc and mayhem, a nightmare as some may call it. I never wanted any of this to happen, I just wanted to come home and take him back, take everyone I left behind back, instead I only brought them a painful curse that was meant for me, haunting them since the year I left them all. What kind of friend am I? I know what must be done, my friends have done nothing to deserve such misery, but... I don't want to die..."
"I don't want to die... I don't want to die... I don't want to die... I don't want to die... I don't want to die... I don't want to die..."
Twilight couldn't make up whether she was repeating what she had said or her voice echoed through the caverns she flew through. It was an enormous cave indeed, big enough for their to be a city in fact the size of Ponyville. The cave was starting to get smaller but only by a SMALL margin yet enough for it to be noticeable, still very large however. Her horn produced a light to guide her through the pitch black cave with ease. Her eyes may have been fixed on what was ahead but her mind was more focused on the safety of Hubert and Kale. If they were to fail she would certainly lose both Hubert and Rainbow Dash, as for Kale, she's grown up with him long enough to know he can take care of himself. Him being dead was even more reason for her not to worry on him too much. The guardians weren't the main threat though, it was the horde of the wolves she called.
Whether or not they could stun the guards long enough for them to slip through didn't change the fact the entire army of darkness would come chasing after them looking for an actual feast of bone and flesh, not the taste of snow and hate. She flew for what felt like 20 minutes but in reality, the cold made her tired faster, she's only been in flight for 5 minutes at most. The cave was still it's large and empty hollow shape like it was when she first entered it. A few bats that were purely white flew right under her, leaving a trail of a transparent white glow that disappeared a few seconds after they dispersed.
Twilight let out a heavy sigh of fatigue before she settled onto the ground for a rest. "Got to... catch my breath first then back down these caverns, in fact-" she stood up from the rock she sat on. "Might as well kill time with a cool down, i'll make distance this way and rest up the wings"
She began to notice her wings were losing their glow, such a result only means they were starting to become fragile and would shatter either on their own or with a force strong enough to shatter them. While walking down the long and steep caverns; she noticed a small trail of water leading down various paths she could have easily made a mistake with. For example, at one point down the road, there came a moment where there was an option to take a left or right.
Her wing strength was better than before but still needed it's well rest, at the very least warm them a little to make them more flexible instead of having to forcefully move clanky near frozen wings. Walking farther down she came across 6 spaciously laid out flat rocks in a circle with the middle have a hole full of dead dry and frozen grass alone with 2 pieces of charcoal.She noticed the entire cave was covered with many plants but were all dead because of the winter's cold. Aiming her horn directly down the small hole, she fired off a very fiery blast of magic, lighting up a small area, much like a miniature bonfire. Twilight was careful not to warm her wings too much considering the fact she didn't want to suffer the same fate as Rarity's wings had so long ago during Rainbow Dash's contest in Cloudsdale.
She stare into the black and white fire, missing it's notorious red and gold embers that once gave her heat with color before Syra casted the twisted spell that made everything run on some sort of classic horror filter. As deep as she was in the cave, she could hear the yelp and silencing of a timberwolf all the way towards the entrance. Her worry was no longer a factor that affected her, Twilight figured her friends were more than capable of handling two clunky guards.
It was quiet, dark, and she was alone in it, being consumed by the dark she fear she may be slaughtered by some passerbye wolf, hungry to feed on meat. "Where could she be? she asked herself out loudly. "She could be anymore in these caves, I just wish Hubert was here so Rainbow Dash could make out her exact location from x-raying the walls or whatever spiritual garbage it was I saw them do out there... didn't Hubert say he had the ability to see it as well? Nevermind that, I just need to find her before it's too late for not only us but all of Equestria... but where could she be?!"
"But I'm right here Twi-Twi..."
Twilight looked to her right to see that among the flat rocks that were formed in a circle, she had the full company of Syra. Only Syra here was as herself looking of flesh and blood instead of using Rainbow Dash's body and or using her ghastly, spirit identity. Twilight jumped up and stood in a fighting position, charging her horn to create a powerful blast that had enough power to make a small hole in the cave. Syra didn't pay any attention to Twilight at all, instead all she did was raise her hoof at her and out came a very small yet very artic-like breeze at her. It was cold enough to send chills down her spine and force her to cancel her attack.
"S-S-S-Sy-SYRA!" Twilight called out to her in desperation. She acknowledged her call but didn't show any body language. "Twilight, i'm so... cold, so very cold Twilight" said Syra with fumes of her warm breathe escaping to the cold atmosphere around them. Twilight usually almost always trusts her instincts and here she hated to trust them. Her instincts told her that she was non-hostile, in fact, she came seeking for help and guidance, not a fight.
"I'm so cold Twilight... why am I so cold?" she questioned her again. It was faster than the blink of an eye that Syra turned around and was now in direct eye contact with the tired magenta unicorn. Her eyes were there but empty, like a zombie, forever to roam in spirit with no soul or destination. Twilight felt her presence will be harmless and sat on the flat rock she originally sat at before she had jumped off in surprise. Syra just kept breathing slowly having her breathe crystallized into small particles of snow. The living unicorn looked on the ground trying to make out if this was some sick illusion or reality.
"It's been a long time Twilight... it's so good to see you again!" exclaimed Syra. When Twilight turned to face her change of heart friend, her eyes dilated to see the spirit actually smile for once. The apparition stood from the large flat rock and carefully walked over to Twilight, as if she were a fragile ancient being. "Oh Twilight, why must I be so rude? Come and give your bestfriend a hug, just like old times!" she said happily. She sat on her rump and extended her forehooves to welcome in the hug she expected to receive from Twilight.
The purple mare was very confused but feared that not obliging, would anger the spirit. Both mares, friends from so many years ago, locked together in a hug that melted Syra's heart...literally. Twilight broke off from the hug and stepped back; the entire front of her body was wet. She looked back up at Syra only to see her body that appeared to be of flesh was the illusion. "Oh dear... don;t worry Twi, it'll all come back, watch" said Syra before miniature balls of snow formed and jumped straight into the open chest cavity that Twilight melted from her hug. Syra giggled when she noticed Twilight's mouth hit the floor at what she was wtinessing happen.
"It's clear to me that you still have that raging love for our shattered friendship Twilight, your burning love literally just melted my poor...cold...heart...". She patted down the excess amount of snow into her body before she looked back up at her friend with a jolly smile. Twilight had just about enough of the grand illusion at play, her rage returned before she lashed out at Syra angrily but yet calmly. "What the hell do you want from me Syra?! What sick joke are you trying to pull off!" she scolded out. Syra began to pace backwards, avoiding the raging unicorn. "First you call for me, then you haunt me and my friends, what have I done to deserve your reign of terror?! I should strike you down where you stand so I can finally forgive your winter!"
Syra continued to retreat until she hit the wall of the cave and stood their helplessley being scolded by Twilight until she finally spoke out. "Twilight my dear friend! I didn't want this for you... I didn't want any of this for you... it's all a LIE, you have to believe me! That Syra that's haunted you... it was NEVER me!" she yelled out in desperation, cowarding behind a mound of snow and rubble. Twilight melted the snow away with a mighty bolt of magic she shot out while walking forward, continuing to harass her until answers were spilled. "After so much torment, you actually expect me to believe you?!" she fired off another bolt right next to her face, the black putrid smoke from the blast evaporating from the wall.
Syra was at a lost for words, like she couldn't find her voice, her only response was a nod with a wry smile across her face. Twilight couldn't believe after this harassment she still had the nerve to continue with what she assumed was a lie. Again her instinct kicked in and again they told her she was harmless, that Syra was speaking the truth. "Explain, now" said Twilight with her teeth clenched. Syra chuckled lightly before her body became perfectly stiff except for her head. Slowly from the very bottom of her hooves, Twilight could see ice start to grow on her.
"For years i've been imprisoned not by myself, but by winter, forever roaming this cave, still looking for my home, please take me home Twilight... i'm so cold... the deal I can never take back, anger took over and it resulted in my death... in Kale's death, i'm so sorry Twilight! So sorry!" she began to cry in her stiff position quietly enough for her to prevent echoes.
"Save me Twilight"
"What?"
"I'm so cold...save me" with that, the ice started to grow out like patches all over her body until she was one complete ice sculpture, the same look Twilight had seen Rarity had a few days ago after she exited the Bazaar. Right in front of her, the ice sculpture turned into small particles of snow, much like sawdust, and her remains disappeared farther into the cave towards Twilight's destination. "Enough rest..." she thought to herself. Again, Twilight sprinted forward before again taking off to continue the small journey farther into the caverns, following the flakes of snow Syra trailed behind, her journey however wasn't too far, after only 5 minutes of flight, she arrived at a large hold surrounded by blue torches with a black core.
It amazed Twilight how such a large mountain could produce such a complicated and yet breath-taking natural maze. She could see the entrance was the last obstacle she would have to pass before finally entering the domain of the wretched phantom... or so that's what she thought until she took a closer look at the entrance.
Guarding the entrance was a pony larger than Big Macintosh. There a meters away from Twilight stood a huge, white, bulk and muscular pony with a malicious looking helmet decorated in obsidian. He bore a spear mounted onto a make-shift saddle of his. The obsidian that decorated his helmet was there not for show, but to impale an opposing enemy by simply ramming into them. His upper body was armored with many black and white gems while his entire right shoulder was plated in more of the vile black stone. Twilight hovered above the ground before setting foot on it. There she stood yards in front of this monsterous, armored mustang the likes which she has never seen before. He readied his spear and licked the tip of it, drawing what seemed to be blood, from his tounge. "True to Syra, your head will add as a nice trophy to her, then she can finally rest"
"Sartoris, is it? You have mu-"
"HOLD YOUR TOUNGE YOU WITCH!" with that he adjusted his spear and started to rub his left forehoove onto the ground, readying to charge, Twilight did the same. Both stood their giving each other a piercing stare that challenged Fluttershy's. The second a sound broke the silence from within the cave, both charged towards each other with Sartoris having the godlike speed that Twilight couldn't match, she had no time to react/adapt to the situation. She couldn't move from the obsidian tip fast enough.
"RETRIBUTION!"
His voice was thick, fierce, and not to mention frightening. Why Syra created such a monstrous soldier was beyond Twilight's thoughts, all she knew was that his spear was coming and she had little to no time to react, the tip was already millimeters away from her back leg. Twilight had no time to be on the offensive but instead on the defensive, whipping her wing right wing out, she re-guided the spear and had it run the very tip of it along her right backleg instead of having the spear impale it right on the spot. The beginning of their dilemma was much like jousting, except here Twilight had no weapon, or so at least she thought she didn't. Remembering when she summoned her wings, she remembered she crafted them both out of faith and strength, it wasn't the fragile and elegant looking wings she had casted onto Rarity, no, these wings were made for agility and slicing not only air, but foes.
Extending the right wing softly, she could see the edges were aligned with razor sharp, ice-frosted-like feathers. She began to limp lightly but nonetheless, readied herself to attack yet again, another joust. "I figured as much, you really are the wastrel Syra had spoken of, I see no need for a challenge, I'll be sure to leave your corpse rotting in here" said Sartoris as fixed his helmet for a better view on the situation. "I admire your determination Sartoris, but it's such a shame your only a dog to Syra, allow me to put you down like one" replied Twilight. "Oooh, that was a bit too harsh... note to self: Never again say such insults, even if they are your enemy" she said in her mind. Angering Sartoris however was her main goal, adding rage and strength to his next attack would unbalance him, making his move predictable.
The enraged stallion's eyes shone out of his helmet, shooting out a bright beam of white that nearly blinded Twilight. This however was his reaction to his anger, a spurt of blinding light to show his absolute rage, the perfect opportunity for Twilight to strike. He roared out in power and charged, Twilight this time was quick enough to adapt this time and clever enough as well. Why run when you could put the wings to good use? As both of them drew closer and closer, she could see that Sartoris was aiming for her chest, putting in his body nereby. Twilight corkscrewed to deflect the spear and with the next wing, sliced upwards to lay out a clean cut on his lower un-armored abdomen. His scream of pain matched that of the wolf she had blasted away in her nightmare from a few nights ago. She stood there watching him yell out and cursing her.
"THIS ISN'T OVER! I WON'T GO OUT LIKE THIS!"
He snapped the front section of the spear off with his teeth and strapped it onto a similar looking gauntlet a guardian from the outside had. Before she even knew it, he was already sprinting towards her with his obsidian decorated helmet ready to impale. "So..." she side stepped Sartoris, leaving him to sprint only a few meters more before his head slammed into the wall of the cave, "Predictable"
Twilight brushed off the crums of debris that had fallen onto herself from the impact of Sartoris and walked towards the hole that was not guarded by harmless lightposts lit with a blue flame. The cave rubble began to get only a tad bit bigger before she finally looked back to see a stallion, fully consumed by hatred and pent up rage. "YOU MUST DIE NOW SPARKLE" he scorched out. He broke free from his helmet and revealed his face at last. Right there in front of Twilight stood him, the same stallion she had rejected but had left behind to have him defend her from the wolves along with Hubert and Rainbow Dash. There in front of her stood Kale.
Checkpoint
Go get something to drink or whatever. It's always nice to have some water nearby
"What's wrong Twilight, cat got your tongue?"
She was speechless and confused now more than ever. "This can't be real! It can't! I saw him fighting off one of Syra's goons outside! This ISN'T him!" she yelled inside her head. She paced backwards very similarly to how the spirit of Syra did when she was harassing her. The red-eyed Kale got closer and closer, taunting her and putting her down with his words.
"You left me and Syra to die Twilight, how could you live with yourself?"
"I-I didn't! I never did!"
"Rejecting the truth only makes it worse, you killed us, are you still living with this lie you implanted on your head?"
"Wha-what lie?! I made no lies! You're not real!"
Twilight stood in place having her forehooves bash her head in from the insanity she was embracing, Kale was circling her, still taunting her with lies, closing his circle in tighter with every revolution.
"Was my love not enough for us to be together? Did I offend you enough with my love that it cost me my life?"
"I loved you too Kale, but I just didn't want it to be all too quick, we needed time apart!"
"Time apart you say? I guess that time has reached an unlimited destination now that you have slain me"
With that Kale slammed his hoof over her head, making Twilight faceplant onto the stone ground that was covered lightly in snow. Her nose was sore but not broken thankfully, she was still at a lost for words and stood back up again. Kale mocked her before laying a crippling kick to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. His red eyes grew brighter and brighter with every harming blow he laid on her. Twilight couldn't stand up against Kale, she was convinced it was the real him. "Stand up Sparkle, I want to see your face when you die" he said. Twilight wanted it to end quickly... so she stood up just as Kale had commanded. "Good, now Sparkle, you will now know true power and have your winter forgiven at last" Kale was now lost in his own world, knowing that he was the dominant being.
"You really aren't going to let it end like this are you Twilight?"
"Of course not"
*Giggle* "You're a bold one, i'll be ready to help"
With a wry smile and her mane covering her eyes, she awaited for Kale to pick his gauntlet mounted hoof off the ground to stab Twilight right between the eyes. Once he did, Twilight uppercutted him with her left wing having missed his chin and instead slicing him across his right eye. He was again screaming in pain and jabbing the gauntlet in all directions while stammering around aimlessly. When near by one of the light posts, an invisible force knocked over one, having the fire and the liquid that kept it burning spill onto Kale. It was a tragic yet satisfying thing to see, watching her foe burn alive but then again having the face of the one she loved. Twilight, as kind as she was, couldn't bear to see the being suffer any more. The snow which he was made of melted off quickly, revealing a somewhat ice skeletal structure. Twilight charged her horn with that same bolt of magic before releasing. A direct impact to his head, relinquishing him from his misery. His body stammered around for a few more seconds before it dropped lifelessly onto the ground, having the blue fire melt down his corpse into liquid.
"You aren't Kale, you're just another unforgiven wretch"
"Glad you could make it so soon Sparkle, I'm surpirsed Sartoris didn't prove to be much of an obstacle for you, I guess now I can kill your personally for my sake"
Twilight Sparkle now ventured into the dark cave only to be greeted shortly by a wall of white fog. She knew walking through the fog would finally lead to meeting the ultimate foe, winters spirit, Syra. She was nervous, dreadfully nervous and yet all at the same time, determined. With one last deep breathe, she laid one hoof on the fog and tore inside. Once at the other side, the white fog disappeared and dispersed in all directions, hiding in the shadows. All that was left was a corridor that was large enough for a boulder to pass through... what a horrible thought.
Her horn glow was no use, it was as if the the darkness was eternal in the corridor, her light shone none of it away, instead the darkness consumed her light. It was time that Twilight rely on faith instead of sight. Closing her eyes, she carefully guided herself forward, listening closely to any suspicious activity. Only a few meters in and a growl of a starving wolf interrupted her, Twilight was unphased however, she continued walking forward, no matter how fearsome and near the sound of a barking wolf was, it was all an illusion trying to break her spirit and sanity she was sure of it.
Even with your eyes closed, it is still possible to see a small amount of light through the think skin of your eyelids. Twilight opened her eyes again to see a a dim beam of light in the distance with the silhouette of figure standing in the front. The unicorn narrowed her eyes in anger as she began to trot quickly to the end of the large corridor. When she exited, she was in an enormous room that was in the shape of a dome. The room was the size of half a Colosseum that you would think they have built in Canterlot by now. Twilight felt queezy looking around at the grotesque decorations, let alone stand in the area.
In the center of the room was a massive orb with the aura of all the colors in a spectrum but the core was as black as the night. There was something about the orb that Twilight admired, every time she stare at it, all her troubles went away, she could see her past and all the events she's been through. Every few meters there was one of those lightposts that were similar to the ones placed outside, lighting the walls lowly. The orb was like that of a Gypy's. She got closer to the orb, admiring all her accomplishments of her past she was seeing before her in the orb.
I remember that...
Said Twilight when the scene of defeating Discord had come, the next memory was when she was troubling herself when deciding who was coming with her to the Grand Galloping Gala when she had only received two tickets. Twilight sat down to enjoy the show of her life playing right before her. "That was the day alright" she witnessed herself greeting all her friends she had now the first day she arrived in Ponyville, it felt great to re-see her life, when that memory occurred, the Orb went black and resumed it's original state. Twilight sighed in satisfaction and presumed her sweep of the dome room, there didn't seem to be any exit to the possibility of Syra escaping was unlikely, the real question was why would she want to escape in the first place?
