The next morn I was bright, happy, and ready to face the city. I woke Rose very early (sun hadn’t risen yet) and set about preparing for our trip.
My hunch had increased, and it was directing me toward the ‘shopping district’ as indicated by the guidebook. There was something for me to find there, and I would not let it pass without at least trying to find it.
Rose needed my help to get prepared because she was so tired (which caused me no end of joy. I was finally helping her and not the other way around! I left a note on my door in case the girls came calling during the day:
Dearest Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo,
I will be in the shopping district for some time, and may not return until nightfall. The door is locked, but you will find some treats left at the front desk. Just tell the pony there that Hag told him to give it to you three.
Spirits watch over you, Hag.
With that we were out into a rather crowded street. Odd considering the early hour, and it seemed as though a fair number of those ponies had been up all night. I ignored them and hurried on, calling after me to get Rose catch up with me.
I couldn’t wait to get started. Rose had given me a basic rundown of buying and selling and I was excited to try it out. Maybe I could find some regents, or even a cauldron so I could brew again; my own had been left behind in the Everfree.
In spite of the hour, a good number of shops were already open, their lights overcoming the dim light from the rising sun. I dragged Rose all through the place like I was an overexcited child, and in many ways I did feel a young girl once again. There was something to learn! And now that I had gotten used to the concept my curiosity overrode my fears of the unknown.
Rose soon perked up as the day continued, even if we didn’t have much to spend. I got us thrown out from one store by trying to sell the mare running the place some of my herbs, but we took it with a grin and Rose joking about my efforts.
It was as we were going that I stopped, sensing something. Rose hesitated behind me and gave me a questioning look.
“Why did you stop Hag?” she asked me as she came up to my front.
“There is something… it's right… nearby, I just know it!” I said, talking to myself.
Following my instincts I led a straight trail to a fairly unassuming shop front, Rose trailing after me, confused.
It did not have a glowing sign or a giant window, and only a small plague bearing the words ‘magical emporium of the strange’ over the door told me that it was a shop.
I entered into a fairly dark interior and felt right at home. One lantern with a bright flame dimly lit a place with many shelves that were covered in regents. Not too unlike my own home, but where I had plants and some bones, this place included gems, metals, and objects ranging from spoons to musical instruments.
Rose looked around in wonderment while I went to the shop keep, a brown unicorn with a faint beard and glasses.
“Good day.” I said.
He looked at me with tired eyes. “I’m thinking that you might be able to solve my little predicament.” I said.
“Perhaps… What do you need?” he asked with a tired voice.
I took hold of my pouch and dropped my dragon scales in front of him. His eyes bulged and he got a bit of life in his old bones.
“I want you to get me a needle that can pierce these. If you can, I can part with two or three of them.”
He babbled and rushed into the back. I nodded happily; dragon scales are a mare’s best friend.
It took a fair while before he, and eventually I, managed to find a metal that could pierce the scales without breaking or bending. I thanked him for his time and gave him two scales which he took reverently, a green glow covering them as they flew to a pouch behind him.
“Since we’re here anyway, perhaps you can direct me to some… oh, some toadstools?”
“Toadstools? I can get them to you by the night if you want. Just give me some place that you can pick them up and they will be there before 9:00.”
“No cost?”
“Miss, you have just shown me a bounty that I would have never seen on my own and shared it with me. For you, I would give my greatest efforts.”
I smiled at him and he smiled back.
I left my room number with him and left with Rose on very friendly terms. He was old, I was old, and we both understood in a way that most other ponies couldn’t. Not that I was interested in romance, but we could always get together over tea and talk of magic. Maybe one day I’ll go back.
“So you are going to make something from those scales. I want to see you do it, if that’s all right with you auntie.” Rose said with a mischievous grin.
I eyed her and she smiled back at me. I sighed “I can even teach you to sew if you want Rose.”
“That would be…” she trailed off, looking in one direction.
“Something the matter Rose Bush?” I asked her.
“I think I saw somepony I recognize, just this way.” She began moving in a direction and I followed her.
We soon discovered a blue unicorn stallion. His horn was a fair length, poking free from his blue-green mane. The cutie mark was a clover, at first I thought a four leafed one as that made some sense as he was playing games of chance. But my eyes spotted some oddities to it, in particular that the fourth leaf may very well be the third’s shadow. Only appearing to be lucky.
