“There it is,” Axel said, looking out over the river valley below, “just a few hours march away.”
Spec looked at the town below them. It was smaller than Ridgeback, smaller than she remembered. The stone buildings were all built up against each other, stacked in uneven piles and pressed right up against the wall, overflowing in some places and continuing for some time until they gradually diminished into nothing. It was a sprawling, chaotic mess.
“Fort Tain,” Axel said, a rare smile on her lips. “Stonekeep. The only Ahkal-controlled city in the entire Mare Aurora.” A genuine grin crossed her features. “It’s good to be back.”
It had been four days since they left the Malus clan, stuffed to bursting with food and warm memories. Mother Malus had given the crew the Ahkal equivalent of a blank check (as much so as a moneyless society could), and Spec and the others had been treated with the height of courtesy. While Amber had taken to it at once, it made Spec uncomfortable. She hadn’t forgotten the conversation Malus had had with her and Amber at their arrival, and the morning they were to leave, her suspicions had been confirmed.
Malus had pulled them aside, her face, for the moment, serious. Then she had spun them the craziest yarn Spec had ever heard: that they were the reincarnations of ponies from an ancient, long forgotten society, raised from the dead to fight a threat that wasn’t clear, but certainly had something to do with whatever had got Capricorn sick.
Spec snorted. Unlike most of her people, she was never much of a moon-worshipper; but she had to admit that even that system made sense compared to whatever Malus was preaching. Reincarnation?
Amber, on the other hand, had kept quiet, interrupting only to ask a question here or there. At the end, she’d nodded and rose.
“Thank you for telling us that, Granny Smith,” she said.
“My pleasure, darling,” Malus had said. “You’ve probably heard some of it from your sister already.”
“Something like that… but Ivy doesn’t remember much. Mostly dreams, nightmares...I have a question, though.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you want the amulet, or at least the thing inside of it?”
Malus’s eyes had grown wide with fear. “No, no,” she said. “It isn’t safe here… if that thing is what I think it is, it may not be safe anywhere.”
“What is it?” Spec asked.
“It’s a bit, maybe the last bit, of the monster that got us all into this mess in the first place,” Malus said. “It’s real powerful, and dangerous to boot, and I wouldn’t let it out of your sight. Frankly, dear, I wouldn’t know what to do with it.”
“Ivy thinks that there’s somepony in Prospolis that can help us,” Amber said. She rubbed a hoof against her forehead. She looked very tired all of a sudden. Spec wondered how long Ivy’s dreams had been going on.
“I reckon she might be onto something,” Malus said. “Sweetie was always a smart one. I’ve never been to Prospolis myself, but I know where it is on a map. Used to be a huge empire based there, north of Equestria. If there’s anypony alive who can do something with that thing, I’d imagine you’d find them there.”
From outside Spec could hear Axel’s voice, bidding them to resume their journey.
“Y’all need to get going” Malus said, “but before you do, I’ve got something for you. Couple of things, in fact. The first is this.” She held out a sheet of coarse paper, on which were painted six symbols. Spec’s eyes found the third down: a rainbow-colored lightning bolt shooting out from a cloud.
“These are the six cutie marks of the Elements of Harmony,” Malus said. “Rainbow, this one is yours.” She pointed to the lightning bolt. “And Rarity, this is yours.” She pointed to another, a trio of sparkling diamonds.
“Cutie marks?” Spec murmured. Something about the symbol... something about it....
“Yes. In the old days, everypony had one. But they’re all gone now… maybe with the loss of magic, I don’t know. I got mine back when my memories came back, see—“ she pulled the side of her skirt up, ignoring their barks of protest, to reveal what appeared to be a pie tattooed onto her side.
“That’s… neat,” Spec said.
“Oh, get on out of here, Rainbow Dash,” Malus said. “This is a respectable Apple family mark… not that that means much now. Either way, I reckon y’alls cutie marks will come back in time too. And if y’all see anything that looks like any one of these, take a look. You might find something important.”
