3.1
I hate waking up like this! Like her heart was trying to beat out of her chest. She could not get used to this. Waking up to a room not her own, her body and mattress covered in her tears. I can still see her. Soul blinked. Again and again until that sight left. Until she no longer saw the rainbow mane. Her cruel words. Her cruel glare. The anger she felt. I hate feeling it. So pointless.

She set her head back down upon the pillow. Calming down slowly. Her dulled eyes slowly crossing over the wooden ceiling above her. Watching the wisps of chilled air floating about. This pillow sure was comfortable. She rubbed the back of her head over it, feeling its soft touch to her own alongside the damp spots in it. So warm. But I still want my own bed. Something that feels better. Nothing could be done about that. Not now. Not until… I can see that rainbow mane again.

The warm blanket covering her slid off, pushed down by her hooves and there she saw what it was that kept her warm last night. There lay her right wing, draped over her stomach. It had not moved a bit in her sleep. Better place than any other to let her rest that wing. She looked down on it. Feeling a little more comfort seeing how it came to look over the night. Its span still bent, many feathers torn and shredded, yet the cuts and wounds… they looked better. No more blood seeping out to coat her wing. Thank goodness. She… she still felt sick remembering seeing all that blood covering her wing. It was all dry now. Maybe it doesn’t hurt anymore.

Soul moved just a little.

Oh yeah… that hurt.

3.2
It took a lot just to sit upright. This is gonna suck. Her wing moved a little. That was all it took for it to sting. Come on, I’m used to pain. It was a lot of it. Just by moving her wing down to her side. Time to see if she could fold it back up. I hope it can. A night of rest and she could still move it.

It slowly moved up. Soul grunted. A short cry slipping through up till the point that her wing took to the air fully stretched out before returning back down towards her side. The feathers coming into one another and her bent span folding in on itself. “Owww!” Soul shrieked. More pained noises made by her. Just a little more. Her wing moved. Coming down more and more and shrinking in size. Not as bad as yesterday. Ugh, it still hurts. Suffering so much… so much but it finally stopped. Fully folded and looking exactly like her left wing, save for the dried blood. It’s over. She exhaled hard.

Those stupid storms. This awful place with nopony to help me. None she could rely on. Her thoughts floated back to the doe. Long gone. Certain she would never see her again. She being the only one who even tried to care for her injuries. Driven away. I really hate this place.

With her wing safely folded and at ease, worrying about pain could not stop her from getting out of bed. Her hooves touched the carpet. The air was so cool in here this morning. Cold and yet, the fire still roared. Throwing some of that wood in before going to bed worked in keeping it alive. That was good. Soul stepped forward. One idea on her mind. Really the only thing she could keep doing. Find a way home.

The first step she just took she knew being the first of a lot today. No way her wings could carry her right now but that would not stop her. I’m gonna get home somehow. Away from all this… and from her. That cruel Pegasus who only sought to make life difficult. An evil pony. What else could it be? What pony would do what she did?

All Soul could see was that poor doe… and all the blood covering it. Such a sweet thing and in so much pain. All because of a pony who likes to hurt others. This is really my only company now.

Soul walked right past the basin that was left there. Just wanting to go for the door. Leave this house. Hopefully forever. Because this place only gave her chills. Such as this thing here. The thing she stopped before and stared at. Something no pony could ever do. Still no way of telling what happened here, but it was a horrible thing to look at. Just something that happened… and it must be because of… her. A blackened trench cut across the floor. Singed deep in ash.

3.3
A horrible black cut, burned across the floor and right under her very hooves. It ran so long. It was hard to believe this could be made by something. How it went all across the house and ending right against the furthest corner. Soul knew this was not here before, a nice greeting when she came back last night. Something just like what Blight left behind in the snow when… she hurt the doe.

This had to have been her. I really am in the same village as a pony like that. It’s like she likes to do this stuff. “What a freak” she muttered. Such a violent mare. And… she likes to hurt me. This is my only company now. Until I can leave this place. I just don’t want to have anything to do with her anymore. Not when she does stuff like this. Hurting things. Causing so much pain. With stuff like this… the deep cut she stared at in the carpet. To think a Pegasus can do this. Some freak Pegasus. Can… can unicorns even do stuff like this? Soul reach one hoof out. Was it even real? The tip of her hoof touched upon the edge of the crevice just short of it going into the wide gash. She pressed it, rubbed it. Looking down her leg at the small bits of ash she picked up. Caught by the small gusts of air entering through the cracks, ash floating up like petals to stick to her fur all across her leg. As dark as the ash that the fire left behind.

She brought that ash covered hoof up to her face. Not able to take her yellow eyes off it. Nothing moved. Nothing but the ash that trickled down her fur like water. Trickling. Flowing. Feels like I’ve seen something like this before. And… and I want to leave it. I hate seeing this. But… where to go?

Would Dashie even want me back?

After all… Dash was the one who did… that to me. Soul stared upon the ash. The ash? Wasn’t it ash before? Or is it… it’s like water now. Water running all along her leg. Just from a soft touch to the place that hurt. When I looked down at what it was that happened to me. How much it hurt, how ugly it was to see all that… blood on me.

Why did you hurt me, Dashie?

“Why…?”

It doesn’t hurt anymore. Soul blinked.

3.4
It was gone. Just her in this house, alone. Still covered in ash. She saw it all again. No… I’m back here, I’m… I’m okay. No more blood on her beautiful fur. She loved seeing her fur back the way it was meant to be. No pain anywhere. No pain… just the memory of what she had seen.

Last night.

She set her hoof back down. No pain. None where she remembered. Just on her wing and… her eyes. They felt damp. But she could not take her eyes of her leg. Her mouth trembling. “Is this… really all I… deserve?”

One more tear falling next to her hoof.

“I hate this.”

3.5
“Careful” Blight said, not taking her attention off it. Taking so much care to keep her dark magic in check as it went up and down the side of the figure she was busy making; made entirely of snow. In the shape of a pony at that though lacking any wings or a tail. It took a while to make the four thick legs it had planted deep in the snow atop the roof. She had spent most of the morning working on this. Lots of attention being paid just to get the body right to make a tiny replica of a pony standing in front of her.

The face certainly proved to be the hardest part. Sculpting the snow to make a nose and a hint of a mane. It even took using such a tiny sliver of magic just to carve a face into this thing. Something to smile at her. It would be nice. Now she needed to get these annoying pockets of snow bulging out on the cheeks and sides of the muzzle and how… ugh, how they made it look like the head was about to fall off.

How to do the wings was still a mystery to her as well. None of this made sense. I still can’t think of how to do them. Hopefully I can finish it. Her snowpony would look fantastic. At least that’s what the kids had been calling them. That’s what they had been calling them this morning. Sounded like it would be fun. They sure all did think so. The happy sounds of excited fillies and colts doing what she could guess as playing in the snow so far out in the beyond. It made her laugh when she would hear one pony, sounded like an adult, trying to settle some kids… until they also joined in on the fun. Adults play in the snow too. It actually sounded beautiful to Blight as she listened to it. It sounded fun.

So ponies enjoy this same weather that we are in. Like it made it all bearable. Enjoyable. It was all that that had made life such a pleasure for Soul. That life out there in the distance, beyond the winds, that the filly missed. In the very least, I want to try and bring some of that here. Listening closely, she could hear one filly out there. One who could be no older than Soul building one of these ‘snowponies’ with her parents. So heartwarming.

A family.

One that actually was together. Those ponies wanted to build one of these with their own daughter. It sounds lovely. Something to do with a certain young filly. If she were so inclined to get up.

3.6
What time even was it? Late morning. The Sun high overhead in its shroud of grey clouds giving off their endless snowfall. Soul really did need to get up. She would certainly enjoy this. This type of stuff was a lot like the world she would remember. Plus, I… I really need her help with this. Now more than ever as she worriedly moved her magic around trying to stabilize the face of it as she shaved off stray snow. Something was certainly wrong. It should not be wobbling so much and with every bit of snow she got rid of to flatten the cheeks, the head sank a little further until… “No!”

Oh damn! The head fell right off. And it really had to break apart!? Just a crumbled mess on the rooftop now. Ruined. That head took hours. “Son of a…” she spat. Her shoulders sulking down. I got to do this all over again. Something she really did not want to do alone this time. So she dispelled what little clouds of black magic she had left floating about to nothingness.

If only Soul would wake herself up.

A door clanked open.

Soul’s door. Well, well. Blight looked down, over to the house just across from the one she sat atop all night and morning to see the door peeking out over the snowed in porch. It opened and then closed. She waited patiently for the magenta filly to rear her head out over the snow and see… the little gift I left her overnight. The poor filly has an injured wing, I think she would need this now more than ever.

A moment passed. “I suppose she appreciates it” Blight whispered. Soul must be admiring it. Then came the filly. Soul ascending up from out of the snow, walking at an angle to step forth onto the snowy landscape that surrounded her buried house. So she did use the ramp! As long as she kept off that wing, it was worth it.

Soul stared out towards the distant skies ahead of their village. Still… a sad looking filly. Even from over here, it hurt to watch her. Even more when she turned and looked up at Blight. Truly miserable.

3.7
But Soul did not look away. Blight staring down at her as well. Soul looked no better than yesterday. Still a mess. Reddened eyes. I would hate to tell her that… she looks broken, to be honest. Soul frowned at her. Briefly glaring at Blight before breaking their locked stares as she began to walk towards her.

Towards me?

Does she want to talk? Even if it were not particularly nice, I would be glad just to get the filly to say something to me. I sure would like to talk to her. Looked like she did want to come over. Holding her hope the filly wanted to talk. Broken once Soul turned to round the closest corner of the house she slept in and began walking off. Walking in the direction opposite the one she took yesterday. A new direction. Looks like she still wants to try and find a way home. Ridiculous. Not like searching would come to anything. It really is reckless now. If only she would just work together with me.

If only I could figure something out.

