//------------------------------// // 13 // Story: Blankness // by Zaid ValRoa //------------------------------// The sound of rustling sheets caught Twilight’s ears. The final pull needed to bring her into the waking world. She blinked a few times, before the fog of sleep dissipated. She stayed there, lying under the blankets, lost in the post-sleep haze for a while. She sat up and looked down at the little dragon stirring in the basket next to her bed. “Ugh…” came his tired groan. Spike turned away from the beams of light coming through the curtain’s edges, clenching the blanket over him as if trying to prevent his fleeting sleep from escaping him. A smile tugged at Twilight’s lips for a brief moment, before a yawn broke out. “Good morning, Spike.” Speaking between sleepiness and awareness, Spike replied with a mumbled greet as he stopped stirring, seemingly resigned to having his rest come to an end. Breathing deeply, Twilight thought. Just a few days ago, they’d woken up just like this, oblivious to what had been happening in town. It was an odd feeling. Though this was far from the first time it felt her life had been thrown into a hurricane. It was, however, the first time so many ponies were affected. It was still hard to wrap her mind around the scale of it. How long had this been happening right under her nose, escalating until it escaped their control. Control… What things could she still control? Doing an obvious effort, Spike stretched and stood up. Letting out a long yawn as he scratched his chin. "What do you want for breakfast, Twi?" he half said, half sighed. Twilight stayed silent for a moment as she looked out the window. Rays of light with the faintest pink tint bathed Ponyville, where soon everypony would wake up to face another day. While things were far from usual, they had to keep moving forward. They still had control over their lives. Over their destinies. “Twi?” Spike asked her again. She turned to face him and, flashing him a smile that he was quick to reciprocate, she replied, “Let’s go out.” In spite of the protective barrier, the sun still managed to cast its warm glow over the fields on the outskirts of Ponyville. Once more, the lack of breeze made the stillness of the early morning seem unwelcoming, but Twilight tried to not let it get to her. Thankfully, Spike helped fight the silence. “You know what we haven’t had in a while? Pancakes. Applejack gave us some of her harvest yesterday. If we get milk, we can make pancakes with apple slices and caramel on top.” Spike kept talking about yet another option for breakfast, but Twilight let his voice be the background noise of their stroll. “I think I’d like some oats,” Twilight said. “Something simple. Perhaps a shake of cinnamon or some honey.” “Can do!” Spike replied. A happy edge to his voice. After a while, he looked around and—probably noticing they weren’t going in direction to the market—spoke again. “So… we’re going to the edge of the barrier?” Twilight let out an agreeing hum. “I just want to know if there’s been an update on the situation on the other side.” Spike remained silent. Perhaps he was worried she’d start feeling down once more. Not that she could blame him. She hadn’t been a paragon of optimism these past two days. However, as the barrier got closer and the guards came into view, she felt a renewed sense of determination fill her steps. As they came closer, one of the guards noticed her and—suppressing a quick startle—approached her. “Miss Sparkle?” As she reached the magical barrier, Twilight recognised him, once more, as the guard who had accompanied Sergeant Bold Spear at Town Hall. “Private Radiant.” She acknowledged him with a nod “Where’s Sergeant Bold Spear?” Dancing pupils were the only sign of Radiant Cut thinking. “At sunrise, a detachment of guards led by the Sergeant and a medical team went into the Everfree to retrieve some items your zebra friend mentioned. I don't know all the details, but they left in a hurry, so I imagine it's important. They should be back within the next few hours.” Twilight sighed as she felt a knot undo itself deep in her chest. It may have taken longer than she would’ve wished, but she managed to get some help for her friend. And by the sound of it, she was collaborating with the research efforts in some way. “As for Miss Dash,” he continued, “there’s nothing to report. As far as I know, they’re waiting on the results of those tests before they make any decision.” Probably for the best, but it circled back to the same thing: waiting. It seems that’s all they could do for the foreseeable future. “It will take some time. Even more so considering the medical team is spread thin at the moment.” That caught Twilight off guard. Her brows furrowed in concern, she leaned forward and addressed the young stallion. “What do you mean?” Radiant’s eyes widened. Perhaps he had said more than he intended. Or more than he was allowed. “Ah… You see…” “I thought there were doctors coming from Canterlot and Manehattan to work on this,” Spike whispered into Twilight’s ear, voicing her thoughts. “It’s true,” Radiant