//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - Distractions // Story: Lullaby for Midlight // by Blankscape //------------------------------// One could only juggle so much of them at a time, before getting lost in the clutter. The others didn't condone distractions. So clear cut and no nonsense. I on the other hand loved a good distraction once in awhile. Maybe I loved to have them too much. It had--in more than one occasion, reached a point I needed help getting things done. Needless to say I wasn't like them, not an inch of me curious... No, that's not right. I was just as curious, just not curious about the same things. An inquisitive mind drawn to the things around her, not one egged on by an insatiable urge to know or an unfathomable need to be right. I was as every bit as curious as they were, but I was content to let things be and not tug at them to an end that satisfied me. Sometimes it was okay to wonder. Sometimes it was good, even better, to not know. And for that I was sure they would rail at me if they had heard those words come out of my mouth. But it couldn't be helped that theirs was a steadfast and impatient pursuit for knowledge, while I simply was of the mind that all things would be revealed in due time. In that I was certain. Beyond the shadow of a doubt. However what was well within both a literal shadow and the figurative one now was myself and the fact that I had...misplaced my bearings. Looking around, nothing was familiar and no one was in sight. I was loath to admit I had let habits get the better of me...again. I had strayed too far ahead of the others. Good and lost, and rightly so. Anxiety began looping into an aggravated cycle as the realization sunk in, but I staved it off with a steady hand on my chest and a long calm breath. The sensation felt strange…but this wasn't the time for that and neither was it time to panic. All I needed to survive was the knowledge in the field guide. I had grabbed it in a scuffle, not really knowing what I had brought with me. In the shadow of a small oak that stretched over a tiny trickle of a brook, I struggled to make due of the scarce light that shone past the leaves. The oak, still a sapling itself, was shadowed by the canopy of the ever-stoic elder wood I found myself in, one that seemed vast, sprawling and filled with surprises to a babe lost in its borders... A babe such as myself. The waning afternoon held no regard for my need of illumination, steadily going about in its course and eventual cedence to the coming night. And as it paid no heed to my needs, I returned the sentiment and continued reading a section of berry bushes commonly found in the area. The others would surely grill me for this as well if they saw me reading in such inadequate light. Berate me about treating my eyesight so badly at such a tender age and spook me with a bag over my head when I napped. I went on reading, the guide enumerating a list of fruit-bearing bushes with each page. Now past the first section and vaguely wary of the flora it specified to avoid, my mouth began to water as I glossed over the words and laid eyes over the familiar reds and blues of berries I once saw as commonplace. Moving on, I nodded in fair understanding of each paragraph, low hums resonating in my throat as I did my best to instill the information. But they would have known, that these were telltale signs of me struggling. That I was a hair's breadth from giving in to my penchant for distractions. Were they here, they would definitely have given me a good slap on the noggin to make sure I focused. They weren't here though. No one was. In their stead, the flickering sunset light was kind enough to stay with me, even for only a bit longer, even as dusk settled in the horizon and had let the night creep in. It was a good thing too. For the pervading cold and dark hues that shadowed the night were already settling in, so the warmth the light provided was very much appreciated. ... ... Hmm… That was odd. Everything else was already dark and cold, but it was still bright and warm behind me... "Trespasser," an old voice crowed, like pebbles scrapping between ground and foot. It sounded off from where I shuddered to turn. The warmth felt comforting no more, now seeming as a radiating hostility tangible to sight and palpable to my nerves. When I finally turned my head, there I saw him standing, dressed in a well-worn tunic and trouser affair, its fabric accented by mending patches here and there. His wrinkled face and balding hairline, vividly visible by the torch he held up, made apparent his immense displeasure, reasons for which I was both figuratively and literally ever still in the dark. Words caught in my throat, yet I did my best to manage even a small utterance. "Umm...hello?" I whispered meekly in a fittingly meek turn. I had to say something, lest he presume over wrong grounds. "Trespasser!" He shouted with an angry scowl and an accusatory finger pointed at me. Too late. He continued to shout and point that accusatory finger at me, coming off as more threatening and unfriendly with each repetition, and punctuating it with a stomp forward on the end. This sudden flex from him took me by surprise, and in seeing me retreat, he found footing to continue and took steps forward with angry stomps. I had doubled over from his actions, now I only wanted to get away. Scraping at muddy earth and a web of roots, I entered a run like never before. A run for my life in an unfamiliar place. A cold shriek rose from my belly and my lips pursed in fear. A cry for help escaped me. "MERGO!" "Agatha! Wake up, Agatha!" Connie's incessant jostling roused me from fitful dreaming, leading me to sit up with an arid heave. Having just risen from sleep, and quite groggily so if I may add, I had forgotten where we had chosen to make bed for the night, and thus hit my newly bestowed horn on the hollow yet still healthy confines of the fallen oak. One would think that a horn, being made of keratin, would not chip as effortlessly as a nail would, nor feel a twinge for its lack of nerves. I was mistaken on both accounts. A conclusion sorely backed by the flare of pain around my forehead followed by a thin rivulet of blood trickling down my face. Connie winced with me, seeing the damage done more than I ever could and grabbing me by the shoulders…or was it withers now? Ah, horse terminology. “I’m so sorry, Aggie! It looked like you were having a nightmare,” she offered with self-depreciating frown. The tearing of fabric ripped from behind me as I held my head, a little more perturbed at the pain than surprised by the strange sensation at a strange place on my body. In a moment we had both crawled out of the oak with no one else around. The stream babbled about its watery business nearby, and the parched air in my throat called for me to quench it with a drink. But Connie would have none of it, wanting to take responsibility for my injury. “Ugh, look at all the splinters sticking out in the red stuff. Almost looks like the other night’s spaghetti,” she noted with a quaver in her tone. Then she repealed it with a hearty breath in and out. “At least it doesn’t look too bad. Sorry again, Aggie.” It had just returned to mind that Connie had always been the queasy sort when it came to these situations. This brave front she put up endeared me a small smile as she set to work plucking the splinters off my horn. “No worries, Connie. It’s just a scratch,” I assured her, in spite of my wincing as she picked another splinter out. Her eyes widened and she blurted, “Just a scratch? A scratch?” I turned to her at the reiteration, and nodded gingerly with a flat line on my face. Its face value seemed to satisfy her. “Well I guess you could call a four-inch long gash peppering your horn and forehead with splinters that. But still, WOW!" Her sarcasm was apparent. "You're exaggerating, it's just a scratch." She