She turned her head to see ancient bones scattered throughout the room, not just of Ponies but of other creatures such as griffons and camels. She felt that same terrifying presence again like something was watching her every move. She jerked her head violently to various directions hoping that something was watching her so she can dismiss the thought, but it was nothing but darkness and the low illuminated walls of the same blue fire that burned outside the dome. Suddenly the orb turned back on again with a loud disoriented sound that curled the ends of Twilight's mane. Caught off guard, she stood on her feet instantly ready to blast the orb into pieces due to the unexpected fright.
Another memory was displayed, a memory she never remembers happening but yet it felt so alive.
The wolves were everywhere on all sides of the ridges during a full moon. It was a memory through the eyes of Twilight herself, standing amongst the many wolves, all of them watching her for some sort of signal. "That places looks... familiar..." Twilight said to herself as she watched the memory. She gasped in shock when she took careful sight at the scenery, it was the same ridges and stairs that were just outside the caverns she ventured through not too long ago, the same area she had left Kale and Hubert behind.
"You think Twilight gave us the right directions Kale?"
"I'm pretty sure Sye, it's not like her to mess up on her plans, you know how Twi is"
"Our Twilight..."
"Sweet Celestia... Kale and Syra!" Twilight whispered to herself.
The Twilight inside the orb was staring at them the entire time until she finally looked back up at the wolves raising her hoof up. "On my signal, I too want bloodshed, I can't let myself be the ending, we were a force, a security, she was the one who put our work to duty, to ensure winter will always be safe. Anger was the only sport me and my brothers danced around, with enough chaos, a new one of us will spawn..." she looked away from Kale and Syra who were merely chatting. "It's been centuries and I'm the last one, I can't let our rule over this season be broken. As if there ponies were even important, Sartoris!" she called out. The same stallion that Twilight had defeated just outside the fog appeared, with the same armor but this time a helmet of stone. His eyes were hidden in the blackness of his helmet and his armor was nothing more than just freshly sanded wood. "Wait for my call, see the one down there to the left? Take his character. He's a bold one, it will match your attitude perfectly, take hers too, trust me on this" she finished saying.
"At once my lov- er I mean lord"
Twilight jumped down from ridge to crevice until she reached the bottom where Syra and Kale were waiting. "Twi-Twi!" shouted out Syra running over to hug her. Kale just rubbed his forehoof softly mumbling out "hi". "Twilight dear, do tell what is it you brought us here for? Are we going to enter this cave? Adventure in the night! I like the sound of it!" said Syra, clapping her hooves together. Kale was uneasy on the subject of going into the cave but went with the flow. Twilight began explaining how there was a secret room in back of the cave where it was said Commander Hurricane, Princess Platinum, and Chancellor Puddinghead settled their disputes between each other's races. Syra's blonde mane shone nicely in the moonlight when she adjusted it correctly. The two agreed to follow Twilight towards the historic site.
The orb showed Twilight, Kale, and Syra all walk into the cave until the moonlight began to disappear; the orb was black and empty, it's rainbow aura was gone, after what Twilight thought was the end of the show the next sound that came were the deadly words.
"STRITUS MAKTOVICH!"
"What?!" the orb went black alright, but no more sound came out, the show really did seem to be over. As soon as Twilight stood up in shock, she began to breathe in heavily and rapidly. "That wasn't me! That couldn't have been me! I never said any of that! the thoughts continued to circle through her head, the memory was real but did she really say and commit such actions? It was beyond her knowledge. Twilight was scared out of her mind, finding the exit, she sprinted towards it trying to leave the dome before he sanity snapped. Something wasn't right, something about that particular area felt evil, it felt like madness, suicidal even. Escaping was the only hope she had. "Going somewhere Sparkle?"
Twilight turned around to see a life drained Rainbow Dash's hoof inches away her face before it connected. Rainbow Dash held Twilight's head in place while she used the other hoof to bash the side of Twilight's skull viciously. Now nearly senseless, Rainbow Dash then proceeded to twirl her bashing fist before delivering a crippling blow to her chest, making Twilight fly a few feet and clash onto the ground having her back scrape against the rough ground. Syra's voice emitted from Rainbow Dash's body, making the end of Twilight's hairs curl. "You actually think I'm letting you escape after all these years have passed? After you killed me you really think i can just let you waltz out of here?! NEVER!"
The beaten mare stood wobbily stood back up spitting out a tooth that had fallen out. "You're aren't her... you aren't Syra!" Twilight ran straight to the bodily possessed Rainbow Dash until she was only a few feet away which then she turned around and bucked with her hind legs straight delivering a blow to the stomach. The wind was completely wiped out from Rainbow Dash forcing her to drop to her knees. "Damn... these... mortal bodies" she mumbled. Seeing as how Syra was weakened, Twilight resumed her assault on her. Just as Twilight was going in for a headbutt, the corrupted Dash used the same method as Twilight had used on Sartoris, use the razor talons to slice her. Syra may have been fast but Twilight was faster, seeing the oncoming attack, she jerked her head back, only receiving the very edge of her throat slit, didn't even go through the windpipe.
"Damn you Sparkle! Just DIE!"
The ghost flew upwards towards the ceiling of the dome which was covered in darkness, Twilight lost sight of her, but a sound of cracking ice kept her on the alert. Out from the dome ceiling came hundreds of stakes, icicles to be exact. Being the clover pony she is, Twilight stood perfectly still and only fired at the only single stake that was dropping on her spot. The small blast radius however sent out very small shards of the ice in all directions and producing a obscuring smoke. When the smoke died down, Twilight hovered a little above the ground to avoid stepping on the now-melting ice shards.
"You aren't Syra! You're a monster!" she yelled out. She expected for Syra to be hiding in the shadows just as she did in her nightmare. "Words like that can get you killed Sparkle, allow me to demonstrate" It was like a bolt of lightning just shot out, all Twilight could see was a pegasus of various shades of black (such as gray, light gray, dark gray etc) burst out from the shadows at blazing speed. It was now clear being in Rainbow Dash's body gave her the abilities of Rainbow herself. Syra got hold of Twilight only to corkscrew her headfirst down onto the ground making the earth vibrate and having created a small crater containing a heavily bruised Twilight Sparkle.
Both of them moaned in frustration, the two of them were near exhaustion and panting like dogs without water. Twilight was seeing double, the massive blow to the head was too much to bare. She shook her head to snap out of the double vision to see Syra standing looking at her. "You never were a fighter Twilight" she said followed by howlings of laughter. Twilight was beyond vulnerable having herself corkscrewed to the ground and beaten violently, she was wide open for an attack. After her piercing laugh, Syra bucked the unarmed mare in the face anyways she could with her left forehoof in a steady tempo. Blood was filling up her mouth, her vision was blurring to her death, everything was going dim until nothing but black consumed her eyes.
"Don't lose faith Twilight, don't be a martyr, stay true to what you believe, you know the truth, even if it wasn't presented directly. I love you, don't fail on me when I need you most... when WE need you most, being a wandering spirit like us? Don't let it happen, forgive her, forgive her!"
Forgive her... forgive her... don't be a martyr... need you most...I love you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Already giving up aren't you Sparkle? Such crude actions deserve crude torture" she paused momentarally to examine the surroundings that were lit up partially with full color by the glowing orb in the center of the dome. "When I kill you right now, just remember it's an act of mercy, I'd really love to stay and continue bludeoning you until you beg for death, but I have other plans. Let me end your life, swiftly" Syra dropped the beaten Twilight, having her flop to the ground, lifeless. She dipped her right wing in the snow and blew out an artic breath straight from her mouth, freezing the snow wherever she blew on it. With only her breath, she shaped it to be as razor as obsidian. Picking Twilight back up, she readied her wing.
"It's not my time... not yet"
"Say again sweetie?"
"The time has come for you..."
Twilight used that same sword like spell to her horn again as she did during her nightmare in the twin veteran stallion homes. Her magic now created a medium sized blade of about 2 feet long, slicing the side of Syra's cheek, forcing her to release Twilight. As Syra cowarded back attempting to recover, Twilight beamed up her horn, disarming her sword and fired off a bolt of magic straight at Syra's chest, sending her flying back with a black spot of the blast on her chest. Twilight limped over to Syra, dizzy and weakened. The only thing that kept her going were the last words of Kale and her strong will.
At last she reached her, she lay on the ground motioneless and lifeless, it was all over, Syra had been killed by Twilight after all that trouble. She plopped to the ground with her jaw open, it was not her intention to deliver a killing blow, the mystery of the memory she had seen in the orb will never solved. Did Twilight really kill Syra and Kale? Was that really Twilight herself? Did she just kill Syra out of defense or bloodthirst? the questions overloaded her head.
You're a killer, Twilight! A KILLER!You did what had to be doneMURDER!Your own friend attacked you and your friends! She deserves no sympathy!Was that Syra?! Or was it a phony?!
The questions nearly caused her to bash her head onto the wall repeatedly until her brains were rammed out. Did Twilight kill her best friend? Was it Syra? She sat down staring down at the lifeless body of the possessed Rainbow Dash, she closed her eyes and let tears stream down her face. It was over...
The End
"This is FAR from over Twilight!"
"Huh?!" she opened her eyes to see black foul putrid fog-like liquid ooze out from Rainbow Dash's mouth until it seeped into the snow. The ground began to shake, icicles of all sized fell around Twilight and the body of Rainbow Dash. The orb in the middle was shapeshifting into grotesque shapes and featuring various memories of Syra, Kale, and Twilight like an out of control slideshow. It still bore it's Rainbow Aura but it the presence no longer felt like happiness and joy, it's presence was evil, dark, hideous. It was like the orb was crafting something from inside, some sort of inner demon was awakening. Twilight stood as ready as she could for the the next event. Her left beaten eye gave her terrible vision and the multiple blows to her head had everything blur for a few seconds and back then back into focus.
A duel of fates would be decided here and now. it was obvious to Twilight whatever would come from the orb was Syra, her perks overpowers Twilight's by a large margin. Out from the liquidy state of the orb came out a hoof then another, then a head that bled black smoke until the entire figure was revealed. Her theory stood correct only Syra had a grotesque pattern to her fur, it was all lined with evil symbols and tattoo like lines that resembled malicious objects. Her eyes were glowing blue this time, a bright cyan blue and her mane have a beautiful breathtaking glow. Tear like patterns formed around her eyes, glowing as well to add the ghostly effect. Her horn was as clear and as beautiful as diamond, how can something so graceful turn out to be such a monster. "Allow me Sparkle, to send you towards the afterlife"
With godlike speed, Syra sprinted to deliver a mindblowing strike to her chest, enough for it to nearly break her rib cage. It was of no use, Twilight had no energy or strength to take her on alone...
Some sound just outside the exit of the dome began to rattle the ceiling and echo through the caverns, a machine like sound. The sounds of the machine going rat-tata-tata-tata-tata-tata in an endless motion. Both of the battling mares looked at the exit listening in closely at the intruder interrupting their fight. They could make the the little faint words of a few ponies speaking. "Twi Twi?""Do Lung!""Te- Offensi- 'Ol Relia- tounge Twister with the Rainbo-"
Twilight, full of hope and faith, charged at Syra who was still focusing on the exit, toppling on top of her attempting to pin her down, Syra quickly changed her situation with blasting Twilight away with her own horn and enchanting it with the sword spell. Quick to react, Twilight did the same action. "You could have just stayed home Twilight, you could have just let it all go, you forgot about us before, why come back when we never needed you?!"
She responded with her horn, both unicorns locked into a furious test of strength, seeing which will be the first one to let up. Twilight, having her sight blurred again, wasn't able to hold onto the lock anylonger, the pressure pressed against her forehead was too much for her to handle. Just as the lock was going to come to a conclusion, a pony cried out "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" followed by an explosion that caused debris to fly in all directions.
"Syra Swirlz, meet 'Ol Reliable!"
A beam shot out from the debris, a bright white beam that shone brighter than the surrounding blue torches aimed towards Twilight and Syra. From the debris came out 4 life saving ponies.
Twilight coughed to clean her lungs from the clogging smoke of the wall debris. "I said not a scratch Victor! Damnit!" said Hubert emerging from the gray smoke with his silehoutte being lit up by the strobe light coming from behind him. "Lighten up Hue...". "You cant put a price on Twilight Huey, lighten up" responded the red stallion. When all the debris in the room cleared, there stood four faithful friends ready to assist Twilight. Behind them was a parked contraction that bore a propeller on the top and a pod like body. Mounted under the body was a searchlight and on the right side was a mounted black box with a long black barrel with smoke emerging from it.
"Well well, Syra, it's been a longtime since we last met, tell me, how's it feel to be a major bitch?" asked Charlie with sarcasm. Forgetting the main target that is Twilight, she began walking towards him slowly. "what's your name again you little runt? I'll have you begging for death when i'm through with you!".
"Oh cry me a river, we've put up with shit from Cong, you ain't much" said Victor going to the side of Syra. Twilight was watching the arguement rise amongst the friends but noticed Kale was nowhere to be found. Looking around closely while Syra was distracted, Kale was in the most obvious of spots, right behind her. Down to a whisper he began to brief in Twilight on the plan. "Listen and listen good, this is going to be quick. As far as I know, that black orb is the only thing preventing us from bringing back our colors and spawning a new demon and or creation of evil, it lives and feeds off evil. ALSO, Victor and Charlie have a with with words if you have't noticed by now, attack whenever you have the go, you'll know it when you see it, also, protect Hubert, call this what you may but he has to kiss Rainbow Dash's body... sounds gross but her soul will be able to be safely planted back inside her body" he finished saying.
Twilight was absolutely speechless, her questions of how they were able to survive the wolf invasion, how he knew so much about the situation, even how Charlie and Victor were able to go through the mountain storm... and whatever the hell that 'Ol Reliable machine is! "Questions later... if there are any, now obey and pay attention for the signal!" he demanded. Twilight nodded with her moth partially open, still not too secure of the plan. Kale leaned it to kiss her lightly on the lips before his colors began to fade until his colors faded out completely until nothing but air was there. Twilight could see him materialliaze back to reality in the machine the twins have flown in.
"I'm liking that new glow to your eyes Syra, really makes it shine more than the hair"
"You are too kind Hubert, sadly I can't say the same about your Rainbow Dash's ugly drained mane"
Whatever event played next would be the last. The fate of everyone was decided on that night not by what their actions, but by Twilight's measure of forgivness.
Couldn't post, worked a night shift. Yeah you know the next chapter isn't so long, it's the end though. I can assure you that... at least... you CHOOSE the ending that is. Will you pick Retribution or Redemption?
"-you're as mortal as any of us, consider it's destruction your resurrection and Twilight's decision your baptize, Twilight, do what it is that you feel is right in your heart, but think on your decision, give her the retribution she's earned but only resort to that if fear ever consumes you, I for one say Redemption should take course."
Her vision was blurry, she felt nausea's, near the point of vomiting. After all they've been through, together as a family, it was time Twilight put the blade to her history, to end the torment once and for all. The decision made at that moment would carve a new history for Twilight and her friends and ending her past one. What had she learned from all this? Did her choice of fate tell the road she walked or the road she must walk?
A part of Hubert began walking forth and the other half stood planted. "Let me at her Huey, let me at her!" she was shouting. "Easy now Ace, that's what she wants and with a horn like that, I'd rather keep my distance" returned Hubert. Twilight put her brain to work, circling the thought that sprung to her head when Kale said "Lives and feeds off evil, spawns new demons". Paying close attention to everyone's movement, she thought of what would be the surprise plan she had to be part of, after all, Kale never really explained what to do other than to protect Hubert; hopefully he has no trouble kissing a dead pony.
"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time Syra" said Victor as he un-sheathed a vicious metallic knife from his side and held it in his mouth. "Have you now?" Syra and Victor were both started to walk closer to each other. "This is no jungle warfare where you fight like monkeys by playing in the trees and mud" chuckled Syra. Twilight could see Victor's veins pop out in rage, he wasn't pleased with the words Syra was saying. She gulped down the saliva colllecting in her throat and signaled Hubert to walk towards her, Twilight standing next to Rainbow Dash's body which still had a black blast to the chest where she had launched a bolt of magic. Charlie went on the right and Hubert to the left. Victor continued to walk forward with Kale standing in the position he was once standing at.
The red coated stallion took the knife from his mouth and held it in place while he strapped on a yellow fabric onto his hoof, the same fabric he wore during her nightmare. "I still have a mission to accomplish" he said. "Don't we all Vic? I'm sorry that the same can't be said to your platoon, all gunned down like animals" returned the ghostly unicorn. Everyone in the room could tell Victor was getting close to returning to his old identity from back in La Drang.
"Hey Twi, so what's the plan?" Hubert asked urgently, both him and his Rainbow Dash counter-part were watching eagerly to see the brawl occur. Turning their head back to Twilight, Rainbow Dash spoke, "Damn Twilight, Syra really gave a number on you, you're really beaten up!" Twilight narrowed her eyes at Hubert. "What?"
"LET'S ROCK!" everyone put their attention to the Charlie who was going in for what seemed to be a tackle. Syra, being distracted on the concomin gold stallion, forgot that it was Victor that was the more menacing, he was the one witht eh knife after all. "This is going to sound weird Hubert but..." he was nodding eager to hear the requirement. "To bring back Dash you need to..." she was starting to find another way to say it. "Spit it out egghead!" cried out Rainbow. "You need to kiss Rainbow's body..." she finally spilled out. Hubert and Dash stood there motionless and speechless on what she said.
"Uhm... run that by me again Twi?"
"You, Hubert, need to play tounge twister with Rainbow Dash's body, she'll be able to transfer from your body to hers"
he began to rub the back of his head trying to find a way not to make what he was about to do weird. "Do it Huey, I want my body back and besides, it's not like it's the first time we kiss" said Rainbow. He was unsteady with the thought even as he leaned in to place his tongue inside Rainbow's corpse. "Twilight... whatever happens... it never happened... okay?" Twilight nodded to assure what he meant. She was more focused on the twins and Kale trying to fight off the raging ghost. Syra pinned Charlie to the ground getting her horn near his throat when Victor came in to stab her on her flank, she shook off the stab like it was nothing. Letting go of the pinned stallion, she turned her attention to Victor quickly enough for her to be in reach to cut the out layer of his fur right across his chest. He fell back bleeding steadily but not fatally.
When Twilight looked back at Hubert, he was already locking mouths with Rainbow Dash when a light was bursting through his eyes. It was strange, she was watching in awe as a light shone from the back of his eyes moving around his head like a firefly caught inside a lantern. Soon enough a white smoke that was bright was coming from his mouth to the corpse steadily. As the soul flowed from his mouth, his eyes were completely white during the procss and so were Rainbow Dash's, with eyes glowing just as white.
"Need back up!"
