Friendship isn't just Magic, it can heal hearts too

by Raumo

Chapter 21

Author's Note:

Okay so a nightmare is in here. Nothing too graphic, but it mentions quite a few things.
If you don't want to read it, skip the underlined part.

As summer approached, my nightmares were getting worse. It was to the point that I avoided sleep if I could. It always got that way around this time.

It wouldn't be as bad if I had properly grieved over Jack, and gotten therapy, instead I went on a SCORPIA hunt and pushed away the pain, using anger and grief as fuel. Now I am paying for it. Before, I filled this time with any type of mission avoiding the desert and staying away from my house. I didn't have that here though, so my nightmares were terrible. Jack's death was prominent, but mixed in was a bunch of things from missions over the years haunting me.

This morning Twilight looked at me worriedly. My lack of sleep was getting obvious. "It'll pass Miss Sparkle. It is always worse around this time." I turned and pointed out the window, "Besides you have other things to worry about." Pink clouds and weird rain was appearing.

We walked to the farm, Twilight studying a spell along the way. She then cast it once we reached the farm. It failed. Spike suggested giving up. Twilight then had Rainbow gather all the clouds in one area, Applejack lasso it to earth, and fluttershy herd the animals to eating the clouds and popcorn.

"You see Spike, we should never give up. There is nothing we can't overcome if we all work together," Twilight spoke. Spike burped up a letter. Twilight gasped, "Come on. The princess wants to see us all in Canterlot immediately."

We arrived at the castle. The princess looked very worried. Must be something terrible if she looks like that. She usually so collected. She took us to the hall of stained windows. We neared the vault at the end. She explained about Discord. She wanted the girls to use the Elements to stop him. She mentioned they had unlocked the full potential of them using their friendship.

Twilight agreed and Celestia unlocked the vault. Nice, I finally get to see what they look like in person. She opened the case and it was empty. Everyone gasped. Well...that throws a kink into everyone's plans. Celestia spoke of nothing making sense.

A deep laugh sounded out across the hall. My hand hovered over my weapons. I had no idea if they would work against Discord, but it was soothing motion. "Sense? Making sense is no fun at all."

"Show yourself Discord!" Celestia was grim and angry.

"Did you miss me Celestia? I missed you. It is quite lonely being imprisoned in stone, but you wouldn't know that, would you? Because I don't imprison people in stone." He had made one of his likenesses come to life and was appearing all over the different windows. He began listing everyone strengths. Then he surprised me. "And then there is Alex Rider. A human with a second chance at life. Nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Constantly protecting others. Is it worth it?" I tensed as his words.

"Stop stalling Discord! Where are the elements of Harmony?" Celestia was mad.

"Oh so boring Celestia. Fine I'll tell you, but I'll tell you my way." He stated a riddle and disappeared.

Twilight believed the elements were hidden in the palace labyrinth. Why do you even have one? I am not sure it is that easy. I followed them anyway. We reached the entrance. Rainbow was about to fly over when her wings disappeared. Then Fluttershy's. Then Rarity and Twilight's horns disappeared. I was really on edge now. Dang, how powerful is this guy if he can take wings and a horn away?

He appeared in person. As he started talking of rules and games I realized this wasn't a good idea. He then cried good luck and disappeared. He has something up his sleeve. He is making this too easy for them, even without wings and magic, they still are formidable. I was proven right as they were separated by rising hedges. I was also stuck on the outside. I could try climb, but the hedge was made of thorns, and slicing up my hands wasn't a good idea if I wanted to help the girls. Twilight yelled of reaching the middle as fast as each could, then it was silent.

Discord appeared and I shot at him. He dodged, "How rude and I just wanted to say hi."

"What are you doing with the girls? You better not hurt them." I was once more Alex the Spy, for the girls were in danger and I couldn't protect them.

"Oh I won't hurt them. Change them maybe, but hurt them? Never." I was about to speak when he continued, "Was it worth it? Protecting the unknowing and uncaring masses. Saving them time and time again, while losing all you cared about. Especially Jack"

"Shut-up!"

"I could bring her back." Jack appeared in front of me, looking at me with her smile and crazy red hair. My heart was squeezing in pain.

"Jack?" Her arms spread in a gesture for a hug, I tried to move but couldn't. She remained silent.

"You can have her back, you just need to leave Equestria."

I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart breaking. I wanted her back so much. She was the only who was always there, when my uncle went on his trips and didn't take me with him. She took care of me. In a way, she was my mother.

