Shatters of a Reflection Part 1

"Cadance…what are you doing here?" I asked as she walked into my room and took notice of mess before looking over at my bed where she saw Twilight sleeping soundly.

"I was trying to find Twilight, but I couldn't find anywhere else. And I didn't want to bother you so late but it would seem that she was here all along." She told me as she looked down and saw me standing over these burn marks that were on the ground and while it was faint she could smell some of the smoke that was lingering in the room.

"So do I want to know?" She asked me with a smile on her face.

"Know? Know what?" I asked slightly panicked as the thought that Twilight could of told Cadance about what I've been keeping secret from them all when I noticed she was looking at the markings on the floor, "Oh, the markings." I said a bit relieved as I explained to her that Twilight was practicing some higher leveled spells in my room which she believed and was going to give her a lecture about practicing without one of us to supervise her.

I felt bad throwing her under the bus but I knew that one day she would forgive me for this small moment.

I shifted towards outside the balcony as I looked behind me and saw her looking at me.

She let this sigh out as she trotted over and got in my face as she gave me this half smile, "What's bothering you Jake?"

"Huh? What're you talking about nothing is bothering me." I told her which was an obvious lie and knowing her she could tell it was one.

And true to my thoughts she just shook her head, "Jake, I've known you for years. I can read you like a book and it's clear to me that something is bothering you. So I want to know what it is." She said in a stern tone which meant she was going to found out one way or another.

"Well, um…" I tried to think what I should do. Truthfully I knew I was going to have to tell her sooner or later but I wasn't expecting her to be here now.

"Yes?" She said tilting her head to the side in a questioning manner.

It was now or never.

"Cadance…the truth is something has been bothering me."

She smiled at me, "See! Now was that so hard?" She said trying to make me feel better but it was hurting more than helping.

I gulped before I asked her a question, "What would you say if I told you that I was going to leave?"

She looked at me before chuckling into her hoof, "What like the last time you wanted to travel on your own and ended up in that town near the Everfree Forest?" She said but I shook my head.

"No, I mean. What if I was to leave, as in I would be leaving and I wouldn't be coming back?" I told her in a more serious tone as she just gave me this puzzled look once more.

"Jake, what are you going on about? Is this about that report on what we were going to do after we graduate? I thought I told you before not to worry about it too much-" "No!" I shouted while cutting her off.

"No, this has nothing to do with that." I shouted as I could see this pained look in her eyes, "What I mean is what if I was to leave as in leave Equestria. And that I wouldn't come back!" I final said as I stared her.

For a moment she just stood there staring at me as if trying to process what I had just told her, but with every passing second she seemed to shift slightly before she finally said.

"Jake, I don't get what you're trying to say but this isn't funny anymore." She told me, "And if this is some kind joke it isn't funny anymore."

"Cadance!" I raised my voice to her, "I'm not trying to be funny. I am being serious." I told her which seemed to snap her out of her confusion, "Tomorrow night is going to be my last night in Equestria."

She gave me this look as if trying to make sense of what I was saying, "What are you talking about Jake? Where are you going that's making you leave Equestria? Is somepony forcing you into this? Just tell me who it is and I'll-"

I shut my eyes and said it, "I'm going back to Earth." It felt sour but I continued, "Tomorrow night I will be sent back to my world, and won't be coming back. I tried to tell you this before but…but I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I it was selfish of me but I-!" "How long have you known!" Her voice sounded hurt, I could hear it cracking slightly but I let out a sigh and opened my eyes and looked at her.

The look in her eyes were ones that I knew all too well, tears were welling up in her eyes as she asked me again.

"How long have you known?"

I couldn't even look in her in the eyes as I said, "Ever since I ran away to the Everfree Forest."

As soon as I finished the last word, my head was suddenly jolted to the left as this stinging pain resided on my right cheek but before I could do anything another struck me on the opposite cheek making me recoil the other way.

"You mean to tell me that this entire time you knew! You knew and you didn't tell me!" She tried to cry out but her voice was hoarse and sounded strained, as if she was forcing them out.

I was too ashamed to look at the face, but it was clear from the short breaths and sobs she was crying.

Letting the taste of my blood pool out of the side of my mouth, I whispered out a "Yes." I couldn't make up any excuses because it was true. I lied to her this whole time and I knew she was mad at me. She had every right to be.