Cut said, apparently having resolved himself to spill the details. “However, we are working under very strict orders. We’ve been told the team is relatively small because it’s composed of ponies who are leaders on their field. When the news about the breach arrived, they couldn’t make another team in time. The medical team here was split and one part went to meet the squad that left from Canterlot. That’s as much as I know.” Right. It had been a little over twelve hours since they’d found out Crafty Crate was missing. Iit was unlikely they had managed to make any real progress on that front, but at least they took immediate action. There was still hope things would work out for the best. Maybe Rainbow really had avoided the infection. Maybe Crafty Crate was healthy. Maybe Zecora could hold answers for the medical team. Maybe this wouldn’t last for much longer. The silence prolonged, and Twilight realised she hadn’t replied to the guard. Awfully rude of her part. A nod and a small smile. “Thanks for the information,” she said. “Thanks for helping us keep the order on your side of the barrier,” he replied. “You give me too much credit. It’s the spirit of the ponies of Ponyville that has kept them going forward. All I’ve done is… remind them of that.” Radiant tilted his head, as if the weight of his thoughts pulled it to a side. “Perhaps. But I know fear can be powerful, and can lead ponies to do things they wouldn’t normally do. I’m just glad everything has been calm so far.” Images of an alternate reality where Ponyville descended into a chaos that Discord may have found enjoyable flittered to the forefront of her mind before she quickly chased them away. There was that word the guard used. Fear. That had certainly been a driving force these past few days. Twilight thought… She wondered… If that was true of them, could the same apply to those on the other side? One of the guards had lost his cutie mark just the day prior. Could fear make its way through the ranks of the guards? “Private,” Twilight spoke before she could think better of it, ”are you… Are you afraid? Of losing your mark, I mean.” Her own voice sounded soft to her ears. Meek, even. Perhaps the remnants of her own fear were seeping into her words. Silence followed her question. It had been, after all, quite a heavy thing to ask somepony she hardly knew. The guard, however, barely gave any sign of being affected by the question.  “Miss Sparkle. Do you know what a radiant cut is?” Twilight blinked, slightly taken aback. “Ah… I can’t say I do.” Radiant Cut turned his head, facing the mountain in the distance where Canterlot lay. “Emerald, Oval, Pear, and Heart. Those are the names of my mom and my siblings.” He looked back at her, the corners of his lips upturned into the faintest of smiles. “They’re all the names of the finishing cuts given to gems.” “Hey, he’s right,” Spike said. “The radiant cut is the one Rarity uses the most on the dresses she makes.” “I come from a family of jewellers,” he continued. “Fourth generation. Oval and Pear carry the business. Heart went into showbiz. Does the gem arrangements for a theatre troupe back in Canterlot.” Only the distant sound of grown grass rustled by the wind could be heard in the wake of his words.  “How did you become a guard?” The traces of a smile turned into a full one. Pinkie Pie would be proud. “One Summer Sun Celebration I saw the guards parading after Princess Celestia raised the sun. I knew then that I wanted to be a guard and help keep Equestria safe. I always had a good eye for detail and could use a wide variety of tools, so I was accepted.” “Quite the curious case,” Twilight said. “Not as uncommon as you may think,” Radiant replied with a shrug. “I know that’s what you really asked. None of us want to… lose our mark, but we were told what to expect of this mission.” A question remained. “Private… Uh… Radiant. This may seem a bit unprofessional.” “Don’t worry. This is strictly off the record.” She giggled. “I suppose that’s true. I wanted to know how the other guards were taking what happened to your colleague yesterday.” With a sharp inhale, the smile was gone. It remained a sore spot, it seemed. Though from what the Private had said, it had more to do with the pride of the guard than any individual fear. There was clear solemnity in his features before he spoke. A clear image of a well trained guard. “It was a matter of time, but that didn’t make it any easier. I guess we hoped this would resolve itself before it got to that point.” You were not the only ones, she thought. “We joined the guard knowing that we’re asked to lay our lives for Equestria and its citizens. Should it come to that… Well, losing our marks is a small price to pay. Besides, Swift Strike may be a goofball, but he’s a good guard. It won’t keep him down for long, and neither will it keep the rest of us down.” And with that, Twilight knew there wasn’t anything to add. It was quite reassuring to know the rumours about the worthiness of the ponies who lost their marks hadn’t emerged amongst the guards. Nodding, she smiled at the guard