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// Chapter 31: Accessed 
// Story: Sisters of Willowbrook 
// by Starscribe 
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Charlie would never admit there was any part of her education she actually enjoyed. Even when she still had two legs in the world without fur or feathers, she would've been hesitant. There was a reason she'd never pursued higher education, after all.

But ponies understood what few in that world seemed to. She didn't care about the abstract. But whenever there was an obvious practical use for what she was learning, she had ample reason to pay attention.

The school had lots of problems—it was steeped in ancient traditions, the kind that in her own world (and maybe this one too) would have uncomfortable racial overtones. But at least the unique needs of every tribe were seen to. Dusty had already taught her to fly, but Whispering Willow taught her how to perform.

It certainly didn't hurt that such rigorous athletic demands meant her and the other pegasi were always in top shape. She could imagine far worse fates than spending almost every day practicing formations or going on weather patrol with the prettiest ponies in school.

Over time, that meant building a relationship of trust with the other fliers, one that went deep enough to involve some of them in her other adventures. It meant that when class finally ended, River was waiting for her on the roof.

They weren't supposed to land up here, technically. But not even old Wind Rider cared, so long as they didn't disturb the ancient cistern or knock off any tiles. Firefly was much too light on her hooves to do that.

"It was tonight, wasn't it?" River asked, as Firefly fluttered over. She didn't bother landing, not when they were about to take off anyway.

"Sure was!" she agreed, circling once around her. Far below, the other students spread out from the school like a puddle soaking across the carpet. Lilac's carriage was already moving down the road, but that didn't mean Firefly would take off yet. 

It was better to wait until the pony had made it out of town before following her, so there weren't so many ponies to see. Having an earth pony in such a powerful unicorn house was already its own type of scandal. Showing the strength of their relationship would only make ponies whisper more loudly.

"Where are we going this time?" she asked. "Please tell me not boglins again. Those things were so creepy."

"Nothing like that!" She landed beside the other pegasus, but not too close. They weighed very little compared to other ponies, that was part of how they flew. But putting the weight of two on some of the same tiles was just begging one to break off. "You probably won't like this any more. We have to go underground."

River groaned, looking up towards the sky. "Underground. Why the buck would we do that?"

"The magic is strongest down there," she answered. Even to her, it sounded like a weak explanation. But what did they know about magic? "Lilac was insistent. The spell just won't work anywhere else."

"You don't think she's just saying that?" River asked. She did it so casually Charlie could almost believe there was no jealousy in it. But she knew this pony too well by now. "She's not like us, Firefly. It doesn't matter to her if there's no sky overhead, and she's trapped in little tunnels. She's always trapped on the ground anyway. Maybe she just wants to keep us stuck there too. She's not even a unicorn."

Charlie smacked one hoof against the tile, loud enough to startle her. "I know you two don't get along, but Lilac is my friend. She doesn't make things up just to get her way. And... she's not a very good liar either. She's had the same tells since she was little. You don't have to come with us if you don't want, but I'm going." She opened her wings, letting the breeze lift her feathers. It wasn't much, but it was enough. That reminder of flight was always there. If she followed Lilac underground, she would be trapped just like River hated.

"I'm going," the filly said. "Somepony has to stick up for you, Firefly. You know you won't do it yourself."

Whatever that even meant. "Looks like the carriage just passed oldtown. Time to go."

They took off together. But this wasn't a weather-training exercise, so they flew very differently this time. They drifted over town in a casual glide, only flapping when they needed to get more air. For River and those graceful wings of hers, that was hardly at all. Firefly had to move much more often. But she also flew both before and after class with her dad, so the trip wouldn't wind her.

There was something infectious about the fun of flying. Going anywhere by air meant she wanted to lean into the wind, dodge a little too close to obstacles, or go so fast that she would have to challenge herself when she landed.

She had to resist the impulse now, or else look to River like she was too eager to get away from her. The pegasus was already jealous enough.

She flew over the carriage, slowing to the walking pace of the two earth pony servants pulling it. Then she dropped down, until she was just beside the window. So there was one thing River couldn't do. Big wings meant big clearance. 

She tapped the wooden wall with one hoof to get the attention of the ponies inside. "Lilac, come in Lilac!" Firefly had long since adapted to all the things she couldn't say. She didn't even try to fight anymore, avoiding them like any well-trained animal. But there was much from her Earth life that wasn't denied to her. She'd keep talking like that whenever she could, out of spite.

Inside the carriage were two young ponies in uniform, sitting awkwardly across from each other. As usual, Risk kept looking at Lilac in ways that made Firefly want to break something. His head, maybe.