"Cadance…I-" "Don't!" I was cut off as she snapped at me. I looked up at her only to see she her entire body was trembling. There were tear stains running down the sides of face and she looked as she was holding back, she was trying to hold back but it wasn't working.

And it was killing me inside to see her like this.

"Don't say any another word to me Jake." She told me with pain in her voice as she turned away and started to walk away.

"Wait! Cadance, please just let me-" But just before my hand could reach her I was stopped by her next words.

"I hate you."

My body froze in place as my eyes widened at what I just heard, "I hate you Jake." She said once more as I pulled back my hand.

She stopped at the door as if she was going to say something but she opened the door and left while I stood there groveling in my own web of lies. I caused this to happen.

"You wanted this Jake." I told myself as I collapsed onto my knees, "This is for the best right?" I told myself, "Right?" I choked out as I felt tears burning as they feel from my eyes. I put a hand over my chest as I felt this ache inside of my heart.

Deep down, I wanted to believe this was the right thing to do, I forced myself to believe this was the right thing to do.

But if it was the right thing, why did it hurt so much?

"Is that it? You're going to give up just like that? This isn't the Jake that I know."

I opened my eyes to find myself standing in a place that I hadn't seen in a long time.

Looking around I saw my other-self standing infront of me, looking at me with a frown on his face as he walked over to me and slugged me right across the face knocking me down.

"What was that for!" I shouted at him as I felt the collar of my shirt being lifted up and I was pulled close towards him as he was glaring at me.

"You know damn well what that was for! It was to knock some sense into that stupid skull of yours!" He lifted his fist to hit me again but I just closed my eyes and braced myself for the blow that never came.

I opened my eyes once more to see it right before me but I also saw the pained expression on his face.

"This is for the best." I said to him but I felt this sharp sting against my face once more.

"How can you say that when you know as well as I do that; that is a lie!" He shouted to me as I just stared at him, "You literally fought and bled for that mare and after everything that happened, all the time spent here in this world was it all for nothing? Did all those years of becoming someone new, changing who we once more! Was it all just a lie?" He shouted at me as shoved me into the ground and walked away stomping his feet.

"What do you want me to do then? I can't do want I want because I won't be there for her! I can't do that to her she doesn't deserve that!" I shouted out as he turned around and looked at me.

I saw the pained look in his eyes, "There's no reason to pretend Jake, I know how you really feel and you know what I am thinking."

I didn't say anything as I just looked down at my hands, "I don't want to abandon her." I said to him as I heard him walking over and felt a hand on my shoulder, "You aren't abandoning her Jake, she knows how much we love her, even if we are no longer here she'll keep on loving us because she's the one that found her way into our heart, your heart."

He placed a finger against my chest as I felt this rush of emotions coming over me, I looked around as the world changed, these mirrors appeared around me only they didn't reflect myself but my memories.

I watched as some of my fondest memories played before me and I was reminded of everything, all the hard times, all the good and the bad. Everyday was a new adventure and she was always there beside me, walking the same road that I was.

"No matter what you try and say, no matter how much you try to deny it. You want to be with her, even if that means it is only for a day."

I couldn't say anything because I knew he was right, he knew me best because after all he was me.

"But how am I going to do that," I recalled what just transpired just moments before. "She probably doesn't want to even see me at this point." I told him but she just shook his head and gave me a nudge forward.

"If she truly loves you then it won't matter, now go and get her before I have to force you to." He said with this snide grin on his face as I couldn't help myself from grinning back at him as he faded into this mirror that had my reflection on it.

I walked up towards and placed my hand against its glass as my reflection did the same only nothing happened.

"Don't be afraid Jake, your never alone." I heard his voice tell me as I felt the pain being lifted from my chest, I looked at the me in the glass and he was smiling as the glass shattered and my reflection scattered away into the darkness as I found myself kneeling on the floor in my room.

I felt as if this heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders I could still this pain inside of my chest, and I knew what it was. It was heart break. I had taken the heart of the one that loved me, that truly loved me and ripped it out of her chest.

"I don't deserve her." I said to myself, I didn't shed a tear. Even with the pain on my face. No pain would amount to the pain I just put her through.

I knew that crying wasn't going to make things better as I rose from the ground and shook my head getting my bearings back as I was going to head out the door to find her when I heard shuffling coming from my bed.

Turning my head I saw that Twilight had knocked the blanket off herself and was looking for its warmth.