across the barrier. “Thanks for your time, Radiant. I’m sure you’ve got things to do. Don’t let me distract you any longer.” “Likewise, Twilight,” he said and, reciprocating her nod, turned around and walked back to the camp. Twilight stood there for a while, watching him get smaller and smaller until he stepped inside the tent. And yet, she remained. A million different thoughts passing through her mind, yet never focusing on anything in particular. “Hey, Spike?” she asked as she started walking. “Yeah?” A smile. “Did you decide what you want for breakfast?” There was a reticence in the air of the market that morning. Funny word. Apple Bloom hadn’t known that one until they’d played Scrabble last night. She wouldn’t have paid it any mind, but the girls got into an argument about whether or not it was a real word, and it lasted until they went looking in the dictionary. Last evening, Applejack had told her about the town meeting. She supposed that explained why ponies at least seemed to be trying today. There were more vendors out than there had been the last few days, even if they looked very nervous to be there. They all had to make a living, she supposed. There were more regulars doing their shopping, as well. Rather than keeping to small groups like they had before, they were walking around the market. They seemed to be less nervous, too. If only a little. They all lingered a few strides away from the stalls, as if daring each other to be the first to approach. The groups of ponies wandered slowly from one side of the market to another, like a slow tide. Just as her eyes wandered around the market, Apple Bloom’s ears wandered as well. Golden Harvest was looking past the crowd. Never focusing on any one pony. She kept her head high, patiently waiting for anypony to come closer and ask for her carrots. Those nearby never came too close to her market stall, but she stood undeterred. After a few minutes passed, she noticed movement coming from the side. Turning slightly, she smiled when she saw an older stallion walk out of the thin crowd and make his way to her. “Good morning, Mister Rich.” The older stallion smiled and nodded as he reached the table overflowing with stacked carrots. “A fine morning, Miss Harvest.” All around them, the air was filled with held back murmurs; but for those two ponies, they mattered little. With a professional smile, Golden Harvest greeted her first potential customer of the day. “How can I help you today?” “I’m a bit worried about my daughter’s diet.” His eyes scanned the table. “I’m trying to make her eat better, so we will be eating a salad at home. I wanted to procure some fresh carrots.” A tilt of the head before she waved an arm over the small heaps of tied carrots resting on the mantelpiece. “Well, you’ll be glad to know I’m fully stocked with freshly harvested carrots. I’m sure your daughter will love them.” “I have no doubt that’ll be the case. You’ve yet to disappoint, Miss Harvest.” Their conversation was nothing more than an exchange of banal formalities. Trite, some could say. Normal, the two of them would. The back and forth consisted of nothing but pleasantries that one should expect of a seller and a buyer. A throwback to a past as recent as last week, but already distant in their minds. “Um… Sorry.” The spell was broken by an approaching mare. She slowed down as she got closer, but still stopped a full stride away from them. Undeterred, Golden Harvest shot a smile her way. “Hello, dear. How can I help you?” The other mare stopped. Her raised hoof, not yet touching the ground, a show of reluctance. One that was quickly overcome as she swallowed and stepped forward. “I’d like some carrots, please…” For a moment, the professional smile faltered. Immediately afterwards, however, a genuine one took its place. “I still stand by what I said, you know?” Matilda rolled her eyes. “I know, I know. You’ve said as much yesterday and the day before, Doodle.” “I admit this is worrisome,” he said, holding up a hoof. “And I do feel sorry for the ponies who lost their cutie marks and all. But I still think it makes no sense to keep us locked in with them.” “They just don’t want anyone getting sick, that’s all. This will soon be over and we’ll only remember it like that weird thing we had to stand for a few days.” “And until that happens, I won’t be happy about our situation,” Cranky grumbled. Her eyes were getting quite the workout with all the rolling they were making today. “Hmmm… You say that, but you seemed quite happy this morning when we went to visit Pinkie Pie.” Cranky’s annoyed noises turned into a pensive humming as they walked through the scattered vendor stands. “I just wanted to check on the girl. Better do it myself than wait for her to drop on us.” “And I appreciated it!