//------------------------------//
// Manehattan Nightmare 
// Story: A Tale of Two Suns, Book 2: Mysteries Across the Mirror 
// by Lupin 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 2: Manehattan Nightmare

It was night in Manehattan, and Valencia Orange was working her way through the room.

Gilded Hooves, socialite extraordinaire, had organized this party to show off the newest additions to her art collection, a mix of modern sculptures and paintings. Valencia herself had never found the appeal of modern art, but a party was a party, and one had to make appearances for the sake of society. Normally, her husband Mosely would have been there with her, but he'd been too busy going over the books.

Now, the earth pony was simply trying to find her hostess among the crowds of ponies. Valencia had been hoping to talk privately before Gilded brought out her collection. Their business needed more investment ever since that parasprite infestation devastated two of their orange farms.

She turned her head left and right, failing to spot Gilded Hooves. As she walked on, several ponies offered her greetings, and Valencia gave them a bright smile in return. She passed by a group of ponies, a small island in a sea of talk.

"I still can't believe I'm talking to Cee Rockefeather's niece!"

That caught Valencia's attention. Celesta Rockefeather, known to all her friends as "Cee" due to how often her name was misheard as "Celestia", was a major Manehattan businessmare and philanthropist. Valencia had seen her picture in the newspaper a hoofful of times, but had yet to meet her face to face. They didn't run in the same social circles. In truth, the only reason Valencia and Mosely got invited to Gilded's parties was because she adored their oranges.

Abandoning her search for Gilded, Valencia turned to peer through a gap in the assembled ponies.

The mare they were all focused on was a young unicorn, a bit above average in height and of a sturdier build. Her coat was amber, though it was mostly concealed beneath an elegant gown of dark green silk.

Her head moved back and forth as she addressed the circle of ponies, allowing the tips of her straight vermilion mane, adorned with jewel-encrusted accessories and woven with braids, to swish across her shoulders where they rested. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of expensive, diamond-studded glasses, a reflection of light just touching the lenses.

Valencia had never heard of Cee Rockefeather having a niece, but this mare bore a strong resemblance to the photos in the newspaper. She was quite pretty, too, in Valencia's opinion. And from the way two of her admirers were looking at her, they thought so too.

"Oh, stop," laughed the unicorn, ducking her face behind her mane. "You're making me blush."

"It's such a shame Cee couldn't be here." The voice snapped Valencia from her thoughts. She turned to see Gilded Hooves, tall and elegant as always, striding up to the group, the ring of ponies parting before their hostess. "I missed her terribly at the charity auction last week. She would have liked it, too; I saw a Neighson-Tithe fountain pen go for only sixteen thousand bits."

"It couldn't be helped," replied the unicorn. "Auntie's on a long business trip. She didn't share all the details with me, but I'm sure it'll prove to have been quite successful when she returns." She smiled a little wider. "Until then, she left managing everything in my hooves."

"That's an awfully big responsibility." Valencia took a few steps forward, seeing an opportunity to join the conversation. "I hope the pressure isn't getting to you." She knew how difficult managing a business could be, even with Mosely there with her, and could scarcely imagine running something the size of Cee Rockefeather's all by herself.

The mare turned to face her, and Valencia saw that her eyes were a deep shade of crimson. Those eyes flashed with a look of contempt, as if the earth pony’s statement had deeply offended her, punctuated further by a slight downturn of the mouth.

Valencia was about to apologize for whatever offense she’d caused when the look vanished, and the unicorn’s face shifted into a friendly smile. “Oh no, I’m perfectly fine. Miss…?”

The earth pony extended a hoof, feeling more at ease. It must have been her imagination. “Mrs. Valencia Orange.”

“Harmony Song,” replied the mare, shaking Valencia’s hoof.

"Valencia is in the orange business, dear," said Gilded. "The food at her shop is to die for. I know you're still getting used to Manehattan, but you should make sure to stop by and try them." Gilded glanced at Valencia. "And I'm sure you wouldn't mind the business," she added with a laugh.

"No, I most certainly wouldn't. Actually, Gilded, I needed to speak to you about—"

"Oh dear, look at the time." Gilded stared up at the clock on the wall. "I need to get ready to reveal my collection. Please excuse me."

By now, Harmony's admirers had been pulled away to their own conversations, leaving the pair stranded, and Valencia more than a little discouraged. Glancing at Harmony, she realized she was forgetting her manners. "I'm feeling a bit parched. Would you like to join me at the refreshment table?"

Harmony smiled. "Certainly."

The two mares made their way through the crowd to a nearby table. Valencia poured herself a cup of punch, taking a sip and letting the fruity flavors wash over her tongue. It was a delightfully sweet mixture. She'd need to compliment Gilded for it later, if she managed to get in a conversation amidst all the other ponies.

Frankly, a part of her would have preferred orange juice, but nopony but her immediate family ever drank it outside of the morning. Why, she had no clue. In her opinion, oranges should be enjoyed any time of the day or night, not just at sunrise. Some ponies just had the strangest ideas.

"So," she began conversationally, "From what Gilded said, I gather you're not from Manehattan?"

"Oh no, I was living in Fillydelphia until just recently," replied Harmony, taking a sip of her own cup. "Auntie Cee had been pestering me for months to move here, and I finally just caved." She laughed. "That's Auntie for you, once she wants something, she won't stop."

Valencia joined in her laughter. "That's probably why she's so successful. What were you doing before you came here, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I was dabbling in songwriting," answered Harmony. "Music has always been a passion of mine."

The earth pony's mouth opened in shock. One of the most powerful businessmares in the city, if not the nation, had left managing her business in the hooves of a songwriter? "And you're sure you can handle things?"

She regretted the question immediately. Would Harmony take it as a personal insult, or an insult against her aunt? Valencia flashed back to that look of contempt she still wasn’t entirely certain she’d witnessed. The absolute last thing she needed right now was to accidentally slight a member of the Rockefeather family.