Axel’s cry became more impatient.
“We’ve got to go,” Spec said. “It was nice meeting you, lady, but—“
“I have one more thing,” Malus said. Spec shifted on her hooves, unable to hide her impatience. “More of a request, really.”
“Name it,” Amber said.
“The owner of this mark,” Malus said, pointing to a trio of apples, “is named Applejack. She’s my granddaughter. Her mother left the tribe when she was a young mare and married in the city. She’s dead now and I lost all contact with her husband and kids. But I’d never forget that face. If you see her, let her know she’s got a home here.”
“We don’t have time for—“
“We’ll do our best, Granny,” Amber said, dipping her head. The old mare’s face crinkled into a smile.
“You always were a good one, Rarity,” she said.
“Yeah, yeah, we’ll look for your granddaughter,” Spec said. “Can we go now?”
“Yes, Spectrum,” Amber said. “Granny Smith, it’s been a pleasure.”
“Likewise, girls. Do come to visit if you’re ever in the area. It’s always good to see old faces.”
Old faces…. Spec snorted. Old faces, new faces, what did it matter? They were moving on, Capricorn was awake, and whatever the hell that thing was, it wasn’t near her. Now, if only she could get Amber to step off a bit…
As if on cue, she turned and saw the white pony walking up the hill towards them. She caught Spec’s eye and smiled. Spec nodded back.
“Hello dears,” Amber said. “Sorry to bother your gazing but Noble has a question about the packs and I didn’t know the answer.”
“That so?” Axel said. “Well, I’d better give him a hoof. We’re set to kick off pretty soon.” She turned away from the view, but paused. “Spec, you’re packed and ready?”
“We’ve only stopped for an hour, Axel. What do you think?”
“I’ve seen you spread your stuff out faster than that. Make sure it’s wrapped up.”
“Yeesh, alright,” Spec said, stepping to the side to hide the small pile of her belongings she had laid out. “Go help Noble.” Axel rolled her eyes and walked back towards the camp. Spec stuck her tongue out at her and began to pack her bag.
“Here, let me help you, Spectrum,” Amber said, picking up an apple and looking at it. “Honestly, how could you become so disorganized in such a short span of time?”
“Don’t you start, too,” Spec said, stuffing her mat into her bag. “I don’t know why… I just needed to get something, and next thing I know it’s time to go.”
“Hmm; well, a little proper organization would go a long way towards fixing these problems. If you’d just let me work on it for a bit…”
“Thanks, but I’m good,” Spec said, stuffing her bedroll in as best she could. There was silence between them, but Spec wasn’t fooled. She knew what was coming.
Her thoughts were confirmed when Amber cleared her throat and began to speak. “You know,” she said, with the air of someone treading very carefully, “we still ought to talk about what happened back at the Ahkal camp.”
“You heard Axel,” Spec said, not looking up. “She doesn’t want it mentioned. All that matters is that Capricorn’s back, he’s mostly fine, and we’re on our way again.”
“I’m not talking about Capricorn,” Amber said. “Well, not mostly. I’m talking about you and I.”
“What about us?” Spec said.
Amber sighed. “Why are you playing around the topic like this? Doesn’t it seem strange to you that you might be the reincarnation of an ancient hero?”
“Not really,” Spec said. “I already know I’m awesome. This is just the icing on the cake.”
Amber scoffed. “I don’t understand you, Spectrum Tempest.”
“Join the club.” Spec finished packing her bag and stood, looking Amber in the eye. “Are you done?”
“For now, yes,” Amber said. “But we’re going to compare notes at some point, even if I have to get you stone drunk to do so.”
Spec grinned. “I’ll take that as a challenge.” Then the two of them walked down the hill towards the rest of the group. Spec kept her face neutral, but inside she was as confused as Amber. Truth be told, Spec didn’t know why she was resisting talking about Mother Malus and her stories. She just knew that every time Amber tried to bring it up, she just… stopped. Amber was frustrated with being stonewalled, but Spec didn’t care. Some things could wait forever to be talked about.