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she jumped from behind a cart. Both Matilda and Cranky cried out in surprise, reeling back from the newly arrived. “P-pinkie! Don’t do that!” Matilda said, right after catching her breath. "Shoot, I thought I'd gotten the timing right…" Pinkie said as she scratched her chin. Before the couple could reply, she brightened up again and said, "Well, I've got to go. Take care, Cranky and Matilda!" Pinkie picked up Cranky's fallen toupée, dusted it, and set it on top of his shiny bald head. With a final wave, she walked away while singing a happy song. Silence stretched for a few seconds before Cranky sighed. "We're taking a vacation as soon as that dome is up." Green Jewel stood at the edge of the market, looking at the different ponies walking around. She wore a different dress today. One more resistant to wear and tear. The reason eluded even herself. After what had happened at Town Hall that evening, everypony knew she’d lost her mark. Everypony knew she’d tried to hide it. How would others react to her showing up as if nothing had happened? Although nopony had noticed her yet, she still could feel eyes on her. She knew she was being paranoid. She knew she had to get over herself. Not only would staying cooped up in her home do her no good, she’d soon run out of food if she didn’t resupply her pantry. Her eyes scanned the nearest stalls, hoping to find one that had few ponies around it. However, it seemed the moment she found one, a pony or two would step forward. She held back a defeated sigh, just as she suppressed anything that would draw attention towards her. She should feel happy for them. They were trying to go back to some level of normalcy, back to how things used to be. Could she do the same? Yet her hooves refused to move, rooted to the grass as the crowd of ponies slowly drifted back and forth. No matter how much she wanted it, she couldn’t bring herself to go and be with everypony else, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave either. For as much as she felt pulled apart in those directions, she still didn’t move. The weight of her empty saddlebags kept her in place. She shouldn’t have gone out. She should’ve never left her home. She should go back and find a way to make her remaining groceries last. Yes. She’d do that. If her friends were still willing to talk to her, maybe she could ask them to buy something for her. Resigned, she closed her eyes and turned around. As luck would have it, just as she started to walk, she ran right into somepony. “Ah!” With a yelp, Green Jewel stumbled and fell backwards. “Dang, sorry Miss,” the other pony said. As she saw him extend a hoof towards her, she couldn’t fight back the flinch. “Are you alright?” He said, yet didn’t withdraw his hoof. “Were you hurt?” The only hurt she felt was hearing the concern in his voice. She didn’t deserve it, not after how she’d behaved. “I…” She spoke, her own voice sounding alien to her ears. “I’m fine. I just… I can’t… I can’t…” Her mumbled words did not receive a reply. Whether in fear or shame, she averted her gaze. After a few seconds of silence, the stallion shuffled in place and, with clear hesitation in his voice, asked her, “Do you need help?” She met his offer with stupor rather than with words. Undeterred, he continued, “It’s just that.. Well, your saddlebags look empty and you’ve been standing there for a while.” For a moment, it felt as if the crowds weren’t looking at her anymore. The building dread and paranoia which had besieged her all week seemed to be on hold for that brief moment. That instant of clarity told her that, if she declined, she likely wouldn’t get another chance to break the cycle of self-pity in which her life was immersed. “I would like that… I would like that very much,” she said. Barely a whisper, but with those words she could feel a spark ignite inside of her. Optimism? Hope? The last few days had made it hard to remember how that felt. Determination filled the void left by the loss of her cutie mark. Her lips trembled as they went through the neglected motions of a smile as she took the stallion's offered hoof. "Thank you. My name is Green Jewel." The stallion smiled. "I'm Thunderlane." "That was less depressing than last time…" "Did you say something, Apple Bloom?" The filly shook her head. "Nah, just thinkin' out loud, sis." "Well, don't you let your hooves wander alongside your mind, y'hear?" Applejack replied as she stacked a few crates next to each other. "It's just the two of us today, so let's keep our heads in the game." "Don't worry, sis. I'm right here." Apple Bloom found it easy to get lost in the rhythm of the day. Not having to deal with bits made things easier for sure, but the general mood being brighter, if not happier, made her feel better in turn. Her mind went back to the night she’d found Miss Harvest drinking in the kitchen, already feeling as if it had happened a lifetime ago. Despite at the time coming off as desperate words of somepony who didn’t know any better… Things really were getting better. “Good morning, Applejack! Good morning, Apple Bloom.” She turned around to see Miss Twilight and Spike walking towards them, smiling. “Howdy, Twilight! How are you doing?” Applejack asked. The unicorn responded with a shrug. “We’re doing our best. We’re just going around the market and seeing what we can get to eat.” “Would you like some