To Valencia's great relief, the unicorn took the question with a smile. "I'm perfectly fine," she assured. "Auntie trusts me, and there are so many ponies I can consult if I need help."

Valencia let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Crisis averted, and feeling the weight of sudden awkwardness, the earth pony fumbled for a new topic of conversation; and found one wrapped around the other mare's foreleg. "Oh, what a lovely bracelet you have," she said, pointing to the piece in question.

Harmony held up her foreleg, allowing Valencia to get a better look at it. "Thank you very much. It's very special to me," she chuckled, as if laughing at some inside joke. "I never take it off."

It was a funny piece of jewelry, not elaborate like Valencia's own necklace, or most of the other jewelry she and other Manehattan mares tended to wear. Instead, it was a wide metal band, lacking any kind of inlaid jewels or decoration. In shape and design, it might as well have been a manacle.

And yet, it was most certainly jewelry. The metal, though unadorned or sculpted, was, Valencia found, surprisingly beautiful to behold. It looked like solid gold, but sparkled brilliantly in the light with a strange reddish tone as well.

She nodded appreciatively, and looked to its owner; but before she could even begin uttering a compliment, Harmony's expression fell, and she lifted her glasses in her magic to rub the bridge of her nose. "Ugh," she muttered in obvious irritation.

Valencia blinked, lifting a curious eyebrow. "Are you alright, dear?"

"I'm fine," replied Harmony, her voice almost snappish as her glasses dropped back down on her face. "My glasses just bother me sometimes, that's all."

"Oh, have you not had them long?"

Harmony attempted to glare at her glasses, and only succeeded in looking cross-eyed. "No."

Valencia nodded sympathetically. "I understand, believe me. My husband Mosely's brother had to get glasses a few months ago for the first time, and he hated wearing them. Oh, the rants he went on. But it couldn't be helped since he was so near-sighted."

"Valencia!" called a voice over her shoulder. The earth pony turned her head, spotting Grape Vine, an old school friend. "Valencia, darling, will you be at my place for lunch next week?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Grape Vine was quickly whisked away by a rather charming-looking stallion. Most likely he'd be her new beau. Valencia smiled knowingly. Grape had always been a horrible flirt. She gave her about a week before she'd start rubbernecking for another one.

She turned back to Harmony, ready to continue their conversation; only to see the unicorn clutching a hoof to her forehead, eyes squeezed tightly closed. Her food and glass of punch lay forgotten on the table surface.

"Are you alright?" asked Valencia with concern. "You look like you're in pain."

Harmony blinked, her gaze unfocused for a moment. Her crimson eyes darted around the room before she locked onto Valencia. A smile spread across her face. "I'm fine. Just a little headache. I get them sometimes. Maybe it's my glasses."

Valencia frowned in worry. "Have you seen an optometrist? I could recommend you to the one that sees Mosely's brother."

Harmony shook her head, her vermilion mane swinging around her shoulders once again. "It's fine. But now that I think about it, maybe I do need some extra business advice. There are so many stallions on the board and they're all so much older than me. I..." she hesitated, moving in closer to whisper. "I have to admit, Mrs. Orange, it's rather uncomfortable for me."

The earth pony gave a silent nod. That sort of environment could seem so intimidating. She'd felt the same way the first time she'd gone with her father to the store where he and Mosely's father worked. They'd been business partners for years, and it was always a little scary, being so young and surrounded by so many strange older ponies.

But that was how she'd met Mosely, and that one meeting was worth every bit of anxiety. Even if she and Harmony were in different arenas and social circles, she could offer the poor dear some tips on how to handle herself among all those ponies expecting her to make decisions.

"In fact," added Harmony, her voice carrying the tone of one who'd just had a wonderful idea. "Mrs. Hooves said you sell oranges, right? What if you and I made some kind of deal?"

Valencia had to fight the urge to jump with joy. An opportunity to make a business deal with the Rockefeathers? Was she dreaming? No, she was fairly sure she wasn't. She'd only been hoping to help recoup the losses from the damaged farms, but this could net their business a huge boon. "I'd be delighted."

"Wonderful." Harmony hooked a foreleg around hers, pulling her along with a tangible excitement. "Come on, let's find a quiet place to talk. Auntie Cee always says you need privacy for these sorts of things."

"Now?" asked the earth pony in surprise, but still allowing herself to be led through Gilded's ballroom. "Why don't we schedule a meeting for later this week? Mosely would love to meet with you."

"He still can. I'll have to have some of the other ponies at the company go over everything, but why wait to start planning things out?" answered Harmony, voice filled with impatient energy.

Valencia wanted to protest, but simply shrugged. If Mosely was here, he'd probably be telling her to just go along.  

Finally, the two came to a small guest room. Gilded never did leave all her doors locked during these get togethers. Ushering Valencia inside, Harmony shut the door. Her horn lit up, spreading a yellow magic over the walls. "It's a soundproofing spell," she explained, seeing Valencia's questioning stare. "It's pretty useful when you live in an apartment and you're trying to compose. And this way, we won't be overheard."

It seemed a bit excessive to her, but who was she to judge? There were more important things to think about, like what they could do together. Valencia took a moment to try and remember some of the things the Rockefeathers had a hoof in. "I seem to recall your aunt owning a few restaurants. Mosely and I would be happy to supply some new dishes," she offered. "We have some wonderful new dessert ideas we've been meaning to try at our store."

"I'm sure you'll be delectable," muttered Harmony.

"I beg your pardon?"

The unicorn turned to face Valencia, removing her glasses and flashing a smile that frankly made the earth pony uncomfortable. "I'm afraid I told a fib, Mrs. Orange. You see, it's not so much that I'm interested in you, as my employer." Her face contorted. "Really interested in you."

Something in the back of Valencia's mind was screaming at her now, and she took an instinctive step backward, tail brushing against an old dresser. "I don't understand."

