Sorry about the past few chapters being delayed- I know that this chapter came quite quick, but that doesn't mean that I am going to start posting chapters more frequently. I just had a surge of inspiration. Thank you for reading anyway.
• Chapter Thirty-five: Again and Forever •
…
Bugs chirped sprightly, and branches raked at the dawn sky, shooing the stars away to invite the morning. Flowers began to sprout from their buds, excitedly awakening to welcome the morning with the bright, kaleidoscopic colours of their fragile, yet, magnificent petals, and birds flittered here and there, twittering energetically, making sure that every animal asleep or awake could hear their peppy little calls. Sweetie Belle had been ambling through the woods for a night now, having not yet faced any dilemmas... that was so far. She was now getting quite tired, but why she didn't stop was because she had a high spirit, and with each step, she could just feel that she was getting one step closer to her friends. That encouragement was all she needed, and she could walk around the world seven times with no food, water or sleep, just with that very boost. Overnight, no problems had seemingly occurred fortunately, and she had a feeling that any second now, she'd break free from the undergrowth and come across her friends. She could just imagine what the reunion would be like. Apple Bloom would be hugging her at the same time as scolding her for leaving them in the first place, and Scootaloo might even be crying- crying! It would be funny watching Rumble trying to help Scootaloo because of that, and Babs Seed would be asking her if the colt had hurt her, to see if she could murder him or not. The thoughts of her friends added an extra skip to Sweetie Belle's steps, and a clear smile shone on her face as the sun began to clamber its way up into the sky and shoot rays of light and warmth down towards everypony below it. A few more moments passed, of just Sweetie Belle and the wilderness around her, before suddenly, she felt a hard object come zooming down and knocking her head, skewering through her horn. "Yow!" Sweetie Belle dived to the ground, clutching her head with her hooves, wondering if she was being attacked. When nothing happened, Sweetie Belle got back up onto her hooves, and removed the fruit from her head- it was a succulent red apple, crisp and having just fallen from the tree. Despite having a massive hole in the centre of it, the sweet smell wafting from it still made it seem appetising, and Sweetie Belle's mouth began to water. Okay, maybe she had gotten a tiny bit hungry over not having any food for a day- or a night. Sweetie Belle peered up, and found she was under an apple tree- just to confirm her suspicions. "One apple can't hurt..."
The temptation was far too unbearable, and the complaining of Sweetie Belle's stomach was doing the opposite of helping. Sighing, the white unicorn filly allowed an aura to surround her horn, illuminating in the sunlight and shining like green gold. Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out to concentrate, as she carefully wrapped the magic around one of the apples in the tree, gently tugging at it. The tree rattled as the apple finally broke free from the branches, and Sweetie Belle could have sworn she heard the sound of a bell chiming a distance away, but she was too busy with getting the apple right now to pay any attention.
Sweetie Belle ran her tongue down her lips, before bringing the apple to her. It was gone in a matter of seconds, just to prove her hunger. Sweetie Belle um'ed and ah'ed on whether she should take another apple. She seemed satisfied enough, but her stomach still seemed to be pleading for more food. Gritting her teeth, Sweetie Belle looked from the apple tree, to the distance ahead of her. Finally, allowing her instincts to take over, Sweetie Belle gave in to her demanding belly. "One more. Just one."
Just as she was about to allow magic to take ahold of her horn again, the filly suddenly felt a figure barrel into her. Sweetie Belle yelped, dashing backwards and preparing to fight back whoever was ambushing her.
"These are mah' apples ya' intruder!"
Sweetie Belle bared her teeth. "I am starving! What else am I supposed to do?"
"Stay away from mah' trees?" The pony sprung forwards, leaping onto Sweetie Belle and pinning her to the ground.
Sweetie Belle glared at the pony, getting a complete view of her. She was an earth pony, and had green eyes. She was a teenager, quite close to adulthood, and wore a hat on her head. She had orange fur and her mane was yellow. Finally, she wore a red hood, with a cape, cloaking over her back. "If ah' catch ya' here again..."
"Red Applehood! Wait!" The pony froze, and looked behind her.