“There you two are,” Axel said as she spied them. “Ready to go?”
“Yes,” Amber said, “I believe we are.”
“Where’s Capricorn?” Spec said.
Axel and Cesar glanced at each other. “He went ahead to scout,” Cesar said. “Said he wanted to make sure the path forward was safe.”
Spec frowned. “But we’re right here.”
“I let him go,” Axel said. “He looked like he needed to work some things out.”
“Oh,” Spec said. “Okay then.”
Cesar looked like he was going to say something, but he glanced at Axel and kept his mouth shut. Spec looked between the two of them and felt the weight of a conversation she had missed and was not yet meant to hear.
“Alright then,” she said, clearing her throat loudly. “Guess I’ll be going. Do you want me to take point?”
“That would be good,” Axel said. “Cesar and I will watch the back.”
“Sure thing,” Spec said. She paused once more before she left. “Is everything… alright?”
Axel looked at her. “Yes,” she said. “It’s fine. Go on.”
Spec stayed put a second longer, then shrugged and walked to the front of the clearing. She pushed the feeling down. If something was wrong, Axel would let her know.
Capricorn rejoined the group a half hour later, looking no worse for wear. His brow was scrunched in thought, and his ear tweaked to the side as if listening to something only he could hear. Spec walked over to him.
“You feeling alright, Cap?” she said.
He looked at her blankly for a moment, then grinned. “Me? Don’t worry about me, Spec. I’m fine. Just got to shake it off, you know?”
“Yeah,” Spec said. “I hear you.”
She nodded again and returned to her spot in line. The cheerful expression on Capricorn’s face faded away. And so the company finished their trek to Fort Tain.
The square-cut blocks of the buildings looked alien to Spec's eyes. “Where are we bunking down?” she asked, her mind turning towards thoughts of uncomfortable hay beds and strange, foreign smells.
“Not any of these spots,” Axel said. They rounded a corner. “This,” Axel said, looking towards the building at the end of the street, “this is the place.” It was squat, standing out from the plain brick around it with unique markings and style. Two huge torches blazed in front of it, casting the portrait of a mare with a fish’s tail in sharp relief. The sign underneath read The Siren.
Jade stared at the sign in distaste. “This is your idea of hospitality?” Amber gave her a sharp look.
“The Siren is the best around, at least as far as I’m concerned,” Axel said. “This caravan has been going here since before Spectrum was born, and you won’t find a better room for his rate anywhere in the city. Besides, Easter’s a friend.” She glanced at Spectrum. “I wonder how he’ll react to seeing little Spectrum all grown up.
Spec made a show of cuffing her on the shoulder. “Shut up,” she said.
“You remember Nor’Easter, don’t you?” Cesar said.
“Uh, yeah,” Spec said, but she was unsure. A dim memory of a huge Astral unicorn floated vaguely in her mind, but she suspected she was supposed to remember more than that. “He, uh, gave us good deals here, right?”
“More than that,” Axel said. “Your dad once helped him out of a pretty rough situation. He’s got a soft spot for Tempests ever since. Used to sneak you snacks under the table.”
That was something Spectrum remembered. “She smiled. “I remember that guy.”
“Figures food would jog your memory,” Capricorn said.
“Shut up.”
“I’m just saying….”
“Cut it out,” Axel said. “It’s been a long day and I’m sick of all the griping. Which reminds me: no funny business inside, got it? That goes double for you, Spectrum.”
“What? Why me?” Spec said, her voice cracking. Amber snickered, and Spec shot her a dirty look.
“Because Easter is going to try and encourage you,” Cesar muttered. He winked at her.
Axel shook her head. “I’m serious. I know we all want to have a good time, and believe me Easter will provide, but anyone who starts a fight is going to get stick duty for a week, understand?” There were reluctant nods, and Axel appeared satisfied. “Come on then,” she said. “I’m sure we all have a lot of catching up to do.”
