//------------------------------// // Chapter Forty Eight // Story: HiE - A Hollow in Equestria // by Charlie_K //------------------------------// Chapter Forty Eight Due to a number of various factors, the basement library was a very isolating place to be in. Other than the muffled commotion emanating from the upstairs and weakly filtering its way downward, it was relatively silent and free of distractions down here. And for that fact, Twilight was very thankful. She had known even before receiving this book that the spells contained within were very advanced and difficult in nature; definitely not something for a novice to be attempting. But she was no novice. She was the protege of Princess Celestia, and if any unicorn could decipher these arcane spells, and properly understand the mechanics behind their casting, then it was without a doubt her. That wasn't even a matter of arrogance, that was a matter of absolute fact! But it was also a matter of fact that these spells were still going to be difficult to not only learn, but also master. She was going to need to do far more than simply get the gist of the mechanics behind each of the spells she was attempting to learn. She had to be able to do far better than simply being able to recite the aspects from memory at the drop of a hat. With each of the spells she was attempting to learn, she was going to need to become intimately familiar with all of the intricate little details that went into the proper casting and maintaining involved. That would require equal amounts reading and actual practice. However practice would be difficult in this case, as it would require large, open areas for the purpose of safety. Getting any one of a number of factors wrong could lead to a serious backfiring of highly charged magical energies. That was why it was necessary to study, study, and study some more. This wasn't going to be any simple walk in the park, not even for her. "What do you want, Pinkie?" Of course that would be easier if there weren't any interruptions to deal with; especially the kind of interruptions that came looking for her. And as much as she loved her friends, there were times when she could really stand to be away from them. Like right now damn it! "How'd you know I was there? I was being extra special, super duper quiet! Even I couldn't hear myself coming!" Pinkie stated as she stopped in her tracks, utterly surprised by how easily she'd been caught creeping down the stairs. She'd approached with such a softness in her steps that nopony should've heard her. So how exactly did Twilight find her out? "How'd you hear me coming?" she asked. "I didn't hear you, I smelt you. You smell like cotton candy, Pinkie, you have since I met you," Twilight explained as she looked up from the book. The sooner she got this interruption over with, the sooner she could get back to what was actually important. "So what's so important?" she asked. "You've been down here for four hours, Twilight, it's really late. Don't you think you should come upstairs for bed? Spike's already fast asleep," Pinkie stated as she began approaching again. "I can't, Pinkie," Twilight replied and sighed, "these spells are incredibly complex in structure. They have to be studied out very thoroughly if I'm going to actually learn them. I can't just breeze through them like they're any other simple spell. It's not like we're talking about anti-gravity here," she explained. "Oh..." Pinkie replied. However she didn't turn to leave just yet. There were still other things to try and convince her friend to turn in for the night. "Do any of them involve utilizing the magic of nearby earth ponies to achieve the desired results?" she asked. Maybe if she could get Twilight to explain the complexities to her, she'd realize that she needed sleep. Like how Discord had made himself realize that using unrestrained chaos magic would lose him Fluttershy as his friend. It was worth a try. Twilight shook her head. "No. At least not in the section I'm in. I don't know about up ahead though. As complex as these spells are, skipping ahead really wouldn't be advised." "Oh," Pinkie replied again. Oh well it was a long shot anyway. Silently she stepped closer until she stood to the side of Twilight, and eased herself on the ground to lay next to her. "So what spell are you working on learning?" she asked. "It's a spell that creates lightning by utilizing the ionization in the air," Twilight replied, shifting the tome a little to let Pinkie get a better look at the page, even if it wouldn't make much sense to her. "It's a very potent, offensive spell." "Isn't that like weather manipulation? Doesn't that kinda intrude on pegasi duties and responsibilities?" Pinkie asked curiously, tilting her head to the side at the impossible to comprehend details on the page she was presented with. "No not really. Pegasi usually manage the clouds which bring about snow, rain, thunder, lightning, and other elemental aspects. But pegasi don't create or control lightning themselves, just as they don't create clouds with their own four hooves from the latent moisture in the air. Yes it's done at the weather factory, but that's through specialized, purpose-built machinery intended to perform such tasks," Twilight explained, turning away from the page momentarily in order to address her friend's question. At least she looked like she understood what she was explaining. Deciding to take that as a good sign, she turned back to the book. "Also pegasi don't have a corner market on weather manipulation. It's not all that common, but I've read about small remote towns tasking a unicorn or two with such duties if they don't have the money to pay a fleet of pegasi. Although they experience less scheduled weather as a result because they're limited to what's provided through nature." "Wow, Twilight, that's pretty amazing to learn. I thought for sure there were rules and red tape in place to prevent things like that. Not that I'm sure why it's called red tape, I'm pretty sure tape isn't good for paperwork," Pinkie stated. She moved to sit up again, but grunted as she pushed herself up in an effort to rotate her withers properly, resulting in an audible pop sounding. "Wow, Twilight, that's some super bad posture to be in, I've already got a catch in my back. I can't imagine how many knots you've got in your back." "It's fine, Pinkie, I-" Twilight tried to say. But before she could even get a proper word out, Pinkie had once again decided to show just how random she could be. Instead of vocally interrupting her, the pink earth pony had leaned over her, and started rubbing at her back with her front hooves. That effectively put an end to what she had to say in response, as the only thing to come out of her mouth was a contented moan/whine from what she was experiencing. She couldn't believe how incredibly good that felt right now. "See what I mean, Twilight? This wouldn't feel nearly as good as it does, if your back wasn't just chock full of deep tension pockets in need of alleviating," Pinkie explained as she carried out her impromptu massage. "One thing you'll learn about earth ponies, Twilight, is that they make the best masseuses around because they've got lots of stamina, and their physical strength lets them really apply the pressure where it's needed," she explained, emphasizing the statement with a particularly firm push into her friend's lower back, earning a particularly high pitched squeak. "Just don't tell Aloe and Lotus about this. Trade secrets and all that." Twilight moaned as she laid her head down on the ground, resting on her chin like a dog would, as Pinkie worked her over. She could feel all the tension practically oozing out of her body like it was sweat, leaving her in a state of comfort she couldn't remember experiencing before. It was starting to prove really difficult to keep her eyelids up, and equally difficult to concentrate on anything more than the kneading to her back that was currently going on. Pinkie giggled at seeing Twilight's posture. She couldn't help but imagine the silly look