Those little ‘barriers’ still persisted. Every direction from what I can hear. No difference. All one needed to do was listen. Twice now she got hurt and Soul still did not learn. What a waste of time.

“Soul!” she called after the filly. Surprisingly, Soul stopped trudging off. Immediately after her name was called. Her hooves planted firmly. She glanced back at her. Those bloodshot, yellow eyes showing how very unhappy she was in being stopped. That didn’t stop Blight. Something a little better than just leaving me with no word. “Would you want to help me make this snowpony?” Blight asked motioning towards the pitiful looking thing next to her. “I’m a bit bad at this. I’m wanting to see if you’re any good at making one.” She smiled inside, I bet this sounds fun to her. Wouldn’t it be better than wandering around? I know the filly loves having fun. A charming part of her. Both of us working together and enjoying the day. Just like those kids.

“Shut up.”

Blight’s mind calmed itself. Her body froze. One thought after another destroyed hearing those two words completely end all her visions of putting a smile on Soul’s face and being only left with the filly’s angry face. A cold shoulder being all she could get now until Soul continued on. Stomping away with her long tail dragging along the snow behind her.

She told me to… shut up. She really doesn’t want to have any fun with me. Sharing nothing but those two hurtful words and nothing more even after both pegasi had not seen one another in half a day. She only wanted to keep pursuing this stupid fantasy of a lone and small pony making it out of this. She had to learn on her own. She only wanted to be alone and leave Blight… all alone. All alone. Her spirit dropped.

Left behind by another. Another tail walking away from her. Another pony who wants… wants nothing to do with… me.

I’m too nice. Too nice…

3.8
“I’m used to this” she said softly. Softly gripping her chest. She winced when she heard her voice break. “I’m used to this yet… why am I…” She set her hoof back down. Glaring over at the broken snowpony she worked hard on.

It glowed red. Red from her stare.

She hissed. “…so angry?” Dark and deep. Ringing in her own ears, her voice.

She heard it. I… I don’t sound right. As much as she felt. She watched that glow of red in the snow fade as she lowered her lashes. This is my only friend. The only thing I have here. Just feeling it and seeing it before her. The coils of black and… the red magic. How it coursed and snaked before her. Churning in the air. How very bright it glowed.

“I hate this.”

She hates you.

The snowpony disappeared. Soulblight watched it all, all the snow fall away. Sheets of it as the snowpony burned away… in a hail of red.

“I caused this. I deserve this. Yet… it still hurts.”

3.9
Another day, another storm. Soul standing high atop one of the great mountain peaks. All the thunder rumbling in the distance. Her eyes staring upon the sight so familiar to her by now. Yet another wall of deep black clouds coiling and rumbling in the horizon beyond the mountain range. Lightning. Heavy winds blowing against her face. Nothing different. Every day. It looks no different. I… I just can’t stand this anymore. Like the storm never moved. No matter what direction she ventured or how high she flew. It was always there.

Her little legs walking forward and then… stepping back. I can fly now and I’m too afraid to. It had been such a long time being without her wings. All the pain she felt upon trying to move them and having to walk everywhere. It was never fun to be without your wings. Not able to fly, it made the days go by so slowly. Those useless days. This day was no different.

I really wanted this day to be different because… it’s supposed to be special.

Maybe a break in the storms. Maybe a friend to talk with her. To love her. Wishes she made every day and… today was supposed to be different, please. Just once, I want things to change. Yet it never came to be granted. She had only a single wish given. As if she had only been given one without choice. The only good to happen to her in so long. That wish being her own mighty wings set at her sides. Her right wing as strong as ever.

No pain. No more struggling to fly. Going up to fly the skies and try once more to make things change. It was not enough to make her happy. This day, among all the others, a disappointment.

And I used to think this day would finally become special.

Wanting to hear somepony important to her speak her name again. She sighed.

3.10
“Should I try?” Her foreleg made a step forward. Her wing stopped her, begging her to look back at it, still covered in broken feathers and the small splotches of red still managing to stick to the fur along the straightened span. It tickled a little. Like it wants me to stop. It had just fully healed. Two falls in a row was enough and the storm today looked as terrible as ever.

“But… I want to go home.”

Home. Back there, when I thought this day would mean something. I… I still remember it, Dashie.

I looked forward to it.

I used to never have ponies around who would want to be with me for days like this. Until… she promised me. “I want to go home.” She took another step. Her eyes stung. Shivers running down her entire body. Her right wing twitched. “I… I…” Her wing began to ache. I feel it. I don’t want it again. She could feel the pain in her wing. The pain of hurting them, losing them. Again.

“No” she whispered, sitting down. “No.” She unfolded her right wing, lifting it high into the air and softly placing the feathers against her chest. The most beautiful part of her body. I won’t let it get hurt again. Not again. The filly held her wing close, softly. Placing her hooves against it. She missed being able to move it like this. To touch it. Even with the feathers torn and ravaged, she still could not deny how soft it was. How great it felt to know it was back to normal. She would not let it happen again. She couldn’t. That was the thing.

Every day ended like this.

It was despicable. Having to do this, forced to back away yet again from these storms like she was helpless. I am helpless. Backing away from… from the place she wanted now more than ever. Taken from it.

When will this damn storm end? Soul stood back up, letting her wing lower down to her side and join with her left. Fleeing from the storm. Running away from it to the only place in this land where she felt safe.

I’m so pathetic. But maybe... “I’ll… try again… tomorrow.” Strange, seems like I keep saying that same thing.

Soul flew off.

3.11
I get to go back to the house. Back to the mock home acting as a replacement to the comfort she dreamed to walk in again. Empty and secluded with just a fire being the only thing left for her there. Just to keep me from freezing to death. For times like this, it served merely as a flicker of life for her. Mesmerizing. The only light of this land. Sitting in front of it to watch its dance and even whispering to it.

I like to tell it things. Tell it how I feel. I’ve never imagined fire being the thing I have to rely on… haha. And it crackles back to me. Like it talked back. Not wanting Soul to feel all alone. Hearing noise spoken from it like a pony would talking with her… but never matching what she truly wanted. No voices familiar to her. None left. All it does is keep me warm. She didn’t need to think that as much as she didn’t want to. It was warm enough, well except for the nights. All the days leading up to this day just felt a tiny bit less cold. Getting a little warmer with every day she counted in her head from the last day she remembered back… back in the world she missed.

Sometimes I forget what days I am on. Thank goodness she could place herself right again and then… figure out that she had reached this day. Yeah, today was supposed to be the day. Now all she had was the fire to look forward to. Its warmth all she had inside the walls, as long as she didn’t have to look out at the snow. I’m sick of snow.

She looked all around at the gently falling snowflakes flurrying about her as she flew. Their fall becoming more gentle with every second she spent flying around the peaks and flat bridges connecting the countless mountains as she got further away from the wind till she could feel no chill down her spine. It all looked the same as she flew. Looking over the large buildups of earth sitting between the mountains like tiny valleys of snow from which her little shadow glided across. Some of the same ones she had flown over earlier just to get here. A path through the mountains as opposed to flying over the vast crater. Yeah, the crater would be quicker to fly over but… the filly refused to fly over it again. Maybe it is better to fly the mountains instead. See something different. Take the long way around the crater. Besides, the mountains had more than just snow.

There were a lot of dead trees out here in the range. All of them as blackened as the rest. Even witnessing a rockslide when she flew here. It was quite a sight. Being the first time she saw something like that. How many hundreds or thousands of small rocks they could have been tumbling so loud that Soul could swear she was watching an earthquake with how much it shook.

3.12
Flying back was different. Nothing happened.

Soul looked down at the world below her, didn’t even need to look to fly around the incoming rock spires. Well, at least I have some of my skill left. There were some of the trees she saw earlier. Flying by, she caught a quick sight of how they all had that charred look to them. As black as ash, nothing different from any other. Except for one. One had a deep scar carved in its side, catching sight of it easily from all the way up here. The same tree she took note of when she flew in the opposite direction.

She was on the right trail.

Flying the mountains were always like this. Flying and then retracing where she had been. It had almost become second nature now. Ha, this is my life now. It was almost amusing to her. So much that she could remember the exact mountain she always started from just by its looks. Then you can stand atop that mountain and look out to find the village far beyond. The clearer weather letting her see it from up there earlier. Flying onward to see that sad place again.

Soul.

3.13
The filly stopped. Her wings beat so hard that she came close to flipping forward from that sudden halt.

She hovered there. Listening. She looked all around her, going up and down every peak, every crevice and rock. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing was out there. But I… she looked behind her. Nothing. S-somepony just said my name? But she was all alone. Nothing was out here. Looking all over desperate to see or hear something again. Only the small gusts of wind could be heard. Listening hard to hear that voice spoken out of nowhere. Like an echo. All it was. Going all around her despite how small it was. Small. Soft. Like a tiny voice in her ears, so soothing.

She could not believe it. I’m the only one out here. No, it couldn’t be possible. Nothing else could be out here. Nothing but the wind. That had to be it. A trick of the wind. Yeah. It had to be. What pony would be out here for me? None would. Nopony would be out here to call her name. A name that… they all forgot, because nopony came for me. After all this time, all I have is myself.

But she wanted to hear it again.

A small voice just for her. So she listened. More and more, the wind screamed about her. A rock falling here, the crack of something buckling over there. The filly all alone, hovering there above the mountains in the dead silence of the land. As it always was. How it made her so sad. Soul frowned. No, there is nothing. Of course there is nothing.

It was pointless. Looking up to the vast sky once more. All alone… up here… in the sky I once called my home.

Soul.

3.14
Was that her shadow?

No.

It moved. That very moment, hearing that little voice again, I see it. A small flicker of darkness going over the face of the mountainside ahead so quick that she almost missed it by blinking. There… there was somepony! Somepony was out here! They’re here for me! It made her smile.