didn't mind what I had said and stuck a tongue out again as she picked out more of them, holding her faint of heart predilections in with quite some effort. “Geez, why did you even have us sleep in that hollowed out cactus again… Almost poked my eye out when I woke up myself.” “Well because it was out of sight, in case patrols would come around by chance,” I replied. That much was obvious, but the words went in one ear and out the other. Connie was too busy trying to stomach the sight of my wounds and stopped picking at it, while I had to do the actually suffering. The rashness that gnawed on my forehead and…the base of my horn was an incessant feeling that gave me no quarter of idle peace, so I forced my eyes wandered around in search of a distraction. The first thing it latched on was the fallen oak we had just crawled out of. The aging wood that loomed above us nearly as big as the gazebo leaned a precarious angle over the stream that fed water into the portions of its base that still anchored it down. For what little support it got from the stream, it relented from falling and continued to grow, and it would likely maintain that precarious angle with an almost serene stubbornness till the end of its days or some ass came over to chop it down. It was here Mergo first took me exploring the day we had met. Back then we discovered the hollow in the tree and camped here for the night till our parents had organized a search party and we heard them screaming their lungs out all over the forest. We were only six back then, but it was the most fun I had in a no-nonsense town like Cyril. The memory came to me as a daydream that seemed to last a good night’s rest. But when I came to, Connie hadn’t even resume plucking the splinters out of my head. She only stood there, silently regarding what to do. I was just about to say something, but she aha'd with a hoof in the air. She must have forgotten she didn’t have fingers anymore, which made me smile. “I know just the thing that would make this easier on the both of us. Go dump your head in the stream.” I followed as she had told, and at least I got to drink some water along the way. Returning to her with a soaked head, the bit was chomping at me to get a scope of our situation. But the mild pain was starting to get to me as the water had set in, and Connie shushed me down for my incessant fidgeting. She still stuck a tongue out for the sight of the wound, but she continued on picking the splinters out, not as easily fazed by thinned and runny blood. Once the last one was out, she covered the wound on my horn with a wrap of fabric, stopping the bleeding to great effect. She still held a gag in though, for the blood that soaked a blotch in the fabric. With a cursory hoof feeling her mending’s handiwork, I turned to Connie. “Thanks for that.” “No problem. It was the least I could do.” The surrounding illumination struck a perfect balance, owing to the shadows casting a cool shade over everything beneath the canopy and light that shone past the breaks in the crowns of the trees. In the same manner, the cold and brisk air beneath the canopy mixed with the warmth of the sun rays that made it in, lending a get up and go perkiness to me the more I breathed in the forest air. On any other day I would have called Kirk out and then taken Mergo with us on a nice relaxing walk through the woods. And with Connie’s recent addition to our ensemble as per her visit, I would have very well strung her along such a walk as well. But this was not any other day. Mergo was not here…and neither was Kirk now that I noticed. The realization surprised me more than I would have liked, and Kirk's absence gnawed me to no end. “Where’s Kirk?” Connie was now rummaging through her luggage, humming a tune one makes while doing chores. Going by the torn blouse she tucked into a pocket as she held a resigned scowl to herself, I guessed that was where she got the cloth from. I hoped that wasn’t expensive. When my question finally registered to her, she reluctantly answered. “Ah… Well, you see…he went to check your cottage if the police were still there.” There was a slight jitter in her voice as she told me where he had gone off, and I echoed that sentiment several volumes more in my own worry.  “And how long has he been gone?” “I’m not so sure really.” Connie fell to silent thought for a moment, counting mentally. “Maybe an hour or two by now? It was early when we woke up and he offered going back for a looksee.” “Offered? Offered!?" She winced at my volume. "That idiot… If he gets caught, then I don’t know what we’re going to do at this point!” With a hoof just skirting the bandages wrapped on my head and massaging my temple, I sighed an anxious breath I didn’t know I held back. My distress only bounced off the sporadic itch coming from my bandaged head, agitating me even more. “He said he would be careful!” She returned in his defense to placate me. “And if he does bring back something useful, then it would be good that he went back, see?” “But that’s the problem right there, Connie! IF! If he gets back.” The outburst came out of nowhere, one I didn’t know was coming. Seeing the look on her face, I had noticed that my voice had grown so loud, and I restrained myself before continuing. “You should have stopped him.” “I did try…” She said nothing more and returned to minding her belongings. A tension came between us nearly enough to make a wall, and no longer did she hummed sweetly as she looked through her belongings. If only she knew how important this was… But If’s were the worst luxury to take for granted when something was at stake. And something definitely was at stake here. Mergo was out there and the chances of finding her were up in the air. I hated ‘ifs’ with a fervor. I hated how unsure they made me and how they always threw me for a loop… I hated being in the dark. 'If you must speak of the devil, do so well and hope for good tidings.' The words slipped into my head unbidden. I didn’t know where those words had come from, but the ethereal quality lent to their utterance had an effect over me. It was…soothing. Its echoes resounded in my ears and knocked at my consciousness for a short spell. For a while the world became blurry and stepped a short length out of arm’s reach. The anger that brewed in me so quickly simmered and felt far away now. But seeing Connie sit there so close to me yet feel so distant, I only briefly recalled what we were talking about and why I had become angry. The spell ended and things were clear again, but now that I could think straight, it only made me even guiltier. At this point, the apology felt moot compared to bandage she fastened to my head. But I had to try anyway. “I’m sorry, Connie… I shouldn’t have yelled.” She offered no reply, not even looking away from what she was doing. But still she wiped away a sniffle with a hoof and kept a stiff upper lip. “It’s alright. You’re just worried about Mergo and Kirk.” “It’s still no excuse for my attitude… You’re right. Of course, he’ll be alright.” Connie turned to look at me and returned my apology with a regarding look than keep up a cold shoulder. The sudden optimism that crept over me felt as some welcomed intrusion from far away, but it was right all the same. Now wasn’t a good time to dwell on things I couldn’t control. Not all faith is baseless. “Was someone talking about me?” A voice in the distance hollered. Coming down the foot of the hill with steady footing, Kirk made his jovial way rounding the oak and rejoining us. “Phew, you wouldn’t believe how crowded the place is. It’s as if some celebrity came out of the blue and dropped a deuce there. Definitely smelled like it though. It was probably the gas.” His arrival was both mollifying and unnerving at once. On one hand, I was just glad he was safe and sound from his little escapade. On the other hand, I was also angry he had gone back in the first