Red Applehood... that name seems so familiar... Sweetie Belle heard the sound of three pairs of hoofsteps, clomping the ground quickly, before coming up into the orange pony's view.
"Is that who I think it is?"
The hoofsteps came closer, and before she knew it, Sweetie Belle found three sets of eyes peering down at her on the ground. Two pairs were mulberry purple, and the last pair was light yellow-green.
Sweetie Belle recognised those eyes from anywhere.
"It is!"
"Sweetie Belle!" The three screamed at the same time, as Sweetie Belle got up onto her hooves.
"Crusaders!" Sweetie Belle squealed back, and before she knew it, she was on the ground again, having been bombarded by a rough, but loving group hug.
"Oh my gosh! We thought we were never going to see you again!" Babs Seed yipped with glee as Sweetie Belle recovered from being crushed.
"Me too!" Sweetie Belle piped. "I forgot how much I missed you all!"
"Don't you ever leave us like that again!" Scootaloo trilled, giving Sweetie Belle a hard slap on the shoulder. "What in Equestria were you thinking?"
"I couldn't just let you all down, could I?" Sweetie Belle smiled from ear to ear.
"Well what was it like there?" Rumble squawked.
"Yeah, did he hurt you?" Babs Seed cried.
"You have to tell us everything!" Scootaloo screeched. "And I mean everything!"
Sweetie Belle giggled. "You have to tell me everything too- wait, where's Apple Bloom?"
Red Applehood, who had been standing back gave a grim smile, and held out her hoof. "Sorreh' fer' attackin' ya' before- ah' thought ya' were tryin' t' steal our livestock."
"That's fine," Sweetie Belle extended her hoof, shaking the pony's.
"Let meh' introduce mah'self. Ah' am Red Applehood- Apple Bloom's sister. We have a lot to discuss."
Sweetie Belle's happiness turned to concern as she noticed the solemn looks on each of the Crusader's faces. Nodding, she followed the mare inside fearing the worst for her good friend, Apple Bloom.
…
She said a day. It's been a day... maybe she's coming back today...
The pony paced from side to side of the castle, feeling as though he had lost the entire world. It had been a day and a night since Sweetie Belle had disappeared, and she hadn't yet returned like she had promised she would. He had refused to eat or drink since her departure, and he had weeped himself to sleep the times in between. The only thing he eyed, was the beautiful rose which she had given to him. The rose, which was the brightest, most joyous yellow ever, with dark, blood red at the tips of the intricate petals. He missed her so terribly, he felt like his dread was eating him from the inside to the out. The rose which he cherished so much was his only memory of her, and he had kept it with him since.
"I should have never let her go- but she needs her freedom..." He looked up to the sky, a confused smile on his face, before turning into a mess of depression and misery.
"What if she never comes back?"
He shook his head, trying to snap the thoughts out of his mind. "She will! She promised! Sweetie Belle never breaks promises!"
Next he found himself considering suicide- the mood swings were too sudden, too extreme- he couldn't handle all of the pressure of his own conflicting feelings having a mental and physical skirmish. All over a unicorn filly. A beautiful unicorn filly.
The colt peered into space, before realising that he was repeating the same word over and over again.
"Video games... Video games... Video games... Video games..."
He shook his head, almost growling at his inner curse. "That doesn't solve all the solutions! It did when I was bored, lonely and didn't have a care in the world- but now I have Sweetie Belle, and video games... video- gah! They can't even tie with her!" He zapped slightly, before going back to normal.
He paced again, like a lion locked in a cage, scanning the area non stop, searching for any possible exit, but never finding any, after days, weeks, months, years. He paced across the same very area so much, that a dent began to appear on the floor, grinding away under his hooves. He zapped again, but this time less extreme as the two words he was repeating now, were words he was happy about repeating.
"Sweetie Belle... Sweetie Belle... Sweetie Belle... Sweetie Belle..."
…
"S-so Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon took Apple Bloom... away..? Sweetie Belle gasped, after the whole story of what had happened to the CMC had finished. Sweetie Belle was a patient listener, and she hadn't interrupted once, as she consumed all of the information.