“Hey! Wait!” she called out, blasting off again, chasing after the small thing she had spotted. Stopping to hover above the mountainside and look over it. Every rocky gap and burrow lining it. Looking for anything. Anything to show the way. Where was it? Where could she be? Soul went up and down, floating all about desperate to try and find whoever it was. She could find no sight of something.

Why was she hiding? Soul meant no harm. She only wished to talk. There was no reason for anypony to hide from her or run from her. Say my name again. Say it, please. She frantically looked back over her shoulder at all the other mountain slopes. Maybe she had moved. Oh please don’t move. Please don’t run.

“Wait! I just wanna talk to you!” She looked back down to the snowy land below and gasped. There you… no, the darkness she saw. It was her shadow. Those wings far below flapping at the same time as her own. Listening close again. Darting her eyes about. How many minutes passed by? Just to hear it again. Too much to bear, I want to find you. Please, just hear you.

Hear you say my name… Dashie.

Tell me… tell me what I want to hear. What you would say to me. What I wanted you to say to me on this day. Oh, please say it. Please. Soul could feel herself begin to cry. Cry at the silence and how nopony would heed her wish.

“Please tell me… the words. It’s all I want” she whispered.

“To be loved.”

Soul didn’t care if she started to fall. Just letting her wings do their thing, more wanting to just wipe her tears before she even bothered to slow herself down and gently touch down upon the snow. Her rear slowly sitting back into the snow making naught but a sound and only her wings giving of a tiny little whish of feathers cutting the air. They set down upon the snow themselves. Not bothering to fold them. Not caring. Only caring to hear what she wanted. Her crying eyes looking all around the world before her. Not seeing a shadow. Not hearing a thing.

She was alone.

3.15
All that could be heard were her own cries. There was nothing out here. There never had been. Nothing out here to know her name and be there for her. No friends. No family. They all left. They are all gone. I’ll never have them with me again. I’m all alone out here. Like it was what the world wanted.

I… I remember when I could look forward to this day. I really… really wanted to. Nimbus and Starry had always been there for me and then… she wanted to as well. She said she wanted to be there for me today. It made me feel so special. Like she actually liked me. Like I had friends who would be there on this day just like all the other ponies did. So it was a lie. I wasn’t going to get it. Only other ponies do. So that they felt important and not me.

“Please say it.” Soul set one of her forelegs out onto the snow. She slowly slid down. Laying on the snow. It was so cold to lay on. She didn’t care. Didn’t even move. Just lying there with her wings draping the ground and one hoof held out to the mountains beyond. She gasped. Sniffling so badly. “Please. …I hate being alone.”

Nothing moved and only her cries could be heard. This day… today… was meaningless. Meaningless to all others… but not to her. At least… at least I can say it for me. All she did was plant her hoof deep in the snow and dug away. Pushing the snow aside with every stride she made with the hoof. Like she drew with it in the snow. All around. Seeing what it was she did with it and the words that it wrote down. The words she wanted, the ones she thought she would hear others say. One last plea from under her crying breath as the world fell still.

“Say them. Say them. Tell me the words.” Until her head slinked down. Nose firmly planted into the snow.

“Rainbow Dash… please.”

She stopped. She fell silent. Crying into the snow as the Sun continued its slow glide in the sky above her. Her only company to see just what it was she had written in the snow. With total silence and only the wind brushing by in her ears to sing their song of ease for the crying Pegasus.

A flap of her wings beat the air. The little filly flew off. Her wings left it behind. One feather that slid away from her and came back. Back to land upon the snow next to what it was she left behind. All that was left of her.

One little wish. One she couldn’t get. Taken away. Because nopony loved her.

Happy birthday, Soul.

3.16
This village again. If only its snow-covered rooftops could be the gorgeous cloudy tops of Cloudsdale’s buildings built of the same sky blue they resided in. Home to all the fellow pegasi Soul learned by now to love even more than before. An everchanging cloud metropolis eternally graced as the comfortable life any Pegasus wanted.

It was such a nice life.

Soul found herself wondering how the city looked right now as she flew in to land among the lonely houses of the village. It had only been a few months since she last saw it but she could be certain that, by now, all the little homes and mightiest of weather factories could have no more snow. Not like this place. Rooftops bare to the warm Sun in the spring weather all the many pegasi at home enjoyed. Flying free and happy with one another in it. Possibly on their journeys to bring the miracle of the refreshing weather to the rest of Equestria, out to play with their cherished friends or even getting something nice to eat. Oh what they could be eating right now. Soul wanted to know. To know all the delicious foods of Cloudsdale again. I would love to have an apple juice right now.

All those ponies were so lucky.

Thinking back to how she would always get a cold bottle of juice or water. Drinking it down in long gulps while somehow taking plenty of time to still remember what it tasted like even now. How beautiful it was. How lovely it was to enjoy after such long days and nights of training.

Walking around the side of one of the empty houses, Soul had no chance of finding any such drink. No juice. No cold water packed with ice. She sighed. Having to settle with something else not as good. I’m so thirsty. All this flying around for no reason. She took a moment to pause her heavy breathing to lick her lips a little, looking down at the snow at her hooves. Just checking to see if maybe she shouldn’t try. There could be something wrong with the snow. No. The snow looked clean. Pure white.

She knelt down on her forelegs, sitting just over the snow. All the snow so close to her face giving off a chilling touch to her fur, and with one big snap of her mouth, all she could od was eat a large pile of snow. So cold. So very cold like always. The icy snow swished around in her mouth for mere seconds before she felt it quickly melt away. The water did not taste as good as the water she loved drinking out of a cup she could hold between her hooves, but it was something. That sure had been a lot of snow. It even took a moment for her to swallow it all. She breathed hard. Still, it tasted good enough after flying so much.

3.17
That’s all she could do, eat piles of snow. Best thing out here. She wiped her mouth. Well nothing more to do now. That really does suck. Nothing to do. How boring. Maybe the fire needed some more wood. She had made an idea earlier in the month to try exploring some of these other houses for stuff she could use, either for the fire or… just to kill time. That’s the best a pony can do out here. That idea came back a lot since then. Every time just… just didn’t feel like doing it. No point in trying to even dig those doors out of the snow. Not today… again. The fire had enough. There were still pieces of wood from an old cabinet she found outside her house one day just sitting under the roof of the porch. No doubt left there in shambles by a certain black Pegasus she knew.

I would still like to go inside those houses someday. She thought this as she looked into one of the dark windows of the closest house. The half-buried window supposed to be a way to peer into the world within but the darkness inside was so much that she could make out nothing within from this distance. Not even her reflection came out clear. She could see only an outline of herself in the glass. Strands of fur here and there sticking out. Sometimes making her think they may be part of her very long mane until she realized what they actually were.

Soul brushed the bangs of her mane out of the way of her eyes. Not liking there being this much hair in her face. It seemed to get worse every day. Soul took a step forward, her eyes still glued to the window a moment longer until she summoned the strength to look away from the sad outline of herself. Stumbling through the deep snow, walking past house after house. Each one looking no different than the others. All built of rotted wood with stakes hanging about from where they fell off. Windows gone in the snow alongside missing doors. No way to get inside. A silent ruin. With only the sound of Soul’s steps able to be heard. The filly slowly walking silently.

I’ve done this so many times in this terrible place. I don’t even want to look at any of this. Better she just keep her head down and stare at the snow. Already knowing which way she should go. Having passed this way so much over the months, it was second nature by now.

“Welcome back.”

3.18
Soul looked up. Of course, there she was again. Passing by the house neighboring her own, Soul stared up to the rooftop seeing the same figure sitting up there as every day. Soulblight, still and unflinching, sitting at the very edge of the roof above her. The black Pegasus staring out into the distance without even looking at Soul as she welcomed her.

She was such a freak. How could she do this? Every time I see her, it was like she had never moved a muscle. Always in the exact same position. Just… staring out at the empty horizon with wide eyes and huge wings out. Like she was a perched bird or something. Sometimes she would even blink but never bothering to even look at Soul. Like she deserved to be fussy. It had been her who hurt me so much.

Indeed, she rarely even spoke to Soul lately. Just so focused on doing nothing up on that rooftop. It had been a few days since last she spoke to Soul. She remembered the words clearly.

Flying off again?

That had been when I took off to find a way home. Flying back at the storms, only to come back here. Just like today. Soul had ended up saying yes and, for some reason, Blight had rolled her eyes. Like she disapproved of her attempts. Whatever. The Pegasus never could get much of anything from Soul, just like now. She could care less of what Blight said. Soul frowned deeper, looking back down to continue walking over to her house. Leaving the black Pegasus behind to her business so she could get back to her doing much of the same in the boring hours of the day.

She turned the corner, going around the mounds of snow towering over her at the front of her house to find the ramp of snow between the mounds going all the way down to the familiar door below. She could still see some of the boards of wood stacked up beside the door. She could probably bring a couple of them inside.

She set a hoof down on the ramp; a little piece of work, obviously some work of Blight’s that she had to keep open often. Every day it was kept clear of snowy buildup. Blight was always on that roof. So she leaves it when I’m not around. Why’d she even bother? I can just fly to the door anyways.

“Soul! Wait” she heard Blight calling after her. Oh what does she want now?

3.19
Soul went ahead and looked up from behind the snow, looking back over at where Soulblight was. Except… Blight is looking at me. She actually took her eyes off the sky to talk to me?

“What do you want?” Soul asked her, already irritated with the Pegasus. It didn’t look to bother Blight. She kept looking at her. Moving her mouth momentarily like she wanted to say something but kept silent. So she didn’t have anything to say? Why pull her aside then? Soul just wanted to go inside. Get away from this snowy world. All it does is remind me of what I don’t have.

Soul gave Blight a few more seconds to say something. Any day now. Each moment, all it did was make Soul scowl.

Enough of this. Soul turned back to go down the ramp.

“Happy birthday.”

3.20
What?

Soul’s eyes opened. There was no way that had just been said. By who? She must have misheard that. Rainbow Dash wasn’t here. None of her friends or family were here. Nopony could tell her such a thing. But it had just been said. By Blight?