place. Kirk set down his knapsack in front of us and was about to show us what he had found, but he stopped when he saw me. “Uh, what’s with the head injury?” “I had a nightmare, and scrapped my horn on the inside of the tree,” I replied dryly. He stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds, but a snigger soon wiped away the worry from his face. “Hah, really now…what are you, eight?” He chuckled. Kirk uncinched his knapsack and readied to showcase his findings, but had trouble undoing the knot with his teeth. "I'm glad you're still talkative in spite of our situation," I replied in deadpan. "Anything else you'd like to talk about?" "Yeah, about these," he said in passing, splaying his wings open for a while . "They nearly gave me away when they cramped up and got snagged in some bushes as I stretched them. I tell you, I'll never get used to them. " "I don't think that's what you want to talk about, Kirk." He shrugged off my words and continued talking anyway. "And when you mentioned your horn, it took me like a second to make the connection--" “That’s not it either!” I yelled, making my annoyance more apparent. I brought up a hand to pinch the bridge of my nose. Fumbling a bit, I recalled that hooves lacked fingers to begin with, so I put it back down. “You went back to the cottage without us. What’s more, you said the place was crawling with police! That was plain reckless!” “I was exaggerating. I counted about a couple of officers and scientist. They weren’t even on the grounds of the cottage. They'd setup camp a few ways off closer to where the crack had started up. And believe you me, that crack was huge!” “So you followed them around for kicks?” I tried my best to hold it in. As much as I disliked getting angry again after having just cooled off, it seemed that was likely to happen, depending on his answer. What were those words again, and that voice out of nowhere that calmed me down... If only I could get that to happen on command. “What if they spotted you, or worse—“ “No, I didn’t not follow them around for kicks.” Kirk sounded appalled that I would think of him as the reckless sort. Though in my defense, he quite was that type of person a lot of times before. “The police were coming around in an on-and-off patrol. I followed them from the bushes, and found that they set up camp close to the crack, like I said.” As he went on recounting his story, the scowl on my face slowly relented. “Sometimes they'd go to the cottage to watch TV or take a bathroom break, running water and all. But they eventually went back to their camp though. When the coast was clear, I went in and out, only for the essentials...or whatever I could grab with hooves anyway. And judging by the smell, it seemed they fixed the gas pipe too. Pretty nice of them I think.” “Well..." His hashed out explanation rather surprised me, and my anger mostly dissipated. I had better pull out the leader card so he doesn't get full of himself like he usually did. "It doesn't change that you were supposed to keep morning watch. Not parade around for someone to find you!" "Come on, Aggie," Connie cut in, siding with Kirk who grunted in exasperation. "You should give Kirk a break, seeing he made it back safe and the stuff he brought back. We should check what these are." Kirk leaned over to Connie and said, "Thank you!" "Ugh! Again, guys, that's not the point!" This was starting to get out of hand. I had to drive it home so they would see things my way. "Kirk, you were supposed to keep watch and only that. That's what we decided on last night. Now I would have been all for going back to check on things and scrounge up other supplies we could possibly bring, but you didn't run his through me. This isn’t one of your video game, or fencing practices where you can waltz around, just because you’re one of the top jocks. Mergo is out there somewhere, and we have to find her. Every second we waste piles the odds against us in finding her and—” “Enough already!” Kirk shouted, swatting his knapsack away. The air became sullen and heavy, and moments passed where none of us said a word. This was the first I ever heard Kirk sound mad at me and wear that angry look on his face. Connie complemented his disposition, only instead of anger she wore a disappointment scowl. I looked at both of them, their eyes downcast and unwilling to meet mine. It had finally sunk in for them, more gravely that I had imagined, more than I had intended. They were more afraid they had let on. Kirk was the first to break the silence. His voice was weighed down by something he wanted to vent. “I get it. I really do... Mergo is all this and that right now, and she's so goddamn important…but I signed in to crash at Mergo’s place and eat some of her cooking! Not some life-changing transformation! Bet you my future career in fencing that Connie feels the same way.” At the mention of her name, she shied away slightly, but Connie still had that disappointed look about her. It was too late for her not to be involved in this tirade anymore. Kirk went on. “We are way in over our heads! I can’t even begin to imagine how completely screwed I am… how screwed over we are!” He turned over to Connie, nudging her just enough to shake her from her daze. “Kirk’s right, Agatha,” she began. She had that same look Kirk had about her now and she forwarded her piece. “The plan was supposed to be to spend a jolly week with my friends, sign up for a transfer back into St. Ajora’s in the meantime, and eventually come back to end my senior year in Cyril with a bang. Then Mergo comes along and throws a wrench into everything by turning us into these! I was warming up to her too, I really was. But there were things she hid from us and it blew up in her face, roping us into this sick funhouse joke. I’ll admit it seemed like a dream at first, and I tried to water it down considering that I’ve always loved ponies, but this…this is too much!” Connie let out a sigh that was drawn out and tired, tears running down her face. She shook her head as she spoke. “This is not the plan.” Doubt had turned its heavy gaze and weight on me now, bearing down with such pressure, it took all my self-control to stop myself from lashing back at them. But my anger diffused right then and there, because they were right. It was supposed to be a happy week of fooling around in good company, and then another week of idle mundanity till school came back up and Connie came back into my life.  This wasn’t supposed to happen to us at all. I was collateral. They were collateral... We all were. This was all Mergo’s fault…and mine. I did my best not to stutter as I spoke. “I’m sorry, Kirk… A-and you’re right too, Connie. This is not the plan. We have to think this through.” There was a dam crashing behind my eyes and ready to burst, but I managed to hold it in. Not in front of them, for I was in the wrong this time. “I-I just need to cool my head,” I told them, a tremble in my voice. “That’s it... That's all.” Neither seemed to notice it though, or they simply had to cool their heads as well, the likely case. They said nothing as they returned to their own business, Connie securing her luggage again, and Kirk picking up his bag from where he had thrown it. They didn’t even turn to look as I rounded the bend. This wasn’t their fault. They weren’t even that close to Mergo to begin with. Kirk only ever maintained a friendly air whenever he was around her because I had always gone up to check on Mergo when she moved in. And judging by how she carried herself, Connie really was warming up to her. But with all these secrets and this sudden transformation, all chances for a steady and meaningful friendship between the three of them had been cast in the wayside. This was a bridge coming right up. I knew where I had cast my lot, but…but it didn’t make this any easier to do. The wind, somehow fancying itself an accomplice, blew a