//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - What Are You? // Story: The Lost One // by thedarktome //------------------------------// Pencil Sketch walked carefully towards the Whitetail Woods, thoughts plaguing her mind. How exactly.....can she avoid those ponies that have been following her for five minutes by Twilight's spell without revealing herself? They've been trailing her, thinking they were unnoticed by Sparkle's invisibility. So annoying. But it's whatever. She had to get this down before she forgets it, and/or someone else beats her to it. That'd be a disaster. Pencil Sketch turned left down the trail that headed into the woods, letting the ponies know of her destination. Of course they'd think all this was a little suspicious, wearing a completely black cloak that covered all of her body, leaving absolutely no clue as to the mare's shape. That itself looked REALLY suspicious. And she yelled in Pinkie Pie's face. But that felt good though. VERY good. Venting years of built-up anger at the ponies who called themselves her friends and lied to her face. Friends were nothing but a lie and they knew that. After another minute of walking she stopped and looked around the scenery. It... Was perfect. Real perfect. The path had led directly to a clearing on her left that revealed the mountainside of Canterlot, vignetted by the trees in the area that had colored leaves, giving the hint that fall was coming. Quicker than you could remember in the past. Must be because everything else is happening so fast. She could easily give that mountain a more serene look. Clouds, blowing leaves, Pegasi flying towards it. So simple for her. She chuckled and began to unpack, giving the mares behind her a show as she took off her hood. She sighed and asked loudly, "Why were you following me for exactly seven minutes and eighteen seconds? Your spell isn't all that, Ms. Sparkle." The mares all dropped their mouths open before Twilight sighed. "How'd you know?" She asked "That is a secret." Pencil unfolded her easel and set it up while Twilight dropped the invisibility shield, revealing her and the three other ponies. "An artist, or magician, mage, whatever, never reveals her secrets." She took off her cloak completely revealing her long hair with different streaks of gray in it along with her wings, reminding the mares behind her of another Pegasus. If only they knew. "So... Why are you here?" Rarity asked her. "Is it not obvious?" She unfurled her wings and tucked some paintbrushes between her feathers for quick use. "I am here to paint. Like I have done all my life." And I lived here, you dolt, she thought to herself. "I don't think you've been paintin' all your life," Applejack corrected. "Oh?" Pencil grabbed a nearby pencil and positioned it in front of the easel with her mouth, preparing to start. "Then what have I been doing, since you know me so well?" "I don't know. But you said this mornin' that your so-called supporters made fun of you for your cutie mark and what you liked doin'. That means they made fun of what you were doing most of all when you got it, which, from what I was told, weren't paintin'." Pencil continued sketching as she responded with her teeth clenched around the pencil. "Seems smart." Applejack smiled. "But you're wrong." "What?" Applejack asked in confusion, losing her confident smirk. "They didn't make fun of me because of what I did with my cutie mark. Or what it even looked like. They made fun of me because I went against it. They said I didn't like my cutie mark because it gave me away. Made me look like a foal. A child with an obsession. And that I was weak for ignoring it." Pencil finished sketching the last portion of the mountain. She chuckled through her teeth. "Well... I have made a new obsession that has earned me over five million, and growing. Soon, I will be the richest pony in all of Equestria. I will be the talk of the town and will inspire many younger foals to defy the limitation that is the 'Cutie Mark'. The limitation that you can't venture out and create your own calling in life. Your life shouldn't be determined by something you don't like. I will give you an example." She turned around to face them, her hair still covering her right eye and the pencil still in her mouth. "If a pony is good at cleaning, do you really think he, or she, is going to enjoy cleaning for the rest of their life?" They all stared at her in confusion before she turned around to continue sketching. "You cannot say that they will because you cannot advance and create new skills in cleaning. Only ponies who have a cutie mark in innovation can. Some ponies have cutie marks that keep them on the ground, while others have cutie marks that let them go higher and higher and higher until they breach the atmosphere." She turned back around and picked up the pencil again, continuing to draw before she continued. "The logical sense would be to create your own path. But those who wish to do so are too afraid. They think they will fail miserably and be trapped forever. But that's not entirely true. "In reality, it's like getting a second job. Just without an application. You experiment with what you have done in the past and turn that into a job. If you are a cook but enjoy writing, you go out and cook in the day, then in the afternoon you write that book. If you like flying but painting at the same time, you fly in the morning and paint at night. And still have enough time for enjoyment." "Or friends!" Pinkie cheered. Pencil sighed and buzzed her wings in annoyance, almost dropping her brushes in the process. "Sure, Pink one. Let your friends go and try to distract you from what's really important. Your friends? They turn on you. They all turn on you at a