//------------------------------// // Part Four: An Unusual Introduction and a Strange Passer-by. // Story: Dr Whooves And The Mare Who Saw What Wasn't There. // by Paganbrony //------------------------------// Part Four: An Unusual Introduction and a Strange Passer-by. Twilight checked yet again the still sleeping forms of her friends Applejack and Dash as she adjusted the quilt over them as they lay next to each other in her bed. The royal guards Biggs and Wedge as Twilight had found out they were called who had accompanied Luna were downstairs having carried the two mares to the library after they had sent home the mob of worried ponies that had gathered outside the alleyway. That however was forgotten as she could hear them argue about who was supposed to have been watching Luna, reaching the living room her usual tactful demeanor and calming influence disappeared and she yelled loudly at both of them. “YOU BOTH SCREWED UP OK! ACCEPT IT!” “The Princess Luna’s who knows where… A monster or a thing or something is hurting ponies, oh and I almost forgot… Some loony pony is out there with her and all you can do is argue?!” Biggs and Wedge exchanged embarrassed looks and hung their heads, ‘sorry’ they murmured in unison. “Better.” A still seething Twilight tried to calm herself as her thoughts sifted the current events. Mayor Mare of Ponyville had sent a message through Spike immediately to Princess Celestia and had left Twilight to care for her friends while she organized the inhabitants of Ponyville to stay indoors and hopefully prevent anymore attacks from whatever was out there. Twilight glanced out the window, all of Ponyville had their lights on burning bright and despite the memory of the night’s terror for a brief moment it looked so beautiful against Luna’s night sky. “Oh Luna…” Twilight breathed. “Please be safe.” Luna was sort of safe… She was sat dejectedly on her haunches against a moldy log inside a small clearing and staring at the night sky, Shivering with anger she cursed her luck. While following that bizarre Stallion Luna had stumbled and twisted her hoof, to make matters worse she had done this shortly after following her quarry into the Everfree forest outside of town. Luna tried again to heal her hoof but in saving the two ponies earlier she’d used far too much power and now couldn’t focus because of her tiredness and the fact she hadn’t eaten since breakfast as her stomach was now insistently reminding her of. *RUSTLE* ... *CREAK* Luna froze as the sound of disturbed leaves and creaking wood came from behind her. Terrified, she slowly turned... And nothing was there... Confused she began to curse her imagination when the sounds happened again, this time clearly behind her but definitely sounding like they came from above her… Tilting her head slowly up she stared into the branches of the tree behind her, as a pair of golden eyes stared back. “EEEEEYAH…” Luna screamed tumbling forwards as she tripped in her haste and fell in a heap on the grass and leaves of the forest floor. Quickly and painfully she scrambled to her hooves and panicking looked again at the branch but the eyes hadn’t moved, or had they? Through the shock and confusion she looked harder. The eyes were indeed still there, but didn’t seem to be... No they were definitely pointing in different directions? “Goodbye…” A weak voice stammered as the eyes slowly shifted direction. Luna’s mind went off in several different directions as the eyes continued to sort of watch her. When her train of thought returned to the station, all she could muster was... “D-don’t you mean hello?” “Uh no... No I mean y… I meant hello…” “Are you planning to try to attack me by any chance?” Luna trembled slightly as she asked. “N-no, no reason to, why afraid me...?” Luna’s mind once again hit a stumbling block at the reply, after giving it a moment’s thought she inquired hopefully. “Did you mean, you have no reason to and why am I so afraid?” Luna held her breath. “Y-Yes...” Luna relaxed just slightly. “Um, could you come down so I can see you?” Luna braced herself for whatever might emerge, seconds ticked by before the sound of movement and then… *CRASH* Whatever had been in the tree had fallen out into a bush directly below. Luna tried to stay calm as a shape climbed awkwardly from the bush. After a fair bit of commotion and completely random words and curses, the entity behind the eyes finally stood in the clearing before the princess. The relief washed through Luna’s body as she realized it was just a young Pegasus mare albeit a rather disheveled and oddly behaved one. The mare who had a blonde mane and grey coat shuffled nervously scuffing the ground with a hoof. “Misunderstanding apologies accept…” She gave Luna a sorrowful look as Luna unpicked this in her mind. “O-of course…” She paused noting the timid nod of the grey mare, one eye looked straight at her the other was pointing somewhere off to the left, Luna felt a migraine fast approaching. “So, uh... what’s your name?” The grey mare hesitated. “I’m Luna, nice to meet you...?” A pause, a shuffle, then... “Ditsy…” “…Nice to meet you Ditsy.” The following conversation was complicated somewhat by the young mares inability to string together