mild breeze through the forest, rustling leaves and branches in its wake. With everyone all so heated up, the noise was a perfect cover to sneak away. By the time I got behind the gnarled trees it was too far away for them to even make out the sound of my hooves tousling fallen leaves in the wake of my gallop. I shouldn’t have forced them to do this with me. I couldn’t… I had to find Mergo myself. “Keep it together, Levy. Keep it, cool,” I said to myself. “Keep it cool. You’re new in town, and this town is all new. No need to be so on edge.” Thinking back to how I had scoffed at Purple Croissant out of nowhere, I definitely shouldn’t be leaning so much towards impulse anymore. After her short visit to the Sugar Cube Corner, I had decided to go in and purchase a drink, but stopped short of hearing voices gossiping by a window stall in the café. “Ugh, I can’t believe the riffraff that’s come into town,” said a glossy mare with a pointy nose in a hush voice. “Did you see what Rarity had to put up with just now?” The stallion with the slicked back coif across her nodded, though he proffered his own perspective to round off the opinion of his wife--I assumed. “Well, the world is a big place, honey. I used to think the same, but not since that business trip to Griffonia last year, thank Celestia for the safe journey. The griffon’s there often say that Equestrians and Equestria born griffons think quite insularly. And now I’ve thought about it, it is quite naïve of us ponies to expect others to be as well-mannered and kind.” The haughty mare scowled. “But wasn’t she a pony too? It’s one thing to ask for privacy politely, but telling off an esteemed member of our community—why that coarse sandy ignoramus!” I guessed she meant the color of my fur. “Now, now, dear,” the stallion assured placatingly “You can’t expect outsiders to know who’s who either.” I had heard enough from them and didn't want to hear anymore. At their words my skin turned a season colder and a weight settled in my stomach so uncomfortably, I had nearly hurled my lunch for it. I didn't though, I wouldn’t have liked to waste what little bits I had left for the week. This was supposed a fresh start. New town, new faces, and a new leaf. But I had already messed up my first impression. What’s more was that Purple Croissant is supposedly this town’s tailor, a damn fine good one who had a lot of sway in Ponyville at that. The clothes she had on display looked so nice. Far more elegant and pretty to look at than the wardrobe I'd become used to. Stupid me, why didn't I keep my mouth shut in the first place? If ever at some point I would get chased out of town, at least I had contingencies in place. To not be careful, not be vigilant or on edge round the clock, it was all so new to me. Then again, all of this was quite new to me too… more than any pony here can imagine. “Get it together, you!” I scolded myself with a slap to the face. No more thinking about the past, only moving forward. “New leaf...neeeeeeeeeeeeeeewww leeeeeeeeeaaaaaaafff.” I had told Evee I was on my day off awhile ago, but that didn't mean I slacked off either. I had to keep the bits coming, and that meant waking my 'partner' up. Right now the oaf was currently napping blissful hours away up in the clouds. Even though Ponyville had a law against the harmless enough act, it seemed they were lax about it so long as no ponies napped on the actual weather clouds per se. But napping outside of town limits, that was another thing entirely. That was uncharted legislature for me. It was a short leisurely walk to the park from the Sugar Cube Corner, and I had to cut across dozens of afternoon park-goers while keeping to myself. I saw them all around me. A neon-haired pegasus flitting around with her tall dark coltfriend. The nice dentist unicorn mare who had checked our teeth upon arrival, enjoying a nice day with a kite in the air. That mountain of a buff pegasus peddling his wares with a cart in tow a stone's throw away. The well-travelled business pony and his snobbish wife from the café, following me by happenstance in their own easy going promenade. And that rambunctious trio of fillies I've heard so much about, running to and fro across the park for some reason. There were many other ponies in the park, but those were all the faces I managed to retain. Simply passing through the peaceful scenery, even after a week of living among them, it made my own walk feel so surreal...like a dream. A dream I didn’t want to wake up from. I had walked far enough that there were no ponies within immediate sight. I was now at the far edge of the park. The path I treaded was hidden well by grass long neglected and allowed to grow tall. I wondered if any of the locals knew the place was here, like this. Walking down the path, it eventually led to a thin line of trees that delineated the boundaries of Ponyville clearly. There I pushed through its brush, making my way just out of town. It was a field of grass in its own pocket of the region, a good tenth of the park by my guess. It was dotted sparsely here and there by hardy unkempt bushes. Immediately around it stood the untamed hinterlands of the E'er Friede. Its ever defiant woods fenced the region in and stood an auld testament to the tenacity of 'wild' magick. Quaint of them to still refer to it as such. Beyond the forest and my sight dipped the vast and deep dug Gessela Quarry. The former lush valley it once was overlaid as a ghostly image on its current gutted state, where rocks tumbled and quarray eels lurked. Even further still, snow ever capped the now meager Mac Lír Hill range. Its once proud orange peaks marked the beginnings of the Edgelunds and still managed to rise indistinct and blurry above the E'er Friede canopy. All their names had changed over time and so did the Equestria behind me. Everything was so different, even the view had changed... Was it too late for me? Of course, not. There was always time, it only took some getting used to. Speaking of time, it was high time my partner woke up to do an honest day's work. Wandering this remote part of the park, it took a while before I spotted a stray feather that clung to the tall grass. Sure enough in a gander up, a cloud with a particular belly caught my attention. There you were. "Hey, you up there?" I called to the sleepy head in the clouds directly above me. The question was rhetorical, if you were wondering. But I still expected answer of some kind. There was nothing. "Wake up, you lazy bum! You better not make me wait till I get a crick in my neck!" Still no response even after a couple of minutes. "Gary, you feggin' featherbrain, get up!" Luckily for the both of us, I didn't have the patience to wait till I got a crick in my neck, meaning we'd be getting to work on time. Glancing left and right, there was nothing but tall grass around. Good enough for me to mean the coast was clear. I then picked up a stone and rubbed it with a stray feather of his from the ground. Light radiated from two places, a faint glow from my flank and a flash from my hooves that dwarfed it. Having cast the spell away from prying eyes, the stone was primed and ready. All I needed to do was send it on its way with a good toss up. "Let's see you pick yourself up from this!" Confident it wouldn't be seen, I hurled the stone flying straight and true. At the point where it would have entered an arc down back to the ground, it continued to rise, and rise, and rise. Before long or even medium, it found its target up in the clouds, making a dull yet satisfyingly loud knock on the thick skull of one Griffgarrion Gamgè. Tumbling off his cloud, he fell as a flailing fluffy comet with a shriek before eventually steadying his wings. Third way through his fall, the griffon managed to catch himself by entering a glide. He landed shakily in the tall grass nearby. "Loyal Levy, ya maniac!" He angrily started as he fumbled