she probably had on her face right now; eyelids drooping and eyes unable to focus, mouth open crookedly with her tongue hanging out of the corner, her ears half drooped and hanging limply. She's have to try and get a picture of that face one of these days. "Like it, do we?" Pinkie asked rhetorically as she trailed her hoof down Twilight's spine. Twilight's response consisted of her right hind leg twitching and spasming, her hoof tapping firmly against the hardwood floor of the basement. Pinkie giggled more at seeing this and made another pass over the vertebrae ridges, and bringing more ecstatic twitching and tapping. "That's it, Twilight, you just relax and let little ol' Pinkie Pie take care of it," she cooed as she moved up her back and rub circles in between the unicorn's wither ridges. At this point Twilight couldn't even think about speaking. Her mind was currently mush, and anything more complex than an incoherent moan was out of the question, as she pressed the side of her head against her foreleg as a makeshift pillow. "That's it, Twilight, you just relax. Just close your eyes and go to sleep, and everything will be alright in the morn-" Pinkie's soothing voice was broken as she felt herself immediately lifted off of Twilight, and found herself suspended off the floor in a magenta colored aura. That wouldn't have been too objectionable, if not for the fact that the sudden sensation of being lifted up so quickly had made her squawk in surprise. And now she found herself face to face with an annoyed and fully alert looking Twilight. "Pinkie, what were you doing? Were you trying to make me fall asleep?" Twilight asked her. Pinkie tried to look away, feeling herself grow uncomfortable with Twilight's eyes on her in such a manner. But try as she might she couldn't escape her gaze. It was almost like looking Ulquiorra in the eyes right now, and she didn't like that one bit. The only thing she could do right now was come clean, must as she wished she could do otherwise. "Yes," she mumbled in an admission of guilt. "Pinkie," Twilight sighed as she stood back up and set her friend back onto her hooves, "this is very important work I'm doing. You know that." "I know, I know, but we're all worried about you, Twilight. Well actually you've got the others worried, but I'm worried and scared. I'm scared of what's happening to you. You've got so much going on right now, and there's nothing I can do to help you. There's nothing I can do to even try and help you. This morning you were trying to help Ulqy learn what friendship is all about. You were trying to help him learn the same valuable lessons that you've been learning. And now... now you're studying spells that're meant to be used for hurting others, for killing others! Everything is just changing so much and it scares me. It makes me wanna go curl up in a hole somewhere and hide. You're changing too, Twilight, I can see it. You're becoming more like Ulqy is," Pinkie stated. Twilight wanted to respond to Pinkie's statement, or objection, or whatever it was. She needed to understand the seriousness of the situation, and that things needed to change when it was necessary to address an unforeseen situation that arose, and drastically shook up the status quo. There were so many things she could say to hammer that point home. But that last sentence made her hesitate. That hesitation was quickly pounced upon by Pinkie as she started talking again. "You're becoming something that you're not, Twilight, and you're scaring me. Friends shouldn't do that to one another. I don't want you to be a killer, and I don't want you to have to kill either. If we get so scared that we change ourselves completely, we're going to lose sight of what's really important to us," she stated as she slowly turned her gaze down at the floor. "What happens after this point, Twilight? How far do we go? Do Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake have to grow up in a world where there's a monster around every corner, hiding in the shadows and just waiting to pounce? Do we become paranoid enough that we all have to become willing to kill others because we think they're a threat to us? How far does this have to go, Twilight? And more importantly... how far can it go before it destroys our friendship completely?" she asked. Twilight had been ready to launch into a response to Pinkie's nonsense, picking apart her hyperbole bit by bit, and carefully explaining in detailed facts as to why she was making a whole lot out of nothing. But the more she listened, she had to stop and think on what her friend was actually saying. She found it necessary to let her words sink in and simmer a bit, rather than just responding to them with a dismissive approach. She wanted to approach the matter with a clinical, scientific perspective, and explain to Pinkie how change and adaptation to new surroundings was a necessity in order for a species to survive, and how failure to respond accordingly could result in extinction. But something told her that such a detached approach wouldn't have the desired results. If she was going to get Pinkie to understand all of the important details, her approach would need to be tailored to something the earth pony would understand. "If you want to know the truth, Pinkie, you're not the only one that's scared," she started, "I'm scared too. Really scared actually. When I think about what happened here today, about all the ponies that got hurt, and how easily we could've been present for that," she paused and gave a shiver to emphasize the point. Not that she was lying or anything like that. But sometimes with Pinkie, a little bit of theatrics was necessary. "We were asleep at the switch, and we paid for it dearly. We know there's a threat against us, and what do we do? We decide that the best course of action available to us is to throw Ulquiorra a party. We didn't take his warning seriously, and look what happened." "But Twilight, none of us could've known that was gonna happen. Ulqy himself said it didn't match the pattern we were working on," Pinkie protested, not liking where this was going at all. "Let me finish, Pinkie, I'm not done yet," Twilight said as she raised her hoof to silence whatever her friend might have to contribute. "I'm not saying that we shouldn't have parties anymore. I'd never say that, and especially not to you. I'm just saying that we have to be more vigilant from now on, and we have to be prepared to take responsibility for ourselves, rather than waiting for someone to come to our rescue. We've done it before, we just have to do a little more of that now. Times are changing, and we've got to meet them accordingly. And since this whole clusterfu--- this whole mess was my fault, it's only appropriate that I take responsibility for what transpired." "You keep saying that you're responsible, but I'm not believing it," Pinkie said slowly as she stepped closer to where Twilight stood, looking her directly in the eyes. "Twilight, I honestly don't know what your thought process is, but you're not responsible here. You didn't do anything wrong. If you did something wrong by bringing Ulqy to the party, then I did something wrong too, by actually throwing the party for him in the first place. That would mean I used a party to cause harm to others, like deliberately and on purpose. Now if you think that you need to be blamed, then you just blame me too. I'm not letting you heap this responsibility on your withers alone. Not this time. That's not what friends do. Either we're both responsible for what happened to the ponies in Ponyville, or neither of us is responsible, understand?" she asked as she slowly leaned in even closer, the action causing Twilight to take a step back and fall onto her haunches. Twilight didn't want to admit it, either to herself or anyone else. But at that moment Pinkie was actually scaring her. She'd couldn't remember the last time her friend had exercised this significant a degree of seriousness. She couldn't help but flinch at trying to look into those currently piercing blue eyes. Her friend