It took two Cloudsdale Guards, one avocado salespony and four scarf peddlers, but they had finally found Whispersong’s Lullabies.
It wasn’t what Sunset had expected.
Whispersong didn’t have an air yacht. It had to be full air clipper, a design usually used only by the fantastically wealthy or the Equestrian Aerial Armada. Moored in a slip three times larger that most of the other vendors, the flying wooden ship had four decks and a single massive gas-filled balloon envelope. On the balloon itself was a moon being chased by dozens upon dozens of stars. The ship creaked in its dock, though the gangplank connecting it to Hurricane Lane looked steady.
However, the lack of light from the empty deck or blank windows bothered Sunset. They couldn’t have found the only used bookstore that didn’t have insane hours. Especially not one with ‘Lullabies’ in the name. She refused to accept that possibility.
“Doesn’t like look like anypony’s home…” Twilight murmured as she peered up at the towering air clipper.
“More like anypony’s awake,” Sunset corrected with a huff. “Most of these vendors either sleep aboard their ships or fly home after a day’s work. If the ship’s here, then Whispersong is here. Especially if she’s an earth pony.”
Sunset hesitated as she stared at the gangplank, then steeled herself and marched across. She passed brightly-painted advertisements for something called ‘Dreamings’ and stepped onto the stern of the ship itself. A small friendly-looking sign hung in one of the shuddered windows beside the large double doors. The windows themselves had fanciful whirling patterns that reminded Sunset of nebulae in the night sky.
“What are you doing?” Twilight hissed from the very edge of the gangplank, desperately waving Sunset back..
“After all we’ve been through tonight, I’m going to get that sigil—or whatever it is. I’m not about to let a closed sign stop us!”
“You’re going to get us arrested!” Twilight called, still on the edge of the street, looking around furtively. Thankfully, this part of the Hurricane Lane seemed mostly deserted around this time of night. “I’ve already come too close to that tonight for my tastes!”
Sunset whirled on her, standing in front of the double doors leading to the interior of the ship.
“It’s two o’clock in the morning!” Sunset snapped. She felt her mane begin to fray at the edges, but she didn’t really care at the moment. “We’ve talked to a snarky if vaguely normal bookstore owner, unlocked a Linking Chamber thanks to your idol Lost Page—who neglected to tell us what we were actually doing—got teleported halfway around the world, fought our way through an insane Jeddahoof marketplace, dealt with a gigantic dragon, got attacked by Highguards because said dragon turned out to be a crazy earth pony who stole something from the most powerful librarian in Saddle Arabia, almost got eaten by living shadows, got saved by two lunatics wandering around leyspace in a bookstore and then got teleported into my aunt’s personal library and then had to deal with her little schemes!”
Sunset ended up screaming the last few words of her monologue. By the end of it, her breath came in ragged gasps, her heart pounded in her chest and her ongoing headache had transformed into something close to a full-blown migraine.
Twilight’s ears were pasted to her head. Her eyes darted left and right once, then she looked at the cloudstreet beneath her.
“I don’t know how much more I can take, Twilight,” Sunset said, trying to get her voice back down to something that wouldn’t echo over all of Cloudsdale. “Despite everything I’ve said, I’m barely holding it together. I don’t even know how you’re sitting there as calm as can be.”
“Because if we both snap, we won’t have anypony to turn to,” Twilight muttered in a rather surprising show of focus. “But Sunset… are you sure this is the right way to do this? I mean… this is illegal. You’re about to break into somepony’s home and place of business. Us appearing in The Wayfinder was an accident. The whole thing with the Curator and Desert Winds… well, technically that’s being an accomplice since we did use that torch. But this? This is a whole different level!”
“At this point, we’ve put in too much effort to just be stopped by a closed door!” Sunset snapped.
“You just don’t know when to back down, Sunset.” Twilight groaned. “Or when to give up.”
“I don’t give up,” Sunset said, turning back to the doors. “I only change tactics. This is me changing tactics.”
Sunset shoved on the doors, only to jump back when both swung inward easily on smoothly oiled hinges.
Sunset blinked in surprise, feeling almost as if she were robbed of something. “Umm…”
Warm, comforting light illuminated the interior of Whispersong’s Lullabies. In front of Sunset, rows of neatly ordered bookshelves stretched at least half the length of the airship. The organization reminded her of any section of the RCA where Twilight worked.
