An orange teenage filly sat on her haunches next to her older brother. The red colt looked at her with an expression of worry on his face. It was late at night and her little sister was already put to bed. Her caretaker, an old mare, sat a few feet away from them with uneasy eyes.

The filly wasn't really sure what was going on. Granny Smith had asked her and Macintosh to come to the living room afer they had finished their chores on the farm. The sound of burning wood crackling in the fireplace was louder than anything else in the house.

“What did ya want to talk 'bout Granny?” The teenaged filly asked, breaking the awkward silence that had filled the room.

Granny Smith was not sure what to say. She knew what she had to say but her heart broke at the sight of the filly's innocent eyes. Macintosh was the first to speak. He sighed. “AJ, do ya remember what ah told you 'bout mom a few weeks ago..” he asked as he thought of every possible way to tell his little sister the unspeakable.

“Yeah. What 'bout it?” the filly asked as she gave her brother a curious look.

“well.. ya see..” the pressure became to much. He averted his gaze from the filly and allowed a few tears to escape his eyes. He bit his lip as he thought about what he was about to say. He gathered his courage and put a hoof on his little sister's shoulder.

The filly looked at her older brother in confusion as she noticed small streams of tears roll over his cheeks and fall on to the wooden floor.

“Ah have not been completely honest with ya AJ..” He started whimpering as he looked his sister straight in the eyes. “She ain't coming back.. She didn't make it.”

In a matter of seconds the little filly felt her hole world collapse in front of her. She shaked her head in disbelief. “No! That ain't what ya told me! You said she'd only be away for a little while!” she screamed at her brother, her head filled with both sadness and anger.

“Ah just.. didn't think you were ready to hear it yet..” he said as he looked at his little sister with regret in his eyes.

“You lied to me! You lied!” she screamed as tears streamed down her face. She kicked her brother in the stomach causing him to collapse to the floor as she ran out of the house and into the woods surrounding Sweet Apple Acres.

“They lied! Why did they lie!” she thought to herself as she ran as fast as her legs could take her. Suddenly she felt the ground swallow her under. Her eyes saw only blackness. She tried to scream but there was no sound at all.

A cold sensation filled her head as she felt something holding it firmly. A terrifying voice whispered in the darkness. “Honesty.. it is all a charade.. There is no trust, no faith, no honesty.. for honest people are easily decieved..”

Suddenly she could feel the void in front of her mouth dissapear. She was able to speak again. “But.. honesty is a sign of trust!” she pleaded.

“But lies are easier to take.. The truth is harsh... Trust is your weakness... There is no sharp distinction between the real and the unreal...”

Applejack opened her eyes to be greeted by drops of rain, dripping onto her face from the ceiling of her sleeping place. She noticed that it was still fairly dark outside. She could not get her mind to go silent. She felt so.. angry. It was like all of the conflicting emotions of that horrible night returned to her.

She quickly grabbed her mother's hat out of her bags and hugged it tightly as tears escaped from her eyes. "Why'd ya leave mommy.. Why'd ya leave.." she whispered softly. Her mind drifted back to the years that she and her brother had to take care of little Apple Bloom. She opened her bags and pulled out a little bundle of letters. She carefully opened them with shaking hooves.

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Hey Mom,

Big Mac told me about your accident. I was worried at first but he told me you are going to be fine so I'm ok now. I wanted to go and visit you but he told me that you weren't allowed to have visitors at the hospital so I decided to write you this letter. I wanted you to know that I think about you every night before I go to sleep. It helps me sleep at night.

You are in my prayers Mommy,

AJ

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Hey Mom,

It has been over a week now and I miss you very much. I'm not sure if you got my last letter because I never got an answer. I understand though! It would just like to hear from you. You have the farm's adress right, we have been living there with Granny Smith since you went on your trip remember?

I hope to hear from you soon.

I love you, AJ

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Hi Mommy,

I'm really starting to get worried about you but Macintosh told me not to. He has been spending alot of time with me and Bloom lately. I don't know why but he seems to be a bit sad. I asked him what was wrong but I never got an answer. I think you should be ok by now right? I don't mean to sound pushy but I just miss you very much. I'm not mad at you for not answering my letters Mommy but I could really use some reassurrance.