his way out from the tall grass. "Give me one hell of a fright first thing in the morning, will ya! What if I stalled, what if I didn't catch myself!? I could have broken a leg, or a wing! Or worse!" "Actually, it's early afternoon now, soooo... A good afternoon to you, Gary. Have you taken a liking to the Equestrian sky?" I greeted with a playful wink and smirk as I helped him out of the tall grass. "O'course, I've taken a liking to it. The climes are meek and mundane, clearly not as exciting as it was back in Squallfront. Can't complain. But what I don't like is taking a rude awakening and potentially turning it into a serious injury!" Letting go of my hoof, he managed down his brown ruffled grass flecked plumage with one claw while standing on his other three legs. A scowl as craggy as a dry desert plain evolved on his grey head while he beat the ground and stomped towards me quite upset. "Just because I fly well now doesn't give you an excuse to test it against me within an inch of my life! Ya crazed ground pounder!" I motioned him to ease off with both hooves. Man, it was scary to see him so angry like this, but it was also quite fun getting under his feathers. "Now, now. Don't get your feathers in a bunch. Tell you what, we're nearly late to work as is. So why don't you," I said, gesturing convincingly with a hoof before going on, "punch in with me, so you can make Evee proud about having a working bone for once in the time she's come to know you?” He still wasn’t biting, so I went on and greased his wheels. “And if you still feel ruffled at day's end, I'll treat you to something nice in the E'er Friede. Whaddya say?" He bore down on me for a tense moment before answering. … … "Hmph! I do work, every day of my life in fact! We both know very well how that's worked out for the two o' us before. And I'm holding ya to that promise regardless!" He said with a wary talon pointed at me. "So I'll take it that's a yes?" "O'course, it's a yes, silly bollocks! Now if you’ve no more deathly shenanigans, I’m off." He took to the air and turn in the direction of our designated job sight. "Selfish griff. Why don't you walk with me on the ground for a change?" I coyly suggested. He turned to me as if I dishonored his family and his cow. ""Selfish griff. Why don't you walk with me on the ground for a change, like we used to?" I coyly suggested. He turned to me as if I dishonored his family and his cow. "That's the thing though. Flying is the change from having ya drag me around all the time. And more importantly, would I give ya the solace of clocking in late together? Nah, love. Take a hike!" He yelled pointing sharply with a thumb before setting off with the breeze. A small part of me felt chided that he just up and left. But I did have it coming, and he was oh so fun to tease. Maybe in some other life we were brother and sister. Anywho, it was a long walk from here to Sweet Apple Acres. Speaking of which, I had just noticed the squall line of clouds encroaching from the E’er Friede and hiding the nice sunny day behind a cover of gray. It wasn’t roiling with rain or booming with crackle and thunder yet, but they still looked heavy and packed. I had better get going before they started up. Destination set with a glance, I marked the route to the farm over the map of Ponyville I had gotten town hall. Mentally reviewing all the twists and turns I had to make, only then did the scale of my route register. Gary was right. Even if this was a shortcut, it was still a sizeable hike. On wings, he'd be getting there in minutes. On the other hand, walking would mean I had to cut back through the park, a three minute gallop, head off from there passing Sugar Cube Corner and into the market, another thirteen minute gallop, and then make my way past town hall and down the long dirt path that lead to the Ponyville's farmlands. With nearly a thirty minute gallop ahead of me, I was starting to regret ticking Gary off. I could have asked him to fly me there. It didn't matter though, because it was still deserved. Huffing and puffing, I zoomed past ponies on the street, thankful that the impending clouds cleared the usual thick of pedestrians off the road. By the time I made it to town hall, I was out of breath and my legs throbbed for the strain I had put them through. That was the fastest I had ever run. Maybe I had run for five minutes instead of the projected sixteen at this point of the route, but that didn’t change the fact I was a mare of endurance, not speed. If I eased into a light canter, perhaps the gentle earthy breeze that blew from the farmlands into the dirt road ahead of me would be gracious enough to send a second wind my way. Dust basins were strewed along the dirt path, having dried themselves off after the last evening shower. Some still held small pools of viscous mud in them, and I took steps to steer clear. Eventually it would rain again according to schedule and turn the mud into slosh completely. Ah, the things they did with the weather. The crazy arrogant things. Several farms saw me come and go as I passed. Their signs tickled in memory with their nice enough sounding names, but the ones that stuck more were those I had worked on earlier in the week. Carrot Cradle Patches, Zesty Vine Groves and Tuber Mile Tunnels to point out the better ones. And then came Sweet Apple Acres, the most notable farm in Ponyville. As I approached, the proprietor's name came to mind, or at least the pony whose name was on the flyer. Speak of the devil and hope for good tidings, mother’s age old adage came to mind. There the devil was. Applejack I recalled her name, and she had raised a hoof, sending Gary on his way. And boy did she look miffed. As I sidled past the gate that hung ajar, I briefly wondered if all the ponies here were named after the plants they grew. The stray thought did wonders for my nerves and winded lungs, but that wouldn't shield me from her ire. "What are ya doing comin' in so late?" Applejack began with angry hitch in her voice. She was already started to sound like a devil! I chuckled at the thought. In a more speedy recollection, it came to mind that I had seen her around at market before. She had worn such an amicable face back then, and the samples she had given away were divine. But seeing her mountain of a stride and hearing her drawl riled up like an angry minotaur shook me something fierce. "The ad clearly said to come in around dawn, and look what time it is!" A meek red bow ducked behind the corner of the house at her volume, but I paid it no mind as Applejack's voice only grew louder. I approached her, head held low. "Sorry about that, Mam. I did get up bright and early, and came straight first to the bulletin. But seemed the evening showers did a number on your flyers. The paper was soggy and the ink was runny, it was barely legible by the time I got my hooves on one." She shook her head when I finished saying my piece, making it clear she had heard it before. There was this look about her that said she was at her last thread of patience. "Yeah, yeah, tell that to the other two dozen ponies who got 'ere early. We're behind schedule with the barnraising enough as it is. You do realize I won't be stampin' your tag, right? On top of dockin' half your day's wages, that is." My eye twitched involuntarily at her words, and I was glad my head was too low for her to notice. "B-but what about Gary? He--" She cut me off, knowing where this would lead to. "Now don't you go draggin' that nice griffon into this. He has his own arrangements, and was here long before you showed up. So as far as I’m concerned, he's right on time." I had to do something, even wheedle. I needed the bits. "But I started working here just now--" "Now see here! I ain't hearing any more excuses from ya," Applejack interrupted me again, this time erupting with finality and a glare that demanded attention. "It's all mighty