Flickering fire burned within hanging lanterns set in the ceiling. All were placed with precision and care, drawing the eye to a small desk halfway between the door and the middle of the ship. Meanwhile, every window had a blackout curtain, making it impossible to see the city beyond the ship’s hull.
“Okay…” Sunset said slowly. “This… doesn’t look closed.”
A faint snore wafted from somewhere in the depths of the part-bookstore, part-ship.
Sunset just stood and stared until Twilight stepped up beside her. Twilight tapped her on the shoulder and then pointed to the window to the right of the double doors with a glower that could have melted thundersteel.
“‘Open all night, every night’,” Sunset read, trying not to scream in annoyance and frustration in equal measure. “Well… I guess that takes care of that part.”
“You could have looked,” Twilight muttered. “But… sorry anyway.”
“No reason to be,” Sunset replied, unable to meet Twilight’s eyes. “I did intend to break in, after all.”
“Well, at least we don’t have to do that now,” Twilight pointed out.
“Yay.”
Another snore drifted down the interior of the ship.
“Though considering how there’s nopony in sight…” Twilight began.
Before she could continue, Sunset stepped into the interior of the ship. It was pleasantly warm, enough to make her loosen her scarf a bit. Sunset glanced around as she walked down the main aisle. She’d never been more happy to see familiar books with Equestrian on their spines. She actually ran a hoof along one shelf, just to assure herself that they were real.
A single lantern sat on the desk at the end of the aisle, surrounded by three piles of haphazardly stacked books, a small fern and a ledger of some type.
The snores got louder.
Sunset hummed to herself in curiosity. “I wonder…”
“What?” Twilight asked. “What is it?”
With a glance back to make sure Twilight was following, she stepped up to the desk and peeked over.
Behind the desk, lay a small earth pony filly. She had a bright blue coat and a frizzy mane of golden hair that formed a halo around her head as she lay slumped on the other side of the desk against a support beam. She cuddled a small, well-loved book in her hooves as if it were a teddy bear.
“Awwww!” Twilight squeaked when she saw the filly. “She’s adorable!”
Sunset couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, no kidding.”
“And… Sunset’s she cuddling a book!” Twilight’s voice went from squeak to a quiet squeal. “My parents said I used to do that all the time when I was her age!”
“You used books as a teddy bear, hm?” Sunset said, smirking. “Why does that not surprise me?”
“Well…” Twilight blushed. “I did have a Smarty Pants doll, too.”
“Isn’t that the one with her own notebook and quill?” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Tell me you didn’t…”
The crimson on Twilight’s face intensified. “Yes, I used to pretend she did homework with me.”
Sunset couldn’t have stopped the burst of laughter even if she’d been given an order chiseled in stone by Princess Celestia herself.
“Hm? Wha?” The filly blinked her enormous bright green eyes a few times. “Whazzit? What was that?”
Finally, she focused on Sunset and Twilight. Then she looked at the item in her hooves. With a squeak of barely-suppressed horror, she threw the book and it went flying out over the store. Twilight snatched it out of the air and levitated it back down on the desk with something close to a maternal smile.
“Um… can you not tell Nana Whispersong I was cuddl—holding a book in my sleep again?”
“Again?” Twilight instantly shifted to squees again. “Please tell me that you do this most nights!”
“No, of course not!” the filly said. “I totally cudd—hold normal things like… um… stuffed kitties and things like that!”
“Can we keep her?” Twilight bit her lower lip. “Please, Sunset, can we keep her?”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Down, Twilight.”
“But she’s so cute!”
“Hey!” the filly said, getting to her hooves—she was less than an inch taller than the table—and glaring at them. “I’m right here you know! Nana Whispersong isn’t just going to sell me off! Not unless you have like some two-thousand-year-old first edition, at least!”
“Can we trade her for the torch we got from Desert Winds?” Twilight said, bouncing up and down. “Please?”
Sunset stared at her. Note to self: exhaustion makes Twilight a bit… silly.
“Whoa…” the filly said. “You really have something from Deser—”
“Down, Twilight!” Sunset snapped again. To the filly, she said, “Who are you, anyway?”
“Oh!” The filly straightened herself up—which added maybe half an inch to her height—and declared, “I am Little Song, heirless to the mighty Whispersong’s Lullabies and future Acquisitions Master for the Royal Canterlot Archives!”