"I..." The girls flashed through my mind. Twilight with her books and teaching me, Fluttershy with her animals and calling me big brother, Applejack's country twang and hard work, Rainbow's boldness and daring, Pinkie's randomness, Rarity's fashion and generosity. "I can't leave them. I won't leave them. So, where are they Discord?"

"Oh, I was hoping I could just make you leave. Looks like I am going to have to do this a different way." With that, he touched my forehead and everything went black.

Now, Discord had only meant to make Alex sleep till all the elements were turned. Alex had been avoiding sleep because of his nightmares, waking up as soon as they began. With the sleep spell though he couldn't wake up. Unknown to Discord, Alex's worst torture had begun...

I woke up chained to a chair, wires in my arms hooked to machines for measuring. I looked down, I was fifteen again. I struggled, knowing this was a dream, but unable to escape it. I couldn't seem to wake up. The door opened. Razim walked in. "No, no, no. Please not again." I begged to no one.

"Well, it seems my dream has come true. I've always wanted to torture a teen to find my unit of measure for pain." Razim smiled at me cruelly.

"You're a sick, messed up bastard." I spat out, even knowing the outcome already, I couldn't help my comment.

The scene jumped. I was again watching a video of Jack escaping the cells we had been in and driving off, never knowing it was a set-up. Julius was there taunting me with the button the would detonate the bomb in her vehicle. Again my pleas fell on deaf ears. The button was pushed and fire, smoke, and shrapnel were once again was all I could see of Jack, I screamed in pain. My heart once again being ripped apart. The scene faded to Julius's laughter and Razim talking of needing a new measurement, due to my level of pain.

I was sobbing. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Tom trying to comfort me, then fall as he was shot in the chest. Unlike the reality though, here life faded from his eyes and I could do nothing.

The scenes began rapidly changing. To seeing Wolf shot, Sabina's terrified eyes when she had been kidnapped. Training in SCORPIA, then hunting them down as I learned the truth, and after they killed Jack. My parents were there, I begged them not go on the plane, knowing a bomb had been planted.

Missions flew through my mind, rescuing those that had been kidnapped, retrieving info, stopping bombs, stopping insane plots of mass terror and revenge. Stopping massacres, gangs, drug deals. Different terrain of jungles, deserts, forest, lakes, snow, all kinds and whatever dangers that came with it also appeared.

Different types of torture flowed through my mind. Waterboarding, whipping, starvation, whatever. You name it I had probably had it done or threatened to me.

It just continued. Everything I had ever buried in my mind in the past 11 years of spying unearthed itself and repeated. I couldn't take it, I pleaded to be let go, but I was trapped.

Then Ponyville appeared. Horrors that belonged in my world transferred to this peaceful town. It no longer felt like a dream though. Everything seemed real. As i passed through the town, I reached the library. To see my greatest fear. The girls still and lifeless. Wounds across their bodies.

At that moment, I could no longer deny it, or push it away.

I loved them. They had gotten past all my defenses without trying. They were just themselves and my heart chose them. They were the friends and family I had secretly and silently yearned for.

Ice flowed through me and I screamed.

---

(Twilight's POV)

As I went through the labyrinth and my friends appeared, I could tell something was very wrong. The color was off on everyone, and they were acting weird. I just have to find Dash and Alex, and then we can look for the elements.

As I carried Rarity's boulder, the ground suddenly shook and the labyrinth walls fell. Discord appeared from the dust. "Somepony broke the no wings, no magic rule. Game's over and you didn't find the elements. Looks like we are in for a storm of chaos."

I looked around and saw only 4 of my friends. "Where is Rainbow Dash and Alex?!" I yelled at Discord.

"Oh, there goes your friend Rainbow." He pointed to Dash flying off. "And here is your friend Alex." He snapped and Alex appeared, but he wasn't moving.

I ran over to him. His face had an expression of pain and there were tear tracks."What did you do to him?" I shouted at Discord.

"Do to him? Nothing really, I just put a sleep spell on him."

Sleep spell? My eyes widened in horror. I tried to wake him up. He didn't respond. No, no, no! His nightmares. He said they are usually worse around this time. I turned to Discord, "Wake him up! You don't know what you are doing to him!"

"Sorry, but I can't do that. It's a special spell, only by the elements can he wake."

"You're not playing fair. How are we supposed to find the elements if you take away the labyrinth?"