saintly of Princess Celestia to take in nomads such as yourself without a second thought, but don't think for one second I can't tell when my apples are missing. I run a tight ship with my regular help as it is, and I think it's fair I help your kind out with some place to start at. Ain't a big bother either if I go through a few baskets feedin' y'all over work, but sneakin' two dozen of 'em and a barrel of cider behind my back ain’t how we do things in Ponyville! And I know one of y'all is behind this!” She was practically fuming, but managed to keep it in a whisper. It did draw some attention from the other volunteers, though one step in from Big Red was enough to send them back to work. “Now I can't kick you out without proof, lest I lose face on false claims. But what I can do is make an example of ya.” You’ve got to be kidding me. She then pointed to some ponies out on the fields and a few on site. “See those fellas there? They’re here to keep a close watch on y'all during work hours. And if I do catch any of ya varmints stealin' my apples again, I'll make sure Mayor Ivory has every one of y'all hoofin' it out by the next moon! So if ya still wanna get paid, you better mosey on to the back and start workin'! Is that clear?" "As crystal can be, Apple Mam. Right away!" I chimed in quick attention, forcing a smile before scurrying off. Her accusatory tirade came out of the blue, it sure did give my legs a good shake. In any case, this didn’t sit well with me at all. If I didn't get my marks for the week, then they wouldn't be sending me the stipend to cover the cost of living! These ponies meant business in the most darnedest honest way, it made my fur stand on end. This was almost unfair. More importantly, this rash of thefts. It was the first I had heard this rumor. I stopped to wonder when this all started when a line of insects marched their way to and from the beams we'd be using in the barnraising. "Uh, Apple Mam? There's this scurry of--" "Oh, so you don't want to get paid now?" She shot a glare at me. "No, Mam, no. I'm off!" It was one thing to have me work unmarked and dock half my wages, and it was something else to vent all that anger on me from nowhere, but threatening to withhold my pay--ugh, that yutz! Well it's not my problem if she doesn't want to hear my two cents! Not my barn anyway. "Uhmm, 'scuse me?" I looked around both saw no one. "Down here!" Didn't I see her at the park with her buddies earlier… How in the world did she get here on such short legs and not look haggard like I did!? Hmmm, well that didn't matter too much at this point. She was Apple Mam's kid sister, so I had better pay her mind. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see you there, Lil' Apple. Need something?" I offered craning down to her. "Uh, well ya see," she fidgeted with her bow swaying as she spoke. "Please don't think bad of Applejack. She's just under a lot of stress lately with the storms bein' so bad on out trees. And this barn should'a been up at least two days ago. So please don't hold it against her!" She offered an apple with those final words. Even in the dull gray light of the cloudy afternoon, a sheen reflected well off the succulent apple on her hoof, which I readily accepted and wolfed down in a bite. "Oh... Wow, that's real good," I mused will savoring its flavor. She must have seen me running my way from the park somehow. "It's no trouble, Miss. Your sis is obviously upset for good reason. Say, why don't ya go and help her by scoping out potential suspects? Can't have any more baskets and barrels disappear from under our nose now, can we?" "Way ahead of ya!" She hoped with a salute. "My friends and I are already on the lookout!" She then scurried off to resume patrol, joining her friends who I now noticed we're waiting for her nearby. They looked so pumped to find the culprit. Such a nice fillies. Approaching the work site, I looked for a toolbox to work with, but they had all been taken. It seemed I had lucked out, and would have to put up with grunt work. Not that I couldn't handle it, but I had preferred to delve into more skill based work this time around. It couldn't be helped though. I picked up a short wooden beam and glanced at the blue prints to where it was needed. I vaguely noticed some other workers picking up that pile of timber that piqued my interest, but now I had forgotten what about it interested me in the first place. It was as Miss Bloom said. The concrete foundation reached into the ground, having been there since last week now. I had seen them building it while working on neighboring farms, but the storm that spilled incessantly from the Everfree as they called it now had set them back several times since. The foundation needed fixing from the rains, the grounds became unbelievably slippery, and the chilly draft did no favors as they set up the new silos and other tall structures. Not only that, but some of these ponies probably never had experience building anything. Things were only more difficult as the wild showers spilled hard on the freshly set concrete without notice, catching the workers by surprise before they could cover it up. Even the farms I was working on then weren't spared. From across the fence, I had overheard during her orientation that barnraising was supposed to be a day long affair. But considering the things that have happened I understood where her irritation was coming from. Nonetheless, threatening to dock my pay was not cool at all. 'In Griffon culture, this is considered a dick move,' I could almost hear Gary say in deadpan, were he roped into this along with me. It was a bit past noon with a cloudy outlook for the rest of the afternoon's sky. I could see the weather team from here, doing their best to contain the storm clouds coming in from the Everfree. It was far from an uphill battle for them, but with the likes of Everett Fandango helping them, I didn't worry all that much. But I had better move along though, before Applejack tore a chord from yelling at me too much. I approached my fellow workers and asked around vaguely as I helped build the barn up, but they were just as clueless as I was. Sure they looked like thugs being as drab as they were, which made them obvious targets of suspicion. Seeing the trio of fillies skulking them without their notice only proved my point. But wait...where was the small pegasus? Oh, well. In any case, there was no helping it since they didn't grow up in Equestria. That there was the main difference that no one else knew...no one except for Griffgarrion and I. Work went on for several hours without a hitch while the farm hands kept such a vigilant watch on us, eagles would be proud of them. There were a little more than half a dozen of them in total, and Big Red looked especially vigilant. I pitied the fool who crossed him. Another storm was looming on the horizon though, and it was coming in pretty close. Almost too close for comfort. I could almost feel the gust and drizzle from here. "Looks good from here! This should be a good point to stop at!" It was close to late afternoon now, though the gray sky didn't help my estimations. I was going over the blue prints, looking where to haul timber next when Applejack hollered to the ponies working on the loft of the larger unfinished bank barn. Gary and the others came down from the structure as our Apple foreman called quits, but the worry painting her face pale told me she wasn't satisfied at all. I guessed the storm off in the distance spooked her from whipping us into overtime. "No, this isn't good at all. The long cabin fruit barn's all done, but the bank's still a toothpick skeleton!" She grumbled with her hat tipped to cover her face and concerned hoof up to her chin. "The old one's already brimmin' with apples in it and its hinges are so rusty, they look like they're rarin' to give! It might very well burst open on us over the