We slept on the cliffside, in a pair of tents farthest from any others. When Midnight asked why we weren’t sleeping in the city proper, Hairpins and I both stated that we didn’t trust Aegis. She had seemed genuine enough in her indifference, but I would not have put it past her to spy on us or rob us in the night. Besides, any number of her soldiers could have been patrolling the city unseen. They still had access to invisibility cloaks, and I needed to be sure nopony got a good look at my face. As soon as Midnight and I were in our tent I reached out with my mind, looking for any source of emotion outside my three companions. After an hour of searching I was finally satisfied. I disguised as Cathode, and started getting ready for sleep.

“Why her?” Midnight asked me in the morning.

“She’s guaranteed not to be here.”

Most of the day was spent waiting. After Hairpins talked to the pony manning the dock we meandered through what remained of the city’s market. There were no permanent stalls, just ponies with their wares before them on rags or blankets, and the occasional basket of foodstuff. They bartered among themselves as often as they tried to entice our party to buy things, and each individual stayed for only an hour or so before moving on with their day. Many, it seemed, were just as eager to leave as we were. All around me I heard ponies mumbling about the ship that was coming.

“I hear it’s a ghost ship!”

“No, it’s run by those sea ponies. A ghost ship couldn’t carry any of us. It’s a ghost!”

“Sea ponies? How? They have to stay in the water.”

“No, they’re normal ponies from a far away land, untouched by war. I’m gonna ask them to sail me to paradise.”

“What do you know about the ship?” I asked Hairpins. She and I were stocking up on supplies.

“Oh, it ain’t magic,” she drawled. “Just a normal ship. They’re captain’s a bit of a nut, but they’re reliable.” She said nothing more of the subject and returned to her shopping. She had been quiet since the morning. We were alone together; Pitch and Midnight were meandering in a circle, perusing the market for any old-world trinkets. I had told them to fish for any info on the Crystal Empire, but I wasn’t holding out hope that we’d get any bites. I had stuck with Hairpins to keep up my disguise as Cathode, and, at Midnight’s insistence, to try and bridge the gap between us.

“We’ll be in close quarters for a long time on that ship,” she’d pointed out. “You two need to reconcile. You need to find a way to be friendly.”

Friendly. Not friends, but friendly. I had promised to try.

“So, how did you know about the ship to begin with?” I asked.

Hairpins gave me a side-eye. “Ah lived here fer a couple a’ weeks, didn’t ah tell ya? That’s how.” She had been unusually short this morning. I decided not to try and make conversation. Aegis’ unsympathetic reaction had clearly enraged her. I found myself thinking back to all the times I had watched Hairpins and Tumbleweed together. They had been good friends, much closer than me and Midnight. I frowned. How would I feel if Midnight died? What if I was the only one who cared?

“Hey, let’s get going.”

I blinked, swallowing a sudden burst of emotion. Hairpins had already moved onto the next vendor. I trotted over to her, picking up our latest purchases in my magic. Two bags of foodstuff were already draped across my back, and Hairpins had filled her saddlebags with as much ammo as she could afford. She would have stuffed more into my bags, but they were already full of healing potions and bandages. We bought extra barding for all four of our party, and then dumped the rest of our caps into whatever valuable trinkets we could find: gems, jewelry, gold.

“Up north,” Hairpins had explained, “they’re cut off from th’ wider world. Last time ah’s there only one ‘r two ponies took currency. Everypony else only trusts in barterin’.”

Midnight and Pitch met up with us just as we finished. I saw the professor carrying a stack of papers in her mouth, while Midnight had acquired a silver necklace and a set of pistols. Hairpins nodded at them both, then started walking in the direction of the dock. We followed her, making our way through the small corridor and out into the salty air. The waves lapped gantly at the rocks beneath us. We were early, but it would be exhausting to lug our provisions around all day, so we had decided to buy what we needed and wait.

I saw Olivine sitting at the table, staring off into the distance. He looked none the worse for wear, but I still felt a pang of guilt at having captured him. I avoided eye contact as we waited for the afternoon to arrive.

“Ah’ll be back,” Hairpins muttered after we had stacked our purchases on the ground.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“Sightseein’.”

“What?”

She walked back inside without replying. I glanced at Midnight, and she gave me a worried frown, but then shook her head. I nodded in agreement. It was best to give her some space.

“Fascinating,” Pitch muttered after she finished reading through the papers she’d bought. “Absolutely fascinating.”

“What are you reading?” I wondered.

“Oh!” She looked up like she had forgotten we were sitting beside her. “Well, I have no idea how it ended up at the Stable, but it’s a complete analysis of the terror attack on Baltimare, with input from the ministry mare herself. Ah, but it seems they were just as baffled as the rest of us. Their conclusion is that the power required for the effect they saw was completely unfeasible. Unless... I guess it could have been a primitive megaspell... but no, then the damage would have been more focused...”

“Baltimare attack?” Midnight and I asked at the same time.

“Oh, this was very early in the war. An explosion ripped through the university of Blatimare. Several buildings collapsed, including a lecture hall where Twilight Sparkle was speaking. Everypony assumed it was an assasination attempt: Shinning Armor and Lady Cadenza were in the audience, and later we learned that Pinkie Pie had been in the are as well. It made sense, but it was the strangest thing: we could not find any trace of what had caused it: no magical or chemical residue. And the attack itself was terribly executed. Lots of structural damage, but it originated in a mostly empty area in the middle of all the buildings it hit. There were casualties, but few fatalities. This report only confirms the mystery: it proposes that some sort of ‘hyperkinetic’ weapon could have produced the effects we saw, but neither side in the war ever had such technology.”

Now that she described it, I recalled that I had heard some of this before. “Let me see that?” I read the title, then laughed. It was the same paper I had taken while scavenging with Chrysalis. No doubt the NCs had taken it off of my suit when they rescued Olivine. I wondered what they had done with the pegasus armor. No doubt Aegis would keep it for her own soldiers. I sighed. I had really liked that armor. Then another thought hit me.

“Hyperkinetic?” Midnight asked.

“Moving very fast. And I mean very fast.”

“Hold on,” I interjected. “Did you say Pinkie Pie was there?”

“Yes, apparently. Though they say very little else about why she was there...”

Thoughts swirled in my head. Disparate things I had seen and heard suddenly converging into a bigger picture. Twilight’s lecture on science and magic. Baltimare. Pinkie Pie. An attack. The vision I had seen in the memory orb. Were they related somehow? I thought of the strange resistance of the air I had felt while in the pink mare’s body, the last image of fire slowly spreading from her tin of Mint-als. I looked up at Pitch.

“What is it?”

“Professor,” I started. “I once saw a very strange memory orb...”

“Well... that’s...” Pitch blinked, shaking her head repeatedly. Midnight just looked confused. “I mean... no, that can’t be... but what else could it be... it fits too well...”

“How?” I asked. “I think they’re related, right?”

“I think,” Pitch started. “That they are the same event. You said Pinkie Pie took dash? Dash is a very potent drug; and partially magical. It lets ponies move faster, think faster... it boosts them for lack of a better word. Makes them more like, well, Rainbow Dash. But Pinkie Pie was already a very powerful magical pony. I think... when she took it... I think it enhanced her far beyond what anyone could have expected. What you describe to me sounds like it let her think and move about as fast as physically possible.”

“And that’s... how fast?”

“That’s near the speed of light!” Pitch exclaimed. “She was moving so fast everything seemed static! You saw blue-shift! It’s a miracle she wasn’t vaporized by the explosion—she was the explosion!” She slapped a hoof to her face as another thought hit her. “Oh... I had heard from some colleagues that the investigation had stalled out... all this time I assumed they were underfunded like my division; but thinking on it now... I have no doubt Pinkie Pie wanted to bury it...”

It was a big oopsie...