"Yup. And now we can't legalleh' get her back- we don't even know where she is," Granny Smith babbled, shaking her head in despair.
"But Apple Bloom is a strong lil' apple. Ah'm sure she'll escape anyway," Red Applehood pointed.
"I'm sure she will too," Sweetie Belle gave a small smile, turning to Scootaloo. "You went to the same school as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon at some point? That means that we would have been going to the same school! Funny, hey?"
"Yeah, if only I knew who you were back then..." Scootaloo glanced at the ground. "At least if I had friends I wouldn't have gotten picked on as much."
"You should have- I didn't have much friends either, only this colt named Button Mash and my sister." Sweetie Belle bit her lip, before smiling. "At least we're friends now. And knowing Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, they won't be able to keep the Apple Bloom-eous in captivity for long. Creatures like them, the 'equus sapiens caballus' are very strong willed, and will easily be able to escape from the clutches of pure evil!"
"I lost you there, but I am just going to nod and agree." Babs Seed nodded and agreed.
"Now that we have explained our story, do you care explain what happened to you?" Rumble pricked his ears.
"Did he hurt you? Can I murder him?" Babs Seed pressed, coming right up to Sweetie Belle's face in enthusiasm.
"No, he didn't hurt me..." Sweetie Belle began, but was cut off by more questions.
"Did he force you to do anything? Like clean the toilet?" Scootaloo quipped, interest sparking in her purple eyes.
Sweetie Belle titled her head. "He didn't make me do anything..."
"Then what horrible thing did he do to you?" Rumble remarked.
Sweetie Belle backed away, as all three were invading her personal space. "He did nothing wrong! Now can you please give me room to breathe, already?"
Almost instantly, the three stumbled away, shocked by the force in her voice. They seemed afraid that she'd yell at them again.
"Pals, I'm sorry..." Sweetie Belle sighed, brushing some invisible dust off of her shoulder, and exhaling a whiff of air. "It's just been ages since I've seen you, and I just came back, and this is very enlivening... I just need to get used to things again."
"We understand," Babs Seed gave an affectionate nod. "There's just so much happening right now, and we all want to know everything at once, and just... yikes!"
Sweetie Belle gave her friend a grateful glance, turning to all of them. "I'll explain everything that happened- just give me room please?"
After they had all agreed, Sweetie Belle sat down, and explained every single event which had happened over the week, to her three gaping friends, Ganny Smith, who was asleep, and Red Applehood.
…
Apple Bloom had been failing to get sleep as well- this was on purpose, and had purpose. She had to be awake for when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon came. Purple and blue bags hung under her eyes, and she swayed slightly as she stood. The colts had disappeared now, leaving behind the glorious gold which they had spun.
The sound of hooves outside of the shed made Apple Bloom jolt, standing stiff and straight, her clouded amber eyes widening with shock.
The filly crept to the barn door, and pressed her ear to the cold surface.
"Shh! With the sound you're making, you could wake up the whole forest!" Diamond Tiara's voice sounded, quiet, but still as venomous as before, as she disciplined her sister.
"I'm sorry!" Silver Spoon whimpered, keeping her voice low. "Do you think I woke Apple Bloom up?"
There was silence, and Apple Bloom bit her lip, wondering if they knew she was awake, and would wait until she had no choice but to fall asleep, the urges of her body taking over.
To her relief, Diamond Tiara spoke again. The words brought a mixture of ease and offence. "I doubt it. Ponies like her are more brainless than birds. I bet she'd sleep through a dragon attack, too caught up in her own dreams to sense that there is any danger going on in the outside world. Now open the door for me."
Apple Bloom heard the sound of stomping hooves coming closer by each second, and zoomed to the back of the barn, laying down, and pretending that she was asleep, snoring softly.
She heard the sound of the door heaving open, and the two diabolical fillies entered, closing the door behind them quickly.
"Looks like she got me gold again!" Diamond Tiara softly purred, trotting up to the spinning wheel and greedily eyed the valuable mineral.