"He's very hungry," said Harmony, matching Valencia's step, "And unfortunately for you, you're on the menu." She looked down at her foreleg, closing her eyes. "Let me introduce you to him."

A glow filled the room. The reddish sparkle of Harmony’s bracelet, so beautiful before, even mesmerizing, was exchanged for a self-produced light. Soft at first, it quickly transitioned into a bright, angry red, making the band look as though it had been pulled straight from the depths of a blazing furnace.

Wisps of magical energy flowed from the shining metal, twisting in the air, while others traveled up Harmony’s foreleg, highlighting veins and arteries as they raced under her skin, passing through her heart and up her neck. Convulsing violently, she staggered across the room, leaning against the frame of a bed for support.

While this went on, Valencia found herself unable to do anything but stand and stare, mind reeling to comprehend the spectacle unfolding before her.

Once upon a time, she’d been invited to a seance. She considered it nonsense, but her friend had insisted. The medium had spoken in an eerie voice, made objects fly around, and, possessed by a guest's relative, answered questions he shouldn't have known.

It had all been quite convincing, until one of his tricks literally fell apart and crashed onto the table. Now, transfixed in horror as she was, Valencia wondered if this, too, was some sort of trick. Was she the victim of an elaborate prank?

And then, it all stopped. Harmony's body relaxed, the glow from the bracelet fading away as she opened her eyes again. Except they weren't hers. The eyes that stared out from inside Harmony Song's face were as black as coal, red light scattered over the dark surface. They were the eyes of... something else.

The medium hadn't done that.

Those eyes blinked a few times, before finding their focus, and zeroing in on her. "Hungry." The voice wasn't Harmony's either, deep and rumbling. There was no way a pony like Harmony Song could ever produce a sound like that. It didn't even sound like a pony at all, more like some great and terrible beast. A beast Valencia was in the same room with.  

Harmony inhaled deeply, sniffing like a dog that had picked up a scent. "Food." She stepped toward Valencia, a slow, lumbering gait, reaching out a foreleg.

The unicorn had come within inches of Valencia when the earth pony finally snapped out of her daze. Adrenaline pumping in her veins, Valencia bolted to the side and dashed past her.

The unicorn's foreleg came down on the dresser with a forceful slam, wood cracking and splintering underneath it. Suddenly unbalanced, Harmony toppled forward with a bellow of indignant rage that made Valencia’s insides quiver in fear.

She grabbed the door handle in her mouth, twisting and pulling until her teeth felt like they would be ripped from her gums, but it refused to budge. Locked. Harmony must have locked it. She was trapped.

The earth pony pounded against it with all her might. "Gilded! Anypony! Can you hear me?!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, but no answer came. The soundproofing spell was too strong. She bucked at the door, but it remained solid, magic flashing at the impact. "Somepony please let me out of here!"

A growl drew her attention. Harmony was getting up. She glared hatefully over her shoulder at Valencia, red light glowing even brighter in those horrible black eyes. "Hungry."

Valencia's back pressed against the door as Harmony approached again. "Stay away from me!" The doorway was flanked by small tables, each with a vase of flowers. Valencia flung one of the vases with all her might, then the other.

Each one exploded against Harmony's body, pieces flying everywhere. A normal pony should have at least been stunned, but the unicorn just continued forward, undaunted. "You... will... feed... me."

"No!" Valencia dashed to another side of the room. There was a window. If she could get it open, she could escape. Her hooves moved faster than they had in ages. In a few more steps, she'd be there.

Her hoof slipped on one of the vase shards, and Valencia crashed onto the hardwood floor. Stars danced before her as she tried to get up again, only to come face to face with a pair of black eyes.

A foreleg reached out for her, and Valencia's world erupted into pain.





Harmony Song panted heavily as the last spark of magic faded from her horn. Taking a deep breath, she looked around the room, then spat out a curse.

"Just great," she glowered. As necessary as it had been, it didn't change that this little feeding session came at the worst possible time. Outside, the party beckoned for her to rejoin, but inside the room? Crimson eyes spared a glance at the pony laying on the floor. "Now what am I going to do?"

Seeing no alternative, she closed her eyes, focused her mind, and reached out across the city.

Decepticolt, Zappityhoof, we have a problem.





"Harmony, there you are!" Gilded Hooves trotted up to her guest. All around them, ponies were admiring over a dozen pieces of newly displayed artwork. "I've been looking everywhere for you. I unveiled my new collection five minutes ago! I was afraid you'd miss it."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hooves," apologized the unicorn quietly. "I... um... I was trying to find the bathroom and I got a little lost." She laughed like an embarrassed schoolfilly. "I guess I'm still not used to houses this large."  

"It's Gilded, dear," corrected the pegasus, chuckling to herself. "And I understand." She looked around, scanning the crowd of ponies. "By the way, have you seen Valencia? She seemed to want to speak to me earlier." Valencia was always a joy to talk to, and Gilded felt a stab of guilt for ignoring her so long.

"We were talking for a bit," answered Harmony. "But then she said she needed to head home. Something about speaking to her husband about their business."

Gilded's expression soured. "Really?"

"She told me to offer you her apologies," replied Harmony. Turning her head, she pointed out the window. "Oh, there she is now."

Gilded turned to look in the direction Harmony was pointing. At the curb outside of her house, she saw a mare with an orange updo standing before a waiting cab. The pegasus took to the air and glided out the window to her porch. "Valencia!" she called out.

Valencia turned her head ever so slightly, offering a little wave. Or at least Gilded thought she did. A small embankment of fog lay across the entire length of the street, obstructing her view. But Gilded could just make out the glittering outline of Valencia's favorite necklace as her friend moved.

"Valencia, dear, you could have at least given me an apology to my face before dashing off." She flapped her wings again, ready to catch up to her friend, when the earth pony suddenly hopped into the cab and let it speed off.