He laughed, "Oh you thought the elements were in the labyrinth?" He snapped again and we were back to when he was saying the riddle. Then we were back outside, "I never said they were in the labyrinth. Keep trying Twilight Sparkle, maybe the magic of friendship can help you. Now if you excuse me, I have some chaos to wreak." With that he was gone, and chocolate milk started raining,

Think, Twilight, think. Find the elements back where you began, back where you began. As I listened to my friends being not themselves I realized I just want to go home. A light-bulb went off. "Home, where it all began. Ponyville." I quickly gathered the girls and levitated Alex and started to Ponyville.

Just as we were about to reach it, I got run over by the long legged bunnies. Fluttershy made a mean comment as I dropped Alex. Suddenly the moon came up even though it was the middle of the day, then the roads became slippery. The sun rose and I realized the roads were now soap.

"Beautiful isn't it? This is the new and improved Ponyville. These are only my first changes." Discord appeared and I glared at him.

Pinkie slid by making a comment of not having fun. Discord made a comment of Ponyville being the chaos capitol of the world as the moon came up again. "Not if I have anything to say about it," I declared after Discord left. Fluttershy made another mean comment and laugh as she passed. I am glad Alex isn't awake to see you like this Fluttershy. He'd find a way to kill discord.

I sighed and collected Alex. We continued to Ponyville and the library in the dark. We reached the library just as the sun came up. "Oh we finally made. Will everyone just please, please, please go inside." I opened the door and levitated Alex to his bed. I watched as the others filed in and their colors faded. Rarity refused to come in without Tom, her diamond, so I carried it in. It busted my door.

As Spike found the book I was looking for, Fluttershy took it and all the others helped keep it away from me. Losing my temper, we got into a slight brawl. I ended up with the book. I opened it to find the elements. "They were here all along."

Spike ran up, "This is great, now you can beat Discord and turn everything back to normal." I looked worriedly at Alex, he seemed to be getting worse, slight whimpers escaping him. Before, he was silent during his nightmares. I walked to him and carefull ran a hoof down his cheek. I'm sorry Alex, just a lit bit longer.

I quickly put the necklaces on my uncaring friends and gave the loyalty one to Spike. I put the crown on my head. Rarity was still pushing Tom so I grabbed it with my magic and threw it out the window of the smaller balcony.

Discord appeared. "Well, well, well. You found the elements of Harmony." He began taunting us. I gathered the girls and tried to use the elements. It failed. As we separated a tear fell from my eye and my heart broke. I walked home and Discord taunted me.

I reached the library. I walked to Alex, "Sorry Alex, I failed. Maybe the princess can help you." I walked to my room. Took out a suitcase and threw the crown thing in the trash. "Pack your things Spike. We're leaving. We're going to stop in anterlot, then go who knows where." Spike just moaned. "Spike?" I looked at him

He was curled up with a pile of scrolls next to him. "I can't move. The princess has been sending these since I came upstairs." He burped another scroll. "Make it stop."

I read the scroll, and another, and more. They were all my reports since I had moved to Ponyville. "Why would she send them back?" I began reading them out loud. As I did I could feel hope returning to me.

"Oh my goodness. I get it now. Discord has split us apart because he knew our strength lies in our friendship. I used to believe that the fate of Equestria didn't rely on me making friends now I know the opposite is true. Now I know I have to fight for my friendships. For them. For me. For Alex. For Equestria!" I looked at Spike curled up in his bed. "Oh. You stay and rest here Spike."

I ran downstairs. I looked at Alex, he was sweating now. Soon, Alex soon. I ran out the door. I restored my friends one by one. Rainbow Dash gave us a chase, but we caught her. We did a group hug when we realized she was normal. As dancing buffalo went by I stated, "Maybe it's a little early for a group hug."

We faced Discord. Again he was taunting us. As he grabbed the others and dragged them to him, I teleported and constructed a shield around my friends. We then used the elements once more and he was turned to stone. As the statue fell, I turned to the girls and smiled.

Then I turned and began running to the library my friends following confused. We were getting close when Alex burst out, looking around frantically. I called as we ran, "Alex, over here!" He immediately turned our direction, then he surprised me. He ran up and hugged me. I hugged him back.

Then his words sent pain through my heart. "I thought all of you were dead." I gently pulled back.

'Why did you think that?" I could tell he was about to close up again. "No, Alex." He looked at me in surprise. "Don't shut us out. Let us in. We care about you." I looked around at the others. They nodded. "Please, we want to help." I had never seen him look so broken. He was always collected, even after his worst nights, he had control.

(Alex POV)

I stared at the girls around me. Images of my nightmares still floating around my mind. I felt raw and exposed. The nightmares had stripped me bare. All the shields, walls, and masks were gone at this moment. My heart was in pieces. Can I...can I really let them in? I reached out and touched the gem in Twilight's crown. I could actually feel the magic in the air, and it felt like the essence of each pony in front of me, bound together.