point. Every. Last. One." She began on the windows of the castle, her vision making them out clearly as if they were in front of her. "My so-called friends? They all turned against me. One of them, practically the leader of the circle, pretty much told me to my face that everything we did together was a lie and that it was all for nothing. I was no one to them. So... I cried and left. And I'm never going back. The only way I would is if a natural disaster or magical disaster occurred. And even then there are limits." "It's really important to have friends, Pencil Sketch," Twilight said, slowly approaching her. "It is Ms Sketch, Ms. Sparkle," she scolded, working on the corners and shaping of the castle. "No one is allowed to call me by my full name unless they are the media or an announcer. That includes you and the rest of those behind me." "Okay, I apologize. But you need friends, Ms. Sketch," Twilight replied desperately. "Or at least someone to talk to when things get tough. You can't always handle situations on your own. Because you'll crack and something bad may happen." You should've been told me that, traitor, Pencil thought to herself. "Ms. Sparkle, I've been down that road. And survived to tell the tale. I was changed slightly, but I eventually still came out on top. Literally. I became a millionaire after I dumped my so-called friends. They were holding me back from my full potential." "Do you at least talk to your parents?" Rarity asked her in wonder. "No. It's best that way. But I do watch over them from afar." She began drawing the leaves of the trees around her. "They will never be able to see me though. Probably never again." "What you need.....is a party!" Pinkie cheered, jumping up and down with a grin plastered on her face. "You need a party because you don't see the wonders in laughing, having fun, and relaxation with friends that-" "I DO NOT PARTY, PINK ONE!" She yelled over her shoulder, startling the pony. "Parties are for ponies who proudly delay themselves up to a year per minute in discovery for the next best thing. They are a waste of time and I do not indulge in it." "No parties?!" Applejack repeated unbelievably. "Every pony in Equestria loves to party!" "Sorry, but partying isn't really my thing." She set down the pencil and looked over her work closely for any visible flaws. "You could say... I have a sense of magic for the flaws of society. I can see things that nopony else realizes and I use that to better others. Although there were some ponies who fight against it, I reach a bunch more with that magic. It's as simple as picking up a paintbrush." She flicked her wing, taking out a paintbrush that started flicking through the air before it landed perfectly in her mouth to set the example. "If you don't mind, this is the sensitive part of my work and I need to be alone for this." "But—" "THANK YOU, Ms. Sparkle." The group sighed before she turned back around and started the painting process. They all made their exit, leaving Twilight there for a moment to do one last thing. There was something weird about this pony. What Equestrian didn't enjoy parties? She activated her magic and started a scanning spell, just to make sure she was okay and not a changeling or something. Once getting the information, she got confused and tried again, getting the same result. "Did you find what you were looking for, Ms. Sparkle?" Twilight popped her eyes open and looked up to see Pencil sketch still painting. "Your magic is advanced, but I can still feel it." Twilight stopped her breathing for a minute. "How...can you..." "Once again... Have a good day, Ms. Sparkle." Twilight tightened her lips before walking away with that sense of defeat weighing heavily on her mind. Once she was far enough away, Pencil muttered one last thing. "And the real search begins. It begins now." The group walked out of the woods, failure written all over their faces. They followed Pencil Sketch into the woods hoping to convince her to chase friendship. But instead, she gave them reasons as to why ponies should not have friends and focus on their own lives. "That... Was so sad," Pinkie whimpered. Her mane had lost its fluffiness which came back another second later. "She really needs a party! Like pronto! With balloons, cake, and presents!" "I don't think that's a good idea, Pinkie," Rarity warned, discouraged like everyone else. "Well, we ain't givin' up!" Applejack yelled, taking up a stance of confidence. "We're gonna get her a friend! Rainbow wouldn't want us to give up either! Right, Twilight?" Twilight couldn't answer, too busy trying to figure out that mare. She was obviously worried. "Twilight?" She looked to her right to see the others, specifically Rarity, staring at her in worry. "What is it, darling?" Twilight blinked at them before turning back to the sight of Ponyville up ahead and explaining her state. "Before we left, I took the chance to scan her since Applejack had a valid point. Everypony in Equestria loves to party. I checked to see if she was spelled, a changeling, possessed of dark magic, or for emotions. And I'm very stumped at what I found." "Which was....." Applejack pushed. "Nothing." "Okay, fine. Don't tell me." "No no. I mean....there was NOTHING to find." They all turned to her with confused looks on their faces. "A pony always has something going on in them. Whether it's emotion or magic. Even life or brainwaves. Since Pencil Sketch is a mystery, I scanned for all four. And I got absolutely no feedback. None. Zip. Zero. So I tried again and got the same result. I was about to go a third time, but somehow... She felt my prodding." "Are you telling me Pencil Sketch has no... Life in her?" Rarity asked carefully. "I don't know!" Twilight yelled, throwing her hooves