Missing you, AJ

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Dear Mom,

You still haven't called or wrote, I hope you get a change. I'm not mad I just think it's a little wierd you don't answer me. If you don't feel like talking to me right now you don't have to but you could have written a letter for Applebloom. She's just a little filly, She's only six years old. She misses you even more than I do. I'm not that mad though I just don't like being lied to. Remember when you left on your trip, you told us that if we wrote to you, you would write back.

I hope to hear from you soon, AJ

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It's been six months and still no word! Don't I deserve it!? I know you got my last two letters I wrote the adresses on them perfectly. This is the last letter I ever sent to you! All I wanted was a lousy letter or a call! I hope you know that I threw all of your pictures on the floor! I love you Mommy why won't you answer me!?

AJ

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Dear Mom,

I'm sorry I sounded so angry in my last letter, I didn't really mean it. It's just been really hard for me and Bloom lately. but anyway, how are you doing? Are you any feeling better? I want you to know that I still pray for you every night. I don't know why you don't try to contact us but it must be very important. I repaired your pictures and put them back on my wall. I look at them when I feel down.

I love you, AJ

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Dear Mommy,

Big Macintosh told me the truth a few days ago.. I'm in the woods right now.. I know you won't read this but it helps me to write about my feelings and just think that you are listening.. Everyone just keeps asking me if I'm ok. Are they asking me that to remind of what happened or am I just a little snappy and they genuinely care? Mommy, I just want to stop thinking about you but everything keeps reminding me of you! I continuously stare at pictures of you. I just never got to say "I love you" as much I wanted to. I'm yelling it now but you can't hear me. What good does it do me now!?

Everyone just keeps giving us presents to ease it to us.. and Mommy you won't believe this but Granny actually talks to me now. And everypony else is just trying to pick up the pieces.. How could you touch so many lives and just leave us!? They say grievance has its way of affecting everpony differently. Then how am I supposed to get over you!?

And Mommy, it's true that you brought ponies together that would have never been in the same room if it wasn't for you. You were the peacemaker and I know sometimes you were moody but you hated confrontation and truly hated the feuding. Yet you were always there for us when we needed you. Believe me, you're the one who taught me to fight back when the world was on my shoulders.

But I'm digressing Mommy, you need your well deserved rest. I'm just going to have to forget you and move on.. as difficult as it sounds..

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The tears dropping from her eyes fell unto the letters causing the ink to fade. "C'mon AJ.. You're a big girl now. Ah thought you were over this.." she left her shelter and stood in the wet grass. She looked up into the sky and allowed the rain to run through her mane.

She smiled as she felt the heavy grip leave her mind. She reminded herself that her life wasn't so bad. She had a roof over her head. Apple Bloom was happier than ever and she had five friends that would risk their lives for her if they had to. She would do the same for them after all. She would catch a bullet for any of her friends at any day and she wouldn't even have to think about it for a second.

Twilight sat up against the wall of her shelter, her head resting firmly on the branches. The sound of the rain trickling against the wood taunted her ears. ever so often a cloud could be heard, smiting the lands with its thunder. She sat on her haunches, resting in the dirt.

She felt exhausted, not only physically but mentally as well. It felt as if something was pulling at her spirit, draining her mind. "Why can't I think straight.." The raindrops managed to invade her shelter through the cracks in the walls. dripping down into the mud.

She allowed her head to hit the pillow. "I can't sleep.. My thoughts are so.. chaotic." Her thoughts jumped across the walls of her sleeping place. It seemed impossible for her mind to focus on one single subject at a time. she sat back up, hooves on her head, touched knees to elbows.

She still felt that heavy feeling eat at her. Picking her mind apart piece by piece. Her eyes slowly forced themselves shut as her world went black..

A young purple unicorn sat at her desk in the dark of the night. Her head resting upon the wood of her study. She was hastely scribbling something in her notes as she whispered to herself softly. All of the other magic students in her dorm were already fast asleep.

The words of her teacher bounced around in her head. “If you haven't mastered your fire spells by tommorow I will fail you Twilight Sparkle..” her eye twitched slightly as she continued to read the oversized book laid out in front of her.

