1.1
One hour. Two. Then three.

How long has time passed? Seemingly standing still with the silence of the night that lay down a shroud on the room with only one flickering candle daring to move and shine its little light upon the desk from which it stood. Every window and door of the castle tower was sealed tight to isolate the lone occupant from the world and hide herself away. She refused to move, staring down at the stacks of papers the candle kept visible to her just as had been for hours now. Princess Celestia could not put any thought into the many thousands of text filling the papers, preceding a blank space for which demanded a seal. Her own.

Even though I have read through it all several times now, every word lost itself to me as soon as it was read. None of it could alleviate the anguishing pain that was all she could notice ever since the horrible moment that had happened so much earlier in the day yet felt as if she had just performed it minutes ago. That moment that caused a new motion to appear to the room.

The glowing shimmer of light reflecting from her face courtesy of the candle. The shimmer of her tears. One of which fell perfectly down into the inkwell laying beside the papers. It mixed in with the black fluid, disappearing instantly. The second tear soaked into the paper immediately next to the space for her signature.

Her eyes wandered up the page, not exactly reading but simply skimming. Soul Serenity. Her eyes widened. There and there. Her name placed about the text of the page as if mocking me. She could feel her gut tuck in as a throaty cough came out. She sealed her eyes.

“Why did this have to happen?” she whispered. A loud bang resonated through the room. Her forehoof trembled atop the desk, a light crack cut across the surface beneath the adorning regalia. Her teeth were bared. “Why?”

Her head sunk down further and further as light cries emerged from her mouth. Every time that name came up all she could see were those eyes. She could see them so clearly in the darkness of her sight. Those big, yellow eyes hemorrhaging tears and shining of feelings the princess hated knowing such a young pony had been instilled with all because of her. Feelings she could not put upon one who could carry out such horrors not seen in countless generations. Feelings of total loss and pain. Only for those eyes and the precious little Pegasus they belonged to to be snuffed out in an instant, sent away forever.

1.2
I hate myself. Hated how much anger she had felt being looked down upon that filly. For how she had so easily obliged in casting out a young pony even with what that pony had done. What could I have done? A filly who had killed so brutally, so very needlessly. Whose actions had brought about a day of fear for all Cloudsdale and even Equestria. Those actions that made so many ponies around Celestia demand for justice in more ways than one. They had been ways that made the princess cringe in desperation knowing just how terrifying and even cruel they would be to a filly.

The filly had to be punished. She had to be. Yet no punishment sounded any more appealing to Celestia’s mercy than the other. None that would sate the fears of an entire land and myself as well, along with showing kindness to one I felt needed it. Kindness sought after by those big, pleading yellow eyes.

“I could show such little kindness to her. I’m a horrible pony.”

Celestia wallowed in her regret. Regretting ever sentencing the filly as had been required. Knowledge that the filly’s life was over regardless of what punishment she could set forth. All she could do was make one horrible decision: which punishment would hurt the filly less? Give her one last chance for herself?

It had been a final punishment she had decided on, not lightly, but with a heart heaving pain. A punishment not foreign to her yet so very threatening. It was her ultimate decision. The first time she had willingly made such a punishment without… fearing for my own life.

“Soul Serenity.” Celestia’s horn let out a yellow glow reaching out towards the ink covered pen that now levitated to her side. Her head rose to reveal her reddened eyes. Eyes pulsating from the war of feelings in her mind. As she yelled at herself from within while assuring herself her punishment was merciful enough compared to the many others. “I’m so very sorry, … my little pony.”

The pen touched down and quickly scribbled across the blank space imprinting her signature on the document, ending the matter. Ending it only formally yet never within. The black of ink exactly like the taint upon her very heart as it writhed in agony. Another day. Another burden. Another deep scar to join the others. One final tear fell upon the paper. The last visible speckle of her passing day as a blast of her breath killed off the glow of the candle.

“Sleep well, Soul Serenity.”

1.3
“Hello?”

A tiny voice called out. Nothing answered it back. Only the sound of a strong wind with a flurry of snow out here to answer her cry. The cry from the little magenta Pegasus laying there amidst a blanket of snow.

Soul Serenity felt the chill of icy snow sending its touch up from her rump and along her spine. It made her curl her tail around her body hoping the hairs would work with her fur to warm the soft skin beneath. Already shivering, trying to figure out what just happened.

It was all so fast, fast enough that the tears all the ponies before her had seen now lay dried upon the fur around her eyes. All of them vanished along with the large white alicorn who had stood in front of her moments ago. They were gone. Am I back home? All the white and swirls of air left her mind wandering back to the cloudy structures and the world of her own home. But that cold the likes of which she had never felt before broke her out from her delusions.

This was not Cloudsdale, as if she had been delivered from the warm skyscape she knew and directly into the dead of winter. All her fur stood straight up in response. Her eyes had to take it all in, just trying to get rid of the princess from her sight. Only seeing the Sun above her in the deep clouds. Even with the rays of the Sun shining down on her, she wasn't warm. It was then she felt exactly just how cold she now was.

Her eyes widened. A pained yelp escaped her mouth as she lurched forward onto all fours only for her legs to give out and she fell deep in the snow. Soul could feel her little legs wobbling just as cold snow fell on her face. She quickly backed away in a fright freeing her face from the snow and falling back down on her rump. “Where… am… I?” Her voice shook as she shivered. No answer, no way to know from here even with all her best efforts to look around, hoping to find something to answer her. Nothing. I only know I’m… not home anymore.

Her head craned up to the sky. So open and vast with spirals and swirls of snow dancing over her in a hail. I can’t stay here. I need to run.

1.4
Soul stood up slowly, putting immense effort just to stand up on this icy ground. It took her nearly a full minute to stand straight, as high as she could. Confident in herself, she looked proudly in the sky as her rear legs folded ready to buck. Not that any strength was needed in her initial kick.

This snow will not keep me down or keep me away. A jolt of energy pushed her into the air as her legs pushed against the thick sheet of icy snow. Yet she did not ascend. She felt her wings stay still refusing to help her as she fell right back down in the snow. Soul coughed out the snow that found its way into her mouth and she looked back worried of why her wings did not move as she commanded. Then she remembered as she saw it. I can’t believe I forgot.

The band of metal that had kept her bound still sat there wrapped around her wings, still keeping them fixed together. They nearly insulted her. No guards stood around her. Nopony to keep her down as they had been moments before. Still this thing was here, all that was left of those guards.

Soul groaned and grunted from the strain of her wings trying to separate from each other with as much strength as she could put in them. Just as before, the bond would not budge from its tight grip. Soul realized it. I can’t fly. I can't fly and I'm out here... where is here?

The filly slowly looked around her. Nothing could be seen in any direction she looked, only an empty void of snow greeting her. Everything that had happened was now secondary in her mind with the knowledge that she was now alone and unsure of where to go. Her beloved wings could not help her. With that, something else came to her that she hoped would help her. Somehow. Hoping that pony was still close to her and able to answer her.

“Dashie!” she screamed. Dashie. Dashie. That name repeated all around her in a dying echo mixing with the sound of the wind. Soul shrunk in on herself with sadness gripping her face. “Rainbow Dash” she whispered before she sniffled.

All was silent. Too silent. So much that it was scary. A return of strength to her legs allowed Soul to jump up and look behind her thinking somepony would be there. As empty as every other direction. She backed away several steps and turned back in the direction of the Sun. The only presence here besides her. The one guide prompting her to slowly trot forward in its direction, her eyes gently looking upon everything hoping to see something to help her find where she was. She looked back at the Sun, it was covered enough to not blind her gaze yet still remaining visible through the snow. “Princess? …Where am I?” The Sun led her on.

1.5
The little filly continued her trot through the landscape of snow. She occasionally looked back hoping to see something may be following her, anything to assure her of where she could be but only her trail of tiny hoofprints in the snow greeted her. It reached far behind her reminding her of how far she was travelling following that orb in the sky. With how silent and empty everything now was, Soul could not care to pay attention to anything other than the Sun. There with her while so lost in her thoughts. With minutes passing by to her before she could even realize how quick time was travelling. With every thought, only one thing came in the end.

The magenta eyed face of her beloved friend.

The one lost to her. Who hated her. Whom she had saved. Now she was here. Disappeared to all the ponies she had found out were gone. The little filly was all alone.

Soul shivered and her teeth chattered. The shaking of her body sent a layer of thick snow falling from her back to lay at her sides. How long have I been walking? Enough for the Sun to fall greatly in the sky. She knew not how much daylight she had left. Her thoughts moving from the events of the day to thoughts of the darkness. Soul found her entire self filled with worry. The idea of walking around in this cold and in the dark. As much as she still hated to admit it to others, she was still afraid of being alone in the cold dark. Such thoughts kicked her legs into gear making the filly start to gallop sending plumes of snow up behind her.

This energy meant little to her. Where was she even to go? I’m not even in Cloudsdale, where can I go and hide? The Sun urging her forward in desperation to avoid what she could see as her being alone in the dark with no pony there to rely on. The light her only hope. Her gallop gained speed, wind coursing through her mane and chilling her ears. As much as she hated that cold, it was the closest she had to feeling she was flying freely back in Cloudsdale.

Her wings tried again and again to free themselves from the bond. She closed her eyes visualizing the blue sky before her. Her laughter coming out and memories of how she used to spend normal days just like that. She could see her forehooves reaching out in front of her towards the great sky that kissed her cheek showing as much love as she loved it.

A flash of cyan fur erupted in her vision. Soul’s eyes opened in a start. Just in time.

1.6
She planted her hooves deep into the snow, making her to skid to a halt from her gallop. Her body sat still at the precipice of a large hill. All that snow her hooves sent flying rolled down the face of the hill. She found her heart racing with how close she had come to tumbling down to the flat land below her. Glancing to her side seeing that this hill spanned for as far as she could see.

Her wings twitched again. It would be so great to have them right now as much as Soul hated the idea of climbing this hill or finding some other direction to wander. Soul set her sight back on the land below, as white and uninviting as what she had seen since whenever she had arrived here. Except for one thing.

Her eyes caught sight of something down there that stood out from the blinding white of everything. Something dark down there. Many objects. Her eyes squinted. The sheets of snow falling from above did to these objects just as they did with the Sun. Whereas she could not approach the Sun, whatever was down there became the most welcoming thing here. It elated Soul in the hopes of finally finding something to help her figure out where she could be and find her way home.

Her stubby forelegs tapped down on the sheet of snow laying along the side of the hill. A quick jab of strength buried those legs in snow now keeping her from falling down. Next came her rear legs, doing the same thing with them until she began an awkward walk down the hill.

Soul could remember the winters that Cloudsdale provided to the entirety of Equestria and how the chilling cold would often create a layer of ice upon the snow. So good there was no ice here on the fluffy snow that licked at the flesh beneath her fur. Another memory of home.

Soul found herself astonished at how much she missed the familiar sights and sounds that had been devoid from her for what she could assume to have only been a few hours, if not longer. Each step in the snow reminded her of the feats her fellow pegasi performed. She had never got the chance to do it before, but she always wondered how the weather pegasi so easily created such marvels as this. Nothing she had been able to study before due to flying being the priority over controlling weather. How much she wanted to use those nearly unmatched flying skills of hers again.

Many gently made steps later and Soul found herself at the foot of the hill; a look back showing the tall hill she had successfully climbed down.

1.7
The snow down here proved itself to not be thick at all as her hooves sunk deep within it. She had not taken any heed to it before but with how long this had now been going on, Soul realized how much she hated the feeling of walking through this snow. I hate my legs being so damp… and so damn cold. It seeped down her warm fur and drained down against her body.

Soul saw now just how cold she was. Her madly shivering body forcing her thoughts to thin out to a singular desire to escape. I gotta go! The objects ahead. Soul looked out to where she had seen them. With the hill behind her, they looked so very close yet still faded from sight in the snow storm.

Her shaking legs trudged forward, each step dropping snow behind her. Damn this thing. Her wings banged hard against the bond of steel. If her strong wings had just been free, she could clear this gap in no time.

Will… will my wings even be free again anyways?

Her mind swaying to those fears again. But what could be out here to remove this metal from her body? Something or somepony she hoped could be just ahead of her, and with it gone she could fly out of here. Soul smiled thinking this as her eyes dropped to stare at the snow below her.

What would she do first? Find something warm to wrap herself in to start with sounded good. Then maybe. “Das… s-s-s-shie.” Her teeth uttered in a spasm. If any pony may be out there to help her, it would be Rainbow Dash. She wanted to apologize, to beg her to forgive her. To hug her best friend again. They would be friends again despite everything that had recently happened. Especially since I was the one who saved her and everypony else. Avenged Nimbus and Starry, her family. As close as they ever got to that and now were gone. Oh how great it would be to hug Dash again! The only pony left for me.

She could feel it now. Her friend’s small yet strong wings holding her to guard against the very cold that surrounded her, just like in my dreams. Such a great thing to look forward to. Soul’s smile grew wider as she gleefully raised her head. Her nose exploded in pain.

1.8
Soul fell back with a cry, sinking back in the snow with her forehooves rubbing at her snout. Her teary eyes glanced down her snowcapped muzzle and back up. A wall of wood greeted her. She had run straight into it.

How did I not even see that? Any of this coming? Dark brown wooden beams set tightly together around what she could now see as a window. Yet it was submerged halfway in snow. She looked further up seeing a sturdy roof angled down to her with vast swathes of snow perched on it. A house!

Soul ignored the pain in her nose and was quick to regain her footing. Newfound energy in her excitement sending her legs to gallop through the snow around the entire house seeking anyway to get in it. Another window. A blank wall. A door.

Her heart sank. That energy willowed. The door was just as the windows, barely visible submerged deep in snow. Is this snow really that deep? Just when I thought… I had found something. There was no way she could get rid of so much snow before the cold would take its toll. She hated to admit it, but this house, an oasis in a wasteland, was useless.

With defeat on her face, Soul turned around to leave this scene but was welcomed by another scene. More houses. Left and right, dozens of them. The little filly found herself entering a village in the snow. Her eyes were wide once more taking in the near miracle she did not know of. It was not at all like she envisaged a village. Certainly no flying cloud metropolis, but to be so… empty. Nothing was here. Simply wooden structures standing as lonely obelisks amidst snow with nopony present. All was quiet.

With no reason to stay near this barred off house, Soul wandered off towards the others. They were all so similar to the first. Simple wooden structures with a hoofful of windows and doors more buried than others. Yet no matter how buried they were, Soul could tell she was not strong enough to dig them out. It was getting to the point now where the freezing cold actually made her consider spending an unknown amount of time trying to free one of the doors. Even if it may mean doing it till the night which terrified her. But what can I do?

A new blast of wind caused her to shiver violently in response. She couldn’t tell what it was but she could swear her ears were beginning to feel lost to her. “D-damn it. W-w-what do I-I do?” She could hear her voice soften as she spoke. She slowly turned her head to look back across the houses she had already checked. I already hate this place. All these buried doors. More wind came in, blowing straight against her tiny face, forcing her to turn around to protect herself. It was then she spotted a house different from the others.

Whereas all the others where simple little box structures, this one was one sporting what she could see as some form of shield hanging high from the roof and over its face and under it, was what looked to her like a dip in the wall of snow surrounding the house. Could it be… a porch? A porch meant... one thing that it must be hanging over. A front door. Piles of snow stacked atop the porch roof showed just how much it was keeping away from whatever door it hid. She wasted no time in her rush to get a look at what she hoped was awaiting her. No matter how cold she got, it seemed the filly’s body refused to fail her just trying to get out of this madness.

1.9
Soul forced her way over the snowy wall surrounding the house and peered over it. Thank Celestia, if I could thank her for anything anymore.

Down below she could see a floor of wood pecked in sheets of snow placed around a completely freed door beneath the porch roof that successfully protected it. The hill of snow between her and the door was nothing like the hill she had climbed down moments before. Just so happy to see it, she had to push herself over the ledge to gently slide down the snowy angle to the door beyond. A quick look back gave her an idea of just how much snow had piled up around these houses. The hill she slid down was several times her height! She could not imagine how long it would have taken for her small legs to dig out so much snow. She was so very thankful she had found this house freed of the icy tomb all the others suffered from.

She looked back to the door. Adding even further to her luck was the fact the door’s knob was well within reach. All she had to do was stand on her hind legs which she did not hesitate to do. Her forehooves gripped the knob, ready to turn it. Once inside she was sure she could figure out what to do. Somepony in there to free her wings and she could be on her way, hopefully with some warm clothing to fly through all this.

The door let out a satisfying click before her weight pushed the door inwards. Soul fell back on all fours letting the wind push the door for her. It was so dark within. No light was present besides what little light shining through the windows so covered in snow outside that only a small amount of the outside world could look through them. No light to show… anypony was here.

“Hello?” Her voice travelled across the darkness receiving no response. A new breeze blasted against her rear, causing Soul to jump and quickly gallop through the door. A kick of her rear legs sealed the door behind her. Even inside Soul could not stop shivering. It is so cold.

This house was surely nothing like the ones she knew whose walls and shape could weather the intensity of winter and keep families warm. The wooden walls were so basic that Soul could instantly tell cool air was creeping in from little cracks. It further disheartened her, but at least she was safe from the chilling wind that had nearly frozen her to the bones.

Soul shook her body to free herself of the thin layer of snow that had formed anew on her and send droplets of water off her fur. A quick glance of the flight of the snow showed that she was standing on a rug that spanned across the entire floor. It was ugly. Tanned and patchy, with entire sections of it ripped away or shaggy. Yet she was not alone with this rug. She could see a pair of chairs in the darkness tossed casually to the ground with deep chips in their wooden structure and right across from her, a bed!

Soul became almost too happy upon seeing this but her excitement wore off fast when she saw right there what the bed really was. It’s just a mattress! No blanket like she had wished for.

“Damn it” Soul whispered, slowly walking forward. She glanced to her left. Another thing to mock her hopes for any warmth: an empty fireplace embedded in the wall made out of some weird stones with a wooden mantle hanging over it. The mantle sported only a small box. The emptiness of the house did not bode well to her. “Hello?” she called out again. A similar response to the last time. I really am all alone.

1.10
Her hind legs were quick to collapse as she sat with a whimper of her voice. Nopony lives here. No doubt the same was true of the other buried homes. Nopony who can free my wings. No way to get out of here, wherever here was. Even with how cold it was inside, Soul refused to go back outside and wander aimlessly. She could feel new tears clawing out from her eyes. She sniffled twice.

“I want to go home. …Dashie.” She slammed her forehoof down upon the rug. “Where am I?!”

Her sulking gaze down at the rug showed nothing but her own tears falling to dampen the surface below. Now more than ever, she felt like she was in a prison. Walls of wood surrounding her to isolate her from the deathly conditions beyond. Her body still shivered. No ideas came to pass. Again and again her wings frantically twitched within the steel bond. Soul raised her gaze. Big yellow eyes slowly scanning the darkened room she occupied. Hoping to find somepony hiding from her. Nothing. …Nothing.

A pair of eyes looked back at her from the darkness. Soul almost jumped back in a start as did the figure beyond. The yellow eyes staring back at her blinked in perfect synch with her own. “Who’s there?”

It took some time for her eyes to adjust to the dark and see what was before her. It was her: that trembling little Pegasus sitting in her own sorrow. The sole thing in a mirror. The pane of glass surrounded by a sheet of rusted bronze. She saw her face but nothing else under it… like it was cut off at the bottom of the mirror. The glass there was missing, giving way to shattered edges of glistening glass whose missing parts lay scattered on the floor beneath it. Something had destroyed it.

Soul hated how she looked. Her normally messy and long mane completely broken and sad. Strands of silver and violet hanging loosely and jagged with obvious damp spots spread across both her mane and her ragged magenta fur. She would never want Rainbow Dash to see her like this. Only her yellow eyes were as she knew them, glowing beautifully and reflecting the light from outside ever more thanks to the tears bubbling in them.

Besides her, the mirror reflected that fireplace from behind her. How much she wished a fire could be there as well to dry her off. Her eyes took note of that box again still sitting on the mantle. She turned away to look back at it. Lacking anything else to hope for, all she could decide on was to see if maybe something useful lay hidden inside that little box. Thankfully, the mantle was not too high above but well out of her reach. Another instance where her wings would come in handy. Damn those guards. But doesn’t mean I’m helpless.

1.11
A shuffle of wood over rug. All from the filly shoving one of the two chairs up to the fireplace. Each push easier than the last. Kind of felt good to do something other than lay around all day. A clank of the chair to the stone fireplace satisfied Soul. She jumped atop it. Now with her new perch, Soul was nearly nose height with the box. Her forelegs reached out to grab it. It was so small and light, easily adjusting itself into her small grip. But she could feel something was in it hidden under the sealed top.

Soul brought the box with her back down to the floor and set it before her. Dust flurried around it the moment it set down. She was so very eager to see what was within. Maybe something to help her. Her hooves slid in under the flaps of the opening. “Oh please.” She opened the box.

What was this?

It looked just like a pony but … tiny. Soul realized what it was. Something she had never had for her own let alone desired, but don’t other fillies have stuff like this? Its fuzzy-looking brown exterior wrapped in the perfect crafting of every minute feature of it. It was a doll. A Pegasus thanks to the tiny wings it sported. A long, curly mane and tail and beady eyes.

Who would leave this thing here? Soul reached in and pulled it out between her forehooves as soft and caring as she could be hoping not to harm it. It was so tiny even compared to the legs that held it and, just as a real pony, it was soft. If not for the color, Soul could claim it to be a smaller her. But not seeing another friendly pony in what felt like forever to her, she was so happy to see anything resembling one. It made her smile.

“I wonder if you have something like this, Dashie.” It was a funny idea to her but nonetheless cute. Like Dash may have one hidden somewhere in her room and used it for whatever joy they may give. She had no idea how things like this worked or even their real purpose. Do other kids use them as toys or …maybe as little friends? Exactly what I want right now. Her best friend.

The longer she stared at it, the more she loved it. A love equal to the pony she could put a resemblance on it to. This little Pegasus doll reminded her so much of Rainbow Dash and reminded her just how much she missed her. She could feel herself crying again.