"Can you share some with me, this time?" Silver Spoon leaned forwards longingly, but Diamond Tiara swiped her back.
"No, you don't work hard enough to earn it. Start serving me better, and I might start paying you."
At least I know I'm less stupid than somepony, Apple Bloom thought, as Silver Spoon hyperactively nodded, a delighted expression on her face. Feeling now was the right time, Apple Bloom got up from her 'sleeping' and gushed forward.
Silver Spoon noticed, but before she could squeal to Diamond Tiara, Apple Bloom barged passed her, and stood at the door. Despite it being shut and locked, it was still the only entrance and exit, and if Apple Bloom remained standing there, the fillies wouldn't be able to escape.
Diamond Tiara forced her crystal blue eyes away from the gold, and she peered at Apple Bloom. "Greetings."
Apple Bloom didn't even bother to greet the filly back, as she gnarred. "Why didn't ya' let meh' go yesterday? Ya' didn't even see meh'! Ya' just came in earleh' while ah' was asleep, and frolicked away with the gold, leaving without a trace! We had a deal, ya' fiend!"
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon exchanged worried glances, and the pink filly with the tiara on her head raised her hoof for reasoning, but Apple Bloom cut her off before she could even begin to speak. "No, ah' don't wanna hear it. None of yer' persuadin', or exploitin' tactics are gonna work on meh' this time! Yer' lucky ah' spun gold fer' ya' last night, because the night before that should have been the last spin- or should ah' say straw? Now if ya'd be so very kind, ah've got a freedom to meet. Let. Meh'. Go."
"Answer. Is. No." Diamond Tiara took a threatening step closer at each word, giving an obsessive and maniacal laugh. "You have gift Apple Bloom! We are so very sorry that we were mean to you before, locking you up and stuff-"
"-we are?" Silver Spoon cocked her head, only to earn a bruise on her shoulder.
"Now you may be a useless, measly Blank Flank, but me and my sister- who both already have our Cutie Marks can help you get your own!" Diamond Tiara captured a picture of Apple Bloom with a bare rump, using her hooves as an imaginary camera. "We are going to go so far Apple Bloom, and before you know it- poof! You have you're very own Cutie Mark; a gold spinning Cutie Mark!"
Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes even more, and her hackles rose as Diamond Tiara continued yammering on.
"You will earn so much money that we'll all become rich and famous, and the whole world will be in our very hooves-"
"-no." Apple Bloom snarled.
"No?" Diamond Tiara gasped. "You don't want a Cutie Mark..?"
"Ah' do want a Cutie Mark- but ah' want mah' freedom even more. The ones ah' love are more important than fame, and power, and honestleh'- a gold spinnin' Cutie Mark would be lame! And it's not even mah' special talent." Apple Bloom gave a tentative sigh. "Can ya' just let meh' go home..?"
"That was so beautiful!" Silver Spoon bawled, clapping her hooves, before wiping the tears away and giving a vicious laugh. "And completely worthless!"
Diamond Tiara sighed, and Apple Bloom's confidence faded ever so quickly. "And to think we were going to do it the easy way out." She strutted up to Apple Bloom, giving her a narcissistic boop on the nose. "You belong to me- you're less than an employee- you're a slave."
Apple Bloom gasped, knowing that she should have just snuck out while she had the chance. "Why are ya' so mean to meh'?"
"You have use to me- you can spin gold- and that's it. The rest of you other than that talent is just annoying, impatient and ruthless- so of course, I am going to treat you the same way you treat me!"
Rage and hostility bubbled through Apple Bloom. What the tyrannical filly had just said had provoked her, and there was no going back. Apple Bloom was furious, as all of the anger she had possessed before was being channeled out, all at once. Wrath and spite was intoxicating her, before she spun around, rearing up onto her back legs and brutally bucked the bully violently in the face.
Diamond Tiara went flying backwards from the force of the kick, slamming into the side wall of the shed, blood leaking from the spot in her mouth where a tooth used to be. A dark purple and blue bruise was clear on her upper lip, and a few scratches were on her back, caused by the impact of her crashing into the wall.