He stood on a corner and seemed to be playing a game with passerby for bits. He would toss a ball under a cup and then shuffle three identical cups at blurring speeds before asking the pony before him to select a cup. He did this for one bit at a time, and gave two bits if the pony found the ball.
I frowned. I could see his magic tipping the odds in his favor quite a bit. Most of the time the ball wasn’t under any cup.
Despite my disapproval I wasn’t going to stop him or tell anypony. Liars lived just the same as anypony else and it would be cruel to break his source of income. If somepony fell for it, it would be a good life lesson. Only fools fell for such things and it was good that they would learn without physical pain.
Rose approached him with a beaming smile.
“Honest Cloud?” she asked him, “Is that you?”
“Rose Bush?” he asked back, recognition sparking in his eyes.
The two caught each other in a hug and stepped back.
“I haven’t seen you since I was a colt!” Honest said.
“I know! I’ve been living in Leaffall, where have you been?”
“I’ve been wandering, plying my trade and going from city to city. Been wanting to settle down recently really, but I just haven’t got the savings.”
“How is the magical ball business? Doing well I hope.”
If the pony even knew what a magical ball was I’d eat a hat. And a name of Honest, playing a game like that. It was simply ridiculous.
“Niche market I’m afraid, just don’t get the customers like I used to. How about yourself?”
“Ah…” she trailed off for a moment and just for a moment Honest seemed worried, but Rose bounced back. “I’ve been down, but I got better! I met Hag…” she looked around for me before beckoning me closer.
I walked up to her. “I met Hag! She’s a wonderful pony and we’re traveling together!”
“Nice to meet you miss. The names Honest, Honest Cloud, purveyor of magical balls that allow great clairvoyance and scrying spells, seeing faraway places with ease for a low, low price!”
I didn’t smile back at him. That was not a greeting. I didn't like him already.
“Hag. Just Hag.” I said rather coldly and he struggle to keep smiling at my neutral face.
“How’d you get to know Rose?” I asked him, still keeping my voice cold and heartless.
Rose looked at me oddly, having never seen me act like this before. “We met at school miss… ma’am." he said, looking awkward. "We grew up together in Grass, best friends when we were foals. I had to move when I was sixteen, and haven’t seen her since.” he told me.
I hummed. I very neutral noise which worried him and Rose got in front of me. “Why don’t you take some time off and visit us?” Rose asked him, “We have a room in the Trotting Hotel just near the train station!”
“I would love to. Anything to catch up with an old friend!”
He made the mistake of looking at me and winced at my calm and collected expression. I didn’t like him and he could tell. Very easily too, like he was used to reading faces. An odd ability for a salespony, but I suspected that he either sold ‘magical balls’ as a side business or that he didn’t at all.
I really didn’t like him coming with us, but Rose seemed unable to tell that I didn’t like him, only that I was scaring him.
As we made our way back she stood between us, trying to keep an upbeat conversation with Honest which I would cut dead with some comment.
“Enjoying Manehatten?” she would ask.
“Very much so! Friendly ponies, so much to see, so much to do!”
“I should think so, with a mind like yours.” I would say.
And that would get him to stop and hang his head in a mix of fear and worry. Rose just got confused, but she never confronted either of us about this behavior.
When we got back to the hotel room I left the two to get reacquainted and went to the kitchen to try to cook something for us.
I looked about and began gathering some ingredients as my mind worked.
Rose and Honest had known one another since they were foals, best of friends from the same town.
Honest had left when he was sixteen and I would bet my scales that Rose had been his age or slightly younger.
Rose met her husband when she was seventeen, and had moved to Leaffall at nineteen, staying there for years while Honest had traveled throughout his life, selling magical balls or tricking ponies with his games or something else. I suspected it went beyond two bit tricks; he was good at lying, and good liars never stayed small.
Rose’s husband had died four years ago. Honest was fairly handsome. I myself had encouraged Rose to have more foals, and to meet another husband. When she had made me a grandmother for her foal, she had said foals, not foal, implying that she did intend to have more children.
She knew Honest, didn’t grieve over her loss anymore and seemed very friendly with him, and he liked her as well, at least on the surface.
He was a liar and a cheat, but I would give up my afterlife before I got in their way. I wasn’t going to help as per say, but I would encourage them.
A little love never hurt anypony, but if Honest broke her heart…
If he did that I was going to make sure that he lived. For a long time. Without legs. In pain. Lots of pain. Such pain that he would forget his name and beg me to end his suffering.