The magenta pony looked back to the brawl seeing Kale and Syra dueling with horn and wings. Syra having the advantage of magic at her side, leviated Kale and threw him upwards towards the ceiling, attempting to impale him with whatever icicles remained up there. When he went up toward the darkness, he never came back down. Twilight wasn't worried, she knew better than for Kale to actually die by such an easy trap, he was only waiting for the precise moment to come back to strike while the twins kept Syra distracted, using the shadows to his advantage.
The tips of her mane stood up with a sudden chilling presence that was came about.
"Forgive me..."
Twilight looked around to see who said those words, no one but the two lip-locked pegasus.
"Uhm, Twi! Can you and Hubert hurry up! I don't know how much more we...can..take..urg! THIS!" Syra began to choke Victor with her powers until she heard the word "Twilight". "SPARKLE!" she shouted. Twilight gulped with how powerful and terrifying her tone was. The twins could barely do anything as Syra levitated Charlie and threw him back into the metal machine they flew in. Victor's was a nasty one to watch. She picked him up and slammed him on the ground. Again using magic, she hovered his limp body off the ground and pushed her face close to his until both made direct eye contact. "Look into my eyes and witness your fears". Whatever sick magic she was doing, it was eating Victor alive.
"Keep guarding Hubert, I'll handle this!" said Kale, standing next to Twilight. Just before he took off, Twilight layed a good slap on him across the face. "Stop sneaking up on me like that, it scares me everytime" she hissed. He chuckled and speared Syra onto the wall, knocking over blue fire torch. "This has gone on for far too long!"a black bolt that was as dark as space started charging over the tip of her horn before she discharged it and sent Kale flying with a black bruise on his stomach, he was out for the moment. Hoping that Victor would be the last obstacle, it was of no use. Victor was balled up on the ground shaking violently with his pupils shrunk down to the size of raisins while he sweat buckets. He kept mumbling the same few words over and over again in a cycle.
"Damnit Twilight thought. At that exact moment, Hubert startled Twilight with a huge gasp for air he was begging to take. He was spitting on the ground still recovering his breath from the long transaction he was in. A strange force pulled Twilight away from her friend and towards the ridiculously overpowered white unicorn. "I wouldn't count on her coming back to this realm anytime soon, last I check... you DID lay quiet the mark on her chest. I'm not an idiot Sparkle, you just transferred a live soul into a carcass, she'll be trapped in that shell forever, you only doomed her by your own foolish idea'!"
"Wait what?" said Twilight and Hubert at the same time. Syra laughed hard at the unfortunate outcome leaving Twilight and Hubert speechless. "Go check if she's alive... now..." Hubert backed up slowly and then turned around in a trot to go check on Dash while Twilight finally confronted Syra yet again for their 2nd duel.
"So this is how it all ends, in one bloody beat down"
"Indeed it had come down to such an event, although that's an alternative, I have no intentions on beating the life out of you"
"Then what do you have in mind?"
"Let's be more sophisticated... a duel like we originally started doing would put an end to this quickly, as I said, you were never much of a fighter"
"I beg to differ... throughout this journey I've seen the errors and horrors you have laid out across Equestria, horrors that would break a will, that would snap those to insantiy"
"And surprisingly you've survived all that, originally I was going to have you kill yourself, I don't need to stoop down to such low levels but do to the new circumstances... it's a change of plan"
"Well then... while the night is still alive and hopefully young, I have no intentions on letting your reign continue"
"And my intentions revolve around finally putting you down"
Both enchanted their horns to have their magic glow like a blade that was lethal enough to cut bones. Syra's with an aura of a cyan blue while Twilight's was a white, the colors still drained from whatever wicked curse was put onto the season. It was like watching two skilled warriors focus on their opponents strength's and weaknesses. Twilight's eyes pulsating furiously and Syra's eyes narrowed to the point where only blue glowing slits remained. They paced their steps forward cautiously having their eyes focus strongly on both the leg and hoof movements, none let their guard down for even a second. the faintest sound of a drop of water from the dome ceiling had both friends frenzy into a series of blocks, parry's, and locks.
Twilight lay a good cut on the very edge of her skin by swishing her horn upwards. Exposed, Syra stepped back and wiped the black ooze coming the wound off. While doing so, she was even dirty enough to throw snow into Twilight's eyes, forcing her to be very exposed to an attack. "That dirty fighter" she said in her mind. Hearing the footsteps of Syra get closer and closer in a charge, she waited for the precise moment until she lay out a heavy buck with her hind legs right into her body core.
Twilight stepped back to regain her lost stamina while Syra gasped for breath only momentarelly. Both of them again walked towards each other until only a meter separated them, both eyeing each other down.
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you've ever dreamed of, in death, if I am to join the world of spirits, who's to say the battle between us is to end? It'll never stop!" said Twilight.
"Who ever said i planned on staying in the Dead Realm? I have no plans on settling there, waiting for me to die out" Syra said again, locking horns with Twilight. It was no longer a matter of strength and attack, their power was fueled by their rage and anger towards one another, that was what kept their lock balanced, neither one pushing the other down. Twilight slid her horn a little lower, attempting to cut around the base of Syra's horn but Syra was smarter, she broke the lock and yet again both of them were apart.
"Twilight! Twi! It's Dash, she isn't waking up!" said Hubert in despair. Twilight looked back to see Rainbow Dash was lifeless and eyelids closed. See the orb in the center of the room having that same Rainbow aura, the idea of Kale had given her a theory, only one way to confirm it however. "i'll regret playing dirty...".
"Hey Syra! This duel is pointless, let's battle this out like we were meant to do!" she shouted across the dome. Syra, who was stroking her horn with an obsidian pebble, looked back at the very last second to see a large magenta ball strike her right on the face, knocking her on the floor.
"Hue, take Rainbow's body okay? Take it and throw it into that black ball in right over there!" she pointed at the black orb now glowing brighter. "OKAY?!" she demanded to know if he understood. He was too busy tearing up, grasping the small frame of Rainbow Dash before he stood up and dropped down again. Twilight picked up levitated Dash's body onto his back unexpectindely. "Stand up! See that light in her eyes?" Hubert saw that although her eyes were shut, a light was shining behind them, slowly getting fainter with every passing second.
"Before the light dies out! Hur- URGH" a sapphire force glowed around her throat pulling her away from Hubert who only saw her float away not being able to do anything but listen to the orders he was given. "You all are so stupid, as if the Carkoon will actually re spawn you're friend, it only spawns my wolves! If you were to place a good being in there it would..." everyone in the room stood still, Kale was creeping out of 'Ol Reliable towards Syra with an Obsidian blade held in his mouth.
"SHIT!"
Her worn out purple oppenent stood there with jaw hanging.
"... Pardon my language"
Seeing Hubert run faster to the so called "Carkoon" she launched Twilight to herself. Twilight was going too fast to stop herself. Her small flight suddenly ceased when Syra's horn impaled her right on the left side of her chest, she coughed out a mouthful of blood and her vision blurred. Syra jerked her head left and then to the right instantly to have Twilight thrown onto the ground, bleeding quickly. Darkness formed around her eyes as they slowly grew around the outskirts of her vision, the bleeding was not possible. With every breath she took, her bleeding grew more until finally, the life in Twilight seemed to finally whither out.
"Well that's that, now, YOU FOOLS! Get back here!"
Just as Hubert reached the perimiter of the black orb, Syra teleported right in front of him to cease his action. She licked her lips slowly and smacked them to let out a refreshing sound of satisfaction. "Palpable, I can taste your... fear, no, or is it... yes, it is, I can taste your fury, it's just coming off of you, that's what I love, that's what the Carkoon loves. Gaze upon it's darkness Hubert, here you can see the sins and memories you've experienced. The higher your fury, the more probable of finally being the last step into completing the ritual... of course, throwing your... "Dash" in there would completely kill the equation" she chortled lightly and put her face up against Huey's. "I'm going to have to kill you, the Carkoon loves the sight and smell of blood as well, maybe you are the last step to the equation, no?"
Her horn lit up again to that same sapphire blade when she urked out a cry of pain. "Kale?" Hubert mumbled to himself, looking back to see if the light in Rainbow's eyes would die out yet.
"No..."
responded a feminine voice with a distinct tone. When Syra turned back, she saw Twilight's wound mended with what seemed to be a patch of ice that formed. An obsidian blade was lodged on Syra's back. "Hubert, throw Dash in, just throw her in, she'll be fine" said the disembodied voice of Kale, now pinning Syra on the ground twisting the stake lodged inside her.
"You fool! You stand away from the Carkoon!"
"Throw her in Huey!"
"I will not allow it! We must be saved, Twilight and you all must be punished for betreya!"
She shook violently shaking off Twilight and forcefully removing the obsidian stone with her magic and held the end of it in her mouth, ready to kill Hubert, by the time she looked back, he was standing there looking at her with a smile smeared across his face and no Rainbow Dash on his back. She looked at him and back at the orb at least three times before she her mouth gaped open at the deed and took a few steps back.
"Y-Y-YOU FOOL! YOU FOOL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE! YEARS AND YEARS OF WORK, RUINED! Twilight, you were the final step in all this,! you're death was all that was needed before revenge was finally taken and I finally can revive the winter's minions! Argghh!"
In the blink of an eye, Syra was choking Hubert with her barehooves and with a piece of obsidian held on her mouth, inching closer and closer to his eyes, attempting to do one swift motion that would cut both at the same time. From nowhere, Syra launched across the dome room and so did Twilight. It wasn't a single pony that did this act, no, it was the force and divine power of whatever the Orb was expelling that had launched them apart. Hubert sat up gasping for breath and seeing the one of the twin's rise from his wreckage while Victor's little flashbacks were quickly resolved and was standing back up, angry and amused at the situation.
"NO! NO NO NO NO NO! YEARS OF PLANNING! RUINED!"
After Syra said her final words, the orb grew bigger and bigger until finally it combusted having it's black shell shatter in all directions. What was inside the orb is what truly amazed everyone within the dome. Colors of all kinds and everykind splashed onto the walls and the ponies in the room, as if a can of paint fell from a height and exploded upon impact on the ground. Before them all, color began to return to all of them and the screams of joy from lost souls began to bounce on the walls until their sounds dissappeared. Color was returning to slowly to everyone, to the room, to the world. It went through walls, through air, liquid, in everything, color was spreading to everything, including Syra.
"Shweeeeeeeeee!!!!! Yeaaaaah! I'm not colorblind anymore!"
yelled out Charlie.
Hubert stood up looking at his hooves and around him, he smirked to see the dome wasn't as dark as he made it out to be when it was black, exacept one thing was odd. Those torches of blue and anything that originally emitted color was jinxed into automatically turning black and or gray, a strange invert if you would call it that. Hubert looked around until he at last saw Rainbow Dash lying where the orb once was before it erupted, she stay there motionless with black shadow on her like water, starting to slowly come off and go through the crevices of the broken earth beneath her.
"Dash?" mumbled Hubert, walking towards her body and staring down at her. She was near lifeless, he could see her chest going up and down, regulating breathing. A tear rolled down his face and stopped at the ridge of his smile. "Dash!" he dropped down to wrap his hooves around her. "Hubert..." she whispered, returning the hug.
Her hooves wrapped around his neck tighter with every passing moment. "Okay Dash, i'm glad to see you too" her grip continued to grow. "Alright Dashie... that's a little too tight" still her constricting became more powerful. "ooh, ow, okay, that's a little too tight!" Hubert's breathe was starting to run out, breathing was difficult. "Dash, let go, too tight!" upon saying that, her eyes widened up to reveal a blood read iris staring at him and her powerful squeeze began to suffocate him. "TOO TIGHT! TOO TIGHT!". She growled at him, "Time to die, Hube-" a blue glowing hoof slapped her right across the face, knocking the evil out of her.
She let go and started to rub the area where she was slapped "OW! What was that for?!" Rainbow Dash finally said, with her regular magenta-like eye color returning. Hubert was gasping for his breath while on his stomach on the ground. Kale stood there in his ghostly form, majestic as always, looking down at the two lovebirds. He smiled at them and walked towards the twins who were watching him.
"Holy shit Kale, what was all that about?!" asked Charlie
"It was a Carkoon... some sort of... spiritual keeper, used to summon evils, demons, and such at the cost of soul, a malicious act nearby it, or the sacrifice of a pure soul, whatever Syra was planning to summon, it wasn't any timberwolf" he finished saying.
Syra limped over in her ghostly body, her left eye gone black while her right eye still glowing that beautiful sapphire, blinking in an out from black to blue like a TV with going to static. "This... this isn't... over!" she shot out a small little blue bolt at Kale. As the bolt came, he let the magic hit him straight on the chest, he was unphased. "She's weak, when Syra took Rainbow's life, Rainbow Dash consisted of all the colors of the spectrum, a fine and mighty prize, all the color was removed and directed to the carkoon, all that was needed was a soul of heart, what better one than Twilight's? Now that it's been destroyed, Syra's powers are gone. She's useless and strengthless... although, she still... nah, nevermind"
Twilight emerged from a dark edge of the dome and limped herself towards everyone gathering in the middle of the room. Syra saw her out of the corner of her eye and put all her attention towards her. "Twilight... why, why couldn't you just DIE! DIE LIKE YOU WERE MEANT TO!" she charged at Twilight, as weak as she was, and threw speared her to the ground. The blade like spell again enchanted her horn and edged towards Twilight. The purple unicorn had enough, throwing the weakened demon off herself, she dealt two punches, one on Syra's left and right side of her face. Syra returned her attacks with a sweep. Twilight fell back to the ground only to be in the same situation, Syra edging her horn near. "Die...die...die...".
Victor and Charlie came running towards Twilight and threw Syra off. Twilight wiped her bruised face and checked on her chest wound Syra had lodged her horn into.Everyone in the dome walked towards the two exhausted ponies now staring at each other. Charlie and Victor were both holding Syra by her arms. "GET OFF OF ME!" she said, shaking their hooves off her arms.
"So what will it be Sparkle? Huh? I'm not afraid to die,no, how about you?! I'm dead already, what're you going to do to me, HUH?!
She walked towards Twilight and dropped down to her hind legs, sitting with her forehooves open.
"YOU CAN'T KILL A GHOST YOU IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO!"
"The only thing that kept you alive Twilight was that Carkoon, it's gone now, you're as mortal as any of us, consider it's destruction your resurrection and Twilight's decision your baptize, Twilight, do what it is that you feel is right in your heart but think on your decision, giver her the retribution she's earned but only resort to that if fear ever consumes you, I for one say Redemption should take course."
Syra sat there defeated with tears streaming down her face, her hooves still open waiting for Twilight finishing blow. Twilight knew she couldn't kill a ghost, but she could banish one from the existence of Equestria, that spell on her horn wasn't only made to slice through matter, it was magic after all, it could slice through anything... at least ALMOST anything.
"Kill her Twi! I've had enough of her Bullshit!" said Victor. "No, Twilight, didn't Kale say you can save her? You can save her! This isn't our Syra, this is some monster!" said Charlie.
"I'm with Victor on this one Twilight, kill her already, she took my Rainbow Dash, I don't want ot lose her again..." said Hubert
"Wait up Egghead! I'm all for the killing, but when I was possessed, I saw something in her that was un-explainable, something isn't right... not right at all" returned Rainbow Dash.
"Twilight dear... remember what I told you, you had no role in this, you never killed us, whoeve-... whatever that thing is, it's not our Syra, find it in your heart to give her a proper retribution, let it be out of mercy, not out of revenge"
"F*** you and your bulls*** Kale, I've been getting s*** from this bitch for YEARS! time to pay up Syra!" shouted Victor.
"Victor, you know for a fact something isn't right here, you know this isn't Syra, she's in there, but inside not out"
"That's some bologna Kale and you know it, slay the demon Sparkle, I never want to live through this nightmare again!"
"Well Sparkle? What are you waiting for? Pick your posion sweetie"
Syra said smiling at her.
The beads of sweat rolled down Twilight neck down to her torso. Her saliva collected in her mouth, nearly oozing our of the seeps of her mouth. Her eyes, were they dilating with anger? Rage? Power? Possibly Fear? She gulped before her fluid would leak out and took in a deep breath. Her decision was difficult, the support from her friends made it no easier, all of them were filling her head with idea's that all seemed so reasonable, so, true. Her horn started to glow bright and was translucent, before everyone was a vicious and razor bladed force of magic formed around her horn.
"There you go Sparkle! Cut her throat already!" screamed out Victor.
Her vision was blurry, she felt nausea's, near the point of vomiting. After all they've been through, together as a family, it was time Twilight put the blade to her history, to end the torment once and for all. The decision made at that moment would carve a new history for Twilight and her friends and ending her past one. What had she learned from all this? Did her choice of fate tell the road she walked or the road she must walk?
"EVERYONE SHUT UP! I'M ENDING THIS NOW!"
Everyone int he dome was silent awaiting for the next action. Twilight was hesistant about performing it but she knew it had to come down to this, it wasn't her friends or Kale, not even Syra that made her decision, it was Twilight herself that made the decision.
"Twilight, Redemption, that's not Syra, you know it isn't"
"Kill me Sparkle... don't I deserve Retribution"?
RedemptionRetribution
Q: Is this the end? A: You bet. The next two chapters are the endings, as I said, whatever you believe is right will happen... just be sure to know with your choice... comes a great cost. The endings can't exactly be... "perfect"
So there you have it, think hard on what you'd like to see happens with Syra. Here's something nice to know, ONE of the endings is already done but I'm having trouble on what to do with the other one, I need all the elements to play out nicely so it's going to take about 1-2 weeks to finish and check over BOTH chapters. Hope you enjoyed this.
Go read another fic guys, this one is at its end.
Go read my other short story I wrote in 30 minutes. It sucks but whatever, Insane Clown Posse goes to Ponyville. Go to it, dislike it, leave. Thanks - Rambo.
Please go read "Hey you! READ THIS FIRST!" thing before going any further.
Redemption
"What's it going to be Sparkle? Death? HA! So be it!"
Twilight gulped again and pre-swung her neck to deliver a fatal blow to Syra. "Do you want to look away before I do this?" Twilight asked her. Syra shrugged followed by a small giggle. "No it's fine, I want to see this coming, I want you to look me straight in the face when you kill me" she returned.
Readying her horn, Twilight stood with her back straight, her decision was made up and she was more than ready to perform her action. Everyone in the dome concentrated on Twilight who's aura was showing by 'Ol Reliable spotlight. Twilight had a small burst of rage, having her lay a swift punch right across Syra's right cheek. "That's gotta hurt!" said Hubert. The defeated demon laughed with her bruised shut down eye starting to swell.