"Of all the nerve," huffed the pegasus. She shivered, wet wisps of fog tracing their way across her coat. "I don't remember any fog scheduled for tonight."

"Perhaps it was some kind of error," suggested Harmony as she joined Gilded on the porch. "You wouldn't believe how many times that happened back home. Rain clouds on one street when it was supposed to be dry, fog in the wrong places, it happens."

"I suppose you're right, dear." Gilded looked in the direction the cab had gone, feeling more than a little hurt. "I can't believe Valencia just left like that," she muttered.

Harmony followed her gaze, staring into the distance. "I'm sure she had her reasons."





Inside the speeding cab, Zappityhoof yanked the wig free from her head, rubbing a hoof along her horn to soothe an itch. The wig fell beside her on the seat, followed by the gold necklace that had been draped over her choker.

Sticking her head out the window, she looked back at the house. The fog bank, her fog bank, totally obscured her face even as Decepticolt pulled them farther and farther away.

Zappityhoof grinned, sticking out her tongue. "Sucker."





It was the early hours of the morning, and Blueberry Curls was traveling down the streets of Manehattan.

She was also hopelessly lost.

The season was wrapping up, and she'd been ecstatic to land an at-home interview with a hot new avant-garde designer, and a very handsome stallion to boot. Of course, it was possible he'd just agreed in order to flirt with her. He did seem quite smitten when they'd spoken the night before. But she'd dealt with flirty subjects before, and she'd get a story out of it nonetheless.

However, her fortune had taken a downward turn, and for one very big reason: Her interviewee had lousy hoofwriting. She'd gotten prescriptions that were clearer than the address he'd written out.

She looked down at the piece of paper again, contemplating it as if it were an ancient riddle. "Is that a five? Or is that a two?" she wondered aloud. "Is this even the right street? Maybe this is northeast and not northwest?"

As she passed a pair of buildings, a noise caught her attention. It was slow and drawn-out, like a groan. "Hello?" she said, peering into the cramped alley. The groaning came again, louder this time. Taking a few steps forward, and balking at the heavy layer of garbage on the ground, she called out again. "Is somepony there?"

Deep at the end of the alley, a pile of garbage moved. A pony's foreleg rolled into sight, and then a body. The instant it did, Blueberry let out a mighty shriek, staggering backwards onto the street, interview totally forgotten.

"Police! Police!"





Princess Twilight Sparkle walked out the front doors of the hotel and onto the street. Above her, the sky was a clear blue, and all around her, the citizens of Manehattan were already up and busy, traveling to and from a thousand different places. It was far louder than she was accustomed to, but still, the sunlight felt wonderful against her fur.

Rarity trotted up beside her. "My, what a lovely day," said the fashionista, echoing Twilight's own thoughts.

"It's sort of a shame we have to leave," said Twilight. "This is perfect weather for sightseeing."

"Oh, I know, darling," agreed Rarity. "But I simply must get back to the boutique. Rarity For You will need more inventory before very long, especially if it continues to do as well as it did last night." She adjusted her saddlebags, and Twilight heard the faintest sound of coins from inside the fabric. "I must say, last night was probably my most successful opening to date."

"You earned it, Rarity." The unicorn had a point, however. Twilight knew they all needed to get back to Ponyville. They'd done enough traveling lately as it was, and Twilight wanted to check in on Starlight and Spike.

"Hey, y'all should know," said Applejack as she walked out the doors. "The bellcolts just finished loadin' the bags on the trolley, so we're ready to go." The farmer gave a small huff. "Still can't believe they're bein' so darn fussy about it."

"I think it was because of me," admitted Twilight sheepishly.  

The hotel manager had insisted on not only having members of the staff take their luggage for them all the way to the train station, but he wouldn't even let them put the bags on the trolley. "The princess and her friends deserve our best treatment," he'd said. It wasn't the first time that sort of thing had happened, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, and yet, Twilight still felt embarrassed whenever it did.

"Back to the train!" shouted Pinkie Pie as she bounded out the doors. "I've got a great new traveling song!"

"But Pinkie," interjected Fluttershy, "the attendants got so mad on the way over."

"Let's just go," insisted Rainbow. "I want to stretch my wings before we get on."

"Don't worry, Rainbow," said Twilight. "You'll have plenty of time before the train leaves." She took a few steps forward in the direction of the train station, and immediately smacked face first into another pony.

Applejack was next to her in an instant. "Are you okay, sugarcube?"

"I'm fine," said Twilight, rubbing her sore nose.

"I'm so sorry," apologized a worried-looking stallion. To Twilight, he seemed vaguely familiar. "I—" He stopped short, eyes suddenly widening in realization. "Applejack, is that you?"

Applejack met his gaze, smiling brightly. "Uncle Orange?"

"You two are related?" asked Twilight. "I don't recall seeing him at your family reunions." Even still, she felt like she'd seen this pony somewhere before.

"I couldn't get away from work last time," said the stallion, turning his attention back to her. "I... Princess Twilight?! Oh, I'm so sorry!" He made a quick bow. "I didn't mean—"

"It's fine," interrupted Twilight. "Believe me, I've had worse. And please, you don't need to bow."

"I'm sorry," he apologized again.

"Don't you worry, Uncle, Orange, we're all used to it," Applejack chimed in, chuckling good-naturedly. "This 'Equestria's Heroes' nonsense's brought more ponies with cameras and pens on us than timberwolves in Zap Apple season."

"I imagine so," said the stallion with a little laugh. "But what are you doing here, Applejack? I hardly expected to see you here today."

"I was helpin' Rarity here with openin' her new store," replied Applejack, before turning to the others. "Gang, this is my uncle, Mosely Orange. I stayed with him and Aunt Orange for a short spell."

It was then that Twilight remembered, she'd seen this stallion in a photograph in Applejack's house. This was the pony Applejack had stayed with around the time she'd gotten her cutie mark.