Lilac reached over to open the window. She waved with one hoof, gesture weak and sluggish. Lilac was always a little like that, except when she was doing magic. "We've still got another mile before the service road." She leaned out of the window, scanning the sky around them. "Are you still bringing your friend with you?"

Charlie shrugged her wings. "Are you?"

"It's not the—" Lilac began, but fell silent. This was an argument they'd had many times before now, and nopony was going to change their minds. "Whatever. The supplies are all stashed. You should probably go on ahead. If you see any cultists, fly back and warn us. We'll have to go another day."

"Right." She flared her wings, letting the carriage pass her by. Once she had a clear path, she flapped with all her might, curving back up into typical pegasus cruising altitude. It wasn't as high as she might've expected—everypony she knew stayed well below the clouds, only slightly above the tallest buildings and power-lines. Only when traveling long distance—something she'd never done—did they fly higher.

Or when flying up to cloud-houses, obviously.

"Well?" River asked. "We're still on?"

She nodded, banking to one side over a nearby field. Hopefully it would look casual, meant to take her near but not directly over their destination. If the cult was watching the old mine today, she couldn't make her goals too obvious.

Those weird ponies already knew way too much about her and Lilac for her comfort.

River might be pretty and graceful, but she wasn't subtle. She changed direction with a sharp sideways angle, following behind her right wing. She didn't catch up this time, holding formation there. It was one they'd learned in class, used for flying through intense winds or just a long distance.

"Do you really think this magic will do anything?" she asked. "Nothing happened at that magic pool, or the floating temple, or..."

"Yes," she interrupted. "Nothing was supposed to happen at the Wind Altar, we were just taking measurements. Now we have them, so we're sure. Or... Lilac’s sure. I don't know how it works."

"I'm still not sure she does either. She's not a unicorn. You know it's not natural for an earth pony to do what she does."

"Nothing about either of us is natural," she said, turning in the air to glide backwards. The maneuver was impressive enough that River actually gasped, staring at her. Firefly didn't fall, or even falter in the sky. She couldn't do it particularly fast, but that was fine. Flying too quickly would give away their intentions anyway.

"I've explained that before. We're not from around here. We're not gonna be like other ponies. I thought you were okay with that."

River made a noncommittal horse sound. "I know you two were close when you were foals. I know you came from the same place. But you can't honestly say you're like her."

She caught up in a single stroke of her wings, flying almost within a leg span of Charlie. That was tricky in its own right. But they'd flown together so many times they knew how not to hit each other. "I don't know what you mean. We're from far away. We have the same dreams of another place, and we're both working together to see it again."

And when we get the magic working, we're going to leave you behind and go home.

But she didn't say that part. It was too painful to put into words, particularly when she didn't know how long it might take. Maybe another week, or maybe another five years. It didn't make sense to hurt her friend's feelings over nothing.

"Come on," River said, rolling her eyes. "She's an earth pony who thinks she's a unicorn. She sounds just like them, does that weird enchantment by scratching runes on everything... and have you seen how she looks? Like every day is Nightmare Night, and she's pretending she's a colt!"

Charlie slowed in the air. Despite her sudden wave of emotion, she did still remember her mission. She could see no one moving near the old mine entrance, either on the ground or in the concealed shelters to either side. They might be further off, able to see her. She continued on, dropping lower and lower on the hill.

She might be better than most ponies her age, but she still had to turn around and focus on what she was doing to bring herself in for a landing like this. There were dense trees along the cliffside, and random formations of rock protruding up and out into the sky. Even at low speed, such a collision would probably keep her grounded for weeks.

"I'm not that different."

"Buck if you aren't!" River called. "You're the pegasus everypony looks up to! You fly like you're not even trying, and you look like you actually care about how you look when you come to class. I know how many stallions have asked you to the Fetlock Fete. Bet your friend didn't get one! They're probably afraid she'll turn them into something."

Charlie landed abruptly, less gracefully than she meant to. Her hooves sprayed rocks and dust around her, but she still managed to stop before tumbling off the cliff. 

It wasn't tall in any case, a stone butte maybe fifty feet above the mine's entrance. But ponies actually came here to look at the scenery sometimes, as the bench and canopy suggested. Now all they had to do was make their way down without going above the trees.

She spun, watching River come down behind her. The mare flared her wings, and came to a perfect stop, before touching down right in front of her. "It's not your fault," she said. "Lots of ponies can't see their value. That's why they have friends."

She glared back, stubbornly. "If you can see mine, than... can't you trust me? Lilac knows what she's doing. You'll see, the magic is gonna work this time."

River sighed, closing her wings. "Whatever. Where's the trail down from here again?"