"DT! Are you okay?" Silver Spoon frantically rushed forwards, but Diamond Tiara just rolled her eyes, excusing her sister with a gesture of her hoof.
She got up into her hooves. "Looks like the runt is not only annoying, impatient and ruthless, but also violent." Diamond Tiara briskly trotted up to Apple Bloom, commanding her sister to gather all the gold whilst doing so. She stood in front of a panting Apple Bloom for a while, before swiping her hoof forwards like a cat, catching on to the side of Apple Bloom's head, and robustly thrusted her scalp to the ground, her hoof still latched on to the side of the foal's face. The rest of Apple Bloom's body twisted in awkward angles, before slumping down too. There was nothing Apple Bloom could do- if she gave a snarky comment, or tried writhing free, it would probably end with her cranium having a dent in it, causing her body to malfunction and shut down for a while.
Diamond Tiara peered down at Apple Bloom, her expression having a mixture of sternness, boredom, triumph and hatred. "A slave, does not assault it's master." Diamond Tiara turned to Silver Spoon. "Have you gathered all the gold?"
"Yep!" Silver Spoon called.
Diamond Tiara smirked whilst she nodded, looking twice as petrifying with the blood trickling down her face, and peered to the door of the shed. "Let's leave. We'll be back tomorrow with a choker collar Apple Bloom, since last time we used one on you, it seemed effective enough. Open the door Silver Spoon."
After the grey filly had opened the barn doors and exited, Diamond Tiara quickly removed her hoof from Apple Bloom's head, sprinting out of the door and closing it behind her as quick as possible. Apple Bloom got up as swift as she could, but her head was ringing, which slowed her down, and she banged against the closed doors. "Let meh' free! Ya' monsters!"
Once it became clear that the doors were going to remain closed for another night, Apple Bloom allowed tears to layer her hazy eyes. She slumped down on the cold hard ground, her hooves clutching her head, and the ground beginning to go wet with the water which was pouring from her eyes. It was pointless. She'd never escape.
Little did she realise that a pair of solemn magenta eyes were peering through the window of the shed, preparing on how she was going to free this poor foal from the clutches of sinfulness.
…
"Thou see me?" The changeling's eyes glowed a brilliant green, as she smirked into the mirror, seeing the butter yellow pegasi lying on the ground, the brush matted in her mane. "Because thy Chrysy sees thee." She glanced at the ebony marble floor, her eyes glazed with boredom. "And this'd better not be another false one. It's as though none of my ploys work... this one will though... at least I think it will..." She shook her head, looking straight at the mirror. "And I have proof- mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all..?"
The image of Snow Flutter rotted away, decaying into the image of a ghastly face. It took its time time to mould it's way into the mirror, before speaking it's words, the antiquated voice lingering with sickness. "As long as one fails to breathe, you are the fairest I believe."
"See?" Chrysalis spoke, the force of her voice ricochetting off of the glass and back to her, causing echoes of the word to bounce further through her mansion.
"You seem to be trying to convince yourself of something- it's as though you don't believe you're going to succeed, and you need your own pitiful reassuring to get you through this- it just proves how pathetically lonely you are."
That was not Chrysalis's voice. She recognised it all too well... the place the voice came from was unknown, as she felt the sound creep around her, no certain location. Yet.
Chrysalis's muscles flexed, and her wings peeled from her back, tenseness hindering every single bone in her body. She gulped, feeling a lump begin to cling to the back of her throat, and her mouth dried from saliva. She felt that if she spoke, it would come out in as a puny whimper. Ignoring the fear which clung to her, she maintained a strong stance, and spoke in her sturdiest tone. "You betrayed me." To her relief, her voice sounded much more determined than she actually felt, giving off a menacing aura.
"Oh, did I..? I didn't notice!" The voice hollered, before cackling. "You never cease to amuse me Chrysy!"
"Don't thou dare call me Chrysy, you imbecile! I am surprised you even managed to obtain the nerve to come here in the first place!" Her hawkish eyes slitted, as she pugnaciously peered up. "Then again, if I was as feeble as you, I would be pretty bored of skulking like a failure, hiding in the shadows, too cowardly to face my phobias!"