Soul had to step back out and face Blight. Her eyes wide, not able to scowl anymore. The black Pegasus still watched her with brows risen now. “Did you… say something?” Soul slowly asked. The wind blasted in. Soul’s ears and fur tossed wildly in the brief seconds it lasted whilst Blight remained unmoved. Silenced till the wind left them and only small flakes of flurrying snow danced about between their gazes.

“It is the tenth of April, your birthday” Blight said. “How old are you?”

She… she knows my… birthday? She knew it and she actually spoke out about it. But how did she know it? Something else that she learned about me. It was odd. Blight actually acknowledged it. Blight did, of all ponies, and not any of the others who likely already forgot today was her birthday. Not a single pony even wanting to say it to her. Except… her. Why her? Of every pony in the world, the only one to say anything about it being the one who wanted her to be miserable. What was the point in her even doing that? She had nothing to gain. Let alone in wanting to know her age. Why do I feel like telling her? Maybe because she had nopnoy else who even tried to care.

“I’m ten.”

Blight smiled. It actually sent a chill down Soul’s back. A tingle in the back of her head. Especially with how soft she spoke back. “Congratulations. …You should go clean up a little. A birthday girl like you should be the loveliest in the world.” Yeah she did make it a point to look a little beautiful on her birthdays but there was no point in it now. It wasn’t like anypony was going to come. Rainbow Dash doesn’t want to spend it with me. Nopony does. She didn’t need to clean up. What, another attempt by Blight to bathe her? Freak. Like she knew everything or something.

Soul scoffed. “Maybe I would clean up if there was a pony who would want to see me. So why would you care?” Blight blinked. Her head set back a little and her smile disappeared. Going back to that nonchalant face she had most of the time. She had nothing to say. Like Soul thought. There was nopony out here who would care how she looked and none she wanted to care. They were all outside the storms. Sure, she’d clean up… only if Dash and her friends could see her.

“I only care about what the ponies important to me think of me.” She paused thinking back to her life outside this prison. These damn walls. All because of Blight who pretended to care for her. I just want to leave and go back to them all. After all this time, I miss them. I want them all back and just want to leave everything that happened behind. She hoped they cared for her. It’s like every day that passes… they’ll all forget me. That was terrifying. Will Dashie forget me? When I just want to find her and show her I’m still her friend. That she didn’t hate her.

3.21
“I want my birthdays back” she scowled at Blight. “So tell me… one thing. If you know it. Tell me, how do I get out of here? Tell me if you care so much.”

Blight paused. Continuing to stare at her. Her wings slumped a little and then she looked back off… into the horizon beyond their village. Watching the Sun slowly going down behind the thick clouds building up out there. Their grey masses merging and swelling, growing darker. More chilling with the rays of light barely finding ways to pierce through and light up the faces of the houses. Say something.

“I am so very sorry, Soul” Blight said slowly shaking her head. Those dragon eyes glazed in the light of the Sun falling as she spoke. Just like how Soul’s spirit dropped hearing the sadness in Blight’s voice. Like a sad ring. Knowing what she said was not what she wanted to hear. Not what she ever wanted to hear.

Don’t say it. Please don’t say it. Soul found herself also shaking her head. Her eyes felt like they would swell as her cheeks rose. Tell me how. Please.

“You can’t leave. I don’t know how you can.”

Soul’s heart dropped.

3.22
The door slammed behind Soul. Kicked hard by her hind legs. Even more noise as she threw the planks of wood off to the side with her mouth. Wow, the inside of the house sure did warm up over the day. There still was a chill lingering but the fire does a good job at keeping this place from freezing over. Ah that fire. I sure love it. Tiny little embers floating up from it and disappearing into the chamber above while the shadows inside the fireplace waved with every move the fire made. Like it was greeting her. It sure was nice. A nice greeting and a warm house. No more chilling wind and seeping cold attacking her. All the more making her appreciate that she still had this fire going. She was able to crack a small smile.

“Thank you” she whispered at those flames. Soul looked around the room. Across the piles of garbage set out around the fireplace alongside that large basin she shoved aside. The broken mirror and her bed. What could she do for the rest of her birthday? It made her wonder what she could do if all her friends were here. What would we have done? I really was looking forward to this day with them.

She could see it now. A brightly lit room with a soft carpet underneath her hooves and those beautifully colored balloons above her. So many balloons all wishing her a happy birthday and even saying how old she was. Eight. Nine. …Ten. She loved it all. She loved how it would have been. Knowing that they were all little gifts by others that were now long gone. No matter how few they were, they were all still so important to her and did so much to make her smile. She wanted them here to make her happy. The ones who always were there for her even when they didn’t need to be. But they took me into their home and… and I loved them. Just as much as Dashie. The ones she missed so much and hated to know they were never going to be there for her again. Never happy because of her. She wanted to be happy, feeling the desire deep within even though she smiled. Smiling down at the floor. At that ragged rug that was not the one she wanted.

“Thank you, guys…” she sniffed. “For everything.” What if they would be here for her? What gifts would they give her? She wondered how happy she would be to see the gifts no matter how small or big. Just knowing both of them and even… her friends took the time to give her something making her heart flutter. It always was a good surprise. Soul never knew what gifts she wanted, never knew what to ask for. She still did not know what gifts she would love her friends to get her for her tenth birthday. They would have surprised her with something awesome. Like I would have for them.

3.23
She thought over it all. Gently strumming one of her hooves along the dirty carpet. Trying her hardest to smile remembering the birthdays she had. How she would get her own plate of cake. A nice strawberry or two sitting on the icing she wanted to lick off. That’d be nice. There would be no cake this year. No cake. If there had been one, she’d want it to definitely have strawberries. Sitting right here on the hoof she held out before herself.

She could only look over the empty space around her hoof. Oh man, she never noticed all the cracks in her hoof. When had those happened? My hooves never get this bad. This place, it sure is rough. Hell, even the fur on her leg was so long, the stuff was draping over her hoof. Filthy fur. All the dirt stuck inside that ragged fur. There’d be no way she would ever go to her own birthday with dirt covering her. She looked back to what Blight had told her. Maybe she had been right. Maybe I do need to clean up.

“I… look terrible” she admitted. It had been a while since she last saw her reflection. I never even knew I looked this bad. Her legs so bad but maybe her mane as well? The damn thing had found a chance to dangle back down in front of both her eyes. It was annoying. I… I can go check in the… I almost said bathroom. No, I don’t have that anymore. Just that mirror sitting over there. Soul looked over at its face staring back at her from the other side of the room. She could see the shadowed image of herself in it, only able to really pick out the yellow of her eyes and… some red inside that yellow.

So she stepped forward. Not the same mirror I always cleaned myself in front of. To be sure I look good. No. Not this time. She approached a mirror that was not her own. Each step revealing more and more of the pony she was as she stepped out from the shadows and she could see what was in that glossy surface. She didn’t stop. She didn’t want to. Slowly trotting close enough until she was a hoof step away from running straight into the mirror. I see. A little Pegasus. A sweet and innocent thing blinking with bloodshot eyes hidden behind the thick strands of silver hair coiling down from her mane. So many strands running down her head. My mane is so long now. So very long. All the way down to her side. Draping over her face. Just like her once beautiful fur. How I would spend so long cleaning this all up. Look at me now. Haha, I got dirt all over me.

She did look terrible. Blight had been right. Looking like this, Soul could not accept it. She smiled at her reflection and that led to a little giggle she made to it. Seeing herself like this. She really let herself go. It would be a nice joke for others. Making them laugh as well. “I think I should get cleaned up, huh?” she asked her reflection. Such an obvious answer. Give her some sort of funny answer which seemed possible because of how it smiled back at her.

“It’s my birthday. Everypony would freak out if they saw me like this. They… would.” Wouldn’t they? Right? She reached out to the pony in the mirror. Stepping forward.

3.24
Something cracked. Cracked and crackled repeatedly. What is that sound? Sounds like… it’s below me. Couldn’t even look to see before… she gritted her teeth.

The pain.

Her hoof. It stung. Soul winced and yelped quickly. Reeling back away from the mirror and then she fell backwards. Tripping over the carpet and landing hard on her butt. It was starting to really hurt then. Soul found it not nearly as bad as when she hurt her wing. Soul still cried. Hissing over the pain. She looked over to her forehoof, the little thing held in the air and waving it around. Just trying to make it feel better. Eyes set upon that hoof, she caught sight of something beyond it. It caught her eyes easily with how it shined in the glow of the fire. How did that get there? All of that. It made her eyes widen.

How did I miss those?

It was those that had cracked. Dozens of large shards of glass laying all around the underside of the mirror, all parts of the shattered lower half of the mirror. Those shards were huge. Cut into indescribable shapes edged in a gloss that shone so bright. And they look so sharp. So much that just looking at them made her cringe. One of those shards was shattered entirely on top of the others. Tiny pieces of glass turned to pebbles spread out.

I stepped on that. She turned her hoof around to look at the underside. There it was, a tiny sliver of glass stabbed straight through her hoof, forced in under the weight of the filly with thin strands of blood dripping out along the sides of that glass. It was such a small piece but enough to do this. It was actually amazing to Soul. Even more with how the pain began to fade. That was quick. Thank goodness it was. I think I’ve had enough pain lately. Such an ugly wound but so nice that it didn’t hurt.

“Oohh” she moaned. “I hurt myself on my birthday.” Maybe somepony would help her with it. Her birthday didn’t have to be ruined. She could get Blight. Go back outside and ask her for some help. Or… maybe go further out and ask her friends. If only her friends could be right here. They could be here. They needed to be. For her. Make her feel better and continue to celebrate her. “Please help me… feel better, Dashie.” Soul’s little smile disappeared.