1.12
“Oh Dashie.” Her forelegs pulled the doll closer to her until it was firmly pressed against her chest. Cradled in her fur. She closed her eyes imagining the soft touch against her body exactly like that of when Dash and her would hug. Hug before everything that happened.

I hate you too!

That line pounded away at her. How could she have ever said anything like that? How could she have lied? Soul never ever hated Rainbow Dash. She had done this all for her. If there was anything she hated, it was her rushed and stupid decision to yell back at her friend. At the pony she needed now more than ever. Her only family. She wondered if Dash needed her as much as she did.

“I’m so sorry, Dashie” she spoke to the doll held beneath her chin. “I never meant to yell at you. I don’t hate you.” She wanted so very much for that doll to speak back at her in that childish and raspy tone she knew. She could not imagine it. All she could see in the dark void of her eyes was that cyan filly hugging her back, beautiful feathered wings wrapped around her body as they hugged each other atop the clouds. She could not hear her, but she could feel her. Almost like the dead of winter was absent and the warmth of her best friend’s fur and feathers welcomed her back to normalcy. A normalcy now gone and replaced by a crowd of angry ponies who all spoke to her with the same line.

I hate you. Despite that she had saved the pony she wanted to hug again. If only everything had gone away and she could be there again flying side by side with that goofy and competitive filly. “I don’t hate you. You’re my best friend, Dashie. I’d do anything for you.”

“And she gets to know that now. After all, you made the right decision.”

1.13
Soul’s heart skipped its beat as it jumped up in her chest and chills ran down her spine that pounded into her even harder than the chills of the cold itself. So strong, so powerful. A presence she could feel seeping into her back but her widening eyes revealed nothing to her. Yet she knew it had just spoken. No voice she knew and it still seemed to her that she should. So loud and so clear, like all around her.

I don’t even know if I should dare to look. Who would be here? A filly all alone in a strange place put with something that made her heart pound. Was this a joke? Did Celestia do something? Voices from without and within mixing with all her memories. Like it sounded to be a pony that had always talked to her. Maybe because it was. Maybe…

“Dash?” Soul’s heart calmed as slowly as her head rose. She wanted to turn but feared to in the end. Her eyes going up the scale of the broken mirror, up the reflection of her tiny legs and ruffled fur. As her gaze rose, she prayed to see the eyes of somepony she recognized alongside her own. Her yellow eyes betraying her excitement and wonder.

Yellow eyes. She blinked. They did not.

Holding their saddened gaze to reveal beading black pupils that were not her own. Pupils of a glowing hue split into black diamonds. Ones of a creature that was… was not a pony. Not her own. Soul realized those yellow eyes sat alongside her own eyes staring at her from behind. Somepony is… behind me.

Soul jumped forward with a shriek sending the doll flying. Her hooves scurrying across the rug kicking up puffs of dust as she darted to the mirror as quickly as she would if she had been flying. Fear pushed the filly to hide beneath its frame.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t hurt it” Soul pleaded back to whoever sat behind her, referring to the doll she had just held. Fearing perhaps she had been messing with the stuff of whoever those eyes belonged to. She lay silent, keeping her tail to the door and hiding her head beneath her forelegs. Shaking. Nothing happened much to her surprise. Was somepony actually there or am I seeing things? She could still see those eyes burned into her mind. It was not Dash or anypony she knew. Entirely different to her. They belonged to something yet the house was silent. She wanted to turn around to make sure but fear still held its grip.

The wind hit against the outside again and again. It was near to that of a sigh, almost too loud to hear something else. She heard somepony sigh.

“So small and frail and will love you no matter what. I see why you adore her as you do for her.”

The words came out very gently spoken in such deepness and calm that every word was like honey to Soul’s ears. “Don’t leave her all alone.”

1.14
Soul blinked. A smiling face right there returned her gaze, one pierced with tiny black eyes so close to Soul that just breathing swayed its fuzzy surface. It was the doll set right in front of her.

How did…? She reached out completely shocked as to how it had appeared to her like this. A touch of her hoof proved it to be real. Her hoof went around it, pulling it back under her chin. Soul’s breathing returned to normal. Fear flowed out of her mind.

“She wants to be with you” the voice said softly. Calm and collected, Soul felt confident to see who it was talking to her. For some reason, like it is somepony I shouldn’t be afraid of. They sound so nice… like this doll.

To see who those odd yellow eyes belonged to. Still clutching the doll, Soul crawled out from beneath the mirror to sit back up. She sighed deeply. Dash would not be afraid. She would not be either. Soul turned her head.

There the closed door sat shrouded in the darkness that most of the room fell under. A darkness broken by ever more darkness. Except it was too dark. So much so that it was so easy to pick out from the rest of that blackness. Like it was a moving shadow. Somepony is there. A sway of a leg, the droop of ears. Two ears fixed aside the pair of yellow eyes she had seen. They still stared back at her filled with a glimmer of distant emptiness ringing around diamonds that shone bright in the light. Those vertical slits pierced in black. Like coal? Soul could not tell.

A good look at them. Kind of like what I’ve seen in books. Creatures from those books. That was it! Those diamonds shaped something like what the beautiful and fearsome dragons she had read about would be pictured with. Those eyes easily fitting with such threatening creatures. Yet these eyes made Soul not afraid at all. Their gleam and glow almost invited her. She thought they looked …beautiful.

Seconds passed followed by minutes of silence. The thing did not speak. Both of them only watched the other. Soul’s gaze getting increasingly wider as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she stared at. I’m starting to see it. Never expected something like this here. Thought she would find a pony as vibrant as any other. But… this. A set of four legs barely hiding the shimmer of a dark tail behind them. A blink of its eyes fluttered its long eyelashes in synch with subtle movements of its long, curved ears.

It actually was a pony.

1.15
“Hel…” Soul hesitated mustering her failing attention in her amazement of finding somepony, especially one like this. “Hello.”

A tilt of those eyes showed how the dark pony cocked its head. “Nice to speak with you… finally” its tiny mouth spoke. Soul raised her eyebrow. Her ears perfectly catching such beauty in that mature voice. It was so hard to see this pony but she could see its slender physique. How she could tell it stood tall even this far away. She knew this to be a mare. Even a sway of its tail revealed how long it was. I just have never seen stallions with long tails. At least it’s a girl. She looked around the house again before returning her gaze to the mare.

“Is this your house?” The mare visibly shook her head. “Not at all. I just arrived here myself.”

A traveler? Or maybe a pony in a similar situation as her? Either way Soul was happy to finally find somepony to talk to out here. “Are you afraid of me?” the mare asked of her. Soul remembered her startled reaction to seeing this pony in the mirror. Not a good way to react to meeting somepony, especially one being as inviting as this one.

“I’m sorry. I’m not afraid of you” Soul said. The mare’s ear perked up. “I’m glad. Would it be fine with you if I sat next to you?” Sit with me? Nopony ever asks that. Okay. Soul could see no harm in it. Secretly, she loved the idea of being close to such a friendly pony. “Sure.”

The mare slowly trotted over to her. Each stride made her grow in size to Soul’s eyes. Each stride so silent. How odd. She’s so quiet. The mare’s eyes held their shine. Soul could tell the mare was making an effort not to frighten her. Soon enough the mare stood at her side, towering over her at nearly twice Soul’s own height. This close… she really is that color. A mare of pitch black fur. Wow.

She glanced down at Soul with what she could make out as a smile hidden in the dark void of her face. Soul looked back up at her as well. Soul could see she had a long ponytail hanging down the back of her neck with the mare’s so close to her. Long and majestic. I’ve never seen so much mane on a pony. Black strands hanging all down her face and neck, covering her eyes slightly. Just one eye looking over at her through all that black hair shining of silver streaks.

Soul was in awe at how beautiful this pony was. The light shone in from the window upon her, a silver sheen glimmering along the thick fur she sported giving some light to that coat as dark as the void. I feel kinda weird looking at her like this but… she is beautiful. Looking along the side of the mare, going along that gorgeous body. She almost missed the slight movement along the mare’s side. They were so easy to miss with how well they blended in but a flutter gave them off.

This mare had wings.

Dense bundles of jet black feathers folded perfectly in thin spans covering her sides. Soul smiled widely. “You’re a Pegasus!” Soul was so overjoyed now.

A fellow Pegasus pony out here. Finding somepony just like her made her feel such a connection with her. She always loved the idea of hanging out with fellow friendly ponies who enjoyed the gift of flying as much as she did. Ones who would feel her same enjoyment.

1.16
Soul giggled. “I’m so happy to find a Pegasus just like me.”

“A Pegasus.” The mare spoke with such lightness and the slightest hint of a stutter. She sounded like she was… confused at first. The mare looked past her now. She was silent. Soul’s smile faded. She looked around and saw the mare to be looking at none other than the mirror to see their reflections together. The mare stared at herself. Her mouth dropping its frown so far. Eyes glimmering of light so dull to Soul. Those eyes so intently fixated on herself as if they were boring through the mirror itself.

Soul became worried. “Are you okay?” The mare’s dragon-like eyes returned to life just as her smile returned. “Yes, I’m a Pegasus just like you, little one.” The mare turned around forgetting the mirror and she sat down next to Soul. “So I guess we both have something else in common at least, alongside being trapped in here” she said. Trapped.

“You’re stuck out here as well?” Soul asked. “Yes.” Soul’s curiosity grew. A pony trapped out here just like me. She knew not how it happened to herself but maybe this mare had an interesting reason. “How did you get here?” The mare looked down at her warmly. “I just arrived here out of nowhere. It was so unexpected.” Just like her! Soul felt even closer to this friendly mare.

“Where are you from?” The mare’s dark eyes constricted. Her demeanor softened as a small chuckle came out her mouth. “You’re a curious little one, are you not? How prospective.” Soul didn’t even know what the mare just said but smiled anyways seeing how adoring the mare was becoming of her. “I don’t remember where I came from. I’ve…” the mare trailed off. Her gaze falling down to Soul’s side briefly before returning to Soul. “Been travelling around for a long time until I found myself here with you all of a sudden.”

Soul’s eyes shimmered in amazement. The little filly wondering how she came to find a traveler like this. No telling how much this pony had seen. What she could tell her. But one thing seemed possible.

Had this Pegasus learned unique flying moves out there?

Maybe they could both fly out of here. Introduce this new friend to the others. She wanted to know more. She opened her mouth to speak another question but was promptly cut off. “Do you like dolls?” The mare was asking of the tiny pony Soul still held. “I never would have taken you to be one who would.” Soul stared down at the doll. She did not particularly like dolls but it just reminds me of somepony I know and makes me want to hug it, even in front of this mare. Realizing this did not make her loosen her grip. “Well, I like this doll. I think it’s a nice friend.” She could see those magenta eyes where the doll’s beady eyes sat.

“May I see her?” Soul’s daydreaming was broken by how loud her voice was, seeing that the mare had leaned down so close to her. Close enough for Soul to take in the true magnificence of those odd eyes.

Such vast yellow orbs near flawlessly beaming of an ever-heightening hue of beauty just like the Sun itself. The black diamonds cut between them adding something to those eyes Soul could call… cool. “Um, sure” Soul said breaking out of the trance those eyes had her in. She loosened her hug to allow the doll to slump into her forelegs freed from her chest that had warmed the surface of the little pony. It lay there in her legs visible to the mare and ready for her to take it. But the mare did not reach for it. Her dragon eyes locked down on the doll. Looking across the tiny wings, the curly mane and tail. Soul sat there waiting for her to take the doll from her grip but it never came. The mare’s smile grew bigger.

“She’s beautiful.” “Yeah, did you see the wings? She’s just like us!” Soul said. The mare humbly recognized Soul’s claim. “I bet she is a great flyer.” Her eyes fell back to look past Soul’s head and over to her back. “Just like you are.”

Soul followed the mare’s eyes seeing that she was looking down upon Soul’s shackled wings. “Talent that is locked away in such a small place, begging to be freed from the cruelty of the world around them” the mare spoke so strongly, so longingly. Soul could barely figure out what she had just said but knew the mare looked disheartened at how the filly’s wings were trapped.

1.17
That was right! Soul had entirely forgotten. So lost in how cool it was discovering a new friend in a place like this. She had found somepony. One who could help her. “I do love flying so much” Soul admitted. “I want to get rid of this thing so much so I can fly again.”

The mare slowly nodded still staring at the bond around Soul’s wings. Those wings bucked against the metal surface around them. “Do you know a way to get rid of this?” Soul asked. “No” came the response almost immediately. “I know of no way through any conventional means.” As had seemed to be the only purpose of the world lately, Soul’s hopes were crushed.

So there was no way they could remove this thing? Her wings were to be like this for Soul could not think of how long. She slinked down, muzzle grimacing in sadness. “I want my wings back” she muttered. Her eyes shifted over to look at the big wings of her new companion as they ruffled so gently seemingly in response to Soul’s pleas.

How many days had her wings been gone from her by now and how much longer would they be gone? Joining the ever-growing list of things that distanced themselves from her demanding her to fly back to them. She could feel her heart start to ache. Her nose let out a quick sniff. The mare heard it. She leaned over closer to Soul, her mouth a lick away from her ear. “Hush now, little filly.” Her voice a light whisper sending such tiny gusts of icy chill to lick her ear. Cold and so gentle, forcing the thin furs of her ear to stand up.

“You adore flying, this I know” she spoke softly. “I won’t allow you to be apart from that adoration.”

Soul’s curiosity piqued. She turned around to look back at the mare who stood up, softly striding along with eyes glued upon the steel shackle Soul wore. Soul wondered what she could be planning. Her gaze upon the mare’s face yielded something she could not fully describe. Something like worry or maybe confusion in the mare’s face. She sighed. Her eyes met Soul’s. “I can help you. But I need you to do something first.”

“What?” Soul said excitedly.

“I need you to sit straight and look away.” The mare pointed a hoof at the front door. “Look forward to that door and don’t move until I tell you.” Soul was puzzled. Was this like a doctor’s appointment? Holding still and straight. These requests were so weird to her. But maybe this friendly mare knew something cool. Following her instructions may free her wings. So she did not hesitate to comply, the door firmly in her sights and the mare hidden behind her.

Soul straightened her back out and waited. “Point your wings to me” the mare said from behind. Soul did as she said. As uncomfortable as it was, Soul managed to shift her wings enough to hold them high out in the direction she felt the mare may be. The weight of the shackle fought hard to keep them down yet the young filly managed to keep them up.

Soul waited patiently and eagerly. Her hoof tapping against the rug she sat on. All she could sense was absolute silence behind her. I hope she is still there. Not leaving me. The possibility made Soul start to turn her head.

“Hold still.”

Soul reverted back to her position, a sigh of relief escaping her mouth. Something touched against her wings. She could feel it grow. Something flooding across the skin of her spans and softly spreading the feathers that hid them. It was strange. Like whatever this feeling was went along her entire wings. Her muscles sent responses back to her. Her wings were moving… on their own. Pushing against the interior of the shackle that held them and spreading from one another. Whatever the mare was doing back there, she was being as gentle as possible. So much so that Soul could barely feel her touching her spans and pulling both wings apart from one another. She couldn’t see for herself, but she could feel her wings were shaped in a very tight V within the shackle.

Something really hot washed over her back right between that V. Suddenly.

1.18
Clang! Clang! The bang of metal on the floor sounded in Soul’s ears almost making her shudder in the growing tension the waiting had built up in her. “You can move now.”

Soul turned slowly. Just turning her head, she felt the cool air wrap around her wings at the same time. Wings she could feel so perfectly now instinctively falling along her sides.

There they were.

Her eyes widened, mouth agape in happiness. Her beautiful, large wings laying open on her sides free to the world and to her gaze. She wanted them to move. They did. She moved them again and again until she folded them perfectly along her sides. Her pride and joy was back to her! How I missed seeing them. Looks like they’ve grown or something since last I saw them. So light now. So weightless and free to the breeze flowing through their feathers with that metal now gone. The metal.

Soul looked down to the floor. Laying there to her left is where it sat. A crescent of metal sitting upright on the floor where it had fallen. It was no ring anymore. A look around presented the other part of the metal ring laying to her right. A crescent as well. Both pieces cut down the middle in such a straight and perfect line with no hint of a flaw in that line where the pieces had been broken from one another. Even more of a perfect cut than what she could remember for sliced fruit she loved to eat.

She looked back behind her tail. There the mare stood with a smile proudly displayed beneath those shiny dragon eyes. Soul could not pick out anything that the mare may have used to do such a thing. “How did you do this?” she asked. The mare smirked. “A Pegasus has her ways.”

Soul could not figure out any way she had been able to do this. Cutting through solid metal so quickly and cleanly. Maybe she had bitten it? Or was strong enough to break it with one quick jab of her hoof. So awesome. Soul wanted this pony to come with her. Somepony as talented and cool as this would be so great to come back home with and hang out with.

“Thank you so much!” Soul shrieked in joy, jumping up and down with the power of her newly freed wings. She took to the air. Flaps of her wings once again lifting the tiny filly back up to the realm she was at home in. I can fly again! Finally. It’s been so long. She dashed in at the mare, stopping just short of her muzzle. “Thank you, thank you, thank you Ms. …” Soul’s big smile faded.

That was right she had never introduced herself. She didn’t even know this pony’s name. How rude to not introduce herself to her elder.

“I’m sorry” Soul said rubbing her forehooves together. “My name is Soul Serenity. It’s so great to meet you! What’s your name, Ms.?” She extended a hoof to the mare who stared down at it with a frown. Her eyes faded their light. Soul wondered what was wrong. The mare’s mouth trembled very slightly. Her lips parting as if words tried to escape but could not in the end. She reeled her head back. “It’s so nice to meet you too, Soul. You do have a pretty name.”

With that, she wandered away towards the bed. That was it? Soul could not help but get irritated at the mare’s lack of giving her a name. Instead that mare stood there examining the lone bed. Taking in what could be a comforting mattress if it just had a sheet and blanket.

1.19
Soul zipped in in front of her, forcing her eyes to jump away from the mattress to the dissatisfied filly. She better tell me. I need to know what to call her. Soul crossed her forelegs. “I want to know your name.”

The mare turned her head. Soul was right in front of her again. The agile filly easily keeping herself firmly in the mare’s sight. No way to let her get away. “Tell me your name” Soul pleaded. “I can’t.” The mare quickly turned away, barely visible bangs of her black mane waving as she moved. How could she not? Soul was so confused. Every filly and colt easily learned the appropriate way to greet somepony new was to give your name. As if this pony had failed to know that basic knowledge. But that could not be it.

The mare fidgeted nervously, staring down at the ground keeping her tail to Soul. It had to be something else. “I told you my name. Do you not feel right telling me yours?” Soul asked this possibility. The mare’s ears perked up. “And you are correct in telling me your name, and…” She paused, peeking her face over her dark shoulders to peer back at Soul with those eyes churning of their celestial glow. “I wish to tell you my name.” Soul darted forward in anticipation.

“Tell me! Is it something cool?” The mare looked back away. “I don’t know.” “You don’t know if it’s cool?” As if it really mattered to Soul.

“No” the mare said painfully. “I don’t… know my name.”

That line echoed away in Soul’s mind. The idea of what she had just been told. Not know her name? Is she lying? I can’t even think of how somepony can’t know their own name. She could not make up a feeling to it. The fact that this mare claimed to not know her own name was impossible to Soul. How was it even possible for somepony to forget such a vital thing?

“How?” Soul whispered.

“How do I not know it?” the mare started. “I wish I had that answer. It’s not something I know how to explain.” She turned her attention to the pony doll that Soul had left standing upright on the floor. She was silent holding her gaze on that little toy. “I think I had a name once, just as you do now. That is certain to me. Yet it is lost to me.”

“So you forgot it” Soul proclaimed proudly.

The mare noticed Soul’s chipper response. Sorry, even if it sucks she forgot, it means something else for me. The mare turned back, not at all pleased with Soul being happy about it. The filly floated closer to her with a wide smile. “You helped me so I’m gonna help you remember your name.” “How do you propose that?” the mare asked. Soul flew over to the front door. “I bet somepony out there would know who you are. Now that I got my wings back, we can both fly out of here and go back to Cloudsdale. We can search together!” I’d love to help her.

The mare’s eyelids fell. Soul was not sure, but she may even be frowning in that dark face of hers. Like she was disinterested. Although Soul’s interpretation of her reaction may have been wrong because the mare willingly approached the very door Soul motioned for them to leave through. “I’ll fly with you” the mare said unenthusiastically. “Yet, I ask you to control yourself because I’m not as great a flyer as you.” My wings are pretty impressive but... I think she can. Still though, kinda weird that this pony knows I’m good at flying. Not like she ever saw me fly. “I’ll do my best” Soul assured her.

1.20
“Let me ready myself first” the mare asked of her. She did not wait for Soul to give her permission as she immediately unfolded her wings.

Soul nearly gasped.

A vast shadow fell down upon her and over the door she flew before. Soul had thought that the deep black coat her new friend possessed was truly beautiful yet the new scene she was gifted with made her eyes sparkle. All those black feathers bundled together spread out in a fan of hundreds lining along two vast spans. So vast. Her wings so big as to completely overshadow the pony they belonged to. Soul had seen many adult pegasi in her life yet none of them had anything on this one’s wings. Just how full and dense they were made Soul think they were just like blankets. Nothing like I’ve ever seen before. The comparisons were incomprehensible.

Soul quickly fell in love with the gorgeous endowments this Pegasus had. She… she cares for them so well. Soul couldn’t stop staring over them. “Your wings are so amazing” Soul said with a shock. The mare stretched them far out from her readying them for flight. No response came from her for Soul’s compliment. She could have even just been ignoring what she had said.

“How could you not be as great a flyer as me?” Soul asked. Wings as impressive as these could no doubt be such great companions in flight. The nameless mare shot down that idea. “They are mere looks. It doesn’t guarantee them to be as strong as yours.”

Her wings folded back in slightly, still stretched out enough for them to quickly take her into the air at a moment’s notice. She looked up at Soul. “It’s very cold out there so we must get flying as quick as we can. I’ll do my best to keep up with you. Shall we go?” “I won’t leave you behind” Soul said as she set her hooves upon the doorknob. This pony was going back with her, for the kind deed she did. That was to be sure. “We’ll get out of here together.” Maybe things won’t be so bad.

