Rain Whisper awoke to find herself no longer crying in Ocarina’s shoulder.
Yet she still gripped her like she was.
After the nightmare that had occurred the night before, she hadn’t let go of her. While she was sleeping, she had dreamt of Quiet Ocarina, only a Quiet Ocarina that hated her. Hated her for who she was. What she was. When she looked over at the back of the mare that she still held for dear life, she licked at the sharp incisor teeth that accompanied her other teeth.
She hadn’t told her, nor would she. She didn’t want her dream to become a reality.
“So, you’re awake now.” Quiet Ocarina said, “Your breathing quickened.”
“Yeah, I am.” Rain replied, “Did I wake you?”
Ocarina giggled, “No.”
Ocarina looked with a smile at Rain Whisper, “We’re almost there, Canterlot.”
“How much longer do you think?” Rain Whisper asked, loosening her grip.
“About... Ten minutes.” Ocarina said, returning her view to the window.
“Hey, Um... Could we talk, about last night I mean.” Rain asked.
“For all I care, it never happened.” Ocarina said, “We’re still friends.”
“How long did I keep you awake when I was crying?” Rain Whisper moved around in place.
“Honestly, you didn’t keep me awake at all.” Ocarina replied.
“My fear was strong enough to do that.” She thought, keeping her tongue still, “Not of her, I can deal with her.”
“Oh, okay.” The white mare whispered, smiling a bit when she closed her eyes.
“How are you feeling?” Ocarina asked.
Rain opened her eyes to look at Ocarina, revealing a purple left eye and a red right eye that faded quickly into the normal light blue. “I feel fine.”
“Are you sure?” Ocarina looked back with confusion on her face.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Rain Whisper asked, twirling her tongue around in her own mouth.
Ocarina studied Rain Whisper, “Well, she did use a lot of energy.”
“No reason, just, I thought you’d be a little hurt from me...” Ocarina trailed off, and bit her lip.
Rain’s eyes fell, but she didn’t show any emotion. “I can deal with it...” She said, “There are other ponies...”
Ocarina tackled Rain Whisper, hugging her tightly, “That’s what I like to hear!”
Rain gave a weak smile, but hugged back wholeheartedly.
“C’mon, we’re about to land on the platform.” Ocarina said, pulling away and walking to the door.
Rain Whisper followed eagerly, putting the bed under the seats again.
The train slowly pulled into the station. Many ponies pushed their way onto the train. It took a few minutes for the two mares to get off, but there’s no challenge great enough for this pair. They both looked around for a map. Once they found one, it was easy to find the biggest apple orchard in Equestria. The front gate was a reasonable size.
“You know, just by looking at this gate, I can tell that these ponies don’t care about their wealth.” Ocarina said, “I mean, they’re humble.”
“My mom said that before all of this, the streets were filled with snotty, high-horse ponies.” Rain Whisper said.
“Well, not these ponies.” Ocarina continued, “If they were, their gates would be much bigger.”
“Let’s stop talking about their gates and go where we were going.” Rain chuckled, pushing Ocarina.
“Okay, okay.” Ocarina giggled.
Cyber Burst was walking from the hill he always went to to raise/lower the sun. Thinking about Roseluck.
“I mean, I know she liked me, she told me when we met,” Cyburst said aloud, “But I didn’t know she liked me THAT much.”
“...Well, it just goes to show that mares are weird...” Phoenix replied.
Cyburst looked ahead of him to find two mares walking towards the big house in the distance.
“I wonder what’s up?” He said, “I chose this place because it was quiet.”
“...Cyburst...” Phoenix growled.
“What’s up with you?” He replied.
“...The blue one, look at her ankle...” Phoenix said.
Cyburst squinted to see what Phoenix was talking about. The blue pony did have something on her ankle. It was not round. It had an irregular look to it. The color. The shape. Even the string it was connected to. It‘s almost like-
Cyburst’s eye’s flared with anger. He teleported towards the two.
Suddenly, Ocarina felt a weight on her back. Her legs collapsed and she fell face first into the dusty road. She was about to get up when she felt a cold blade touch the back of her neck. Ocarina’s eyes went wide with fright.
“Hey!” Rain Whisper yelled at the figure that appeared from seemingly nowhere. “Get off of her!” She said, trying to push him off.
“Shut up!” The red unicorn shouted, kicking the mare square in the stomach.
The stallion grabbed ahold of Ocarina’s leg and pulled it back.
“WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?!” He shouted.
“I-I” Ocarina stuttered.
Suddenly, a light blue bolt of electricity struck the red stallion in the side, when he turned to see from whom, the mare he had kicked had electricity surging out of her body.
“Off!” She shouted.
“Or what? Ya’ gonna hit me with more electricity?” The red stallion spat.
The mare’s mane and tail caught ablaze and she threw herself at him, slamming into his side where the lighting had connected.
“So you're not just a one trick pony?” He raised an eyebrow, “This could be interesting.”
“Get off of her so you can see more tricks!” Rain shouted, now raising the earth from under her to reach his height.
The stallion teleported under her. “Or what?” He whispered before kicking her stomach again.
The mare started to feel the pain and tears welled up in her eyes. “Or...I’ll...” she trailed off, not knowing how to threaten the stallion, she didn’t want to show any weakness, but a tear dripped from her right eye.
“Too late!” The stallion shouted.
The stallion continued with the kicks, throwing Rain Whisper into the air. Right when she stopped moving upwards, the stallion teleported above her and slashed downward with his sword, shooting her back down. Rain Whisper landed with a loud thud, a few cracks were heard.