She stared down at her injured hoof. She trembled just looking at it. Her hoof shook. I want Dash here with me. She would be the pony to make it all better. All she had to do… was go find her. Back… out…. there. She stared down at her bloody hoof. Her little tears coming down. She heard them hit. Landing right in the blood soaking in the carpet. Soaking her hoof in that ugly red color. Another drop fell. Soul began to cry. She could feel all of it coming. So much. It hurt so much. Not my hoof. But everywhere hurts. Everything hurt so badly… inside.

All I want is for Dashie to be here again. She was always there for me when I got hurt. Always made me feel better. If that did not happen then… “I’ll come to you Dashie. I… want to… I want to come to you…”

“Because I want you back so much… and I’ll never see you again.”

Soul only laid down. Curling up before the mirror. Cradling herself in her own wings with her head buried inside those feathers. The shadows blacking out everything in front of her and the flames the only light she had.

Soul cried alone. Softly. Lightly. Hiding underneath her wings. Nopony came to her.

3.25
These scars really did seem to hurt with every step Soul took but only when she stepped down. Only with the one hoof she had hurt. Even if they all should hurt. Listening to the sounds of crickets all around but she could not turn away from the blood that was left on the ground. Painting the grass red underneath her forehooves. All because of these.

Soul hated it. Seeing herself looking like this. Always getting hurt. The scars she could see in the fur of her legs.

Like every step made them bleed a little more. Trickling out and down her legs. These cuts and wounds… I am so ugly. I hate seeing them on me. I hate getting hurt. She moaned seeing them bleed so badly already. She just got done cleaning herself off just a little ways back. Well at least there were more trees. Plenty of them.

Soul edged off from the open, grassy path to close in on one of those trees. Leaning her side against the dark brown bark leading all the way up to the great canopy of leaves all arranged in a massive layer with very few openings for the starlight high above to shine through. How those stars made eveyr tiny drop of water in those leaves shine so bright. So bright just like daybreak. She lay against the tree, able to bring her poor legs up one by one. Looking over each of them, reviling in the thought of doing this again. But it had to be done. No way can the others see me like this.

See what she does to me.

I’m supposed to be strong. I shouldn’t have to worry so much about stupid injuries. I… I get hurt all the time. They just needed to stop bleeding. Soul set her tongue onto her fur. Right onto where blood pooled and soaked her magenta color. Such a soft feeling to lick her own fur but that was all. The only feeling much like it was before. It felt no different even covered in blood.

Ugh, it still tastes awful. She felt her stomach churn again. Knowing there was blood pooling on her tongue. Anything to get rid of it. That was all to it. Every time she did this, it left her amazed as to how she just couldn’t get used to it. I keep doing it. Why can’t I just suck it up and deal with it? I have to.

It was so disgusting to know she was eating her own blood. She closed her eyes and squeaked. Push through it. Just some empty feeling in her mouth, upon her tongue. Licking all over her foreleg. Thoroughly putting great effort into getting as much of it off as possible. Doing the same with the other leg. Just going between both of them. Going on until she had made the fur so damp. May as well have showered. There’d be no way that would last as it never did. Any other time. Putting so much effort into cleaning herself only with it ending in it getting worse and worse with more of this terrible blood. They won’t heal. No time soon. Not like the ones she used to have on her face… on her chest… on her stomach.

Just keep hiding… how I feel.

3.26
Her leg still hurt but at least the bleeding had ceased for right now. She could pick out those scars well inside of her fur now that most of the blood was gone. Thin blemishes tearing across her fur with so much of her delicate, pink skin pulled out and over the small bits of red liquid spilling out from within in a slow trickle. Just keep hiding all of it. Keep it well hidden and clean. It’d all be alright. Just as long as she found where Rainbow Dash was hiding out here. Once she was out of the way, the others would be easy.

Dash was so good at hiding. And I got to stay clean for them too. I don’t want them to see any of this. I don’t want Dashie to yell at me over looking bad.

No. Dash will be okay with me.

Just find them and then I get to hide. Oh she had the perfect spot planned out too. A tree she found a ways back, leaning upon that one just as she did this one, with a large hole just around its roots that had to be a burrow for some small animal or maybe a family of them. Nopony was home when she checked it. I think I can hide in that. Looked big enough. She would be the one to win that ice cream in the end. It made her smile knowing she had this in the bag. But she had to get moving.

So she did. Continuing on along the open path within the trees. Wandering slightly off the path just to check around. Nope, not behind the overgrown roots of one tree, not inside a pack of large bushes. They had to be somewhere in this tree line. The fillies never ventured far off from one another playing these games. So they must be close by. Soul’s ears listened all around while she looked up and down the heights of each tree and deep into the darkness beyond the trees, out under the night sky. Nothing.

Damn, it sometimes worked for her to just listen. One of her friends maybe making a mistake that would help her find them. A cough. Brushing against the wood or rustling some leaves. No, they were quiet now. Hopefully I can find them.

3.27
Something made a sound. Out in the dark. It even made her almost trip on herself just giving her the jitters. Listening to that sound before… she felt embarrassed when she saw it fly off and land upon one of the branches. It had been a hooting sound. That was just an owl. She grumbled at herself. Calm down, we’ve been in this forest a lot lately. It’s safe. Soul turned around, looking up, remembering exactly where she had heard the bird call out. She couldn’t help but look and watch that bird fly up into the dark canopy above. An owl coated in feathers letting it blend in so well. I didn’t even notice it. Could’ve come at me if it wanted. Lucky no owl will go after a pony. Nope. It only sat up there. Staring down at her with its own bright yellow eyes. Completely harmless. Like the forest always was.

Soul was so relieved. Nothing to be afraid of. At least I can go back to finding Dash and the others. “I’m gonna find you guys. You can’t hide from me!” Her voice carrying far. Such an echo ringing across the trees and down the dark path. She continued down it. Right up to where there was a bunch of rocks and bushes with just a small clearing in them. Maneuvering herself and tucking in her wings so not to rub against the rocks, especially avoiding hitting her legs against them. The gentle touch of leaves atop her back. But that was not a problem. She stopped. Staring at what she found after it.

There were trees on the path. No. That wasn’t it. Soul saw that the path ended here at these trees beyond the bushes. Pitch black darkness and the silence of night deep inside that line of trees sitting in her way. But the path shouldn’t end here. It was supposed to be longer. She could not have been on it for that long. She stepped forward. Approaching the incredibly tall trees looming high over her and blotting out the night sky, casting dark shadows on her. She tried to peer in between the tightly packed trees hoping to see a way around. Wow it sure was dark back there. Almost everything beyond these trees was impossible to see and only the faint silhouettes of more trees behind these ones visible to her. How could the path already end?
That isn’t right. This is already the end of the path? But I could’ve sworn there was more to this. Walking all this way and finding nothing, like she missed her friends. She had looked in every hidden spot and listened well but found nothing. Did they… go into the forest?

“Alright you guys” she yelled out. “That’s not funny, we’re supposed to stay on the path.” They had to do that, Windy told them so. Besides, I don’t want to go out in the woods. It’s so dark out there. I don’t even think I can go out there just to find them. Yet none of them responded to her call. Did they actually expect her to go into the forest when she never even tried to do such a thing before? Dash should know I wouldn’t want to do that. Of course she would, and she really is going to hide out there just to keep me from finding her. That is such a jerk move.

She listened as careful as could be. Hoping to find some signal that hopefully they were closer to her than she thought. None of them let her know as to where they were. Oh man. Just come out. Did they really want her to say it? She took one more moment to look all around again trying desperately to catch any glimpse of her friends hiding in the shadows behind the trees surrounding her. Going out there was not going to happen.

“Fine, you win” she admitted. She yelled that out, but she whispered after. “I’m too scared.”

The sound of leaves crunching. Of course, so now they’re gonna come out. Somepony walking behind her. She turned her head eager to see Rainbow Dash and the others emerging from wherever they had been hiding. They better not have been easy to find. I’m already mad. Especially… since I chickened out. The bushes that she had stepped through to reach this tree line parted and broke. Leaves pushed aside for a shine of gold to light up the dark. Like a bright star setting down to crush the grass.

3.28
That was not Dash. The gold-plated hoof complimented by a second emerging to reveal the white furred alicorn stepping out from behind the bushes.

Princess Celestia!?

Those violet eyes so lovingly staring at her, glowing under the starlight shining in from above. Glittering like the skyline her cool colored mane reflected upon the very ground she walked upon. She looked so beautiful even in the night. A night Soul found herself amazed she was sharing with the princess herself. Never expecting to find her out here. Awake and venturing the world with her to stand out here across from one another. One pony Soul felt… better to have here. Better than being alone.

“Princess Celestia?”

The princess stepped up to her. That angelic flowing mane and tail waving all across the air, like that was all that was needed to light up the world. Even with the Sun set, she still shone like it across the forest. It almost warmed her up much like the sweet smile the princess shared with her. “Greetings, Soul” Celestia spoke to her gently. “What is a filly like you doing all alone out here? It’s not safe.” Well not safe if she went out too far. The path was always safe enough for a group of young ponies. Windy was also nearby too.

Maybe the princess could get the others to come out. See if they are okay. “Well I think my friends went out into the woods, but I’m a little too scared to go out there” Soul told her the truth. Pointing out at the dark forest beyond. Celestia stared out at the woods. Clearly just as worried as Soul would be knowing they were all out there. Softly blinking. Breathing so gently. “Oh dear, they should know better than to go out there.” I can’t speak for the others, but Dashie… nothing would stop her from trying to win. She’d rush out into the woods for sure.

Celestia took a few steps towards the tree line. Her stride and flowing tail leaving Soul behind. “I shall go look for them. You should stay here, little one” she said back to Soul. Stay here? But I don’t want her to leave. What if she too got lost out there, then there’d be no way I can find them. She’d have to go after them. All alone. I’d have to find them all. That would not be something Soul would want to happen to her. What? She almost missed Celestia just about to step into the forest. “Wait!” Soul cried after making the princess stop dead in her tracks and glance back at her.