A quick round of polite introductions followed. "You should stop by my boutique," offered Rarity with a polite smile. "I'm sure I could find something your wife would adore."

At Rarity's invitation, Twilight observed a curious change come over Mosely. When he'd run into Twilight, he'd seemed worried, which faded as he was distracted by the conversation. Now, the worry had returned. No, more than simply worried, he looked haggard, like a rock that had been eroded by the oncoming tide.

Applejack picked up on it, too. "What's wrong, Uncle Orange?"

The stallion let out a long sigh, sounding like a deflated balloon. "Valencia went to a party last night by herself, and she didn't come home at all."

"Are you sure?" asked Twilight.

Mosely nodded his head. "I was working so hard last night I must have nodded off, so I didn't notice until this morning, but I've checked. There's no note, no breakfast dishes, nopony at the store has seen her today. I even checked with Gilded Hooves, she was hosting the party. She swears Valencia took a cab home. I just..." his shoulders sagged. "I'm worried."

"I'm sure she's fine," said Applejack, offering a comforting hoof.

"I hope so," sighed Mosely. "I was on my way to the police station to file a report."

"That's not a bad idea," said Twilight. "Though they won't be able to act on it until more time has passed."

As if in response to the statement, a stallion in a police officer's uniform walked up to the group. "Excuse me, Mr. Orange, I—Princess Twilight." The stallion quickly saluted, then fumbled into a bow.

"Please stop bowing," sighed Twilight.

"I know you," said Mosely. "You come to our store, don't you?"

"Yes sir," said the officer, before his expression fell. "I... uh, Mr. Orange, it's about your wife, sir."

Mosely snapped to attention, hooking a hoof tightly on the other stallion's shoulder. "You found her? Where is she?!"

"Somepony else found her, sir. I was just one of the responding officers." stated the stallion succinctly, managing to push Mosely's hoof off his shoulder with some effort.

"Is she alright?" begged the older stallion. "Please, tell me, is Valencia alright?"

"She was being rushed to Manehattan General Hospital, sir."

"But is she alright?!" repeated Mosely. His eyes locked firmly onto the officer's face. "What happened to her? Was she attacked? Is she sick?"

"I..." The officer hesitated, swallowed hard, and pressed his lips together. "Mr. Orange, I really can't—"

"Now you listen here," growled Applejack, giving the other pony the darkest look Twilight had ever seen. "I don't care if you're a police officer. You spit it out right now and tell us what happened to my Aunt Orange, or so help me, I'll buck you so hard, you'll land in Coltifornia."

"I can't really say, ma'am," said the stallion with a grimace, making Twilight think that perhaps it wasn't so much that he couldn't say as he didn't want to. He rubbed one foreleg with another in obvious discomfort as he turned his attention back to Mosely. "I'd only been sent to inform you, Mr. Orange. But," the officer's eyes softened, "I'd go to her as soon as possible."

"Now hold on a darn minute!" protested Applejack. But the officer didn't respond to her demand. He simply whirled around, his body jerking as he did so, and walked hastily off, presumably toward the police station. A cold gust of wind punctuated the words left unspoken by the stallion's tone: Before it's too late. 

A small shiver ran down Twilight's spine, and she immediately visualized the maps of the city she'd seen before, working out distance and direction. "AJ," she told her friend, "Manehattan General is on the other side of town. If you want, I can teleport you and your uncle there."

"Thank you, Twilight," said Applejack, looking back at her with green eyes turned soft and moist. The farmer then put a hoof on her uncle's shoulder. "Uncle Orange, Twilight here can teleport us straight to the hospital."

Mosely, who had gone into some sort of daze, gave a slow, confused blink. "What did you say?"

"Twilight's goin' to teleport us to the hospital," repeated AJ. She then turned her attention to the others. "Y'all go on ahead and get on the train. Tell Granny Smith I'll be back as soon as I can."

"No way," protested Rainbow, crossing her forelegs in defiance. "If you think we're just going to go home after hearing all that, then you've got another thing coming. We're going, too."

"I have to agree with Rainbow Dash," said Rarity. "As much as I would like to return to Ponyville, I couldn't do so in good conscience while leaving you here."

"Neither could I," said Fluttershy.

"Me either!" declared Pinkie Pie.

Applejack looked like she was on the verge of crying, but managed to rein in her features, wiping her face with a foreleg. "Girls, I—"

"Um, what are we supposed to do?"

All eyes turned to look at a pair of young bellcolts awkwardly shuffling their hooves by a trolley filled with suitcases. Twilight gave them a polite smile. "Tell your manager to hold onto our suitcases. We'll come get them later. Is that understood?" An unusual request, but considering how much effort the pony had put into accommodating her, Twilight knew the manager would agree.

The bellcolts ran inside with the trolley, and Twilight brought her attention back to Applejack and her uncle, the latter still in a state of shock. "Ready?"

Applejack lowered the brim of her hat, eyes set with determination. "Ready."

Twilight closed her eyes, horn surrounded by a corona of magic, and in an instant, all seven ponies disappeared in a purple flash.

The alicorn heaved a breath as the group popped back into existence in front of Manehattan General Hospital, a tidal wave of dizziness crashing down over her. She almost toppled over, only to land on a cushion of pink curls.

"You okay, Twilight?" asked Pinkie.

"Thanks, Pinkie. I'm fine, I'm just not used to teleporting this many ponies at once."

The second they arrived, both Applejack and Mosely were off like a pair of racers, galloping straight through the doors of the lobby. Even in the rush, Twilight noticed the elegant design of it. There were two curving staircases on each side of the room, making it look like it had once been a hotel. On the room's opposite wall, sitting between the sets of stairs, was an information desk.

Applejack charged up and slammed her hoof against the wood, startling the unicorn receptionist into meeting her frantic gaze. "Where's my aunt?!"