“No wonder Rainbow Dash never wanted to try the stuff. And here I thought she was setting a good example for the other soldiers...” Pitch continued to mumble to herself, but I was still trying to wrap my head around what she had told us saying.

“So... I was right?” I asked.

“I guess so,” Midnight answered after a moment. “Pinkie Pie explodes when she does drugs. Don’t let her take any in the future.” She shrugged. “What’s all this have to do with us again?”

“I’m not sure,” I said. “Although...” I realized that this must have been the same incident that Amethyst was involved in, the heir to the Crystal Empire. If her parents hadn’t been at that lecture, watching Twilight, she wouldn’t have made friends with Lyra, and she wouldn’t have been in Baltimare on the day the war ended. She wouldn't have had to evacuate to the Stable, and she wouldn’t have started the lineage that ended with Gleaming. A strange trickle of events.

It was at this moment that Hairpins returned. I jumped when she cleared her throat. I had not felt her approaching us. I smiled when I saw her, and found that I didn’t have to try as hard as before. She nodded her greetings to all of us, then sat near our heap of supplies. Midnight was the first to speak to her.

“So... where did you go?”

Hairpins pursed her lips, then replied. “Ah went t’ see his grave.”

“Did you find it?” I asked.

“Ah knew where it was. Ah buried him. Ah buried all of ‘em right next t’ each other.”

“Oh. I see.” I glanced at Midnight. She was watching Hairpins. I could feel pity, but also relief.

“They keep ‘em well,” Hairpins continued. “Ah wasn’t sure what t’ expect, but... well it was pristine. Whether it was unicorn ‘r earth pony, NC or not, they’ve been takin’ care of the gravestones. Ah truly appreciate that.”

Midnight sat next to her, and Pitch went back to reading over the report. I sighed and stared at the sea. There was nothing more to say.

As the day grew old several other ponies trickled out of the stable to join us in waiting. They congregated just before the dock, near Olivine, and mostly stayed clear of us. For that, I was glad. I was careful to note the face of each pony who trotted out, and twice I was surprised to recognize them. I knew the face of the first pony, but it took me a moment to recall exactly who they were. It was Shortcake, the mare whom I had freed during the NC’s skirmish before Chrysalis had summoned me to free her. I wondered for a moment why she was here, then reasoned she must have been with the Steel Rangers during the NC’s last battle. I was surprised to see any Rangers had survived. The second pony I recognized was Tulip. She recognized me as well.

“Cathode! What the hell are you doing here?” She trotted over to us immediately, wearing a bemused smile.

“Oh hello! Um, well, leaving, I guess...” I forced the cheeriest smile I could.

“Well, obviously—everyone who’s got a brain left if leaving this wretched place. But why come all this way? Isn’t your family just east of Tubers?” She raised an eyebrow at me, still smiling.

“Well, I—” Before I could improvise a scenario, Hairpins stepped between us. She was grinning menacingly. I felt a surge of darkness from her soul.

“Well, how-dee-doo, Miss Tulip. Fancy seein’ you here?”

Tulip took a step back, suddenly awash with concern. “And you are?”

“Oh come now, after all we’ve been through t’gether? It’s Hairpins. Ah b’lieve you’d remember my friend, Tumbleweed?”

Tulip’s eyes narrowed, then widened in recognition. “Oh. Him. One of Boss’s. And?” I tensed, readying myself for battle. Hairpin’s ears flicked angrily.

“Yer husband was a real asshole t’ him; an’ us by extension. We went through a mighty bit of hardship on account of ya’ll running us outta town. Ah’s hopin’ fer an apology.”

“Wait a minute. Cathode!” Tulip exclaimed. “What the fuck is going on here? Why are you traveling with this cretin? Shouldn’t she have been arrested? Why are you two here?”

“Arrested? Ha! When I showed up they made me sherif!”

“What?”

“It’s true,” I murmured, doing my best to play along. “Nopony else wanted the job.”

Tulip blinked. “Cathode, I thought you had the job.”

“N-no,” I said, shaking my head. “Not since... well, not since my injuries. I think we technically have your husband to blame for that too.”

Tulip huffed, stamping her hoof in frustration. “Why am I responsible for what that moron did? My life has gone to shit since that day! You were there, Cathode, you saw that... thing that was trying to control him. I get kidnapped and my husband goes crazy. Hairpins, was it? You want an apology? Too fucking bad. I can’t give you one. You all knew what Tumbleweed did, and you took him in anyway. It’s not my fault Garlic was a vengeful bastard. It’s not my fault you antagonized him. Ah! And you were the one who held me back from killing that bug-thing when I had the chance!”

By now our argument had caught the attention of the other ponies around us. A few merely glanced our way and smirked, but after Tulip’s tirade two of them trotted up to her. It was Shortcake and a dull grey stallion.

“Ya’ll alright over here?” the stallion asked.

Tulip wirled on him. “Stay out of this!” She snapped back to us.

“Yeah,” she continued. “Yeah, it’s all coming back to me... You were buddying up to that wretch the whole march to Tubers. I was too mad to think about it then, but it makes sense. A slaver cozying up to a rapist—birds of a feather.”

I jerked forward, biting my tongue to stop myself from blowing my cover. Hairpins had no need to imitate my discretion. She stood over Tulip, nostrils flaring in rage. Less than a knife’s edge separated them.

“What’re ya sayin’ little miss?”

“You people are no better than that bug. Ruining ponies’ lives to carry on with your own.”

Hairpin’s laugh was mirthless. “Look who’s talking. Or did ya think all Garlic’s ‘farmhands’ helped prop up your cozy home outta th’ goodness of their hearts?”

“Oh don’t you dare twist things out of proportion. Hard work is not slavery. Everypony on Garlic’s plantation were free to leave if they so wished.”

“Except th’ ones in chains.”

“Of course you would want criminals roaming free—

“An’ ah’d disagree that those who weren’t chained up could leave anyway. Where else is there t’ go? Another plantation? They gunna start their own business out where nothin’ grows? No. Anypony who worked fer Garlic did it because they got t’ hold th’ whip or were desperate enough t’ bear it. Y’know why Bulbs was th’ most prosperous a’ th’ facilities? Cuz it worked it’s plantation th’ hardest. Ah’ve heard the stories. The shit ya’ll put up with—” She glanced at me with venom in her eyes, and I sensed that for a moment that she had forgotten that I was not the real Cathode. “—it’s enough t’ make my stomach churn.”

“Now you look who’s talking, slaver!”

“Ah did what ah had t’ do!” Hairpins reared up and knocked Tulip to the ground. The mare yelped, and immediately Shortcake was between them. I reacted a moment later, throwing my forelegs around Hairpin’s neck and using my weight to pull her away before the violence could escalate. I felt her resist me. Rage and anguish boiled within her.

“Both of you stand down!”

“Fucking slaver—!”

“Fuck you,” Hairpins spat. “You don’t know what it’s like out there. You never had t’ live in th’ Wasteland’s wilds, away from walls an’ a stable source a’ food. Ah did th’ best ah could with what was in front a’ me. Tumble was a good pony, but nopony c’n take yer husband’s abuse forever. Tumble told me all about workin’ fer Garlic. Why d’ya think he made off the way he did? He was tryin’ t’ get out from under yer husband’s hoof.”

“He’s not my husband! He’s dead.” Tulip tried to rise, but Shortcake put a hoof on her chest. She was preventing any possibility of retaliation.

“Tumbleweed was a decent pony,” Hairpins continued, staring out at the ocean. “Ah’m sure ya had a lot of decent ponies werkin’ fer ya all those years. Ah was a slaver ‘cuz my only other option was death. You lived th’ good life off th’ backs of folk far better and worse than ah’ll ever be. So yeah, that makes my stomach churn.” The quaver in her voice was at the edge of my perception, but her misery blared in my mind. Until that moment I had been confused by the abruptness of her anger, but now I realized she was lashing out. She was still grieving for Tumbleweed. She needed a target.