I had finished the preparations and set the dough to rise on the countertop. My bread rose by itself, without needed to be set next to a fire. I do freely admit it was bad compared to what Rose could buy, but it was free. I still had some more berries to stuff it with and some other goodies that I got from the Everfree that I couldn’t name.
Romance is a closed book to me, but I knew that a good meal and being alone went a fair ways.
I looked into the bedroom. Rose was sad, being held by Honest as she talked to him. Probably telling him about her tragedies. I would have told her not to, but it seemed to be working; Honest had an honest empathy about him that I approved of.
I would leave them alone and find something to do while my bread was rising. I was going to need to ask Rose how I would bake it without a fire or pot (I did not know about the stove or oven at the time), but that could wait a few hours.
I crept into the hall and noticed my note. Somepony (and I knew who) had added that they wished me luck and would be in their own room for dinner in a poor scrawl. It was about 4:30. Early for dinner, but I could always visit the girls and enjoy dinner there.
I could apologize to their families and mend broken fences. No time like the present to burn the bad in us my teacher had always said. So I turned and began climbing the stairs. Rose had gotten a room on the fifth floor, and the girls lived on the ninth. I wasn’t about to operate that terror that Rose called an elevator either. How many stairs could it be?
Too many stairs, that’s how many. I was exhausted by the time I crested the last agonizing step and entered another hall. I took a long moment to get my breathing under control and let the pain in my limbs to fade before continuing.
The girls had given me room number 926, which turned out to be the farthest door from the stairs. I took a deep breath and knocked on it and waited.
Spike opened the door, opened his mouth and then slammed the door shut, a faint click coming to my ears (my hearing was very good before, and better now that I could swivel them). A faint commotion could be heard, followed by a door slamming shut. I wondered what was happening and why Spike was there. I had figured that it was just the girls and their sisters.
*** In the room ***
“She’s here!” Spike yelled as he retreated back into the main bedroom. The group had a suit, a room far larger than my own.
His call had been met with surprise and instant worry. The girls were not in the room, having gone done to get the free food in the lobby and the bearers were abruptly paranoid about my visit to their room. They did not know that the girls had told me that they were staying here.
“She’s here?!” Rainbow yelled, leaping into the air slightly.
“Everypony calm down!” Twilight said, looking anything but calm. How had I found them? Why was I here? Her brilliant mind soon came to an easy solution.
“Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy and I are going to lock ourselves in the bedroom. Rarity, you and Applejack stay here and talk to her.”
“Us?!”
“The girls must have told her where they were staying and if she sees ponies that aren’t related the girls she might get suspicious! You need to convince her that we aren’t here!”
“But.” was all Rarity managed before she and Applejack were left alone, the bedroom door slamming shut.
“Seems were gonna have ta Rares.” Applejack said.
Rarity sighed before freezing. The front door was opening and Spike had just locked it. Had I broken in?
*** Just outside the room ***
“Thank you girls, I think I went and spooked the drakling.”
“Spike must be a scardy cat, cause you’re not scary at all granny.” said Scootaloo as the fillies opened the door for me.
I chuckled. “I can be scary.”
“You are a scary as that clown wig mayor mare wears on nightmare night!” Sweetie said.
I just smiled as we began entering the main room, “Oh yeah? What about this then?”
Rarity was prepared for anything when she had heard the door open and most of her fears faded when the fillies had come into view. They must have let Hag in with their room key she thought, both her and Applejack calming down.
Then the girls turned around and screamed, rushing behind the couch and causing Rarity and Applejack to jump. I entered the room smiling with sharp teeth, my mane flying around me as my eyes glowed green and blue. The same trick I pulled on the village girls, a simple use of magic that I could manage even in the city, far from my sources of power.
I was keeping it going because I was playing with the girls. I knew playful screaming when I heard it, but the bearers didn’t. I turned to look at the petrified Rarity and Applejack, Rarity ready to faint and Applejack unable to even move.
My face snapped back to normal, but both ponies were certain: I was no pony, but a monster that looked like one. They assumed that my scary face had been my real face.
It would have gone rather poorly if the girls hadn’t acted.
“It wasn’t that scary grandmother!” Sweetie called out, unwilling to actually see if I was normal once more.
“She’s normal.” whispered Applebloom rather loudly as she peeped from their hiding spot.