"Her name is Valencia Orange," added Mosely, his gentler tone barely masking the wild panic in his eyes. "She's my wife. Please, where is she?"

"I-I'm sorry," said the mare. "I don't recall a patient by that name." Upon seeing Applejack's angry glare, she moved backwards, using her desk like a protective barricade. Twilight didn't blame her. If she was face to face with a pony that angry, and she wasn't as proficient in magic as she was, she'd have done the same thing.

"But she's supposed to be here," insisted Mosely. "The police said she was brought in today."

"Let me check my records, sir." She walked over to a filing cabinet, and levitated out a list. Several tense seconds later, she turned to Mosely with a look of apology, "I don't see her here."

"Don't give us that hooey!" growled Applejack, slamming her hoof on the desk again. "My aunt was brought here, so tell me where she is."

The desk went from barricade to shield as the startled mare ducked underneath it. "I-I don't know!"

Applejack swung her foreleg back, ready to slam on the desk a third time, but Twilight restrained it in her magic, a not-so-easy feat. "Applejack, stop."

"Yes, darling," admonished Rarity, "you're frightening the poor mare out of her wits."

"A-And me, too..." muttered Fluttershy, now being comfort-hugged by Pinkie Pie.

"Look," suggested the nurse, still refusing to relinquish the safety of her desk. "If she's just arrived, then my list may not be up to date yet. If your aunt was rushed here and you really want to find her, why don't you try the ambulance entrance? It's on the east side of the building."

"We'll do that, thank you," said Twilight. She looked up at Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow, you go ahead and see what you can find out. Maybe there's somepony you can talk to. We'll be right there."

"On it." With a salute, Rainbow vanished, zipping out the door and around the side of the building.

That done, Twilight led the group, slowly, back outside. "I know you're upset, Applejack," she said soothingly. "But you're not going to accomplish anything by yelling at everypony."

The anger faded from Applejack's eyes, replaced by worry. "I know. I'm sorry, y'all. I'm just scared."

By the time they reached the overhang which marked the ambulance entrance, they found Rainbow in a heated argument with a deep brown pegasus stallion in a white uniform.

"I told you, you can't be here," said the stallion. "Go around to the front like everypony else!"

"We tried that already!" Rainbow fired back, wings flared in ever-growing annoyance.

"Excuse us," said Twilight.

The stallion whirled to face her, and immediately moved backwards. "Princess Twilight, I, uh, what can I do for you?"

"My friends and I are wondering if an ambulance brought an orange earth pony this way," she told him, suddenly grateful for the effect her title tended to have. "She's my friend's aunt," she added, gesturing to Applejack.

The blood drained from the stallion's face. His mouth opened and closed a few times like a gasping fish as he struggled for an answer. "I... uh, yes, Your Highness. They just brought somepony like that in here a few minutes ago."

Twilight leaned closer. "Where were they taking her?"

"I-Isolation Ward C," replied the pegasus. "B-But you really shouldn't go there. Doctor Red Cross won't be happy, and—"

Whatever protests he had were promptly ignored as the group moved forward through the doors. Following the signs at a steady pace, Twilight allowed herself to ruminate on their destination.  

Isolation Ward C. It didn't make any sense. If Valencia had been hurt, the most logical places to take her would have been intensive care, the emergency room, or simply a section of the hospital dedicated to a specific form of injury or illness, depending on what was wrong with her. But an isolation ward was used to house patients with highly infectious diseases, and Twilight hadn't read of any outbreaks in any of the newspapers she subscribed to.

As they got closer to the ward, they began to pick up on the frantic sounds of medics at work. But it wasn't that sound that forced Twilight from her thoughts, or made the entire group stop dead in their tracks. It was another sound which rose above the others; a horrible, agonized scream.

"Aunt Orange!"

"Valencia!"

At once, Applejack and Mosely went rocketing down the hall, forcing the others into a run as well in order not to lose them. "Slow down, AJ!" called Rainbow, which would have been hilariously ironic to Twilight if her own body wasn't flooding with adrenaline.

A few orderlies popped their heads out of adjacent rooms at the thundering beats of their hooves on the tile floor, each calling out how the group weren't supposed to be here, and ordering them to stop running.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" snapped Applejack, nimbly leaping over one of them with practiced ease. Mosely, who lacked any of his niece's rodeo training, chose to simply barrel straight through the orderly in his way. As the group passed by the now confused and dazed ponies, Twilight registered Fluttershy offering them some apologies.

The agonized screams got louder as they approached, becoming more and more abhorrent with every utterance. Finally, they all came upon a group of uniformed ponies gathered frantically around a gurney.

"Keep her steady!" cried a unicorn stallion in a long white coat. "Watch that leg!"

Mosely, in a surprising effort, bolted ahead of Applejack. "Valencia!" He raced up to the gurney, then skidded to a stop. "What in Celestia's name?!"

The middle-aged mare on the gurney was most certainly the pony Twilight had seen in the photograph at the Apple family farm, going by her coloration, cutie mark, and general facial structure. But even in the face of those solid, undeniable facts, the alicorn found it hard to believe that this was the same mare.

Her long orange mane lay totally disheveled around her, barely holding any semblance of the elaborate style it might have once been arranged in. Her face was deeply flushed, eyes glazed over as she lay moaning on the gurney. And where the mare in the photo had possessed a healthy glow to her complexion, the one laying before them had a sickening, malnourished discoloration to her skin, unusually slender limbs that seemed mismatched for the rest of her body, and the barest shadow of ribs cast on her abdomen.

Not that those things were easy to notice. Her entire body glistened in the light from a thick layer of sweat. It was like a second coat, one which darkened the padded surface of the gurney, and dripped constantly onto the floor below.

"Mosely?" croaked Valencia, turning her head in the direction of her husband, eyes still unable to focus. "M-Mosely?" Her breathing was shallow and ragged.  