Spec’s first thought when she opened the door was that The Siren could have been right at home in Ridgeback. The architecture, from the wood beam and thatched ceiling to the engravings on the walls, all screamed Astral, especially in this city of Red ponies. The interior was large and warm, lit by a central fire that blazed bright and warm. A pot of leeks and potatoes was simmering above it, and the smell wrapped the company up as soon as they entered. The rest of the floor space was lined by long wooden tables where a motley assortment of ponies sat, eating and drinking and gambling. In the back of the room, behind a wooden bar, an enormous Blue pony sat, filling a mug while he talked to a patron. At the sound of the door he glanced up, his eyes finding Spec at once. A huge smile spread across his face.
“Well, I’ll be,” he boomed, loud enough for the whole bar to stop and stare. “That mane… it’s a Tempest if I’ve ever seen one!”
The crowd stared at Spec, who did her best not to flinch at the sudden onslaught of attention. Capricorn chuckled. “That’s what I thought,” he said. Raising his voice, he shouted at Easter. “Now, just because the lady has a pretty mane doesn’t mean you can forget about the rest of us, now can you?”
Easter stood and moved out of the back of the bar as the crew approached. “Capricorn Aster, I’ve spent the last ten years doing my best to forget all about you,” he growled, a twinkle in his eye. “Don’t ruin my streak now.”
“Save it for later, Easter,” Axel said. “We’re going to need at least two rooms. What do you have?”
“For you, old friend, I have anything,” Easter said. “There are two rooms on the top floor; they’re yours. I just had the heating pipes reworked so they should be nice and toasty. You’ll be staying only one night, I take it?”
“You know we can’t stay, Easter,” Axel said.
“Psssh, you caravan types, always with one eye on the clock. I’ll bet you haven’t spent a combined month in Fort Tain the entire time you’ve been on the road!”
“You’d lose your cash, Easter,” Axel said. “I’ve been doing this a long time.”
“Still, the point stands. At least don’t go to bed immediately. Stay down here a while and catch up, for old time’s sake. Or at least let the kid stay.”
“What, Ivy?” Spec said, before she realized that Easter was referring to her. She blushed.
“Your father was one of my dearest friends,” Easter said, his voice dropping, “and when he died I felt it like he was in my own family. I know you don’t know me very well, but I want you to know that you have a place here, and that I will do whatever is in my power to ensure that your time in The Siren is comfortable.”
“Oh, well, thanks, I guess,” Spec said, looking anywhere but at the stallion.
“You’re welcome,” Easter said.
“Hey Easter,” Capricorn said, “I lost my dad too! Doesn’t that count for anything?”
“I never met your dad, Capricorn,” Easter said, giving him a flat look, “and if I did I’d probably have a thing or two to say to him about his job as a parent.”
“Fair enough,” Capricorn said, “he was a piece of shit.”
There was a moment of silence while the company stood in the doorway awkwardly. At last Amber cleared her throat. “If it is alright with you, Miss Cartwright, I’ll be taking Ivy to bed now. Perhaps I will return if you all plan to go out tonight, but I’m not sure. I’m rather tired myself.”
“Aww,” Ivy said, “I’m not tired!”
“Hush, Sweetie. You will be.”
Ivy blinked and shook her head. “What was that?”
“Come on, dear.” Amber began gently nudging Ivy towards the staircase.
“I don’t know about you all,” Capricorn said, “but I’m going out. Easter, what’s going on in this town tonight? I don’t mean Ahkal nonsense, either; is there anything around that us Blues might enjoy?”
“Hmm,” Easter said, scratching his chin. “Well, there’s a traveling performer that’s set to do a show in a bar a couple streets down, it’s called the Barrel Wheel. She might be trash, I don’t know, but that bar’s one of the best around, besides mine. If you’re looking to get out and see what’s to offer, that might be a good place to start. I know the owner, too; tell him Easter sent you, and you might even get a free drink.”