Scootaloo appeared over the couch’s back and smiled. “That was awesome!” she yelled, hopping over the couch.
The trio walked back to me, chattering about how I had been scary, not been scary, and how they wanted to do that. The simple happiness that they spoke to me with went a long way to calming the bearers down, and had stopped Rainbow from breaking the wall down to protect them.
I was still looking at Rarity and Applejack and felt slightly guilty. I had scared the fur off them.
“Rarity, Applejack.” I said getting their attention.
“I just wanted to say...” They waited for something horrible. I fought myself for a few moments before managing to continue.
“I’m... sorry.” The very first time I had ever managed to say that word.
“I… Could you repeat that dear?”
“I’m sorry.” I walked over to them, the girls trailing behind me, remaining quiet.
“I shouldn’t have lied about the girls and I’m sorry about that. I really should have thought twice before using my little trick to play with the girls too.” They didn’t think that it had been a trick, but didn’t say anything.
“And I am really sorry for giving you that black eye Applejack. You were trying to grapple me at the time, but I apologize anyway.”
“Can I hear forgiveness from the ponies themselves?” I asked. I was doing well, but apologizing was difficult and near painful for me then. I was doing very good; normally I would never have apologized, nor admitted that I did something wrong, but I was struggling, and they could tell.
Applejack was nigh incapable of responding, her thoughts tied in knots. Rarity was better, but not by much.
I had come to their room, scared the girls silly, and now I was apologizing for my various misdeeds. Neither could really tell what my slight strain meant, and that worried them. Applejack desperately wished that she could tell if I was lying, but her perfect skill seemed flawed in my presence, or so she felt at least. She thought I was telling the truth, but both ponies were certain that I was trying to deceive them.
Applejack also didn’t enjoy being reminded of the injury she had sustained. It was mostly a blow to her pride that I had overpowered her so easily, but it also reminded her that I was no simple old mare.
“That’s perfectly all right darling.” Rarity said after a brief silence. “You just have us a bit… spooked after that dreadful face you put on. Of course we forgive you! Don’t we Applejack?”
Applejack muttered something incomprehensible, lowering her head. Rarity pushed her to the side and stepped in front, giving me a rather fake smile.
I just figured that they were trying to forgive me. I had scared them, which explained the stilted behavior, and I had hurt them pretty bad with my lie. It would just take some time for the hurt to heal, and my being there would help them with that I figured.
“Thank you Rarity. I have some spare time, and I thought I might join you seven for dinner if you are having it anytime soon.”
“You are most welcome to dine with us miss… Hag.” She still hadn’t gotten used to my name. “Seven?” she asked worriedly.
“Applebloom has her family, but she told me that it was just her sister on this trip. Sweetie has only one sister, you, Scootaloo idolizes Rainbow Dash and the little dragon opened the door at first. I figured the seven of you came for a trip to the city. Am I wrong?”
Rarity was a master at the social battleground. Even if I was unaware that I was breaking her delicate web of deception.
Her eyes darted exactly once and then she laughed slightly. “Rainbow was unable to be here I’m afraid, tied up in Wonderbolt business. Scootaloo came with us two, and Spike is feeling ill so it’s just us five for dinner.”
“Wonderbolt?” I asked which got both to act more normally.
“Ya havn’t heard of th Wonderbolts?” asked Applejack, slightly dazed.
“They are only the best, fastest, most awesomeest flying team in Equestria!” Scootaloo said. “Rainbow joined just a few months ago and she. Is. AWESOME!”
Scootaloo really loved them, whatever they were. The other girls seemed curious and questioning, looking at their sisters with wondering expressions. Rarity hissed at Applejack and led me to look out the massive window that their room boasted as Applejack had a brief, but tense talk with the fillies that I didn’t hear.
She told them that I wasn’t supposed to know that anypony but them were here, and when they asked why she told them that it was for a surprise which got their support rather easily. For not being able to lie, she was fairly good at lying in truth.
So I joined them for dinner soon after, wondering what ‘air conditioning’ was and why it made such a racket. It sounded like somepony being restrained from rushing into the dining room.
I ignored it. Some houses had dogs that never shut up, so perhaps ‘air conditioning’ was a dog in a room. Wouldn’t be the oddest name amongst the ponies. I just enjoyed the cake that Rarity had produced and the salad that Applejack had made. As well as several cupcakes. The banging seemed to get much louder for a short time every time I ate another cupcake, but I couldn’t help it. They were delicious.