Twilight put her hoof under Syra's chin and started to turn it left and right, examining her carefully.
"Get on with it already, I have a grave to arrive to"
Taking one last deep breath, she held her head high ready to drop down the killer blow. Everyone had their eyes closed, not wanting to see the violent outcome."Consider this redemption, Syra" Twilight said before she dropped her horn down. Her horn went downwards and missed Syra's neck completely, instead, Twilight swung her head back and had the very point of the horn aim at Syra's heart. "What is this game you're playing Sparkle?"
"I'm saving you Syra, I know you're in there"
With that, the tip of Twilight's horn began to form a more razor and jagged tip of magic, a type of look meant for s jab; not slash. A few in the room smiled, others began to feel as if Twilight's personality had changed, how this winter played such a metal role in her, if anything has changed during the season, it was Twilight.
"Good, very good Twilight, let that boiling anger heaten up your cold blood"
"Twi, don't do it, you can't do it!"
"I'm sorry Kale, but my mind is made, it's time..." she paused and with such a precise sight, aimed her horn a little over an inch above Syra's heart. "It's time for redemption". The tip of her horn began to glow from a deep dark purple to a lighter version, lavender to perrywinkle until it was finally like a burning ore, white and blazing. Syra, still somewhat convinced Twilight was going to kill her, had no suspicion of the new magic until the horn was lodged into her heart.
Syra felt no pain, no anger... no death. Twilight lodged her horn in further until the base his Syra's chest. The impaled unicorn coughed up a black liquid-like smoke and wiped it away with her hoof. When she looked at it, the smoke quickly evaporated right in front of her until nothing but a moist part of the skin remained.Twilight pulled her horn out and wiped it clean by simply running her head across the snow on the ground.
Syra touched her wound trying to get a feel for what the damage was and surprisingly enough widened her eyes at the wound. It was there, small, about the size of a bit (the money) at very most and no blood came pouring out, not even the black liquid-like smoke. Her wound had only a small drops of the smoke but nothing that was gruesome and horrific. Her breathing was only slightly faster and some strange force inside of her began to awake.
She began to rub her wound gently and with every second the rubbing became more and more violent. She started to scream in agony and clawed at the wound that was now oozing out a white form of the black ooze. It had all the same elements and texture of the black except now only white and it was pouring ever so quickly out. No matter what she did to close the wound, magic, hooves, even lodging snow inside, it kept coming out.
"What... what did you do?! WHAT IS THIS?!"
The defeated unicorn slammed her head onto the rock hard ground while she continued to claw her wound, only making it bigger every time she attempted to close it. Soon, her ears began to ooze out the white smoke, then her nose, then after her mouth began to fill up with it.
"No... no! No you didn't! YOU DIDN'T?!?!
Everyone in the dome began to back up fearing as if what Twilight did was contagious, the only ones that remained by Syra's last awakening moments was Twilight herself and the rejected lover, Kale. "Years Twilight! YEARS! FOR THE REVENGE! I AM A... GOD!" she stuttered, spewing out more of the white smoke that was now beginning to slowly drip from her eyes as well.
"You aren't Syra you wretch, you're a demon, a hellish and crazed demon, obsessed with this revenge idea of me. The lies end here. Tell me who exactly you are and what it is that you wanted to achieve" Twilight demanded. Syra only laughed and laughed but was quickly silenced by the sheering pain of all the white smoke that now began to form a small puddle around her frame that lay on the ground.
"That day... that day I slay both Syra and Kale, I did it out of the soul and blood the Carkoon needed for the reincarnation of my brothers and sisters" she stood up and limped towards where the Carkoon used to be at before it erupted. "What better way to cause more chaos than to make her suffer, make her believe I was you all these years... she swore revenge before I took her life" she howled with such laughter she began to vomit out the white liquid harder, the puddle slowly began to evaporate, having the smoke trail that led upwards form characters and familiar objects.
"So you see Sparkle... since when have the Wendigo's ever come from their slumber, how long has it been since we last fed from hate and chaos? Not in over a thousand years, it was time I bring them back, with something... pure, having remembered of Syra's promise, I granted it... she's been in control for the majority of the time, but when she began to grow weak, take 2nd thoughts, that I couldn't accept... I had to take over. But now look... it's all over for..." she vomited more of the white smoke until finally it started coming out like a rushing stream from her mouth, more and more of the white smoke spewed from her mouth until finally she shut her mouth and roared out her fury.
"No... no! SPARKLE!!!" with that, a bright white beam shot out of her mouth, similar to the ones her guardians had right outside the cave, even her eyes as well, all shooting out the strobe light. It was like a being was coming out from the mouth. Everyone in the dome watched in awe as hooves came out of her mouth, soon a head with a horn mounted, and before they knew it, a unicorn of white beautiful smoke emerged from her mouth and landed on it's stomach. It was lifeless, gas or solid, Twilight couldn't decipher, but it was there not moving and all at once... beautiful?
The demon that spawned the white smoke, crashed onto the ground, breathing heavily but slowly, it was on the verge of death as everyone could tell. Meanwhile the smoke was starting to take form, all forming up, picking up snow as it moved. Twilight walked closer to the white smoke, hoping for the best out of it all, hoping to see... Syra.
Kale, Charlie, everyone walked closer to the smoke that formed hooves, soon a body and before you know it, a head with a mane made of the softest and most delicate of crystal snow they've ever seen, such a perfect form that they could see a faint reflection of themselves in the mane. Eyelids, mouth, and the rest of the facial features formed, where hair was supposed to be, it was replaced instead with the same beautiful faint ice crystal that formed the mane. Without a second more, eyes sprouted, both shining sapphires themselves, it was no color of the eye, it was literally sapphires for eyes that shone and represented the innocence in the mare's soul.
"Twilight... Kale...? It's been... so long, I'm so co-cold"
"Syra? Syra! Is... is it really you?" Twilight said trotting over to wrap forehooves around her lost friend. Syra's eyes widened up, letting a tear of ice slip away and landing on Twilight's mane as her smile re-directed the tear. The freezing touch of Syra's skin sent chills through Twilight's body but she didn't care, she was finally re-united with her friend, the real one after so long.
"Syra... for so long we've been at this constant war of attack and defend... what was your purpose for such torment amongst the living?"
After everyone settled and the hug of two reunited mares was broken, Syra had a frown on her face as she looked in Kale's direction. "I know you remember the night as clearly as I do, Twilight herself has seen the false action in the Carkoon. What else was there to do? Our bestfriend killed us, of course I was... not going to have my life taken so easily, no, I expected to haunt her, have her be reminded of the guilt, she was never to be at peace... she paused to have a good look at everyone in the dome. "Something feels... odd about you Kale... I can't exactly thing of the reason why... however, I did just come back to the world of the living, maybe it's just those small side effects." Kale looked uneased and shaken which was odd to Twilight, but decided he was probably just weirded out by the real Syra's return... or he was hiding something from them all.
"Obviously though.. for all that time, I've been wrong, whatever that wretch was that has given me 2nd life to have my revenge... it's out of me now, what have I to worry of now? I've been wrong, a host of evil for years! I... I don't even know why i'm alive right now... I wasn't meant to be forgiven..." finished Syra, pouting.
Even after all the torment and sanity-breaking nightmares Twilight endured because of Syra, she forgave her. "What fault do you have Syra? You were lead to believe I was the one responsible for all this, I can't kill a friend who's been blinded for all this time." She paused to pull up Syra's head so they had eye contact. "Consider this winter forgiven." both mares smiled at each other and embraced in a warming hug. "I feel warmer now" Syra said smiling and facing Kale over Twilight's shoulder.
Charlie and Victor both had their arms wrapped around one another smiling to see that their anger was fully suppressed. All at once they too felt a bit of guilt, to imagine that they were supporting for her death, made the brothers realize they were quick to conclusions. Victor coughed to clear his throat before saying anything. "Well, I guess it's tie to re-board 'Ol Reliable, I mean, we're done here, we have Syra back... nothing else left to do but to go back home, right Hubert?... Hubert?" Victor turned behind him to see Rainbow Dash and Hubert locking in a deep and passionate kiss. "Damnit Hubert! I told you, I don't want to see that shit, get a room, just so as long as that room isn't under MY ROOF!" scolded Victor at Huey. the two lovers broke their kiss and walked closer towards the rest of the group which they slightly broke off from for the "obvious" reasons.
"Let's get out here, all that's left in this very room is shattered memories and grim legacy" said Twilight. Everyone nodded in agreement to her words and walked towards the metal machine which Charlie and Victor flew in. It's spotlight flickering on and off every now and then but the light strictly focusing on the dying demon which lay on the ground.
"You're not going anywhere"
Everyone looked back to where the spotlight shined. Standing in the direct light was the false 'Syra'.
"This place... this is the very place where all three races stood, where Unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth Pony all gathered for shelter of my families joy. It was here where we were relinquished and never to appear again. We have kept to ourselves for so long, attempting to break free from our realm whenever we have the chance... sometimes we would roar our cry to suppress the hatred breaking out... but after time, not a single word of hatred had been spatted on a winter season, years passed and one by one, we started to become spirits of winter, one by one until no more remained." as she inched closer towards them, the listeners started to pace slowly backwards, still having their eyes glued to the demon. As she came closer, small grains and pecks of snow were picking up to mend the hole in her chest, now the color of a burning red ember.
"I can't let myself be the end, no, I refuse to simply stand and await death, let my body become a mist of snow, become one with my family, my family will become one with ME" A loud crack broke her speech, literally. Not only was a loud sound casted, but on the side of the dome was a large crack that led straight to the middle of the ceiling. More and more started to follow in it's place, one after another. "This little, fantasy of yours, of all of you, do you really think escaping was even a possible outcome? You all thought wrong... yes...yes! Of course, sacrifice myself, all of you, it's enough, it's exactly enough to bring enough back, enough to break free from our roaming lands and enough to bring back a few brothers to conquer it all!" she hovered an obsidian blade that was laying on the ground next to where the carkoon was destroyed and hovered it right above the hole in her chest that Twilight created.
When Twilight looked back, the injured cyan pegasus didn't hesitate to board the machine along with an equally injured Hubert. Charlie stood next with Kale and Syra while Victor too was inside the machine starting up it's motors. The sound of grinding gears and metal slapping lightly against the dome walls was the only thing making sound.
"Charlie, go inside with your brother, we don't know what she's capable of or what she's going to do" Kale ushered Charlie. He shook his head and explained that they needed a bit more help while the rotors heated up, the gears were frozen lightly by how cold it was heading up the mountain, "We need to buy them time, besides... whats the worst this punk has? A slap across the face with some mystic winter wind?!" he harked. Sure enough, an extremely loud slap was laid right across his face, leaving his cheek red and Charlie knocked out. "Unbelievable..." Kale said while shaking his head. "He'll be back on his hooves in a minute or two, give it a bit of time."
Now looking back at the demon, she had a red glaze covering her eyes, a glaze of blood red vengeance and anger. "Sooner or later Kale! You too will have a decision to make! I am Shiarika (Shee-Ari-Ka), I am the martyr, the morning and evening star, the rebirth of a free chaotic winter!"she readied the blade. "Don't do it!" shouted Twilight and without a 2nd thought, Syra plunged the Obsidan dagger deep into her heart... if she had one. Her screech of agony overpowered the slapping of rotors against ice walls and the crackings of the dome.
All around them the dome began to drop those same massive icicles ,the size of streetlamps, on everyone, including the now known wendigo, Shiarika. A strange pull of gravity was beginning to draw everyone closer to the disguised Wendigo's. A horrific sight was spotted by everyone, she continuously drew the blade from her chest and plunged it back into herself until nothing but a putrid black and light blue smoke was spilling out everywhere, imitating her blood.
Her screams of agony became laughs of insanity as each and every plunge of the dagger ripped a bigger hole and spiling more black smoke, now starting to engulf her body and form a circle around her. "1 minute! The gears are almost there and I need to fix a small component in the propeller, it's a bit loose!" shouted Victor, climbing onto the top of the machine with a wrench in his mouth.
Kale, Syra, Twilight, and Charlie all stare at the demon which now lay lifeless on the ground, swimming in her own 'blood' as they thought. The dome ceiling ceased dropping large icicles and instead pieces of the ceiling itself began to fall down. In small and medium chunks it all began to fall, it was obvious to everyone at that moment, it was only a matter of time before the dome itself caved in and killed them all. "Vic! You gotta hurry with that maintenance! This place is going to the ass!" shouted the twin brother.
"We need 'Ol Reliable running now, Hubert and Rainbow Dash are too weak to fly... at least too weak to fly off the mountain, at the altitude we're at, the winds will snap their wings and send them plummeting down the summit" Kale stated. Something.. horrid occurred, that black smoke was the cause of the everything being drawn. Every moment passing only made the attraction stronger, this was something even the ghosts that are Kale and Syra were being affected by.
"Something's not right..." said Syra, slamming down on her rump and getting back up as quickly as possible, "Not right at all!" the same maniacle laughted that Twilight has heard for so long ever since she came to Canterlot bounced on the dome walls, echoing at a constant pace until it finally withered out. Shiarika's body erected with the dagger plunged in her chest and her eyes now dead white like the winter scenery, a smile only an insane pony would have plastered on her face.
"NO ESCAPE!"
The dome was cracking louder than ever now, large chunks, larger than the icicles, broke from the ceiling and splattered onto the ground. "Ugh... what's happening?" Charlie mumbled, awakening from his knock out. He widened his eyes and crawled quickly to the machine he came from. It was as if a portal was opened by Shiarika's smoke, cries of wendigo's were heard coming from the smoke followed with debris and various other objects being sucked in and disappearing into the dark void. Syra's laugh never ceased, it kept getting louder and louder until everyone started to worry that the cave really was going to be the end of them."It's... it's her! Look at the connections! That smoke, it's still coming from her chest, if we could somehow find a way to plug that wound then... then all we do is just send her inside her own creation and it's finished... of course though that won't stop the collapse of this forsaken cavern."
A muffled static like sound erupted from Charlie's utility pouch that was wrapped around his left forehoove. Backing away proved to be more difficult, the ground was becoming icy and their hooves couldn't exactly stick to the ground. Even flying itself was difficult, the cyclone-like force was pulling anything and everything towards the center, including 'Ol Reliable herself. Finally opening his pouch, Charlie withdrew a small black box looking device with a speaker mounted at the top and a few dials at the bottom. The words were emerging from the black box were coming out disoriented and couldn't be deciphered until of course Charlie turned a few dials and knobs here and there, the words were finally understandable.
"Charlie! Get your asses in here and tell Kale that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! You don't just assume something like that out of the blue!" everyone nodded in agreement but couldn't exactly... "back up". They could see the propellers of the machine start cutting away the ice walls so that they were free to spin at one hundred percent. The propellers weren't even loud enough challenge overpower the powerful cyclone but it was still loud enough to be heard of to everyone.
The cyclone burst into a fiery ocean blue and the cold artic winds could now be visible slightly as the falling flakes of snow were sucked into the void. The lifeless body of the demon just floating above it's creation that now sprouted a rim of blue flames, having everything frozen solid around perimeter making anything that gets too close, lose it's grip and it falls into history's end.
More static came from the black box Charlie possessed. "Char-Charles! Charlie! Hold tight, we can get you guy-", 'Ol Reliable began to move, but not because of the rotors finally forcing it to take flight, no, but because the vaccum-like opening was powerful enough to start sucking it inwards. "Oh shit! You guy's gotta do something! If this thing is getting more powerful by the second, you all need to get your asses in here NOW!" the transmission cut off and the slipping ponies could see Victor fumble in the cockpit searching for an item, with the help of Hubert and Rainbow Dash.
Twilight was too exhausted to teleport herself any further than a few feet ahead, it's not enough however, she needed meters, not feet. Syra sank an obsidian shard from the ceiling into the ground and held onto it with all her might, the dagger slowly ripping through the ground inching her neared to the vortex. All seemed loss, when nobody appeared back into the cockpit when Twilight realized she was nearest of all of them to the icy ground that would have sealed her death. This never meant a fight for life was futile, no, with even more motivation she used the last of her magical strength to teleport only feet away from her death; She was only postponing the inevitable for the sake of savoring every last moment of life...
Victor threw a rope with a large knot at one end while he, Hubert, and Rainbow Dash all held the other end with their mouths, ready to pull of the stranded survivor. Charlie held on to the rope and began to propel down to grab hold of Syra. "Oh man you are freezing!" he pulled Syra up steadily by her horn which felt as if it were going to snap off. "This better not get me frostbite damnit" With everyone making an effort, they soon escalated forward towards the machine where salvation lie... but there was no haven with the portal still open.
...Checkpoint...
"Here is the end of our tale, where a mare was sentenced to death from from spirits beyond reality, from spirits originating from the stories of the supernatural. Where the evil yet caring Wendigo named Shiarika, killed two of 3 friends in an act of love not hate. Her kind was wasted away, became as mysterious and as dead as a winter night, to prevent herself from being the last hope, she stirred reality to sprout evil, to bring forth family once again.
Now with redemption taking course, I soon realized that this would be the final moment I glance out towards my friends. I realized that this would be a course that I needed to take to save everyone from their deaths. What better way to seal this portal than to perform a noble deed and to send my pure heart along with it. I've done no wrong in my life other than to break a heart of a glass, even now as I see death, I still think of how life would be different if I were to have never shattered it at all... well...
Twilight looked up to see the rope being lowered towards her so she could grasp it, Kale already holding it lowering down the rescue with his hoof out, ready to grasp Twilight. She had a blank stare on her face knowing what had to be done. Kale, having his hoof held out, was still a lengthy distance away, any closer and he'll just be dragged in too.Taking one last look at Kale and the panicking allies inside the metal vehicle, she smiled...
"Self-Sacrifice... taken to a whole new level I guess... I don't want to die but to save everyone, someone has to take the fall..."
Taking her last breath, Twilight let go and let the power of the cyclone swoop her off her the ground, having her spiral around the room briefly. Everything went into slow-motion. She could see the each and every single face in the dome go from a determined hard-working look to a horrid and shocked expression. Being slammed onto the ground, she was pulled into the center with her eyes closed. While exhaling her last breath, somebody prevented the action being completed. Opening her eyes she could see Kale hanging onto her hoof with as much might as he could deal out; it was all at once however that another mystery sprung, a mystery that will never be understood or solved... not in this lifetime no... perhaps... perhaps in the afterlife.