“May I come with you?” Soul asked. Celestia raised an eyebrow. Frowning over at the reluctant filly left in her shadow. “This is not a place I want you to be in. Just stay put, I shall find your friends.” But why? Celestia was here. Why should I stay here? We can go out together and find them. I wouldn’t be afraid then. The great alicorn shining bright like the Sun casting away all fears Soul could possibly have wandering out there. Staying here, I’d not know what to do. When I’d see you all again. At least going out there with Celestia would be better than sitting around.

“But…” Soul started. Staring down at the ground with the princess watching over how pathetic she began to look. “I don’t want to be left alone right here. I hate feeling alone.” Alone. All by herself in the middle of these dark trees. Her mind running wild with what could go wrong if she stayed here. They may never find me! I’d be left alone. No way to find them out here. Worst of all, I’d not know if they were all okay.

I don’t want them to leave me.

Damn it. She should not think lie that. Dashie would not leave her like that. She couldn’t. But what if they got lost!? Everything that could happen, it was terrifying. She didn’t want that to happen.

“I understand” Celestia said. More than accepting of Soul’s worries. It lifted her spirits. “I get to come with you!?” Soul asked excitedly. Certain she would be allowed. “Of course not” Celestia said giggling. “But I know a way you won’t feel lonely out here.”

What? Soul cocked her head. But there were no other ponies out here with them. None to keep her company and show her that they would all be okay. No, I need to go myself with the princess. I won’t sit here and wait. I’m their friend, I will be there for them.

Celestia stamped both her forehooves down, cocking her head down and exposing the entire length of her mane set atop her head. Casting a sharp glow from it down on Soul. Without that mane, Soul would be placed in total darkness because of how great a shadow Celestia’s spread wings would bring across the grassy plain that Soul could find refuge in the walls of trees. Seeing Celestia loom over her like this… it was… scary. What are you doing? Barely able to hold a small smile.

“You won’t feel lonely” Celestia whispered.

So bright. Soul gasped. Like the Sun rose before her.

3.29
It was blinding. Celestia disappeared. Lost in that blast of starlight burning from atop her horn. Blowing away the leaves and twigs laying about and swaying the branches all around until they too became shrouded in the light.

Her eyes burned. But she could not look away.

Feeling all her fur plastered to her skin and all the wind… how it sent her mane flying. In the blink of an eye. Till it burned.

Everything faded. Everything went silent. Soul could see nothing but that light.

So hot… then… nothing.

It all became calm.

3.30
Soulblight kept on listening. All those kids far out there, how happy they all sounded. Actually it made her laugh a little at how incredible it was and how lucky she had been to be able to know something like this had happened.

Exciting what ponies could do when they put effort into it.

But she was more happy for the filly who made all the others cheer. All the way out there, past the storms and snow, Blight couldn’t believe that pony had pulled off something like that. What had Rainbow Dash called it?

A sonic rainboom?

Such a cute, little name. And Dash was the one who could do it. How amazing. If only Blight could see what it looked like. Leaving her only to her imagination as to what kind of amazing thing Dash had done. Sounded like she had been going very fast. I wonder how you pulled it off. How much would Soul have liked to see it? Something incredible, that made the air crack and thunder. So loud that it had even made Blight wince.

And you were the pony who could challenge Soul in the air?

She sure was talented and kind at that. Standing up for others, doing this to prove yourself to be stronger than the others. No wonder Soul liked her so much. Blight kind of did too. After all, Dash stood up for Soul.

I am growing to like that pony. Dash being one of her favorite ponies to listen to out there and learning more and more… one I would love to meet. She truly was the pony Soul needed now. I only wish that could happen. I wanted to meet you too. Not just watch you through another pony’s eyes. If only things were that easy. You are so fascinating.

Sometimes… I wonder if I should tell Soul about the things you do. Tell her stories about her best friend. If I should tell Soul about a little something I learned about you, Dash. The filly seemed to be under the illusion Dash hated her. You don’t talk about Soul… you say nothing out there. I even worried if you actually did hate her. At least troubled. You two were such good friends, I would think you would miss Soul, Dash. That is… what I did think. Until lately.

Dash, I know you cry in your sleep.

Such tiny little whimpers when the filly lay under the covers. It breaks my heart to know both of you suffer. That neither of you know what it is the other feels. For what else could you be crying over, Dash? You can’t fool me.

At least you are strong.

3.31
Dash was good at being happy out in the world beyond. Just can’t keep it up at night. I don’t even think Soul would believe me if I told her. Sometimes, I worry I am mistaken. If the filly is crying over something else. When Dash’s best friend… misses her. I don’t know what to tell Soul. I can tell her about what Dash dud today.

Knowing what her friend could do may just push Soul to accomplish more. Maybe. Or it could make her fly her mouth off on Blight again for bringing up Dash. No right for me to talk about her or something like that. Not that she pushed them away from one another on purpose. But yes, yell at me anyways. Even when I know it was the right thing to do.

She had to calm herself down feeling that she was getting riled up again. Ugh, thinking that even ruffled her own feathers a bit. Again. She really felt ashamed at how quick she got to getting angry with the filly. Because it is all my fault. I only did what I felt was right for the two fillies. I didn’t know it would lead to this. I wish I had. I wish I could help. Get rid of all the storms and weather boxing Soul in. Get her back home. I feel so useless. Just as Dash was out there flaunting her amazing talents with wings most pegasi could only dream of, achieving something so spectacular and unique that… that it even created the very mark of the rainbow maned filly’s talent.

Dash’s own cutie mark.

The symbol of her talent. I wish I had amazing talents. Her very gaze coming over those black wings she possessed, now calmly sitting on her sides. These wings. Black as night, large and packed in more feathers than she cared to count. So foreign. If only… if only…

They were normal.

Normal, then… then I know I can do anything to help Soul. If only. She really didn’t like how this came about. But that was something she could do nothing about. It was settled. She would tell Soul what Dash just did. A good enough story for Soul to wake up to and show her that her best friend could still do great things even after terrible events. Yeah, maybe that would make her smile. It would make Blight smile too; it is the best I can do. Still, if only I could be talented enough like Dash is.

There was a talent that she had, she was sure of it. Soul would have one too. Both of them would be able to flaunt it proudly like Dash did. Blight’s eyes went past her wings which lifted higher to uncover her own flank. Her eyes glistening looking at it. Imagining… what talent her flank had. Her own talent. One to be proud of. Something to help Soul.

Oh wow.

3.32
Then came that earsplitting scream ripping right through her head. That’s Soul. The filly had finally woken up. Blight looked away from her flank, over to the house she heard that scream come out from. Where she still screamed in. So loud. There had been no other time she had screamed so loudly. Another nightmare.

That alone made Blight glide down from her perch. Landing with vast, black wings, knowing she had to help. Poor thing, I can’t leave her alone. Not with such a terrible scream. She didn’t stop. Running past the snow and then leaping over the mounds and down onto the porch of Soul’s house. The filly still screamed inside. So loud now. That did not stop Blight. Open up. The door blasted open before her. Casting a mass of black mist over her to clash straight into the door. Slamming hard against it. Hard enough to slam it against the wall inside with dust falling from above. She ran right inside. Nothing holding her back from stepping inside.

The filly was right there, sitting atop her bed. Cradling the blanket to her chest and crying into it. Her face hidden. Her cries muffled. Only showing her back to Blight and such bad bedhead on her. She must have had such a rough night. Truly horrible looking, pitiful. I wish she would stop doing this to herself. She doesn’t need to sleep.

Blight shut the door behind her. None of the noise she made did anything to break Soul from her suffering. “Soul, what’s wrong?” Blight asked and only got cries as her answer. Not even lifting her head up. Forget our gripes, Soul needs help. This was the worse she had ever seen the filly. The most upset she had ever been. I’m afraid for her. Pushing her to quickly walk up towards the bed, placing herself right at Soul’s bedside. Looming her neck over the mattress and coming closer to Soul. So close, she listened to the filly cry inside the blanket. Blight felt almost sick listening to how Soul cried. It sounded so terrible. Like she struggled to breathe and ran her throat ragged. Such a painful sound.
“Soul” she whispered to her. I need to calm her. No more fighting. Blight even spoke to her with such care. Anything to make her feel safe. Hoping it may calm Soul down… hear the voice that she had once thought was soothing enough to fall asleep to. “Soul, it’s me. It’s Soulblight.”

3.33
She tried to come a little closer. Soul grumbled into her blanket. Turning her head quicker than Blight could put a smile on to see the black Pegasus standing next to her. Just her left eye peering out from the blanket, barely visible underneath a wave of tangled bits of her mane, but even that was almost unrecognizable. Like that eye did not belong to the filly she knew, even with what had once been eyes shining like sunlight growing more and more bloodshot. Now… now… there was no yellow. Such a horrific sight. What has happened to you, Soul?

Just a small, beady eye staring at her in a sea of red. No light shining on it. None of the glow that gave this sad pony a semblance of life. As if it hurt just to keep her eyes open. Like she truly did suffer. I never wanted to see her like this. Oh, Soul… what have I done to you?

Blight held her breath. I… I wouldn’t be surprised if she yells at me. Hoping she did not. Looking like the little Pegasus needed somepony by her despite any objection she made. It never came. Waiting there, nothing came. Soul only stared at her with one eye. Not even blinking. Almost… haunting. She just lowered her lashes and stopped there. More tears flowing through her lashes. Damn it, I wish I could… hold her. Blight’s own legs pushed into the side of the bed. Feeling nothing. I’m so useless. Can’t even touch anything. When she wished to be able to touch a hoof to Soul’s cheek and wipe those tears away. I want to. This poor filly, all the stuff she had to go through. If only she could have somepony… if only. I want to see that sweet pony she used to be, not like this.

Felt like so long ago.