had adopted a gaze that could easily rival Ulquiorra's, and even give Fluttershy a run for her money. There was certainly no malice behind them that she could see, but that didn't make it any less unpleasant to be on the receiving end of. The next thing Twilight knew, Pinkie had grabbed hold of her and enveloped her in a firm, unyielding hug. "You're not alone, Twilight. You're not and you don't have to be. No matter what you might think about your own responsibility, you don't have to do this alone. We'll be there for you. Even if the others won't be, I will be, no matter what happens," Pinkie told her, showing no signs of discontinuing the hug anytime soon. Twilight wasn't entirely certain what to say in response to Pinkie's statement. It was made of equal parts firmness, comfort, and support. Whatever the reasoning was behind her thought process, she seemed convinced that what was being done down here, was... Twilight really didn't know how to finish that thought. Did Pinkie assume that she was punishing herself with her selected course of action? Did she assume she was heaping too much responsibility on herself again, just as she'd done in the past before? Whatever it was that guided the pink mare's actions, she seemed quite sincere about not leaving her alone to her own devices on this matter. She also seemed completely unwilling to end this hug anytime soon, as she began rubbing her back with her hooves. A hug that she eventually found herself returning, easing her chin down against her, allowing her to breathe in the cotton candy scent of her friend's mane. "Thanks, Pinkie, I really appreciate that," she told her as she allowed her eyes to rest. Knowing that she wouldn't have to do everything by herself meant a lot. "Come on upstairs, Twilight, you need your rest too. You can't burn the candle at both ends. Well actually you can, but that makes it very difficult to hold onto, as you've got hot wax dripping down your leg then," Pinkie stated. "Sorry Pinkie but I just can't do that," Twilight replied as she untangled herself from the embrace. Considering it was Pinkie involved in the embrace, it was a literal example of untangling she had to be involved with. "Studying these spells is really important, and it's something that needs to be done." "But-" "I really appreciate what you said, Pinkie, but there are certain responsibilities that have to be tended to, friends or no friends. But at the same time that perfectly illustrates why there's no need to worry about me; because I have you and five other very good friends looking out for me. I know you won't let me dig myself into a hole that I can't get out of. And that fact means a great deal to me, especially right now. But right now I really need to study these spells because there's a lot at stake. You and the other girls are my best friends, and Ponyville is a place I've come to regard as being my home, not a temporary assignment from Celestia. And I'm not about to just stand idly by as some unknown threat tries to come into my home and harm my friends. Knowing that I've got friends who've got my back means more to me than I could ever say. But I need to have their backs in return, and the only way that can happen is if I can learn these spells, so we don't have to rely on Ulquiorra all the time," Twilight explained as she looked Pinkie in the eyes, effectively cutting off whatever protest she had to give in response. If there was one thing Pinkie would understand well enough, it was the need to help friends. "... Okay, Twilight, if you say so," Pinkie said slowly as she stood up from where she sat and moved to head back upstairs. She really couldn't argue with Twilight if she believed she was trying to help out her friends when they were in need. She honestly couldn't say that if the situation was reversed, that she wouldn't do the same thing if presented with the opportunity. There were very few things that she wouldn't do in the name of helping out a friend, so she kind of understood where Twilight was coming with this. It was like a mutual understanding was shared between them at this point. And if that was the case then she wasn't about to jinx it. Even Ulquiorra seemed to understand that there was a time when you needed to back off when a friend was committed to something. And if he could understand that, it wouldn't do at all for her to not do the same. "But if you need anything don't hesitate to ask, even if it's just something like a drink of water, or maybe a pillow... or if you need to stay over for a couple of days because of a bedbug invasion," she called back as she ascended the stairs back up to the main floor. "Thanks, Pinkie, I-" Twilight was in the process of saying, but stopped in mid sentence as the words sank in. A bedbug invasion? Did Pinkie know something she didn't? Actually that was a stupid question. Pinkie always knew something that she didn't. And sometimes the stuff that Pinkie knew, she didn't want to know as it scared her. Nevermind that though, she had more important stuff to focus on. She still had a long way to go on understanding this spell before she could move onto the next one. She was thankful that Pinkie had taken her explanation so easily and without much resistance. If she had argued the matter, she wasn't sure that she could've kept the matter completely friendly in nature. The explanation that she'd given had dealt with facts, just not all of the facts. She knew that if she went into all of the details involved, Pinkie might not be able to adequately deal with them. It's for that reason she had to keep the discussion civil, to not bring up the matter of Cupid, or Roseluck, or any of the other ponies who had been hurt on this day. But she was also thankful for Pinkie's little interruption, as it reassured her that she wasn't isolated in this matter. She knew her friends would be there for her, but actually hearing it confirmed made her feel much better. And that back massage Pinkie had given her, had made her feel reinvigorated. She felt like she could study for hours without interruption now. And with the severity of the situation they were presented with, she was going to need that. There were too many ponies counting on her right now, and she couldn't afford to let them down. Too many had already been let down because of her, and she was going to have to live with that fact. All she could do now was try and prevent that from happening anymore, and pray that her efforts did some good. "Faust, please don't let anymore ponies die because of me..." "It didn't work." It was getting late in Ponyville. Late enough that most of the rest of the town had turned in by now, indicated by how many homes were now dark when looked at through the windows of the library. The darkness presented by the lack of lights coming from inside the various homes was offset by the brightness of the full moon, illuminating the fog that was rolling low against the ground. And as it grew later and later, the others had grown proportionally more concerned about Twilight's wellbeing as she remained isolated down in the basement. It was that concern that motivated them to try and convince her to come back upstairs and get some sleep. And it was that concern that had motivated Pinkie to volunteer for the assignment at hoof, and bring Twilight back from her pit of isolation. Unfortunately, as they were finding out as the pink earth pony came trudging back up the stairs, her best efforts -the only efforts she ever made with anything- simply weren't good enough in this case. "It didn't?" Fluttershy asked, unsure of whether she should be confused or scared about this revelation. How could Pinkie not succeed at something like this? Pinkie nodded glumly. "I told her how worried we were about her, and how we were all there for her, I even tried that super duper back massage technique I learned from watching Aloe and Lotus do it hoping she'd fall asleep and we could carry her upstairs and put her to bed. None of it did any good," she explained before sitting down on the floor and pouting in defeat. "Twilight