I took a deep breath, then spoke, "You already know of my nightmares." She nodded. "I want to hate Discord, but I don't think he meant to do what he did. He just wanted me out of the way so he could change you girls." They looked uneasy at that. "From your reaction, I'm guessing he succeeded for a time." They nodded. "Well, you're fine now. So that is good."

I looked around Ponyville trying to find the courage to speak. Fluttershy leaned against me, "Its okay, Alex. You don't have to tell us."

"No, I do." I looked back at the girls. "Almost 12 years ago, I was forced into being a spy. I could've said no, but then I would've lost Jack. She was my mother, sister, and friend rolled into one." I took a shaky breath. "That first year was terrible, but I had Jack and my best friend Tom. I also met a wonderful girl who supported me. I tried to have a relationship with her, but I pushed her away for safety's sake. Same as Tom." My hands clenched. "Jack though, I lost her when someone killed her to torture me." The girls gasped in horror at that. "They allowed me to stop being a spy, but I chose to go on. I wanted revenge. I wiped out an organization that promoted acts of terror. When that was done, I was empty I had nothing left to lose, and I felt I had nothing to gain, so I stayed a spy and took all the missions I could, burying in my mind all the terrors I faced."

"How did you get here then?" Twilight spoke up in my silence.

"I died. This world is my second chance." They looked at me in surprise. "I was killed in action, just completed my mission, but couldn't escape fast enough. I was happy to die." Fluttershy whimpered at that. "Then I woke up to a white talking alicorn. Your princess."

"She sent you here to learn from me about Equestria. Right?"

"Partially."

"Huh?"

"At the time, she gave me an ultimatum. I could learn about Equestria by living in Canterlot, and constantly being under guard, or I could be her student's guard and live freely."

"You're only here because you didn't want to live under constant guard?" All of them looked sad at that. "And you are forced to be my guard?"

"At first, yes. Now though, no." They looked hopeful. "Celestia sent me here to make friends, that was her true goal. At the Running of the Leaves, she gave me a choice I could leave Ponyville and no longer be a guard, or stay. I forgot her words till the first day of spring, then I made my choice to stay. I had grown fond of you all."

Twilight hesitated then asked again, "Why did you think we were dead?"

"I told you of my choice to stay for two reasons. One, to stall. Two, my nightmares in my forced sleep." I paused. Then looked at the sky. "My nightmares consisted of almost every horror I ever faced. With Jack's death the most prominent." I looked back down at the girls. "What horrified me the most though is when my dreams shifted to Ponyville. Horrors that don't belong here were happening everywhere and it seemed real. I ran into the library to see all of you dead." I couldn't continue and just held Fluttershy. All of them gathered around me.

"We are fine, Alex." Twilight tried to soothe me.

"It wasn't just the fact you were dead that horrified me, though that was terrible." They looked at me intently. "It was because I cared about you, all of you. In a little less than a year, all of you have teared down every wall I have ever put up, and that terrifies me. Just a dream tore my heart apart. If I really lost you all..."

Twilight threw her hooves around me. "We are here Alex. I know that you will protect us in any way you can. Let us help you though. Let us show you that you don't have to be terrified each day that you'll lose us."

"What if I do lose one of you? I could ne--" Twilight interrupted me.

"Then the others will help you. Unfortunately loss is always a possibility, but you learn to cherish each moment."

I sighed. "You know you sound just like your mentor, and with that crown even more so."

"That is a wonderful compliment. Though I am not sure it is one, considering you don't like her."

I let out a hoarse laugh. "It was one Twilight." She grinned at me calling her that. "Oh, wipe that grin off your face." All the girls laughed.

"Will you let us in Alex? Call us friends and be our friend in return?"

I hesitated, then smiled. It was no doubt a little broken, but a smile. "It'll take time for me to learn to be a true friend and let you in completely, but yes I can do that."

The girls then knocked me over in a giant hug. For the first time in 12 long years, the ice completely melted from my heart. It was in pieces, but the girls were turning it into something beautiful.

---

I watched as the girls walked up the aisle to unveil the new window. I smiled at them. Perhaps, friendship is really the key to the elements. Strangely enough, it was the key to my heart. Now to slowly put it back together the right way. With them.

Comments

[soulknight13]

yay was a but that was a butt hole move by discord now i can't wait till the wedding haha

[Alot Master]

Dawwwww, it's so happy...