Celestia is gone and I can find my own way. To a place called home. She opened the door.

1.21
She kind of thought being inside could not be far better than being outside. I guess I was wrong. As the door opened, a frigid gust of wind smacked against her face forcing the filly to shoot backwards in surprise. She shivered from just that brief exposure to the outside winds. Through the door, it had become clear the Sun had lowered much further in the sky, casting a reddish hue through the thick cloud cover overhead. It had gotten very late and Soul thought it may have become colder than it was before she had entered the house.

She held her forelegs close to her body, swiftly rubbing them up and down herself in hopes of just warming up a little. She looked over. Surprisingly, her new friend had no reaction. She stood there in the doorway staring out into the white void beyond. She didn’t even seem to care. Each and every strike of wind not even moving the black fur along her body.

She looked back at the shivering filly. “Are you certain about this?” Soul was astonished at the strong willpower of the mare completely unwilling to let the cold get the better of her. Something I’m sure sucking at doing. She would not chicken out of this. A little cold won’t slow her down and she’d be back home in no time. She inhaled deeply.

“Let’s go!”

Soul entered that frozen torrent outside, her newly freed wings slicing right through all that falling snow. She was quick to take off out the ditch that the snow had built up around the doorway from which her new friend nimbly followed after her. Her black wings beating not nearly as fast as Soul’s were but, instead, they were pretty graceful. Her wings were silent with every pass they took. She joined next to Soul.

Looking all around. Every breath the filly took let out a jet of cloudy mist that disappeared in the wind. There was the hill Soul had slid down and that was it. Nothing was visible in this blizzard beyond the outskirts of this lonely village. No matter how hard she squinted her eyes, she could make out nothing. We have to get higher. With how cold it was, it would be insane to blindly fly around. They would not last for a very long time. Soul’s fur and feathers barely able to shield her against the frigid conditions.

Snow fell against Soul’s face. She motioned upwards to the mare. “Let’s get a little higher and see where we are.” Her friend nodded slowly and still wasn’t much caring about what was going on. So weird. Soul put great strength into her initial stroke easily fighting against the force of the wind to push her upwards. Not as easy as she could remember flying in perfect conditions but she could still do it. Not much harder than flying through a rain shower. The dimly lit clouds high above in the cloudy shroud of snow reached down to her. Every second she spent flying up just threw harsher and harsher cold that picked apart at her face. Her eyes began to hurt. Cold wind blasted into them. Just having to squint. I can’t believe how cold it has gotten.

She looked back down just to stop all that wind hitting her face. She could barely see the dark shapes of the village below. Right below her was the black mare flying right on her tail looking back up at her with worry. I know why you’re worried. But you’re worrying me. This mare could fly so easily in this. Wish it was so easy for me. She could not tell, but it felt as if her face was going numb now. How cold had it gotten? There’s even… snow on my wings! So much of it. Soul flapped it off. The snow was getting worse. Endless sheets fell down upon both pegasi in the grey embrace of the sky. Soul had never seen snow this bad before.

Weather pegasi never allowed a storm like this, or even able to make snow this bad. Snow this cold?! In Equestria?

The higher up she flew, the more she found herself in a state of wonder.

1.22
She could no longer see the village down below. She could no longer feel the tips of her wings. Didn’t even notice it but she was slowing down. Soul’s wings slowed down as quickly as her shivering body spasmed. The filly had to stop.

She sat there high in the sky with her stiffening wings gently keeping her in place against the strong winds and snow. “Are you alright?” The black mare hovered up next to her. Worry barely visible on her dark face. Soul stared at her, her teeth chattering in closed lips covered in the tiny frozen crystals of her own saliva. Soul actually had to hold herself with all four legs. “Its… s-s-s-so…” Soul heaved a hideous gasp. “C-c-cold.”

The mare shook her head. “This is too dangerous.” How the hell was she so calm in this!? Soul could not think straight to imagine how her friend was coping with the same conditions that hit her. All she could do was look around. Nothing but grey. The clouds of winter shielded whatever lay beyond in their dark shroud.

How could this happen? This storm was so bad Soul could barely see her dark companion next to her. One thing could only fill Soul’s mind. She desperately wanted to go back inside the protective walls of a home. Her home. Sitting in front of a fireplace wrapped in blankets, holding somepony else. That was a home she wanted right now. Like the last time.

What she could see in this darkness. A home in the middle of weather the likes of which she had never heard of to fall upon Equestria. Where was she?

“Soul!”

What is this weird feeling? Soul’s eyes opened wide. Her wings had given out and the vast expanse of grey nothing fell away from her. The small hint of black in the storm could show her new friend flying down after her. Wait, I’m falling!

Soul flailed her legs. Just as her wings came to life. Her descent slowed and then ceased. Catching herself in time. “Thank goodness” the black mare said as she flew before Soul. “Soul, we need to go inside! This is too much for you.” Soul’s back lurched. I just passed out. …Celestia’s sake.

Chills went down her spine. Soul thought back to what had just happened. All that she had felt was the heat she wanted to the point where she had entirely forgotten she was flying. Too muddled now. Can’t even think straight. This was not something she was used to at all. Nothing anypony would be used to. A winter storm that she was positive now, in the wake of her failing body, no Pegasus pony would ever be able to create in all of Equestria to settle in a cold that was unlivable.

She wanted to go home.

The black mare flew over closer to her. “Let’s go back. We can try again some other time.” She did not need to ask twice. Going inside sounded perfect to her. As painful the idea of waiting was, the little filly lowered herself down through the sky, her dark friend in tow.

1.23
Snow beat hard against the window. So much to block out all the light outside. Soul was sure to curse as lightly as she coul. Didn’t want the adult in the room to hear it. I’m not even sure if I can be so open around her. What little light had been shining through the window was Soul’s only real source of even any warmth to dry her soaked fur even faster than what she would want. It had been a relief to get back into the safety of the house exactly as it had been the first time. Well, the first time she could stay outside for a good long while, the weather that was now outside was so bad she could swear it had only been a few minutes before the icy grip began to take its toll.

The filly still shivered madly on her perch at the foot of the large bed. A quick look around proved to Soul this bed was meant for a full-grown pony. Bigger than her own bed. Its dirty and bare mattress spanned far and wide around her as if it would swallow her. The soft touch of the bed did what it could to warm her but what she truly wished for was a nice, comfy blanket. That or a hug from a pony of which she knew only one was here who could do that.

That very pony sitting patiently by the doorway glancing over at the recovering filly.

The more Soul looked at her, the more her eyes trailed along those huge wings folded along her sides. How nice it would be to be held in them. Like… like the last time I was held in somepony’s wings. How well that went. Soul felt bad… actually thinking about it… with this pony. What right do I have to ask her? As if this newly met mare would allow her. Maybe? I’m just so cold.

I hope it wouldn’t be too weird if I did ask. Soul’s ears perked up hearing the sound of newly strengthened wind slamming hard against the walls of the house. The wooden structure creaked and moaned.

“Are you feeling any better?” The black mare leaned in Soul’s direction. Not at all. Safety from the wind did little to free Soul of the still fresh feeling of icy chill over her. “No” Soul muttered.

“Is there something I could possibly do to help?” The black mare did something suspicious to Soul. Her left foreleg rubbed up and down the length of her right. She’s nervous. Her big wings fluttered. Soul was unsure, but it seemed this mare was wanting something. Something to help me.

Did she read my mind?

Whatever it had been, Soul felt a sense of safety in the shyness the mare presented. It’s just too cold to be afraid of asking, even if it’s weird. “Do you think I’m cool?” Soul asked. Really, I need to know. Not often I want to do this with anypony else. Only one time.

“I do. You’re really brave to be out here like this” the mare said. Soul liked that. Fine, I’ll ask her. Her shivering was too much now. “Well, there is something you could do but… please don’t make fun of me for it… or think I’m strange.” The mare giggled, not maliciously but sweetly.

“I promise. What can I do?”

Soul smiled. She leaped off the bed with a quick flap of her wings and slowly came up to the mare as much as her freezing legs would allow. She too sat down before her. Soul eyed a cozy spot right against her, and she looked up to her inviting face. Looks so warm. Maybe I can warm her up too.

The nameless Pegasus smiled so warmly down upon her. She truly was a friend. Soul could feel it now. She knew she could ask it of her. Trust her as best she could if it meant feeling better. No reason to hold back.

1.24
“Could you please hold me?” Soul said it. Oh man, even I feel bad asking that of this mare. I don’t even know her name. But… “Just for a little bit.” She had said it. I really miss stuff like that. Just… I want something. Even to stay warm, it would remind her of… of home.

A small laugh interrupted her thoughts.

The mare pulled herself closer to Soul, arching her body high to open up that big spot against her thin belly. “Of course you can.” She held her forelegs out to Soul and, as if by instinct, she unfolded her giant black wing. She actually wants to? Wings so big, looked so warm. Wow, I never thought she would want to. Soul didn’t even care about anything else. Just to fall in that and stop shivering for once.

Soul smiled up at her, she who returned one of her own. A smile Soul felt so loving. Like a… parent. She could not hold herself back from the idea. Soul jumped forward, her own forelegs reaching out to hug her. Closer she got to the black fur she knew would feel so heavenly. A touch she had missed so much after everything that had happened.

Getting closer, like time slowed, she felt those wings come down on her. Black feathers ruffling slightly in their trail. Darkness that grew until it fell upon her in a blanket of black.

Darkness. It was all she could see.

Something wasn’t right. Everything around her was dark. Like night. A bunch of mist and black all around her. Nothing else. I thought… I would feel warm. She felt nothing.

Soul blinked. The door shot out before her just as she fell onto the floor. Her forelegs still reaching out from her, not to the mare but to the door now.

“What?” Soul looked all around her. The wooden floor, the door and the wall. Where had the mare gone? What happened to her hug? She slowly pushed herself back up with only her forelegs. Sitting back up. Chills returned. Soul looked to her side. She could see a black wing hanging there. Soul turned around. There was the mare. Sitting where she had been with wings still stretched out. Her slender back right there. Soul could see her long and well-tended, black tail hanging high in the air still holding its excitement.

She was entirely still. Soul stood up. Her eyes held on the motionless mare as she gently walked around her. As soon as she was to her side, those big wings both folded in. No longer hidden, the mare sat there holding her forelegs out in front of those shocked split eyes. She would not look away from herself.

“What… happened?” Soul asked. The mare huffed in a rasp. She gulped. Her yellow eyes slowly moving to catch Soul’s gaze. Soul could see now that the mare was trembling. Her mouth shaking ever so slightly. Soul so uneasy.

A black hoof reached out to Soul. She could see it coming to her slowly, like she was about to jab her. Soul almost moved away. “Please don’t move” she requested. Soul did not. She stood there staring with confusion watching the mare’s hoof move over to Soul’s cheek. She could see it close in. So close. The black void filling her vision. What is she doing? Soul braced her cheek for the touch.

It never came.

Soul gasped in amazement as the black hoof melted in with her cheek. She had no idea what she just saw, just that it was… insane. That hoof turned to… to mist. Right against her cheek. Soul could not believe her eyes as the hoof came right back out of her cheek. A void of mist. Built together again. That black hoof held before her once more.

Her hoof had gone right through her face.

The mare reeled her hoof back, staring at it. Like she was one to be surprised. Soul actually went blank. This was… something else. Like this pony is made out of clouds or something. May as well. Her hoof was like one when it touched her. Like… like the stuff I used to read about. Is she…?

One thing came right to her as to explain what was going on.

1.25
“You’re… a ghost?”

The mare set her shaking hoof back down, staring off into space. “I… I…” she trailed off. Her mouth frowned in fear. Clear the mare was even more stunned than Soul was, can’t even answer. Shaking her head over it. Her body slumping.

Soul reached out to her closest black wing. Nothing changed. No feeling of something off as her hoof silently passed through the feathers she wanted to feel. So… is this why you aren’t even cold? Able to fly out there so easy. Her hoof just kept going through her. Again and again till the mare shot her a look. Okay, I’ll stop. Soul returned her hoof to the floor and stared to the mare. Sorry.

“Did you live here?” Was Soul in this mare’s house? Explaining as to how she had so silently appeared to her only after spending time here. The mare still stood there staring high into the ceiling of the house. Her ears gently falling to the sides of her head.

“No. I don’t know where I come from. This place… it is the first I’ve seen it. No different from you.” “Is there any chance you remember where you could be from?” Soul asked. The mare shook her head. Soul felt even more confused. She doesn’t know anything. I’m so confused. But one thing was clear.

“You’re lost then” Soul said. She stood back up and slid herself as close as she could without falling into the mare’s body, sitting side by side with her. “I’m lost too.”

Both ponies stared down at the floor with only the wind as their company. The mare eyed Soul, something Soul saw.

“How is it you are not afraid of me?” She asked bluntly. Soul wondered as to what she could mean. If she were a ghost or not, she sure did not act like one. She even offered her a hug on top of freeing her wings. A dragon-eyed black ghost mare. Never seen anything like this before. Wish I could tell the others if… if they even wanted to see me.

No, all I have is… is how she has been to me. So friendly. She even helped me. “Unless you start spooking me, you’re pretty cool to me. Thanks for helping me so much.” That crushing frown the mare wore quickly turning into a small smile.

1.26
A rumble broke Soul out of it, even made the mare startled for a moment. It lasted only a few seconds. Soul didn’t want it, but she saw the mare’s ears found where it came from. The filly knew exactly what it was and made her flush a little. She can’t hide it. She set a hoof over her stomach. Soul grumbled.

“I’m hungry.” With how old the house was apparent to her, doubt there would be anything to eat here. Maybe in the other houses? thinking if they were in a similar state to the one they were in. Soul could settle with a nice fruit salad or a sandwich right now. Anything better than what she had for so long now in Canterlot. Wonder if anything is out here.

The frigid air tortured her damp body. She shuddered with a ragged breath coming out hard from her mouth. Even tried to hold herself in her own wings. Those black wings were more attractive than ever.

Those wings rose above her. The mare stood up, looking ahead of her. She took a few steps away from Soul before looking back at her. “You truly are not afraid of me?” she asked. “Huh?” Soul started. “No. You’re cool just like I said.” Why should I be afraid? You’ve been awesome since the start.

The mare grunted. She bore her attention to the ugly chair Soul had used to reach up to the mantle earlier. Her hooves silently striding across the floor and stopping right at the foot of that chair. She sat back down. Soul watched on. The mare breathed deep. Almost like some rhythm to it. Soul thought she could see one of her legs shaking.

“I shall do something cool for you” the mare said.

1.27
Something creaked. Loudly. Quick and it grated on Soul’s ears. Ugh. Where is that…? She heard it then. Right behind the mare, the leg of the chair had been ripped, the wood torn and rending, turning to splinters as it pulled away from the chair. That was the thing.

It was pulled right off from the chair.

A second creak then a third, much louder than the first. One by one each of the legs followed suit to astonish Soul who knew not what was happening before her eyes. A tearing sound forced her the wince and the again as the chair collapsed on the ground. The four legs that had kept it aloft… they…

Floated

Soul had never seen this before. They hovered high over the mare wrapped in something strange. So dark. Like the mare was holding them but… no, she isn’t. That’s… that’s magic.

All the legs floating about in the dark embrace of the black clouds upon them all. Pinpricks of small silver coalesced in a dance within the black. Like it ate the chairs legs itself.

Soul’s eyes were wide. “Wow…” Her amazement making her grin at whatever this magnificent spectacle was. The mare actually glanced back at her now. She too smiled. All four legs were tossed into the gaping maw of the stone fireplace, all now freed of their misty blankets which immediately reappeared across more of the chair. A loud rip. The chair fell apart, pieces floating asunder from one another. Big and small, each piece joined with the legs making a sturdy pile of wooden. A new layer of darkness sprung to life in a sheet before the mare. Like a foggy cloud gently coming forward against the pile to push it further within the fireplace. Is she actually doing this? Soul wanted to walk up to it and see. This is unreal. Who is this? This mare?

That mare made a satisfied grunt and all that mist vanished. “What do you think?” she asked of Soul.

“That was awesome!” Soul shrieked leaning toward her. Her wings excitedly beat the air. That was too amazing. “How did you do that?” “It’s magic” the mare whispered. Soul’s eyebrow arched. Right when I thought I was going crazy. So it was true. That is what I heard Uincorns can do. Just like in the books. But… one thing though. She had to take a second look up on that pony’s head. Nope, …all she had were wings.

“Magic? …But you’re not a Unicorn. …Are you?” “As far as I can tell, no. I’m a Pegasus just as you are but, ...well.” She turned back to the fireplace. “I just can do stuff like this. I’ve always been capable of it.” She held out her hoof to the air around her muzzle. Out of nowhere, the tiny pony doll dashed in so fast that Soul couldn’t even see it in time, not before it floated over the mare’s hoof.

“Pegasi can’t perform magic, yet… somehow I can and it’s been natural to me for so very long.” “I thought you needed a horn to cast spells, just like how we need wings to fly” Soul said. Not that I need a horn to do cool stuff. Yeah, it’s cool that those horned ponies can do all that but they will never know what it’s like to fly as well as we can. But the idea of a Pegasus casting spells like a Unicorn, nearly ridiculous despite how cool it sounded to her. The thing is, now, do you really need a horn to do magic like this mare is doing?

“I have no idea why this has come to be” the mare said. “I have no horn, yet all I need is to want it… and it happens.” With that, the pony doll softly floated over to Soul to set down right in front of her hooves. “I’d love to be able to do that” Soul admitted. The mare giggled at her. “Is it not enough you are already an amazing flyer? I assure you…” her voice lowered steeply. Enough Soul could hardly make out what she said.

“…You are better off.”

1.28
Light roared to life across the entire room.

Shadows on every corner, dancing and waving as Soul watched this happen before her. A wave of fresh air flew into her face, sending all that fur flying. Such power. Wow.

This new light came from something Soul had a hard time believing had just appeared. Within the fireplace was a pillar of light. Oranges, reds, and yellows swirling in a whirlwind to give off small gleams of yellow fireflies to wander off only to die off in seconds. A glow so bright as to shine shimmers of orange in the mare’s distant dragon eyes.

Fire.

Ate every bit of the wooden pile she had made and the chair disappeared inside. It had been so sudden and so unexpected to her. Speechless. But the mare was just satisfied, looked like. She motioned her hoof over to Soul.

“Come now, I know you are cold. Sit with me.” I sure as hell will. Tired of being so cold. No matter how crazy this was, she could already feel the heat and came on over with the doll still in her hoof. The fire grew stronger as she closed. Something she could not have hoped to ever see in this dreary place that now gave new life to the dead of descending night. Not just the sight but the feel. Closer than before, it was hot. Like it was drying her fur right now, this is real fire.

Soul planted herself down next to her friend. Taking this all in. She really can do magic. Did it to help me. Soul could not help but smile. It felt great. Warm at last. No different from how she remembered the warming fires to grace her on chilly nights of winter or… huddling with her friends on Hearth’s Warming Eve.

I only have one pony here now to share this with me. I wish… she was here too. She held the Pegasus doll close to her, tears falling upon its head. Tears shed of the memory of times she felt long gone from her. Locked away from the rustle of wind tormenting the house and a cold that she still felt no matter how warm she got. I’m still… so cold. I’m tired of being cold. Tired of being stupid.

I hate you too!

I’m sorry, Dashie. Don’t even care if… if this mare was watching her.

1.29
How long could snow possibly fall? Never had she seen weather go so out of control as to snow for this many hours. Listening to the wind swirling around outside in an endless beating against the windows. The white of the snow shining off what light the Moon could give this place. So now, only the still roaring fire was left to light this house.

Soul would not dare to even move from where she was. Just not at all wanting to go around this strange house at night. It was scary for her to think of doing something like that. I could do that with my own home… not this. It was not a feeling her new friend had. She was off making a noise at the other side of the house. In the dark corners where the fire couldn’t reach. Going through something over there.

Whatever she could be searching through, Soul could not tell. Couldn’t even see her. So dark and such a dark pony. “Are you doing alright over there?” the mare’s voice called out from that void. This was the second time she had asked that since heading over there. Not annoying at all. Kind of felt good to finally have somepony around who cared. Mostly feeling slightly comforted knowing she had not left her.

“Yes” she replied briefly. Soul felt no different than she had the entire time she had sat with the mare watching the flames as they dried her off. Lucky for her all that water soaking her was gone. That fire was the only thing she watched right now. One source of light to guide her away from the darkness.

She watched as the fire trickled its light across the fireplace. How amazing that mare can make this. So much time sitting in front of it and she had no more doubt it was real. Not a trick of her eye or delusions. The work of a Pegasus who could do things she could never tell would feel like. How it would be to make incredible things like this?

She slowly brushed a hoof over the curly mane of the Pegasus doll still held against her chest as she watched the fire. Soul left to just enjoy the cinders floating around. Twirling and looping all around the flames. She watched their dance carefully. Their flight like that of free flying pegasi like she remembered in Cloudsdale, who would swiftly arch across the skies and clouds bringing in the first snows of winters. Each Pegasus tending to the lovely weather and raining a light snowfall upon the ponies below. Not once had she seen snow come down so hard and long. Not enough to bury homes. I hope this is all one big prank. It was never allowed to be this bad.

So what is this all about?

A winter so brutal that she could not even stay outside and forced instead to sit at a fire all alone. Reminds me. Sitting in front of a fire as snow came down. Where had those times gone? I’m all alone now… nopony here to hold me. Seemed like not that long ago. Then all this had to happen. I would love to do this with Dashie again. Would such a thing be possible again? Soul could not be sure if Dash would ever forgive her for what she had done to her and what she had said. I just want to leave this place and find her. But how long could this weather last? Where to go? Soon, I hope. Soul didn’t want to spend so long in this place. Not like this. Not at all.

1.30
Something set itself down upon Soul’s back, pressing her wings down and flattening her mane. Felt it right there. She yelped in surprise. Something lay all over her. She felt even warmer now. Because she just saw what it was.