coherent sentences Luna thought. Upon inspection the mare’s outward appearance seemed broken and fearful, although the eyes seemed to lend a comical slant to the poor mare and Luna tried ‘royally’ hard to not break out in nervous laughter despite the ludicrous set of events beforehand. After explaining she’d been following a pony after the attack on Twilight’s friends into the forest but had lost him, Luna waited patiently for Ditsy to respond. After a momentary pause to re-align her eyes, Ditsy realised the strange looking pony had said Twilight’s friends! Stammering profusely she responded. “Who? Twilights hurt friends?” Luna cocked her head, her eye twitched as her tired mind caught up. “Uh, it was Applejack and... Rainbow Dash...” The grey mare looked crushed. “Do... Do you know them?” The now crying grey mare nodded, Luna quickly continued… “But as I said, they’ll be fine I promise! I healed them myself!” Ditsy nodded again, bolstered by the confidence in the strange mare’s voice. Ditsy concentrated harder on her eyes, as she successfully managed to get them dead center she studied the pony in front of her. Luna shifted uneasily as both the mare’s eyes suddenly focused straight at her, for a moment she wondered if she should say something before.... “You not white, only pony familiar know white.” Luna grasped for straws until she saw Ditsy’s eyes flicker between her horn and her wings, well that and about a million other things as they began moving around again. “The only allicorn you know is Celestia?” Ditsy nodded. “Well… I am Celestia’s younger sister Luna!” Celestia hated her using the ‘younger’ part and so Luna had made a point of it from then on. A blank look a moment’s thought and an ‘um’ from Ditsy told Luna she had some P.R to arrange back at the castle. “Princess of the moon…? Princess Luna?” Nothing... Luna sighed. “I used to be nightmare moon?” Yep Bull’s-eye Luna thought as she trotted unsteadily back to the base of the tree the mare had first fallen out of. “You don’t need to be afraid; I won’t hurt you...? Please come back down…” “Not for Muffins!!!” In the morning back in Ponyville… After a night of fear and speculation for the ponies of Ponyville they were soon relieved as they saw Celestia’s sun rising in the sky. Celestia after arriving in Ponyville had immediately set about calming its terrified inhabitants while taking stock of the situation. Biggs and Wedge the two royal guards assigned to Luna however had suffered Celestia’s wrath, as they stood outside the library’s front door they were under no illusion thanks to Celestia’s vocal tirade what was in store for them. If something happened to Princess Luna their future lay either on the moon or as part of the palace gardens decorations due to Celestia’s seldom referred to in public habit of turning those who displeased her to stone. She had also added that even if Luna returned unscathed the consequences would still be dire dropping a comment about posting them to some inhospitable corner of Equestria. The usually steadfast guards secretly wished a quick doom and pondered if they would get a chance to pose before becoming ornaments or if they would at least be able to take a pack of cards to the moon. Inside the library Celestia paced back and forth muttering to herself, it had taken a while to assimilate Twilight’s recollection of events and they worried her. Luna was a Goddess after all Celestia reasoned, alright a Goddess who was actually as pure and innocent as they were supposed to be, despite her past… This thought niggled Celestia, Luna hadn’t been back long and it was if she had been reborn, she had knowledge of the times before nightmare moon, but she was little more than a filly back then... Out there in the real world Luna had proved useless at adapting to modern conventions and Celestia was worried, Luna had been gone all night and Twilight’s description of the stallion Luna had been chasing significantly worried the Princess, an hour glass cutie mark Twilight had said... Celestia tried not to think of what his reappearance could mean, or why Twilight’s description clashed with her memories of that troublesome stallion, had he changed again she wondered…? “Princess…” A deep voice intoned her title. Celestia turned to the Pegasus royal guard that had been waiting patiently as she paced. “Yes Aquilinus…” “You’re wearing out the floor Marm…” Celestia blinked. “Oh- yes, I suppose…” “Um… Aquilinus?” “Yes Marm.” “How long have I been pacing?” “Three hours Marm.” “Oh…” Celestia blushed, it wasn’t the slightly concerned eyes of her guard watching her or his slow deliberate tone which sounded almost parental it was just that Aquilinus always treated her respectfully but firmly, there wasn’t another pony in Equestria who dared to point out when she was being irrational or was acting improperly. She gave him a warm smile. “Thank you Aquilinus.” “Marm…” Celestia disembarking her train of thought and looking for a distraction looked around for her prized pupil Twilight. “In the kitchen Marm, she’s been in there the whole time.” “Thanks…” Celestia headed to the kitchen door at the back of the library, making a mental note not to forget to send Aquilinus an extra something on his coming