Tulip tried to rise again. Shortcake stood firm. Tulip hissed in frustration, tail twitching furiously across the rock underneath her. “I’m not Garlic. Don’t you dare project his sins onto me.”

I have to stop this!

I managed to push myself in front of Hairpins before she could continue their argument. I had been on the receiving end of Tulip’s wrath, and I knew how long she could hold a grudge. Hairpins could be vengeful when she was given reason to, and the longer this went on the more reasons she would find to resent Tulip. I gave Shortcake a knowing glance. We needed to stop this as soon as possible.

“Look, ma’am,” I said, “I understand there’s some bad blood between the two of you; but there’s no point to this anymore. Garlic’s dead. The pony who killed him too. There’s nothing any of us can do but move on.” I looked at Hairpins, then back to Tulip. “Why don’t we call a truce? We’re going to be living together for the next long while. This isn’t the way to start that voyage.”

“Yes, please,” Midnight murmered behind us.

Hairpins snorted, but I felt the intensity of her emotions lessen. Tulip spat at my feet.

“Cathode, I used to think you were one of the few decent ponies in that horrid place, but now I see you’re just naive. You’re too stupid to see when you’re bein used. You think this slaver is your friend now? Did she show up and give you a sob story? Is that why you made her sheriff? She’s a hypocrite then, if—”

“Enough!” Shortcake snapped. She shifted her weight, placing herself fully above Tulip so that the mare was forced curl up between her forelegs. The two stared daggers at each other for a second. “I don’t know and I don’t care about what happened between the two of you, but this argument ends now. The mare’s right. We’ll be living together. You two need to get used to that.” By now everypony in the area had their attention on us. The silence stretched on for a long moment.

“We all lost friends,” Shortcake continued, looking between Tulip and Hairpins. “It’s war. That shit happens. And guess what? Everypony responsible is dead. We got no one to blame. Sound familiar? Suck it up and deal with it like adults. Are we clear?”

Hairpins grunted and turned away. Tulip tried to rise again, pawing at the ground as if that would pull Hairpins into strangling distance. “Fuck you! Let me go!”

“I said: are we clear?” Shortcake stomped a hoof into Tulip’s mane, pressing it into the ground and forcing the mare to look up at her. Tulip stopped her squirming, but continued to stare up defiantly. Shortcake put more pressure on her hair. “Say it, girl.”

I felt a flash of emotions between the two of them. Fear, rage, and a strange awe.

“Ah, yes! Yes, we’re clear! Please...”

Shortcake released the pressure, and the two stared at each other. The other ponies around us shifted back to where they had been waiting, content that the situation had been deescalated. I glanced back at Hairpins to find her pacing at the base of what was left of the cliffside stairway, doing her best to avoid looking at anyone. Midnight stepped up to my side, giving me a reassuring smile. I turned back to the mares before us.

“I need to stand up...” Tulip muttered.

“Ah, right. Sorry, ma’am.” Shortcake stepped aside, finally letting the scarlet mare rise. She looked at me, nodding her thanks. Tulip followed suit, but begrudgingly. It was more than I had expected. She then turned back to Shortcake.

“I’m... sorry for causing a commotion... what is your name?”

I would have expected more anger, but whatever had passed between them in that moment had calmed her down. The two ponies moved off to the far side of the port area as they continued speaking. Shortcake walked with a slight limp, and Tulip slowed her pace to match. I swallowed a flash of embarrassment, remembering that I was responsible for injuring her leg. Technically, she had attacked me. I shouldn’t have felt bad about it.

“Thanks goodness.” Midnight gave a sigh of relief beside me.

I was about to agree with her when an exclamation rose from the dock. I crouched, ready for action. To my immense relief I saw that there was no need for concern. It was not another argument that had caused the pony to shout, but the arrival of the ship. It had crept over the horizon during the confrontation and was growing larger by the second. It was a small black bullet gliding forward on the silvery-blue sea; then a gun barrel; and now it was the size of my head, its masts flapping above it like an unkempt mane. The wood on its side was a patchwork of planks, replaced and repaired until it was impossible to discern which color had been the original. Its masts where quilts of white, yellow, and dirty brown. It’s bow and been charred, and as it bobbed up and down I saw green skum coating its underbelly.

“Are ship’s supposed to look like that?” I asked. Midnight shook her head. I threw a questioning eye at Hairpins, but she was still isolating herself.

A murmur went through the crowd as the ship drifted closer. It stopped a ways out and dropped anchor. A moment later a small dinghy floated around from its far side. I could see three figures in the small boat. Two paddled while the third stood tall, waving with a forehoof as they approached.

“Ahoy!” he shouted as he waved. “Ahoy, New Canterlot!”

“Ahoy!” Olivine replied, readying a rope. “Bring her in then.”

I heard several gasps from the ponies before me, and then I raised my own eyebrows when I saw what they had reacted to. The pony who had spoken looked as run down as his ship. He wore strips of navy blue cloth that once might have been a long coat. Splotches of hair were all that remained of his mane, and his skin sagged off of every bone making the brown spots on his coat puddle around his ribcage. The left side of his face was missing, the skull underneath beaming out from underneath a superfluous eyepatch. The lower half of his left leg had been replaced with a peg of wood, and the muscles were bare in his other three. A more grotesque ghoul I could not have imagined.

“Ahoy Captain Pipsqueak!” Olivine said in greeting.

“Oh how frightful!” Pitch exclaimed.

“Ah told ya’ ah’d seen far worse.” Hairpins muttered. She had started hefting our supplies onto her back while we were gawking. Midnight and I moved to help her as the dinghy was tied up and the captain disembarked.

“Avast, ye landlubbers!” Pipsqueak shouted the moment he was on solid ground. “Make way for your Cpatain, make way. Why does such a crowd greet us, mister Olivine? What is the cause for such honors? I come to restock and avast! I cannot so much as set foot on the rocks of thine humble home!”

“They seek passage, Captain,” Olivine replied, taking everything in stride. “If you’ll take them, we’ll restock for only half our usual trade.”

“Aha! How splendid, mister Olivine, absolutely splendid! It warns mine heart to hear it. Send thanks to that prince of yours and send your passengers along as they come. They will have to work, oh yes, for we cannot sail with idle hooves aboard, oh no, but all are welcome until our galley is packed and our bunks overflow.” He turned to the ponies gathered on the dock and shook, his one good eye losing focus and spinning every which way. The seizure passed as soon as it started, and he continued speaking.

“Ahoy, misters and misses of New Canterlot, and welcome to the Baltimare Beach’s Castaway Cruise! I am Captain Pipsqueak of the Aquateers, and we will be your sires and shipmates on this exciting journey to wherever it is you’ll be going. Come, come, we will ferry you aboard as soon as you are ready: first come, first serve. Don’t cluster now, don’t rush. There’s no need to be hasty, my fine fellows, we have plenty of room for you all, and if you fall into the sea then your rushing will be all for naught. Come now, step lightly, form a line. That’s the way, that’s the way...”

Olivine was speaking to the ponies around them as the Captain rambled on. I moved closer to hear what he was saying.

“He’ll get you where you need to go, I promise. You might have to remind him once or twice, but they’ve always been reliable... If they go feral? I’ve told you they were ghouls, that’s just part of the risk... No, the work ain’t hard, and passage is free otherwise... He’s not always aware, so don’t ever bring up his condition... Yeah, once, to Baltimare and back... No, never that far... Look, if you’re welcome to walk all the way to New Appleloosa, but don’t think I can pull another ship out of my ass... yes, just get your stuff and hop on...”

We waited as the ponies before us went in groups of three or four. Tulip, Shortcake, and the grey stallion from earlier where the last to cross before us. We walked up to Olivine as the small boat pulled away. He gave us a relieved smile.