won't listen to us. She's convinced that she has to be doing this; that she's responsible for everything, and has to pay the price. I tried to talk her out of it, but she's not listening. Instead she wound up talking me out of trying to help her." "Oh dear," Rarity sighed at hearing the news. "Okay that does it. We tried the nice approach, that didn't work, it's time to try the firm approach," Rainbow Dash stated as she marched over towards the door to the basement. "If Twilight doesn't want to listen to us, then I'm gonna drag her out here with the rest of us." "Knowing Twilight Sparkle, you will likely be the one forcefully ejected from the basement first," Ulquiorra commented from where he stood by one of the bookshelves. The hours that followed the evening meal hadn't been allowed to be wasted on matters of uselessness. With hunger no longer being a valid excuse, and no valid reasons for the ponies to be returning to their individuals homes for one thing or another, the library being secured against intrusion had been the top priority. The doors had been locked and bolted, as had all of the windows in addition to being shuttered. This on its own would ultimately do little to deter intrusion, but it presented a medium that would give significant warning should forceful entry be attempted. Only two things were lacking from total security at this point. Or at least as total as was possible under the circumstances. The first and the most important was a forcefield deployed around the entire structure, and prevent entry from any attempt that wasn't subterranean in nature. However that wouldn't be possible without the assistance of Twilight Sparkle, as only she possessed the sheer magical strength that was necessary to deploy a shield of sufficient size. That was, of course, assuming Rarity even possessed the ability to use forcefields at all. Twilight Sparkle had explained that her brother was a specialist in forcefields, but there was nothing in her explanation of the facts that would adequately explain just how common the ability was among the unicorn race. He could understand Twilight Sparkle possessing knowledge of such spells, seeing as her sibling possessed such knowledge. Perhaps it was a talent that was specialized in by her entire family. However, other unicorns were another matter that were as of yet unverified. But assuming forcefields were as common as telekinesis, that still left the matter of sufficient overall magical strength; again, something that only Twilight Sparkle possessed as far as he could determine. The second option was of significantly less demand in terms of power necessary to achieve, to the point even Rarity would be able to adequately perform such. That was what he had come to understand as being a "shall not pass" charm, and consisted of either a kinetic force negation spell, or a force reflection spell, being applied to all entrances and exits of the building. And while such an approach would do nothing to prevent unauthorized entry through a wall, it would certainly increase the difficulty of gaining entry into the building, and reduce the number of weak points in need of being guarded. That being said, however, he was presented with another difficulty. Even though Rarity possessed sufficient reiryoku for applying such charms to the various entrances, she had declined to do so. The explanation given was that she had no desire to exercise her own influence over what was under Twilight Sparkle's control. The logistics of such he truly didn't grasp. This was a matter of safety and survival; desires and comfort were of no relevance. And yet he couldn't properly force the issue to make the white unicorn comply. Any such attempt on his part might yield to substandard results on her part, and might actually interfere with Twilight Sparkle's ability to perform such a spell whenever she was available. For the time being he would simply have to let the issue rest. After the library had been secured to the best of their abilities, he had more or less paid the ponies no mind, and instead focused on the assortment of books that were available for reading. He would admit, more to himself than anyone else, that the books contained in the Golden Oaks Library provided an interesting change from what he'd read in the library of Canterlot palace. Some of them present dealt with the town of Ponyville more than anything else. But proper reconnaissance work wasn't glamorous in nature, and often involved considerable amount of study regarding run of the mill details, in order to gather information in a cumulative manner. It wasn't like what was often portrayed on the ridiculous television programs humans seemed to be fanatically obsessed with. If he was to be bound to this dimension indefinitely, that was one thing he could be thankful for; the lack of electronically-based media saturation. These ponies seemed perfectly content with books for information gathering, and that was just fine with him. He had seen how humans could be when exposed to portable technological advancements. It was a wonder more of them didn't die every single day from being hit by a car, as they crossed against the lights when traffic had the right of way. But for every positive aspect, there was a corresponding negative to take into consideration. Whereas humans were obsessed with everything electronic and technological, those that truly deserved to be considered trash possessed a remarkable talent for removing themselves from the gene pool. Theses ponies, while not obsessed with technology to the point of needing it to even function from one minute to the next, didn't seem to possess such an innate ability. Those that were foolish and idiotic didn't seem as prone to terminating themselves as the human species. Perhaps it was due to fewer distractions, leaving them with greater situational awareness. Whether or not that possible situational awareness has contributed to the results of today's attack by the manticore, he wasn't certain. Perhaps some lives had been saved due to the lack of portable electronic distractions. Or perhaps that awareness had been inadequate to save anyone from an attacking manticore. Considering how fast the beast could be when in pursuit of prey, that possibility was entirely likely. For the most part his attention had been elsewhere, apart from occasionally listening up and catching bits and pieces of whatever was being discussed around him. Most of what was said was nonsense, but the majority of them had enough sense to leave him alone and not try to strike up useless conversation. At some point during the passage of time Spike had turned in for the evening, but the ponies had not. It could be understood, seeing as he was still the youngest of the group. And since there was nothing of significance to preoccupy themselves with, his decision to retire was of no significant consequence. However he did begin to pay more attention as the talk slowly turned from nonsense, to bringing Twilight Sparkle back to the upper levels of the library for the night. The concern displayed by the others for her wellbeing was slowly becoming more noticeable to him. But he held his tongue, not seeing it as a worthwhile use of his time to interrupt them. Even after Pinkie Pie descended the stairs to enact some convoluted retrieval plan, he kept silent. Up to the point of Pinkie Pie's failure, and Rainbow Dash's decision to escalate matters with the use of force. That was enough to make him close his current book, after memorizing what page he was currently on. "If she does not wish to be disturbed, then it would be best to abide by her wishes and not disturb her," he pointed out, before deciding that a follow up was necessary. "Fluttershy's explanation of friendship covered her being a friend involved knowing when to allow someone to go about their business unimpeded. Why is that fact being ignored under these circumstances?" "It's really not all that simple," Rarity began as she walked over to where he stood. "The others and I have been around Twilight for years, you could say