“Sounds like my kind of place,” Capricorn said. “Cesar, you coming?”
“I suppose,” Cesar said.
“Mind if I tag along, too?” Noble said. Capricorn blinked.
“Not at all,” Cesar said. “Right, Capricorn?”
“Yeah,” Capricorn said. “The more the merrier.”
“Jade,” Noble said. “You coming?”
But Jade was already following Amber and Ivy up the stairs, her nose in the air. Noble shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“You three go on ahead,” Axel said. “Easter, Spec and I are going to do a little catching up.”
“Don’t wait up too long,” Capricorn said, already headed out the door. The door shut and the three ponies vanished into the night.
“I can’t believe you kept him around,” Easter said, shaking his head. He reached under the counter and pulled out a bottle of amber liquid.
“Well,” Axel said, “I figure that someone has to keep an eye on him, or he’s going to get himself into trouble.”
“He can do that with a bunch of eyes on him just fine,” Easter said. He mixed out and poured three shots of the amber liquid, topping it off with lemon juice and something else from the bar. Then he slid two of the drinks down the line. Axel picked one up and both she and Easter looked at Spec.
“What?” Spec said. She picked up the drink and sniffed it. “Yeesh, this is strong.”
“Blitz only liked the best,” Easter said.
“Whenever we’d come here in the past,” Axel said, “Easter would fix me, Blitz and himself Red Lightnings.”
“It’s the only time I’d ever drink on shift,” Easter said.
“And since he’s not here anymore,” Axel said. “You’re going to have to take his shoes.”
“I hate that,” Spec muttered, but she picked up the drink just the same.
“To family,” Easter said, “both by blood and by bond.”
“To family,” Axel said.
“To family,” Spec said, and drank. The three cups clanged against the wooden table. “Wow,” she said. “That’s a drink.”
“It’s a real kicker, ain’t it?” Easter said. “Gets the party started a bit faster than most folks are used to.”
Spec could feel the warmth of the liquid already spreading through her midsection. “No kidding,” she said.
“Get me a beer, Easter,” Axel said.
“I’ll have one too,” Spec said.
“Oho,” Easter said, pulling two mugs off of the back rail. “Getting ahead of ourselves, are we?”
“I’m twenty-three years old, Easter,” Spec said. “I think I know what I’m doing.”
“Alright, alright,” Easter said, holding his hooves up. “No offense meant. You’ve got to understand, the last time I saw you was what, fifteen years ago? You’re still a little filly in my mind.” He passed the two beers across the table. Spec swept hers up and took a deep gulp, belching out the air that bubbled back up her stomach.
Easter grimaced. “Although,” he said, “that image is changing pretty quick.”
“Spec, behave yourself,” Axel said. “I know we’re among friends, but you’re still representing my caravan.”
“And how on earth did you get the caravan anyway?” Easter said, leaning back from the bar.
“I didn’t,” Axel said. “After Blitz died I stopped caravanning for a couple years, before I realized there wasn’t really anything else I wanted to do more. So I started working for the Andalusians. It’s sort of like the old days, Easter, but the ways of the old Caravanners are gone. The airships changed everything.”
“Then what are you doing here?” Easter asked, polishing a glass as he listened to her story.
“One more big job,” Axel said. “I was working for a stallion named Sterling, Andalusian. He wanted his children taken to Prospolis. A bit farther than I’m comfortable with, but I volunteered for the mission. Told him I used to move ponies all the time in my youth. He gave me the opportunity to put a team together, and I tracked as many members of Blitz’s old team down as I could. There weren’t many.” She sighed. “I also found this one, cheating ponies in a Cliffside bar.”
“I wasn’t cheating—“
“You sure were, and don’t even deny it.”
“They’re all a bunch of scoundrels anyway,” Spec said, shrugging. “So what if I scraped a bit off the top?”
Easter shook his head in mock disapproval, but his smile gave the game away. “My my. I wonder what Blitz would think of his only child becoming a common criminal.”
