Outside in the courtyard, ponies were setting up lanterns in all those places which at night would hold the most shadows hoping it would cut down the chances of letting their enemies in.
Suddenly out of nowhere Jack and Eric zapped up in the middle of the yard, making everyone to run to the boundary's so they wouldn't get hurt.
Jack was on top of a sword-less Eric screaming in his ear "TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT BACK!"
Eric meanwhile was trying to get up, but seeing that it wasn't going to work just spun them so he was on top and yelled "WHY SHOULD I?"
At this Jack screamed and pushed Eric off him flipped himself over, ran to the left hand wall of the yard, and started charging at Eric who had only just got up, a battle cry being screamed at the top of his lungs.
"JACK! STOP!" someone called out behind Jack making him slowdown and spin around to see who it was.
In the door way stood the princesses the six, Chris and the Gemstone Triplets all staring in disbelief at what he was about to do.
Looking around Jack saw that everyone had their eyes, full of question on him. Not knowing how to feel he turned to Eric and said to him as carefully as he could seeing that everyone was watching. "Take it back!"
"Take what back?" Eric asked rubbing his stomach looking straight to Jack, "The truth that you used to pick on me, or your old school nick name?"
"Both." Jack said "And before I say why I was like that, do you remember how old we were huh?" Jack asked forgetting everyone was there. "When I started hanging around with them and you became the kid I loved to hate? Why I hate that name so much!"
All eyes turned to Eric as he had a confused look on his face but you could see that, little by little, the puzzle was being fitted together.
"It... It was because of Emma wasn't it?" Eric asked looking at Jack apologetically then to the ground in shame as memories of the first day back after the New Year came to him and news had spread about a girl fallen through a pond she was skating on, around the school and Jack started to pick on him with the other bullies. "You... You were losing your pain through me. Weren't you?" he asked not needing an answer.
After a moment of silence, Fluttershy quietly walked up to the two of them.
"Are... Are you two alright now?" she asked hovering so she could press a hoof on each of them looking from one to the other.
"I'm fine," Eric said shifting his gaze from Jack "Just going to go find my sword and then head for bed. Some how I'm not all that hungry tonight." he said as the way was parted so he could get back inside.
"How about you Jack?" Celestia's smooth voice asked over the continued silence.
"Yeah," he said breathing hard to hold back tears that were forming. "But... If I may, can I have a try at seeing the Changeling? Eric told me something I think might get her to speak to me." he said looking at the ponies in the door too upset to laugh at the faces they were giving.
"Of course you can," Celestia said smiling slightly. "You know the way I trust?" she asked getting a nod, as Jack went back inside as well.
"Well that was exciting wasn't it?" Discord asked flashing into existence next to Fluttershy in a reclining chair with a box of popcorn wearing 3-D glasses.
Being around him enough now to just block him out everypony went back to work setting up the lanterns where as the princesses the six and the foals came over to him.
"You know what they were talking about didn't you Meester Discord," Ruby stated.
"Yes I did," Discord said picking one piece at a time and placing it in his mouth.
"Who, and what, were they talking about Meester Discord?" Jade asked remembering Jack saying that name earlier in the library when the stories were being exchanged.
"I don't really have the authority to say."
"Like something like that's ever stopped you before," Rainbow Dash said loudly rolling her eyes.
"I can't say because I made a Double Pinkie Promise to him not to repeat what he told me, when I found him a few years ago, letting his sadness out by making blizzard in Whitetail Wood blowing up the heads off of snowmen tears coming from his eyes... Do I need to continue Rainbow Dash?" he asked now sitting straight a look of pride on his face.
That shut the blue Pegasus up as she backed away from the chair a bit.
"Will they both be alright Meester Discord?" Amber asked holding up her hoof to get attention.
"I'm sure they'll get over this," Discord said playing with his beard, "But as Jack told Eric yesterday, 'Memories as bad as what they were just talking about, don't ever go away', so I can't be sure for Jack overall."
Down in the dungeons Suzy's sleep was interrupted as she heard two footed footsteps coming down the corridor, but sensing greater depression than earlier could tell that it wasn't the knight.
Confused Suzy got up and sat right in the middle of the cell looking out to the corridor as Jack stepped out into the light.
"You're ok!" she said a genuine smile on her lips as she rushed forward to the door to see him better. "I... I thought Discord was lying when he said you'd be fine yesterday, I..." she stopped herself hearing what she was saying and blushing slightly turning away a bit.
"Um... there a reason you and your sadness have come and disturbed me?" she asked avoiding eye contact, but staying where she was.
"I've come to ask, if you'll help us, that's me, Eric, and everypony here, Get Sarah back to the side of good, light and Harmony." Jack asked sitting down so their eyes were closer to each other.
"Wh... Why should I?" Suzy said trying to be strong "Why should I help you get her back and turn on my queen and Sombra?" she asked.
"Because I already lost one family member due to cold and dark," Jack said scrunching up his face to stop the tears "And I don't want to lose another, just because you won't look past your nose and see what you're doing is wrong." he said fists clenched.
Trying to understand why Jack was so upset, and what he meant Suzy thought back to yesterday before they left for Canterlot.
"That girl you told me about," she said slowly "She did fall into the ice didn't she?" she asked eyes wide, hearing a few small foal sized gasps that made Jack spin around as he saw the Triplets vanish back into the dark and heard their hooves running up the stairs back to the entrance hall.
"Yeah," Jack said sighing "Now please, I have to teach some foals not to listen to conversations that aren't theirs." he said snapping his fingers and flashing out of there.
Upstairs the three filly's agreed to split up for less chance of Jack finding them.
Ruby, would go to the library, Jade would go to the kitchens, and Amber would go looking for Eric.
But before they had a chance Jack appeared in front of them a look of disappointment on his face his arms crossed.
"You three know it's not nice to listen to private conversations, or to spy on someone. Right?" he asked tapping his foot.
"We're sworry Jack," they said together looking to the ground.
"We... We just wanted to find out why you were so upset with Eric," Ruby said lifting her eyes up to him.
"Girls, do you know the expression 'curiosity killed the cat'?" Jack asked rubbing the bridge of his nose sinking down to the floor so he wasn't glaring down at them.
"No..." they said together in a confused voice.
"Curiosity is like... sweets." Jack said zapping some up to show what he meant giving one to each filly. "Now a little curiosity is alright. It keeps you asking questions, which help you learn and get through life." he said giving them one piece each more as he continued.
"But too many sweets eventually give you tooth aches, and upset tummy's don't they?" he asked finally stopping handing them out waiting for nods from the filly's before he continued.
"Well with Curiosity those tooth aches and upset tummy's, turn into really bad shaped little ponies," he said unwrapping a sweet for himself "For example," he said seeing they still didn't understand "If you see smoke and flames coming from somewhere, too much curiosity will make you go towards it, and because of that, you can get hurt, can't you?" Jack asked finishing his lesson.
"We're sworry Jack," the triplets said again.
"I know you are," he said a small smile back on his face. "Just think about it and what the outcome will be next time ok?" he said getting up. "Keep the sweets, they might help you to remember. And tell the grown-ups I'll be out in Whitetail Wood for a while ok?"
With that and nods from the three Jack snapped his fingers and was gone.