apples?” Apple Bloom was quick to interject. Just because they weren’t really selling them didn’t mean she would slack off. Following her lead, her sister tapped the side of a crate full of red apples. “We do have plenty to share.” Twilight giggled. “Well, if you’re willing to part with some.” Not a second had passed before Apple Bloom pulled out a paper bag and started filling it with apples and eagerness, much to the amusement of the older mares. “Hey, Applejack. I was thinking…” “That’s always a good sign,” the farmer replied, to which Spike let out a laugh. “Yeah, yeah… Say, did you get rid of that rock in your new field?” A moment of silence passed before Applejack replied. “Uh… Big Mac managed to get it out of the way, but it’s still there. Why do you ask?” “Great! Do you mind if I take it?” “What?” “Here’s your apples!” Apple Bloom said, enthusiastically pushing the bag towards her. Smiling, Spike picked it up. “We’re probably going to spend a while like this,” Twilight said, tilting her head towards the empty road, where they could get a clear view of the magical quarantine barrier. “I figured I should get something to occupy my time.” “Uh, um… Sure. You can drop by whenever. Granny Smith can tell you where it is.” “That’s great. I won't take more of your time. Have a good day!” With a... somewhat odd smile, Twilight and Spike waved at them and walked away, down the road leading to Sweet Apple Acres. “I swear, that girl can give Pinkie Pie a run for her money, sometimes,” Applejack mumbled, although Apple Bloom could sense the amusement hidden under her confused expression. Honestly, Apple Bloom was just glad they were finally gonna get that rock out of the farm. That expansion of the orchard had been planned for quite a while, and she wanted to see her siblings working on it. Maybe she could help them somehow. Learn more about how farming worked. Looking down, she saw light reflect on the shiny surface of the apples, and couldn’t help but smile. A bright flash of magenta magic broke the stillness of the afternoon, and the loud thud of a rock of enormous proportions landing against the soft grass and soil shattered it. With another flash of magic, Twilight summoned two rakes, one big for her, and a smaller one for Spike. Satisfied, she walked around the rock. It was certainly big. A good head taller than her, and at least twice as wide as her from tail to nose. A few calculations gave her an idea of the volume of the rock, and an additional mental diagram let her come up with a plan. She smiled the smile that only confidence can inspire, and she turned to face Spike. “Let’s go for a straight line, and do what feels natural.” Just after she said this, her horn lit up, and the rock behind her cracked and burst into thousands of little even pieces. “I still can’t believe we’re doing this.” “Cheer up, Spike. It won’t take too long.” The young dragon grumbled, but didn’t reply. Silently, they both started shaping the gravel into a linear path going from the main road to the entrance of Golden Oaks. Twilight cleared the ground with her magic, sinking and flattening the soil as much as possible, while Spike pushed the small rocks into place. The work was monotonous, mechanical, but rewarding in a way. She didn’t even work up a sweat as they advanced, and barely twenty minutes had passed before they had gotten the rough shape of the path done. “I imagine you want the neighbours to see the gravel path and want one for themselves,” Spike said as he walked up to her, pushing a few errant pebbles back into place. “We’ve got to lead by example. Now everypony who comes to the library can see for themselves how better gravel is over regular soil,” Twilight said, resting her chin on her rake while observing their work. “Hm… I think I should’ve saved a few bigger stones for the sides.” “We can ask AJ if she has more rocks she wants out of her farm. But that’s future Twilight’s problem,” Spike said, leaving the rake resting against the tree. “Now. I don’t know about you, but present Spike has worked up an appetite.” “Yeah, yeah, smart guy.” Twilight sighed. “I suppose this is a good start. Let’s go get breakfast.” Smiling, Spike opened the door to the Library and walked in. “Let me take care of it. You can just take it easy for the morning.” Twilight mirrored his smile. “Thank you. I’ll make sure you get to rest in the afternoon.” Spike replied with a wave as he walked into the kitchen, vowing to return with breakfast. She watched him go, and as she turned away, her eyes lingered on the stairs going up to her study. She stood in the middle of the reading room, looking at the stairs in silence. There was little else to be done. It was all now on the hooves of the medical team. She knew that. And yet… She just couldn’t shake that feeling of missing something. There had to be something that went unnoticed. Something that helped shed some light on the issue. She had no doubt the medical team would be capable of figuring it out, but still… The room’s tentative silence was marred by her long, drawn out sigh. Her mind was already set. Spike would take a while with the breakfast. No reason not to go over her notes one last time. Around her, the world seemed to vanish as Twilight dwelled into her mind, going over the events of the last week again.  