“Last ones?”

“It seems so,” I said.

He nodded, then frowned. “None of ya’ll are returning, are ya?”

I shook my head. “Are you leaving as well?”

“No, but... it’s weird. Usually only one or two ponies ever want to take the ship when it comes. And for the most part all they ever did was sightsee... Gleaming wouldn’t let anyone go who wouldn’t come back, and they always had to travel with a guard... Now, watching all these ponies move on...” He sighed. “I already lost so many of my friends, I thought I’d be numb to it by now. But it still hurts...”

“It always hurts,” Hairpins said.

“Yes,” Pitch agreed. “And you never stop missing them...”

No more words passed between us. When the dinghy came back we stepped in, secured our cargo, and waved goodbye to Olivine as the ghouls rowed us out to the only ship I’d ever seen.

“Welcome aboard, misses!”

The captain greeted us as we stepped onto the deck. I was surprised to find the ship spic-and-span. The deck was clean, the ropes not in use neatly hung or tied securely, and the beams all looked robust and evenly worn. I saw several of the ponies from the Stable already meandering about, poking their noses into every nook and cranny they could find. Around them to crew worked to make this ship ready. I could easily tell the difference, as most of the crew were decrepit. The two ponies who had paddled us in were the most appealing—their rot was concentrated on their underbellies and legs. It was much easier for my mind to filter out than the half-smile of their captain.

The ponies on the boat—who had introduced themselves as Sparrow and Star Buck—escorted us to our quarters. We descended one level, moving through hallways full of crates and barrels. They pointed out the galley, the doctor’s quarters (“Though doc ain’t with us anymore,” admitted Star Buck), and then moved down another level to show us our rooms. All the living quarters were packed together on two sides of a small hallway, and we had to shuffle past a few other the other travelers as we made our way to the back of the line. Midnight and I took the room on the starboard side, while Pitch and Hairpins started unloading their supplies in the portside. The room was bare save for a straw mattress, smaller by half than the one we had rented in Bulbs, and had an unidentifiable musky smell.

“If any of you fare folk need somethin’, simply let us know,” Sparrow said. “Me or Mister Star Buck are here t’ make sure your sailing is as smooth as silk. If you can’t find us, the captain will know where we are, but I’d ask you not to trouble him much if you can help it. He’s always very busy.”

“Thank you,” Midnight replied with a short curtsy. “Can I ask where we’ll be going first?”

“Why, we’ll be setting off straight for Baltimare of course! Everypony here has signed up for the standard tour, so that’s what we’ll be doing! Afterwards, if you want to upgrade, just stay on and have your money ready. We’ll take you anywhere you want, so long as it’s where corporate says we can go.”

“Corporate?” I asked, turning my attention back to the rotting buck. “Standard tour?”

“Of course! You’re on Baltimare Beach’s Castaway Cruise! We’re proud to show you the most authentic sailing in these seven seas!” He smiled at us and, when we failed to react immediately, trotted happily away back toward the upper deck. Midnight looked at Hairpins, an eyebrow raised.

“Are they aware of their... condition?”

Hairpins laughed. “Nope, not in a way anypony c’n tell. Ah’ve never seen anything like it. They keep this ship ship-shape, but as far ‘s any of th’ NCs know they still think they’re workin’ their pre-war job. They’ll get us where we need t’ go. We jus’ gotta play along.”

“They’re stuck,” Pitch added. “I saw it in a few of my colleagues. They’d respond to me, but they just kept on trying to carry out their work, even after the power went out and our experiments became impossible. I... well, I used to talk to them, but eventually they started paying more attention to the others than me.”

“Ya mean th’ zombies?”

“Well, yes... it’s like they were stuck in their old life, and the ones who had already lost themselves pulled them out of that loop. I don’t know if I could have pulled them the other way... I don’t know what I could have done...”

“It’s not your fault,” I said. “There’s a lot of things you can’t control. Trust me. I know.” She nodded, and I felt her despair abating.

“Well,” Midnight said, giving me a mischievous smile. “It looks like this will be an interesting voyage. I’ve never played sailor on a real ship before!”

Hairpins laughed again, but this one was bitter. “Ya’ll can say that again... interesting is right...”

I turned to look at what had changed her mood. It was Tulip, emerging from her own room. She met our gaze with a sneer. She turned, flicking her tail at us, and trotted away with her nose up. I sighed, waves of scorn and rage crashing in my mind.

“Come on,” I said. “Let’s get our stuff put away...”

The voyage to Baltimare was short. We spent a day at sea before pulling up to the city. Captain Pipsqueak anchored the ship almost a mile off shore, still under the delusion that the docks were where they had always been. Most of the passengers got off there, Star Buck and Sparrow happily rowing them all the way to the nearest outlet before returning for the next few ponies. It took them almost a full day to transport everyone who wanted off.

I spent that time wandering the ship, as I had done the previous day, looking for potential hiding spots and taking stock of what resources were aboard. I did not expect a fight; but I had no reason to expect an uneventful journey either. Besides Tulip, I had several exceedingly powerful foes wandering the world: Unity, Chrysalis, and the Pegasi up above us. I had rarely considered the latter before now, yet as when we had first pulled out into the open ocean the clouds above us had finally abated, revealing the brilliant blue of the afternoon sky. Midnight and Pitch had spent that first day staring at it with awe and nostalgia respectively. Hairpins refused to leave her cabin, citing nausea. I, meanwhile, had been driven below decks by my paranoia. I felt exposed without the cloud layer. I feared an army of Enclave soldiers swooping down upon us, intent on dissecting me.

Today, however, I quickly grew bored of my wanderings. The ship was big, but most of the space was devoted to storage. And most of the storage was empty. The captain and his crew spoke of their need of supplies, but stopped short of actually eating anything. There was no foodstuff, medicine, nor valuables beyond what we had brought on. Only wood, rope, and whatever else was needed to repair the ship. I thought little of it. I could coax good feelings out of Midnight and Pitch whenever I needed. I had plenty of food.

But... they don’t...

I stopped in my tracks as the thought hit me. I hurried back to Hairpins’ room, knocking at her door. It opened reluctantly, and she poked her head out.

“Yeah?”

“I just realized. How are you going to get more food once we run out? Our supplies can’t last us the journey, can it?”

“Oh, ‘s that all? Yer right, it won’t last us, but ah didn’t intend it too. There’s a port ‘r two on our way, an’ we c’n get th’ captain t’ stop fer us. Like ah said, they’ll get us where we need t’ go ‘s long as we play along.”

“Oh...” I turned to go back to my wandering, then stopped. “Hairpins, how do you know all this?”

She pursed her lips, then sighed. “Well, t’ be honest, ah’ve sailed with this ship a time ‘r two b’fore. I know th’ ropes.”

I stepped back toward her, using a hoof to open her door all the way. She raised an eyebrow.

“Why haven’t you told us this?” I asked. “Why do you keep changing your story?”

She sighed again. “Ah told ya’, ah don’t trust ya’ t’ do th’ right thing.”

“Then why the hell are you helping me at all?” I demanded. “Why did you get so mad at Tulip, yet you’re willing to travel with me? We both screwed you over; we both hurt Tumbleweed. I don’t understand why you’re here. Do you care or not?”

“Ah don’t know!” Hairpins took a step back, looking anywhere but at me. “Ah... ah don’t know what ah’m doing anymore.” She finally met my eyes. I could feel the sorrow within her, the grief and rage. As I focused on her emotions, I found myself utterly calm.

“Why did you agree to help us?” I asked.

“Ah been lost ever since that day. Every since Tumble died ah... well, ah’ve started t’ have some regrets... ah been questionin’ a lot of what ah’ve done with mah life.”

“...like the slaving?”