A short time later and I left happy and filled with sugar, the girls volunteering to operate the elevator for me so I wouldn’t have to travel the stairs again.
Rarity waited until they had left before proceeding to the bedroom and calling all clear.
The door just about burst off its hinges as Pinkie lunged and grabbed onto Rarity with a wail of ‘cupcakes!’ the other bearers following her with tired expressions.
“Why is Pinkie sobbin?” asked Applejack as Rarity desperately tried to get Pinkie off of her.
Twilight sighed. “It seems Pinkie can tell when her cupcakes are being eaten and we had to restrain her before she could tip Hag off. Everything went well? Rainbow got really worried after we heard screaming.”
“Hag’s got another face.” Applejack said as Rarity got Pinkie off of her.
Rarity looked over. “It was truly terrible Twilight! She had fangs and her eyes glowed like a timeberwolve’s! Her mane almost seemed alive! I am never going to forget that visage for the rest of my days!”
“Did she threaten you two?” Twilight asked as Fluttershy cowered from the description.
“No, she didn’t.” Rarity said, suddenly normal again. “In fact she made a point of apologizing for lying to us and for hurting Applejack. She even asked us to pass on her apologies to Rainbow for hurting her too. But that FACE!”
As the rest of the girls gathered around a theatrical Rarity, Twilight rubbed her head to stem the coming headache.
“Then why did she show you that face?” Twilight murmured, eyes shut tight in her thoughts, hooves rubbing her head.
“She said that she had been playin with th girls.” Applejack said, looking doubtful, “An the girls seemed ta be happy, but I’m jus not sure Twi. She seemed honest when she said sorry, but I jus can’t be sure anymore. She asked after th rest of ya’ll too, seemed that she expected us all ta be in th same place.”
“Its fine Applejack, nopony is blaming you for your difficulty. And it is possible Hag knows that we travel in a group most often.” Twilight said. “But we need to find out more about Hag, her reasons, and her abilities, and soon. I can’t come to a decision like this.”
“There’s nothing to be decided Twi!” yelled Rainbow, her wings flapping in anger, “Hag’s just some kinda monster that looks like a pony who lies a lot when Applejack can’t tell if she’s lying or not because she’s an evil monster! End of story.”
“Any illusion can cause the same face Rainbow. And you can’t prove that she is lying, and I really don’t think she knows that Applejack can’t tell that she is lying. Applejack’s ability has always been a secret, and she hasn’t had to use it much, which may mean it might not always be perfect for some perfectly normal reason or another. Only we know about it anyway, so Hag can't possibly be doing something to counter it.” Twilight said.
“And the girls are happy, right? They aren’t afraid of her.” Fluttershy said in her quiet way.
“That’s what I am concerned about.” Rarity said, “Twilight? What if Hag is putting on a deception so that she can get my sister as some HOSTAGE when she finally does show her true colors?! I don’t want Sweetie to be caught by a monster, but I don’t want to tear her away from a pony she likes a lot without certainty! And we just don’t have certainty, we have doubts and questions.”
Applejack looked at Rarity and sighed. “I know what she means. Applebloom really cares fer Hag fer some reason. My little sis might be in danger, but I can’t jus take her away; she’d hate me fer it!”
Twilight looked to her two friends with pain in her heart. The girls were the best way to learn about Hag, but her friends were right; they were in danger if I was an evil pony, if I was a pony. Some monsters could look like ponies and were known for lying a lot. Changelings came to mind, but the others didn’t know about other examples, and Twilight didn’t want to worry Rarity and Applejack further.
“I… The girls are the only way we might see Hag in an honest light.” she said, hanging her head. “But I cannot force you to do what you don’t want to the same way you don’t want to force Applebloom or Sweetie to do what they don’t want to.”
“I just don’t know. Is Hag lying? Is she a bad pony? Are the girls safe, or are they tricked so that Hag can use them against us? I just don’t know!” she said as she shook her head, the entire group feeling caught between two choices and being unable to tell which the correct one was.
“I know what you can do.” Spike said.
Twilight looked over at Spike. “You could ask the princess what to do. She would know, right?” he said.
“Spike.” Twilight said, walking over to him.
“Yeah Twilight?”
She picked him up and squeezed him. “You are the best assistant that I could ever have. Why didn’t I think of that!? Celestia would know what I need to do! Spike!” she let the hatchling go, “Find some paper so that we can send a letter!”