Soul finally blinked. Sniffling right after. “Did you have another nightmare?” Blight asked. Soul’s ear fell, wincing with tears. Blight got her answer. Could it be anything like the first nightmare Soul had told her about? An awfully tragic tale by what she heard that left Soul so heartbroken, and every other nightmare from then till now doing much of the same to the filly. But… they had never been this bad. I’ve never seen Soul this hurt by one. I’ve never been this terrified. Soul actually scared her. There has to be something that can be done. Anything.

“It’s all okay. It’s over.” Soul actually raised her eye a little. Hunching her shoulders. Placing her head deeper into the blanket whilst her hooves gently hugged it against her. Rubbing it up and down. Just like a poor little foal. Trying to speak but only a little squeak came out, and then she coughed so hard. Oh man, her throat must be so sore now from all that screaming. Blight hushed her. Not wanting her to talk right now and just rest. Recover from whatever happened.

Of course the filly didn’t do what Blight wanted. She muttered a little, clearly trying to talk. Nothing came out. If she has something to say, I will listen. I won’t leave her. Soul has nopony left… besides me. Tell me what’s wrong.

Blight wished she had not asked for that.

“She killed me.”

3.34
What the hell kind of nightmare did she have? How… how terrible could it be? Blight was speechless. Killed? Soul even looked over at her. Dropping the blanket. Looking into both of Soul’s tear-filled eyes. Blood red eyes. Looking deep at the black Pegasus. A nightmare where… she died? Blight gulped. H-how can I help her with that? That question on top of hundreds more now.

Soul, you are so hurt. I never could have guessed how much. Somepony killed her.

“Who?” Blight asked. Could it have been Rainbow Dash in her nightmare? No, that’d be insane. Even if Dash… had been in that other nightmare, and she had hurt the poor filly at that. Does Soul really fear Dash that much? No way, don’t ever fear Dash. Blight wanted to tell her that. She almost did.

“C-c-c… Celest… stia” Soul said.

Blight didn’t know what to say. She dreamed about the princess. She had killed Soul. I… such wild dreams. It sounded frightening. What to do? Easy to see that Soul was so afraid now. Afraid. And I’m not the ponies you relied on to feel better. I’m just me. All I can do is tell you Celestia wouldn’t hurt you. But that wouldn’t matter. Not like I can do what… what Nimbus did for you. Not with these hooves.

I can protect Soul from any danger. Even the princess. But what use is that? None when the filly was so afraid. Wait, …that wasn’t even something to consider. Celestia would never be a pony to try and attack a filly no matter how hard she was pressed. No, not after… after how I saw her. How she treated Soul.

But Soul thought otherwise. Such terror in her eyes. Her mouth trembling before speaking. “She wanted to get rid of me… everypony else…. left me…” She paused long enough to cough out violently. “…for it to happen.” “Soul…” Blight said, stepping forward a little more. Her body even going into the bed, still not letting her hold the filly. Hug her so she could at least feel protected if she would accept it.

3.35
“It was only a nightmare. None of it is real. None of it will ever be real.” Soul looked off at her blanket, gradually nodding her head a little. Biting her lip at the same time.

“I know… but… I have these damn things all the time, every night. I’m tired of having them. They hurt so much” Soul said slowly. It was so hard to understand. Mostly because… I don’t know what a nightmare is like. I tried to help the filly. She doesn’t need to sleep. Ugh, why do you need to fight me? Blight never felt a need to bring it up. If she wanted to sleep than let her do it. But now, there should be no reason for her to continue her habit if it hurt her. “Nothing nice ever happens to me anymore. Not even in my dreams” Soul said. The filly looked back up at Blight. Tears in her pulsing eyes casting a glossy sheen from the glow of the fireplace. She stared deep into Blight’s eyes. So focused. Blight actually felt a shudder go down her own spine. Deep in the filly’s eyes… nothing.

“Do you ever dream, …Blight?” So calm and soft. Soul stared at her. Soulblight was flustered. No clue on how to answer a personal question like this. Asked by a pony she was sure hated her. But she wanted to know it… from her. I don’t dream. I don’t know if I can. But…

I feel like I did at one point.

Weren’t there little stories my mind once showed me? Every time, she recalled how they left her happy. Enough to make her smile like a foal. Times she had very little recollection of but it was still true. “I …” she chose her words carefully. “have.” Soul sniffed. “What was the nicest dream you’ve had?” The nicest? Such a question. Soul was so strange. She wants to know… about me? That nightmare really did do something to the filly. Soul has not been this open to me in a while. I need to answer. The nicest? Something that made me smile. I feel I know it. I do know it.

I still… feel it. The time when I smiled.

As beautiful as the wonder in Soul’s reddened eyes. One image, one dream. I did dream once. So long ago. The feeling of it. It made me feel… like a pony.

For one moment… I was happy.

3.36
“It… was… a flower” Blight admitted. “Glowing bright like the flames themselves. I…” her eyes trailed off, trying hard to remember how exactly it looked. “I remember how its red and orange colors looked like they danced with one another across many petals. Petals colored bright in the Sun, falling so delicately upon the earth. Wind blowing those petals away to… land on me. With a gentle touch. It was all I could see. Those petals blowing about, above and around me, and… I could feel nothing. Nothing but happiness. Nothing sad at all. None of the bad things that made me cry… none of them could hurt me in that wall of petals. They protected me, flying all around the sky, the land, …the world. Until the darkness was all that was left… then… all I remember is…” Blight shed a tear.

“The cold.”

I… I didn’t even know I was staring at her this entire time. Sorry. Blight looked away from Soul. All those visions of red and orange still present and receding in the corners of her eyes. As if she had really seen it all again. Felt it all again. Enough to make her crack a small smile under her tears.

She saw Soul. Her eyes widened a little more also staring back at Blight. Unable to say anything. Blight understood. Everything she just said did sound a little too much to understand. Even I don’t understand. Understand why it made me happy. “That’s all I remember” Blight said.

“I had a really nice dream at one point as well” Soul said. “It made me… really happy. I was so happy when I woke up. It was nothing like what you just talked about. A little more simple.” Soul wiped some of the tears off from under her eyes. She actually began to smile. “I was just… eating ice cream. A whole lot of it.” Soul chuckled a little. Eating sweets? That even made Blight laugh just a little. “Were they good flavors?” Blight asked. Soul nodded. “Raspberry, …chocolate, oranges, and strawberry. They tasted good” Soul giggled again.

Soulblight loved seeing her like this. She didn’t know what those flavors tasted like but it was good that Soul was at least smiling remembering this stuff. It was almost miraculous. Now that’s what it was: a miracle as Blight saw the filly smile. Smile and then… it faded as she began to cry again.

3.37
“I miss having those dreams, they always left me so happy” Soul said. “You don’t need to worry” Blight said. “I’m certain those beautiful dreams will return.” Soul frowned. Closing her eyes slowly and putting her head down atop the blanket. Like she may be going back to bed.

“No they won’t” she whispered. Sadly. How sad her tone became made Blight even feel sad. “You said it yourself, I can’t get out of here. So… I guess I have nothing happy to look forward to” she began to cry again, the last few words she spoke barely able to escape her lips before she started weeping. Closing her eyes off from Blight. That was too much for Blight to bare. She felt too sorry for her and shame for herself. Why did I tell Soul the truth? Of course knowing that would hurt her. There was no need to utterly crush the filly’s hopes. Soul… she was giving up. No. I don’t want you sad.

“Don’t say that, Soul” Blight said leaning in closer. “Have a little hope that things will turn around. You just need to work towards it. Everything will turn out okay.” Soul shook her head. Wiping her tears to soak into the blanket. Crying harder and harder. So much she could hardly speak in response. But Blight was able to pick out what she was saying. “Just… more nightmares… no friends… nopony loves me.”

“Soul…” Blight started. She was cut off by a painfully long cry the filly let out. Soul threw her face back into the blanket. Such a horrible cry. Screaming her pain away. Blight held her tongue. Let the filly let it all out. So she let her cry for right now. Standing close by her bedside not wanting to leave Soul’s side. Hoping that maybe her presence would help to calm her. Unsure what dreadful thoughts could be in Soul’s mind and, in truth, she had nothing to say that could help. Would a story about what Dash did even help right now? She couldn’t think of how it would. It might just make it worse now. Make her angry with Blight again in this time: the longest Soul allowed the black Pegasus to stay near her in months. Blight could only listen.

Soul’s crying growing stronger and then dying down to a whimper, and then repeating. How pained her breathing became. It was too much.

Blight closed herself off. Turning away to focus instead on the fire, cursing herself for not knowing what she could do. I’m so stupid. If only I could do something. Other than watching this damn fire. She bever felt so angry at herself. Doing everything to push away those thoughts. Listen to her own breaths. Soft and gentle.

3.38
She stood there waiting. So long. So very long. All the pain of listening to Soul cry, it was hers alone. Until Soul slowly quieted down. Please… calm down, Soul. Listening to her whimper. Such a sad sound behind her and nothing that Blight could do. Nothing.

Soul stopped.

Blight didn’t dare to look at her. Continuing to watch the fire. Wanting Soul to calm herself. It would be better that way. I’m not the pony she needs to feel better. So she would stop feeling hopeless and lost. Even so… I should be the one to help her. I have to be. But I don’t know how. I’m an adult. I should know what to say to her. But this was too much. She had nothing.

I’m not the pony you want.

Soul sighed. Blight listened.

“Why did you do this to me?”

3.39
That was all that was needed. All the words she could bear to hear. I can’t believe it. After what I just did. To come and help you. Soul still hates me, and I still… I still can’t handle this. Blight could feel it again. She was angry. Angry at Soul.

Their little conversation was nothing. Soul still hated her.

Everything… is still my fault. Blight heaved a heavy sigh. Just need to calm down. Soul was very upset. She deserved to be, and having nightmares to reopen fresh wounds. It was natural. Yes. All her anguish and loneliness. Their fights. Of course it never would work. Not this soon. She will always hate me. Blight felt foolish to think she got anywhere with getting Soul to trust her again. I can never be the pony to make her happy again. She had nothing to say about it because there was nothing that could be said.