night!" The other workers had already gathered around the cart towards the front of the farmhouse, where Big Red distributed snacks, daily wages and stamped their tags. "Don't you go thinkin' I forgot about you now, you troublemaker!" She warned me with a sharp glare, after seeing me eye the others clocking out. "You'll get your day's wage, but only half like I said. Ya ain't getting yours stamped either. That should learn you and your buddies here from any future misdeeds." Ugh, again with the accusations! This was getting out of hand and I was suffering for it. If it weren't for needing the bits, I would have left anyway because she wouldn't clock in me for today's work! Well, at least Lil' Apple was kind to me earlier. "How's the barnraisin' this time 'round, Applejack?" An old lime green mare called as she slowly walked from the house behind us. "Don't you worry one bit, Granny," Applejack assured. Not wanting her elder to overextend herself, she met her most of the way. I could still hear them talk a little bit though. "The wild storms comin' in from the Everfree got us in a bind for a while now, but we'll finish it soon." Those words were a mask of fortitude that hid the fears she spoke of earlier. Eventually they returned to inside their abode, just as the wind picked up. The storm was getting closer and closer. This bind really was no joke. Then again, it was foolish of ponies to control the weather in the first place. As much as she ticked me off for laying blame on me without evidence, Applejack wasn’t a bad pony as far as I reckoned. Pressured and malcontent but definitely not belligerent. Maybe I should check those blueprints again first. Do her a solid. Running my eyes over it several times, I noticed something peculiar as a recent memory of the pile of timber beset by insects came to mind. “Applebloom, wait up!” I heard a petite voice call as I scrutinized the plans on the table. Glancing up, two fillies came into view one after the other from round the unfinished bank barn. The young white unicorn with lavender mane wore a worried expression on her face, but something about her seemed familiar… I just couldn’t place it. “No… No, no, no, no! Say it ain’t so!” Lil’ Apple cried low with frustration. “Wait…just…a second,” White-like-lavender huffed as she came to a stop behind her friend. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. We should wait for Scootaloo to get back. Maybe we should ask her about it first?” “I know what I saw!” Lil’ Apple yelled at her friend, causing her to shrink back. She eased on her glower seeing how the unicorn reacted. “You were there with me, and we saw it clear as day!” White-like spoke up again with a careful quaver in her voice. “But that makes it all the more important! We should clear things up first.” Unable to concentrate anymore over their arguing, I closed in on them to diffuse the situation. “Uh, hey there, Lil’ Apple… Friend.” I tipped an imaginary hat as I approached, a gesture Friend seemed too shaken to return. “So I take it you found some clues about the thefts?” The yellow filly wiped away a sniffle and scrunched her brow at me. “Why would we need clues when the culprit is right in front of us?” She said, point an accusatory hoof at me. The second one today. “Huh?” Needless to say I was dumbstruck. Friend Whitey approached cautiously. “Come on, Applebloom. We should let her say something first.” “Sweetie Belle, there’s no denying what we saw!” She yelled back. The wind picked up, evolving in intensity with her anger. “You should be ashamed for what ya did!” The trees around us swayed vigorously and the unfinished back barn nearby creaked in pain at the wind’s passing. I almost didn’t hear her words over its wolf-like howls. I approached to coax them inside the house. “Come one, little misses. It’s getting a bit exciting out here. Why don’t we finish this inside the house?” “Get away from us!” She yelled as I drew near, causing her friend to back away with her. Then Lil’ Apple shouted at the top of her lungs. “Applejack!” At her call, the weather peaked in form. We were awestruck at the noise that whirred into our ears from the air behind us, forgetting the what of things briefly. Turning around the three of us saw it. A tornado freaking out into existence. A rainbow blur rounded the tornado from a safe distance, assessing it with careful scrutiny. Something else caught my eye though, something far less graceful as it struggled in the gale. She was there too. I could faintly see her wrestling wings against its current. Everett’s yellow coat stuck out like a sore thumb as she skirted the dangerous thing…and she was losing. “Everett!” “Everett!” I called and heard an echo in the wind. Another voice cried out as we watched the scene in front of us unfurl in the distance. Griffgarion Gamge rose from the huddle where wages were handed out.  Maintaining his altitude with some effort, his sudden rise to a lofty height drew all eyes, while the name he uttered directed them to the windy demon that had spawned over the Everfree. The regular farm hands were alert and waiting on Big Red, but panic was setting in the volunteers who clamored in chorus with their hooves shuffling beneath them. The climax was an explosion, and the bank barn behind the three of us groaned. In a short period of time, the tornado picked up a sudden and deadly speed then receded and dissipated into thin air. But it wasn’t as simple as that, no. Every pony there would have been breathing sighs of relief and talking about the sight, if that were all. But they all shouted in horror, pointing hooves up as the great swell of the freak dervish swallowed the yellow speck that was Everett. Round and round she went in its current, and after a several dizzying revolutions, it sent her careening in a mighty launch straight towards—SWEET BABY FAUST!! She was coming right at us! At any other time I would have said it was beautiful. The trajectory the tornado threw her into was amazing to watch even to the artistically disinclined such as I. The others over yonder definitely let out some gasp, which collectively broke through the noisy gusts. The speed was almost unbelievable. It was almost like watching a circus act, a dubious one with all the risks and zero safety. Completely mesmerizing. Not for Griffgarion though. Having the eyes of a practical hawk, he kept close watch of the accident as it unfolded before us, its audience. “EVERETT!!” He rose up high even more with a mighty flap of his wings, putting himself between the damsel in distress and her projected course. He caught her in his embrace squarely right above the farm, but the momentum was too much. That was when I snapped out of my daze. The foreboding thought of losing both of them or seeing them irreversibly injured smacked me sober and alert, allowing me to zip into action. I didn’t care if the fillies saw me, if any pony saw me. I clutched the feather I had picked up earlier tight and beckoned to Griffgarion’s plumage. There was a brief flash as I raised the feather in my hoof, setting a charge to it that commanded his plumage to follow. That was cutting it too close. They soared right above us and crashed straight in to the toothpick skeleton of the back barn. But the griffon’s feathers had puffed up into a fluffy ball that cushioned their fall just in the nick of time. I sighed, they were safe. But that wasn’t the end of it. It all happened so fast. Beams of timber screamed in a grating cadence of destruction as they broke at the impact of the brown fluffy comet. “Applebloom!!” Big Red boomed in a voice that made my hairs stand on end. The skeleton of the barn fell like a house of cards but was happy to see us there, breaking its fall. For Applebloom, Sweet Belle and I, the feeling wasn't mutual. Not at all. The fillies screamed. I did what I could. “Girls--!” … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … In and out… The world swam around me… In and out… In and out… There was a drizzling haze and a wetness… My face was wet, but…not rain, something else… Beams creaking and there was crying near me…voices calling for me, faltering in sobs… And beyond too, outside the thicket… cries muffled and distressed... There was pain too… but it was numb and distant… from points almost like... Big needles… cold, so cold... Two faces… they hugged me with pale faces that pleaded… "You're safe..." I managed... But there words...hard to hear... I turned but difficult to move… I saw all of us beneath…the canopy of timber and splinters…and nails…too close for comfort…too close... The two fillies held my face as I struggled… I could only wheeze…chuckle. “That's all that matters…” Warm wetness dabbed my lips...it dropped down... “That's all that...that's all that matters…” And then… … … … The fade… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … Hello, Moonlight, my old friend. Come to talk? Turquoise eyes stared back at me affectionately… Her voice was ethereal. Yes, I have, dearest Lavian… It's good to see you. How have you been? One hoof in front of the other, echoes darkly tumbled back and front as I slowly forged on. Not long after leaving Connie and Kirk, I had found a crack in the ground, a scar in the earth that led down in a gradual descent. The air had been thick with a tension I knew I hadn’t just imagined. It was almost like electricity, making my hair stand on end. So I had entered and never looked back… okay, maybe a few times… I regretted running off back then, because I had left my things with them. Now I didn’t even know what I had picked up in last night’s scuffle. I didn’t even think to check in all this time. Perhaps my phone was in there? I could have managed to unlock it somehow like Kirk did. But that didn’t matter now. I was here, had nothing with me and there was no going back. “One hoof after the other…that’s the rhythm, Agatha.” I consoled myself. “Just keep walking…walking, walking, walking… What do we do, we walk, walk, walk…” The bare facsimile of the song from a movie I had just seen was supposed to be cheery and amusing. It had the opposite effect, only making me more of nervous wreck. The air was humid and dank with the last sliver of light having long stayed behind me. Only smatterings of its reflected rays made it in with me, but I might as well be blind. “Great idea, Agatha,” I began in self-rebuke. “A major earthquake rocks the continent, causing enough damage to cut the power to the third largest province of Ivalice, and you decide to go spelunking! Spelunking in the earthquake crack of all things!” Even in whispers, echoes rebounded off the walls of the cave, giving voices to the imaginary jury of my consciousness, all of whom condemned me with every waking thought since. “Stupid, stupid, stupid! Worst call of my life! Might as well start chiseling the wall for my gravestone and write, ‘Here Lies Agatha, Foolish and Foolish. She had a Death Wish!’” I punched a hoof to the wall in frustration. Irony replied to the knock in the most ridiculously apropos way. ... Aftershocks… I ran in a panic as the walls trembled. Cracks trailed me from beneath their surfaces, but I wasn’t about to put my ear to the wall and wait for a cave in. The ground was uneven and slippery, often catching me unaware and causing my footing to slip. The tremor was now lasting a good minute or two. It was just a guess, but the thought of an earthquake lasting longer than a few seconds terrified me at every step. It was still going and I couldn't tell how long it had been now. I just wanted it to stop. On top of my terror, I was slipping on the rocks too frequently and my joints ached at the exacerbated— “AAAAAAAAHH!!!” My hoof caught on a rock and I fell. Not to the ground, no, that would have been mercy. Down to the level below. It was a sheer drop some twenty feet or so in height, maybe even more. The landing didn’t sugarcoat things either as it roughed me up with a good ol' fashion earthen greeting. There was an incessant ringing in my ear that blinded me in one more sensation, and I could only faintly tell the cracks that crept n my bones. But whether or not they were actually there, there was no point wondering. It was all just too much. It was no use. I couldn't see, I couldn’t hear...I couldn’t get up. I cried, and cried, and cried. Sobs echoed back and forth along the tunnel, likely sealed from the following earthquake. Deaf and crippled I couldn’t tell how long I lay there. This was my tomb, a dirty cave that sunk deep in the ground, and no one knew I was here. Connie and Kirk turned into ponies? Mergo galavanting in another world? The fuck I care! I bit down on my lip til it bled. I didn’t care anymore. I only wept. I was coming to. It was a hazy start, but eventually the picture became defined and steady. There was a light shining from an item across the way. A tremor took the tunnel for a buzz, causing specks of dirt and stone to fall through the light. The tremor came and went. “Hey, looks like the runaway’s up,” a voice nearby called. I looked up to see Connie's face half lit, regarding me with her steel blue doe eyes. They were huge. I was lying across her…back? Leg? Flank? “How are you feeling, Aggie?” Hoofs clopped on the ground as another person approached and spoke. I barely managed to turn my head to see who neared. “Better be lousy. She practically left us hanging.” Kirk hunkered down to get a closer look at me. I said I would never cry in front of them. Never before had I let myself slip in front of them, not even once. There was a first for everything. They said nothing and let me weep for a long time. My weeping rode on echoes off the long tunnel, and it seemed a dozen of me were crying all at once. They had turned off the flashlight to conserve it and turned it back on when the tremors returned. They rocked the tunnel in the hours that followed, but it seemed they were all benign, almost like gentle rocking of a cradle. That thought had popped up by the time I had run out of tears, and I let out a weak chuckle. My lower lip flared in pain, and I reached down with my tongue to find it had been bandaged along with my chin and neck. Now that I squirmed a little bit, I could feel the other bandages on my body. The pain was still there though, so I decided against moving anymore. All the while Kirk eased up against the wall to catch on some sleep after taking morning watch as Connie laid a meek caressing hoof on my head. Eventually she too followed Kirk and fell asleep. One particularly rocky tremor shook the tunnel, and neither of them woke up. I was scared. But for its trembling, something tumbled out of Kirk’s hoof, settling by the flashlight and touching its lens briefly. There was a small spark on contact and its circuits began shorting, turning it on for a brief spell. The thing that fell out was a piece of a dull green charm Mergo had showed me once before and kept with her all these years. I must have picked it up without knowing when we made a break for it. When chance impelled the flashlight to flicker on again and shine, the wall across me looked like a canvas of stars in an enchanting, if not murky, green sky. I had cried for a long time, and we sat in the dark for a long time. The fanciful thought came back, only this time, it wasn't amusing. It was appropriate. It was so much like a scene of new parents comforting their child during a thunderstorm. Only, there were dull grey stone walls likely untouched for centuries, instead of bright playful images and colors painting all over a newly furbished room. The tremors no longer scared me, seeming more like a drastic melody—if you could call it that—accompanying the unmoving mobile of stars on the wall. Eventually I fell asleep again. We all slept a restful sleep. No distractions, no worries. Only deep sleep, sheep and dreaming.