She huffed. “Ah told ya’, I didn’t—I didn’t think ah had a choice. You want th’ truth? Ah’ve been thinkin’ back on all th’ things ah’ve done, an ah’ve realized something: Ah didn’t care. Ah tried not t’ care. My friends? My family? Ah didn’t love them. Ah didn’t think about them as soon as ah left their sight. Ah went away so ah wouldn’t have t’ be there when they died from raiders, ‘r disease, ‘r some stupid accident. Y’know, mah ma’ an’ pa’ ‘r probably long dead, but ah never bothered t’ check. Now that Tubers is gone, ah wouldn’t know who t’ ask. Ah thought ah was blause, bein’ strong in th’ face of all this terribleness, but t’was only apathy. Ah drowned myself in it. What was th’ point? Th’ only pony ah ever gave a shit about ‘s dead. Ah burried him, an’ ah didn’t even get t’ say goodbye.”

The tears in her eyes did not fall, but she did not try to hide them. She glared at me, face twisted in pain.

“Ah buried Fishhooks an’ Holster too. An’ y’know what? Ah felt nothin’. Ah’d lumped them with Boss long b’fore he betrayed me. Lumped them with mah parents, an’ everypony ah’d ever known. They’d been dead t’ me th’ whole time. Ah planned t’ die in Bulbs. Do what ah could t’ help everypony leave, an’ then walk south ‘till ah couldn’t no more. Then ya’ll come along, tellin’ me there’s a magical heart? In the Crystal Empire? To a place that only ah had ever been? It was too good t’ be true. Ah figured you were playin’ us both; that you’d extracted some memory from me an’ were using us t’ get yerself more victims. Ah been waitin’ fer th’ other shoe t’ fall, but here we are... on th’ sea, headed exactly where ya’ said ya’ wanted t’ go...”

She squeezed her eyes shut, taking in a deep breath. She stared at me.

“Promise me, Worker. Promise me yer tellin’ th’ truth. Promise me yer done decivin’ us. Promise me yer tellin’ th’ truth about the Crystal Heart.”

I took a deep breath, suppressing a twinge of annoyance. I had sympathy for her situation, but she had not expressed any regret for what she had done to me.

“I promise,” I said. “Everything I’ve told you is true—as far as I can know. The Empire might be empty. Chrysalis might be dead. But if they aren’t, we need to be there first. And we need you to show us how to get there.”

Hairpins nodded. “Thank you, Worker. An’ ah’m sorry. Sorry fer what ah did t’ ya’, an’ that it took us this long t’ get this far.”

My smile was genuine. “Thanks,” I said. “That means a lot to me. And I’m sorry for hating you for so long.”

“Ha! It was only, what? A month?”

“It was my whole life, back then.”

“Ah guess that’s true...”

“Well, I’m going back upstairs.” I said. “They must be through most of them by now...”

“Alright. Ah’m still stayin’ here... an’ Worker? Thanks fer talkin’ t’ me.”

I nodded once, then trotted away.

I ran into Midnight on the stairs leading up to the top deck.

“Bad news,” she told me with a smile. “Tulip is staying on; she’s coming with us.”

“What!?”

“Not with us—she’s sailing further on, just like us. I don’t know where she intends to stop. I just thought I should let you know. I was on my way to warn Hairpins about it.”

I nodded. “Good idea. I just spoke with her. I think she’s starting to trust me more... I think I’m starting to trust her more too.” A smile came to my face. “It’s nice.”

“I’m glad to hear that... Cathode. You’re making new friends already! I told you it was worth the effort.” She laughed at me. “Well, anyway, I think it might be a good idea to move our bunks elsewhere if she doesn’t do it first. Just to avoid any further tension. I don’t know how much longer this voyage will take, and we need to last until the end...”

I nodded in agreement. “Alright. Thanks for letting me know.”

We parted ways after that, and I was left in a warm glow. I had felt Midnight’s pride at my news, and it felt good to make amends. That was something I had never done before, I realized. Ponies were either with me or against me. I had been unable to entertain the notion that my enemies might be forgiven, that our relationship could change so drastically.

I arrived on deck the moment the ship began to move again. The sea was already turning black, color draining as the light left the world. The wind rose as the sails bloomed out above me, and I shivered despite the layers of my dress, armor, and fur. Ghouls scurried back and forth across the deck, shouting and doing whatever it was sailors do to start sailing. I looked around for Tulip or anypony else who might have stayed one, but it seemed that they had retreated to whatever depths they planned to spend their evening in. I did see Professor Pitch, however. She was staring our at the ruins of Baltimare, the strands of her hair twirling aimlessly in the air.

“Professor,” I said. She turned to me, eyes glassy.

“Oh, Worker... or, I guess I should call you Cathode? What are you doing here?”

“I wondered if you remembered anything more about the Crystal Empire, or the Heart.”

“Oh.” She furrowed her brow. “You know, Hairpins brought it up last night before we went to sleep. Strange mare, she kept asking me questions but I felt like she knew most of the answers already... Anyway, it did jostle my memory a little bit! So much history has been forgotten. All this ruin... I can’t imagine what the Empire will look like by now...”

“You were saying, about your memory?”

“Well, I don’t know too much about the specifics of the Heart’s power, but I do know it could control the weather. Or, at least, stave it off.”

“Really? The weather?” I looked up at the clouds above us. I knew by now that the pegasi were responsible. A permanent cloud cover, locking us away from their riches. Or locking themselves away from our troubles.

“Yes. Without the heart, the Empire is covered in a terrible blizzard. Hairpins didn’t get close enough to experience it, but she did recall snow and ice on the mountains. Nopony knows what causes it, only that without the Heart, it rages constantly. I don’t know how we’ll manage, but there’s plenty of time to gather supplies. And a port town or two exists in the north. I’m sure they will have the supplies we need.”

I nodded, hoping she was right. “Anything else you remember about the Empire?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, my dear. I never travelled much. Roll and Yaw—my brothers—might have couriered up that way in the war’s early days, but I only ever asked how they were doing after they joined the front... and to be honest, I mostly care if they had met Rainbow Dash or not... I always clung to the fantasy that I’d meet her through them somehow... oh!” She turned to me, and whispered excitedly. “Could you do it? Just for a moment?”

I glanced around to make sure nopony was in earshot. I wanted to say yes. I knew she would like to see her Hero, but I didn’t want to get her hopes up. “I don’t think I can,” I said. “We can’t imitate the dead.”

“Oh drat!”

“But—” I whispered, licking my lips. “There have been some strange exceptions.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can... well, I can imitate Rarity. I don’t know why. She should be dead. But I can disguises as her without any issues.”

“Really? How strange... can you become any of the other Ministry Mares? Applejack? Twilight?”

I shook my head. “I tried Applejack once. Gleaming even threatened to kill me... but I couldn’t do it. I know what she looks like. I have plenty of memories of her, but it works as expected. In that it doesn’t.”

“How extensively have you tested this?”

“Uh, tested?”

“Oh, follow me! We’re going to get to the bottom of this right now. Come, come on!”

We returned below decks. Midnight and Hairpins were conversing in the first of our rooms, so we hurried into the second and shut the door. Pitch had me try all of the Ministry Mares, convinced she could find a pattern. I had never bothered to attempt the others until now. Some part of me was still repulsed by them; or else I was starting to feel guilty for using Rarity’s image.

The results were... bizarre. I could disguise as Rarity, as always, and Twilight Sparkle was easy as well. When the transformation for Fluttershy worked I gasped, but when I tried Applejack and Pinkie Pie my magic refused to so much as channel.

“Well, only one left. Oh, I do hope it works...”

I thought of the multicolored mare, and as with the first three I felt my magic beginning to reshape my body. A green glow surrounded me, my power growing, and then... the spell stopped. I opened my eyes, and the world was tinted green as my magic pulsed around me. I blinked in confusion. I felt my magic working, ready to reshape my body but unable to finish producing an image. My power coursed through me, but doubled back into my mind, unable to complete. I realized it was looking for something. A target that existed but was also somehow not anywhere to be found. I had to pull my magic back.