Kale pulled Twilight up without showing and facial expression of struggle and threw her with such a force towards the contraption of metal that she was partially impaired as to how brutally Kale had thrown her. He looked back at the machine and at the cockpit where both Charlie and Victor fumbled with the controls and flight conditions. "Kale! Kale! Hurry back in! We can make it out of here, get your ass back on board!"
He was expressionless, dead-like to be more accurate. He shook his head at them and darted his eyes towards a meandering purple mare which was trying her best to regain full control of her blurred sight. "DAMNIT KALE! GET BACK HERE!" He inched closer and closer towards the gaping portal before he turned his back on them and gazed onto the black oblivion that lie ahead of him
"Kale, please don't do it!"
Looking back, he could see Twilight being back on all fours being held back by Rainbow Dash and Hubert. His mane proceeded to slowly turn back to its raging blue fire that was a trademark when he first arrived at the balcony, his eyes soon began to lose all color and blood vessels until finally the raging white winter was living behind his glass eyes.
"Kale KALE! I LOVE YOU! DON'T MAKE ME GO OUT THERE AND SAVE YOU!" screamed Twilight with tears streaming down her face. Kale had his back turned to them all once again and glanced over his shoulders, not giving any of them a direct look and with a smirk on his face. "You already have Twilight" he said coldly. With a final look of the collapsing dome, now dropping larger rocks onto the propeller, Victor and Charlie both revved up 'Ol Reliable to it's full potential. "NO NO! LEAVE ME, WE NEED TO SAVE HIM!" Twilight struggled to break free from the tight grasp of her friends who had no intentions of letting down their strength.
Just as the machine was starting to break free from the cyclone, it began being sucked in itself with it's jagged metal pieces scratching against the hard icy grounds below them. Kale tapped his hooves on the ground a few times and sprinted in the direction of the void. At that moment, the mystery began but as told earlier, will never be solved. During his last sprint, blue flames started to sprout from the corners of his eyes and the bottom of his hooves. When he opened his mouth, there was no sounds of a brave stallion doing his last battle cry towards his death, no, instead the blasting sound of an enraged wendigo came out and was quickly silenced as Kale hurled himself at the foes floating body.
The lousy contraption began to actually gain some air now, it started to hover slowly off the ground and surely before they knew it, they were at least 3-5 feet off the damned ground where it was marked to be their graves. Shiarika at last made movement, finally showing sign of life. She lifted herself off the ground, immune to the cyclones gravity as well as Kale, why he had pretended to be affected by the force the entire time was never known.
The Wendigo was more powerful than ever, shooting out a near-black shade of blue lightning, she shot Kale straight on the chest, dropping him to his knees. She turned away from him to focus now on the flying machine now beginning to turn around to make its course out of the cave. Escape wasn't anywhere near Shiarika's intention's, using now both of her hooves to spark lightning she fused both beams to strike at 'Ol Reliable's.tail, or so it seemed that way.
Indeed, she did shoot out the haunting blue creation one thought only nature or pegasi could create, but she held the lightning, as if they acted like hands. "Well tickle d*** and call me Sharon, this bitch is getting of hold of the tail! Charlie, on that 60 before she brings us down with this place!" Victor shouted. Quick to his hooves, Charlie made his way out of the cockpit towards the back where he saw a deprived Rainbow Dash and Hubert, holding down the fierce Twilight.
"LET ME GO! HE'S NOT GONE, HE'S STILL THERE! SAVE HIM, OH PLEASE CELESTIA SAVE HIM!" tears streamed down her face.
Shiarika held the machine in place before she realized she could also control it just as any other magic. Overloading more lighting, the circuits inside of the machine began to go haywire causing for it to lose some control. "Charlie! Charlie damnit, load and shoot the bitch!" Victor demanded, his eyes narrowed down to a look as if he was back in La Drang. "The gun is jammed, damnit! We're sitting ducks out here!" Charlie yelled, smashing the strange mechanism against the floor of the machine. "Awwww shit! Here we go now!" Victor said shaking violently in his seat as the machine began to sway to and fro getting ready to plummet to the ground, dooming everyone. The twins had little to no feeling to the current situation, they've faced death in face many times, greeting it and welcoming it with open arms felt no different but still they cared for everyone else who has never been in such situations.
Just as hope seemed completely lost, the same static that was once heard coming from the the Talkie. (As the Twins called it)
"Who's in control? Charlie? Vic? Vic is that you?!
Victor quickly picked up his black box and and fumbled around with it until he had a firm grasp. "Kale? Kale you out there man? Get your flank in here and lets roll out! This place is going to the ass!"
"Shut up Victor and listen! Just go! When you have the ability to move just go, I'll hold her back and one more thing... don't have Twilight look, please dear god don't have her look..."
The noble pegasus jumped right in front of the lightning strikes to take on the full force. "GO DAMNIT! GO!" he yelled out. His last actions spoke louder and did more impact than anyone else could say in their lives. The rusting machine finally broke free from the grasp of the wendigo and hurled forward faster than its own good, nearly having it crash right into the wall. One last cry of Twilight and the rest of the group and they vanished into the dark caverns seeking their way out.
"I should have known you would let your feelings interfere! You know as well this is for the good of our people!"
"YOUR people Shiarika, YOUR people, it's time we just let it all ease out, nobody ever asked for us to resurrect our kind!"
"You yourself have comitted into their deaths, was it not I who gave you a new living life?!"
"Indeed you have sister, but I'm only a phantom to them all, although I have his body, his heart still beats loudly than any other! He still lives even in death!"
"YOU'RE NOTHING TO ME NOW! YOU HAVE BETRAYED US ALL!"
"I MAY NOT BE KALE, BUT I'VE HEARD HIS CRIES! NO ONE DESERVES THESE PUNISHMENTS!"
"IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF THE WORLD!"
"NO!" Kale edged closer and closer taking the million volts of electric current through his body until he finally reached inches away from her deadly hooves. "IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF YOU!". He connected his hooves onto hers and before the damned wendigo knew it, she was not only shocking Kale, but herself as well, having both of them knocking on deaths door. Both howled their last cry as the forsaken wendigo's and Kale could be heard in the heart of the howl, shouting his last "NO!. The shock was clustered and intense, too powerful for anything to stop it anymore. As the energy grew denser and more powerful, the entire cave collapsed when a blinding white explosion blasted throughout the entire caverns, blinding anyone that remained inside, maybe even disinigrating them if they were too close.
The light however that came from the explosion was like none other. When Victor looked around the cockpit, he noticed that everyone else was in the same awe as him. All round them they noticed that they were engulfed in the blasting white light, there was no shadows, no noise, not even figures ahead of them, it was just a white light, all they could see was each other and everyone else in 'Ol Reliable.
"Thankyou"
Two Weeks Later
"Are you sure you're ready to go now?"
The open fields and beautiful mountain summit echoed at the chilling winter breeze passed through producing a natural melody. All who were in the cave stood before two tombstones with two names that were not only engraved on the stones themselves but into everyone's soul. The group stood silently awaiting for Twilight's answer who had her head down and eyes shut. She was either in deep thought or deep trance but nobody really knew what was happening through her mind.
Her ears perked up in surprise, having her train of thought broken. She blinked a few times at the tombstones and put her attention towards a saddened red stallion alongside his inverted curious twin. "Well?" Charlie asked the purple unicorn. A light winter breeze blew the mane from her face to not only reveal her relaxed and saddened expression, but a rather somewhat medium sized scar in the shape of an "X".
Twilight Sparkle blinked a few times at Charlie who awaited her reply. She turned her back to him preparing an answer and kept re-reading the tombstones that were placed in front of her. "Here lies: Kale Hastings. You may have left this world twice but your spirit will forever be as alive as the raging winter winds themselves." she said over and over again in her head. "Here lies Syra Swirlz. Always loved in our hearts and cared for in our minds. You are forgiven."
She gazed upon the grave markers for a long while, thinking of what to say.
Twilight felt that everyone behind her was eager to her response to these series of unfortunate events. "It all happened two weeks ago... two weeks ago, I don't think we can all go back to our regular lives without being haunted by these events." she said, still having her back turned. Nobody answered her, they all continued to watch as the snow fall softly on the ground like very light cotton balls. Victor shifted in place a little bit adjusting to the weather. Rainbow Dash rested her neck on Hubert's whose right wing was completely broken, it was a miracle it was even able to survive the scene.
Victor stepped up to speak breaking the tension built between all of them. "We don't have to be haunted by these memories anywhere Twi, it's all over and we've been here for two weeks to confirm this." said the red beaten stallion. "What happened in that cave was the ending to all things, our lives are finally at peace."
Twilight rubbed her scar gently and repeated his last word. "Peace... we finally do have our peace... but are all of us truly at full peace?" she turned to face her friends with her head down after reading the tombstones several times enough for the words to be burned into her mind. "After all this that we've seen we're finally safe physically, that much is true, but can we say the same for our scarred mind? Our corrupted dreams? Sure, we all live in harmony once again but one day in the future... whether it be tomorrow, next week, maybe even tonight, we'll remember what we saw and what we did in that cave but hey..."
"When those days come..." she looked up at all of them with a wry smile . "We'll always know that we can rely on each other to take it on". Everyone returned the smile, even if it was so much as a smirk, it was enough to show Twilight everyone was at ease.
"Well then Twilight-" Victor picked off from his brothers' question. "You never told us, are you ready to head on back?"
She turned her head towards the tombstones and smiled at both of them with a tear running down the "X" scar. She nodded at them all assuring that she was satisfied with her time in Canterlot and was more than ready to venture back home leaving the past where it's meant to be, behind her.
_______________________________________
The train engine roared and the blow horn let out the compacted steam, having the commonly known train horn sound off. Twilight Sparkle stood with her back facing the train and her eyes facing her friends. Victor, Charlie, Hubert, and Rainbow Dash all had smiles on their faces and replied with content gestures and words to dismiss their purple friend back to Ponyville.
"You think you should write to Princess Celestia about this Twi?" asked Rainbow Dash. Twilight shook her head and explained her reasoning to all of them that what happened between them was something that only remain between them, nobody else had to know. "Besides Rainbow, when you think about the entire story, it sounds too looney to tell anybody about it." she levitated her bag of of Canterlot gifts her friends gave her and prepared to board the train.
"When will you be coming back to Ponyville, Rainbow?" Twilight asked adjusting her saddle in a comfortable position, comforting her bag inside a vacant pouch. Rainbow Dash and Hubert looked at each other and nodded before she spoke. "Most likely next week, I want to spend some more time here and Hubert bought tickets to The Wonderbolts: Summit Screening Spectacular that'll happen in a few more days! I cannot miss out on that!" she finished saying excitedly.
Everyone giggled to her excitement having their moods brighten up to see they were all back to a joyous state. "Shame you can't stick with us for Hearth's Warming Eve Twi-Twi, we'd all love for you to come with all of us" said Victor.
"Oh that's right! Hearth's Warming Eve celebration, I haven't completely decided on whether i'll stay in Ponyville or not but spending it here in Canterlot doesn't sound like such a bad idea, i'll let you know a few days prior as to whether I come or not." she replied heartily.
"Departing in two minutes! All aboard!"
Everyone put their attention towards the conductor and sighed. Twilight bid all her friends farewell and gave each one a hug saying Thank You to each one. Now on the train, Twilight took her seat towards the window and continued to wave at each of them as the train began to move forward. "I'll write to you all soon!" she said cheerfully, they all replied that they would do the same. The train went on forward around the mountain corner and towards the horizon where the sun began to set and lit a brilliant and beautiful gold and soon to be engulfed in the calm and romantic night.
Twilight looked out the window and admired witnessing the light beginning to fade away and replacing the plant's and mountain color from an orange-ish look to a soothing white aura. Gazing out for a few more moments now reaching the base of the mountain, she sighed. "This is going to be a long ride" she mumbled to herself and quietly fell asleep as many others on the train did as well.
"Spiiiiiike, hurry up! We're gonna be late to the train station and you know how Pinkie is with her bladder! We're going to go see the Wonderbolts for Celestia's sake!" shouted Twilight up the stairs where the maturing dragon was fixing the spikes on his head. It was around 7:30 P.M and they were scheduled to meet the rest of the gang at the train station at 7:45 P.M. "Yeah yeah I know let me just..." he snipped a small piece of one of his top spikes and removed an uneven scale from his neck. "Okay! Ready, let me just choose a good fragrance for the scales and gem as a snack for the ride over there, shouldn't take more than 2 minutes" he replied. "SPIKE!" Twilight shouted only to be replied with the slamming of a door.
She slapped her hoof onto her face and dragged it down in frustration. "Well Spike IS growing up... but he's taking longer to groom himself than I do!" she said to herself while she paced across her vast library.
Twilight decided it never hurt to walk through and taking a gander through her books as she mumbled a few of the titles to herself and chuckled at a few of them, remembering her favorite parts of the book. "Jungle jumpers: The essential guide to jungle navigation, I really liked that one... maybe i'll re-read it sometime this week." she said using her magic to bring the book from the shelf and placing it on the nearest table. looking back up she noticed a vacant shelf where a somewhat large book sat.
Curious as to what it was, she had it float towards her and examined it for a label. "On a vacant shelf... collecting dust, (As many other of my books)and papers sticking out of it... hmmm..." she wiped it down and sighed with both grief and joy. "Canterlot Memories... where did I leave off when I last loo- oh hello, what's this?" she noticed an envelope acting as a bookmark of the page she last left off. "Well that answers where I was but what do we have here?" she observed the back of it to see the royal Canterlot wax seal on the back. "Letter from the princess? Normally I get scrolls from her but... oh wait that's right, Owlicious, how could I forget about giving her the letter? Who was that pegasus with the blonde hair? Hmm... well the mailmare, I had this letter delivered to her."
Breaking the royal seal, she withdrew the letter inside and read it to herself quietly. Without glancing at the picture that was on the page, she levitated the scrap book and placed it on top of the previous book she took from the shelf. "I'll come back to this later, Spike isn't going to come down for a while."
Me dearest student: Twilight Sparkle
Sadly I cannot grant you your request on your visit to Canterlot due to the fatal snowstorm approaching us even as you read this, by the time the guards arrive at your door after being fully prepared, it will take more time for them to bring you back now that they have a passenger and I just cannot allow for this hazardous task. However there is an alternative, I can arrange for the next train to be ready to depart as soon as you arrive. That is the best that I can do for you my faithful student. I must warn you of one other thing, your visit... when you do find your friends, if you manage to face your inner demons, when you leave, you will not be the same.
Sincerely, Princess Celestia.
Flabbergasted that even her own teacher knew of the events that would happen, she didn't question them, Twilight dove into her problems unprepared and still managed to overcome the obstacles and demons that opposed her. She crumpled the letter and threw it into the fireplace where the fire sat sizzling the dry wood.
There came a tapping on her front door which completely caught her off guard. She left the fireplace and walked towards the door which was already slightly open. Before heading out, Twilight adjusted her scarf, boots, and elegant modified Gala dress that was built more for cold nights and opened her door to see what she thought was to be a past nightmare.
The houses in Ponyville were all there but all with their lights off. What stood a few yards from her front door was a lightpost with a burning blue sapphire torch at the top. She gulped swallowing her nervousness and began to walk towards the lightpost. Hoping all this was just an illusion, she walked forward out of her house taking step by step wisely and watching the roofs of the houses for glowing red eyes.
Thankfully she saw nothing along the way and when she finally reached the light post and was illuminated in it's ocean blue glow, she wondered what was supposed to happen or if she was meant to do anything. She waited a few moments and out of the darkness came a pony covered from head to toe in a coat that covered his body, a purple scarf covering his face, and eyes that glowed a very dim gold, he strove past Twilight with a wagon right behind him that was being carried by strange mechanical machines. He looked at Twilight's direction and waved at her followed by a chortle and a distinct "Come back any time."
Twilight nervously waved back and watched him be eaten by the darkness and disappear. "Well that was weird" she muttered. Looking back to face the light post, she noticed it was gone and instead she could see it down the path where the stranger had gone, letting the light getting dimmer and dimmer with every moment. "Ooookaaaay..." she said stepping back wards hoping she would step on the dirt path that led to her front door.
The cold winter night was chilling but not freezing, it really did relax those with pent up tension and those that had trouble sleeping let their now useful blankets cradle them to sleep in warmth. She turned around to walk back inside when suddenly she heard the sound of hooves crunching the snow beneath them. She turned her head around but not her body to see what figure would submerge from the black night.
"Twilight"
To add feeling to the ending, just listen to the music while you read the finishing to this story.
Completely disregarding her front door being open and letting the small amount of snow build up inside, she turned around to face two ponies, one unicorn and the other a pegasus. "It's so good to see you again Twilight" Syra said a little above a whisper. Twilight edged near them and they did the same.
"Bu-bu-but you two are dead, how can this be?" she stuttered with tears building up. Kale and Syra smiled at each other before they focused their attention back on the staggering mare. "We're one with winter Twilight, always have been-""And always will be" finished Syra.
Twilight fumbeled to say something that was worth meaning but ultimately failed leaving her two friends laughing lightly at her struggle. "Shhh, be calm Twi" said Syra resting her hoof over Twilight's mouth. Twilight stood silently staring at the two of them who looked near mortal other than the fact that both their eyes were glowing a magnificent cyan.
Syra backed away slowly only a few steps and nodded at Twilight. "Our visit is short for a reason, the wind must take us onto our next destination, It's best we be going now Twilight, may your travels be safe and always remember we love you" and with that, Syra stood perfectly still and from the head down, her body began to deteriorate into snowflakes and soon went on with whatever path the wind took her. Twilight stuck out her hoof but still was tongue tied of what to say, after all it's not like you can meet the dead anyday you want.
Kale began to walk away too when Twilight finally broke out of her shock. "Wait, Kale" said Twilight in a hurry.
"Yes Twilight?" "Will I ever be seeing you two again?"
He laughed quietly making Twilight a bit puzzled. "Only time will tell my admired friend, only time will tell"
Just as he began to take the same position as Syra, he leaned forward to kiss Twilight on the forehead to assure her that him and Syra will always be here for her if it was at all possible.
"You've been with me for so long"
"I always will be"
With that, Kale took a few steps back and just as the false illusion Rarity had on the fields from Ponyville to the Bazaar, he stood still and slowly let his entire body turn to ice, piece by piece he fell apart in front of Twilight, leaving her in the darkness, being lightly illuminated from her torch in front of her house.
______________
"Twilight? TWILIGHT?!"
She turned around to see that Spike in a emerald encrusted tie and his spikes were gelled back. He stood there with the door shut behind him and not only dumping a small amount of red powder into his oak wood pipe, but also lighting it with his fire breath, slowly taking in puffs. "Ahhh... blazing ruby, calm nights like this make the flavor last so much longer, well Twilight, you ready to the train station?"
