//------------------------------//
// Meringue 
// Story: Broadcasters 
// by HoneyQuill 
//------------------------------//

I didn't ever realise just how far Canterlot is from Trottingham. The train trundles along underneath me as I sit on the cushy seat and watch out through the window.
“Indigo?”
I turn to see the tiny yellow pegasus walking up to me.
“Hey. What's up, Fluttershy?”
“I was wondering, how is your side feeling now?”

I consider this. It doesn't do much more than ache, but the pain did increase once the adrenaline rush from fighting the golem had subsided.
“I suppose it's alright...”
“When we get to Canterlot, I think we should get you checked by the Palace paramedics.”
I look up.

“Oh-” she adds, “That's only, um, I you want to...”
In this moment I truly believe that I will never see anything as cute as the doe-eyed pony flinching back, covering one eye with her mane.
“If you think that's right Fluttershy, then we'll do it your way.”
“A... are you sure?”
“Of course. I don't know anything about medical stuff, so I honestly wouldn't have a clue what to do.”
She stands upright and smiles lightly, seemingly proud of her skills, before walking away. I turn to continue watching the mountains in the distance.

After we explained Twilight's idea to everypony in Trottingham, they consented to let me leave. Initially I had wondered why I needed their permission, but as we left I spotted a large, pale blue dome appear over the city and realised with a start that without their broadcaster to call for help, the whole city needed to go into lockdown while I was away, and this meant erecting a protective barrier around themselves in case a monster tried to attack. The blue dome has been out of my sight for a long time, and yet I keep watching that way, hoping that I'll see even the tiniest glimmer of blue to reassure myself that everypony will be okay without me.

I rest my head on the window sill. How will they cope without me? Trottingham has never been without a broadcaster. Some places have a few years in between the death of one and the allocation of another, but we had an overlap.
I was the very last pony my age to get their cutie mark. I wasn't exactly rushing to find it, either; I believed what my family told me about your special talent not appearing if you try to force it. I waited patiently. But there were two specific ponies who teased me relentlessly. You guessed it – Lava Pit and Raspberry Sundae. Their taunting started to get to me and one summer day I ran into the forest, into my secret base. This was in the days before Maize moved into town, and so I felt truly alone.

It was then that I felt a strange magic. Some kind of electrical current met my horn and I was floored by the strength of it. I continued crying and somehow my grief fuelled the sensation – and my horn seemed to implode. That was when I met the Princess.

She told me all about the broadcasters and asked that I find myself the current broadcaster  to train with. I agreed, overjoyed, before passing out.When I came to, at long last, I had my cutie mark. It was not unlike that of the current broadcaster, an old stallion named Meringue. At that point he was really on his last legs – he had taken to being carried up the stairs of the tower before a broadcast began. I close my eyes as I try to recall the old pony.

Cream coat, dark red mane, and a peculiar love for tartan. That was Meringue. He was terribly grumpy, and never really enjoyed the company of other ponies. I remember mentioning it to him once during my training.

“Mr Meringue, why don't you like other ponies?”
He had cocked his head and raised on eyebrow at me.
“It's not expected of us to like other ponies. This job is incredibly lonely.”
“Why?”
“Being able to access somepony's thoughts is a scary thing. Even though it's only the Princess, everypony thinks that we can read their minds. So they hide their feelings from us. We don't make friends.”

It had made me sad. I hadn't understood why finding my talent meant that I had to be alone. But as I grew, I learned. I watched Meringue pass on, stood by the coffin at his funeral during which nopony came near me. I became lonely, with no friends. Only Maize, a cheerful newcomer, was willing to accept me despite my unusual magic. Many a time he's assured me, saying those oh so familiar words, 'The only reason to hide your thoughts is if you're embarrassed by them.' Maize had pretty much saved me. I would have grown to be as unhappy and unfulfilled as Meringue had he not been around.
“-go?”

I ignore the sound.
“Indigo. Indigo Wave!”
I jolt upright at the use of my full name. Since forever, the use of a pony's full name is almost like a warning that they're in trouble – so I flinch back instantly.

“Whatever are you doing, darling?”
I open one eye to see Rarity with her head tilted, watching me.
“Oh. Rarity, it's just you.”
“Why of course it's just me, dear. What were you expecting, a golem?”
“A little bit.”

Her expression instantly changes to one of sympathy as she lays a hoof on my shoulder.
“You must be terribly worried about your city.”
I nod.

“I've never been out of town before,” I murmur, “and while I know I'll be okay I really worry about what will happen if something else attacks the city.”

“It's okay,” says Twilight from the other end of the car, “I taught them how to set up that barrier. It's kept up by three ponies running one hour shifts. This gives everypony a short time upkeeping the barrier and plenty of time to rest.”
“Well, you are the genius around here,” I smile.

A sudden gasp from the other end of the car alerts me to the protruding flanks of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, as they hang their heads from the window.

“Oh my gosh! We're almost there!” cries Pinkie.
“I always forget how awesome Canterlot is.” adds Dash.

I step forward and mimick the two, craning my neck to look through the train window and up to the city of Canterlot.
“Oh, Celestia.”