The candlelight started to hurt her eyes but she couldn't give up she would not allow herself to fail Celestia like that. A couple of large bookcases were divided among the dorm. The sound of snoozing fillies and colts was the only thing that accompanied the sound of her pen, scribbling unto the paper.

“Fire..Fire..Fire..” she whispered to herself as she examined the schematics in front of her as closely as possible. “Ok Twilight.. Just a spark.. Just a small spark.” she said as she focused her power into her horn causing it to glow a red aura.

“Come on..” No matter how hard she focused she could not get the fire to appear. She could already see Celestia looking down at her with a disappointed frown. Her horn lost its glow as her head fell upon her desk. She tilted her head in pain. “I can't do it..” she whispered.

Her mind drifted back at the day that her father helped her cast her first spell. She had been trying for hours but she was unable to cast the simplest incantation. Her father placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder and said. “Look at me Twilight, if my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.”

“I know I can..” she whispered as she took another look at her notes and lifted her horn upwards. She closed her eyes and focused all of her power into her horn as her fathers words ringed in her head.

Suddenly she opened her eyes. They were red, completely void of any other color. Her horn started to emanate a fiery aura as she lost control of her magic. A huge blanket of flames engulfed the room, setting fire to the wooden walls.

Several young fillies and colts awakened from their sleep, screaming in fear, running towards the door. Twilight lied on the floor, unaware of her surroundings. Just before the fire was about to swallow her a glowing shield appeared around her.

There she lied, Fire surrounding her from all sides. A thin purple barrier was the only thing that separated her from certain death. Her eyes fell shut as the barrier lost its power. She awakened several hours later to be greeted by her mentor Celestia, looking at her with a furious stare..

Suddenly her world went black. There was no sound, no sight, nothing.. She could not move her limbs. “Magic.. It is unstable.. All it does is wreak havoc and destruction.. You will lose control over it again.. It is inevitable.. And when that happens.. You will be the cause of the end of your loved ones..”

“This world will be reborn in flames.. And you.. You will be all alone..”

Twilight opened her eyes. She was still sitting up against the wooden wall of her shelter, her flank resting in the mud. "That felt.. so real." she thought as she said her vivid nightmare. "Dreams have never felt so real before." this thought sparked her mind. she quickly grabbed her father's book out of the cloak that was laying beside her.

She knew exactly wich page she was thinking of. she quickly salvaged the hordes of information, looking for the exact page. "Here it is!" she exclaimed as she started reading.

"In the land of the dreaming there is neither time nor space, neither suffering nor death. But some of us awake in the night with strange phantasms of enchanted hills and gardens, of fountains that sing in the sun, of golden cliffs overhanging murmuring seas, of plains that stretch down to sleeping cities of bronze and stone, and of shadowy companies of heroes that ride along the edges of thick forests; and then we know that we have looked back through the ivory gates into that world of wonder which was ours before we were wise and unhappy.

But others awake in the night with visions of horrors beyond horrors, of all dreamable hideousness from wich the cosmos saves to blast an accursed and unhappy few. The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the pony mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far."

Pinkie was lying contently in her hoof-made bed, giggling slightly at the sound of the raindrops falling into the small puddles that surrounded her shelter. She smiled softly at herself. Why wouldn't she? She had alot to be happy about these days. Her life was fairly easy. She was so happy that some of her close friends had found love in eachother.

Her smile widened as she thought of how cute the two were together. "I still so have to throw them a party!" she said happily. Suddenly she felt something pull at her. Something heavy. "Hey! That feels kind of funny!" she giggled. But her smile soon turned into a frown as soon as the force started to pull at her mind aggresively causing her to feel a sting of pain in her head.

"Ow! Hey, stop it!" she snapped at the air in her shelter. Suddenly she felt something enter her mind. A heavy feeling appeared in her brain and heart almost instantly. A voice appeared in her head.

"Diane Pie.. Why do you hide behind a mask of laughter.. Why do feel the need to force yourself into a state of happiness.. What are you trying to hide.." The voice said as it stung in her mind.

"Hide? I'm just my happy Pinkie self!" she giggled. "There is alot to be happy about." she said as she nodded. "But could you please leave my head creepy voice thingy?"