“Uh…” Sunset stared at her.
“You see…” Little Song’s eyes glittered like emeralds. “Once Nana Whispersong wills me the Lullabies, I’m going to totally outfit it like the mercenary ships I’ve read so much about! I’ll join the RCA Acquisitions team—because they’re like the coolest ponies ever—and after I hire my crew, we’ll journey all across the world—even beyond Equestria—to strange and dangerous places to recover ancient long-forgotten books from the clutches of evildoers and crazy book hoarders, so all the masses can enjoy the wonderful books instead of a miserly few who stick them in some stupid display case so nopony can read them, then I’ll be just like Daring Do, only like… the Daring Do of books and it’s gonna be epic and I just can’t wait! This deck? Probably make it a gun deck and we’ll outfit it with harpoons and cannons for when we have to deal with pirates and other mercenaries working for bad guys! Can you imagine it? The explosions as we have epic airship battles over ancient cities lost to the sands of time? It’s going to be so awesome!”
Sunset’s mouth hung open as she tried to process the massive torrent of words. Twilight… well, she was bouncing up and down again.
“Okay.” Sunset blinked and tried to focus. “That’s… well, that’s great, Little Song. But… is your Nana Whispersong around? We really need to talk to her.”
“Oh yup, she’s in the forecastle, while I hold down the shop!”
“Great,” Sunset elbowed Twilight, who was making bizarre noises that kept going back and forth between a squeal, a squee and a squeak. “Could we talk to her?”
“Oh, she’s not here.”
“But… you just said she was in the forecastle. That’s the front of the ship, right?”
“Yup!” Little Song nodded happily. “But she’s not here.”
“Little Song,” Sunset said with gritted teeth. “You are literally saying two opposite things right now.”
“You have no idea where you are, do you?” Little Song laughed.
“Uh, Whispersong’s Lullabies. Though it was hard to be sure since all the ship’s lamps are doused,” Sunset replied, trying to keep her temper from getting the better of her. “We’re here for some help finding a book.”
“They’re out again? I’ll deal with that later, don’t worry.” Little Song’s eyes were huge again. “But if you’re looking for a lost book, maybe I can help!”
“Oh, Sunset, let her help!” Twilight pleaded. “Please? It’s my solemn duty to help future members of the RCA!”
“Wait…” Little Song’s eyes locked onto Twilight with the intensity of a spotlight. “Are you saying… you’re part of the RCA?”
“Solemn dut—no, I’m not dealing with that now. For Celestia’s sake!” Sunset facehoofed. “Focus ponies! We’d really like to talk to Whispersong, okay?”
“Well, I can take you to her, but she won’t be talking.”
“Why not?” Sunset demanded.
“She’s doing a Dreaming, of course! I’m always in charge after the moon comes up! Did you see my sign? I wanted to make sure everypony knows that just because Nana Whispersong isn’t around, we aren’t closed, nuh-uh!”
“What’s… a Dreaming?” Sunset asked, her migraine informing her it had decided to extend its stay indefinitely.
“Oh, it’s an old zebra ceremony.” Little Song clapped her hooves together. “Sometimes their Weavers—that’s like a special kind of shaman—do it to ward off bad dreams! With enough practice, you can actually make really good dreams happen with it!”
“And Whispersong is…”
“Running it, like she does almost every night!” Little Song answered. “You wanna see it?”
“Sure!” Sunset answered, her tail frizzing just a little. “If that’s where Nana Whispersong is, we’d love to see it!”
She definitely didn’t say the last few words with gritted teeth.
“Oki doki loki!” Little Song replied. She pulled a large sign that read ‘Back in Ten Minutes!’ complete with five hearts and three smiley faces. Then she placed it on a hook on the front of the desk.
“Okay, all set!” Little Song chirped. “Let’s go!”
The filly then skipped off deeper into the ship, humming a merry little tune.
“Twilight?” Sunset said as the two of them followed the filly.
“Yeah, Sunset?” Twilight’s eyes were locked on the filly, who’s mane seemed to float like a cloud around her despite her skipping. “What is it?”
“You can’t have her. Please don’t try and buy her again.”
“But… she’s so cute!”