"Yeah... yeah i'm ready, let's go"
Twilight and Spike walked together side by side down the cold cobblestone path towards the train station, leaving behind their home for the night.
"You look like you've seen a ghost, is something wrong?"
She smiled at him and giggled, "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you so Spike." ________________
Back at the house, the little candle Spike lit was glowing lightly in the dark, scattering the shadows away. Right beside the candle was the scrap book Twilight forgot to look back on... again. Right there by the candles light was the picture she ignored completely seeing as how it was covered by the envelope. There in the picture was Twilight, Kale, and Syra all standing together in a group of three only this time, Syra's face of terror was now in a fixed position of happiness. With the window to the library still partially open, a cold breeze flew inside and extinguished the candle, leaving the library to fall into a peaceful darkness. The eyes of Syra and Kale in the picture however, remained glowing the same brilliant cyan as Twilight had seen when she reunited with them.
The End
Time flows Nobody knows The years go by Where we go Alone from here
Night falls Strange-colored walls My eyes deceive What is wrong With me? - Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. Acceptance
"What's it going to be Sparkle? Death? HA! So be it!"
Twilight gulped again and pre-swung her neck to deliver a fatal blow to Syra. "Do you want to look away before I do this?" Twilight asked her. Syra shrugged followed by a small giggle. "No it's fine, I want to see this coming, I want you to look me straight in the face when you kill me" she returned.
Readying her horn, Twilight stood with her back straight, her decision was made up and she was more than ready to perform her action. Everyone in the dome concentrated on Twilight who's aura was showing by 'Ol Reliable spotlight. Twilight had a small burst of rage, having her lay a swift punch right across Syra's right cheek. "That's gotta hurt!" said Hubert. The defeated demon laughed with her bruised shut down eye starting to swell.
Twilight put her hoof under Syra's chin and started to turn it left and right, examining her carefully.
"Get on with it already, I have family to greet"
The purple unicorn was breathing slowly but deeply, with every breath exhaled a force only she could see would go throughout the dome and highlight everyone in it. Everyone had their own amount of purity, the whiter they were the more innocent and the more black... the more guilty. Syra was near a shadow and Charlie and Victor obviously had some bad blood in them but they weren't bad ponies, that's for sure.
She gulped down the saliva building up in her mouth and began to get woozy, her vision starting to become disoriented. Just when she thought she was on the verge of passing out, she felt a cold hoof land on her shoulder. Twilight turned around to see that Kale's frost hand was resting on her to keep her cool. (No pun intended) "Remember Twilight, whatever decision you choose now will change the course of what happens to all of us, I just hope you do what is right, don't let this entire decision be fueled by vengeance."
She stared at him for the longest moment when her shoulder got a bit too cold she broke the eye contact. She was continuously nodding and gulping down saliva building in her mouth. "Hey! Hey Twilight, want to know something?" asked Victor. She didn't turn around but this didn't stop Victor from not saying what it is he had to say.
"Why don't YOU use that sword spell thingy and just SLICE HER IN HALF!" he shouted, making a few razor icicles fall from the ceiling. The group stared at him until he was timid and kept quiet. "Okay! I'll be very... quiet..." he whispered.
"Do it"
Twilight looked straight into Syra's eyes and saw nothing but hatred deep within the white void, it was almost memorizing actually.
"Kill me you coward.
Finally having enough of her insults, Twilight did was all others did not see coming. Blinded and consumed with sheer vengeance, she instantly grew back the magical and menacing temporary wings which cut not only the real but supernatural beings and her eyes bled light lavender smoke as if she cried wrath. Extending the wings to show it's razor edges, she swiftly spun around and sliced upwards. Twilight cut a nasty gash onto Syra's chest and had her mouth gape open in surprise that she was actually killed. With chalk white smoke pouring out of her ghastly wound, Twilight pushed her onto her back and stomped on her wound to have the smoke spread out more.
Instead of screams of pain, Syra instead began laughing in a maniacal way. Having enough of the games (and enough of the cheering of Victor and Hubert who were acting more like primates instead of ponies) she raised her left wing up one more time to slice her foe's throat open and end the haunting... until she was yanked away off of Syra by the cold hoof of Kale Hastings.
"Kale?" Twilight exclaimed unexpectedly. He narrowed his eyes at her and began to shake his head slowly. "As much as i'd want to see her death happen as well, keep in mind your acti-" he was quickly cut off by Twilight's eyes turning into a deep shade of purple and a quick break away.
Twilight clenched her teeth and teleported away from his grasp and reappearing behind him, and attempted to kick him in the back. Although her kick connected, her hoof went right through his body and her balance was lost. Twilight's leg was completely frozen solid and so was her now wrathful soul.
"What is this? what did you do?" she demanded. Kale shook his head again and sighed heavily. Syra was laying down with her eyes as vile as a serpent's, watching Twilight every move. "Twilight, don't you see this is what she wants? If you kill her... you'll... you'll bring back the nightmares that we are and this entire era of peace and kindness will be forever lost!"
Twilight's shade of purple began to slowly morph into a lighter tone once she heard out Kale. "Whatever do you mean? What nightmares?" she asked. "We're the nightmares you fool! We're the winter beasts! she crackled in a horrible yet weak laughter before continuing where she left off. "In other words Twilight Sparkle, what Kale means to say is we aren't exactly what you would call... 'ponies' no no, far from it, in fact, we're just what you all would call "An old Pony Tale" meant to scare the foals."
Syra stood up weakly only to fall back to the ground and sigh. "It's unbelievable that a mere mortal like yourself could actually take down a phantom from the snow" she sighed, "Well killing me won't solve any of your problems, mind you but instead it will indeed resolve ours, isn't that right, Centrillious?"
Everyone in the dome beamed straight at Kale who was quivering in place and beginning to get uncomfortable with his friends. "Centrillious? Who the hell is that? I am Kale Hastings, happily served as Canterlot's watchover during the-"
"During the the fighting between the 3 races of ponies. Yes, you were a watchover, that much is true, but you are mistaken on two things and acting like you weren't only makes me smile. Canterlot never existed at the time and also, you are NOT Kale" she interrupted followed by a complete slice of unknown facts.
Kale's eyes began to dilate and he trotted quietly towards Syra.
"Shut up you... you... vile wretch, I hav-"
"Ahhh, struck a cord there haven't we? Twilight, please pay close attention to my words" "Don't believe a word she says Twilight!
"By all means 'Kale', you still hide behind this lie, tisk tisk, and here I thought you were going to help me, is that soul of the stallion still living inside?"
Syra tried once again to stand and once again fell straight on her stomach. She sighed white smoke and giggled to herself. While the pack of three rivals were discussing personal terms, the others just watched with eyes going left to right as if they were watching children fight, a fantastic opportunity for the twins.
"Hey Charlie, come here for a moment" said Victor in a whisper to his brother. Both walked silently away from the revelations happening in the dome to discuss plans of their own. "Charles... listen to what comes out of my mouth, alright? Now see here, something bad is going to happen right now."
Charlie scratched his scalp in confusion wondering what his brother meant. "Look look Charlie, I always trust my gut on everything and THIS... this is no exception, I can feel as if though something bad is going to happen" he paused to look back and with no surprise, nobody noticed they were gone from the group. "Go to the chopper and start fixing those gears and whatnot. Make sure the rotors are functional but DO NOT start up our get-away vehicle! Just prepare for take off because I'd really hate to wait with a hoof in my ass for the 'Ol Reliable to warm up before it goes anyways, get to it! Trust me!"
Charlie began to trot towards the vehicle when Victor called out to him one more time. Upon turning around he could see a small black box hurdling towards him from the air, catching it with his mouth, he dropped it on the ground to examine what it was. "Walkie Talkie, Comms App, whatever you want to call it, keep it on because I know you do NOT want to miss out on the arguing, just don't speak into it." Victor directed towards his brother.
"Thanks, hopefully this entire thing doesn't go to the ass and we die out here right?" said the golden furred stallion nervously. His brother didn't answer, he creeped up back into the circle of where the fiasco was happening, without anyone noticing of his disappearance.
"I can't allow for this to happen Twilight"
Everyone gasped when he harked his words of betrayal. "Bu- bu-... KALE! Kale this is Syra! She- SHE DID ALL THIS!" shouted Twilight. at her change of heart friend. "Twilight... Kale's soul is still alive inside of me, I can feel him , he shouts to me every moment you come, he misses you, he misses all of you, but this is the first time I have ever heard him scream this much for mercy but not on himself or me, but Syra"
"Kill her damnit!" shouted Victor but only received his mouth to be frosted shut by Kale. Everyone was surprised to see him shoot ice straight from his mouth, like a spray of snow vomit... ew, what an ugly metaphor.
Centrillious held Twilight's hooves up to his and looked deep into her eyes. "Please... listen to me, look deep inside and in there you won't see the monster Syra makes me out to be, deep inside you'll see Kale." he finished saying.
Now of course at this moment you, the reader would think that the current events would all point to an... absolution but oh how you are very wrong. See here... you have chosen this path to give Syra retribution rather than redemption, you have chosen to end this nightmare by spilling blood, if ghosts could even bleed. Keep in mind what Syra has informed you all. The Carkoon feeds of haters, vile acts, death, whatever negativity that is produced in it's radius. Now what is the ultimate bad deed in this situation? Other than ignoring her love, she sought out one thing the Carkoon will thrive off of. Revenge.
Whether you're reading this because you chose this path or simply because you want to see the bad ending, keep in mind, this is what happens when you strike someone down in anger.
Twilight looked deep into Kales eyes and ineed she saw him right there in the dark, crying, smashing against the eyes as if that was his only barrier away from seeing her again. Then she saw... fire, she saw death in Centrillious's eyes that screamed "Vengeance!". Twilight's eyes began to illuminate purple and her aura became dark. Everyone took a few steps back and Syra not only smiled but prepared for the incoming blow that would end her and everyone else inside the dome.
"No...no no no no NO!"
She pushed Kale with such power, when he stomped his feet in the ground to prevent from sliding away, he left deep tracks into the ice floor. "I understand it all now! A reason for vengeance! For all these years you have tortured my friends, me, and have taken the life of the 2 ponies I cared for most in this world and all for what? For us to be here in this dome to kill each other?! You disgust me!"
Her horn began to glow and a small light/thin amount of dark magenta circled above her, shooting out small specks and streaks of a brilliant amethyst color that matched the fumes spilling from her eyes. "I can't even bare to let you live any longer knowing that what you've done is a complete act of evil and injustice. When you're at the other side, let the wendigo's know that you failed your duty"
"Twilight no!"
"Do it you coward! Kill me already!"
With a blazing dark magenta encased horn formed now in the shape of a vile and vicious looking blade, she plunged it straight into Syra's heart, having black smoke spill all over Twilight. In the moment of rage and anger, Twilight jabbed in and out and twisted her head lightly left and right to induce as much pain as possible in Syra's execution. Everyone watched in absolute horror at what became of their purple pony friend.
Wrath consumed Twilight that her state of sanity was far beyond anyones reach. She joyfully kept plunging the bladed horn deeper and deeper, having that liquid like black smoke spill everywhere on the floor and onto her mane. After what seemed like eons, Twilight was pulled away from Syra from a cold hoof on the shoulder. She turned around to see that Kale's eyes were now emerald green, shining just as beautiful as the gem, mind you.
He continued to hold Twilight in his hoof and stared dead straight at her. "Look into my eyes"
She stared deep into the abyss and saw a screaming soul trapped behind eyes of glass. Who was at the other side of those glowing eyes, she could not tell but it that moment, Twilight realized something vital to all this... she didn't care. She could see the glow getting fainer and fainter and soon it was fighting something other than the glass prism, it was fighting the oncoming storm, darkness. Although she knew what was happening, and her tears flowed slowly down her cheeks, she didn't care. Dark putrid droplets hit the ground, not only of the ghastly blood sliding down her mane and face, but also of the blackness of her soul.
"Oh how this journey evolved into such a dire need of vengeance, you can't really blame me. What else was I supposed to do? I not only slayed the one who murdered my friends so many years ago but I also betrayed the one and only love I had in my life. Such a cost for revenge... a cost I can never pay at one moment, instead, I pay with my suffering, day by day I must live on carrying the burden of my mistake but then again... I don't care. I fulfilled my duty and I stopped this parasite from torturing others maybe my lifestyle and heart really is just painted black and was hiding behind my inoncence this entire time. What reason do I have to hide it any longer? At least now... I can let Syra sleep silently and in peace...
Could there have been an alternative? Maybe... maybe, but time was crucial, she could've struck again If I wasn't swift with my actions, what if she had something else up her sleeve?! What if.. what if she struck me down right there on the spot in front of my friends?! All morale would have been lost if I brought them THIS FAR! What if... what if... wait... the Carkoon, something about it still puzzles me... Syra said the greatest evil deed was... this can't be..."
Twilight began to have lilac smoke pour from her eyes like tears, mixing in with the black phantom blood. She looked up to see that Kale was beginning to step backwards and had his eyes wide. Behind the once glass eyes was now a full showing of twin oblivions, eyes of hearts that stared deep into her.
The atmosphere reeked of an awkward silence, the ponies began to feel discomfort in the air. "Hey... Ace, somethings not right, Syra's dead right there but I still feel... I feel as if this is only the beginning, as if something bigger is coming any moment now, can't you feel it?" said Hubert to Rainbow Dash who was by his side.
"I feel it too, doesn't anyone feel it?" Victor chuckled nervously. He turned his back towards them and walked to the chopper carefully, leaving for the rest of the group to quietly converse amongst themselves of an upcoming evil they could all sense. He knew some were watching him but he was avoiding suspicion when he talked into his Walkie Talkie. "Charlie... get ready to rev up those rotors, something isn't right, I don't know if you can feel it but something big is coming." he finished saying. "Over and out Cong Killer, see you at the 'Ol Reliable."
"Twilight... it seems that this winter is still unforgiven, instead you struck her down and now she'll be back... yes Twilight, she'll be back and stronger than ever before, Wendigo's Twilight... that's what we are, that's what I am. I can hear the cries of your lover inside me, clashing against my skull walls attempting to find an opening. It came to a point where I finally had a change of heart and realized he meant well and my kind are just a lost cause. It's time we had to accept extinction."
The ground began to shake and Hubert and Dash nervously trotted in place to an immense flow of a wicked wave flowing past them all. Kale slowly paced to the corpse of Syra that now lay in a puddle of black smoke without acknowledging anyone else's existence in the dome. Twilight stepped to his side hoping her questions could be answered before the real evil emerges.
"This isn't the end isn't it?" she asked as she lay her hoof on his shoulder. Kale didn't answer verbally, instead physically. Ice began to grow onto the hoof Twilight put on him. She swiftly removed the ice before it grew farther on her body. Upon smashing the ice cast on the ground, she was pushed away.
"While I cannot undue her death, I can stall while you all venture out of here" he said bleakly. He gave no facial expression, it was all just a face of a stallion in despondency with the blackest of eyes, so black is challenged Twilight heart color.
Whether it be the remaining ponies inside the dome or the spirits of dead timberwolves outside, an eruption of clanking metal awoke the spirits of all, "Let's get this son of a bitch in the skies ASAP Charles, ASAP!" started yelling the red coated stallion whose mane was now doused in frost. "What about the others? We can't just leav-OOF!" Charlie was quickly shut up by a slap to the head by his older brother.
"Listen here Charlie, right now something ugly is going to pop up and I sure as hell do not want to be here when it comes and besides, we ARE going to stay here until they board up, no man left behind!" stated Victor with such pride that an aura of gold appeared behind him, an aura bravery.
"You failed your one and only test Twilight and there are no retries, I hope you know that... I hope you know that when you struck her down that you didn't necessarily kill Syra."
Puzzled and curious, Twilight gave him the same serious look he was giving everyone and demanded for a suitable response that can satisfy her craving for knowledge. "Tell me Kale! TELL ME WHAT I DID?!"
"Kale is dead Twilight, I am Centrillious, the New Dawn of Winter... or so I was before. In your anger you cut the last thread that Kale hung onto, that last shard of hope is now gone and you left him to plunge into complete darkness, his soul is now forever lost, why did he deserve this? That's right, he didn't deserve such a fate"
The ice floor began to crack towards the center where the Carkoon once stood, the ceiling imitated the floors pattern as well. "While he is gone I hear his battle cries and my heart speak to me and what they say is I cannot let you all die! I will not let you DIE! Twilight Sparkle!" he turned his back on her and expanded his ice wings."You and your friends must rally and leave this place at once, she is... here. The Carkoon is finally...complete."
The corrupt unicorn was left without a word to say. She only stood there and had her jaw drop open at the sight of the evil happening in front of her. Centrillious was nothing now but a silhouette to her compared to the monstrosity spawning in front of her. The pounding thunder collided against the walls with such power and force they broke them down even more. Seconds later Twilight received a forceful tug on her shoulder.
"Are you scared stupid or what? Let's get the hell out of here! Me and Hubert won't be able to fly long with our condition like this!" shouted Rainbow Dash right into her face that the small fat around her cheeks began to vibrate. Twilight snapped back into reality only to see that it was near dream. Though she could see the grim situation happening and Centrillous standing mighty in front of a gaping portal ripping a hole through the ice floor, Twilight saw supernaturals.
"What is this?.."
She looked around, everything was moving at a slow motion except herself. Wendigo's began to circle the dome, at least 20 of them preventing an escape. The rotors of the chopper slapped against the wall producing a loud CLANG. Inside Centrilloius she saw both a gassy blue fire and a green skeletal being turning black. Every time she blinked, the scene became grimmer and grimmer.
The unicorn looked through walls and saw timberwolves, hundreds of them by their skeletal wooden structure run through caverns, searching for a way to get them. In the gaping portal, massive muzzles the size of boulders sprouted from the portal. She turned back to see that everyone boarded the vehicle in a hurry. in the cockpit she could see the twins yelling for her to get in.
No noise, just the beating of her heart was heard. Quickly she ran towards her friends leaving Kale to his demise., everytime her heart beat, a visible wave of white would pulse throughout the dome refreshing the entire area, highlighting beings and objects alike. Sweat dripped off her mane, her eyes white with anticipation, no pupils. She vomited from all the tension as she sprinted towards her friends.
Her heart beat slower and slower until it was heard no more and time itself ceased. The icicles from the ceiling stopped in mid air, the rotors of 'Ol Reliable stood in place, the facials expressions of everyone were still. Worried of the lost Kale, she looked back.