"Cowardly?" The leering voice gave off an offended quake, no intimidation hovering. "I'm not a coward!"
Chrysalis sat down, all her former angst having deteriorated. "Oh yeah? Then show yourself, weakling!"
Hesitantly, the voice spoke. "Fine."
Chrysalis watched, as a surge of purple, black and green magic mazed it's way in front of her, circling around a few times, before it decayed, giving off the form of the well-known draconequus.
"Discord."
"Chrysalis."
Chrysalis and Discord glared at each other, having a small staring contest, before Chrysalis stood up. "You fool." She powered up her horn, blasting a powerful billow of magic at the draconequus. He rapidly split in half, allowing the magic to go straight in between the two halves of himself, before becoming one again. "You should have kept hiding!" Chrysalis shot another explosion from her horn. This time, Discord was less successful, as he attempted to whack the magic away with his tail, unfortunately hurting the flesh on his tail slightly. "You should have kept kept being unimportant like that petty little pegasus you had, should have!" Chrysalis screeched, stomping forwards, her hooves denting the floor. "But oops! You just had to go out there, destroying all of my plans!" Smoke wafted from Chrysalis's horn as she shot three more bursts. "And now I have to exterminate you! Just like I erased your pretty little fillyfriend from my 'to kill' list!"
"First of all," Discord shouted, as he thwacked away the magic with his bare paw and talon. "Snow Flutter isn't my fillyfriend! We're just really, really, really close mates!" He couldn't hide the blush from creeping onto his face. "And second of all..." He snaked forwards, grabbing Chrysalis's horn, and tearing it off of her head with no effort, his magic doing all of the work to create the illusion. "What did you do to her?" Malice tunnelled through his words. Discord had seemingly lost his whimsical personality, no longer here for entertainment, but for pure malevolence. Venom drained through his sentences- more literally or not, as volatile toxins leaked from the sky, and naked flames scintillated in his yellow and red, glossy eyes.
Chrysalis nudged at her hornless head in a peevish manner, before hiding her vexation with a sly grin. "It's been a while since we last crossed paths, I must say! What was that ending sentence I had on your last visit..? Hmm- oh, I remember! I made a vow that I would assassinate Snow Flutter..." Chrysalis's dominance over Discord was returning, as shock filtered onto the draconequus's face. "And it is undeniable that I always keep my oaths."
Discord shrivelled down, looking smaller each second. "Y-you... killed her..?"
Chrysalis smirked, as she felt her horn transition back onto her head. "Of course I did. And do you want to know the other part of the sentence I said..?"
Discord didn't look up, as he solemnly found himself lost, tears beginning to emerge from his eyes, and his heart was aching so grievously he thought that he was going to have heart failure.
"I pledged that I was going to eradicate you!" Chrysalis bundled up all of her strongest magic, feeling the darkness worm through her veins, and pour out of her mouth, ears and eyes, like bags of dry ice sending flurries of mist everywhere. The magic besieged Discord, whirling around him like a pest which could not be shooed away.
Striking back to reality, Discord attempted to thrash free from the magic's hold, but it was too violent, as it truculently pushed him down into the ground. Discord felt himself sink, and Chrysalis's eyes shone more dazzling and immobilising than the sun, paralysing all that was around them, and turning Chrysalis's dingy chamber into a world of bloodthirsty green blazes, and radiance.
"No!" Discord shrilled, his voice barely audible through the rapid fires crawling ravenously up to the two. "My magic! I can't teleport away!"
Chrysalis laughed, her voice blaring brighter than the flames and vibrating through the air. "No one can testify the sorcery of yours truly- Chrysalis, the most powerful being in the world!"
Discord could barely fight anymore, as the magic overwhelmed him. He used up the last of his energy to pummel against the flames, bending and twisting in more physically excruciating angles than he had when he had formerly been turned to stone. His immortality was being tested, and it was losing by an alarming rate. Discord had rarely ever lost, and he had never thought of what he would do when it was all over. Tears cascaded from his eyes, some dark, blotchy rainbow-coloured blood shedding too. Finally the mangled creature gave in to the scourge, and allowed his heart to slow. The final words he mumbled, before he was flattened into the earth, were faint above the fire, ramming its way around him, but the words were also the most purest and true words which had ever escaped from his mouth.