I fixed the blanket, covering Twilight as she still seemed to shuffle around looking for something, which had to be her stuffed pony Smarty Pants.

"She'll find somepony and he'll treat her better than I ever could." I told myself as I brushed Twilights mane.

"I have to go make things right, so I'll be right back Twi." I said in a hushed tone as I kissed her just under her horn and she seemed to ease up and fell back into a peaceful sleep.

Turing back around I made my way to the door, quietly closing it behind me as part of me wondered how she was able to sleep through all the shouting but I guessed it was from her exhausting herself from the magic she used up earlier.

"Alright Jake," I said to myself as I looked down both hallways she could have run down either of them, "Go find her." I told myself as I took off to my right to check her room which wasn't too far from my own but when I arrived there it was empty inside.

I ran to every place that I thought she could be, every place that I stopped to see if she was there and she wasn't. And every time I had to go and look somewhere else I felt a part of me pushing myself to find her.

The feelings of every moment I spent with her were replaying in my head as I felt this pain growing in my chest.

The more and more I realized how stupid I was. Why did I ever believe that lying to her this entire time was the right thing to do?

I stopped to catch my breath outside in the garden. I thought she would of gone to the quiet part where we would go to rest under mothers sun during the long afternoons but she wasn't there either.

"Cadance…" I huffed out wiping the sweat from getting in my eyes as I looked up gasping for air when I saw something.

It was faint and only appeared in the corner of my eye for a moment, but I thought I saw something fly across the sky and into one of the towers, right where.

"Cadance."

Without thinking my legs moved on their own, the shadow had flown right to where Cadance's room was.

I pushed myself harder as I could feel my chest burning from running around as I reached her doors.

Standing outside of them I took a moment to catch my breath before I walked over to them and knocked on the door.

"Cadance?" I called out as I heard something move inside.

"Cadance. It's Jake." I said to her as I placed a hand against the door, "Listen I know that I'm the last person you probably want to hear right now but I have to speak with you. I need to." I said closing my eyes as I heard nothing from the inside but I keep talking.

"I know what I did was wrong. And you have every right to be mad at me, but I have to tell you the truth. You have…deserve that much from me." I paused before I continued.

"That day when I told everyone that I met another Alicorn. I lied to everyone when I told them that I wasn't told much. The fact is that I was told that my time here in Equestria was limited. I didn't know how much time I had here, but I didn't want anyone to know because I was afraid. I was afraid of leaving. As much as it hurts me to say it but I don't belong here." I said resting my head against the door.

"I knew that for a long time but I didn't want to believe it because I didn't want to leave here. I have so much that learned here, I have so many new things that I didn't have back in my world. I have Mom, Twilight and Shining, everyone in the castle. But most importantly I had you."

I closed my eyes, "When I first arrived here, I was a completely different person. I was alone, I was afraid I was scared. I was stuck in a place that I didn't think I could ever escape from. But then you showed up, and slowly my life began to change. I gained something I never had before, love."

I placed a hand over my heart.

"Love was something that was so foreign to me. I didn't understand it at first. But over time, I slowly learned what it meant. And in turn I learned how to love others. I was happy. For once in my life I felt like this is the place I belonged. That this was my home."

I banged my fist against the door.

"But deep down, I knew that this wasn't my real home. I ran away from mine. I closed myself off from the world around me and then I found this place. A place that showed that even somepony like me could change for the better."

I opened my eyes and stared at the door.

"And you were always there beside me." I said.

"You were the one that first befriended me. The first real friend I had ever had. And it was thanks to you that I met Mom and learned to trust others."

I felt my emotions getting the better of me.

"I learned so many things, I got new friends and my life was better than it had ever been. But then I learned that I wasn't going to be able to stay in the world that I had come to love. And everyday since then it had been eating away at me from the inside until I believed that it was better if I left. Because I truly believed that I didn't belong here in this world with everyone else."

I choked as I clench my fist.

"But I was afraid. I was afraid because I didn't want to leave this world."

I paused for a moment. I couldn't find the right words to say so I said it.

"I was afraid because I didn't want to lose you Cadance."

I heard this bang from the other side of the door.

"Because the truth is… I-" "Don't you dare!" I heard Cadance shout from the other side of the door as they swung open and I saw her.

She looked pale. Her coat had lost its healthy color and had become greyer. Her hair had lost most of its color and like her coat became a pale color of what it used to be. But worst of all, her cutie mark had lost its shine that it once had.