we've gotten a feel for her idiosyncrasies as it were. We have something of an understanding of her inner workings. At least to some degree. She's a... very complex mare despite her appreciation for the simple and mundane. She has an unhealthy tendency to automatically assume that, because she was Celestia's student, she has a moral obligation to be the one to try and solve the problems of everyone else. And even though she's been getting better at it, she still hasn't been able to completely let go of this notion of responsibility. Sometimes she can get so focused on something that she develops tunnel vision and becomes blind to everything around her. And it's our concern that that's what might be taking place now. If she believes she's responsible for everything that happened today, there's no telling what length she'll attempt to go to in an effort to assuage her guilt, or meet some intangible sense of responsibility that she's taken upon herself," she explained, detailing the importance of keeping their friend in check. However it still felt strange to be talking about such so freely when there was very little to keep such a conversation from filtering its way down towards the basement. "I truly don't want to speak ill of the dear, but such behavior can be incredibly self destructive if not properly kept in check." More developments that he didn't foresee coming. This was not good to know. In fact this could prove to be downright disturbing. This matter would have to be addressed. "You're claiming that Twilight Sparkle is predisposed towards tendencies of self-mutilation and suicide?" he asked. If this was what was being said, then the situation was worse than he'd assumed. His evaluation of the lavender unicorn had been that her potential for destruction and bloodshed faced outward rather than inward. What if he was wrong? "Oh goodness no, nothing like that!" Rarity quickly stated, horrified by what he was saying. "Twilight is simply not the type to do such things. At least not intentionally. What I meant to say is that her behavior can be detrimental to her overall health if she's left to her own devices. If she didn't have Spike as her assistant, I truly believe that she would forget to take breaks from her studies in order to eat, sleep, and tend to her own hygiene. Sometimes the dear just needs a reminder of when to step away for her own good." Applejack nodded. "Twilight's usually got everythin' under control when Spike's around ta help out. But sometimes she jus' needs a helpin' hoof in keepin' everything straight. We've all been there at one time er another. But tha's one o' the good things 'bout havin' friends; ya don' have ta be stranded when yer in over yer head." He remained silent as he listened to Applejack's words. Words that... +++ "I can't speak for the others, only for myself. What I get out of my friendship, and my continued association with them, is a great deal more important to me than any form of physical reimbursement for my investment. I've got five very great, and very diverse companions, who are there for me when I really need them. Five ponies who are willing to drop what they're doing and help me out of a jam when they recognize that I'm in trouble, and that things have escalated to the point where I can't deal with it on my own. They're there for me when I'm sad, or scared, or hurt, or alone, or even when I just need somepony to bounce ideas off of, and engage in intelligent conversation about whatever. They're willing to put up with my idiosyncrasies and look beyond them, even when I wind up driving them nuts without even realizing it. They've helped me realize that there's a wide, wide world out there that's worth experiencing for myself, rather than just reading about from the comforts of the library. They've helped me grow as an individual, and expand my mind to consider things I otherwise would've discounted, and they never asked for a single thing in return. I trust those girls with my life; I've actually done that several times so far. Without them I don't even think I'd still be alive right now," she explained. Ulquiorra remained silent and unmoving at her words, his lack of reaction causing her to frown in response. She'd put a lot into that speech and was hoping for something in return other than disbelief and simple skepticism. Perhaps she was expecting too much, too early on. Maybe she needed to try again. "That amounts to friendship to you?" And then again maybe she didn't. Maybe he really had been paying attention, and had simply waited for her to finish talking. "Well sort of, but it goes a lot further than that. We care about each other, we're there in case we need each other, and when one of us is in trouble, we worry about them and do whatever we can to help out. It's like the time Rarity got sick with the stomach flu, we all did what we could to help her get better, or at least try and make her feel a little less miserable during her recovery. We didn't stop and worry that she might be contagious, or that we might be putting our own health at risk, we just did what we thought was right," Twilight explained. She was getting the feeling that things were starting to spin out of control, and that she was at risk of losing him due to disbelief. She had to think of something to help him understand! "Being a friend also involves doing nice things for each other, even when you have zero moral or legal obligation to do so; it's something you do because you care about the pony, and don't want something bad to happen to them. We've all done it countless times with one another, or somepony else that was in need at the time, and we never bothered to ask what was in it for us." "You act because of the concern that lies with others rather than yourself, because it is the right thing to do," he elaborated. In more accurate terms it was a guess on his part to see if he was understanding what she was trying to say. "Exactly!" Twilight exclaimed in excitement and optimism. He really was starting to understand! This was so great! +++ "... Ah guess one way o' puttin' it is... friendship means knowin' ah've got ponies who look out fer me when ah get too distracted with other things. Sometimes ah get so focused on what ah'm doin', ah wind up gettin' forgetful 'bout things tha' need ta be done. Or sometimes ah'll get so far in over mah head ah can't find mah way out on mah own, an' these girls are there ta make sure ah don' get lost," she explained. One explanation by Twilight Sparkle, one explanation by Applejack. The two had a number of similarities and amounted to little more than minor variations of a single account. Overall what could be gathered from Applejack's explanation was of only minor difference from what he'd already been told. However he said nothing, and Applejack started talking again. "Ah tell ya, ah don' know jus' where ah'd be without mah friends. They helped save the farm once when mah family got in over our heads an' couldn' do it alone. They didn' even wait fer us ta ask before pitchin' in an' lendin' a hoof. If that ain't friendship then ah don' know what is," Applejack stated. "Then you've received some form of physical or monetary compensation for your association with the others?" Ulquiorra asked. This new explanation by Applejack seemed to make more sense, seemed to be something he could understand better than the more vague concepts shared by Twilight Sparkle. "Well... ya could say that. But that ain't why ah'm friends with 'em, friendship ain't about wha' ya can get outta it. There's some things in this world tha' jus' can't be measured in the context o' bits an' such," she stated. +++ ... rung with a familiar echo from earlier in the day. What could have been discounted as simple nonsense from illogical beings at the time they were mentioned, was now being repeated with a new context. It was almost interesting to watch unfold. But interesting or not, there were still matters that he could point out to them. And seeing as Applejack had an interest in the type of thought process he possessed and engaged in, there was no reason to not bring them up. "Would it not be more logical to encourage her to develop her own strengths, so as to not constantly need to rely on others for assistance?" he asked. The more he learned about friendship, the more he wondered if it was really worth all of the effort that went into it. It sounded more and more like an excuse to be weak, a justification for being weak. Was friendship even recognized by those that weren't weak? "Surely being required to drop your own endeavors for the purpose of coming to her assistance, is not a productive use of your time. Even friendship must possess some limits of what's acceptable." "Like we haven't already considered that?" Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered over to where he stood. She then proceeded to look around the room as if she she someone was possibly eavesdropping on her, before hovering closer still. "I might not be the smartest here," she began in a low whisper as she leaned in for him to hear, "but I have read some books, and I have a theory. I think it's psychological with her." Ulquiorra could do without the close physical proximity he was forced to share with Rainbow Dash, as she attempted to keep her voice low during her explanation. However the theory she was presenting was intriguing enough to warrant his tolerance for the time being. "Explain," he replied. "Twilight told you about her past in Canterlot, right? About not needing friends and such?" she asked him. He nodded once in confirmation. "I think that pendulum thing kinda swung too far the other way. I think she went from being convinced that she didn't need friends at all, to being convinced that she does need friends. And... I think she might kinda be subconsciously trying to maintain that belief, because she doesn't want to think that she doesn't need friends," she explained. To say Rainbow Dash's theory left much to be desired would be an understatement. While she did have a thought that she was trying to convey, the structure in which she presented it left out many coherent details to explain just why she believed her theory was correct, or why it was even relevant in this case. But that wasn't to say that her attempts at conveying her thoughts had been inadequate to get his own going. While her theory wasn't precisely fleshed out to a manner he would consider acceptable, it was enough to at least get him thinking on her words. If a change in perspective was in play here, then it could possibly explain things. But as in the case of analyzing Pinkie Pie's explanation of friendship, a lack of knowledge of pony psychology limited his ability to do little more than hypothesize and speculate on the matter. Rainbow Dash's theory -for the time being he was willing to classify it as a theory- was essentially that Twilight Sparkle was unconsciously hindering her own performance abilities and handicapping herself, in order to prove to herself not only that she was in need of the assistance of others, but also that she was incapable of succeeding on her own in various activities to various degrees. Was the desire for companionship truly so strong, that these ponies would willingly feign weakness and incompetence simply so they wouldn't have to be alone? Even for a relatively short term duration? If that was the case, then it was truly a strange concept for him to consider. "And you possess some evidence to support this theory of yours?" he asked her. "About as much as you do for yours," she replied and shrugged. It seemed that for the second time today, "touche" was the only appropriate response he had to give. The theories he had come up with over the last several days hadn't been based on hard, physical proof that was readily available for review, but rather speculation and circumstantial evidence, along with a healthy dose of suspicion. There had been very little in the way of definite confirmation to support his theories. Perhaps the same applied in this situation. as well. "RD, ah really don' think it's like that," Applejack interjected from where she stood, before approaching them. "Ah don' think tha' Twilight would jus' purposely do somethin' like that." "That's just it, Applejack, she's not purposely doing it, she doesn't even realize that she's doing it," Rainbow Dash replied as she set down on all four hooves in front of her. "That's what subconscious means. She doesn't want to think that she doesn't need us. And she sure as hay wouldn't want us to think that she doesn't need us for anything, like she's some sort of snob or something. It makes perfect sense." "I'm sorry, darling, but I just don't believe that Twilight would ever do something like that, either consciously or unconsciously," Rarity replied in a soft tone as she approached, further distancing herself from the basement doorway. "For your theory to work, Twilight would have to be willing to exploit our natural good nature, and take advantage of our willingness to help each other when in need," she explained. "Unless she doesn't even realize she's even doing it. Like I said it's subconscious. She's not doing it on purpose or anything, she's just trying to make us feel like we're needed, and reassure herself that she's not slipping back into her old routine," Rainbow Dash shot back, trying to defend her position from the two who were attempting to pick it apart like birds with a piece of bread. Ulquiorra merely kept silent as the three ponies around him discussed back and forth, with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie being silent off to the side, observing their three friends with varying degrees of interest and concern. What was being presented was a mildly interesting theory about the lavender unicorn, but without actual evidence to either confirm or deny the theory, it was nothing more than speculation. It didn't even possess any probative value that he could use in his own theories on the matters they were facing. If anything it simply made Twilight Sparkle appear to be a liability in terms of group integrity. He would need to speak with her on the matter later. Personally. If she truly was handicapping herself, then it was a habit that she would need to break in very short order. And if that were the case, then he would need to give Rainbow Dash more credit in the intelligence department. However, as he opened his eyes again, he became aware of a disturbance in the room. In the brief moment his eyes had been shut in thought, something had changed. Something that should've been physically impossible to occur during such a short amount of time. And yet as he stood there watching, it had indeed happened. "Precisely what are you doing?" Pinkie Pie turned her head to look at him curiously, stopping the activity she'd been engaged in just a moment before. For whatever reason that motivated her actions, she was currently laying on her back on the floor, and attempting to use her front hooves to pull on what appeared to be a pair of socks over her hind legs. Blue and white striped socks that looked like they could stretch past her gaskins. "Getting ready for bed. Staying up late at a slumber party is no fun if your friends are too busy to actually have fun with you," Pinkie replied and went back to pulling the one sock down all the way, wriggling her hoof until it was a snug fit. With that one done she proceeded into the next one. "So I might as well turn in. We've got work to do tomorrow and I don't wanna miss out." "A fair point," Ulquiorra replied, deciding it simply wasn't worth it to try and debate the matter any further than that. "But what is the point of the socks?" he asked. Strange as it may seem, he was finding it a matter of greater curiosity as to why she was deciding to wear socks, rather than where she managed to procure them in such a short amount of time. There were simply some things that shouldn't be questioned. "I like wearing socks to bed. They feel so nice and soft against your hooves. And besides, it's easier to keep them clean that way since you're not walking all over them all the time," Pinkie explained as she