birthday. Twilight was used to staying up all night reading, being up all the night worrying about Dash and Applejack not to mention Luna and whatever else was out there had short circuited the purple unicorn and so she was bustling round the kitchen in a daze. “Twilight dear…” Celestia called as she entered, “Princess Celestia! Is there any news…?” The young unicorn asked. “Not yet, the search parties I sent still haven’t returned…” “W-well no news is good news right?” Twilight responded hopefully. “Of course…” Celestia said silently thanking her astute if a little naive student. Celestia used the momentary pause following this to look at her surroundings, a homely kitchen if she ever saw one, but as she glanced around she realised the mess it was in. “Ah, Twilight… Is everything OK?” “Huh…” Twilight paused, as she came back to reality she immediately tried to explain the kitchen and why it looked as if a storm had passed through. “I was cooking breakfast for every pony, me Applejack and Dash…” *Pause* “And you, the guards…” She trailed off before finishing lamely. “I’m not a good cook though… I had to start again…” Another pause followed as she added. “A couple of times...” Celestia decided not to rub salt in the wound by pointing out the burnt toast or the lumpy looking soup arranged haphazardly on tea trays or the pile of rather sloppy looking pancakes threatening to ooze off the plates nearby. “Quite a mix of... Things…” Twilight blushed. “I didn’t know what everyone would like.” “So you cooked what you had right.” The Princess asked in what she thought was a positive tone. Twilight embarrassed by her disastrous efforts could only nod. “You’re a kind pony Twilight; at least you showed your willingness to try.” Twilight blushed again at the obvious attempt to praise her effort if not the results. “Is something burning?” “Oh my… The hay fries!!!” Twilight panicked again rushing to the oven hurriedly. ‘Fries, pancakes, toast and soup’ Celestia wondered if instead of learning about friendship Twilight should have attended cooking classes. As Twilight was putting the fries to rest in the bin and Celestia despite Twilights objections began to clean the kitchen the first of the sleeping mares upstairs awoke. During the confusion of the previous night’s events Twilight had forgotten to close her bedroom curtains, it was now as the morning sun shone through said window onto the face of Applejack that it’s gentle rays woke her. Not fully conscious and her mind not yet able to function, Applejack rolled over to her other side to escape the painfully bright sunshine screwing her eyes shut as she did. After a few seconds Applejack realized something wasn’t right, shifting slightly something tickled her nose. Quickly she realized she could hear soft breathing, and as she thought about it this didn’t feel like her bed? Cautiously she opened an eye, quickly shutting it again Applejack froze, her heartbeat beginning to reach dangerous levels. Trying to slow her now rapid breathing Applejack opened both eyes this time and focused on what was tickling her nose. The multi colored mane was spread right across Dash’s pillow across onto Applejack’s. Dash!!! Applejack panicked as she tried to shuffle out of the bed, this however caused Dash to moan softly and turn over. Before she could stop her Dash had rolled over and on coming in contact with the startled mare she had instinctively snuggled closer to the warmth wrapping herself around the now hyperventilating farm pony from tip to tail. ‘How..?’ Applejack thought back as she desperately tried to remember what had happened before well... This…? Looking around she tried to remember but then it struck her, this was not her bed or Rainbows, not her place or Dashes for that matter, where in the hay had she ended up? Then the sleepover she’d had with Twilight and Rarity a while ago surfaced in her mind. Oh no, this was Twilight’s room and her bed!!! As if on cue Twilight backed through the bedroom door using her magic to levitate what looked like a breakfast tray in front of her. Applejack was frozen in time; she was on her side in a different bed with a different pony now sprawled all over her and the beds owner was bringing in breakfast! Applejack winced as she began to realize how uncomfortable much her body was feeling and that it was aching quite badly in places. Twilight a little startled by the scene before her expecting her charges to be still asleep, saw the pained expression on Applejack’s face and chided her quietly as she laid the tray on her bedside table on Applejacks side of the bed. “You shouldn’t move too much, not after last night.” Applejack tried desperately to relax her breathing after Twilight said that, but the heart beating alongside hers was a mite distracting. She tried again to remember as much of the previous night as she could but nothing came forth to aid her recollection. She paused, then in light of the still sleeping Dash whispered. “Uh Twilight, just what the hay happened last night, ah remember leaving Carrot Top’s place then asking Rainbow if she wanted to get a drink before we carried on searching for Ditzy...” Looking back down to the slumbering form laying out against her she turned a deep shade