“Well I wouldn’t know, now would I,” Spec shot back, “because he never really told me much of anything.”
Easter’s smile faded. “Blitz was complicated,” he began, but Spec cut him off.
“Not at all,” she said. “He wasn’t complicated at all. He wanted his open trails and his freedom, and he wasn’t about to let a mistake from the back of some Ridgeback inn get in the way of that.”
“Blitz loved you—“ Axel said, but she winced as Spec cut her off.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Spec said. “Sure he did. Loved me enough to shove me off on various houses while he went out and invented elaborate toasts with his buddies, right?” she glared at Easter, daring him to argue.
Instead, Easter just sighed. “I always told the old bastard his hatred of responsibility would get him in trouble,” he said.
“Blitz didn’t always know how to say it,” Axel said. “But he did love you, Spectrum. He was far from a perfect stallion, but—“
“Nope,” Spec said. “He was about as far as you can get. You know how weird it is to spend weeks in the company of ponies who just can’t stop worshipping this asshole? Because I do. Let me tell you, it’s really frustrating. ‘Oh, Blitz never did this’ and ‘Oh, Blitz was the perfect whatever.’ That stuff really gets on my nerves. I mean, what if I said things like ‘Oh, Blitz was a deadbeat,’ and ‘Oh, one time he left for six months and came back with a piece of candy as an apology!’”
“Some stallions aren’t meant to be fathers,” Easter said.
“Well gee, that makes me feel way better,” Spec said. “Did you know—did you know that’s why I started studying wingblading? Sure had a lot of time on my hands, and I thought that maybe I could be useful to my own damn father if I could have a skill he valued. So all that time he was away, I studied and studied and worked my feathers off. And you know what? It turned out great! I got so damn good at it they had to invent new levels of goodness, just for me! And when dad found out, you better believe that he was taking me along. And where has that gotten me?” She slammed her hoof on the table. Easter and Axel flinched. “Only further in his shadow, it turns out. All the way to this damn barstool!”
Easter and Axel were both looking at her, frozen. Spec’s anger faded, replaced with a growing sense of shame. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m… I’m just going to go find Cap and the others. Easter, thanks for the beer.” She got off her stool and left the inn.
She got a hundred feet from the door before she started shaking. Tears stung her eyes. She scrunched her face up and clenched her teeth, taking in slow breaths.
“That’s right…okay, okay… not here.”
After a minute or two, the feeling passed, and Spec took a shaky breath. “Alright,” she said. “Going to go find Capricorn and the others and get stupid drunk. Then I can apologize in the morning.”
Satisfied with this plan, she headed down the street towards where Easter had directed the others. The streets were empty for the most part, only a few ponies scurrying around to do last minute errands before the shift change. Her breath fogged and her hooves scraped on the cold cobblestones.
Something nudged at her side. She swatted it away without thinking before she realized what it was. “Hey!” she shouted, whirling around in time to catch the filly that had stolen her coin purse. “You little—you picked the wrong target this time!”
The orange filly struggled and kicked, her short magenta mane whipping in the wind. Spec tried to keep a grip on her but she was too quick, sliding out of her grasp like a snake and shooting off into an alley. Spec’s coin purse fell on the ground. She picked it up and weighted in her hoof. Still there.
“Street punks,” she muttered, refastening the purse under her cloak and pulling it tight around her shoulders.
She rounded a corner and spied the Barrel Wheel across the street. The front was brightly lit and she could hear the sounds of ponies talking and laughing coming from within, as well as more than a few boos.
She went to push the door open, but all at once someone grabbed her from behind and whirled her around. She found herself looking into a pair of crazed eyes.
“Have you seen her?” the pony whispered.
“Back off, pal,” Spec said, pushing the pony off of her. Her yellow coat was dirty and stained, her blue and pink mane in a ratted mess.
“Celestia, Rainbow,” the pony said. “Where is Celestia? She’s gone. The sun--” she swallowed, shivering. “The sun is silent.”