“Do you like what I found?” the mare asked. That pony snuck up on her. Happy with herself. A big smile on her dark face. She actually found a blanket. Wow.

Soul grabbed hold of it in her mouth and pulled the whole thing around her. A soft and warm blanket… just like the one she and Dash had shared. Of course, I like it. “Thank you.”

She looked up finding a frown on the mare’s face. “I apologize though.” She slinked down. “I could not find any food.” A heart wrenching thing to hear and Soul’s stomach rumbled in response. Soul did not expect any food to be found in this old shack called a house but she had been hopeful anyways. Wasted. At least I have a blanket. Not so cold now. Something for this old bed.

“You should get some sleep soon” the mare said right then. Sleeping. Soul touched the mattress. Not her own. “I will” Soul said but would not move from her huddle in the blanket. The mare sat back down next to her and joined in watching the fire. Soul said nothing. She couldn’t.
Sleeping here. In this house. How long has it been? Been since she slept somewhere she could call home. A shine from tears building in her eyes. The howl of a strong gust of wind blasted in from outside and Soul could feel a slight cold breeze find a way into the blanket and make her shudder. Her stomach growled again. Made her want to whimper. She wanted to go home most of all. Somewhere that is home. To find a way out of this place she did not know. This unknown place of snow.

“Where in Equestria are we?” Soul finally asked.

Her new friend seemed talented in so many ways and knew some things. If she is, then tell me. Find out so I know where to go. I have to rely on her. In her brief time of knowing her, to believe she could help her find their way out of here. What better choice did she have?

A long sigh came from the mare. “I see no reason in hiding anything from you for you will figure it out soon enough. I can tell you are starting to do just that” she said. Stop wasting my time and tell me; Soul wanted to say that to her. Almost bitter. Her stomach roared.

“Soul…” That mare leaned closer and found a place next to Soul. Her dragon-like eyes looking down deeply at her. She looked so serious now and… Soul’s heart plummeted. Already knowing. Soul had an idea all along. That face was all she needed.

“Soul, dear…”

“This is not Equestria.”

1.31
I’m sorry.

What had the princess meant? An apology before Soul who felt more regret than any other before a crowd of glaring eyes.

This is not Equestria.

A beam of light. A shredding of sun-capped cloud homes amidst an open blue sky to give way to an endless veil of white and grey that bit her hard with frostbite. Ice to wrap her in an everlasting cold. Only snow and wind for as far as the eye could see reaching far and high. So cold. Her tears turning to ice. Right on her muzzle. That is what it is she gets to deal with now. That is why the princess apologized?!

Can’t even cry anymore. Just dying off like all the stars in the sky. This dreary sky. No longer the land she knew. The last tears for it. She could only cry for herself, what was left of it. In this cold land now. There they fell upon the ragged rug. She couldn’t stop it. Her heart ached.

“What?” Soul squeaked as her legs trembled beneath the blanket. “W-where are we? What happened to me?”

The black mare’s ears rose higher and twitched to face over to Soul herself. She hesitated to answer, staring down at the floor beneath Soul’s legs. Tell me!

The mare sighed quickly as her eyes closed. Her head shook as she turned to face away from Soul. Her faded mane flowing quick as she turned. Soul could not see it but she could tell her new friend hid away her own pain.

She knew.

Soul didn’t need to be told the mare knew something. But her answer came out not as Soul expected. “I think that you are aware of what happened. It is why you are crying.” Soul did know. It was the same thing that had happened to the last pony who did something horrible. Who had made a mistake. Just as she had done to and for Rainbow Dash.

“Celestia… sent me…” Soul’s head fell and she heaved a cry. Her eyes sealed tightly. “Away.”

1.32
Soul could only cry. Watching the old and ugly rug of this cursed place get soaked in her own tears. She was gone from her home.

Banished.

That was it. This can’t be. Soul went over everything she knew of her life. All the beauty she had learned to embrace like a wide sky welcoming her to fly its majesty. All her talent. Everything she wanted. I want it all back! Flying alongside the… the one pony I wanted to. Enjoying everything… together. Eating food with her friend, laughing with her. No worries like she taught me to not have.

Was it all gone now?

Rainbow Dash left her. Celestia herself got rid of her. All she had wanted was to help, to protect those dear to her and she had done just that. Taking pride in herself for doing what nopony else would or could only for everything in her life to now be stripped from her and replaced by… this. What was this for her? A lonely village in the middle of wherever the hell this was. Freezing in here! She wanted to be warm. I want it all back. I want the life I… I fought for back. I did ruin it.

Can I even go back? If it even could happen.

She cried harder and harder. Sobs echoing in the house. “No!” she screamed. “No.” Her voice fell to a whisper just as she fell to the ground. Her hooves clamped around the pony doll. “I want to go home. I want to go home.” It’s all I wanted after this.

The filly curled beneath the blanket. A new rumble escaped from her stomach pounding away at her with emptiness. So much pain, a loud cry set loose from her mouth.

“Soul” she heard the mare whisper above her. I don’t want to look, don’t look at me. She could feel the pony standing above her. Why are you even there? Will you hurt me too like all ponies did?!

“Soul” she said again anyways, closer now. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice was right there in her ear. Like… somepony sweet. Who would whisper to her just to say that all will be okay.

Soul peeked her head up.

1.33
Dragon eyes met hers. So close to her. The black Pegasus lay flat on the floor with her. Wings open to her. Like the entire floor covered itself in black feathers. A small glow of bright yellow beamed from the suns that were her diamond eyes.

So quickly, the blanket came down on its own. Soul couldn’t do it herself, no… it was the mare who made it do this. The blanket wiped Soul’s tears. Like the blanket itself did this for her. No, just magic.

“You didn’t deserve this, you sweet girl” she said to Soul. Despite her efforts to wipe them away, Soul’s tears only returned back to soak her fur. You think I’m… I’m not a sweet girl though. Nopony thought that. Not even my own mother. Not even my best friend. Why would you? Even if… I want to hug you for saying that to me.

Soul could feel her hind legs push herself forward pressing her over to the pony she held her forelegs out to. Darkness. Another total blackout as she could feel herself fall through the pony and hard onto the floor. She could see again, see her hug failed. The black Pegasus looked back at her. Must look like an idiot, huh? Too bad I can’t hug her.

Soul looked back up at her weeping. “I know you want to hug me” the black mare said. Her wings rose out to Soul but stopped short. “I don’t wish for you to be like this.” Soul sniffled. “I was banished” she cried. “Everypony hates me.”

“Shh shh shh” the mare hushed her. “That’s not true at all.”

Soul couldn’t believe that. Rainbow Dash hated her, as did every other pony. Just like how ponies made fun of her and how she was always abandoned in the end when love was all she ever wanted. Rewarded like this.

It hurt so much.

A new tear fell to the floor. Not from her but from another set of yellow eyes. The black mare wept for her. Soul was stunned. The mare actually cried for her. Like acid. Mist of black steaming from the ground with each tear to land on it. “Your friends don’t hate you.”

“Yes, they do!” Dash said so. “It’s why nopony wants me now. They don’t want me around.” The black mare pushed herself up in a surprise to Soul as she lurched down over her. Her long mane reaching down to her from above just as those dragon eyes did. “Stop it! I don’t hate you. You have no idea just how much I want to hug you right now! If only I could… to prove to you that, at this moment, I care for you.”

1.34
Soul heard the sincerity in her voice. This pony wanted to hug her? But what would that prove? It did not mean the ponies out there felt the same. It did not change that Celestia herself hated her so much as to get rid of her, a filly who wanted to be around others. This only caused her to cry more.

“Please stop crying” the mare said. Such a low voice, she pushed herself forward closer to Soul. Soul could feel her right there. Finding the pony laying next to her. Spreading her great wings and legs out. That black fur close enough to touch Soul but falling so short. “Stop crying. I’m here for you.”

They both sat there like that, Soul held herself. Ignoring the black mare laying with her. Wind blew against the house. Soul kept crying. My eyes hurt. I’m so tired of this. Of feeling like this. I was banished!

She lay quietly beneath the mare’s chest. Her life really was gone. She mumbled underneath the blanket. “Shhh” the mare silenced her again. Soul did so. Can’t even feel anymore tears left in her. “I hate this.” She sniffed hard. “Celestia is so mean.”

“Calm down, little one.” Soul did as she asked. All she could do anymore. With her thoughts of everything. “So mean.” Soul fell silent again lost in what little warmth the blanket and fire could provide to her as the house grew colder. Only her heavy breathing and sniffles could be heard. I’m so tired.

She fully awoke hearing her dark friend speak to her anew. “You are indeed so heartbroken. But I can assure you that Celestia is no different.” “Why?” Soul asked. “She had to do what she did but such a decision would wrench her heart so much it would ache. I know because it’s how I would feel. I bet, right now, you are the only pony on her mind. The memory of what she did now a blight on her own soul.”

1.35
Soul didn’t care. Knowing she had been banished being the only thing she could focus on. I was banished by that jerk. I did the right thing. Dash is safe now. Just because of that made her doubt if Celestia really did feel bad about this. So she stayed quiet. I don’t feel like fighting. She had saved Rainbow Dash when nopony else would yet the princess still punished her. It sure did not seem she felt regret. None of that… what had she said?

Blight on her soul?

I have a hard time knowing what it is this mare says sometimes. Fine, I’ll talk to you. Anything to stop crying. “What does blight on her soul even mean?” Soul asked. “You wish to learn?” the mare asked in surprise above her. “You talk so weird” Soul whispered. “So of course I want to know what you mean.”

Soul stopped herself immediately. I probably should not have said that. Damn. Hope she isn’t mad. Her head lowered expecting some sort of punishment. Another punishment.

The mare unexpectedly laughed. “I do talk funny, huh?” she said. “My apologies. I’ll gladly tell you what I meant. Sending a sweet filly such as you away would certainly hurt Celestia… the blight of her soul. Actions that leave a deep black void across the kindness of her spirit.”

Uh… okay. I didn’t think she would be alright with that. But fine. Soul nodded anyways. Glad that she didn’t get in trouble. It was actually interesting to her. It sounded to her like regret. Celestia felt regret just as Soul did? Soul didn’t know nor could she guess. All she had were her memories of the fateful moment that seemed like long ago as she stared into the alicorn’s eyes, and now everything was gone. All her friends and her life. Lost and all she had left was a strange mare. Now her only companion.

Soul looked up at the black fur all along that pony. All her beauty in her shiny coat and wings. Her gorgeous smile. This really was the only pony who was being nice to her. Is she really the only one who likes me? A black ghost with no name? A dark spirit. The best I got. May as well be exactly what the mare was talking about, some black soul is all she… is. Wait.

Something hit her mind. Eyeing the pony. The blight of her soul, huh? Soul actually had to giggle a little when she thought of it.

1.36
“Soulblight!”

Soul could see the mare actually held her breath for a moment. Surprised?

“What is that?” she asked of Soul. “I don’t like not knowing what to call you so I came up with a name.” Soul said as her ears drooped. “You don’t like it?”

“Did you come up with that just off of my explanation?” the mare said. Soul went ahead and nodded her head. Best I could do with what you gave me. Hope you like it. The mare was silent. Looking all over her. Looked like she was stunned. Why? Is it that bad?

“Aww” she heard the mare say. “That’s so sweet of you.”

“You like it?” Soul asked again, brightening up. “I do. I wouldn’t mind you calling me that, you creative little sweetheart.” Soul felt the blanket tug itself over her head and roughly rub against her mane. It didn’t hurt not at all like how she used to get these noogies, but Soul knew the mare was doing her own version of one to her. It made Soul giggle a little, and that even made the mare she could now call Soulblight laugh with her.

Their laughter was interrupted by another rumble of thunder from Soul’s stomach, this one worse than every other so far. It made Soul cringe and curl up against her belly. “Owww.” Soul moaned again. “We don’t have any food?” she pleaded. Now Soulblight backed away to no longer loom over the filly and sit down in front of her. “I checked everywhere.”

A burst of magic pushed the Pegasus doll back in between Soul’s forelegs. She held it in her hooves, all she had. “I know it’s tough to handle but we can look around the area tomorrow for something to eat. I believe it’s too dangerous right now” Soulblight explained. …Soul would not argue. Not much of a choice. Going out in the dark terrified her even with the company of the older Pegasus, but that damned cold truly haunted her.

“But I can’t fall asleep hungry” Soul said.

Soulblight left her gaze on Soul and looked over to the abandoned bed. “You should sleep. It shall be day time before you know it and we can be that much closer to getting you something to eat. I can help you fall asleep, if you wish.” Well that was true, just sleep and be done with this day. So much closer to food then. How hard would it be for her to fall asleep though? …For both of them?

“Aren’t you hungry? How would you be able to fall asleep?” Soul asked.

Soulblight chuckled looking back at her. She looked proud of herself over something. “Come on now, you think I need food or sleep?” Oh, that’s right… hard to get used to this. Oh how much Soul envied her. Wonder what it’s like, to be like her.

1.37
She made her way to the bed anyways. Soulblight stood up as well and followed right behind her, who dragged the blanket with her, over to the bed. Soul did not need to deal with the blanket anymore. Nope. That magic grabbed hold of it once more and tossed it up on that bed. Just a flick of her wings and Soul flew up there.

The bed was pretty soft. Thought it would be hard. She wasn’t sure what to have expected with how old everything in the house seemed to be. Good thing it was soft to her hooves’ touch. She found a nice, open spot at the head of the blanket that she lay herself down on. Stretching herself out on it. Finally, some rest.

“At least this feels nice” she commented. Her stomach rumbled again. Everything felt nice except for that. The harder her hunger hit her, the more Soul doubted on if she could fall asleep. Yet there was no food.

Wait a minute. It was too cold for her, …but not for Soulblight. She was able to fly around out there easy. “Wait!” Soul grabbed her attention. “Do you think you might be able to find some food since you seem to be more… gifted than I am?” Soul gave her a big, pleading smile. Please. Soulblight smiled at her as well.

“Excellent idea. That weak weather is nothing to me.” With that, she turned around and silently trotted over to the door. For some reason, she still smiled and her voice sounded almost joking to Soul now. “I shall be going. It may be some time before I can find something for you sooooo…” She looked back over at Soul with an arched eyebrow. “Would you be alright being by yourself for a couple hours?”

Soul’s heart sank. I… um… maybe not such a good idea. She could see it now: all alone hiding under her blanket in the dying light of the fire. Her body shivering from both cold and… all this loud wind rocking the house, almost scared her right now. With nopony around for her to reach out to.

Wow. Soul found herself astonished as to how Soulblight’s knew that. Whatever it was, Soulblight actually looked pleased with herself. “You still wish me to leave?” “No!” Soul yelled, jumping from the bed and almost falling off.

“I… I can wait till morning, I guess.”

Soulblight walked back over to the bed still smiling at the filly. “It’s only been half a day. Just be a little more patient and you shall be better soon” she said. “It’s time for bed.”

1.38
Soul’s heart calmed itself. Thankful she isn’t leaving. No way could she do this without Soulblight here tonight. It allowed her to fall back down on the bed, laying on her side as comfortable as she could be. A bit hard to feel right. This wasn’t her bed. Been so long since she could sleep in a bed she knew. Didn’t help it was cold too.

“Would you at least want to lay on the bed with me? There’s plenty of room” Soul asked. Keep me some company in this strange place. She was answered quickly with a black hoof falling upon the mattress only for it to disappear before her eyes, going straight into the white of the bed. Soulblight brought her hoof back up. “It seems I can’t” she said disappointed. That sucks.

Soul felt a little relieved for Soulblight since the mare didn’t need to sleep at all. She could not imagine having the Pegasus sleep on a cold, hard floor while Soul gets the bed. Well it looked like the bed truly was for Soul tonight. Though it would be nice to share it with the larger pony. Been so long since she ever got that chance again, not since last time… the last time she could sleep with another pony. All she had was the blanket. Soulblight grabbed hold of that blanket with that black mist again. Pulling it up. It fell upon Soul, covering all but her head. Soul felt some touch running along her as the blanket tightened around her. Moving on its own, the blanket kneaded itself deep under Soul’s body and wrapping around her leaving just enough room for her to be able to move around in. It felt much warmer than it did before. Soul figured out now that the pony had tucked her in.

Felt a little warmer, though she still missed sleeping like she used to. She still smiled with how pleasant it all felt, all thanks to Soulblight. She could feel her eyes fall slowly as she watched the kind, black Pegasus watch over her with the glow of the still strong fire flickering behind her.

“You’re not gonna leave me, right?” Soul asked. Had to be sure. No way to fall asleep if it were otherwise. Soulblight shook her head. “I’ll be here watching over the house. If you need me, I’ll be right with you.” “Thank you” Soul said.

“You’re really nice.”

Soulblight’s smile grew wider. “Hush now.” She reached her head over the mattress closer to Soul. “You still want me to help you fall asleep?” “How?” Soul wondered. Something that can help. Soul’s poor stomach rumbled again.

“Hmmm.” Soulblight looked to the mattress before returning her gaze to Soul. “Have you… ever had anypony sing for you?” A song? I didn’t expect her to offer that. She had never been sung to sleep before. Nopony ever offered it to her nor had she ever needed it. Damn, how Rainbow Dash would likely laugh at her by how she was now thinking of accepting the thing Soulblight offered her. Even if… Dashie may have had her mom sing her to sleep.

She wondered how Dash may be right now. Was there an off chance she needed her parents to sing to her just for tonight? After what I did to her, she probably needs it. I hurt her so bad. Did she lay in her bed at this very moment like Soul did, sad? Sad but with her mom and dad like normal. Or did she even care? Forgetting Soul like everypony else did, not like the black Pegasus. Soul’s very own pony to stand over her and ease her mind.

1.39
“You have a nice song for me?” Soul asked. “I know one and I would love to share it with you” Soulblight started rubbing her hoof along the back of her mane. “If you want, that is.” Soul nodded. She could swear Soulblight’s eyes lit up. “Okay. Get cozy.”

Soul slid the side of her head deep into the mattress. Laying against her own mane. So much softer than the mattress. Already sleepy and watching the mare. How Soulblight rubbed her chin and thought.

“I’m unsure if you’d like my singing voice so I don’t want you to not laugh at me” Soulblight requested. “I won’t” Soul whispered. Never. Not to you. Soulblight silently cleared her throat and leaned forward closer until she was just short of Soul’s ear. Close enough for Soul to see small strands of silvery mist spiral out from her black fur falling down to harmlessly poof away against the filly’s own fur. So close once more. Looking into just how beautiful and lovely this mare was. Fur so dark but she could see how soft it all was. Gentle like her smile.

Soulblight closed her eyes. Soul listened.

“My lovely pony, know not of fear. Rest in the warmth of my care.”

Those words came out slowly and so naturally. Elegant. Soul felt tingles hit her just from that. She was awe struck. The voice that so gently sang each individual word was completely different to how she had heard from Soulblight up till now. It was a softness the likes of which Soul could not believe to be possible for any pony at all to speak with, rolling from that black tongue with grace. That’s what it was.

How is this pony so beautiful? In every way.

Soul… she couldn’t help it. Her eyes felt heavy. Wanting to just listen to that lovely voice go on. Words sung so slowly. “Sleep my sweet pony, I’ll hold you so near. Cradle the love we’ll always share.” Those last words stuck in her head, sung softly in the last breath Soulblight gave in her song, and Soul saw it just as her eyes fought to stay open.

Soulblight… she cried under her closed eyes. Why are you crying? Soulblight…

Soul wanted to reach out and hold her. If only she could. To know why… why the mare cried. I’ve never seen a pony cry from their own song.

“That… was… beautiful” Soul managed to slip that out at least. So cozy, she couldn’t do it anymore. Even without her bed, without anything that she knew. Without her room and with all that had happened. So long without it all, she could still fall asleep in peace.

“Sleep well, Soul Serenity.”

1.40
Soul burst right through all those clouds. The shredded bits of once elegant clouds cut to shreds by her wings. Back to the sky again for her first time of the day. Soul had missed her open sky even with just having to sleep a whole night before she could do this. She felt so energized and ready for the day. Having to laugh about it.

No change in the wind. Nothing that she felt would keep her from having a good day. Nope, clear weather for today. This would turn out well. A perfect and quick dash through the open sky and going to find the rest of the ponies. Hopeful to find Dashie there. Soul could see her best friend wanting to try and show her up with something the first chance she would get, can’t wait to see.

They were supposed to practice synchronized spins today in the middle of this breezy day. No challenge whatsoever for Soul and her number one wingpony. Only allowing the other slowpokes to catch up while giving them a show at the same time. May as well throw in some spirals to spice it up. Anything went now that… we finally get to practice tricks at camp.

Like the sky itself reminded her of her best friend out there. A massive rainbow arch rising high over Soul and descending far off in the distance to the landscape far below. Its assortment of colors coming down in a mix with the greens and browns of the wide-open landscape whose vastness could only match the same openness of the sky that coiled around the titanic super city of Cloudsdale. The city’s perfectly tended and patterned cloud buildings shrinking in size as Soul left it far below her. Nearly every white and blue home specked in tight marks across the clouds barely visible to Soul’s eyes with only the waterfalls of rainbows and wafts of newly birthed clouds floating about left to show Cloudsdale still down there. So high up. A distance closed between the great pegasi city and Soul by the gigantic rainbow cast off by the city itself.

1.41
Soul would not return to the city hopefully for the rest of the day to relax at the sauna… but only after some more flying around the city with Dashie. Maybe the two fillies could go to the forest or even the lake. That is what she hoped for. Soul couldn’t hide her excitement, grinning all the way to where she could see the place to be.

Dozens upon dozens of clouds annihilated in her wake. Soul loved going this fast. Any reason to get there faster and to give herself some warmup for today. Her incredible speed brought her that much closer until she could see them right ahead. Found you all.

She could see all the fillies and colts up there in the clouds and spotted a cloud for herself. Nice and wide open. A nice, big cloud the specks of several kids flew around with nopony on it. No chance of an accident. So she darted forward at it.