of red and as she glanced at Twilight’s unkempt hair and tired expression she drew several conclusions (all wrong) and as her imagination kicked in her mind promptly shutdown as its self preservation instinct cut in. Twilight watched as Applejack turned a variety of red shades while soundlessly opening and closing her mouth. Twilight innocent in such things didn’t understand Applejack’s expression and assumed she was reliving the night’s terrors. “It’s okay Applejack…” Twilight soothed as she reached a hoof towards Applejack to calm her, the farm pony flinched at the gesture and tried to climb from the bed and out the embrace Dash had her in. Twilight barely managed to say ‘be careful’ as Applejack clipped the waiting breakfast tray, without thinking she instinctively tried to grab at it only making matters worse as she lost her balance and slipped off the edge of the bed. It was Rainbow Dash who now woke up as the fluffy apple scented cloud she was sleeping on in her dream suddenly moved and pulled her with it. As Applejack landed on her back on the floor, her hind hooves still on the bed, Dash still half on the bed ended up face down with her chin on Applejack’s chest. Applejack craned her head forward as Dashes eyes went as wide as saucers at their predicament. “Uh, hi Sugacube…” *SPROING* *CRASH* The breakfast tray and its dubious contents were finally laid to rest along with Twilight’s alarm clock and bedside lamp as Dash’s wings unfolded involuntarily. “Is everything alright Twilight?” Celestia asked as she popped her head round the door. This was the last straw for Applejack as she fainted… In the Everfree... Deep in the Everfree forest Luna sneezed. Luna shook her head, it wasn’t fair, eventually she’d talked the mare Ditsy out of the tree, but that was only the beginning ... it had been a cold damp night. “Are you sure it’s this way?” Luna had lost count of just how many times they’d been past the tree she was now shivering miserably under. Ditsy was a wreck, she was too weak to fly, her memory was shot and her eyes hurt from crying about something she refused to talk about. The two stayed there for a while before they heard the sound of approaching hooves! Luna tried to hide but the stranger had appeared through the trees a few yards away and was going almost parallel to Luna. The Princess stood still hoping the figure in a cloak would pass them by, silently she turned to Ditsy to re-assure her... ...Where’d she go…? “Zecora!!!” Ditsy called as she used the last of her energy to reach the startled zebra. “Zecora!!!” Luna stumbled to Ditsy’s side as the stranger tossed back her hood and knelt beside Ditzy, a concerned look upon her face. “Oh child who flies astray, how did you end up this way…?” Luna listened to the strange sing song pronunciation of the zebra before her and pleaded. “Please help us…” The zebra looked up. “Of that child you can be sure, but how unusual to have dinner for four.” Later in Ponyville... Back in the town library, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were coming to terms with the actual events of last night after leaving Ditsy’s place. The two of them along with Twilight and Princess Celestia sat in the main room of the library; each had given their own perspective on what had transpired what they could remember that is… Now they were waiting as Aquilinus had gone to check in with the search parties. With every local pony indoors or searching for Luna, Celestia had ordered Biggs and Wedge to collect and return with the remaining Elements of Harmony. Celestia firmly believed that the combined Elements of Harmony would help overcome the evil that had appeared in Ponyville, and in the process return her beloved Luna to her... As Celestia continued to think happy thoughts Twilight was bewildered by the behaviour of her two friends; neither Dash nor Applejack had looked at or spoken to each other for nearly half an hour at this point. Twilight unaware of the reasons behind the unspoken tension between the two remained confused as she sat as close as dignity allowed to her mentor for reassurance, feeling useless and insignificant amongst all the strife... Normally she would have checked her books for an answer but something told her the book she needed had been stolen by that stallion, Twilight tried to figure out at which point he could have possibly have swiped it during the confusion…? Somewhere sat at a table… The stallion in question flipped through the pages of the book he’d ‘borrowed’ and together with the one he had ‘borrowed’ from Canterlot he pieced together the clues he’d gathered and came to only one conclusion… …The tea he was drinking tasted horrible! As he pulled a face he placed the cup down, then as an after thought said to no pony in particular ‘Alonsy’ and finished it in one giant gulp, if that was the most horrible thing that was going to happen this day then what the hay he thought. Besides he’d had worse earlier in that café… That mare knew her sweets and muffins but sod all about the art of tea he mused, thinking way back he thought of an old companion of his a young grey mare who could make a killer cuppa… …His reminiscing over he stared down at the page he had open, ‘Oh dear’ he thought.