“Wow, you’re nuts,” Spec said. “I’m just going to leave now.” She turned again to go back to the tavern, but the pony grabbed her and pulled her away.
“You can’t go in there!” she hissed, holding Spec’s head in both hooves. “It’s not safe! Bad things are planned for in there!”
“What sort of bad things?”
“Bad. Things,” the pony said.
Silence. The wind whispered around them.
Then the light in the pony’s eyes dimmed again, and she let Spec go. “Wow,” she said, turning down the street away from Spec. “I can’t believe you got this, Lyra! It must have cost a fortune! Ha! You didn’t?”
Spec watched her go, a prickle of unease trickling down her spine. She shook her head.
“Loonies,” she said, turning back towards the door. “Sounds like someone left the crazy bin unlocked.” She pushed the door open.
The tavern was built differently than she was used to, with a long central fire and the bar tucked in a corner. Dominating the opposite wall was a stage, and on that stage an embattled unicorn appeared to be trying her best to wow the crowd.
She was blue, with a light, almost white mane, her horn polished to a mirror sheen. She was wearing a triumphant smile, but her eyes told a different story. The crowd was having none of it.
“And, fillies and gentlecolts, for my next trick, I will need a volunteer from the audience!”
“Good!” someone shouted. “Maybe they actually know some magic tricks!”
The crowd laughed at that, but the unicorn seemed undeterred. Spec felt her respect for the pony rise. “Anyone from the audience?”
“I’ll do it,” a familiar voice said, and a moment later Spec saw Noble threading through the crowd. The unicorn’s face lit up.
“Excellent, sir, thank you!”
The crowd murmured as Noble walked up. Spec turned away and cast her eyes over the crowd. She spotted Cesar and Capricorn sitting by the bar, cheering Noble on.
“Hey guys,” she said, threading through the crowd and coming up to them. “How’s it been going?”
“Spectrum,” Capricorn said, his tone conspiratorial, “check this out.” He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in close, directing her vision with a hoof.
Spec eyed the multiple shot glasses and spilled beer on the table. “You three didn’t waste much time, did you?”
“Nah,” Capricorn said. “You’ve got to check this pony onstage out. She doesn’t know anything!”
“I think she might be drunk,” Cesar rumbled, spilling his beer.
“She’s a piece of work,” Capricorn said.
Spec removed herself from under Capricorn’s arm and sat down on the stool next to them. “She’s not a good magician?”
“Nah, she’s fine,” Capricorn said. “It’s just her mannerisms! See the banner behind her?” For the first time, Spec noticed it. It was huge and golden, painted with the words The Spectacular Cirrus!
“I’ve never seen a pony so full of herself,” Capricorn said.
“Besides you,” Cesar said.
“Now that’s unfair. I have my moments, but am I wearing a cape monogrammed with my own initials? I don’t think so.”
“Yeah,” Cesar said, “the cape is a bit much.”
Onstage, Noble had taken his place next to Cirrus. “Now,” the pony said, waving her front hooves in the air. “Watch and learn as I make this pony disappear! What’s your name?”
“Noble.”
“Alright, Noble, if you could just stay there for a moment….” Cirrus jumped off of the stage and ran behind the curtain. Noble fidgeted onstage, flashing the audience a nervous smile.
“I thought I was the one who was going to disappear,” he said. The crowd laughed.
Cirrus returned, pushing a large box. The letters S.C. were carved into the side. Spec rolled her eyes. She was beginning to understand what Capricorn had meant.
“Now,” Cirrus said, “Mr Noble, if you could just step inside this box here, we can begin!”
“Just… like inside?” Noble said, his ears back.
“Yeah,” Cirrus said. “Don’t worry, it’ll only be for a second, then you’ll… disappear!”
Spec’s enjoyment of Noble’s discomfort was interrupted by a nudge on her shoulder. She turned around to see that the bartender had come up to her. “Hiya!” she said, smile impossibly wide. “What can I get you?”