struggled to pull the second sock down all the way on her leg, before finally rolling over onto her side and looking over at them again. There was a moment of awkward silence shared between them. It was then that Ulquiorra became aware of the sudden disappearance of Rainbow Dash, and the slamming of some inside door in the distance, followed by the muffled sound of running water. Applejack just shut her eyes and shook her head. "Ah don' wanna know..." "We are in agreement then," Ulquiorra replied dryly. In this world there were some things that simply shouldn't be questioned. And then there was the matter of some things that he simply didn't want to question. And then there was a flash of lightning, and a crash of thunder coming from outside the library. That was soon followed by the sound of rain beginning to fall. "Oh dear. This is certainly going to complicate the cleanup efforts for tomorrow," Rarity commented. "Perhaps it should be asked why, in light of the attack launched against Ponyville, the rain was not postponed for a more convenient time," Ulquiorra commented. Under normal circumstances that kind of statement would seem nonsensical to make. But under normal circumstances the weather wasn't managed by ponies gifted with wings and the ability to fly. "Oh. Um... it's not really that simple," Fluttershy spoke up as she stepped closer. "Ponyville's weather is managed by a team of pegasi. And for something area-wide it takes all of them to manage all of the clouds. A scheduled rainfall isn't exactly something that can just be called off at a moment's notice," she explained. "Noted," Ulquiorra replied. It was an explanation that made sense to him; far more sense than the notion of ponies being able to manage absolutely everything around them in this little town of theirs. Their were limitations to what they could do. And the fact that these ponies were incapable of controlling absolutely every aspect of their lives was fine to him. Them learning how to work with and through adversity, how to address that which couldn't be managed through a simple flexing of magic, would serve them well if they were to survive. Learning how to address struggles would do well for the strength of their character. "Whew," Rainbow Dash breathed as she reentered the room, her mane -as well as the fur on the rest of her head- showing traces of having been wet down and dried off in a hasty manner. "What'd I miss?" she asked. "Discussion of how the rain will be affecting tomorrow's cleanup efforts," Ulquiorra replied, not interested in whatever the cyan pegasus had been up to. He could speculate, but he truly didn't want to. "Yeah sorry about that. If we hadn't been corralled like we were, maybe I could've poked a few holes in the clouds so the town wouldn't get hit by the full load. But we were and I couldn't get the word out," Rainbow Dash replied. She'd certainly wanted to do something about the pileup of everything that they were going to be facing, but the circumstances of the day had been beyond her control. "I mean, I guess I could head out and do that over the more serious areas of Ponyville, pull an emergency sky clearing and in the morning file a 1031-C with the weather bureau, explaining why it was necessary to interfere with a scheduled storm, and why it had to be done without clearance from them. Only problem is-" The explanation of details Rainbow Dash was currently involved in was interrupted by a loud clap of thunder directly overhead, causing the library to tremble from the proximity, and both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie to shriek in terror. "-that. Those clouds are heavily charged with static electricity to help the nitrogen in the soils. Punching holes in them is... hazardous. Pegasi can withstand some significant elemental conditions in the line of weather duty, but getting struck by lightning isn't among them," she concluded, the thunder serving as perfect emphasis of the point she was trying to make to the others. Ulquiorra considered her words. The explanation given seemed to make a decent amount of sense to him. Running around in a lightning storm was bad logic no matter how it was explained, even if it was to try and break up pockets of the storm itself. Even if it was wise, it would require that the cyan pegasus venture out into the dark on her own, leaving her vulnerable to whatever might be out there and working to avoid detection by his pesquisa. Perhaps the lightning would have the unintended benefit of presenting a threat to whatever was present that shouldn't be, and discouraging anything that would threaten the town under cover of nightfall. However that thought gave way to another thought, and that one was far more disturbing to consider. "Is it really a wise decision to be inside of a large tree during a lightning storm?" he asked. Lightning had a strong tendency to strike tall targets like trees. The library might be a sitting target as they stood here. Perhaps all of them going down to the basement would be the best option for their safety. "Magical lightnin' rod," Applejack replied casually, "Rarity an' ah've been through this once before. Library's perdy safe in weather like this. Especially since Twilight reinforced the windows ta not break so easily," she explained. One less thing to concern himself with. However he was now presented with another question: if the library itself was protected against lightning strikes, why would Twilight Sparkle possess the knowledge that her forcefield could withstand several consecutive lightning strikes? Then again it was Twilight Sparkle. She possessed a certain thoroughness about her that would almost make him question why she wouldn't do something in the name of accuracy. It could even be assumed that it was out of concern for protecting buildings other than the library during a storm. Considering her character that seemed reasonable. "Back to a previous question though, what're we gonna do about Twilight? Just how long are we supposed to leave her alone down in the basement?" Pinkie asked as she approached. "You've got me there, Pinks, I don't have any answers," Rainbow Dash replied. There were nothing beneficial that she could contribute in this matter. Or at least nothing that was coming to her mind right now. "I know I said that I think Twilight's doing this out of some need related to her belief on friends. But I'm also wondering if she's doing this because she... well, because maybe she thinks she needs to be punished." "Punished?" Applejack asked as she quirked an eyebrow, not sure what exactly she was talking about. Rainbow Dash nodded. "You heard Twilight back at the hospital. Don't tell me you haven't considered it being a possibility," she replied. She already knew that the others had questions to ask about what she was suggesting. So she decided to cut them off before they could actually ask them. "Think about it. If she thinks that she's responsible for all the death and suffering Ponyville's been struck by, don't you think she's going to do something to try and make herself feel better about it? Something that'll make her feel like she's paying some sort of price for what she believes she did, to make it up to the others?" she asked. "Darling I think we've already covered that theory," Rarity pointed out, only to have Rainbow Dash shook her head in response. "That was about Twilight needing help when she's stressed. What I'm saying is different. I'm saying that she's got a lot of guilt going on inside of her, and she's looking for some kind of outlet for it. She thinks she did something wrong, and now she's looking for some way to make it right, but doesn't know how to do it. Studying those spells is to prevent a reoccurrence of today, but that's future tense. She needs something for the past tense, for what's already happened and can't be changed no matter how much she tries. I think if she gets that outlet she'll feel a lot better, and more open to reason," Rainbow Dash explained as best she could. Rarity listened in silence as Rainbow Dash explained her theory relating to