“Wait for it” she whispered. Under and over. In the cloud came, growing bigger and bigger in her sight within mere seconds. Now. Soul sent her wings forward and held them in place with all the strength of her muscles fighting and winning against the massive force of air pushing back against them. Her wings did not buckle and her feathers held strong. Quickly slowing the filly down in time for her to fly right under the dark spot of the cloud, just fast enough, not too fast but not slow enough to rid the thrill of her daring flight. Soul kept her eye on the shadow around her, watching the rays of the Sun flowing down around the cloud. She was pinpoint. A strong down flap of her wings just as she passed back into the sunlight free of the cloud’s shadow. There we go.

Soul curved up along the side of the white cloud, close enough for puffs of free floating cotton to rip apart against Soul’s back. She flew free of the cloud’s touch. Down below her she could see it, a big spot atop the sun-drenched cloud that she went right for with just one flap. Soul came down on it. Spinning over that cloud and… she let her hooves out. The cloud’s top poofed around her hooves as she set down from her completed spiral.

Ha, I still got it.

1.42
“I’m here, guys!”

She looked around. But she held her breath… because of this response.

All the kids of her group were here yet nopony seemed to have even noticed her arrival. A hoofful of them finally glanced back over to her. They seemed surprised to see her and certainly said nothing. Like they didn’t care about her move. “Hey, Soul.” “Hi.” They said back to her before going back to whatever mingling they had been doing.

Soul’s high spirit hit the curb. Everypony had not even noticed. None of them smiled at her, none of them congratulated her. She could only see them smile at one another as they talked to their fellow flight buddies while they stood on clouds or flew around them. Soul grumbled under her breath before slowly walking along the cloud with her head down. Of course. I wish they had seen it.

“Show off.” Soul’s ears perked up. She turned in the direction of whoever said such a thing. Recognizing the voice of the pony she didn’t want to see today. Hoping her would have gotten sick or something to keep him away. There floated, of all ponies, Aurora. The lavender colt in a hover with a few other colts with his forelegs crossed and looked as displeased as always.

Typical for that jerk to say that. Well at least somepony had noticed her… much to Soul’s discontent for who it was. So she did as she always did, ignoring him as she walked by. He still can’t get over that I beat him. He’ll do anything to try and make me feel bad.

She could hear a hoofful of quiet snickers uttered by the colts just as she would have expected. “Thanks for noticing” she said without looking at him. “Asshole” she whispered confident he had not heard her. He gave no hint that he had.

Soul went back to keeping her head low to the clouds and moving to join the rest of the pegasi. She took a deep breath and let it go as her heart beat fast from the warm up she had given herself. A pointless warm up she felt as all the ponies seemed to instinctively ignore her. It would have been nice if somepony cared. After all, Soul just recently saw she could finally be herself around them all.

Maybe Dash had spotted her pull it off somewhere else, she hoped.

“Hiya, Soul” a voice said to her. Sounded a lot happier. Practically lifted Soul up right away. Looking up, she found the curly maned filly. Amber! She came over right with Soul, happy to join her. A friendly face. Soul smiled for her.

1.43
“Hi, Amber! You ready for today?” Soul more than happy to talk to her. Always great to have Amber there to join them for flying. No doubt flying alongside her sister, Breezy. “Yeah! I had a great breakfast and I’m raring to go” Amber said. Soul could see her smaller wings flutter at her sides. Soul had to giggle a little.

She really is always so fun to be around. Always like this. I’m… glad we all hung out last Hearth’s Warming. Wouldn’t be able to even talk like this if not. “I expect Breezy and you to give me a show” Soul happily said. Confident in them.

Amber looked off to her side, keeping her eyes square on Soul with a look of something Soul couldn’t place. Is she shy? She sure sounded shy with her response. “Oh, …well I’m not with Breezy today.” She rubbed one of her forelegs over the other.

Soul was amazed by what she was hearing. Did Amber have a new friend, finding a new partner for today? Perhaps Breezy was doing the same. Soul could not help but feel happy for her.

“Really!” Soul shrieked. She bounced right up into her face. I got to know the details. All of them. “You got a new friend? Who is she?!” Amber laughed this time. She smiled at the expectant magenta filly.

“Well… it’s a he” she said.

No way. Soul wanted to smack Amber if she was just pulling her leg. All this time, I never thought she would want to fly with a colt. Never came off like she would. Amber was the last pony Soul would expect to do that, especially since she had Breezy. Soul didn’t even need to respond. Her face told it all to Amber. The filly frowned at her.

“Hey, I’m not lying. He wanted to practice with me and I said yes. Breezy told me to go for it.” Soul gave up on her disbelief of Amber’s words and accepted them as truth. Amber was getting a new friend, and a boy at that. Lucky.

Soul nodded at her. Her forehoof arced out and gently punched against Amber’s shoulder. “Good for you! Make me proud.” “You know I will” Amber said as she turned around and stared off over at somepony else. Soul caught him too. Some grey maned colt with long strands of hair over his face. Soul could see him wave over at them and Amber even waved back. That has to be him. I don’t even know his name. Just another stranger in their class to her. “Don’t get too jealous of me” Amber smirked before flying off.

“What!?” Soul yelled.

Damn teasing. Soul had not for one bit felt any jealousy over her hanging out with new ponies or boys. Not like I need boys, I got my flying to perfect and all… though she did find herself a little down by it. Amber is lucky. So easy for her to make a new friend. I had a hard time just trying to get ponies to notice what I can do. Speaking of which… “Wait a minute” she called after Amber. “Did you see my trick?” No answer came back. Amber was well away with that colt. “Damn” Soul said.

Guess I should see Dashie.

1.44
There she was. Just a couple clouds off she could see that long rainbow tail facing back at her. Dash over there with the other fillies and colts. Just who I want to see. Soul jumped right off the cloud and leapt over to the next. Her wings gliding her over and over them all one at a time, just a short way over to where Dash was.

Nopony noticed her landing with them and as she walked up behind them. Soul couldn’t care. Everypony she saw were nameless to her that she never cared to meet. So she approached the one pony there she truly knew. Soul kept expecting Dash to turn around and greet her but it never came as she listened to another filly talking about something. Soul could only pick up a few words and not enough for her to figure out what they may be talking about.

“Dashie!” she screamed.

Just as she wanted, Dash’s tail frizzed up and she actually shook a little from shock. Yes, I surprised her. Soul just loved seeing that look on Dash’s face. She smiled proudly. Dash turned her head back with a frown that slowly came up to a small smile.

“Oh, what’s going on?”

Soul heard it right there, Dash sounded displeased. I overdid it. Dash was certainly less than pleased being scared like that in front of the others and the fault was on Soul. “Sorry for yelling. I was just playing. It looks like you’re ready for today” Soul said. Dash turned around now to face her.

“Don’t do that again. That wasn’t very nice, you know?” Soul couldn’t really smile anymore. She backed off a step feeling ashamed over how much her tiny prank affected Dash. She glanced past Dash to the other pegasi standing behind her who were also staring at her. All across them, none smiled at her, not even Dash. Soul realized she truly should not have yelled. Even she would consider it as rude to have been interrupted by somepony just as she had just done. But it made no sense. Dashie always liked it when I pranked her, she always got me back in the end. Maybe she really is afraid of doing this stuff in front of the others.

Soul tapped her hoof against the cloud with her head down. “I won’t. I’m sorry.” Soul regretted it. I need to find some way to make it up to her. Dash sighed. “Don’t worry about it. …I’m totally ready for today. You look good as well.” Soul liked how her friend returned to normal now sounding exactly as she knew her to be. Maybe she had noticed her trick earlier. Soul went off that assumption. “Thanks a lot! Did you happen to see my landing when I got here?”

Dash placed her hoof behind her head, rubbing slowly with a smile. Yes?

“Uhhh …no I didn’t, sorry” Dash admitted. Soul sighed. So it was all for nothing then. Damn.

1.45
“Yeah… don’t worry. It was nothing special” Soul lied.

Soul had to admit to herself that it was kind of heartbreaking. She kept her head low to the ground faking her smile, none knew how disappointed she was. Feels a lot like how the early days here felt. None of it mattered. She would have time to feel better later on as she trained with Dash and have loads of fun. So she went on to it.

“I’m excited to fly with you today. We’re gonna do great, I know it” Soul said looking up at Dash. “Oh. Right” Dash slowly said. Her smile let out a small laugh. It sounded weird to Soul. Like it was a fake one.

“Uh, Soul” Dash said to her. “I’m actually pairing up with somepony else today.”

Soul actually felt her own stomach churn hearing that.

Dash was not going to fly with her?

How could this be? “What?” Soul whispered. “But… we always fly together.” “I know, but Breezy needed a partner and I offered to fly with her” Dash said. So that was who Breezy would be with now that Amber had found a new partner and now… Soul realized she had no partner. But… Dashie, you’re supposed to be my partner. My wingpony. Who else could ever be my partner?

Her eyes scanned across the other ponies standing behind Dash. All strangers to her. No, she did not want to ask any of them. She wanted her friend. Almost as if it were mocking her, Breezy flew in behind Dash. The younger filly smiling away over this. Dash actually smiled at her and not at Soul.

“Dash! We’re heading out so hurry up” Breezy said. Dash started to turn away. “Coming” she said with no hesitation. “No, wait!” Soul yelled after her, making Dash turn back in surprise to Soul’s outburst. Even more surprised to now see a tear coming down the magenta filly’s cheek. Soul could feel her mouth quiver in sadness with how close she had seen Dash nearly leave her with no explanation about this. Hell, not even caring about how mean it was to leave her. We need to fly together.

“I want to fly with you, Dash. I got nopony else to fly with” she pleaded. She felt this to be true with fear coming over her still thinking she would have to approach somepony she did not know. What if they didn’t like her or made fun of her like they used to do? It was not a fear she had with Rainbow.

“Go ask around then. I already got a partner” Dash said in such a harsh tone. Stunning Soul with it but even more so by what she was asking. Dash, more than any other, should know I can’t do that. She is the one I want to always fly with. She knows this. How could she suggest this? Soul slinked her head down slowly shaking, thinking over it. “But… I don’t want to. I’m too afraid” Soul whispered.

1.46
Something breathed against her forehead. It was strong enough to force the filly to look back up and see a pair of magenta eyes staring down on her with Dash’s face right there in her face.

“Well that’s not my problem.”

The words coming out like a knife to her heart making Soul tremble. They cut so deep against her. Soul repeated the line over and over feeling these sudden cruel words of her friend. Soul hated to… to do this, but tears came down. Couldn’t even control them. Dashie, I… I want to only fly with you. Don’t leave me. Don’t do it like everypony else did.

Small laughs sounded out to her. Past Dash, she could see the other kids laughing at her hiding their mouths behind their legs as if she wouldn’t see it. Don’t laugh at me. She knew she looked so defenseless now, pushed down by the cyan Pegasus and cornered by those words that made her cry in front of everypony. Surrounded by their laughter. “D-d-d …Dashie” Soul muttered with what little strength she could put out. With that, Rainbow Dash backed away looking back at her now with disgust.

“What a baby” she turned back to look at the others. “Why would I ever fly with her? A waste of my time.” The laughter grew louder to Soul. She could clearly see everypony else finally laughing about it. Just like they did when I fell. How can they do this? Laugh at this. How she was abandoned by the pony who smirked at her. Even Breezy laughed behind Dash. Soul looked around at all of them. Not one pony showed her any care. Pegasi hanging around other clouds laughed at her from the distance. She could even pick out Amber among them. Like this really was funny. Funny to them all… and she was the only one who could cry over it. Why? Why?

Soul backed away from them all. She wanted to go home now, forget the class. Knowing how pathetic she must look now. Pathetic in front of everypony and in front of her best friend. Even with what Rainbow had said, Soul had to reach out to her. Her little hoof moving to touch her friend’s chest. “Dashie…” she whispered again. Dash did not meet her touch. Soul’s heart ached as she watched her friend turn around with her head shaking. As she turned away, Soul caught Dash glaring.

“Buzz off.”

Soul saw it come right at her. Her face stung right when that rainbow tail whipped right at her. A pain that could not yell any louder at her than the pain in her heart. All she could see in her hazy sight was a streak of rainbow hairs flashing across her face reaching from the rear of the cyan Pegasus. Striking so hard. So hard… Soul blinked. So hard that she felt nothing. Nothing else but the pain that made her step back and then… her hooves fell off.

1.47
Dash left her sight, as did all the other ponies. All she could see was the sky falling away from her just like when I would fall all the time during training. Right before they left me. All the time Nimbus and Starry trained me, gone in an instant. Just like all ponies in my life, falling away from it all. Everything left her. The sky left her, and only a single feeling could grip upon her body. Soul only felt her pain. Her wings dangling up desperately clawing back to the clouds she fell from. She could not reach out to them. The echoes of laughter entering all around. Stop it!

Her heart ached so much. Rainbow Dash… hated her. Doesn’t even want to fly with me. What is the point then? No point at all. Flap. Flap. Those wings did nothing to stop her fall. They were useless.

The clouds shrank ever more and the wind cut deep against her back as she fell. Clouds burst apart to make way for her. Little puffs of white all that were in her wake. Soul reached a hoof out. It came before her vision. A small magenta hoof reaching out for where she last saw her. For the life I want back. Give it back! Please. Rainbow. “Dash…shie. Don’t leave… me”

I hate you!

The wind cut deep. Falling through it all. Just a little reach for the sky she fell from. Soul left it behind. Cast out from it, Soul pulled her hoof back in. Coming to touch… where Dash hit her. It hurts. So much. Didn’t need to see it, just knowing by the red she saw on her hoof. A deep cut on her face. She hit me. Why? Red droplets fell from her hoof up into the sky. All she left behind in her fall.

It hurt. So much. Her face stung as badly as her heart did but she would not reach away, still clinging on to the last sight of that dying cloud high above her in the sky that died along with it. The blues and whites shining in the great embrace of the yellow Sun staring down on her, burning all that sight away. The last light of day gone.

It’s so dark. Falling from the sky. Soul could feel it. Coming down on the forest that lay below it all.

Dashie.

Silence.

1.48
Soul gasped.

The only sound to break the darkness. Gone was the sky, the clouds she could not reach for. Staring up at some ceiling. It left her muddled. Hearing some ringing. Laughter. She just realized she was panting. Her hoof rubbed against the rough mattress.

No, this wasn’t her bed. That was right.

She remembered everything looking up at the wooden boards of the ceiling and a glance to her right showing the ugly window stuffed near to the top with snow that worked hard but failed to block out rays of sunlight to try and shine through the house as much they could. This sanctuary from the snow in a world devoid of the hatred and betrayal her mind flourished around with what was left of what she now knew was a nightmare.

The most terrible nightmare in a long time. She moved her head a little across the mattress. The blanket buckled along her body, freed of the tight wrap it had her in as she remembered it used to be. Tossing and turning. Such a rough night.

Felt like… her entire face was damp. A cool touch along the back of her neck. The mattress was wet where her head lay, soaked. I can’t believe it. Thank Celestia nopony could see how miserable, even pathetic, she looked.

Except for… “Soul…blight?” she whispered, turning her head slowly to where she remembered the fire to be, where the black Pegasus had stood over her lulling her to sleep. Her eyes deeply hung on the fireplace. Amazingly, the fire still burned. Its blossom of sunlight rippling in a wave along what she could pick out as new stuff in it to keep it burning. Whatever they were, she could not make them out with how charred they had become to keep the house warm for her. It looked like Soulblight had kept busy overnight to keep her warm, and she had indeed waited for her in the night.

1.49
There along the wall far off from the foot of the bed, Soul picked out the dark figure of the mare sitting there and nearly blending in with the shadows of the poorly lit house. Her yellow dragon eyes looming down on the dirty rug placed out on the floor before they rose to finally meet Soul’s gaze.

So Soulblight must have seen me… crying. Soul didn’t want to say anything. Just getting up out of the bed. Her long mane made into a mess and hanging over her eyes. Kept them well hidden. Seeing her tail was also a total mess too. Soul knew she had a nightmare for sure. I must look terrible to her.

I’m just glad it’s over. I feel much better now. So glad she got sleep and was free of that terrible nightmare. Even felt rested for once. Better than she ever had. Maybe because her heart was still pounding. Yet, Soul noticed immediately she felt …energized.

I’m not tired at all. Like that was the best sleep she had in months. So wide awake now. She leapt right off the bed. No need to drag herself out of bed this time. With new space to work with, Soul stretched her legs and wings out, ridding the kinks from her muscles. It felt good. Clean away of the feeling of free fall still fresh to her and making her uneasy. It was so much better to have her hooves firmly planted on solid ground right now as she stretched her legs ahead of her. With a small grunt, she straightened herself back out heaving a sigh of relief.

She turned back to the mare and gave her a smile which the mare returned back. “Good morning, Blight.” I uh… wow, kinda slipped out with that name she just called her. Soul put a hoof to her mouth. “It’s nice to see you again, sweetheart” Soulblight said.

She… is okay with it? I don’t know why I’m so afraid. She felt so uptight. Even feeling her body still shaking. She even called me a sweetheart? Come on now, I’m not that sweet. No need to say that to make me feel good or something. Still made her smile. Maybe she does like me.

1.50
Soul caught sight of something laying on the ground a few steps away from her. The Pegasus doll, standing right there. Oh man, I left it there like that. She had left it alone all night long. A little, defenseless thing. Even after doing such a thing, the Pegasus still smiled at her with forgiveness. I’m sorry.

She made her way over to it and wrapped one of her forelegs around it. I’m not leaving her right here. Its soft touch a welcome feeling against the skin hidden beneath her fur. So soft but… she looked down at it. It’s just a doll. Some toy, but it’s leaving me like this. Soul looked and saw Blight was still over there watching her. Completely forgot about her. Why am I acting like this? She looked down at it again.

“You seem livelier this morning” Blight commented. “…Do I?” Soul remarked as she walked back over to the bed. I sure don’t feel it.

“I do believe I like this side of you. It’s cute.” Soul could feel her cheeks heat up hearing that all of a sudden. Somepony just called her cute?! What? Why was Blight even talking like this to me? Sheesh. It’s kind of flattering. Better than what all the other ponies say to me. Even so, she kept her face away from Blight. Hide herself and just go about putting that doll up on the bed. Reaching out to set it down, Soul looked down on her foreleg that came up along the bed.

It was the same leg as before.

She stared at it. Wanting to try and see if it would happen again. That hoof came closer to her face. Is it there? Just a second. Just to make sure. Though she hoped it wouldn’t be so. She touched her cheek. Right where she had felt the pain. It felt fine, it looked fine. Pulling her hoof back. No blood. Soul couldn’t place what this meant. She remembered it and how it felt. Like it was still there. It was so intense. I really thought there was something there. Some wound on her. How painful it was even outside of it all. Like she had indeed been scratched while she slept, but no blood, no wound. She wanted to get rid of that memory. It was just a nightmare. Nothing more.

Nothing at all.

Dash would never do that to me. Never. She isn’t mean.

She slowly left her gaze from her leg and back to the doll she gently tucked into the blanket. A more fitting spot for her to be while Soul would venture with Blight in search of food just as the older Pegasus promised they’d do. But upon remembering that promise, it hit her. Things got weirder to her as she discovered something. Soul set a hoof down upon her stomach. Nothing answered. Had anything answered so far? No discomfort the likes of which had pained her last night. Gone.

She found herself not hungry one bit!

1.51
Soul rubbed her stomach looking down at it. She wasn’t certain if she should be surprised or relieved she was free of that pain from hunger right now. Even so, she still wanted to go out and at least look around for something that she could dig into. Anything that would give her an excuse to get out of here. Leave that bed right now. Away from all those mean ponies. Rather hang out with a nice one.

A pony that kept her promise to her and had not left her all night.

“Thanks for staying with me overnight” Soul said to her. She locked eyes with Blight. The mare didn’t even need it, waving a hoof at her. “It was no problem.” “Was last night okay for you? Hope you didn’t get bored.” Found some way to keep herself occupied since she didn’t sleep. Whatever it was, she gave no specific answer of what it was. “It was. Thank you for asking.” “Good” Soul said as she made her way back to the burning fire. It felt nice, as did the house. Much better than yesterday but a small chill still hung. Still cold out.

“But do you wish to talk about it?” Soulblight asked from behind her.

It made Soul freeze. She could feel the fur on the back of her neck stand up reacting to the fact that the black Pegasus had walked up stand behind the filly. Talk about it? “Uh, a-about what?” Soul asked. Did she know something or… she did give her a show all night long. She looked back seeing Blight had sat down next to her. She insisted on it. “You were crying all night long. I even tried to wake you but you would not budge. If you want, you may talk to me about your nightmare.”

Damn, she’s spot on. There was no way Soul could hide she had a nightmare with how obvious it had been she was crying in her sleep. It was nice of her to offer it, more and more like a real friend would. But the truth in the matter was that she did not know if she wanted to talk about it. Just remembering how cruel Rainbow Dash had been in it almost made her start to tear up. I don’t want to remember. It hurts knowing that I pushed her away so much… so much that she would hurt me. What good would it be for Blight to know?

No, Soul did not want to cry anymore and not in front of this pony. Not in front of the others. The Pegasus still sat there expectantly waiting for Soul’s answer. It was just a nightmare.

1.52
“I…” Soul looked off away from Blight. “I don’t wanna talk about it. Please don’t worry about it.”

“I see you are not ready. Alright, you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. But know that I’m willing to listen to you” Blight said. At least she didn’t press. “You hungry?” Blight asked her next. “Actually no” Soul admitted the strange fact. “I feel alright for now. Weird, huh?”

“Hmm …yes indeed” Soulblight said looking over out the window. She smiled slightly. “It’s a little better outside now if you still want to look around.” A little better? I wonder how much better it could have got. Weather so bad she could not even hope to go searching around for any food or even a way to get out of this winter wasteland. But she found no reason to doubt Blight. If she said it was better than it should be. We can go look around. She quickly walked over to the door before Blight had time to even react to the filly’s excitement. “Let’s go!” Soul called after her. Soulblight happily trotted over to join her at the door. Soul did not need to be the one to open the door this time as that burst of black magic from yesterday rushed over the knob and pulled the door open on its own.