There he was, staring at her with the most vicious cyan colored eyes she had ever gazed upon. Behind him stood Wendigo's that were the size of Ursa Minors all having the same Cyan glowing eyes, looking at her.
"Going somewhere?"
In a sprint, she ran face first into a what seemed like a steel statue of Syra only of course she was made of ice. "This body form... marvelous but unfortunately no longer needed." Syra's back tore in half just like paper and like a horrible birthing gone wrong, out emerged a black shadowy figure twice the size of Syra.
It stepped onto the ground and began to shake off the black shadow like it was just water. Some splashed on Twilight and some landed on the ground. After enough shaking there stood this breathtaking beauty of a Wendigo. It's eyes weren't so cyan and instead a rather calm light blue. It's skin was transparent and a rather darker shade of blue of the eyes. Her cold crystal snow mane was more magnificent than Celestia's and her hooves were encrusted in ice armor, every step she took and instant ice would be left behind.
"Today really is the day I hoped would come true, everything went as planned. You killed me thus completing the final ritual and step I needed to bring back old friends." she stopped briefly to look around and admire the hundreds of Wendigo's spinning around the dome, stopping in mid sprint but then again very slowly moving.
She laughed quietly before she resumed her speech. "You know, you're probably wondering how you were able to 'kill a ghost' I guess you could say, see Twilight, we weren't... ehhh- me and Centrillious bordered between the two world, simple actually. When we were here long ago and I took the illusion of you before I killed both Kale and Syra, I was alive. Simply killing them and taking their body is all me and Centrillious did, we never died, however it is partially true what I say of killing a ghost. You really can't, all you did in this little game of revenge was abandon them into darkness, no hell is worse than for your soul to linger on without any true path, all there is for eternity is darkness, how evil of you for you to do that to them all..
"As a Wendigo however these are the kind of actions I strive for and admire most in ponies and creatures alike. You are without a doubt the worst of them all. You didn't kill Syra, no, you simply threw her away and she plunged into a nightmare she will never break out of and moi? I am Shiarika, the southern star, Luna's winter nemesis and you Twilight Sparkle have set me free to my true form."
Twilight began to be enraged and it wasn't until her rage took over than she delivered a shot she should have never done. As time began to come back into place and her friends started to take flight finally, Syra had her back turned to Twilight and had a grim smile on her face. "You did complete the ritual and bring the laws of winter back into our hands, I can admire and respect that to a degree that I am willing to let you and your friends leave this place in peace without any trouble. After all it's the least I could do, I don't want to have to have the Timberwolves tear you all to shreds anyways. So what do yo-"
Half of Shiarika's face was blasted off from a magic bolt Twilight shout at her. "I've had enough of- of- ... your bullshit! I'm killing you now before you let loose any more havoc on Equestria, I will not stand idle to your evil at play!"
Shiarika fumbled a bit until her face began to regenerate it's destroyed portion like it was a flesh wound. "My my my, a bit of a temper, I offer you an exit to this place and you turn it down, ha ha ha! I love it! This is the choice you made not only for yourself but for your friends."
Although she was a Wendigo that had no apparent way of unleashing magic, she showed her might with her eyes. Out sprouted blue lightning at the flying metal beast making it immobile under her kinesis grasp accompanied by the lightning. "This son of a bitch has got us pinned down, we can't move anywhere! Charlie get on that 60 and fill her with lead!" scolded out Victor. Charlie was fumbling with a black mechanism that had a long black barrel sticking out of it and a large tube full of brass colored liquid connected on the side. "I'm on it! I'm on it but this damn thing is jammed! We're sitting ducks out here!"
The day only got grimmer as the howl of timberlwolves echoed through the dome which only made the Wendigo's even happier and more energetic with their sprint. Charlie fumbled around with the machine enough until finally it shot out a golden bolt against the wall. "I got it! I got this damn thing working now!" he shouted with excitement. The timberwolves were coming, in waves and hordes of all shapes and sizes, what was Twilight to do then and there?
Seeing it was her only chance to strike at Syra, she readied herself and worked into a sprint towards her. The sprint was terrifying enough, to leave behind a trail of bright magenta flames that connected to her tail. The wolves were in the dome and they moved faster than before, enraged that their prey was lost, seeking vengeance.
The rushing unicorn ignored her foes and focused only on her one true nemesis. A series of splats and expelling of magic came from the chopper, Charlie was the one behind it, tearing the Timberwolves down to pieces of wood and lumps of snow. Taking in one last deep breath, Twilight lunged at Syra aiming her horn right for her abdominal area, the end... for her friends was eminent.
Twilight was intercepted and tackled onto the ground followed by a searing pain go into her left forearm. She opened her eyes after screaming from the pain to see glowing green eyes looking at her, it was Kale and her arm had been impaled with an Obsidan dagger. "Twilight Sparkle, you damned everyone here to their deaths and that's just what she strives on, WE strive on. You've lost my friend, now witness as we Wendigo's claim our season once again, haha and then you can have your little seasons of Spring and Summer and such, Winter is ours thanks to you" Kale finished saying.
The pupils went to the back of his head leaving Twilight looking at a dead-like stallion whose neck then snapped sideways having her listen to a vomit educing snap. Just as Syra, Kale's back tore just like paper and out emerged a Wendigo plated with a black shining set of armor for his hooves.
"Oh does it feel great to be back into this world! Back into what was ours so long ago! Syra my sister, heed my words and send them all to oblvion! Cry for violence my brothers! Let me here for cries of happiness! We are back but only one more obstacle stands in our way! These ponies, these weak warriors, these sinners must all face their fate now at a early beginning of their lives, thanks to dear Twilight Sparkle." Centrillious shouted having the hundreds of his brothers neigh out in a cheer.
"Our brothers have spoken! We are the heirs! YOU are our leader but as an accomplish grant me my wish and blast them all to oblivion!" he got off the mare and began walking towards Shiarika.
"Damnit Charlie! Shoot that f****** in his head and shut him up, this isn't looking good and the hull is about to break, we gotta go now or it's all over! Twilight! Do something, Hubert, Dash, Charlies, do someth-" he sighed before he continued. Victor kicked up his hooves on the dashboard and put his forehooves behind his head, accepting the bleak situation. "Do...something... huh, funny. I've lived for too long and done more than enough damage than I could back when I was still a soldier, I'm tired."
Charlie continued to spit out the golden bolts at oncoming Timberwolves until an extra pulse of the electric shock jammed his gun. "Blast! It's shut down, there's nothing more I could do!" He began smashing the black box with his hooves, leaving dents. "Syra and Kale were always dead damnit! Why did we listen to that purple nut?!"
"Yes yes my brother, I grant your grievous and most despicable action, now witness all the end, the break down of our obstacle! We are free once again!"
Not being able to fully stand up, Twilight still continued to limp over although she was weak. Her will power overcame her pain and struggle... it's a shame it wasn't enough to stop anything. The wendigos and timberwolves all unleashed one last battlecry before Shiarika lifted the helicopter higher, smashing it's rotors against the ceiling, having them break off and fall onto the ground.
"No...NO!" said Twilight smashing her hooves on the ground, cracking the ice. Her tears flowed down her face as she looked back up to see the final act. The mighty Wendigo known as Shiarika, began swiveling her friends inside the chopper around until finally she launched 'Ol Reliable right at Twilight. The last things Twilight saw was all her friends cry in panic. Boom, the helicopter exploded and all of winters beasts roared in victory.
1 Hour Later...
"What's going on
Twilight slowly had her eyelids open to see a blurry reality in front of her. Her entire body was warm and snug but she suffered from a terrible headache. She could hear thousands of footsteps being re-arranged and stomp the ground in patterns. Her vision and hearing were minorly impaired for a short while until finally she rubbed her eyes with her hooves to see everything clear.
Her memory was hazy but was coming back to her piece by piece as time passed slowly.
She gasped in air quickly and took a good long look at the sight in front of her. Rows and rows of both Wendigo's and Timberwolves aligned themselves in a long and formation leaving a walkway enchanted with glowing embers of black. Walking down the aisle was Shiarika with an evil grin smeared across her face and was accompanied by Centrillious towards the end to an altar looking furniture crafted from the destroyed helicopter Twilights friends were on.
It was all arranged from biggest to smallest, with the biggest of the wolves and Wendigos at the back leaving their smaller counterparts at the front. While she walked down with her brother, the ones they passed, bowed down in respect and loyalty. Now at the end of the altar was one ghost so enormous and intimidating, it left the biggest blue stallions of winter on the outer rows look like normal sized ponies, and leaving Twilight look like a newborn foal. The ruler of them all is what she assumed, was the size of a Ursa Major to say the least.
Twilight seeing that the enemy was focusing on the siblings, attempted to get up but only to realize her body was immobile and near lifeless, how she survived the crash falling on her was beyond her knowledge, after all, her body was completely intact and scarred except for that forehoove that had been impaled with the dagger and a nasty gash she could feel was large under her left eye.
She could move her head however and saw other ponies laying around her, not moving as well. She hissed at the nearest one, a stallion with a mane of gold and coat of red, Victor. "Vic, Victor can you hear me? I can't move, what about you?" He didn't move at all, he still lay on the ground with his back towards Twilight.
She squinted her eyes to see why exactly he hadn't been moving. A rather large shard of ice the size of a leg was lodged into his body and protruded out his back. If it wasn't for the blood dripping off the end, she would have never noticed it. Seeing her friend dead made her worry even more for the other. Finally having the strength to move a leg, she stuck her left hoof out and saw that it was glowing blue, hell, her entire body had the same aura as well.
"What is this? A spell?" she mumbled to herself. A small giggle ringed in her ear. "Spells? Magic? What difference is there to them really? Oh Twilight... you always were the one that would attack problems head on." said a voice in near whisper. Not wanting to catch the attention of the ceremony happening a few 15 meters away from her, she asked into the low lighted area of the crash site of who spoke to her.
"Twilight? Can you not recognize the voice of your friend? The one you... sadly banished unknowingly into the abyss?"
"There's no possible way..."
"And yet there is, it's me, Syra... do not blame yourself for your wrong doings, you did what you felt would benefit all of Equestria, not just focused on the lives of me and Kale, our souls are not worth an entire civilization of ponies, no, both of us combined aren't even worth you... ironically enough though it only took me to save you."
Twilight felt a cold presence rest beside her and finally her blue glow wore off. She didn't question of the glow's disappearance but questioned Syra what she was talking about. The unicorn received no answer other than a deep and calm breathing beside where the cold presence was. She gulped down her saliva nervous of what was beside her. It didn't talk, didn't reply, or didn't even make any movements that made noise, it was just a cold presence and deep breaths. Slowly looking to her side was now Rainbow Dash who was glowing a deep low light white, silver to be exact.
"What the hell is going on here?" she asked the disembodied voice of Syra again. "Well you see Twilight... as Syra mentioned before, we saved you, we saved both of you. As much as I love Victor, Charlie, and Hubert, they're lives are at a full circle. They did all they could at your weakest moment at the cost of course of their lives. All of you could have died, every single one, but WE sacrificed the little power we had left in the afterlife to prevent your deaths."
"What are you saying? Does this mean that... that you two are-"
"Damned? Of course, Death had to take someone tonight, satisfy his crave with our innocence? Sound like a good enough deal to us... besides, these old bones I had needed to rest."
"Kale, you're 21"
"WAS 21... was... Well Twilight, our time here was short and now it's over, we can only evade Death himself for so long... he's about to find us, we'll welcome him with open arms."
"But Syra! Kale! It can't just end like this! So much to live for only to die because of my stupid mistakes! I'm such an idiot!" she stood and with immense pain surging through her body, limped towards a black hole where the chopper smashed down. "Twilight, Twilight what are you doing?" questioned Syra with a voice that was now clear as crystal, nothing disoriented.
Twilight levitated a large sharp piece of a metal shard and weakly hovered it over her chest. "Living with this nightmare and mistake is just too much for anyone! How can I live knowing I damned my friends and everyone I loved for my stupid vengeance!"
"Have you gone mad?! Don't let our deaths be in vain you fool, you still have a friend here who needs you to... actually, that's our job too isn't it? Take them back to Ponyville where they should have stayed? Anyways..." he knocked the metal piece out of midair with ease, Right there on the spot both Kale and Syra appeared in their ghostly forms with their own bodies. Twilight was beyond weak at this point and collapsed. Her eyes were exhausted of crying and instead Twilight just pouted burying her face into the snow. On both sides was Kale and Syra, with Syra glowing her distinct soft blue and Kale his green, their original colors were not recognizable.
"How can I carry the burden of knowing I'm the reason everyone's dead? Especially you Syra, all of this was about you and Kale, I always loved you but did I really go out of my way and make you two suffer in the end like this? How can I still live?" Kale sighed and laid next to Twilight on the melting snow while Syra kissed Twilight on her forehead and gave her one last smile.
"Forget about us."
With that, both began to de-materialize into white ember snowflakes and drifted on with the night. Kale continued to lay on Twilight until all that he left behind was his cold ghostly presence. Syra dropped one last tear that froze into the floor. It formed into something that Twilight knew she would keep with her for the rest of her life. A blue shining pendant in the shape of a jagged but rather large tear.
At that moment, her sense came back to her and the force of 1000 pounds crashed right back on her from the severe pain, forcing her to collapse next to Rainbow Dash in an unconscious state, still grasping the blue gem in her left hoof.
The Wendigo's and Timberwolves all bowed down to their new masters, Centrillious and Shiarika. The path leading towards an altar from the destroyed vehicle was crafted for them and was also made as a tribute to both. The siblings smiled at each other with glee and both walked together, with Centrillious having his sister walk slightly farther ahead. Amazingly enough, the altar was surrounded by Shiarika's former minions, the winter knights she formed on her own out of stone, each one holding a spear with the obsidian tip at the end.
Once they reached the end of their path after being praised by hundreds of their allies, the enormous Wendigo behind the altar bowed himself, slightly shaking the walls. Shiarika looked around and her eyes narrowed to an evil squint. She coughed to clear her throat and inhaled a deep breath to begin her speech.
"This road is paved with the sins of ponies and Twilight's vengeance is the bedrock of our return. Thanks to this rather famous mare, we have returned. I have tried to reason, tried to talk her into surrendering and I would happily let her walk out freely, but she refused and instead attacked me. I can not stand for such incompetence so as my duty to bring you all back, I killed her and her foolish friends! Our summoner has died and who do we have to thank for that? Dear Centrillious, that's who! But does it matter? Of course not! It's better that we killed her now instead of later on when she becomes stronger than any of us, so Centrillious had his mind in the right spot."
She raised her left hoof and spoke once again, finally concluding her speech. "This season belongs to us once again, no more of Celestia's banishment, no more of happy playful things, we are servants to the art of hatred and most importantly, servants to ME, Now as your new leader, I would like to say that my dear brother here, is just as much in command as yours truly. As our first assignment to you all, CELEBRATE! REMEMBER THIS DAY AS OUR INDEPENDENCE FROM THE AFTERLIFE!"
The dome's ceiling shook from the amazing amount of force that was put into their victory cries. The large wendigo behind the alter rose up and neighed at the full moon high above him.
"All bow to your new leaders! Let our horrific winters spread across Equestria, these brave heroes deserve glory! We have returned!"
Hey you! READ THIS FIRST! (Old and expired update)
I have decided to do this because i'm a choch. I will only be publishing the GOOD side of the story (Redemption) because I don't want to start off season 3 with a moody ending if you decide to choose the bad ending which by the way... is pretty.... :'( I just now finished writing the epilogue to it which means 2 chapters right there on the spot! I will most likely just accompany Retribuiton with the epilogue already written in because of how much shorter it is than Redemption.
November 10th, season 3 comes in and I got my M60 ready to blast some holes in the roof!
Here's a fun fact! The story was completed on October 21st (Good and Bad) but I had some pretty horrible events happen to me in late September, so that delayed my writing AND also Resident Evil 6.
I'll be sure to get the bad ending up and running ONCE all the fics about "King Somber" and all that are out of the way. Everyone else remember how fast the Chrysalis fics poured in? Publishing bad endings once the things have died down, don't know about you but I PERSONALLY can't wait for the Somber fics! (Not)
November 30th
Everything above the line was written 2 or 3 days before Season 3 aired, so if you're reading this thing and you're confused as to what all that means, it was just an update I made before I released "Redemption".
Twilight woke up from her sleep and sat straight up, gasping for breath from a sudden nightmare. "What kind of hell was that? It was... it felt so real, so vivid and alive as if though I went through all of it." she mumbled to herself. She looked around the room to see everything was in it's everyday normal state. The only noise was that of her bedroom clock ticking loudly and slowly. "Time is going by slower than usual, rough night I guess." she said slipping out of the bed carefully to be greeted by a punishing pain in her head.
She slammed right back onto the bed while she rubbed her head violently while saying ow numerous times. When the pain was at last gone, she took step by step to the door very slowly seeing as how her entire body felt weak. The door had frost growing on the outer frame. The closer Twilight got to the door, the colder she became. The lone mare's teeth were chattering and wondered if she left the door to her house open or if maybe a window was left open.
The door was cold to the touch and made Twilight's hoof go numb. She adjusted her mane before heading out and questioned the whereabouts of Spike, she didn't see him in his bed which was now larger seeing as how he's growing ever day, it's hard to miss a 5 foot dragon walking around.
Shrugging and assuming he was downstairs, she pushed open the door to see that the stairway downstairs was in pitch darkness. At the very bottom though there was light, a rather odd feature considering it was morning. Not caring and questioning it, she took step by step down the stairs without any trouble, she was all worked up for no reason.
Trotting to and fro in her house looking for Spike, she found a letter resting by her kitchen table. The unicorn served herself a glass of cider she kept in a jug before she opened the letter. The sweet taste of apple and bubbly carbonated combo soothed and relaxed her dry mouth.
While she continued to drink the last of her cider, she hovered the letter towards her and began to read it with one eye monitoring the flow of the cider and the other reading the note.
Dear Twilight,
Gone out to help Rarity with gem searching, hope you feel better and please warm up the place, it should be freezing there by now.
- Spike
P.S
I left a stack of books and notes that need to be burnt, i'll do that as soon as I get there, sorry I couldn't do them before I left, i'll do them when i come back. If there's any other things you need gone, just stack'em on top
She nearly spit out her mouthful of cider when she read about Spike BURNING books. She trotted towards the library part of her house and dived into the depths of the library. Much time has passed and with that, her house expanded at least 3 times the size as when she arrived the first day at Ponyville in order for her to store more books. Meandering through it all, she spotted a few books that she decided would be a fun read later on.