"Cadance." I said only to be stopped as she slapped me across the face once more.

"Don't you dare say my name again Jake!" She cried out, her voice cracking with each word as tears were streaming down her face.

"But Cad-" Once more I was slapped, only this time she didn't stop.

"Why?" She slapped me, "Why?" She slapped me again pushing me back until I was against the wall opposite to her door.

She did this again and again as tears poured out of her eyes before her hits started to lose their strength before she couldn't hit me anymore.

"…" I couldn't think of anything to say right now. I didn't want to upset her anymore because she was crying over me right now so I did the only thing I felt I could do right now.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled in close to me. She struggled against me, she tried to break free but I didn't let her. No matter how she much she hit me to try and break free I couldn't let her go.

It wasn't long before she stopped and we laid there, her body being held by mine as she held her front hooves over my chest where she was striking me over and over again.

"Why are you making it so hard for me?" She whispered out as she hit me again. It wasn't hard but she was crying even more now.

"Do you want me to tell you the truth?" I asked her but she didn't reply, "Because I lo-"

"You don't get to say that!" I felt her head bury itself into my chest as her tears stained my shirt, "You don't get to feel that way after making me feel like this." She raised her head and glared at me.

She tried to glare at me but she was failing to do so.

"Cadance, I hurt you." I told her, "I promised myself I would never hurt you or make you cry again. But in the end, I thought doing that would make this easier for the both of us. But I was wrong. I was wrong because I wasn't thinking about how you would feel about this." I told her as I looked down into her eyes.

"I told myself I would do this for you, that one day you would find another colt that could do what I couldn't. That he could be there for you. That hurting you would make it easier for you to move on in time."

I said as she was trembling against me.

"Did you ever think for a single moment that would work?" She asked me, "Do you think that hurting me was the right thing to do?"

I lowered my head once more, "At first I thought it would, but…"I couldn't think of the right words, "But it wasn't the right thing to do. You didn't deserve that. No pony does." I dropped my arms from around her which she didn't seem to expect.

"Cadance…You deserve somepony that can be there for you. That won't hurt you like I have." I told her as I saw tears forming once more, "You deserve better than me." I told her before I saw her raise her hoof and I flinched as it came towards me.

But I didn't feel it strike me. No, instead I felt her hoof touch my cheek. And in that moment as she pulled away slowly and opened her eyes, they were glossed over with tears as she couldn't stop sniffing.

"I don't want anypony else Jake. I wanted you." I heard her say as I felt myself lose it at that point.

"Cadance…I..!" I couldn't even finish my sentence as I saw her crying. I wrapped my arms around her once more and held her close to me as she didn't fight against me this time. She held herself closer to me as I just held onto her like a lifeline.

I didn't say anything but there wasn't anything to be said.

I felt this warmth in my heart growing with each passing second. How much of a fool was I to believe that breaking her heart was the only way to get her to move on.

"...I love you." I said, but as soon as I did my eyes were blinded by this bright light that came from her cutie mark.

In a flash, I felt this warmth wash over me as I slowly opened my eyes and found myself looking back at Cadance, her pink coat had returned and her mane had regained its color. But more importantly, her cutie mark was back to normal.

She opened her eyes, "Jake." She said to me as I felt the pain wash away from my body. The fatigue I once had was no longer there but instead I felt like I was being wrapped in this warmth.

"Cadance." I replied back to her as she let out a heavy sigh.

"Why do you always have to make things so complicated?" She asked me with a small laugh as I joined her.

But before I replied to her I placed my hand against her cheek as she leaned into it. And I moved closer to her as she did the same. And for a moment, I felt any anguish I had inside of me leave as it was replaced with this new found warmth.

It felt like all my doubts, all my pains and sorrows were being washed away.

And it was the first time I shared a moment with the one that I loved most.

I pulled away as I opened my eyes and saw her open hers and I smiled, "Love makes you do crazy things." I told her as she laughed some more before her laughs soon turned into sobs.

I felt myself crying as she buried herself into my chest and wrapped her wings around me as best she could as I did the same with my arms.

And we stayed like that for as long as she needed.

If it were up to me, I would never move from that spot.

I had in my arms the mare that held my heart. And I wasn't going to let her go.

"Jake?" I heard her call out my name as I opened my eyes and looked down at her. She was looking back up at me with this shy look in her eyes.