“Well, if you want to have one of your own, I think you might want to discuss it with Moon Dancer, not me.” Sunset pointed out with a groan while they entered a narrow passageway just wide enough for the two of them to walk side by side.
Twilight nodded absently. “Right, note to self, talk to Moony about trading for a filly like that. First thing tomorrow. Today. Whatever.”
“You mean first thing today—Twilight! Are you suggesting that you can just buy book-crazed fillies?”
“I’ve heard there are places beyond Equestria,” Twilight said, still not looking at her, “where you can get anything at a price.”
“Including random groups of bookstore fillies?”
“A colt would work. I suppose I can be flexible. I’m sure Moony wouldn’t mind.”
“Twilight!”
“Huh?” Twilight blinked a few times as Little Song leapt down a flight of stairs. “What?”
“What we were just talking about?” Sunset asked, her eyebrow probably trying to escape into her mane.
Twilight stopped in her tracks. Her eyes flicked back and forth as if she were re-reading a script. Then she went whiter than Celestia. A half second later, her face went crimson.
“Uhh…”
“So, just to be sure, are you saying that you’re a proponent for—ahem—indentured servitude like—”
“No!” Twilight squeaked. “No, of course not! How could you even ask?”
“Well, you were going on and on about keeping her, it’s just that—”
“Look, that’s not what I meant!”
“Pretty sure it sounded like what you meant. You were pretty clear.”
“It was a metaphor!”
“Metaphor about getting one of your own? So, you’re looking to have a—”
“So, how long have you two been dating?”
Sunset and Twilight both froze and slowly rotated to stare down the corridor. Little Song stood there with a positively enormous smile on her face. For a moment, Sunset almost thought she saw hearts in the filly’s eyes.
“We’re not… that is… um…” Twilight stammered.
“We’re not dating,” Sunset said flatly, ignoring the twist in her stomach.
“You sound like you’re dating. Actually, you sound a bit like my mom and dad right now. You sound almost married.” Little Song’s eyes got even larger. “Oh, is that it? Are you two married? Or engaged?!”
Sunset closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The simple happiness of seeing Twilight squirm under her teasing had died with a single question. All that was left was a cold and empty space inside her chest.
It’s not fair, she thought. Not fair at all.
From the depths of her mind, something chuckled.
“Um… no,” Twilight mumbled. “We’re not. We’re just friends.”
Sunset opened her eyes and tried to put up her mask. Even still, she bit her lip before she managed to find her voice. “Can… can we see Whispersong now?”
“Oh! Yeah!” Little Song grinned and flounced up a set of stairs Sunset hadn’t seen before, vanishing from sight. “Right up here!”
“Sunset, I—”
“Come on,” Sunset said, her voice pained. “Let’s… let’s go.”
Twilight didn’t say another word. She just followed Sunset down into the upper decks of Whispersong’s Lullabies.
They passed another hoof-drawn sign reading ‘Second Deck,’ complete with two hearts and one smiley face. It hung under another lantern. Sunset paused and studied the fire for a moment—anything to distract her from what had just happened—then caught the faint magical aura.
“Enchanted lanterns,” Sunset muttered. “Nice ones, too.”
“Oh yeah!” Little Song said from ahead. “Fires are like really dangerous on a ship! Nana Whispersong never lets anypony have unenchanted flames on board. She used to have these really bright globes of white light that made everything washed out. Mommy got her to switch things out! Now business is amazing! I’m definitely keeping them.”
“Where are your parents, anyway?” Twilight asked as they followed the little filly through a narrow corridor leading in the general direction of the ship’s bow.
“Oh, they’re back in Fillydelphia!” Little Song chirped. “I’m staying with Nana Whispersong for Hearth’s Warming Break! I’ve been begging them, like, forever to let me stay on Queen Celestia’s Revenge!”
“That what?” Sunset sputtered.
“Queen Celestia’s Revenge!” Little Song repeated. “That’s what I’m going to call her! I got it from a book on famous pirate ships!”
“Celestia isn’t a queen,” Sunset pointed out.
“Why would you want to name the ship after a pirate ship?” Twilight added with a cocked eyebrow. “I thought you were going to be a hero, not a pirate.”
“Hey, pirates are cool!” Little Song snapped as she turned a corner.
“Ummm…” Twilight frowned. “She does know what a pirate is, right?”