"I'm here," he said, already at her side.

"It hurts," she moaned. A hoof reached out for him, trembling like a leaf in a hurricane. "It hurts. It hurts." She started to sob, but no tears came out. "Mosely, make it stop. Please, Celestia, make it stop." Her body seized, and her next words rose up from a plea to a ghastly wail as she thrashed violently on the gurney. "MAKE IT STOP!"

Driven by instinct, Applejack pushed her way around a nurse, grabbing hold of Valencia's flailing foreleg. "Hold on, Aunt Orange, we're here." But the minute Applejack grabbed her, there was a snapping sound, and Valencia let out another ear-piercing scream.

The nurse pushed back, reclaiming her position. "Be careful!" She examined the limb. "Doctor Red Cross," she said gravely, turning to the unicorn stallion in the coat, "I think she just broke a bone."

Applejack took a step back, staring at her hoof in horror. "But I... I didn't... I wasn't even tryin'."

Red Cross swore. "Get the X-ray team ready, we need to see the extent of the break!"

Beside him, another unicorn, a nurse, cast a diagnostic spell. "Her temperature's a hundred and five and rising."

Twilight paled. A few more degrees and her brain cells would literally start to cook

"Bring her into the ward with the others! Get her head on ice, stat!" Red Cross commanded, allowing the team to push Valencia into the room labeled "Isolation Ward C". He locked eyes with Applejack. "You need to stay out of the way."

"Not until you tell us what's going on," said Mosely, glaring at the unicorn. "That's my wife you're treating."

"And my aunt!"

"Fine," relented Doctor Red Cross, before he turned his attention to the other ponies in the group. "You, however, can leave. I doubt you're relatives as well, going by the look of you."

"We're AJ's friends," piped in Rainbow. "And we're staying."

"That's right!" said Pinkie, somehow managing to bounce angrily in place.

Red Cross scoffed. "No, you're leaving. Hospital guidelines say that only family are allowed access. End of discussion."

Annoyance surged up in Twilight. She'd had her fill of reluctant and uncooperative ponies this morning. "Then how about we start with a different discussion?" she said firmly, stepping forward so Doctor Red Cross could get a good look at her for the first time. "I'd like to know what's going on," she said. "What did you mean when you said 'the others'?"

The unicorn doctor looked down at the floor, muttering, "an angry princess, just what I needed." He sighed, shoulders slumping. "The truth is, Your Highness, Mrs. Orange isn't the first pony we've had like this." With great resignation, he let the doors to the ward swing open, revealing row after row of beds filled with sick, invalid ponies.  

"She's only the latest."





"You have a good day, too!" said Harmony pleasantly as she ushered the stallions in suits out the front door. "Send word when the deal goes through. And I'll be sure to send Auntie Cee your regards."

The minute she shut the door, Harmony whirled around, yanked off her glasses, and massaged her face. "All that work fixing my eyes, and I still have to wear these stupid things!" she spat, hurling the glasses at the floor. "That stupid mare just had to start wearing them, didn't she?"

"Hey," called Zappityhoof, coming out of hiding in another room, magazine floating in her magic. "Watch it with those, Goldcap. They're expensive."

Goldcap scoffed. "It's not like 'Harmony' can't afford new ones."

"I think we have bigger things to worry about." From another door, Decepticolt walked into the room.

Zappityhoof bounded over to him. "What's up, Dee? Something happen in town?"

Decepticolt grimaced. Only Zap called him 'Dee', and Goldcap knew all too well how it annoyed him. That was probably the reason Zap did it. "I was checking out the hospitals, you know, in case anything happened with the latest snack." His grimace deepened as he looked to Goldcap. "Turns out that mare you got last night has a niece named Applejack."

Goldcap lifted an eyebrow. "And this is a problem... how?"

"Because," said Decepticolt, "Applejack is one of Twilight Sparkle's friends."

Goldcap's jaw clenched. Twilight Sparkle. "That stupid little goody two-horseshoes princess?"

Some time ago, the three of them had crafted a plan to become alicorns, to raise themselves to the places they belonged. Goldcap had created the spell herself, a formula for a magical potion that, when ingested, would allow a pony to grow their own wings. All it required were the wings of another pony, dissolved into essence.

They'd chosen Rainbow Dash as their "donor". According to Goldcap's research, the quality and strength of the wings produced by the potion would be dependent on the quality of the ingredients. Thus, the wings of a champion racer like Rainbow Dash were ideal.

It all would have been perfect, had Rainbow Dash and Princess Twilight not found them. It was the latter who'd ruined their plans, who'd robbed them of their victory when they'd been so very close. If it wasn't for her, the three of them would've been alicorns by now, and not hiding from the law.

"She was at the hospital, Goldcap," said Decepticolt flatly, though she knew, even without the mental bond they shared now, that he was as furious at the alicorn's presence as she was. "She and her friends barged in there. Turns out that Orange mare got found and identified sooner than we expected."

"If that purple pest messes with us this time," interjected Zappityhoof, nostrils flaring, "I'll feed her to the boss. He'll gobble her up like my brothers when they see a tray of my mom's cumulus cookies," she said with a wicked grin, miming a pony shoving cookies into their mouth.

Goldcap smiled. Oh, if only. If ever there was a mare she was more than happy to let him devour, it was Twilight Sparkle.

Still, Twilight's involvement was bad, and that knowledge sobered Goldcap from her gleeful thoughts. "We may need to slow down," she told her friends plainly. "He needs to know."

Going into an upstairs room, Goldcap opened up a large iron box. Inside sat dozens of pieces of reddish-gold metal, some raw ore, others sculpted and marked, brought along in case they needed them. But only one interested her, one that stood out from the rest: a perfect metal sphere, six inches in diameter. Lifting it in her magic, she brought it back down the stairs and placed it on the floor in the center of the room.