It could’ve originated from the Everfree. Zecora may have been the first, if not one of the first to be infected. She’d lost her cutie mark the day before the storm, so she must’ve been infected well before that. It would help to know the incubation period and if something triggered the effects. The medical team would figure it out eventually. For the time being, she only knew Zecora lost her mark before Golden Harvest. Now, the farmer had lost hers the day of the storm. If her suspicions regarding the uncharacteristically empty market that day were correct, then several ponies had lost theirs around that time, as well. That hinted to a common infection event. That food fair the week before? Maybe. If so, she hoped Crafty Crate wasn’t infected and the quarantine would hold. Still, that was the most likely scenario. She thought back to the day after the storm. Doctor Horse confirmed a few ponies had gone to the hospital that day to report a missing cutie mark. On top of that, the incident at the schoolhouse meant that filly lost her cutie mark that day or the night before. How many other fillies and colts had lost theirs that day? How many had lost theirs since then? Images of several ponies grieving the loss of their marks flashed across her mind, but she was quick to send them away. Not now. She needed to focus. What was she missing? Golden Harvest hadn’t shown any kind of magical interference, which confirmed this wasn’t a spell or hex. Not that she knew any spell that could affect a cutie mark, nor anypony capable of casting such a spell. The image of Golden Harvest laying on Applejack’s couch, her blank flank staring right at her, was burned into her mind.  “Wait…” Twilight whispered. The words on her list seemed to blur as the cogs in her mind twisted and turned, as if trying to bring something out. But what? What was that nagging feeling? What was she missing? She thought of Golden Harvest. She’d seen her two nights ago at the meeting with the Mayor already in better spirits, and once more yesterday at the Town Hall meeting. Twilight looked at Golden Harvest walking away with her head held high. As the farmer walked, the morning sunlight made her coat shine a bit brighter than it had the last few days. Her eyes shot wide open. “No… Hold on, that can't be right…” That couldn’t be right. It had to have been the morning light. Maybe the way it filtered through the magical barrier. But still, it made no sense… and yet she had noticed that. Her coat’s colour… it did seem to shine a bit more intensely. But that made no— She let out a loud gasp as her hooves shot to cover her mouth. Zecora. The day after the storm, she’d gone to see her. And the zebra mare had shown her how she’d lost her cutie mark as well… Twilight scanned the mare, eyeing the striped, deep grey pattern that repeated over her coat... And down her flank. No. She couldn’t have. There was no way Twilight had really missed something so obvious. Something that had been staring right back at her. But she could check. She had to. She needed to be sure. Without missing a beat, Twilight scrambled to her hooves and ran back downstairs, nearly tripping on the steps. “Twilight?” Spike’s voice came from the kitchen, but she ignored him as she ran towards a small shelf. As she started pulling books and throwing them away, the little dragon came running to her side. He was talking, and sounded quite worried, but Twilight didn’t pay him any mind, focused entirely on her search. Where was it? “Spike. The photo album.” “What?” Twilight turned around. Her expression must’ve been more frantic than she imagined, judging by how Spike flinched when he saw her. “The photo album! The new one!” She yelled, wildly gesticulating. “The bookcase next to the basement, top shelf!” Celestia bless that little dragon. She’d have to thank him properly later for keeping his head cool. Not now, though. Now, Twilight looked at the bookcase and used her magic to bring all the books towards her, floating them one by one closer to her until she found the album. All other books fell to the floor, but she didn’t care. She just flipped the pages, praying she hadn’t been so stupid as to miss such an obvious clue. The striped, deep grey pattern that repeated over her coat... And down her flank. She found it. A picture she had taken after the Poison Joke incident. The girls were laughing around the Ponyville Spa’s large bathtub with Zecora and Apple Bloom next to them. Her eyes zeroed in on the zebra mare laughing with them. Over her coat... And down her flank. And down her flank. The picture showed a happy Zecora, the dark grey stripes repeating over her barrel and legs. And down her flank. But not over the area where her cutie mark was. When Twilight spoke again, it was in a fragile voice that threatened to break at the lightest push. “I’m such an idiot,” she said, her voice echoing in the library room.