"At least if I die, I will be with Snow Flutter again and forever..."
Then there was nothing, as the ceiling of divination and witchcraft caved in, blocking away any entrance- again and forever.
…
Snow Flutter stared, as the whole sadistic scene replayed in her mind, mocking her with its trickery and rancour. "Wait- no! Discord, wait for me!"
Snow Flutter lunged forward, tumbling onto Chrysalis and nipping onto the changeling's wing, tearing at it like a dog with a chew toy.
Chrysalis glanced at her in provocation, the same irritated expression staying on her face. She didn't seem shocked, surprised- or even angry. She just looked annoyed, and swatted Snow Flutter away as though she were no more than a bug. Snow Flutter rolled over a few times from the force of the hit, before she jumped onto her hooves again and ran towards Discord. "Wait- don't go!"
But like the rest of the times Snow Flutter had tried to help, she was too late again- always on the last second, and the scene ended with Chrysalis dropping to the ground, the devouring flames expiring just like that, and the blinding whiteness fading back into its original colour. Chrysalis breathed heavily, taking in several gasps of air in silence, before getting onto her hooves again, her eyes never loosing the illuminating green glow.
"Ha! He's dead! She's dead! I win!" Chrysalis smirked, her teeth as sharp as knives, and twinkling with hostility in the nebulous room, still recovering from the wispy white haze. Then, Chrysalis turned around to Snow Flutter, never loosing the intimidating glower. "And you, my old friend, lost!"
Snow Flutter screamed, as flames engulfed her before she had time to react, and she felt herself begin to get thrown into a whirl of wind, as though she was getting tossed into a tornado- or a black hole. This was the second time she had been on the brink of death, but this time was much more frightening and exhilarating.
…
"Hi."
Snow Flutter blinked open her eyes, and gagged at the brightness filtering into her pupils. She quickly shook her head, and looked up, to see six dwarves glancing down at her from above. "Hi... what happened..?"
"The comb. It was another one of Chrysalis's feints to deprive you from existence." Shining Armour glanced away, unsure what to say next.
"I knew there was something off about it!" Cheese Sandwich yapped, only to receive glares from his fellow friends. "Not the right time..?"
There was a few moments of silence, before Flash Sentry spoke.
"You got *sneeze* lucky again. When you didn't show up on time to make breakfast, we knew something wasn't right. Fortunately the comb hadn't been in your mane *sneeze* long enough to inflict the worst possible damage."
"We had to remove the part of your mane which the brush had been in though... sorry about that," Soarin yawned, glancing at the ground in shame.
"That's okay. That's the least of my worries right now," Snow Flutter mumbled, fidgeting with the part of her mane which had been cut off.
"I wonder what we are going to do about you now, though," Fancypants spoke up. "Before it was evident that we couldn't leave you at home alone, but now we can't even seem to take you with us without leading to danger too."
"Eeyup..." Big Macintosh peered at the ground in sorrow.
Snow Flutter began to feel tears burn her eyes. "I guess no matter what path I take, it is going to end with my death."
"Don't think that. You haven't died yet, so we must be doing something right," Soarin alleged, his voice quavering with doubtful hope.
"True, but eventually we might not succeed, and you know that," Snow Flutter coughed slightly, and the dwarves backed away, mumbling to give her room.
"You should try and sleep now- you seem pretty traumatised, and we can chat more about this later." Shining Armour uttered, earning an agreement from everypony else.
Snow Flutter smiled softly, tears still delicately dripping from her eyes. "Thank you everypony... for everything you have done for me..."
"And we thank you." Shining Armour conveyed. "For everything that you have done for us."
As the dwarves dispersed from the room, Snow Flutter prayed for no nightmares, before closing her eyes, curling up into a little ball and drifting to sleep, tears still leaking from her eyes, and her figure shivering with evident mental damage, which would probably never be repaired.