A flood of light rushed in, blinding Soul momentarily until she could finally look out and see what it is she had missed all yesterday. Soul could actually see the Sun itself high above the hills with only small, faded grey clouds blocking it a little. None of the thick clouds from before were around and only a small amount hung around to give off a small sprinkle of snowflakes to gently come down upon the world below.

Soul used her wings to pull herself up to the top of the snowy ditch their house was buried in with Blight doing the same in kind. Soul had to smile. She found herself freed of their prison and out in an entirely new world of fluttering snow gracing a calm landscape of pure, white snow reflecting the glow of the Sun as far as she could see. If she hadn’t known any better, she could place it as a scene straight from a postcard made even more beautiful by how she… she could actually see what it was that towered high in the distance. Mountains. Mountains going forever in a line spreading that bright horizon. Capped in snow. Just like the mountainsides of Equestria she had seen long ago. Soul thought it was beautiful.

1.53
Taking in the scenery made her almost miss the feeling. It was cold …but she did not shiver. It felt near to the weather she knew so well to fall upon Equestria with the coming of winter. This weather felt a bit better for sure. Soulblight was right.

Soul leapt forward and turned to face the mountains again with a bright smile and her laughter to greet the gorgeous weather. Snowflakes landed upon her. Oh the weather is much better today. Maybe now we can actually go out and look for some way out of here. She turned back to Soulblight. The black mare herself taking in the scenery. “Now this is flying weather!” Soul proudly declared.

Soulblight laughed as the filly took to the air. Her flight not hampered by heavy winds or freezing cold, Soul hovered high over the house steadily taking in everything from up here. Snow as far as the eye could see below her and flooding the land in every direction like an ocean that could only be broken by the mountains and their village itself. All the houses below having their roofs also covered in that white blanket. This place really is nothing but snow. No telling just how long it had to have been falling. It made it all look beautiful.

This is so much like Cloudsdale in winter. Nothing but white, so gorgeous though. Those times she missed. I never did get a chance to play in it in the end. Soul inched her sight over to the black mare standing not far off from the house, staring up and waving a hoof at her. I wonder if she would be up for it.

Hmm… Blight looked a bit close to the house and all that snow on top of it, as Soul glanced over the mare and all that snow. I really did want to play in the snow with somepony else. I don’t know, just… feels like Blight would want to. After all, she was so nice to me. I’d love for her to enjoy this. A little something before we spend the whole day looking around. Knowing they would do that considerable amount of flying today, didn’t sound like a bad idea for her to ‘warm up’ a bit. Hehe, at least what Blight would see.

1.54
“Hey, Blight!” she called down. “I’m gonna loosen my wings up with a few tricks. Could you maybe watch me?” I think I sound innocent enough for her. It seemed Soulblight did as well. “It would be my pleasure.” Bingo.

The black Pegasus sat herself down on the snow, and she did that weird thing again just from her butt sitting down on the snow. Like there was black smoke coursing out around her. Just for a brief moment. What is that? Soul arced her brow for a moment at it, seeing Blight never cared about that mist. The mare just watching her. I’m the center of her attention, while Blight was the center of Soul’s attention.

That mare was pretty weird. In a good way. Soul turned away from her. Well, what can I do for her? I think I got a quick trick I can use. She only needed enough speed to pull this off. It would look like a warmup.

Soul craned her head up, basking her face in the glow of the Sun and not even feeling much cold over her anymore. The beautiful winter sky coming down upon her as she reached up to it with strong bursts of her wings. She extended her legs out, all four reaching for the sky. Right as she shot up at that sky. It won’t take much. One. Two. Soul looked down, the village was way down there.

What I would give to do this stuff again with… with Dashie. I really want to find her out there. Wherever we are, find some way out of it. How long has it been since I’ve seen her? Soul twisted around up there and flew right back down to the earth below. She fell down with the snowflakes spinning around her and blown away by the wind jetting from her wings as she picked up speed. Even in this moment of wanting to have fun, she still felt it in her heart. She felt empty. Even with Blight here.

Flying so fast like she used to do with Dash. Plummeting down to earth towards whatever goal. I hate doing it alone now. Soulblight, I need to thank you for putting up with me so far. She saw the mare right down there and coming in fast. Soul felt all the wind in her mane. Coursing over her. So strange, it all felt weird to her.

It’s been so long since I got to fly like this. Feel any speed. She could feel her heart flutter. The world moving so fast. All around her. Almost too fast. But I should be used to this. I should be.

How I missed flying. It’s been too long.

Soul could see the house ahead of her, coming in fast. Descending down on it as quick as she could even when her wings began to wobble. Maybe it would be too much to ask Blight to fly with me. This just didn’t feel right anymore. Not having Dash with her. All so fresh. Alone in the sky. I gotta do this trick on my own. As much as she could remember how to do it.

But she had to do it fast. Too fast! Soul gasped right when she noticed it coming in at her. Shit! I gotta pull up. Her wings caught the air. Turn! Soul leveled herself just in time, in time to kick herself forward. Right at the roof full of snow.

I really miss playing with Dashie. Soulblight, I want to play with you. Because I really miss doing things with other ponies.

1.55
The filly cleared the roof just in time, blasting over it. Soul smiled. She could hear the wind in her ears and saw for just a moment how it sent all the snow flying off that rooftop. Blasting past that roof and off towards… where Blight was. Cleared of this house, Soul went right at the next one. Weaving around the village and going right at where she knew Blight to be. Her wings beat hard to push the filly higher. She could not think on this. It had to be done fast. Because… she could tell her wings were getting too wobbly.

She tried to adjust it. Too late! I’ll hit the damn house if I keep trying. She only went right for the rooftop she aimed for. So she made her move, pushing her wings forward and up now. Heading right over the house she almost slammed into. Cleared of it and off towards the next one and the next. Until she saw the house she had slept in last night and, beyond that, Soulblight. Soul saw the mounds of snow that decorated their house square in her sight. I think I’m going fast enough to do this. She was lined up perfectly. The force would do the rest. Soul needed only now to make one last move to complete her little trick.

Her speed still high, Soul had to make that move now. Her wings let go of their beating. She held them both out, desperate to catch as much air as possible. Slow herself down enough to finish this. Just as she did that, Soul used every muscle in her body to flip herself in midair. Her hind legs going right at the snow atop the roof. The hooves at their tips reaching out at the snow. Her speed did the rest.

Soul flew right into the snow, so hard. Satisfied to see she was going fast enough, right before her wings gave out, to take that snow with her. The snow was sent flying off the roof. The chunks of white baring down upon the black mare below. Soul catching the tiny moment she had to see just how stunned Blight was. Wanting to see it happen but… she fell.

Soul careened off the roof. Screaming.

I really am rusty. Soul knew she should have been able to pull that off easy. Just fly in at a bunch of snow as quick as possible and make it all fly. Shouldn’t even make my wings do this. Oh man, this is gonna…

Her face slammed right into the ground. Buried in snow. The filly flipping and landing hard on her back upon the icy snow before coming to a stop. Couldn’t even get the chance to admire what it was she had done. Her face hurt.

“Oww!” she cried out in the snow. Felt like a sting going along her face. Almost like… old times. Unfortunately. Man, it’s been so long since I hurt myself. Soul really was back in the fray again. Felt good to fly once again, just without the pain.

1.56
Soul lifted herself up. Finally taking a breath. She tried to look up but stinging pain along her face pushed her back down. She gently set a hoof on her face and rubbed at the place that hurt the most: her chin. It hurt quite a bit, that fall doing a number to her.

I really hope… it wasn’t for nothing.

She did her best to look up and see where Soulblight was. Oh what!?

I really thought she would at least be neck deep in snow by now, but all that snow had found something else to do. It hung in the air.

Dozens upon dozens of large chunks of snow sitting completely still right above the ground. Soul couldn’t even figure out what may have been happening before the answer revealed itself. A burst of black energy shot out at her, making her fur and mane fly like they were in a gale, that very gale sending every chunk of snow flying back at the house where they all exploded into tiny splatters along the wall. All of them thudding so loud, each thud just made Soul more and more upset with herself. Soulblight was there completely untouched. Her face unflinching and not at all amused. She certainly had reacted fast enough to Soul’s attempted prank, sadly meaning that this pain in Soul’s face was all for naught.

The mare was way too quick to fall for that. “Soul!” She cried out. Soulblight kicked her legs hard and actually galloped over to where the filly sat, sat ashamed of herself. So upset over it. I can’t believe it. I thought I would get her. She kept a hoof to cover her chin.

Soulblight reached her and stood tall over Soul who kept her head down. I don’t often fail when I fly. Soul, she hated knowing she had completely squandered this whole thing. Pouting over it and now Blight was here. Staring down at her. Not having any of Soul’s sulking at all.

1.57
As diligently and soft as she could manage, Soulblight spoke down to her. “Are you hurt? Please let me see your face.” Please go away, I really don’t need for her to see this. None of her stupidity. But the mare would not leave. Just like she was some sort of caring mother about this. Really, there was no reason for her to care. She really isn’t going to leave. Soul sighed. Actually letting her hoof fall from her face. Soulblight was really quick, almost like she didn’t look over her. She sighed in relief. “You only have a small cut on your chin. Thank goodness.”

A small cut? Soul placed her hoof back to her chin and felt along it. There it was. She could feel the slight bump in the smoothness of her skin. How subtle and short it felt. Really was small. At least nothing bad had come of this in the end. Soul looked back up at Blight. Her careful and soft gaze had left her. Soul’s eyes widened a little.

She had thought nothing bad had come of this.

She looks pretty pissed. “Soul Serenity” she said sternly. “That was a really dumb stunt. You obviously aren’t ready for such flying right now.” Soul hated this. Getting lectured. I know, I know, I haven’t flown in a long time. Her aching wings told her that. I’m not ready for extreme flying at the moment. I just wanted to play with her is all. It’s been so long since I got to do that with another pony.

I don’t know why I want to cry. I’m getting yelled at, scolded. It’s… been so long since I’ve flown and so long since… since I had a pony actually care about me like she is right now. Kind of like…

Nimbus.

I can’t believe I upset her.

Soulblight sighed. One of her hooves stepped closer to Soul. “I’m not mad at you. I only want no harm to come to you, just be more careful.” Soul was quiet. It may have been scolding, but it was something to her that sounded almost pleasant. Why is Blight so concerned about me? It’s not like she needs to care. Truly she may be the only pony who cared for her. Such a strange pony. Even with the black pony looming over her, it was like… she guarded her. Protecting me. That made her smile down at the snow.

1.58
Yet more snow came, not from the surface she stood on, but blasting right into Soul’s face. She saw it. Too late. It surprised her enough to make her heart jump.

Soul rapidly wiped a hoof across her face. All that snow fell clear. “What the hell?” she spat looking up in the direction the snow came from. Soulblight was already off. She hung further off with her huge, black wings keeping her aloft… and she was laughing.

“You also should be more subtle when trying to surprise me. Looks like I’m superior in that regard.” Did she seriously throw snow at me? It made the filly finally jump right back up on her hooves. Oh now I’m mad. “You jerk!” she called out at Blight. But the mare only responded with more laughter. Soul frowned. She had done it now.

Soul looked back down at the snow which she buried both her forehooves into with a slight push. A mound of snow came up with her hooves. You think you’re safe all the way over there? She only needed to shape it into a proper snowball and her strength would do the rest. She looked back over at Blight smiling with her intention. A snowball formed, not in Soul’s corner but in Soulblight’s. Wrapped in a black mist, hovering right in front of the black Pegasus and… that’s meant for me. Then it shot forward.

It was fast. The gap between both pegasi closed fast in the snowball’s path right at Soul’s face. Soul dropped her snow and quickly leapt to the side with one quick flap of her wings. That snowball smacked right where she had been almost immediately. “That was close” Soul commented looking back at where it struck.

Another snowball hit its mark, smacking right into Soul’s cheek that she kept facing Blight for the brief second she had looked away. “That’s two for me!” Blight yelled. Soul had to let out a small growl looking back at the celebrating Pegasus but she was quick to cheer up. If she was keeping score than this was a challenge now.

“You won’t keep that lead for long” she called back. Soul took to the air at a low hover with the ground just low enough for her to grab a hooffull of snow. A rounded snowball now hung ready in between her forehooves. Soul took the hint from how Blight had hit her the second time and knew she would need to trick her to land a hit. Easy enough, Soul had speed on her side.

1.59
Soul shot straight at Blight. Alright, so you’re better at this than I thought, well I can trick you. I’ll come right at you. Full frontal. Blight came in right at her. Closing in, and her wings readied. Those huge, black wings filling Soul’s eyes. “I got you!” Soul claimed. “You wish” Blight said. Soul reeled her forehooves back ready to send the snowball at her, but… she held it.

Her wings skidded to a halt. Soul turned and shot around right towards Blight’s side. Keeping her eyes on the mare. Unfortunately, those yellow dragon eyes watched her as well. Those huge black wings ready to dodge. Nope, this wouldn’t work. I gotta find some way to get her. Even if I am out of practice, I am still fast. I’m still no different than how I was before all this. The filly froze her wings and burst them forward now. Flapping hard ahead of her. Just enough to send her flying backwards in an instant. Right back where she had been.

Snow exploded in the air behind her with all that wind almost thundering around her. Soul almost heard it. Her ears catching the faint sound of air rippling violently around her. Damn, I’m almost able to do that again. But it was good enough. Fast enough. Soul circled back around quicker than she had before, …quicker than Blight could turn.

“Gotcha!” Soul made a hard stop and tossed that snowball. It came in at Blight faster than she could react, right at her side. Soul grinned. Still the fastest.

1.60
The ball landed right in the snow… in the snow behind Soulblight. It did nothing and silence fell back over both pegasi. Soul slumped.

Just like… her body had done yesterday. Damn, that’s right. Soul remembered. How stupid! That’s not fair. I’m trying to have a snowball fight with this pony of all ponies. This pony having abilities she had never thought possible for anypony. It really did seem like… like life had gone back to normal for just that brief moment. Like I could have thrown that snowball at… at Dashie of all ponies. It felt like it could have been. Turning into that black Pegasus once again. Soul whimpered…

It’s not how it used to be.

“Looks like I forgot that as well” Blight said after regaining herself. “So perhaps I win.” As if I can beat her now. I can’t even hit a pony like this; but how the hell can she claim she wins!? Teasing me like that. She still felt a need to call out that claim. “Only cuz you cheated” she said, slowly getting rid of that sadness in her heart.

“Come now, I didn’t mean to seize the advantage. You still managed to trick me” Blight said. Well at least Soul had that. “Yeah, I would’ve gotten you good.”

“That was fun” Soulblight said. “Did you have fun?” Soul could not deny it, I liked remembering how this was like. Playing with another pony. Besides, I know I won. She did manage to enjoy herself. In the wake of an entire day of constant disappointments and sadness. After a nightmare still lingering on in her mind with how much it hurt her. Soulblight still managed to make Soul smile with some friendly competition just like old times. How rowdy. It made her happy.

The filly hovered closer to Soulblight until she was close enough to be in her shadow. No matter what total crap this mare had said to her about winning, Soul had to admit she did love this. Enough to actually fly with her, look up at her where the mare’s darkness covered the Sun and looked down at her with her blazing yellow eyes. Soul could feel the gentle brush of air flowing over her from Blight’s flapping wings.

1.61
“I did. I feel better now.”

Blight sealed her eyes and smiled brightly, happy to hear it. Blight needed to feel better. Anything to heal the fact she would have lost otherwise. Blight needed everything she could get. Soul wanted to actually reach out and touch this pony. Like how she and Dash would do stuff like this after moments like this. Like when I threw myself on her after the race. Because I loved playing with her. Soul found herself almost about to touch her hoof to that black, misty body. Stopping herself. It wouldn’t work. Not with this pony. Showing Blight how much she liked playing with her, never to happen.

She looked away, Soul caught sight of the lines of towering mountains walling off the vast sky out there. The only deviations in this land of snow besides their village. Soul felt her gaze fall off slowly to look back at Soulblight’s wings rhythmically beating air against her.

Maybe she did have some way to show how much she enjoyed playing with her. She grinned. Mist simmered around Soul’s hoof as she tapped a forehoof against the dark layer of fur making up Soulblight’s chest. Something we can do. Like what I saw the other kids do.

“Tag!”

Soul exploded out in the thunder of wind her wings let out with one quick flap. “You’re it!”

1.62
Those mountains were certainly a good place to start if Blight and her were to start looking for something out here. Either food for later or a way home. Preferably both. So Soul kept her eyes set on the tallest of the mountains rising high over dense groups of mountains far more numerous than what had been visible from the house, and as her wings rocketed her closer, the more exciting it became to see such a great feature in what she thought just yesterday was nothing more than a land of snow.

Such gorgeous mountains!

All that snow sunk below her the higher she angled herself up to touch down on that mountain looming down on her with all its snowcapped ridges. The Sun shining over all of it. It was gorgeous. Soul only hoped that Blight was as happy as she was to see such a sight from wherever she was back there, eating Soul’s dust.

She looked back over her shoulder to be sure. The village was nothing more than some dots in a sea of white with snowflakes rushing past her towards those specks. But with all these tiny dots, Soul could see the black Pegasus back there. Way back there. Hahaha not so quick. You’re not gonna win at this. I’m too fast for her but… there was something else to this.

She was still wanting to do things with Soul.

Blight would never catch me but, as Soul looked back to the mountains, I just want to do this with her. It really does feel good to have somepony with me again. One as playful as she is. As nice as she is. It’s been so long since I got this feeling. I don’t know why she wants to be with me. Everypony else left me, yelled at me, made me feel terrible. They all hate me. So much that they got rid of me. I’m so glad I met this Pegasus. It was crazy how easily everypony else would abandon her easily yet this pony she had only known for a day was proving to be… a true friend. A reliable guardian and a playful friend. Almost like what I wanted to see the ponies who abandoned me as.

Like family. And a slowpoke.

1.63
The mountain had closed in so quickly. Soul was certainly going to be the first one to the mountain top and shut that mare up, no way she can talk trash anymore. She could imagine the feeling now and it would come soon enough. Just like old times, haha.

Coming right in at the mountain top. She was so high up by now. Just glancing down and she could only see the hazy white landscape slowly disappearing under the clouds she flew over. These mountains so tall over this land. With their tips reaching high to the sky. Large enough up here for her to be able to land on. She slowed herself down. Coming to a stop, she had to look back at the land she left behind.

Wow. Nothing but white. She had never seen an entire land of snow before. Never able to imagine such a sight, but up here, she could. Hills and endless valleys going on forever under this snow. Nothing at all she could see down there besides the wild snowfall and thick clouds beyond. Not able to take her eyes off it even as she set all four hooves down upon the mountain top.

Soul sighed. Panting. Not able to take her eyes off the world below. This mountain standing tall over all the others, a massive mountain range. Just like ones she had seen Cloudsdale fly over. Mountains buried in snow with heavy snowfall coming down upon them all. Every way her eyes looked across. This really all there was out here? But… she stopped.

Seeing something down in the breaks between the mountains. Like little poles or something. Trees? She stared. Those are trees but… they made her breath stop.

What happened to them? Like the whole air held still. Looking down upon the many, many trees that poked out in the foggy snowfall. They’re all dead.

She cocked her head. How weird. Just how all the trees were bent backwards. Bent away from her. All of them. With their barren branches held loosely from them, dangling in the wind. As if the trees were afraid of her. Reeling from her. All dead. Seeped in such a darkness because… they got black bark. Huh. Soul squinted. Still waiting for Blight though she had forgotten about her for just this moment. Entranced by the sight of these dead trees.

Trees scorched in black.

Burned.

Wow.” Soul backed off and turned around to see what may lay behind her. If more were behind her. The little filly had to take several steps to raise her head high enough above the surface of the mountain top before she could see what lay beyond the range.

1.64
Soul gasped. Holding her breath.

She had expected to see more mountains or the off chance of a clear path out of the winter world. There were indeed mountains, but… there they sat, far off.

Lines of mountains spanning wide across the horizon much like this range did from their house. Except the new mountains were even further off and almost fazed out in the grey clouds set upon the earth. She could see them but she could not tell how far away they were. Almost so far that she could not see them in the fog. Whatever it was, Soul knew it may take a long time to reach them. She looked all around. More mountains, to the left and right all connected to the ones straight ahead and curving in towards the mountains she sat over. Hundreds or even thousands of heights all arranged in a… circle!

They circled a sight Soul had never even imagined. Every mountain facing inwards of the circle sloped down into a deep land of white snow far below her. It all curved down. Even from so high up, Soul could see what it all was. A titan of a world enclosed within the mountains hollowed and drilled deep down. Just like a lake. Empty. An empty crater in the mountains.

I still… can’t breath!

It felt… heavy. The air. Soul almost panicked. Stumbling back. Just looking out at this, she forgot to even take a breath. That first one she made stung. Like every breath she took staring out at this crater pained her lungs just to attempt to inhale. Whatever this place was, it scared her.

1.65

What is this place?

Soul walked away from this haunting sight far below her just as a ruffling sound from behind almost made her shake from fright. She looked back seeing that Soulblight had joined her on the mountain. The mare panting hard. Not even caring how Soul was.

A new snowball rushed at the filly and struck her square in the chest. “You’re it!” Soulblight excitedly said with a smile. Soul was lost. Wait, …that’s right. Soul looked back at the crater and then to Blight. I can’t believe I forgot what I was doing.

“Sorry, but I won” Soul said. Soulblight was taken by surprise. Obviously some sort of casual when it came to games. “What? I tagged you, did I not?” She pointed a hoof at Soul. That was it. She certainly had no idea what we were doing. Soul tried to calm down a little. Still feeling her heart rush with the sight of that crater still in her mind and… she could feel the deep air scalding her throat.

“You were supposed to catch me before I got to the mountain.” “What!? How was I to know that?” Blight asked. “…and catching you? You know that’s unfair.” Unfair. Just a while ago Blight had claimed to have won because of a little advantage of her own. It was fitting for the tables to be turned. Soul looked back in the direction of the immense crater. “Guess it's my fault I didn’t tell you the rules. Sorry.” She could hear Blight sigh behind her. It was clear she had no idea of the sight beyond the mountain based off how she gave no reaction to it. Soul wanted to show it to her, but first Soul needed to say something first.