"Yes?" I asked her.

"Um…as much as I really don't want to move right now." She said looking into my eyes, "I think we would be more comfortable in my room rather than this hallway."

I scoffed as I held her in place.

"I'd much rather stay like this for a bit longer. I don't want to let you go." I told her as I could see the red blush on her pink coat before she smiled and leaned over to my ear and whispered something into it.

"But if we stay out here. How am I going to show you how much I truly love you?" She said in a husky tone that made me feel…slightly aroused?

She just smiled as she got up and pulled on my arm as I was still trying to process what she had told me just a moment ago.

"Come on Jake, we don't have much time. And we have a lot to make up for." She said as she used her magic to close the doors behind us.

Needless to say, I didn't get any sleep that night. And I learned something new and very important to remember about the mare that I had fallen in love with. She was extremely passionate about something when she put her mind to it.

The morning soon came and I was woken up by Mom's rays that seemed to sneak their way in through the curtains in Cadance's room.

I gave a light yawn and tried to move but I felt myself being weighed down by something, I looked over to see Cadance resting against my shoulder with my arm wrapped around her and her front hoof draped over my stomach.

Her mane was a mess but it was to be expected if last night was anything like I thought it was.

I reached down and brushed a lock of hair off of her face as she seemed to stir awake.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." I said as she just lazily lifted her head and raised her body up giving her wings a stretch before she looked over to me and a smile worked its way across her face.

"Good morning." She said happily as I just laughed a bit which she didn't seem to like, "And what is so funny if I may ask?" She asked me and I just shook my head before I lowered it to hers and rest it against hers staring into her eyes before she cracked and started laughing herself.

"Nothing much, just I feel happy right now." I told her as she snuggled up against me as I lay back down with her.

"Well don't go falling asleep on me again. We have a lot of things to do today." She told me as I felt myself drifting off before I felt her playfully knock me on the head.

"Ow, kidding." I said to her as she puffed out her cheeks and stretched her body before she got up from the bed and got off while I just leaned up and stretched my arms out before looking over at the clock, "Breakfast is in an hour. Guess I better head back to get ready." I said before I heard Cadance cough.

"Or…" She said turning her head halfway and glancing back at me, "You could get ready here and teleport back to your room." She suggested but I didn't quite get it at first before I got the hint and looked at her retreating into her washroom before I jumped off the bed and joined her for a morning shower that took a little too long.

Once I was back in my room, I saw that Twilight was still sleeping so I quickly grabbed my clothes and changed in the washroom before I went over and woke her up from her slumber.

"Twi. Twi It's time to get up little one." I said to her as she moved around slightly but didn't open her eyes.

I thought for a moment before I thought of something, "Well I guess I'll just have to eat this delicious cupcake all on my own." I said as I saw a single eye pop open before it closed.

"Aha! I got you know you little filly!" I said jumping on the bed and tickling her body as she was pretending to be asleep.

Her cries for me to stop and her laughter filled the room before I finally freed her from her torment and got up, "You need to hurry or else we'll miss breakfast Twi." I told her as she got up stretching her body before she looked over at me and her smile slowly left her as she frowned and hugged me.

"But…but…"

"No buts Twi." I said brushing her mane as I put her down on the bed and knelt down infront of her, "I know this is hard for you Twilight, it's already hard for me. But this is something that has to happen. I know that you don't quite understand it now but one day you'll understand why I have to go."

She started to tear up, "But I don't want you to go." She said looking at me, if there was one thing I couldn't stand other than seeing Cadance cry. It was seeing Twilight cry.

"Oh Twi." I pet her head as she looked down, "I know this isn't going to be easy for you but can you promise me one thing?" I asked her as she looked up and nodded to me, "I want you to promise me that one day you'll grow up and make plenty of friends that you can share all the good times that we had together with them. Can you promise me that?" I asked.

She didn't reply at first but she nodded her head, "I'll try." She said as I smiled at her while petting her mane.

"That's my girl, now. Go and wash up so we can head down for breakfast. You have an important test later today so I want you to be prepared for it!" I told her as she wiped the tears away and smiled back at me before heading off towards the washroom.

I got up and looked outside my balcony doors at the clear blue sky and the sun that was slowly raising up.

"The dawn of the final day is upon us." I said as I got myself prepared for what would be my final day in Equestria.

Shatters of a Reflection part 1.

I'm back 3ndless