“What was that?” Pitch asked. The green glow faded, and beneath my dress my armor relaxed back against my true body.

“I... don’t know.”

A moment later Midnight and Hairpins knocked on the door, curious about the strange light. We told them what we had been doing.

“Yer tellin’ me that the Ministry Mare are still alive?” Hairpins asked too loudly.

“Shh!” I hissed. “And, maybe. As I said, Twilight Sparkle’s mind is part of Unity—”

“Ah still don’t know if ah c’n b’lieve that...”

“—so she is, I guess, alive enough for my magic to work on her. But the others? Even Spike had to admit Rarity should be dead. And Fluttershy?”

“Only the Earth Ponies seem truly dead.”

“And yet, Rainbow Dash is an... almost? I can’t explain what just happened with her.”

“Oh! Maybe...” Pitch held up her statuette of Rainbow Dash. “You said Gleaming showed you one of Rarity and it worked. Maybe there’s something magical about these? Some part of their essence or their fame left in them?”

Something less than a complete mind... I felt the coldness again.

“No. The one I have is of Applejack. And magically, they feel identical. No pattern there.”

“Hmm... that is strange... Did the others make their own Unities? Did they lock themselves away in some stasis? And why only them? Why not all six, if the Ministry Mares were so powerful they could cheat death?” She shook her head. “Oh but it would be just like one to hide her secrets from all the others...”

“What do you mean?” Midnight asked.

Pitch shook her head. “I was never one for politics, but everypony knew they were hiding things from each other. Every Ministry had its secret projects, all trying to spare the others from having to solve the same problems.” She sighed. “So much more would have been done if they had only worked together...”

Hairpins shrugged. “Well, ah don’t know if that’s really fair... hell, even Celestia couldn’t do anything t’ stop th’ war. Ah don’t care how fancy yer magic is, if th’ Goddesses couldn’t do it nopony could.”

“I didn’t know you were very religious,” Midnight chided.

“Ah mean, it’s just common truth.”

“Oh phooey!” Pitch interjected. “I don’t like thinking about Celestia. I don’t understand ponies who worship her. Or even how she could have been respected in her time. If she had had an ounce of fight or foresight in her there wouldn’t have been a war in the first place!”

“What? What do you mean?” I have Midnight a confused look, which she returned. Hairpins looked taken aback.

“Let me frame this for you.” Pitch began. “What is a megaspell? It is the combined power of multiple unicorns, focused and channeled into one task. That’s what makes it so powerful.”

I didn’t see what she was getting at, but I did not interrupt her.

“Before Celestia and Luna, who raised the sun and the moon? Unicorns. Multiple unicorns. An entire race of unicorns. That’s what it took. It only takes about a dozen or so of them to pull off a city-destroying megaspell, yet it took an entire race to raise the sun. Celestia achieved that feat everyday for thousands of years by herself. She had the power of all the unicorns in the world and did nothing to stop the war.”

“One thought and the power on the Sun itself would have rained down on the zebra race and ended their wasteful and ignorant tirade,” she barked. “They say the zebras feared the stars. They should have been taught to fear the Sun. But they were not. Its shepard was weak. Because of Celestia half the world was laid to waste and countless generations were scoured from the earth. Now countless more suffer and despair for no good reason. Armageddon should have rained down on the Zebras on day one and we would still be living in prosperity.”

The three of us gawked at her in stunned silence.

“I didn’t realize you felt so... strongly,” Midnight muttered.

I nodded, feeling the bubbling anger inside the old ghoul, but a part of me rejoyced at hearing someone else tear into the image of the dead monarch. Before anyone could change the subject, I decided to probe a bit futher: “What about Luna?” I asked. “I suppose she was just as bad?”

“Worker?”

“Oh—No. I do not blame Luna. Her powers were quite different than her sister’s. Hers were of the night. Subtle. Manipulative. Of mind more than mater. She was cautious, contemplative, and crafty. Celestia had a blinding presence and raw power. Luna had a quick tongue and a cunning mind. That was why she was better able to wage war than her sister. She was more fit for that game. The Ministries pushed forward as she lashed them from the darkness. She drove the great machine of Equestria’s war effort while her sister did nothing. Luna did all she could after Celestia had done her least, and the world died because of it. Luna was smart, but no amount of intelligence saves you from balefire.”

I nodded, then glanced at my other two friends. Midnight was frowning, and Hairpins was still flabbergasted. I felt Pitch’s anger start to recede.

“Er, sorry. For the rant. But I just... I’ve had a long time to think about these things and nopony to talk to about it. You really hit a nerve.”

“It seems so,” Midnight said. “Let’s try to hit more pleasant nerves from now on...”

“Aye, ah agree. No offense, but... ah’m not sure if ah b’lieve yer view either. Goddesses ‘r Goddesses. It ain’t good luck t’ question ‘em.”

“Ah, you’re all young. You’ll start questioning things eventually. But anyway, where were we before that tangent?”

“Politics,” I stated. “And before that, the Ministry Mares.”

“Oh right. Well, anyway, long story short, assuming you are correct about how your powers work, which I have no reason to doubt, then we can deduce that, in some form or another, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity are alive somewhere. Or at least, their minds or souls are still stuck in this world.”

“So they’re ghosts?”

Pitch shrugged. “Or ghouls. Oh! Worker, try to disguise as me.”

I had come to the same conclusion. I tried, but when I had transformed it was only to Pitch as she was now. I quickly tried to disguises as Boss, Tumbleweed, and Garlic, ponies I knew were dead, and still found myself unable to do so, confirming that my magic still worked as I thought it did. I finally reverted to Cathode.

“Curiouser and curiouser,” Pitch muttered.

We mused over it for a few more moments, but by now the evening had worn on and were all soon yawning. Hairpins and Pitch excused themselves, and Midnight blew out the light as I settled onto the straw bedding before me.

The night was pitch black; my dreams again cold. The chill in my mind spread throughout my body, making me shiver. I heard voices whispering, rising to a shout, and with a jolt I woke. The sensations left my mind as soon as I became aware of them, the memories already fading. I lay still, listening to Midnight’s breathing and the beating of my own heart. Slowly, I reached out with my mind. I sensed nothing around, not at first. Then, slowly, I sensed the strange fragment of feeling from the statuettes. First one, then two. The ones I carried in my bag. I focused on them, and, suddenly, another appeared.

I gasped, standing up. I focused on the sensation. It was nearby... I stepped outside, noting how the sensation shifted. I walked a few steps down the hallway and stopped, baffled. The sensation came from behind Tulip’s door. I sat before it in the darkness, wondering why she would have another of the statuettes, and what the cold sensation meant. I began thinking of a way to investigate further, but as I let my senses continue to expand. I felt a fourth spot of coldness. It was much farther away, but still it must have been on the ship...

What the hell is going on here? I wondered. What are these things?

I could feel weariness returning, but I was too curious to go back to sleep. I followed the fourth fragment of mind, risking a little light from my horn to guide me into the ship’s bowels. I passed through the quarters where the crew slept—or, at least where they claimed to sleep. The ghouls stood before each hammock, staring ahead blankly. Their rasping breath reminded me of my crawl above the horde of zombies in Pitch’s lab. I quickened my pace, but none reacted to the sound or light I made. The coldness grew stronger as I stepped down the stairs.

I had to look deep into their stores, pushing barrels and sliding crates aside with muscles and magic, but I was driven to find the source of this cold. Was it really another statuette? Which mare? Was it some other trinket? Finally, I zeroed in on it. The sensation came from a rusted lockbox with busted hinges. I pried open the top. As I suspected, another statuette was there, sitting in tattered red silk.

Pinkie Pie. The Element of Laughter.