I should be happy, happy that we could talk for once. For a brief moment. But so quick. Soul will never forgive me. She did not want her around.

“I’m sorry” Blight said. Her voice coming out sadder than anything she could prepare herself to even make. Truly ashamed. She turned away from the pony she had harmed the most. “I’ll go.”

I want to stay. Please. She had hope Soul would call out for her. Something to stop Blight from leaving. Plead her to stay with her. But she didn’t. She does want me gone. Staying silent as Blight slowly walked back to the door. Head kept low to the ground. No more happiness left in her. The little joy she had of being able to talk with the filly.

She reached the door, swinging it back open with a burst of her magic and setting one hoof outside. The filly still remained silent behind her. Blight took one last look over her shoulder, seeing Soul back on her bed. Her back to Blight. She sniffed once and her wings dropped a little. Silent like the rest of the room. I’m sorry, Soul.

Blight left her.

3.40
Her hoof slammed hard into the snowy surface. She really wished she could feel what it was like to crush that cursed snow under her hoof. Nothing! No joy in it. Just wanting to unload. Nope, couldn’t even get that satisfaction. Now she was the one who needed to calm down. She slammed her hoof in again and again hoping for some result that never came all the while she scowled down at all the snow building up along the entrance of Soul’s house.

No… I’m so mad. Mad at what she said.

“Why did she feel the need to say that?” I thought... damn it. I came so close. So close to making her happy. The filly even smiled. I made her smile. But no. It made her blood boil. No matter what kindness she ever attempted it always led to this. Soul always will hate me; stuck in her own little fantasy that I’m… what? Some sort of evil creature out to harm her? So she wants to shun me.

“Does she not know those words really hurt me?” If only she would stop saying them. Just shut up for a moment. Listen to me for once and stop attacking herself. They could work together. Make this not so bad. Like we did before. Remember, Soul? When we had fun that one day. We had fun. We had hope. But no, she always pushes me away.

Because she hates you.

Blight exhaled hard. Shaking her head furiously and stopping to stare back down at the snow with ever more anger. If only all this would go away. This worthless snow and terrible weather. This terrible place. Then Soul would love me. We can be friend, yes. Friends who loved one another. To help this filly that… she harmed.

“Damn it” she screamed. She watched all the snow blow away from her, blasting like flames of black exploding out from underneath her hooves and getting rid of this useless snow. Blown away. Just a little. Sending all that snow flying and pelting the houses, smacking down upon the ground. Cast off in snowflakes all around her. Those flakes calmed themselves down, returning back to a gentle descent alongside their brethren to carpet the world anew. Work to get rid of any evidence of what Blight had just done. Refilling the crater she had just made beneath herself.

3.41
She breathed silently. Watching all those tiny flakes coming down. Landing upon the earth with nary a sound and only the subtle hint of wind giving any life to this cold and innocent scene. Like none of this could truly harm anypony with how these snowflakes touched down upon the others already making their home on the ground, so nicely. It looked calm to her. Watching it even began to make her feel better with all the anger in her heart melting away. Giving her a moment to just breath.

This snow was not at fault. This world was not at fault. Soul suffered, her loneliness too much for Blight to watch, her sadness great and it was the fault of one being.

It’s all my fault. She looked down at her forelegs. Watching the many thousands of fur strands swaying in a sea of pitch black coming down to cover a misty sheen of silver ringing around her hooves. These hooves. Looking up to see the falling snow once again, mixing and swirling with the remnants the dark mists sparkling like stars all around her. My magic. It was those very things that had hurt Soul. All carried out by my own will. I’m the one who killed those Changelings. I’m the one who did this to her. I’m so sad. Sad because I thought I did the right thing and now… she will never forgive me. I have no right to be forgiven. Soul…

You’re another poor life I have ruined.

A life filled with promise and happiness, left to cry alone in that empty house. I regret leaving her in there. Even if she hates me. But just having me around, all it does is make her sad. I don’t want her any more sad than she already is. She did not want to hurt anypony anymore. Too much pain. Too much heartache for her to bear.

I just want you happy again.

Blight began to walk. Rounding the corner of Soul’s house and scaling the steep mounds of snow built up all against the side of the wall until she reached it: the window, half buried. Still not tended to by Blight. But the snow had not covered it yet. Slowly looking through it. Peeking in at what was inside.

Right underneath the window, Soul sat there in the bed. Buried under her blanket. All Blight could hear was the muffled sound that pained her own heart. Soul crying. All by herself. Left to her sorrow under the glow of the fire and what was left of the sunlight to shine in over this cold and lonely land.

3.42
Blight couldn’t hold it back anymore. She felt so pathetic. A tear ran down her cheek. Ridding herself of this with a swipe of her hoof, but it could not rid the pain of what she saw. It hurt her. Over and over, I keep getting angry at Soul. How many months have passed now? How they fought with one another. And neither of us have been able to smile. When… when I remember you used to smile all the time, Soul. I… I loved it.

Bright and happy. A young Pegasus with so much happiness. If only that Pegasus could come back. How I want to bring it back. If only I did not get so angry all the time. If only she was not a coward. Stop hiding from Soul. Stop it. She is not my enemy. I shouldn’t be afraid of her, but… I am. She makes me feel… so useless. Powerless.

“I really am an awful girl.” She meant it. Hating herself for it. Only saying it because she was alone… alone. Of course nopony is here to pity me. Just to shun me.

Like they always used to do.

Soul is no different. When I thought she would be, it makes me cry. Holding it all in even as tears started coming back inside her eyes. But she would not cry like Soul did. She could not. I do not deserve to cry over this… because I deserve to feel terrible. I deserve to… feel alone.

The black Pegasus laid down. Holding her head tightly inside her forelegs. Huddling her entire body beneath the cover of her wings.

Alone… again.

3.43
“Why did I have to say that?”

Soul smacked her face so hard. Screaming at herself. Blight was actually being nice and I… I wanted to keep talking to her. The black Pegasus sounded so sweet talking to her like that. Listening to her, and she… listened to me. I didn’t even do anything to show her I liked it. No wonder she left.

Seeing just how much her dragon eyes lit up while she talked about that dream she had. It sounded beautiful to Soul. What kind of flower was it? Why did it make her feel happy? No, instead I got angry again. I made her feel bad. I hurt another pony.

She had driven Blight away when they finally got a chance to talk. Just being able to speak with her, I forgot the nightmare for a minute. Now she was gone. Just like Soul wanted every day prior to this one. This one, being the day she actually wanted another pony with her. She hurt Rainbow Dash, Celestia hated her, now Soulblight… another one to leave her side all because of her. Soul smacked herself again. Stupid. Angry at herself. More angry than she was with Blight over the months.

She lifted her head out from the blanket. Glancing off over to her left, over to the spot that those beautiful yellow dragon eyes had met her own. Empty. Like the forest. Was that why Dash left me alone in the woods? I did something terrible to her. It’s what I always do. Every single pony always leaves me. They want nothing to do with me. So… the princess got rid of me. Everypony got rid of me and I know why. I do. Because I… I can hear you. The sound of somepony crying. Outside the house. The voice she recognized… Blight. I make them miserable.

That’s why… that’s why… “Mommy left me. Why Nimbus and Starry left me… why Dashie left me.” They are all better off without me. Rainbow Dash was probably so happy now. She had to be. Soulblight would be happy as well. No need to cry any more. Blight was not the one who had to cry. I should be the one who should cry.

I don’t want Blight sad anymore. As long as other ponies were happy, she would be happy. They needed to be happy. That was why Celestia sent me here, right? Because nopony was happy with me.

3.44
Soul grabbed hold of one of the pillows, crushed in from her grip. Held between her hooves, she tossed it. Sending it flying across the room until it smacked hard against the dusty wall at the far end of her room. Feeling her anger slip away. Ease her back to placing her head back against the blanket once more. A comforting spot for her to cry again. Silently letting her tears.

I still remember that nightmare. Remember every nightmare. I feel so terrible. I was always a jerk to the ponies I loved. The ponies she will never ever see again and never get her chance to apologize to them for all the pain she put them through. They were all gone. I miss them all. I miss them so much. I miss… you, Dashie.

I will never get to tell you how much you mean to me. Never even got to tell her goodbye. Just like with mom. Just like with Nimbus and Starry.

Just shadows. All she saw. Flickering in the house. All that was left of them. Fading and disappearing. Never to be seen again. I want to apologize to them all. Show them I am better. Give her that chance, and she would be a good pony for them all. A good pony. All I ever wanted to be for them.

Soul cried.

Never letting go of the blanket. Rubbing her nose against it as it warmed her. The only thing left that could embrace her. Love her. She spoke into it. “I love you all so much. Your little pony loves you all.” All I ever wanted was… to be loved by you.

3.45
Deep in the blanket, looking into that darkness, she could still see it. All that was left of it. That tiny glimmer of yellow light blazing bright at her. Trying to grow stronger and cast out all the darkness but, ultimately, could not. If only she could touch that light. A little light casting it’s starlight down upon her. There was no touching it. No feeling it. But she felt something from it. Watching it blink on and off, trying to come close and warm her, it was soothing. I can feel it.

Soul stopped crying. Giving her a moment to lick her lips and breath. Opening her eyes again. That light disappeared. Only the darkness was left. Waking up from that warming light. Gone with its soft glow. The only thing she had seen in the dark. A dark that surrounded her.

One moment. She had felt it. Something different. Like when she last saw that blinding light. When I last felt… something different.

I felt it… before I woke up. Wasn’t it? Yes. It was… something different.

That light… I didn’t feel lonely.

“Celestia… was… right. I didn’t feel lonely… at all.”

I don’t want to feel lonely anymore.

Next Chapter: Part 2 Entwined - Act 4 Estimated time remaining: 33 Hours, 20 Minutes