"Laughter.. an invention made by the weaker races to ease their mind from their truly pitiful existence.. I know you feel this.. This hurts you.." It said as the pain inside of her slowly started to grow larger.

She quickly held her hooves to her head in an attempt to ease the pain but it was useless. "Why are you doing this?" she whimpered.

"Laughter.. Happiness.. Surely you can see the futility of it all.." the voice said as she felt the pain draw closer to the centre of her mind.

Suddenly Pinkie's voice turned from innocence to anger. "Get out of my head!" she yelled angrily as she closed her eyes. She could feel the pain in her head subside as the voice's volume slowly lowered itself. "You prolong the inevitable.. This delay is pointless.."

Pinkie wasn't sure about what just happened. All she knew was that she felt horrible. Suddenly she heard the sound of the rain dripping into the small pools outside of her house again. She could not help but giggle loudly at the sound. In a matter of seconds she could feel her hair fluff up to it ussual style as a smile appeared on her face. "I'm sure glad that's over with!" she said as she giggled loudly.

"That was you!?" Luna asked in amazement. "Celestia told me about what happened at the Best Young Flyers Competition. I can't imagine how it must feel to fly at such speeds." she said with new found respect for her new friend.

Rainbow Dash blushed slightly at the princess' admiration. "It's awesome!" she exclaimed with her hooves in the air. "When you near closer and closer to the danger zone, the adrenaline rushing through your veins! That feeling, that rush! It's the reason why I love flying so much." She explained. "I feel so free when I'm up high in the air."

Luna was sitting at the edge of her bed, listening closely to everything that the pegasus told her. "I wish I knew what that feels like.." she said softly.

"Why don't you?" Rainbow Dash asked in confusion. "You are the princess of Equestria! No one can tell you what to do! Your life must be an easy ride?" she asked Luna.

"There you are mistaken Rainbow Dash.. I am not as free as you might think.. The masses of canterlot are always watching me, judging my every move. Even when I'm at home in the palace the guards look over me as if I'm some kind of foal.." she sighed. "I wish I was more like you. You face your problems head on. You never back down!" she said as she thougt back at Dash's heroics when they were fighting against the wolves.

"I'm sorry princess.. I didn't know." she said as she gave Luna a look of compassion. Suddenly an idea appeared in her head. She smiled brightly at the Princess as she got out of her bed. "Let's go flying!" she said happily. "I'll teach you to fly just me!"

Luna's frown turned into a huge smile. "You could do that!?" she asked happily.

"Of course I can! I am the best flyer in Equestria after all! We'll have you soaring through the air in no time!"

"I.. I am not sure about this Rainbow Dash." Luna stuttered as she stood atop a high cliff clsoe to their camp site. Her hooves were shaking in fear as she looked down at the water splashing up against the jagged rocks at the bottom of the cliff.

"You've got wings don't you?" she giggled at Luna. "Use 'em!"

"Yes.. you see.. about that.. I can't really fly that well.." she said in embarrassment. "I have sort of.. forgotten." she looked down at the ground, frowning slightly. "Celestia prefers that I walk in the precense of guests.."

Rainbow Dash landed beside her and gave her a soft look of concern. "That's ok Luna. I'll show you some of the basics first then." she said happily causing Luna to look up and smile at her. Rainbow jumped off of the cliff and spreaded her wings. She bended her athletic body in the direction of the wind causing her to rise up into the air.

Luna looked at the pegasus with amazement. She looked so free, So careless. It was as if Rainbow Dash was at home in the air. Luna watched closely as Rainbow Dash preformed amazing tricks in front of her eyes. She found herself looking closer.. and closer.. focusing on how her body bended in the air.

"She sure is slender.." Luna thought to herself. she turned her gaze to Rainbow's flank. "Slender and tight.." Suddenly her eyes growed wide at her thoughts. "Nonono.. Clean thoughts Luna! Clean thoughts.." she thought to herself. "You're not like that remember! Celestia said so herself!"

"Uuhm Luna?" Rainbow Dash asked the alicorn who was still staring at the sky where Rainbow had been flying a few moments ago. "Equestria to Luna! Are you still with us?" she said laughingly as she nudged the princess' side.

This caused Luna to snap out of her hypnotic state. "Oh! Rainbow Dash.." she blushed slightly. "That was amazing!"