The mare stayed still for a few seconds, but eventually got to her hooves.
She looked at the stallion again, wobbling back and forth.
“...Rain Whisper?” A southern voice asked with shock.
Rain Whisper looked back to the house she had been attempting to enter. Where an orange earth pony stood.
“Applejack?” Rain Whisper asked quietly, before falling back down, unconscious.
“What in tarnation is goin’ on here?!” Applejack shouted.
The sound of metal hitting the ground echoed.
“A-Applejack?” The stallion stammered, “I-I”
“Cy, ah’ve neveh’ seen ya’ raise yer’ sword to anypony!” Applejack shouted, running down the walk, “Why’d ya’ do it fer’ Rain Whisper?!”
“I-I.” The stallion continued.
“Well?” The orange pony looked at him, “Get on with it.”
The Stallion’s eyes welled up. to the ground.His knees collapsed and he fell to the ground.
“Well, that’s two new things ah’ve seen today.” Applejack said.
An electrical current began to surge around Rain Whisper, but instead of light blue, it was purple. Rain’s body twitched once, then a flash of light appeared, when it died down, her father was there, next to her.
The stallion looked up, and rubbed his eyes.
Mirage had changed since the last time he was seen by Applejack, and the Stallion, a grey beard covered his face and his once ash grey coat had become lighter, along with his mane and tail.
“B-but.” The stallion stammered some more.
Mirage nodded towards the orange mare. “Good to see you again, Applejack.” He said, then he turned to the red unicorn that was still on the ground, studying him.
“B-but.” The stallion, still, stammered.
Mirage bent down to the stallion, narrowing his eyes. “Stop saying but and speak.” He said with a hostile voice.
“But you’re dead?!” The stallion pointed an accusing hoof.
“I assure you, I am very much alive.” He said. “Now, you best tell me what happened to my daughter, and her friend, boy.”
“But I saw you die!” the stallion said, pacing back and forth, “Zombification? No, he’s not rotting. Necromancy? No, he has free will.”
“Answer me, boy!” Mirage shouted, lighting up with electrical current.
“Oh, I knocked her out.” The stallion said absent mindedly, “Hologram? No, he’s tangible.”
An electrical sphere appeared around the stallion, closing in on him. The stallion threw his sword down, sticking it into the ground. All the electricity was absorbed through the blade.
“Lightning rod.” The stallion said, still pacing, “Mutant? No, it’s an exact copy.”
Mirage tackled the stallion, pinning him down, forcing him to keep still while not letting him break free.
“Oi, let me go.” The stallion struggled.
A bubble appeared around the two, locking them in it together.
Mirage stared the stallion down, looking into his eyes without blinking, “I did die.” He said. “How do you know that?” He asked, starting to choke the stallion with the lack of air in the bubble.
“I cannot say” The Stallion said, “And trying to kill me won’t get you anywhere. Animated dead? No, still has free will.”
The bubble dissipated and Mirage landed on top of the pony. “Tell me what I want to know.” He said, “I am not any of those things, I had an internal discharge when somepony sent an electrical current through my body, reviving me.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so?!” The stallion said, “That explains everything. Except...”
The stallion studied Mirage closely, as in, face to face. “You’re aging.”
Mirage’s eyes clouded. “I... I know.” He said, “I’ve passed on my traits, all of us have, it’s giving us the luxury of staying with our loved ones through death.” He explained, getting off of the pony and looking back at Rain Whisper, who was being carried inside by Applejack. “If we can go somewhere more secluded, I will tell you more.”
“So she has your... stuff.” The stallion said.
“AHEM!!!” Quiet Ocarina cleared her throat loudly.
“What is it, Ocarina?” Mirage asked, turning around.
“Well, he jumped on me first.” She explained.
“Oh! That’s right.” The stallions eyes lit up.
He teleported to Quiet Ocarina and looked at her carefully, walking around her.
“Hmm..” The Stallion studied Quiet Ocarina’s Cutie Mark.
“Ummmm...” Ocarina shuffled away, “Little too close, big boy.”
“Oh sorry, just... nevermind” The stallion changed subjects, “Where did you get that anklet, I might ask?”
“What’s it to you?!” Ocarina said, bringing her hoof to her chest.
“Nothing.” The stallion chuckled, “Sorry for jumping on you.”
“Yeah, that was kinda creepy.” The mare said, “But there’s no harm done.”
“Good! My name’s Cyber Burst.” The Unicorn said, “What’s your name?”
“Y-your Cyber Burst?!” Quiet Ocarina asked, “Woah!”
“She’s gonna be alright if anypony was wonderin’!” Applejack yelled from inside.
“Yeah, yeah, why? Is that strange?” Cyber Burst said, a glass of water floating next to him, “Oh, call me Cyburst, or Cy.”
“Well, I didn’t expect you to be so...” Ocarina trailed off.
“So what?” Cyburst said, taking a drink.
“So...” Ocarina said, “so young.”
“Pfft!” Cyburst laughed awkwardly, spitting out water.
“What?” Ocarina said.
“Nothing!” Cyburst said quickly.
“Cy? Are ya’ even listenin’ to me?” Applejack called again.
“What? Sorry Applejack, I wasn’t listening.” Cyburst said, shuffling sideways, “But I bet that mare was hurt pretty bad. Better go check on her.”
Cyburst ran towards the big house.
“He’s...” Ocarina trailed off, “Something.”
“Well, would you look at the time!” Mirage chuckled nervously. “I’d better get home for dinner! You girls have fun!”
Mirage seemed to power up, then vanished into thin air.
Quiet Ocarina walked up to the big house to check on Rain Whisper.