“So perhaps I win.”

Blight scoffed, raising her eyebrow and shaking her head. Her frown, though, quickly turned to a smile and a small laugh. “I guess so.” Just as another snowball struck Soul in the side. “Enough with the snowballs” Soul said. Soul lost all her joy, just thinking about the world beyond. Wanting Blight to see it. At least I’m not alone here.

“Hey! I got something you need to see.”

1.66
Soul directed Blight with her hoof back to where the great crater sat hiding behind the mountain top they stood upon. “Ooh let’s see” Blight said as she trotted past Soul and reared her head to tell Soul t come along with her. So Soul followed feeling more at ease with somepony else being with her. Still a little worried. She wondered what Blight would think of it.

Both pegasi made their way to the edge of the cliff. Blight’s eyes widened just as Soul expected when they both stood out to look upon the vast world below together. “This is… amazing.” Soul shivered. Looking back out on this desolate and eerie sight made her feel a trickle of fear running down her spine. She could not figure it out. Something about this place made her not feel right. As odd as the patterned rhythm that the air itself swirled in every direction across this place. Almost… haunting.

“This truly is something else. Thank you for showing me this.” Blight hung her head over Soul’s own. Remembering she was not alone anymore made Soul feel a little better. Enough for her to sit down with Blight to look out at it all. Soul made sure to sit as close as she could to her, not caring if Blight would notice or not. Soul glanced over at her.

The black Pegasus stared out at the land beyond. Such a smile on her. Her fur swaying in a misty embrace circling in tiny clouds about her skin just like her long mane flowed in the wind. Blight was so impressed with it all. She looked so happy to be here. This mare… she looked at peace, warming Soul’s heart. Like in an instant, all her worries faded away. It almost made her confident.

Until.

Blight’s smile slowly turned. Dropping down to frown upon the landscape as her head seemed to sink. Those eyes that took in everything beyond glimmered and sheened to Soul. What was that?!

Soul caught it for a moment.

She could not be certain as to what she saw staring up into Blight’s eyes. Something flickered in her eyes. So quickly. Inside those yellow eyes. There had been something. Something else in them. Like it did not belong to them. A small glint of… red? Orange? Faded away so fast. Soulblight?

The mare was still.

“This place is weird, huh?” Soul asked of her. Blight glanced back down at her. That spark of light gone in her eyes now. “Does it scare you?” the mare finally said something. Soul told the truth. She shook her head. “No. I was… but, until you came. I’m happy you are here with me.” Even if you leave me wondering all the time. How strange you are. How frighteningly still the world was when Soul stared into her shallow and burning eyes. Something still was there to keep Soul staying with her. The reason was hanging on Soul’s mind.

I’ve only known her for a couple days… but I feel like I have known her for years. Her soft and caring voice. Keeping me happy. Keeping me confident. Keeping me company. “Just like she is fam…” Soul shut her mouth hard.

She could not believe what had almost come out of her mouth.

I’ve… when do I talk out loud?! I… Soul looked, seeing the mare staring at her. Shit, I almost said that.

How awkward could it have been to call Blight that? Even if she felt she wanted to. Damn it, Blight. Why are you so weird? Why do you make me think of you like that? It wasn’t right. I barely… know her.

Feels like… I do.

Like she is somepony I can trust with anything. Soul never thought she could meet a pony like this. Who she actually wanted to talk to. To be with. I’ve never known anypony to be like her. I really wish I had. Like this soft feeling in her head. As soft as a gentle touch to her. Soothing her. Calming. This pony is all I have.

1.67
“I wanna talk about it now. My… nightmare. You did want to talk to me about it, right?” Soul reminded Blight.

“Are you sure?” Blight asked. “Would it be painful for you?” “No, …I don’t know. Maybe. But I need to get it off my chest.” But what Soul really wanted now were words of encouragement from a pony like Blight. A pony Soul felt cared. Who I care for.

Blight leaned in close to her. Her black tail coiled around Soul without touching her. The wind died down and all became nearly silent for the pegasi sitting high over the crater beyond.

“I’m listening.”

“I… dreamt I was back home. Back at Cloudsdale.” She stared up at the dark clouds over them. “The clouds, the sky, it was all so beautiful. I was flying through all of it to do one of my favorite things: flying with my friend.” Those beautiful times I used to do that. When we would play together. All the flying we did together, it’s what led to us becoming wingponies. How much has changed since then?

Too much.

“Nopony even noticed me. None of my classmates wanted to talk to me. But… I’m used to that.” She looked back over at Soulblight who was fully attentive to her. “I’ve always had a hard time making friends because… I’ve never been lucky enough for ponies to like me. I only had one friend. We were the best of buddies. We were the best partners and I loved flying with her. She loved flying with me too. Because we were… the bestest of friend.” Best friends. It hurt to remember. What we used to be. Dashie… you always made me so happy, now… now Soul could only cry. Cry in front of Blight.

“But… imagine what it felt like… when I found out she didn’t want to fly with me anymore. When she didn’t want anything to do with me anymore. She abandoned me… and… she laughed at me. They all laughed at me. Everypony hated me in the end. My best friend… even hit me.” All her tears came out harder.

She hates me.

Rainbow Dash, I know I wasn’t a good friend to you. But I did all this for you.

She stared at Blight further, this time with blistering eyes. “Do you know how much it hurt?” she asked. Soul planted a hoof to her heart. Her eyes squinted. I gave up everything for you and you hit me! Rainbow… how can you be so mean? “It hurt so much. I… was… alone.” Soul wailed. Her cries echoing across the empty chasms surrounding them and joining the subtle wind above. The filly fell on her belly, putting a hoof down upon her muzzle and shielding her wetted eyes. I fought for you! I got hurt for you! I lost my life for you.

I ended up here protecting you.

Rainbow Dash hit me.

1.68
“You still think you were abandoned after what happened yesterday?” Blight whispered.

Soul cried. “Soul” she said as gentle as she could. “Calm down. It’s okay.” Soul did as she said. She bit her lip to hold in the rest of her sobs. That’s all she did. Soul would not lift her head back up. “You’re still so very heartbroken. I will not pretend to know what you are going through, for it must be very hard. You need to stop thinking everypony hates you. Your friend meant so much to you, and there is no doubt you meant a lot to her. It’s unrealistic for her to feel any different of you. She still cares for you… as much as I do.”

That is shit!

Soul wanted to yell. Cares for me?! Dashie said she hated me. She left me and never came back. How could she care? “How do you know if she cares for me?” Soul demanded.

“Because it makes sense” Blight responded from above her. “Why did your friend like you? The same as I. Because you are nice, gentle, and so very playful. It hurts me seeing you think otherwise. You are no different than you have ever been. It hurts because… I do like you just like your best friend does.”

Soul’s ears perked up. What did she just say? Soul could not have heard that correctly. Soulblight liked her? Or is she just saying that to cheer me up? Lying to me. But it was obvious to her that Blight did have some sort of affection for her. It was a constant thing that she loved being given by her and these words were no different. It felt so nice to be told that you are loved by somepony and by one so close to her. It made the filly reveal her head back up to look at Blight with beady, tear filled eyes.

“You like me?”

Soulblight lay herself down next to her. Even down on the ground, she still rose tall over her. Soul had wanted to be close to her and now it was showing that Blight wanted to be close to her as well while she nudged her nose close to Soul’s ear. She almost touched it to the point where the fur on Soul’s ear stood up. “I want you to be happy, Soul. A beautiful little filly like you should not be sad and it is why I promise to help make everything work out for you in the end. You will have your happy ending.”

I[‘ve never heard anypony tell me that, like something out of a storybook. Yet… she liked it. It actually made her smile a little. “Thank you” Soul said. “I do like you, Soul” Blight said.

Soulblight…

Soul wiped her tears. Smiling. I can’t believe a pony like this said that to me. What did I do to deserve somepony as nice as her? “I like you too.”

“I’ll always love you and Rainbow Dash will always love you.”

1.69
Dashie still loves me? And… so does she.

It all sounded so nice. It was true her and Dash had a lot and… no way she would hate me after all that. Even after what she had done to be sent away like this, maybe Dash still at least felt for her. Dash did like her for all the reasons Blight had mentioned and even more. We had so much together. No way it could all be forgotten. All the darkness we both had, until we met. Dashie, you were the best pony in my life.

I did save you.

You mean the world to me. Is there any chance I still do for you? If the filly was out there somewhere thinking about Soul. I gave up everything for you. For you to be happy. Both fillies had gotten out of it.

I still want to apologize to you.

One chance… for us to be friends again.

Soulblight… you know us so well. She was right about Dash. Dashie would not hate me. I’m still her best friend. Rainbow Dash did love me, just like you said. Because… that was who Dashie was. She had to be. Blight told her so.

Blight told her so about…

Rainbow Dash?

Wait.

Soul backed her head away slightly so she could take in the sight of the mare. She frowned in response to Soul’s arching eyebrow. She had said Rainbow Dash. …Blight knew her name? How could this be?

“H-how do you know my friend? How do you know Dash?” Soul asked of her. Soul thought back over the time she had known Blight. No, I never told her about her. Soul went about thinking of how this could come to pass, for this mare to somehow know of a pony Soul had never told her of. She watched that proof that something was wrong as the black mare placed a forehoof to her misty lips and she turned away.

You know her.

“How do you know Dash?” Soul asked of her again. Soulblight’s ears fell. Something was certainly wrong. It made Soul stand up and press herself forward to try and get a glance of Blight’s hidden face. She did not need to see to know the pony was troubled now.

“Have you met her? Do you know how she is?” It had to be because there was no other way. This pony… where did she come from? Tell me how you know her.

“No…” Blight paused. Her pause was very long. It seemed as if she would not speak more. “Please, how?” Soul asked in as low a voice she could make. Her pleads forced Soulblight to look back at her with such longing eyes. Her yellows in those eyes fading. “I know her… from...” Blight bit her lip.

“You.”

1.70
“What?” Soul said. “But I never told you about her.”

Soulblight still did something so shocking. She giggled.

“Rainbow Dash. The cyan, rainbow maned filly with an appetite for perfection unlike any other. Brash, easy to rush, and irritable. Yet… determined, strong. Open and loving to those who gain her trust… like she is to you.”

Soul stood silent listening to these words the likes of which she could not see being uttered by Soulblight who claimed to know all these same things about Dash that Soul herself knew, …and Blight knew them all from her.

“And you love her for that. For she is so much like you” Blight said. “Black and white, seen through your eyes that you accepted to make that beautiful friendship and a bond that can’t be broken no matter how far you two may be apart. I saw those same things through your eyes as well. That is how I know her.”

Soul was lost. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, Soul.” Blight sounded of despair now. Her voice tormented by the very things she was telling the filly. Such torment in her. The mare sighed to herself. Somehow able to look the filly in the eyes with the air growing colder, the silence getting worse. Soul shivered looking at her. “I know you and Dash have a bond for I knew it by our bond. It is why I am here for you; here with you. You two fillies share a bond of friendship but you and I share a deeper bond. You never even knew of it… but this time would come eventually. I could not hide it from you forever. You would find out that I was with you through it all.”

What is this shit she is saying? This is insane. Who is this pony? This is not the Soulblight Soul had come to know, how terrifying she was getting.

She knows Dash. She knows so much about us. She was with me through it? Blight had never been with her before. She had never known her. It was too much.

“You’re lying” Soul accused. It made the filly back up from Blight. This is not the pony I’ve come to know. Soul… she was afraid of her. “We’ve never met before. Who told you about Dash? About me?” “I met her with you because of our bond.”

“We have no bond! Stop lying to me” Soul yelled.

“But we do.”

Soul shook her head. “What bond? What do we have?!” What are you talking about?

1.71
Blight’s wings flared up to send a gust of snow blasting out from behind her in the flail of silver mist whipping amongst her feathers. “We’ve been together for years!” She yelled for the first time. Her voice carried far across the veil in an echo. The outburst made Soul shiver a little, bent back away from the now angry Pegasus. Yet that anger subsided as fast as it came on. But something else hung.

Soulblight… she was terrifying. This heavy veil over the air. Like Soul’s heart felt that pain she heard in… in the mare’s voice. The fear between them. The Pegasus darker than ever before.

Blight’s wings folded back up and her head sunk. “I knew I would never be able to hide this from you. I told you I don’t know where I was from, but I do know one thing.”

She looked at Soul. Her voice low and solemn. Almost lonesome.

“I came from you.”

Soul would not yell this time. The thought of seeing Blight angry again scared her. But the question still hung. Like the pain ringing in her ears. “How?” Soul whispered.

“It was dark. Very dark” Blight muttered. “I could see nothing. Hear nothing. Darkness and silence was all I had. Until a moment came that I could not anticipate. The moment when all that dark was cast away and I could see it. A world outside. And I was afraid. Afraid when I saw those ponies standing over me. Like they wanted to hurt me. The first thing I ever saw… but it was not me they wanted to hurt. Because… I heard you… scream instead.” What? Soul held her breath.

“I wanted to hurt them back. When I learned what had happened. To see those ponies hurt another. After all the loneliness, that was the first thing I got to see. Even if I tried to reach out, I could do nothing but cry for the pony they hurt. I cried for you. That was when I first saw you. You, such a beautiful filly with so much pain in sadness in her… and I learned. I learned all about you. I could tell just from the way you cried that you were a pony… I could care for. Ever since, I tried my best to comfort you.” Her voice became more saddened. “I tried and tried yet you would not answer. I could only listen… and watch everything happen to you. I could only envy you. Seeing what you could do. I was happy when you were happy. I was angry when you were angry. …I was violent when you were violent.”

Soulblight put a hoof to her chest. “I hated… so much seeing your world taken from you. I hated it.” Her words like venom. Whispering them. “I decided to do anything to save you. I will help you. Help you because I never want to see you suffer again. Don’t you see, Soul? That is our bond.”

Soul could not believe what she was hearing. What is she saying? Soulblight… how the mare bare her teeth saying those things. How she smiled. It was scary. She is scary. Soul had never seen anypony so scary when saying how much they hated something. Blight still holding that grin on her face. She knows everything… she does.

This bond? With this pony?

She tried talking to me. She had watched me. She felt for me. Somepony talking to me.

Soul blinked. All this time…

1.72
“It was you” Soul uttered.

“You… were the one talking to me.”

A voice talking to her. Somepony always there. Comforting her. Talking to her. Letting her know all was okay. Telling her what was needed to protect Dash. A drive to defend those she loved to lead to what had happened to her and to Dash. It could not be. Soul backed away from her. It can’t be. You… you can’t be real.

Yet Soulblight rose her shoulders looking down in shame. “I’m sorry for not making it clear sooner. I spoke to you so everything would turn out well for you.”

That was all she needed.

This mare, this ghostly mare has been with me all this time. Blight… she has been the one with me. She isn’t lying. A pony with such hate. Such terror. Soul’s eyes widened. Her breath short as she slowly looked the mare up and down. Into her dragon eyes burning with the Sun, her vast wings, the trails of mist coiling about her. A being unlike any other. I never thought stuff like this could be real… until… until I lost Nimbus and Starry… and my life. I’m so mad. I’m so afraid. This pony… she is real. Everything she said is real. You were the one this entire time.

Soul gulped.

“You. You made me kill the Changelings.”

Blight paused. She nodded her head very slowly. “Nopony would help you. I made the commitment to take up that responsibility. I helped you carry out what you needed to do to protect her. Those beasts had to die.”

That was enough. Soul didn’t want to hear any more. Hearing this made her skin crawl. This is disgusting. This creature… Soulblight was part of her? She could imagine her being within her. She felt so violated. “I would not let you lose all you worked to achieve” Blight said. “I decided to do all to protect it even if that meant you and I doing something those fools are all too afraid to do themselves… but not me. Anything to protect you.”

Soul could see the air flurry about Blight as her very eyes glowed brilliant yellow. “I am the one who killed them. To save you and the life you loved.”

1.73
Soul jumped back. “Get away from me!”

It had all been wrong. I can’t believe it. Soul started crying. She made me do that. She made me… Soul almost felt nauseous. She killed them! She had every right to be afraid this entire time. Blight… she was terrifying. A pony who killed. Happy to do it. I knew I was wrong for wanting to do it. It’s all her fault. She destroyed my life.

Soulblight… she was never… never there for me.

“Get away from me.” The filly shook her head so violently, running her hooves over her head. She felt sick. Tears ran anew to soak the fur around her face. “…You got me banished” she whispered. “I lost Dash because of you. I lost everything because of you.” You murderer.

“Soul…” Blight reached a hoof out to her. Soul would not hear it. She backed away further out of Blight’s reach. Her fur standing up and wings readied. So afraid of the black Pegasus now. How broken she felt. She was scary. Now all she could think was how much of a lie everything had been. Blight had lied to her. She betrayed her. She betrayed me. The idea made the filly almost miss that Blight had moved a little closer trying to close the distance. Soul took to the air this time, flying above the mare with frantic flaps of her wings.

“You liar!” Soul screamed. She is no different from all the others. I knew it. Nopony cares about me. I… I’m so tired of this. Soul gritted her teeth. Looking down at the mare and then she could do it no more. Soul flew off.

I’m supposed to be alone.

1.74
Soul cried. Tears streaming out from her eyes and caught by the harsh wind blasting against her by how fast she flew. She reached a hoof back to wipe her face but only sobbed more. She could not care where to go. Just away. Away from all of this. Somewhere she could be alone. That was all that really mattered now in this world. Loneliness was all she needed, all she was allowed. Because all ponies do this to me.

Soulblight was no different. Just as Dash and everypony hated her. All because of her. That bitch Soulblight. Princess Celestia hated her, Dashie hated her. Even Blight did. Enough to cause all this. It made her heart ache badly with every heave she made in her heavy crying. Nopony cared for her. Now she really was all alone with nopony around she could rely on in this place. They all left me.

All she wanted now was to be alone and away from all the ponies who sought only to bring her heartbreak.

She opened her eyes up enough to watch where she was going now. The filly weaved left and right to avoid the many mountain tops that had surrounded the high point she had sat upon. All these mountains had more than she did. Together for all time. I hate this. I want it too. I just want a pony to care for me. Soul would love it. She wanted it yet nopony would ever be there for her.

She kept flying and flying far away from wherever she left Blight. For how long, she could not tell. Her sadness and crying being the only thing she could manage to the point where she could cry no longer even though she wanted to. The tears on her face drying quickly from the cool air. She could see another mountain with a nice, flat peak she could sit atop. So she did. She didn’t want to fly anymore. There was no point in it anymore.

I’m alone in this world.

The filly skidded down upon the mountain top. Snow was sent flying as she landed hard onto the peak, her wings and legs dragged along the surface until she came to a stop. Stopping and then… she finally let go of herself. Soul tumbled down onto her side. Laying there. Her wings still. Trembling. She curled up, hiding her face under her legs. Her large wings being all she had left to cover herself up from seeing the snowy world around her. Shield her from the truth. Her world was truly gone.

1.75
She sniffled remembering everything Blight had told her. She could not believe the mare. How could she have done this to her? Why would she do all this to me? Soul had never done anything mean to her to deserve that.

I can’t believe I saw her as something. Even for just a moment. She had seen her as… family. She knew she had felt something. Never able to tell what it was. I really thought we could be friends. It had all been a lie. A lie from a pony that wanted her to be alone.

“Soul” a voice whispered.

Soul felt her heart sink. The filly leaned up from under her hooves. Her glare wrapped in anger at the black Pegasus that stood off by the edge of the mountain top they both shared now.

Soul had thought she lost her. How did she find me? Blight can’t keep up with me. “Why are you here? Leave me alone” Soul said putting her head back under her hooves to keep Blight out of her sight. Probably wants to hurt me again. “I can’t leave you. I won’t. I will not leave you for as long as we are bonded, we are supposed to be together” Blight said. Oh, just shut up!

Every time she reminded Soul of this stupid bond, it made her want to throw up. She wanted it gone. “I said get away from me” she requested again. “Soul, please listen to me.” “Get away from me! Get out of my life!” “I will not!” Blight yelled again at her. Both ponies finally screaming at one another. “I want you to leave me alone and leave me like everypony else does” Soul yelled so loudly this time. “Even if I knew how, I still would not” Blight said.

“If I left you, you would die.” As if. Soul would not die out here. She refused to. There will be a way out of here and a way to return to the home Blight took from her. Gone with this icy waste and this mean pony as well. Blight spoke almost immediately. “You will find that there is no easy way out of here. It is too dangerous for a little pony like you. Besides, if I left you, you would starve to death before anything else.”

Soul was still not hungry. With how talented and fast she was, she could find a way out of here before she would get hungry. Soul believed this. It’d be better to fly out and try to find a way home than to stick around here. She did not need Blight to survive, she didn’t need her at all. She would not… starve to death? I’m still not hungry. Why… why do I get the feeling that that is because of her too? Soul glared at the mare.

1.76
“Was that you as well?” Soul asked.

“Why you woke up without hunger?” Blight asked this time. “With us being together, yes, that is me. There is no food out here and that is obvious.” That made Soul wince. “So I shared to you my gift because I refuse to see you starve. I am going to protect you after all.” Blight never got hungry and now I can’t. Soul realized what this meant. She used magic on me. How can I never get hungry? There was really nothing that could be said. Just more of seeing just how powerless she was with this mare and how… how she keeps doing this stuff to her. Soul wasn’t sure how to take this.

Never getting hungry? Starving in this winter waste. Was this a gift in Blight’s eyes? Soul having to go without any food. There is none… out here. She let out a strong sigh beneath her hooves. What would it be like now? Never needing to eat, I can never have my favorite food. There is nothing out here for me to eat. Soul would not take this. She refused to. Looking up at Soulblight with disdain in her eyes, she would not stay here with her and listen to this crap. She would leave all this behind and find her own way back to… to something that made sense again.

The filly stood up and slowly walked towards the ledge. Her stride passing by the taller pony who watched her pass without Soul even glancing at her. Upon reaching the ledge, Soul spoke. “I’m going home.” “I hope you mean the house in the village” Blight said behind her. Soul believed she had said home. That ramshackle hut was not her home.