I picked it up, turning it in my magic. The coldness was the same as the other two. I stared at it for long minutes, but no revelation came. I had no idea what was going on. There were two other trinkets in the lockbox: a shattered purple gemstone and a scrap of paper. I scooped up the larger pieces gem and put them into my bags next to Pinkie Pie. Any words the paper might have had were long since faded.

I shut the lockbox, then moved everything back into place where it had been. I sighed. I would worry about the coldness from Tulip’s room tomorrow. I trudged back to my room and crept back inside. My eyelids were heavy, but I made sure not to disturb Midnight. I let my mind wander, and drifted off. I wondered if recovering more of the statues was a good idea. They were clearly associated with the nightmares I had been having.

Perhaps I should throw you all into the sea...

I slept soundly the rest of the night.

Three other ponies had stayed on besides Tulip: Shortcake, and a pair of sisters named Turquoise and Topaz. They were an identical shade of blue, the only difference was Turquoise’s spotted white mane. When I first noticed them I introduced myself, and asked them their reason for staying.

“We’re getting off at a small port called Neighline. It’s a longer walk to Tenpony from there, but we’ve heard there’s less perils along the way. Fewer ponies out there, so fewer raiders and whatnot,” Topaz answered.

I nodded, remembering Fugax and his bloody tank. I was hit by a sudden pang of guilt. Perhaps I should have found a way to warn the ponies who were traveling through Baltimare... but they were in a large group. If they were sensible they would stick together.

“Is that why the others stayed on as well?” I asked.

They both shrugged. “I hope not,” Turquoise said. “They were both Steel Rangers, you know. We lost our parents to the war they caused. I wouldn’t want to travel with them.” Topaz nodded in agreement.

“So, why did you stay?”

“We’re heading north.” I saw no reason to lie. “As far north as we can go. To get away from it all.” But of course there was no reason to tell the whole truth.

Topaz frowned. “It’s very cold up there. Ah, already the wind here is too much for me.” Both the twins shivered.

“I know,” I said. “But we’re prepared. Snow keeps away raiders, I’m sure.”

“Well, best of luck to you all. We’ll be seeing you around.” We nodded our farewells, and parted ways.

I meadered around the ship, doing my best to keep track of where everypony was, but I did not get a good opportunity to sneak into Tulip’s room. She was holed up there most of the day, just as Hairpins stayed confined to her own quarters, and the few times she did exit were too brief to guarantee I could have left no trace. The bathroom was only a few paces away.

When I saw no progress could be made, at least on this day, I sought out my only other lead: Shortcake. She and Tulip had continued talking after their first encounter, and I had seen them eating together in the mess hall the day before. Strange that Tulip seemed to befriend the mare that had held her down, but I would take what fortune I could get.

Around midday I found her gazing out at the horizon, contemplating the waves. The sun was above us, the heat soaking in around me. She did not turn to me as I trotted up to her.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I commented.

She nodded. “I still can’t believe it. I just... I still can’t wrap my head around how much water is out here. I’d never even seen a beach before we marched on the Fields.”

“I wanted to ask you something,” I said. “About Tulip. I noticed you two seem to be on friendly terms.”

“Oh, um, yes. I guess we are.” The flare in her emotions took me by surprise, but I stifled my urge to probe further and went on with my original question.

“Has she told you about any, uh, strange objects she might have?”

Shortcake tilted her head to look at me. I felt her go on the defensive. I decided to be direct.

“Specifically, a small statue of Rarity, the ministry mare. I heard it was one of Gleaming’s prizes, but when I asked around for it in the market, none of the NCs seemed to know where it went. I had given up, but I thought I glanced it when I passed by her door earlier today. I would have asked her, but... well, you were there when she saw Hairpins. I don’t know if she resents me as well.”

Shortcake blinked, then furrowed her brow. “Why do you want it?”

I pulled out my Applejack statuette. “I’m collecting them!” I smiled innocently. “The ministry mares... they remind me of better times. They’re proof that things can get better.” I was very proud when I first thought of that line.

“Huh. Well that’s odd, but I guess it’s good to stay positive. Cathode was it? Sorry, but I don’t know anything about Tulip’s things. She hasn’t brought it up with me. I can mention it to her, if you’d like, though.”

“Yes, if you wouldn’t mind. Thank you.”

“Ah, no problem.” She shrugged. “Someponies’ gotta be friendly on this ship. Especially since we’ve got such contensius pasts between some of us.”

I nodded, smiling wider. “That’s a great point. We don’t need any more fights breaking out. Thanks again.”

Shortcake turned back to the ocean, and I turned to leave, but I paused. Her posture was odd; she was trying to keep most of her weight off of her forehoof. Perhaps the muscles hadn’t all grown back correctly. I grimaced, still feeling a bit guilty. What if we had worked things out instead of brawling? Would she be my friend now? Would she hate me like Surprise did for abandoning her? It was strange to think of the choices I had made or those that had been made for me, and how all these instances had coalesced into the path I was on now. How much of that history had been my doing? How much had a I really affected things?

“Do you need anything else?” Shorcake asked. I realized I was staring.

“Uh, no. Sorry. I just... I’m sorry about your leg... what happened to it. I had a friend with a similar injury. I didn’t mean to stare.”

“Huh?”

I trotted away before she could formulate a response.

Stupid, I thought to myselff. You should know better than to say something so incriminating.

Yet I felt good when I returned to my room. Happy, or at least free of guilt.

I slept well that night, until I woke. I blinked in the darkness, my mind still groggy. Something had woken me. I remembered... a sound? A voice? I wasn’t sure. Midnight was beside me, still snoring softly. I let my senses expand, but felt nothing... not even the statue next door.

Strange...

Midnight twitched beside me. I got up slowly, and crept out the door again. The hall was empty. I stepped forward, stopping by Tulip’s door. Again I felt nothing. I double-checked my own statuettes. The coldness was still there. Faint, but there. I continued on, reaching out with my senses. I reached the stairs before I felt the fourth spot. It was deep in the ship now. Deeper than even Pinkie Pie had been. What was even stranger was that I felt two more presences nearby. I felt anxiety from one, lust from the other.

Before I could investigate further, I felt something hit my foot. I heard it roll away from me. It sounded small, and the sting in my hoof confirmed it was fairly heavy. I risked some light from my horn, my eyes on the place I had heard it roll. A glint came from behind a nearby barrel, and I stepped forward.

What is that?

I reached out with my magic as the object came into view: it was a small, crystal sphere. A very familiar-looking sphere. And I had already touched it.

Dread welled up within me even as my mind was pulled down into darkness.

I stared at a mirror. A unicorn stared back. Purple, with a sky blue mane that sparkled even under the flickering fluorescent light above her. Her eyes sparkled too, glitter sprinkled over pink. Dark bags dropped below them, her mouth hung open a sliver. I saw the hint of teeth as white as snow. Her coat was matted with sweat and grime. I could feel her legs wobble underneath her.

Amethyst blinked once, then forced a smile. She was in a bathroom. A fan drowned out any noise that might have made its way in from outside.

“Mother, father. When you see this, I want you to know: we made it. The stable is safe. People are scared, but... well, it’s my special talent. They’re coming together. I’m making sure we’re all getting along. Most ponies aren’t friends yet... but at least we’ve got a goal to work towards. Scootaloo’s message gave them all hope. I could feel it in the air, almost.”

“I’m letting you know all this to show you: I’m safe. We are safe. Auntie Bon is here with me too. I’m sorry I’m not with you right now, helping the Empire, but these ponies... this stable... they need me more. Already they look up to me. They know who I am. They still see us as connected to Celestia... and we are, I think. We must be. The message they gave us confirms it. This must all be part of Luna’s contingency plan.”