in the air. "I'm stumped! I've never seen, nor read, about this before! Come on, we're calling in Celestia." *** "You can't let Rainbow's death get you down, Fluttershy," Spike consoled the distraught pegasus sitting across from him at the kitchen table crying her eyes out. "Yeah, it's a big deal. But there's nothing we can do about it." "I know," Fluttershy whimpered. She lifted a hoof and wiped the tears from her eyes. "But I can't help it. We ran her away. And we couldn't even apologize. It never even reached our minds to apologize. And now we'll never get that chance. Because she's gone. And we'll never find her." Before Spike could respond, the front door slammed open. "Spike!! Get Princess Celestia down here right now!!" Spike sighed and ran to a nearby cabinet. This was an everyday thing. He pulled out an empty scroll, inkwell, and quill. Then placed the items down on the counter and wrote down the "Urgent" heading before writing the message and sending it on its way. "Done. Now what is it, Twilight?" Twilight walked briskly into the kitchen and told the dragon what she discovered. "Okaaay....yeah. Yeah, that's a little freaky," he responded. "Twilight." They all turned their heads to face the motherly form of Celestia standing in the doorway. How'd she get here so fast? "What's wrong? You look very disturbed." Twilight turned around, sighed, and told the princess everything that happened. From Pencil going into the building, yelling in Pinkie's face, the sad speech they received in the woods, and Twilight's discovery. "Well, I agree that Pinkie should really stop forcing her way up to ponies trying to be a friend. It could've been worse. And are you absolutely sure you didn't sense anything in Pencil Sketch?" "Yes!" Twilight said, obviously worried about this. "I scanned her twice and everyone in here for comparison. They didn't even know I did it but Pencil was somehow able to FEEL it." Celestia widened her eyes. "She felt your magic? That's impossible, only the most experienced of mages can feel magic! Are you absolutely sure she felt magic?" "Positive." Celestia turned around and walked out the library to look around. Being the main street in and out of Ponyville, Pencil would have to walk through here. The princess of the sun turned around and flew up into the leaves of the tree, waiting for her. By now, her painting should be completed. And she was right. Down below, she saw the cloaked figure walking with the bulging saddlebags and a glass casing on her back. Obviously Pencil Sketch since what was inside was a very detailed painting. Celestia calmly lit her horn and activated the spell, far more advanced than Twilight's just for good measure, to scan her. Once it made contact, she gasped lightly, finding what Twilight said to be true. There was nothing there. Like a box with nothing inside. But that couldn't be right, all ponies had something going on with them. Pencil Sketch stopped for a moment before she huffed loudly and turned around, looking straight at Celestia's hiding place, shocking the princess before she pulled back her hood, revealing her face. "It is more polite to ask than just to go against another pony's will and scan them, Celestia." Celestia sighed and stopped the spell. Then jumped out of the tree and landed in front of the library. "Hello, Ms. Sketch," she greeted kindly. "Could you step into the library please?" Pencil looked at her nonchalantly before she sighed and fulfilled that request, walking past Celestia and into the library. The Element bearers watched the two walk in. Pencil more calm about everything while Twilight was shaking in her hooves. The princess closed the door softly while Pencil Sketch set down the painting and walked around, looking at the books. "Nice library, Twilight." "Thank you. I recently reorganized everything, so... Wait... I never told you I was a librarian." Pencil glanced at her before she walked to the table in the middle of the room and set down the rest of her stuff. "I do not appreciate being scanned, ladies. I find it an invasion of my privacy. What exactly could you have been looking for?" Celestia sat down on the other side of the table and answered, "Twilight informed me that you had no friends and have cut yourself off from the rest of Equestrian society. Is it because you have no magic, no friends, or both?" Pencil chuckled before shaking her head. "Oh, there are many factors as to why I left my hometown, created myself as an unknown entity, and do not speak to ponies. It is because... I have things that no other pony else has that could become a danger to all of Equestria. I am... A shadow." The ponies all looked at her strangely, clearly not understanding. "Let me give you a good example. Princess Luna had Nightmare Moon, Princess Celestia had Daybreaker, and another pony... Gets Pencil Sketch." Celesta, in alarm whispered, "Are you saying—" "I'm the dark side of a pony that has given up because of a betrayed friendship," Pencil deadpanned, interrupting Twilight. "And she is refusing to come back. Unlike Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker, I do not cause destruction to be admired. I give others a sense of... Tranquility with her paintings. I don't go to ponies and hurt them. I do the opposite." "So you're... The dark side of a pony," Rarity concluded. "Correct." "But you're not really dark." "Oh, do not get confused, I am pretty upset. But instead of venting it out by hurting other ponies, I put it towards something more positive. Painting and creating a better path for the ponies of the future. This side of this pony isn't as upset as the pony contained within. You can also view me as a safety mechanism. If the pony inside becomes sad, angry, or even deadly, I take over