“I’m going back to Equestria.”

“Soul! You don’t know where to go. Even I don’t know how you could get back.” “Well then I’ll just keep flying till I find it. There’s nothing here for me anyways.” I won’t go hungry anyways, right? Nothing to stop me. She would do anything to get that life back. She unfolded her wings.

“Soul! This is insanity. It is way too dangerous. Even if you were to make it back, what makes you think anything has changed? You were banished and Celestia will not allow you to return.” Soul huffed in anger. To be told about her banishment and its effects by Soulblight herself. “Oh I wonder who it was who made that happen” she spat. “Then I shall come with you and speak to the others myself. I’ll explain everything” Blight said. You think I’ll let you talk for me?! I will never go back with her. She only messed things up. Soul would have none of it.

“I don’t want you with me. You’re a killer. You only want to make everything hard for me.” “You blame me for everything?” Blight said. Her hoof touched to her own chest as if pointing at herself. “You agreed to kill those Changelings. They would have harmed the one dearest to you if not for me convincing you. They were evil and would kill Dash.” Soul had it now. She turned around in a snap. Her forehoof pointed right at Blight.

“You’re the evil one! You took everything from me. I hate you!”

Both ponies fell silent with Soul flying off, on her own, with nopony she could call friend. Off towards the mountains and the howling crater beyond, leaving Soulblight all alone atop the mountain peak to watch the filly join the falling snow.

Soulblight blinked softly. “Evil?” she whispered. Looking down upon the ground, she slowly held her gaze upon the snow laying around her. “I… I’m sorry, …Soul.”

1.77
The Sun was setting. Its heavenly glow casting such huge shadows down from the mountains. Almost as dark as the clouds gathering all across the sky above. The snow had gotten stronger because of it. Not nearly as heavy as it had been yesterday.

Soulblight’s dragon eyes tilted down watching the snowflakes touch down around her and join with all the rest. She tilted her head. The fur of her forelegs brushed against her chin. She found a comfortable place to lay her weary head upon her forelegs. Her eyes staring. Witnessing each and every flake disappear into her legs and landing somewhere underneath them as they did across her entire body. Nothing changed in this instance since Soul had left. Just laying here watching the snow for hours silently listening the song of the wind.

I think it’s been too long now. Should I check in on her? How long since I last did? A couple minutes. Too much time had passed. Soul was out there… alone. Her ears flicked up. She sighed in relief. She could hear the tiny sound she wanted.

A small pinprick of a sound beating in an endless melody that came to her so softly. So soft… almost something she could miss. But she could tell what it was. Soul was still flying. She was still okay. Nothing about her changed except maybe getting tired, what with flying for so long like a fool in this weather. That is what it told her. Flying for hours like this would surely tire out the filly no matter how strong of a flyer she was.

I should go after her. Try to stop her. I really should. It’s what would be right. But something kept her own wings still. It was ringing in her head. Listening to it. The last words she had been told. Soul… she hates me. I… I really hope not. I only wanted what was best for her. If only things had been different. So she wouldn’t be afraid to try and talk to the filly. “I’m quite bad at talking to others.” No, she could only listen to be sure the little pony was in no danger as she headed off to whatever she hoped would get her out of here.

1.78
Blight hated to admit it, but the filly was not going to find her way home. No. This realm, this endless land of snow was not something a little Pegasus like her could leave. She could not leave on her own.

More and more it only ate away at Blight. What have I done to her? I’m so sorry I got you into this. But was it not right? She kept questioning this. There was nothing else we could do. No, killing was the right thing. Those beasts would not take it away. They would suffer for trying anything to harm it. That beautiful life Soul had. I won’t let anything else ruin that filly. Blight stopped herself.

She sighed in relief. Burying her head into her forelegs and grumbling beneath them. Thinking like that. It had been that mentality that caused so much harm in the first place. Rainbow Dash was alive. Soul was as well. But that bond between the two was so hurt now. I took it from them. In the end, she had hurt somepony’s life. I… never wanted this. She does hate me.

Oh… what is wrong with me?

“Am I actually cruel enough to deserve her hatred? Maybe…” She recalled what had been said. “I am evil.” She shuddered. It hurt to think that. “I…”

You’re the evil one!

She felt a tear drop down her cheek. “I’m… not... evil.” Or am I?

I do what is right. I will never let her suffer again. Not again. All the years of watching her cry and I could do nothing. Then… then I finally could do something. Only for it to be a mistake. I… didn’t think this through, I guess. Now the pony who gave her …a name, she was the one out here paying for it.

“I’m not evil.”

She rose her head. “I’m not evil, Soul!” The filly would be back. She could not make it alone and would make the right decision. I will be here for her. “I will prove it to you. You still mean something to me.” She only needed time and, when the time came, Blight would do anything for her. It’s what I should do. After all…

She showed me the world. I should give her world back.

For it is what Soul deserved. She continued listening.

1.79
This was becoming too much. It had not looked as wide from the mountains. Flying over it proved otherwise.

Soul had been flying for what was like an eternity and was just now seeing that she actually was getting closer. A flight that had not been easy. The cold was getting worse by the hour with all this damn snow. If only the weather had been what is was earlier. Not until she entered the wide-open air over the crater did it take a sudden turn. It was mysterious to her. All the more how it became ever more unnerving to fly over it.

Soul squinted her sore eyes. No more tears, not now. They all dried on her face. Another pony… another who hates me. I gotta get out of here. She would not rest. Never stop. Even if she wanted to. All it would be is spending a bunch of time out here in the cold. Her wings began to hurt. Soul did her best to ignore it, ignore all her pain. She was used to it.

I’m tired of this nightmare. I really thought she liked me. But she did all this to me. Soul only wanted to go home and get her life back. Forget everything that had happened and not cry again. So she pushed on. Looking up at the massive mountains rising over her, all she needed to fly over to escape this damn place. No time to rest now when the goal was so close.

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Closer she got, flapping her wings harder and harder with pain beating back at her. Those wings showing how much they demanded of her to stop. But with the mountains coming closer, that would not happen. Come on, we gotta keep going. We can’t stop. Not now.

It was all getting worse. With how close she was getting, it seemed to be getting colder. Her thick fur felt so useless right now and the wind blowing strong to flutter her feathers. Cold indeed. Along with a mountain growing high over her to block out what she had been able to see as the last rays of the sunlight shining in its silhouette to light up the crater. The mountain’s shadow blackening the land beneath it and, as she looked up, a layer of such thick clouds high over her. Barely any sunlight could get through. Pathetic. That won’t stop me.

Just fly over this mountain. Back to Rainbow Dash. I’m gonna beg her to forgive me. I will get her back, just like I should have done. Then hope Celestia would listen to her admit the truth. Some way to make it all work. Anything to get away from this.

She finally saw it. Soul flapped hard and shot herself upwards. Rising up with the mountain. The snowfall was getting worse. Coming down on her in a shower. Flying up into the snowfall made it no easier. “This is nothing.” Her wings put out all their strength to keep her flying upwards. Passing smaller peaks and rockslides covered in snow. Closer and closer with the tip just ahead. She came in close enough. Her forehooves reaching out at the peak while her wings did the rest. She touched it. A small pull of her legs and a push of her wings sent her careening up and over the ledge.

“Dashie, I’m coming!”

She rose over the mountain. Wind greeted her. Blasting head on against the filly to send all her fur swaying backwards and she had to close her eyes against all that. Soul peeked out.

What did I want to expect? When it seemed things… would change.

I… I just want to go home.

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Nothing but clouds. Grey and shimmering black layered upon one another… everywhere she looked. So many clouds. Mountains of them roaring high over the land and reaching into the darkness above. Rumbling. Exactly like what she would see in Cloudsdale. But never this big.

A massive thunderhead. It was too cold now. Soul exhaled violently and tried to breathe. She couldn’t. The intense wind blowing so hard against her. I can’t breathe. The filly panicked, stumbling backwards and clawing her nose to the air. Her mount wide open. Finally, like a miracle, she took in a new breath. But it stung. Soul coughed so hard. That is so cold. She never had breathed in freezing wind like this before. Because… this storm is… I’ve never seen anything like this. Soul coughed hard.

So much wind and so much snow hailing down on her. This terrible weather… was something she would have to fly through? There was nothing but this terrible storm ahead of her. Beyond all the mountains. She looked back. The faded mountains of the other side still stood there with Soulblight somewhere back there. No.

She didn’t want to go back. Go back to that house protecting her from weather like this with a nice, …warm fire. Soul moaned looking down at the flurrying snow she stood on before turning back to the darkness beyond. A loud sound banged from it. Her ears perked up. Was that… thunder? A storm like this out here? I’ve never even seen storms this bad. As black as Blight was. Filling the entire sky beyond. As scary as it was, Soul did not want to run from it.

It was just another test. I’m not afraid. Flying through storms was not something new for her. I was taught to be strong. I was… when I flew through a storm just like this to show all the ponies that I am not weak. I won in the end. Getting a little wet from rain was nothing. Except it was snow this time. Soul would prove how strong she was. She craned her head. Wind blowing her mane and fur wildly.

“You’re not gonna stop me.”

1.82
This had been enough of a rest. Even with her wings still sore, the filly was not gonna waste any more time. She unfolded them. She had not even taken to the air and already the wind struck hard again. She could feel her precious wings want to fold back up. Terrified of the horrible wind. It took all she had just to keep them open and ready to fly. I got this. She reared her butt to the sky and readied herself. Ready to fly. I’ve been weak so much in my life. I will not do it again. No matter how scary this is, I won’t run away. I want you back, Dashie.

So she kicked. Her wings catching the air. All the felt before it all escaped her. Soul gasped. She fell backwards, hard! The wind sent her flying right back where she had been. Not even able to try and stop it. No! I won’t let you. Soul flapped her wings. Opening her eyes and… saw her wings were still! Oh no, they’re locked! I… I can’t fly. Soul tried. So very hard. Putting all into just trying to move her wings. Too late.

The world spun around her. The hazy sky. The layers of snow in the crater. The rocky cliff face descending down to the mountains. Each sight changed as she tumbled in the air, flapping desperately. I need to fly. Come on, stupid wings! You were always there for me before. Don’t give up on me now. I want to go home, I want to… Soul slammed straight against the side of a large slab of rock.

Soul lost her breath. Not again. Feeling a her mind go blank and pain in her back. Able to do nothing. Nothing but watch herself fall down to the ground below.

The filly pummeled down in the snow. Buried in it. Inhaling as hard as she could, she finally managed to breathe again. Coughing rapidly, she cringed her entire body from the sharp pain exploding in her back. She actually spat out so much from her coughing and then she screamed. Falling right over. “Owwww!” Her legs moved. Trying to push her back up but gave way to let her fall back on the snow. I need… to get… “Ow owww.” It hurt to move.

I need to get up. Please. Don’t do this to me. Just being forced to watch the snow fall around her. Laying on her side. Thoughts of flying out of here, they all disappeared. Because her wings would no longer move. The wind coming in over her and she listened to it. I… I love the sky. I always did. Why? Why did this happen? This is not the sky I know. This is not the world I know. I… I can’t even fly. I just want to go home. That’s all I wanted. But it hurt so much. Everything hurt. I need to… I need to move.

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Her legs actually could still shake. Really badly. Just from trying to stand up. They shook violently, barely able to just push her back up. Get up. Get up. Soul fell right back down. “Ahhhhh!” Soul smacked a hoof against the snow. Opening her eyes once more. Dark clouds were above her. Slowly moving along up there. Just the darkness and snow coming down. Not a little bit of Sun was left up there. Uh… oh no.

It was getting dark? The Sun was setting. I’ll… I’m all alone out here. No. No! I will get out of this… now. She used all her strength to pull herself back up and sit straight up. “Dashie.” I wish you were here with me. I don’t want to be all alone in the dark. Not out here. Especially when it was getting colder and she shivered. Did she really want to do this? The more she thought of it the more she really didn’t want to. I’m so cold. I want to go home. Please.

The remaining light would not last for too long now. She sighed. Looking back in the direction of the house… and Blight. I really can’t do this. Ugh, she felt her back stinging. Rubbing it a little. I have to go back. Deal with all that again. I don’t want to. I just want Dashie, nopony else. If I go back there, Blight will be there. Another chill hit her hard. She sat there. Taking in the freezing cold and all this pain running over her.

Soul sighed.

1.84
I really wish I could feel how this is. Blight held her hoof out, trying to catch one. Snow was coming down so hard. Of course not. The snow did as it always did. Just falling right through her hoof. It really is like this. I can’t even grab a single flake. Blight smacked her hoof back down. This really is all I can do.

What kind of day was this? Just watching the snow. Staring out at this empty world and wondering what can I do. For so long. I can’t even do anything with this world. Not with; she looked down at her hooves. Not with this body. Almost like nothing has changed. This world was still so silent to her. Like nothing happened for her. Not at all. All I can do is wait. Wait and watch this world out there. All that endless snow going far and wide. Freezing cold. Terrible out there. A place that nopony should ever be, but Blight found herself out in it.

The wind certainly had picked up in the coming of night with new clouds rolling in bringing this weather with it. At least the clouds could not black out the glow of blue-white light flooding in by the Moon over her. Its shine all she could see that lit up the white of the land beyond. She stopped. Looking up to the house she had shared with Soul the past day just ahead of her. It had been a long flight to get here. Must have been. Having to fly all the way back from the mountains and back here. Not something I would ever want anypony to have to do, not in this weather. I know… I know that poor filly has it bad right now. I really am sorry that you had to fly in all this.

Soul had been mad before. Oh how awful she could be now. However she was, Soul was inside well away from Blight. In there staying warm by the fire or bundled up in the blanket. Something to help her rest. I need to keep that fire going for her. As long as possible. I just hope I won’t run out of things to burn. I’ll use anything. Blight eyed the other abandoned homes. Even the houses themselves. Soul, all you deserve now is at least to be warm… but… I wish I could give you more than that. Like… a friend. Somepony you want. Because I know you don’t want to see me.

Even if the filly would not accept it, Blight wanted to at least keep her company tonight. Soul still hates me, all alone in there. You really don’t deserve to be alone tonight. Not after I saw you alone for so long, I hate knowing you’re alone right now. If only Dash was here for you. But no, it’s just me. Blight looked up to that Moon high above the world. That glowing orb. That pony etched in it. The pony planted firm in its surface. Up there, all alone.

“How do you handle it?”

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She cared not to listen. Not like she would bother to answer me. No, I got to do what I feel is right. What she felt was right ended up making her go to the front door. Gliding silently down the hole in the snow that thankfully left the door open. She questioned how it was this was the only house in the village with a roofed porch to protect from being buried. Maybe all the others had the same at one point butno more. Lost forever. Perhaps. Buried now in the snow out of sight. It fascinated her in wondering what may have happened to this village. I’m just stalling, aren’t I? Because she stood before that door with the filly all alone on the other side. As much as Soulblight knew Soul would be less than happy to have her around, she could not deny what she wanted. Blight wanted Soul to have somepony with her. I guess that has to be me.

She looked at the rusted knob of the door. With a quick thought, the knob turned and the door was pushed open to send in a small flurry of snow to disappear into the filthy carpet. Well it was good to see nothing within had changed. Light still shone across the room from the fireplace and, as she walked in, she spotted a small glimpse of magenta to her right.

Blight looked over at her as she walked in. Her yellow dragon eyes met the yellow eyes of Soul. She sure does look surprised to see me. Soul didn’t even move underneath that blanket she had wrapped herself in. The very Pegasus doll she had left on the bed earlier in the day lay huddled inside her forelegs. Besides that, Soul looked… awful to Blight. Her mane a terrible mess with countless silver and violet strands just shredded and sticking up. Even having her mane covering up both her eyes now. How could she even see?

Her fur looked no better. All of it just filthy and messy. May as well be a carpet just like the one that was spread across the floor. The poor thing still has that cut on her chin. Soul did not look well at all.

She also does not look happy to me.

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The filly was angry now. Felt nice to walk in here and be met by her glare. So nice. She did not speak at all. I know I’m not welcome. Blight still walked in. Silently. Saying not a word. Another thought and the door sealed shut behind her. All I can really do is just try not to upset her. Felt so weird doing this. We got along so well yesterday, not I have to just avoid her. Blight hated the feeling. Soul wouldn’t even talk to her. Don’t worry, I’ll just stay away from you. I just… don’t want you to feel alone tonight. Even if it has to be with me.

Blight trudged on over to the fire. Away from the bed. Checking on what burned inside. It looked like there was still a good enough amount of wood, blackened and charred, inside to keep wrapped inside the fire. It would need more later to keep Soul warm. An good amount of wood still sat in a pile at the far corner from an empty bookcase she had silently torn apart while Soul had slept the prior night. Not much for her to do overnight so she had made a point to search the dark house since Blight had been all alone last night while Soul slept. A lot of really useless junk. No food or anything to help keep Soul warm. The best use would be as firewood.

Blight sat down in front of the fire while keeping her back to Soul. It bothered her that the filly said nothing. So unlike what we had been earlier today. Just this morning. So much has changed. A shame. Blight really liked Soul being an energetic and playful filly. That glimmer in Soul’s eyes when she would look up at her. Almost like she did like me. It’d be nice to see that again.

She finally heard Soul mumble behind her. Almost like some little whimper. Blight had to look back. Soul was still there but… she was staring down at the bed. Sad about something. I really do pity her. Not sure what she was feeling. It does hurt me because… I did cause all this. Poor Soul.

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“Are you alright?” Blight asked her in the most calm voice she could make. Soul whispered back to her. “Don’t talk to me.” That stings. Really does hurt hearing her talk to me like that. She could not let this stand. Even if the filly didn’t want her to talk to her, she needed somepony to be there for her and I refuse to let her stay in here by herself.

“Are you cold? I can go find more blankets… or stoke the fire…” She reached one of her forehooves closer to the roaring fireplace. “Maybe?” She smiled a little hoping to get something from Soul. She must want something. The filly didn’t say a word. No. She only grabbed the blanket and pulled it over herself. Hidden away under there. The filly moved a little under there and then fell still. I guess… she is going to bed. If only that was the case. So… this is what it’s like to be ignored. Blight frowned. Was it literally just last night when she let me sing to her? I really thought she liked me. I really do miss thinking she does. I don’t want… to be alone. If only we could do what we did last night again. Hmm… Blight looked over at where the filly disappeared. Should I tell her?

“Soul, you don’t have to sleep” Blight let her know.

“What?”

Soul spoke! To me. That’s right, you don’t need to sleep. “I knew you had a terrible nightmare the other night. So I made it so you don’t have to sleep just as I do. Just like with the food, anything to help you, you know?” Blight said before proudly admitting “No more nightmares.” All it had taken was a mere thought. Seemed throughout the day that it worked. Even so, the filly did prove to be able to sleep like a rock last night. Soulblight shaking her and giving Soul this gift… nothing had woken her from that dream. After what you told me, it broke my heart that you had such a nightmare. So… maybe, you would like to never have it again. Blight smiled as best she could.

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The filly did react to this news. Soul reaching a hoof out from under the blanket to push it down so she could bare for a brief moment the pained face she had. She had almost said something. Nothing. She shook her head before falling back in under the blankets, the back of her head again facing Blight. “I’m going to sleep. Nothing to do anyways.”

The filly fell silent. Her body moved a little under the covers and soon enough, she lay motionless. Soulblight could not tell if she was asleep or not. She made no attempt to find out. Just letting out a sigh and going back to staring at the fire. Not even happy about what I did for her. Blight didn’t want to admit it but Soul actually did hate her. But… I still like her. So much that she worried so much now… now that Soul was going back to bed. What if she has another nightmare? What if… I have nopony to talk to again?

She rose her forehooves up to her face. Staring down at the misty fur. The paleness, how incorrect it was. She cursed this body. One incapable of touching another. No matter how much Soul despised her now, no matter what pain was between them after the mistakes, Blight still found herself thinking back to Soul’s request the previous day. Would it be possible now if she had a body to work with? Blight could almost cry thinking what Soul truly wanted now: love. A filly and she really did have nopony left to love her. Except… Blight wanted to.

She could imagine it now holding the tiny pony against her chest, wrapping her up in her legs and thick wings. The filly crying into her black fur. Exactly what she also imagined a lonely child wanting. Exactly what she knew Soul had wanted for so long. But would it even happen were it possible? Would Soul want to hug me? Soul did seem to not like that I tried to help her get rid of her nightmares. Blight heard a sound from behind.

She only glanced back. Still seeing Soul hiding underneath the blanket. Yet, her head bobbed gently. The sound came back again. A sniffle among her steady breathing.

Soul was crying… in her sleep.

Oh no, she had to be woken up. No more suffering. Blight stood up and came over to the bed. I need to wake her up.

Would she yell at me? No, no. I don’t want that. She… she would yell at me. Damn it, Soul. Why did you go to bed in the end? I told you you didn’t need to. I bet she would try to smack me and yell at me if I wake her up.

No, she would want no hug. Even if it were possible. Soul would want nothing from her and sooner leave her before anything. Hate her.

Everypony did.

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Blight made the hard decision. She stepped back from Soul. Soul had to be left alone. The decision belonged to her. Blight had no right to deny that decision. I get to sit here and watch her have a nightmare. Keep the house safe even if Soul didn’t care. Just like my kindness always gets me in the end. Why bother now at all?

The wind howled hard outside. Blight’s ears perked up to listen. Sitting before the glow of the fire, It’s not even warm. Not to me. Not warm or cold. But… I feel so empty. So hurt. Blight let her wings go and wrapped them both around herself.

I see things have not changed. I do the right thing. I help ponies. I did so much to make sure she could be happy and safe. Even saved her best friend. Yet she wants to hate me. Like nothing I do is good enough for her. I feel so alone. Holding herself in her wings, Blight laid down. Curling up her legs and burying her face into her feathers. Listening to the wind and to a filly crying. Alone again.

I don’t want to be alone again.

Next Chapter: Part 2 Entwined - Act 2 Estimated time remaining: 35 Hours, 29 Minutes