"The Guerilla Factory, I like that one. oh oh! Let's not forget to bring Of Age and Cinder, he really is just as admirable as Daring Do, to me at least. Now where are those books..." she said loudly without worrying of anyone else listening.
When she turned around a corner, she could see the very end of a rainbow tailed being go the other way, someone was in her library. "Hey wait!" she yelled, nobody turned around to answer her cal. She walked over to where she saw the rainbow tail only for the same scene to re-occur, again she saw the rainbow tail go around a corner to the left.
Rolling her eyes, she went into a sprint in her very own library after the intruder. Same scene again, the intruder was too fast but was it intelligent? Twilight sat to recover and began to thing hard on how to catch it. "Of course, why didn't I think of it earlier?" she muttered.
Twilight cast a spell on herself which was basically an exact replica of her, only thing is it acted like a robot. A security spell she found in a book, it would act as her but would patrol the library in case anyone wanted to break in to jack the house. The decoy went off sprinting towards the direction of the burglar and all that was heard was two ponies trotting all over the library. While Twilight waited for the mysterious intruder to come back around to where she was, she thought about where the books that needed to be burned could be, most likely where she usually leaves candles on tables to light the archives.
Five, ten, fifteen minutes pass until finally came a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail, Rainbow Dash. Her head was turned back, hoping to see if she had lost track of the decoy which gave Twilight the perfect opportunity to tackle. With a huge accelerated slam and shout, down went Dash. Twilight looked at her in surprised and confusion, asking why she was invading her home.
Rainbow gave her a nasty snarl and look until finally she began having some sort of violent seizure. Twilight backed away and poof, she just disappeared. Twilight's pupils dilated and she began to feel uncomfortable. She shook her head and walked towards many checkpoints of the library, hoping to find the right table with the book stacked on top.
It only took around 5 minutes until she noticed the books were on the table by the fireplace, how convenient Twilight thought to herself. One by one she looked at the covers and titles trying to see why in Equestria she would want to burn a book, that's borderline insanity to Twilight. After skimming through a few and reading a few pages, she levitated the entire stacked and walked down the aisles putting them back in their right location.
On every spine of the book was a label indicating what genre they belonged in; horror, adventure, drama, romance etc. Right under the genre was another small label showing whether it was fiction or non-fiction. Halfway done with organizing the books, she felt a cold presence. lurking again the library. She never felt fear when surrounded by books but this fear was different, it wasn't the fear of what it was, it was the fear of what it wanted. Who in their right mind would want to jack a librarian?
After a few minutes the cold spine tingling presence just vanished, it was just Twilight's mind playing tricks on her. Thinking about her sleep and nightmare, the purple unicorn began to shelve the books slower and slower with the deeper her thoughts became. To stack on that, she began to question why Rainbow Dash was even spotted, why did it feel as if something was watching her, why was she so scared?
Setting the books aside on the nearest possible table she could find, she sat down and began to rub her temples. Looking down the aisle, it seemed like it had no end, it was just an endless amount of shelves with books stacked on each one. Staring down and down the abyss of books felt... strange. Was this all her life revolved around? Where was that special stallion she longed for but abandoned?
A mental barrier kept her from thinking hard of a certain black mane'd pegasus. A long silent stare, with only the crackles of the flame from the candle laying on the table she sat next to. "The books stare back at you." Twilight shrieked int he startle the voice gave her resulting in her knocking the table hard enough for the top book to fall straight on the top of her head and knocking her out.
She slowly reopened her eyes to see the large book that thumped her over the head was lying in front of her. Rubbing the small lump that formed, she sat back up and hovered the somewhat heavy book onto her lap. Dust was on the book, dust so thick the letter and cover were obscured, it's as if the book hasn't been touched in centuries. curiosity struck Twilight when she finally wiped the grime and cobweb off the book and gave a nice good blow to shake off any remainder specks of dirt and whatnot. She moved the candle lightly to the side to shine light upon the book.
"Canterlot Memories"
She turned to see the spine of the book to see what it's category and genre was. Something was strange about the writing though. Usually the labels tagged onto the books were a black, bold, and can be clearly seen that it was written by a typewriter. As for this book, its labels were hoofwritten and it's color was a thick paste-looking red. She was careful not to touch the labels and read them instead of examining them.
Genre: Tragedy
Category: Non-fiction
There was no briefing on the back, no special patterns on it but you could easily see that pages and various other things were added to the book since many other objects poked out from all the sides. Twilight kept looking at the cover until finally her eyes grew larger after realizing what this book was. Her eyes went to a pure white stage, her gasp took her brain back all the way to the day she woke up, hoping to find that stallion laying next to her and how the events proceeded from then on.
She sat there with her eyes pure white and her head tilted downwards. She saw it all flash before her eyes, through the eyes of evil itself. She lured Kale and Syra into the cave. Syra's purple and white dual colored mane and soon her entire body was consumed by the black shadows and Kale's mane blended right in until finally the red eyes came from all directions. She could hear them both scream.
Another flashback, this time in front of Syra at the twin brother's home. "YOU BETRATED ME!" she yelled out shaking the ground. "It wasn't me!" she retorted back with tears. All at once it all came back to her, all her memories, a barrage of them came back, overflowing her mind with knowledge and evil.
"I will resurrect my kind and have your winter forgiven, a great rebirth."
"What great rebirth?"
"TWILIGHT!"
"Kale! Syra!"
"Twilight's vengeance is the bedrock of our return"
"NO!"
The last wisps she saw was the helicopter being picked up and thrown at her having her entire body bathe in the fire. She was screaming because of her failure, not because of her pain. The last words she ever heard from the two of them were words she'll never forget. "Forget about us."
After what seemed like hours she whispered to herself "I remember." slowly. The shellshocked pony stood up. On her lap was the jagged sapphire tear gem that came from Syra's very own ghostly eyes. Twilight stared at the tear stone and picked it up. Every time she rubbed it, a very good happy childhood memory would appear inside the sharp edged tearstone. She smiled at the memories happening before her eyes, bringing tears to her own eyes.
She she rubbed her hoof too much on it though, it gave her a small cute. She dropped the gem onto the opened scrap book and the picture right in front of her were Kale, Syra, and herself, all in one picture. Syra and Kale had their heads down with their heads and back turned away from Twilight while the creature in the middle was unrecognizable, it was some sort of demon. The eyes were white, fuming purple smoke, had a chipped and worn out horn, messy and violently fashioned dark magenta mane, and devilish smile to match her whole look of evil.
After closely looking at it, she realized that it was her, it's what she had become. Throughout this entire journey, Twilight did change, her mind and sanity weren't the same anymore. not after what she went through. Looking back into the reflection of the tearstone, she saw her own reflection and it matched the same demon pony of that in the scrap book picture.
She turned the tearstone around to see what exactly it was. A blue shiny gem, with a beautifully shined front and roughly textured back. Sharp edges and jagged top. On the side however were written letters. Leaning in closer she read them to herself. One must remember when killing monsters to not become a monster themselves. perching over, the thousands of memories, thoughts and nightmares from Canterlot and the cave rushed back to her like an angry swarm of bees.
"I remember... you bastards... you bastards! Y-Y-You killed them, you killed all of them!" in the rage, her eyes went back to the blank white eyes accompanied by foaming at the mouth. She began to light up her horn and teleported to the front door with gear, saddle, scarf, everything she needed to survive the harsh winter outside. Kicking the door open, her anger was silenced.
"Woah woah woah! Hold on right there cowboy, what's the rush?" a powerful force of wind launched her so far back, she knocked over a table that held the candle she needed for light in the living room area near the door. Twilight's vision was blurred for a moment but when she regained focus, right there in the living room with her was Kale and Syra standing there with smiles.
"As much as we appreciate you trying to avenge us-"
"Doing so will only make her stronger."
She didn't know what to feel anymore. She turned around to stare at the mirror. She gazed at the reflection and took a good hard look at herself. She matched the demon perfectly. The same messy dark purple mane, same white blank eyes, and same scars, especially the "X" on her left cheek. Her reflection gave her a devilish smile with her forked tongue licking her razor teeth occasionally.Soon enough in the reflection appeared Syra and Kale in their physical form. "Aren't we just the best of friends?" said the blue phantom of Syra.
Twilight smiled, happy to see the trio back together again for one last time. "Forget about us Twilight.""You had a fortunate stroke of serendipity to see us again... sadly though it won't happen again... haha, serendipity! It's all you have left! Let our words be the salient memory of the night!" Kale said loudly. While Twilight was confused at what he meant at first, she joined in the laughter of her two dead friends in one final moment of happiness.
"Sorry I couldn't be good enough for you deary, hopefully you find someone who foes match your standards." Before Twilight could even answer, the mirror began to crack loudly. First a small streak came from the top left corner, then a thick large one from the left, and finally the entire mirror began cracking piece by piece.
Kale and Syra disappeared and Twilight was left with herself. Parallel to her was the real universe, the reality she made for herself. Twilight was never happy and humble in her home, that demonic pony wasn't a reflection of herself, it really was her. When she gazed into the mirror, she merely gazing at what could have happened if she were to not be swallowed by anger. Happy with her friends still being alive, and everything ending with peace.
As the final pieces of the glass fell to the ground and smashed, the hellish purple unicorn sighed and kept staring at the shards on the ground, hundreds of small pieces a mirror of their own, each one showing Twilight. She slowly trotted away with the same saddle saddle on her back she brought to the bazaar, not regretting her actions but not enjoying them either.
Rainbow Dash was alive and well at her home. She didn't even know anything about Canterlot or so it seems. Perhaps she was hiding it hoping it was all a a bad dream and nothing more. Hours passed? More like weeks, all the re-occurring phantoms and such were just visions of what it could of been like if it weren't for Twilight anger. It's been a long time since the ceremony and for the most part the winter was actually at peace. No one knew that the season itself now had a life of its own officially.
The mirror to Twilight was just a tool where she could see into a dimension of joy and prosperity, instead though she resides in her own carved destiny having her live a life of guilt. Spike was gone hunting gems with Rarity, as a bigger dragon now, no one would dare approach a dragon.
She looked at the shattered mirror pieces one last time to see that she wasn't herself. She was the cause of the death of her friends, the death of her Bestrfriend and the only one that adored her more than anything. She blasted the piece she was staring at with a bolt of magic. Sighing as she looked out the window she packed Syra's tearstone in a sidepocket. Tightening the saddle, wearing a grey hood similar to Zecoras when she was first rejected in Ponyville, and readying her hooves with some sturdy snow boots, she opened the door to the pitch black night wondering where to go...
"Imperator?"
She looked up at the two large wendigo's that were the size of the evolved timberwolves. Both having a distinct eye color, the right one with green eyes and the left one with turquoise eyes. Shiarika and Centrillious both stood on either side of her door looking down on Twilight with a wry smile. Both shot their heads up high at the black sky and neighed out a cry of accomplishment.
Twilight looked around at her surroundings, ponyville, it was gone, there was nothing there but darkness. There was a clear narrow path ahead of her front door that led to more darkness. At the end of the path was a blue light, a light that called out to her, begging for her presence.
Aligned along both sides of the path were both wendigo's of various sizes and timberwolves. At this point, Twilight didn't know what was happening yet she did not care, all she knew was that it was time she takes responsibilities for her actions and what better time to do it than now?
Yup, I added this. Adds to the unexpected ending of this story.
"Twilight Sparkle, traitor of Equestria, murderer of friends, bless thy safe return to Ponyville."
She took a few steps out of her house and onto the narrow dirt path ahead of her, illuminated by the glowing eyes of the winter minions. As she began walking, everyone down the path bowed down to her excellence. "Let Centrillious, and Shiarika serve your highness, we are here to serve your highness. Our heir, our leader, our true dark and monstrous lord." Twilight continued to walk down the path staring at the blue fire ahead, no facial expression and with purple smoke still frothing from her blank white eyes.
"Let true dark winters be cast upon Equestria"
"Our Lord hath returned'st"
The End
"Can you hide who you are? Take a look at yourself Can you stop what will be? You think running will help? Can't give up on the past When the past never ends Now the dead that you raised Live in me
What have you done? You're insane Can you bring God down? Plans that you made Don't include me One more time But I will dance On the wind Breathing in your heart Your sacrifice Wasn't wanted Still you try"
This may seem long but it's not. At the very end I explain references so it's not like it's part of the whole "why I wrote this" thing.
Well hello their friends! Let me be out of the Rambo character for this ONE small... 1000 word chapter or so about the stupidity, laziness, and un-reliable author known as RAMBO. Let me first start off by saying this, this story is GOOD but then towards the endings and such I lost my touch if you all didn't realize it. I don't blame anyone for hating on it or such, It really is a mess at the end, although I did like how I finished the good ending! That was really well thought of, right?! Well let me start off by saying that purpose of this "chapter" is to tell you why this story started and why it took so long to write.
If you want the whole lead up as to why I even thought writing would be a great start and such, i'll post about it on some blog entry? (is that what they're called?). That crappy spam stuff that appears when you "Watch" someone. This is story strict oriented. The lead up also involves the whole "Joining the herd" b.s and whatnot. Well anyways...
LAST TIME YOU EVER SEE A POST ON THIS STORY! LAST TIME!
Why I wrote this...
What was originally supposed to be 5 chapter long regular story became a HUGE 80,000 word novel I never planned to do. It was ORIGINALLY supposed to be, Twilight remembers about her friends from Canterlot and went to visit them only to find out they died. The sad Twilight goes to their graves to give her final words and is intercepted by their ghosts. They reunite for one last night and say they're goodbyes. End.... this story is NOTHING like what I was originally going to write! Why did I write all this? Because my dumbass was playing Silent Hill and I wanted it to be like a Silent Hill adventure! And Chapter 2... is what made this all possible godamnit.
This story was supposed to be finished in September but I procrastinated, got lazy, lost interest, and was too far in to quit. I'm an idiot and viewers... your commando Rambo... lied to you so many times. Whenever I said "I have the next chapter done, releasing it next week!" and it took like a month till it's release, it was just another way of saying "I didn't write jack s*** for 2 weeks but i'm sure I will before next week! So stay tuned for a half-assed chapter I wrote the day before release!"
I just felt like I had to lie to please but that wasn't the case. For my first fic, it was a really bad idea to start a story this large. The original idea was for the best, a medium story. I wanted to challenge myself and I challenged myself way too much.
How all this happened though was because of Chapter 2, "Bazaar". I was playing BF3 on "Grand Bazaar" and was at the time watching a Resident Evil 4 playthrough AND thinking about the Silent Hill concept and bada-boom, out came that chapter. Combining the Bazaar scenario, with Tyco (The merchant from RE4), and Silent Hill - Shattered Memories came out to be a fantastic write! I had so much fun writing it all down but... I got carried away. I wanted to add an antagonist, why not Timberwolves right?
So when I uploaded chapter 2, the next day people said they liked it. What to do? I know! Why not just have the Timberwolves play the role as a barrier from preventing Twilight from finding about the death of her friends? The Timberwolves were never meant to kill her, just preventing Twilight from being emotionally hurt. FANTASTIC IDEA!!! then I played more video games... Rome: Total War is an example. For playing too many video games, I shaped the story in the wrong direction.
The story plot and ideas alternated more than 30 times as each chapter progressed. OC's were NEVER a prime subject, they were always flat background characters in this story and for a good reason too, nobody likes OC's falling in love with a Mane 6 character. I tried to steer away from that but it would contradict my entire story! Stacking more and more trouble onto my story, I was just too stressed to write. I only wrote at least 20-80 words until I quit for the day.
There were many missing parts but I couldn't bear torturing you all any longer. For example, when Twilight ventured into the cave at "Breach" chapter, there was supposed to be a chapter of the struggle and fight going on outside and how Victor and Charlie swooped in to spray lead into the timberwolves. Didn't write it.
So in the end my friends and viewers, this story starting from chapter... 9 (Revelations) was all written from the top of my head as I continued. There was no more pre-writes and no more time, I had too much schoolwork. Such a turn of events because of stupidity, can you believe that? I hate myself for writing this story because it became such a mess towards the end but I feel so satisfied to know I ended it at last... but when i think back to it I'm actually happy i wrote this. It's the first time I ever broke my limits. This story on it's own is the backbone of how I became a brony and i'm happy for that.
The good ending was kinda created from the ending of Silent Hill - Shattered Memories while the bad ending was created from Dark Souls - Dark Lord ending. Again, video games played a role.
Time to finish my stupid story "Insane Clown Posse goes to Ponyville and gets flamed" now. It's been on hiatus for... 4-5 months. Thank you for reading this friends. Oh! And for future stories, they'll be 1-3 chapter long shorts of stupid and HILARIOUS fictions like Bill O'rielly does. Please go check him out if you want PURE laughs. Short and dumb stories can easily be written within a week.
Next story: Twilight Sparkle plays: Dark Souls.
Vietnam and Game references
"Time to dance with the angels", Syra (or shiarika in this case) says that a few times because I was busy playing Ace Combat 6: Wings of Liberation at the time. During the game, the enemy forces would always say "Go dance with the angels". I got a habit of saying it for a few weeks.
"Lost my leg in 'NOM" Twilight says this in Chapter 2. Where it came from? Easy.
I wanted to make a tacky joke out of this so i did and oh lord was it bad. Ya'll have better have clicked the dislike button for how bad that joke was.
"Hamburger Hill" now I forget who, but either Twilight or Rarity say this in Chapter 2 when walking back to Ponyville. Hamburger Hill was also known as Hill 137 but the movie itself was a fantastic Vietnam movie.
The twins Victor and Charlie. One with a red coat and gold mane (Victor) and his brother had the same colors but was inverted, meaning he had a gold coat and red mane. Viet Cong = VC. In military terms the "V" would be "Victor" and "C" would be "Charlie" hence why the gooks/NVA were named "Charlie". Their colors were inspired by the Vietnam flag.
"The Guerilla Factory" (mentioned in the evil epilogue) is a book about the training of Green Beret soliders. You know who else was a Green Beret? I was.
'Ol Reliable was Hubert's old transportation machine when he was at war alongside Victor and Charlie. As I mentioned a few times, this was a helicopter. Hubert matches just nicely into this since his name was Hubert, full name for the nickname "Huey" and what helicopters were used in 'Nam? The HUEY HELICOPTER. BABY!!!
Kale Sheridan the one who loves Twilight, had only half his name inspired. Sheridan is from the Sheridan M551 Light Tank used in Vietnam.
Tyco the Merchant in the Bazaar chapter was inspired from the Resident Evil 4 merchant. God I just love that guy.