“Just a house ale, please,” Spec said.
“Sure thing! You want to open a tab?”
“Um… you know what? Sure.” Spec slid a few coins over the table and the pony scooped them up. “Might just be here for a while.”
“Well, you won’t be the only one,” the pony said. “Pretty soon this crowd is going to want to be throwing things.” She leaned in to Spec. “I can get you a pretty sweet deal on some rotten tomatoes if you want to get the party started early.”
“Um, no thanks, I’m okay,” Spec said. The pony shrugged.
“Suit yourself,” she said, filling Spec’s mug and passing it over. “If you need anything else, you know where to find me!” Then she bounced to the other side of bar and began chatting with some other customers. Spec blinked.
“I see you’ve met our bartender,” Capricorn said. “Quite the looker, I’d say, if a bit… eccentric.”
“Something like that,” Spec said. She shook her head. Something about the pony seemed… familiar? A gasp from the crowd pulled her back to the show. Noble had climbed into the box and now sat, too big for it, looking out over the crowd. A slight blush colored his cheeks.
“And now,” Cirrus said, lifting the top of the box and waving it around her head. “Witness in awe as I make this stallion… disappear!”
Then several things happened at once. Spec blinked. The unicorn’s horn seemed to be glowing… so faintly that it almost might not have been there. Noble looked at the horn, his expression showing surprise, but that was all he had time for before the unicorn brought the top of the box slamming down, pushing him into it with an audible pop.
Spec blinked. The crowd was silent. Cirrus waited a few seconds, eyes closed in apparent trance. Then she opened them and smiled wide. She tapped the box and all four corners fell down, revealing a stage with no Noble in sight.
“Ta-da!” Cirrus said, wiping sweat from her brow.
The crowd was dead silent. Cirrus kept her pose, her smile becoming more and more strained. The sweat began to return. Then:
“That’s amazing!” a pony in the back said, and the entire audience erupted into cheers. Cirrus gave a bow, and then another one, basking in the attention of the crowd.
“Huh,” a voice behind Spec said, and she turned to see the bartender had returned. “Guess I’ll have to do something else with all these tomatoes.” She reached under the bar and removed a large cart of rotten tomatoes, breathing heavily as she lugged them to the back. Spec watched her leave, then turned back to Capricorn and Cesar.
“Where do you think Noble is?” she said. Capricorn shrugged.
“Hope it’s not too cramped,” he said. “I’m sure she’ll bring him back soon enough.
“Yeah,” Spec said, finishing her drink, “I suppose so.” She looked around for the bartending pony. “Hey, bartender!”
“Yeah?” the bartender said, rising up from behind the bar so close to Spec that she almost fell off her stool. The pony smiled, her coat so pink it hurt Spec’s eyes.
“Get me another beer,” she said.
“Coming right up,” the pony said, grabbing another mug. She began to fill it, then froze. The mug fell out of her hoof, and she began tapping the floor at a rhythmic pace.
Spec looked at her. “Hey,” she said, “are you alright?”
The pony jerked to the side, her puffy tail bent at an angle. She whirled around, and Spec was shocked to see real fear in her eyes.
“Get down!” she shouted. “Something’s about to happen, get down!”
Spec turned from her to the crowd, but no one was listening to her. They were all still cheering for Cirrus, who was now signing autographs at the front of the room. Spec narrowed her eyes. A pony had stood towards the back for the room. He looked at Cirrus, turned, and walked towards the door. Spec’s eyes followed him as he left the building.
“Get down!” the bartender shouted again, “please!”
Spec felt like she was moving through molasses. She looked at Capricorn, who was watching the bartender with an amused expression. Her heart beat faster. Spec opened her mouth. “Do you think we should get down?” she asked.
“Nah,” Capricorn said. “We’re fine.”
Then an enormous explosion ripped through the wall on the other side of the tavern, sweeping Spec up in its vortex. She sensed a moment of terrifying violence, extreme motion, fire. Then her head hit something hard and everything went dark.