Gathering around it, the three unicorns began to cast a spell. Magic flowed around the sphere, causing it to float freely in the air. Then, they stopped, and a new energy took over. As one, the trio closed their eyes, concentrating as the objects they wore glowed red, power flowing from them to the sphere. It glowed brighter and brighter, until there was a final surge of power, a bright red flash from within the sphere itself.

Goldcap felt it in her core, felt the air turn heavy. Their individual connections to him were now channeled through this single object, allowing them to speak to him together.

Two large eyes of red light formed on the surface of the sphere. "Why... you... call... me?" The voice rumbled like thunder, every syllable slow and careful, a speaker unused to and unskilled at speaking.  

"We have a small problem." said Goldcap. "Do you remember the pony we mentioned, Princess Twilight Sparkle? She's learned about the last meal we gave you, family to one of her friends." Goldcap took a careful step forward, making sure to keep her posture low, almost bowing before the sphere, their master.

She hated it, hated being subservient to anypony or anything. But with him, disrespect was a very bad idea, and Goldcap, while prideful, was not an idiot. "She's dangerous to our plans, Master. We may need to slow down in feeding you."

A feral growl rumbled from the sphere, and Goldcap let her words rush out faster. "At least until her attention is distracted!"

"Yeah," added Zappityhoof. "If we keep going like this with her watching, she could find us, and then it would be a lot harder to feed you."

"We're only thinking of your best interest," begged Decepticolt.

The growling didn't stop. "Pony... not... get... in... my way," said the voice. "I... will... BREAK HER!"

"There's another danger with her," said Goldcap. "If she's involved, she could bring Princess Celestia and Luna into this, and that would be even worse."

Their master went silent for several moments, a tense silence. "Who... are... they?" he said at last.

"Celestia and Luna?" For a moment, Goldcap was at a loss. It was not often that one asked who Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were, especially if they weren't a foal. It was like asking what the sky was. But then, he knew nothing of Equestria, and they'd only ever told him about Princess Twilight. "They're alicorn princesses, like Twilight Sparkle, with horns and wings and muscle."

"They're the oldest alicorns in Equestria," added Decepticolt. "They're the primary rulers here."

"Yeah!" followed Zappityhoof. "See, Princess Celestia controls the sun, and Princess Luna controls—"

Their explanation was halted by a cacophonous explosion of sound and pain. A furious roar shook the entire room, causing the chandelier above them to swing wildly. The trio screamed as well, falling to the floor as a wave of horrible agony lanced through them. If their skulls had been the bars of a cage, then some massive and terrible animal had suddenly lunged against them with the full force of its strength.

"BRING... HER... TO... ME!" roared their master again. Red energy whirled around the sphere, twisting and lashing at the air like incorporeal whips.

"I-I'm sorry?" said Goldcap, trying to regain her senses. "Bring who?"

"CELESTIA!" he commanded. "Bring... now! I... will... DEVOUR!"

Goldcap balked. "B-But... we can't do that!" she declared, not even thinking of how he'd respond. It was insane. "She's surrounded by guards! There's no way we could get—AH!" She didn't get to finish her sentence before she felt herself staggering backwards by another wave of pain. Her knees buckled. It was like being hit by a speeding train inside her skull.

The two red lights on the sphere glowed brighter and more menacing. "If... not... bring... then... I... will... devour... YOU!"

The next thing Goldcap knew, her bracelet was glowing again. Red light leaped from it, latching onto her flesh. She convulsed, screaming as a new agony spread across her entire body.

"Goldcap!" cried her companions, but they too were knocked to the floor by an unseen force.

"Okay! Okay!" cried Goldcap. "We'll feed her to you!" She rolled, her body instinctively trying to get away, and failing all the same. There was no escape, not for her.

The light faded away, and Goldcap lay panting on the carpet. "Please," she croaked. "Just... give us time. Getting to her will be difficult."

The points of light glared ferociously at her. "Learn... way." Then, the light vanished, and the sphere clattered lifelessly to the floor.

"You okay?" asked Zappityhoof, pulling Goldcap to her hooves.

"I'll recover," she groaned, ignoring the burning ache in her body. He'd barely touched her.

"Now what are we going to do, Goldcap?" asked Decepticolt. "How exactly are we supposed to get to Princess Celestia?!" He paced around the room. "Even if we could get close enough to let him loose on her, even if all three of us went for her at once, she's a seriously powerful alicorn. Despite all that we can do, and what he can do, I'm not sure I feel safe with those odds."

"And what about the guards?" asked Zap. "They'd come galloping if we tried anything."

"Not to mention," added Decepticolt, blowing a strand of his long mane out of his face. "That if something does go wrong, and she or the guards or even Princess Luna or whoever else, manages to fight us off, then we'd be completely busted. We'd lose every advantage we've gotten so far, and the whole plan would be ruined." He gave a stomp of annoyance. "We wouldn't be at square one, Goldcap, we'd be at square zero!"

"You think I don't know that?!" she snapped. "What was I supposed to do? Keep saying no? But hey, if you want to explain to him again why we can't bring him the pony he's demanding, go ahead, be my guest." She kicked the sphere toward him, shooting him an acidic glare. "I'm sure you'll do much better than I just did."

Decepticolt went pale, and Goldcap knew she had him beat. He raised good points, but Goldcap wasn't in the mood to argue, not after getting snacked on.

"If we do pull this off," suggested Zap with a hint of optimism, "she'd be an awfully big meal. Maybe even... big enough."

That thought made Goldcap smile. "That settles it, then. Every other pony is secondary. Princess Celestia is now our primary target."

Decepticolt snorted. "I still want to know how."

"I don't know... yet," said Goldcap. "But we'll have to find a way, any way, to get to her." She glanced between the other two unicorns, her companions of many years, her literal partners in crime.

Yes, they would do this, they could do this. They were too close to fail again. One way or another, they would feed Princess Celestia to their master.