Twilight's current condition. She would admit that she'd never considered such a possibility before. But if she did then she would feel the need to immediately follow up with the question of just where Rainbow Dash had come up with such a theory that dealt with a matter as complicated as psychology. Maybe it would be best to question her later, when the situation wasn't quite so serious. "Well I suppose it's technically possible," she replied. "Guilt does kinda make ponies do funny things. Ah reckon it's a possibility, even if she's no foal," Applejack added. "Um... if this is really the case, then what do we do to help Twilight?" Fluttershy asked them, uncertain of the best way to proceed from here. "Don't worry about that, Flutters, I've got a plan. You girls might wanna head on up to bed, this could take a while," Rainbow Dash replied and started to walk towards the basement door. "Assuming your theory is accurate, and Twilight Sparkle's current course of action is due to feelings of guilt and personal responsibility, how do you intend to handle the situation? None of you possess training in the field of psychology," Ulquiorra pointed out. He hadn't seen fit to entirely discount this new theory, as it did make some degree of sense; at least in an academic sense. But in how it would be addressed was another matter entirely, as any mishandled approach could have significant consequences to address. The last thing that any of them needed right now was Rainbow Dash potentially planting notions in Twilight Sparkle's mind that weren't there to begin with. "Like I said, I've got a plan in mind. But before I go into details I need to know something. What exactly does "handle" mean?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Of course," Ulquiorra thought to himself. The predominant species of this world lacked hands, it would only make sense that any derivative words wouldn't be in their language either. "In this specific context it refers to having a situation under control when addressing it. To deal with something, and take responsibility for its management," he explained. Rainbow Dash gave a curious look at his explanation, before finally nodding and shrugging, deciding that it made enough sense. "Anyway I plan to "handle" this by talking to her. If it is guilt then the first order of business is to get her to recognize it for herself. Once that's done then we can proceed from there, however necessary," she explained. "Uh... talk? Yer jus' gonna talk ta her?" Applejack asked, not entirely sure she was hearing this right. This was the same Rainbow Dash who kicked a dragon in the face. The same Rainbow Dash that tackled a dragon head on, and tried to knock Ulquiorra right off his feet with multiple blows to the face, before going off and yelling in his face. And she was seriously planning on just talking to Twilight? "Ya sure yer not a changelin' er somethin'?" she asked. "Very funny," Rainbow Dash replied and frowned. But then again if she'd heard herself ask the same question a couple of years ago, she might be asking the same thing of herself. "Talk has gotten us pretty far up to this point, even I can't deny that. Might as well give it a try." "You do have a point, darling, but are you sure you're the best candidate for this task? I don't mean to be rude, but you've really never been the most patient of ponies. Don't you think that maybe I should be the one to try and talk to her?" Rarity asked her. "No offense, Rarity, but you're not cut out for this. If Twilight needs a push she's gonna need somepony who's not afraid to just push. You might have better patience, but I'm a lot more stubborn than you could manage," Rainbow Dash stated before finally moving towards the basement door again. "Like I said, you girls might wanna head up to bed. This could take a while, and there's no sense in all of us losing sleep." The others watched in silence as Rainbow Dash made her way over to the basement stairs, turned, and pulled the door shut behind her with a click, leaving them alone in the resulting silence of the library. Alone in the silence, with the exception of the continual sound of rain beating against the outside, and the low rumble of thunder off in the distance. "So..." Applejack began as she slowly spoke up, breaking what was beginning to become a stifling silence to experience. "Someone mind explainin' jus' what went on here? Ah know wha' we all saw, but ah'm feelin' kinda lost right now..." "I'm afraid you're not the only one, Applejack, I feel a bit lost myself. That... that didn't seem like the Rainbow Dash we've come to know and love. She was so... assertive, and yet at the same time... it was almost like she has an actual plan for how she intends to proceed, rather than playing things by ear in a Discord may care approach," Rarity replied. The idea of Rainbow Dash's change in approach was... well... it was almost like she'd suddenly matured considerably or something. Ulquiorra merely remained silent as he considered everything that had happened over the course of the day. In the matter concerning Twilight Sparkle's reaction to today's events, they had progressed from the theory of her obsessive compulsive behavior affecting her judgement, to the theory that she was subconsciously hindering herself in the name of friendship, to the possibility that she was being driven by unrealized guilt. Varying -and sometimes absurdly wild- theories were nothing new to him, but the fact that two of the three theories had come from Rainbow Dash rather than any other pony had been the most unusual aspect of it all. Every single time he thought he had these ponies properly figured out, they went and proved that there was something else to them that contradicted earlier preconceived notions. He couldn't help but wonder if the other ponies in this town held as many surprises Once again the silence returned. A stifling silence that just seemed to grow all the more intolerable with each passing second. It finally reached the point where Applejack once again couldn't take it anymore. "So... we jus' turn in now? Jus' like that?" she asked the others, uncertain of just what was proper under these circumstances. "Well I really don't want to, but I kinda need to," Pinkie replied reluctantly and yawned. "If I don't get at least four hours of sleep then I'm no use to anypony. And considering what tomorrow might bring, I'm gonna need those four hours," she explained. "I'm afraid I have to agree. As much as I care for Twilight, I simply can't afford to stay up the entire night in hope that Rainbow Dash will be able to talk her into coming back upstairs to bed," Rarity added. "And I really do need to get up early to tend to all the critters in my care. I don't know what they'd do without me being there," Fluttershy stated. "Well than ah guess tha's that," Applejack replied and shrugged, "ya girls can head on up ta bed, ah think ah'm gonna hang back here wit' Mr. Cifer a while longer an' wait. Jus' in case RD can't, um, handle things on 'er own an' needs a little backup." The pattern of Ulquiorra remaining silent due to a lack of anything relevant to comment on remained intact and unbroken, despite this change in development. With the nature of their work and responsibilities taken into account, he would have anticipated Pinkie Pie being the one volunteering to stay up while the others turned in for the evening. Not that he had truly anticipated any of them choosing to wait up in the name of helping another. But he would have assumed the hyperactive pink earth pony would be the one to fill such a duty. Regardless of this unforeseen development, it was of no importance at this point in time. So long as no threats managed to disable them, which in turn would put Equestria itself in harm's way. Pleasantries of an irrelevant nature were exchanged between the four ponies, before Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie eventually made their way up the stairs to the second floor of the building, leaving him behind with Applejack. "And then there were two," he thought to himself.