I pushed the door to my own room open and went inside, the girls following me. I walked down the hall into the bedroom and stopped in the doorway.
Rose and Honest were kissing. Lit by the setting sun behind them.
I stared for a second, and then I remembered the girls. They were just behind me, whispering together. I pulled all three into the kitchen in a single swift motion.
“Were they kissing Grandmother?” asked Sweetie.
“Are they special someponies?” asked Applebloom.
“I don’t know girls, but they might be. Now don’t go telling your sisters that you saw a couple of ponies kissing in Hag’s room, understand?”
They nodded. “Good, now wait here.”
I went back to the bedroom, took a breath and then stepped into the room with purpose.
“I need some help making the bread Rose!”
She nearly hit the ceiling and whirled, blushing bright red, Honest not much better.
“Hag!” she gasped, choking a little, “I didn’t hear you!”
“Just get in here and show me how I’m supposed to bake without a fire.”
She followed me in, greeted the girls and introduced them to Honest who seemed to like them. She also showed me the oven and seemed very happy that I wasn’t mentioning her earlier display of affection. The girls weren’t as careful.
“Mr. Honest?” asked Sweetie.
“Yes?”
“Are you special someponies with Rose Bush? Cause you were kissing earlier and my sister says that only special someponies do that.”
I giggled slightly as Rose and Honest turned bright red, Rose trying to pretend like she hadn’t heard Sweetie.
“I… I mean… You shouldn’t ask ponies questions like that!” Honest said.
“Why not?” Sweetie asked in perfect innocence and I decided to stop her before Honest put his hoof in it.
“It is considered rude Sweetie. You don’t ask lovebirds that question, and you are too young to think about things like that yet. Goes for you two too.” I said, looking at Applebloom and Scootaloo.
“Yes grandmother.” they chorused.
“Now the bread isn’t going to be ready until tomorrow, so get going back to your sisters before they worry again.”
I led them out and then returned to the kitchen. “So are you two getting close to husband and wife?” I asked Rose abruptly.
“Hag! You just finished saying that that was rude!”
“For foals. Old mares get a pass and I am supposed to be your aunt. So tell me you two. Are you feeling like having foals together?”
Honest gagged and Rose stuttered. It seemed that they were fairly shy ponies.
“I can always break out the sleeping bag…”
“Hag!” screamed Rose.
“I get it, I get it, I’ll stop now. No need to get your tail in a knot Rose.”
Honest was gone soon after eating with us, the entire dinner quiet and only punctuated by me asking simpler questions. Rose was humiliated by my questions and confronted me about them as we got into bed that night.
She didn’t understand my own culture. Such things were far more open amongst my people and I made sure to tell her that it was nothing to be embarrassed about. The faster she could confront her feelings and get Honest to marry her, the better in my mind.
Even with my explanation she didn’t feel comfortable and had asked me to never do such again. Through all of my life I didn’t change myself for anything or anyone. But Rose was… special. She didn’t know the deeper meaning of my agreeing to her request. I would not have done that for anyone else, not even on threat of death.
Even then, she meant a lot to me.
*** At Canterlot castle ***
Celestia was just retiring to her quarters when Twilight’s letter appeared to her. She snatched it up, wondering why her student had sent her a letter, as one was not due from her.
Dear Celestia,
The girls and I decided to take a vacation in Manehatten due to the trouble and tensions over Hag. It was while we were at the city that the girls found Hag, and I got them to keep an eye on her seeing as how Hag likes them and might give us an unbiased opinion of her.
But I cannot keep this up. I can’t come to a decision as to whether or not the fillies should keep putting themselves into danger that I’m not even really sure exists to discover more about Hag. We even had her approach, and despite her meeting with Rarity and Applejack, I cannot tell if Hag is an evil pony and my friends are divided on the subject.
Spike suggested that I write to you so that you could guide me in this. So what should I do princess? Should the girls keep observing, or should we pull them back even if they really like being with Hag? Should we confront her at all, or wait and observe from a distance?
Your confused student,
Twilight Sparkle.
The captain of the guard, Shining Armor, jolted when Celestia came to him so late. He was the brother of Twilight, a white unicorn stallion with a shield as his cutie mark, resembling Twilight’s own star pattern.
“Princess!” he said as she came to him.
“Assemble the guard Shining Armor. We are going to Manehatten, immediately.”