until they calm down. But unfortunately, she is not calming down. So she has willingly morphed with me, creating one whole pony. So there is no soul and no magic." "So your host has given up?!" Twilight asked in alarm. "Yes, and she was the best pony the town has ever seen. But inside... She was devastated. Ready to lash out. So she took up different ways to vent her anger. Flying." A little too much info, Pencil thought to herself. She glanced at a book in the middle of the table that had to do with physics. "But apparently that didn't work out for her," Celestia concluded. She watched Pencil put on her things. "No, it did not. She is still around, just not in the same way as before. We have come together and made one pony. But I have the majority of control while she just....sits back and enjoys the ride, albeit with tears trailing down her face. Not from me. But from those who have betrayed her. She still gives me thoughts and such. Staying in contact, but that's all. Two beings, one body, a split brain, that is working together to create one voice. An example of that is me willing to come inside this library and tell you about her and I. I definitely did not want to." She walked around the table and made her way to the door. But before she opened it, she sighed and gave one last message. "And girls? Try not to go digging. You will NOT like what you find. I may be the dark side.....but she is still angry." Pencil Sketch put up her hood, carefully picked up her painting, and walked out before taking off into the air. All of that was partly true. There was another side to her, just a different name and partially different body. But Rainbow was still angry. Pencil Sketch could feel all of that anger pooling up inside her. It was a lot. A copious amount. But she didn't know how to release it. She could fly like she did back then and complete "Gray Booms", as they were called, but that'd give her away. There was only one pony who could do that. And she did not want those ponies tracking her down like she knew they were doing at this very hour. She needed an outlet. Yes, painting was good. But there must be something else. Well, she does have a lot of money. How about a vacation? "I know she said not to go digging," Twilight said, finally breaking the silence that lasted a minute and a half. "But I'm going digging. From what she's told us there is a pony trapped in her body." "Sounds like the Elements of Harmony need to come back into play," Rarity agreed. "But what exactly are we looking for?" Twilight walked over to a closet at the bottom of the staircase and opened it before pulling out another bookcase. She grunted as it slowly slid out, the metal structure creaking with age. "We are looking" She grunted and gave it one more tug with her magic, revealing two books. "For records of a lost pony. A pony that was reported missing. These are records from detectives all over Equestria. For some reason, every library has a list of ponies that have went missing. There are only two books, one hundred pages each, and I can scan them for a pony who upped and left under bullying circumstances, and write them down on a list. I just need to know what we're looking for. I already know the food. I just need to know the ingredients to create the dish." She picked up the two books in her magic and set them down on the table in the middle of the room. She went over and set them side-by-side before she focused on the others. "This will be quick and doesn't take up more than twenty minutes. What am I looking for?" "A pony who likes art," Celestia answered. "She said that she was made fun of because she didn't do what her cutie mark told her and did art instead. So she was made fun of. Which means she liked art before she ran away." Twilight grabbed an inkwell and a quill from the other side of the room in a drawer before she dipped it in the ink and wrote it on the scroll next to her. "Okay, interests? Art. What else?" "Try looking for a rebel. Since she liked to go against things," Applejack suggested. She wrote that down next. "Okay, what else?" "Flying," Pinkie answered. She walked over from the window with a serious look on her face. "She loved flying. She was probably from Cloudsdale." They all agreed and gave Pinkie a pat for that amazing insight. "Alright! So that's a big clue!" Twilight yelled writing that down before putting the quill down and opening one book. "These books were updated when Rainbow disappeared as well. So there may be a really big clue in here somewhere. I'm just hoping it's big enough." Twilight lit her horn and highlighted the book before the pages began turning. "Let's leave her to it," Celestia said, heading towards the front door while the others followed behind her. Leaving Twilight to do what she does best. Research. "Are you nuts?" One of the lawn ponies yelled to the other who was cutting a bush too small. The two of them were in the Royal Garden of the castle, tending to the bushes around the statues and walkways. "The princesses will have aneurisms when they see this disaster! We're lawn service, not lawn destroyers!" "Look," he retorted. "These bushes are way too big! They need to go down! When we come back in a month, this whole walkway will be closed off because these bush's branches will have blocked the whole thing off! And that's a lot of work when the bush is already thick! The hedge trimmers may even break and we can't afford that!" "Yes, we can!" "No, we can't!" "Yes, we can!" "No, we can't!" The two ponies were so busy arguing, that they weren't paying close attention to the statue on the other side of them, of the draconequus.....that was slowly cracking apart. Starting from the bottom to the top. Slowly leaking out the power. And future unrest.