“I’m sorry I can’t come tell you both in person, but... I love you. Mom, dad. I love you both. Please don’t worry about me. The ship that sent this message will be waiting for your response. They promised me, and they’re good ponies. We got very lucky meeting them: a cruise ship, out to sea when the megaspells when off. I will travel with them to join you once things stabilize. I promise.”

“May the Heart keep you safe.”

She smiled again, and I saw the tears glisten in her eyes. The room glowed a blinding white.

I woke, relieved that the memory had been a short one. That feeling vanished the moment I felt the ropes around my legs. It was still dark, but a light shone from behind me, illuminating the wooden wall I have been rudely shoved against. I tried to breath, and realized a bundle of cloth had been stuffed in my mouth. I started to roll myself around, but froze when I heard a voice from behind me.

“We don’t know how long it’ll be out! And we’ll have to clean up the mess—” Tulip’s voice. My blood ran cold.

“I’m not going to let you just up and kill her!” a second voice hissed. Shortcake? It must be. “And especially not in her sleep. That’s disgraceful.”

Kill me? No. I needed to get out of this. I tried to move my legs, but the ropes were so right they had already gone numb. I thought about disguising as a filly, but I was still wearing my dress and armor. I would only get tangled in them once my legs were free. I saw nothing I could throw, and untying the ropes with my magic would cost me precious seconds.

Midnight! Somepony! Help!

“What do you want me to do, then?” Tulip asked, exasperated. “Do you want this thing roaming free? After what it did to you, and to me, and to who knows how many others? You heard what the Steel Rangers said. You know how it can control ponies. Well, I’ve seen it. Garlic, that idiot, slept with it once and fucked our lives over.”

“I heard what the commander said, yeah,” Shortcake replied. “I also read Kernel’s report. She did about as much good as bad for the fields, even before that last battle. You heard what all the NCs said. The only reason we survived as long as we did was because of her infiltration. Hell, we might all have died before Unity had anything to say about it.”

“This monster keeps following me. I hate it!” Tulip said. I felt her resolve strengthen as she stepped toward me .

No! No! Help!

“Hey!” Shortcake’s hooves cracked against the floor. She was closer now, probably blocking me with her body. I felt a rush of gratitude. “Did you forget how we got to this point in the first place? She apologized for something that happened when I attacked her. Does that sound like a monster to you?”

Please...

“Well, does it?”

“I... I just—”

“What under Celestia’s blue sky is goin’ on here?” A third voice drawled. I nearly cried in jubilation. Hairpins was here. I was saved. “Shouldn’t ya’ll be sleepin’?”

“You!” Tulip spat.

“Oh by Luna’s mane...” Shortcake muttered. “I was trying to talk her down.”

“Ah appreciate that, but ah don’t quite b’lieve it.”

“You... why the fuck are you helping that bug? After all this... why?”

I jerked myself around, managing to spit out my gag as I struggled onto my other side. Hairpins stood at the edge of my vision, her battlesaddle leveled at Tulip and Shortcake. A small lamp burned between the two mares, it’s light reflected in the knife in Tulip’s mouth. I shivered as they looked at me, drawn to the sounds of my struggle.

“Why are you trying to kill me?” I growled. “Why do you still care?”

“You ruined my life—!”

“Well I’m sorry,” I said.

She stared at me, mouth working on empty air. The knife clattered to the ground. “What?”

“What else do you want to hear? What do you want from me? Tulip, I don’t want to be near you as much as you don’t want to be near me. I’m sorry I screwed you over. I didn’t know what I was doing. I was literally days old at the time. I just want to move past this.”

She huffed defiantly, but I could see she had deflated. She glanced at Hairpins, then at Shortcake. The Steel Ranger gave her a pleading look. Her ears drooped.

“Fine,” she muttered. “Whatever. Just... ugh. Fine. Let’s just get through this trip and never see each other again.”

“Ah’d be more ‘n’ happy with that,” Hairpins agreed.

“Great! Now, please untie me.” I wiggled my legs for emphasis. Shortcake scooped up the knife and cut through my bonds. I stood after a few moment, leaning against the wall for support. Hairpins stepped forward to stand by me. Shortcake stood an awkward distance away, her gaze moving back and forth, unsure where to settle. Tulip was staring at the floor, ignoring us all.

“How did you know I was here?” I managed to ask. Hairpin’s frowned.

“Ah, uh. Had a dream ya’ were callin’ fer help. It woke me up, so ah came lookin,’ an’ then I heard yer shout.”

“I didn’t shout,” I said.

“What? Ah heard ya’ as ah’s comin’ down here.”

“No, she’s right. She didn’t make a sound until you came,” Shortcake muttered.

Strange, I thought.

Hairpins blinked at me. “Do that again.”

“What?” I suddenly understood what was happening.

You mean think? Like this?

“Celestia!” Hairpins shivered. “Ah don’t like that.”

“What?” Shortcake asked.

“It seems,” I said, “that she can read my thoughts. Or, rather, I can send my thoughts to her.”

“Are ya’ supposed t’ be able t’ do that?”

I shrugged. I started to hobble away as feeling returned to my limbs. I didn’t want to stay down here, and I didn’t really want Tulip or Shortcake learning anything more about me, even if we seemed to have reached a cease-fire. Hairpins followed closely, nodding her goodbye to Shortcake. The military mare nodded back, and as we moved away I saw her approach Tulip again—leaning in the whisper some comforting words, perhaps.

“I, uh... I don’t know,” I replied when we were out of earshot. “Only the hive ever had telepathic communication... and Unity. Ponies simply don’t have strong enough receptors, or pathways... or however it works. It’s a very specific type of magic.”

“So... what’s that mean ‘bout me?”

“I think that means... you’re my friend.” How else to access a pony's mind but through their emotions? It was what Changelings did. But this way required no deceit. No exploitation.

“Ha!” She suppressed the rest of her laughter. “Ah do b’lieve that’s the nicest thing ya’ve said t’ me in all yer life.”

“Worker? Hairpins?” Midnight greeted us groggily in the hallway before our rooms. “I thought... I dreamt I heard you shouting, Worker. What’s going on?”

I yawned, my adrenaline rush subsiding.

I’ll tell you tomorrow, Midnight. Let’s get some sleep.

“Alright, Worker...” she muttered. I smiled at the result of my test. Knowing I could talk with my mind was useful. Not quite as useful as full two-way communication, but a nice tool to have nonetheless. I laid down next to my friend on the straw mattress, and curled up to go to sleep.

A cold silence hung between Tulip and our group for the next four days. On the fifth we stopped at Neighline. Tulip, Shortcake, and the azure twins disembarked with little fanfare, and the ship set sail an hour after stopping. The sun crept up toward the zenith as I watched the tiny town recede. Captain Pipsqueak approached me, and handed me a small package wrapped in cloth.

“What is this?” I asked.

“Ah, I can’t rightly say, misses Cathode, can’t rightly say. Misses Tulip approached me as she was casting away and requested that it be delivered to ye. The fiery mare said that she was ‘leaving all her past together,’ and that ‘you should consider us even.’ Was there bad blood between ye? Some feud of thine families’ mayhaps?”

I took the package in my magic, frowning. I opened it carefully. Inside was the Rarity statuette. I sighed. Dammit, why did she have to do that? I was starting to forgive her.

“Thank you,” I told the captain.

“Happy to be of service, my lady! Always happy. But, if thee will excuse me, I must be off. The ship, she needs much attention. Yet worry not! The weather promises smooth sailing from here outwards. Ah yes, what wondrous fortune we have these past days! Such strong winds! Such calm seas! Ah, but avast! ‘Tis better to be gracious. No doubt our fortunes will change soon. As the saying goes: the fiercest storms follow the calmest seas. But I must be off, as I said. Avast!”

The seas were calm all the way to the end of our voyage.

Footnote: Level up.
New Perk: Swarm Leader - Your companions receive a +5 bonus to whatever skills are your highest and lowest.