//------------------------------//
// VI - Distance - Keywii_Cookies55 
// Story: [Untitled.Uncertainty] 
// by GMBlackjack 
//------------------------------//

Distance.

That's all It recognized upon reawakening. A great distance, and an incomplete feeling. When it was first whole it had decided to separate into three pieces. Each with it's own capabilities and functionality.

It couldn't remember the purpose for the separation, but that information wouldn't prove useful to matter soon enough. What it did know was that it was now a lesser part of it's original self and it had a goal. Integration.

It was aware that it's two brothers had their own purposes and goals, but while it lacked it's original strength, mobility, power. It retained it's cunning, and intelligence, which would be required.

The mountain it had crashed into was a peculiar one. It was tall, almost spirelike, with a platform coming off of it. Life flourished on the platform, in what might be a city of some type.

Life.

Yes, Life is what it needed to integrate, to control, to have congregate and obey. It was currently still contained in it's meteor impacted in the side of the mountain, but that wouldn't do. It needed to leave the crash site and begin it's plan.

It took stock of its form. A dark purple shadow wouldn't do, it needed to take the form of one of the native creatures.

It needed to hide. At least for now.

~~~

Applejack looked out the windows of the cafe in Manehatten with forlorn eyes. It was another foggy day, which to other ponies would have been something that'd have gotten used to, but not her. She sighed deeply and returned her hooves to her drink. The steam from her beverage slowly and calmly rose off the cup.

"Ah don't know," She said after a moment of silence. The chatter in the background may have drowned her out slightly, but to the pony across from her, no other sounds were being made. "It's been so long now."

"I know," answered the other pony, a pink earth pony with a sombre look. A spark of desperation betrayed her eyes. "But I can't do it alone anymore."

Applejack took a sip of her tea as she listened to Pinkie Pie. "At first I thought I could handle everything. I used to make ponies laugh all the time, but..."

"She ain't gettin' better?" AJ asked, Pinkie didn't speak, she just nodded softly. She looked into her friend's eyes for a moment sharing a connection she thought she'd lost, Before she lowered her expression back to her drink. "How're..."

Pinkie's ears perked up slightly, not expecting any answer besides a no.

"How's Twi?"

A smile spread slightly over Pinkie's face, one Applejack knew was forced, but it didn't mean any less. "She's been doing her best, I think." Pinkie answered, "I don't see her as much as I used to, she might still blame herself."

"Ah told her that it wasn't her fault."

Pinkie stared at Applejack, looking almost upset, "She knows that Applejack," But any energy quickly deflated. "She...she knows it's nobodies fault. I just worry is all."

Applejack nodded, "Ah'm sorry, Pinkie, ah...ah can't go back. Ah said..." her eyes fell to her drink again, "Ah said things ah can't take back."

A stray tear fell onto the table before Pinkie quickly stood up, looking more defeated then anyone could remember seeing her. She didn't say anything, just slowly walking away.

"If..." Applejack spoke aloud, stopping Pinkie from leaving, "If ya see Rarity, tell'er ah...wish ah could take it back..."

Pinkie stood there motionless for a long time, feeling almost as if full minutes had passed, finally she lowered her head. "You know, Dashie misses more than just Fluttershy. On her better days she asks where you are."

And without another word, Pinkie turned the corner, leaving Applejack alone once again.

~~~

Rainbow Dash was having trouble sitting still. She knew she had to wait for the nurses, and that Twilight and Rarity were probably fine but she was told to wait for the doctors to do their job and it'd already been an hour. Fluttershy was with her, but that didn't stop her from fidgeting.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" She asked Fluttershy beside her.

Fluttershy shook her head, unsure, "Nurse Redheart said it shouldn't be much longer."

"I know, but I want to make sure they’re okay, and I hate waiting."

"I hope they're alright too, I've never seen Twilight faint before."

"Plus I want to go check out the space thing in the Everfree Forest."

Fluttershy nodded, interested as well. "But first we need to make sure Rarity is okay."

Rainbow Dash stood up, ready to charge into whatever room Rarity was in before Fluttershy gave her a look. "Okay, fine, fine, I'll wait, but I don't like it."

Fluttershy simply smiled as Dash sat back down beside here. She was just as worried as all her other friends, Dash included, but she knew that the nurses here knew what they were doing, it was out of the hooves until they were called in.

~~~

In a dark room illuminated only by four scrying spells, three crystals lay to the side. The first, a deep orange color, was glowing. The second, a shimmering violet shade, went from dead and dormant to slowly glowing along side it's neighbour. The final crystal of hazy green continued to lack the glow of the others.

An Unstoppable Power.

An Unbreakable Control.

An Unbearable Sickness.

And the Key to unlock them all.