“Twilight…” Sunset rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the lingering sting of Little Song’s previous words. “Let the girl have her dream.”
“But pirates are bad!” Twilight insisted. “They’re thieves at the best! They go around plundering and robbing ponies!”
“Isn’t that the definition of a thief?” Sunset asked, giving her a flat stare.
“I’ve heard some crews prefer the term ‘swashbuckling treasure hunters,’ if that makes you feel any better!” Little Song replied from ahead as they turned a corner into a larger corridor. “I still like the idea of pirates, though. They’re so cool. Don’t worry, though, we’ll be the good kind of pirate!”
“Little Song, honey,” Twilight said in a desperately patient voice. “There’s no such thing as good—”
“Sounds great!” Sunset interjected. “Are we almost there?”
“Yup!” Little Song answered. “Right through here!”
With that, Little Song pushed open a pair of double doors at the end of the corridor. Sunset sucked in a breath and even Twilight made a soft cooing noise beside her.
In the middle of the dark, wood-paneled room sat a wizened dark blue earth pony mare, dressed in what Sunset recognized as traditional zebra Weaver attire. She had golden rings around her neck and her lower right hoof, along with some sort of brown strap across her middle. The air inside was thick with incense, giving off an odd scent that reminded Sunset of the archival stacks beneath the Canterlot Cosmopolitan Library. Set around the mare were ten narrow pallets, six of them occupied. The ponies on the pallets seemed to be fast asleep and each had a subtle smile upon their face.
Sunset and Twilight stepped inside as Little Song led them to the side of the room near a stack of sleeping pallets. That’s when Sunset spied the room’s other occupant.
In a small rocking chair placed in the nearby corner, sat a beautiful yellow pegasus with a pink mane longer than as Rara’s. Her form was slender and lithe, nothing like the Wonderbolts she knew. Her eyes were closed, but she swayed back and forth as she hummed a quiet little tune. They could only hear it inside the room itself, as if she had carefully adjusted her own voice so the wordless lullaby wouldn’t escape. After a few seconds listening, Sunset herself wanted to crawl into one of the pallets and close her eyes.
“What in the world…” Twilight whispered. “What is going on in here?”
“Lullaby time!” Little Song said in a low voice—something Sunset hadn’t thought she was capable of. “See? While Nana’s right there, she’s also not here!”
“Is this some sort of dream therapy?” Sunset asked, scratching her mane. “I’ve heard about this sort of thing done in other cultures, but never for ponies.”
“I told you, silly!” Little Song chided with the authority of the very young. “It’s a zebra Weaver custom! Nana said zebras have some pretty strong beliefs about nightmares and dreams and stuff! Because of that, they have these rituals to help give good dreams or special dreams! They’re super awesome! But Nana’s made it even better!”
“And… you’ve done this… what was it called?” Twilight asked.
“Dream Weaving! Or Dreaming.” Little Song answered. She swayed with the hum of the pegasus in the corner. “I remember I had so much trouble doing it the first time when I was up here in Cloudsdale with Nana! But that nice lady helped!” She pointed a hoof at the humming pegasus. “She’s really quiet, but she has a super pretty voice when she sings!”
“I can tell.” Sunset fought down a yawn. “Still… we do have to talk with your Nana Whispersong. When is this… ceremony… thing going to be over?”
“At dawn, of course!” Little Song blew a raspberry. “Everypony knows zebra Dream Weaving takes the whole night, duh! Nana could slip out if she wanted to, but she rarely does these days.”
“That’s too long…” Sunset shook her head, trying to keep her eyes open. “We could um… didn’t somepony warn us that we needed to get this done by dawn?”
Between the incense, the gentle swaying of the ship and the humming, it was getting harder and harder to think straight.
“Sunset, what’s the harm in waiting?” Twilight asked with an enormous yawn. “At least for a little bit…
Twilight trailed off, though it took Sunset a few moments to realize why.
The singing had stopped.
“Little Song, honey?” came a whisper of a voice. “Could you get me another glass of water, please? I’m all out.”
“Of course! I’ll be right back!” Little Song chirped and scampered through the doorway, leaving Sunset and Twilight standing off to one side of the sleeping ponies. They both stared at the spot the filly had just been.
“Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there. I… I didn’t know we had latecomers tonight.”
Sunset turned and met the soft green eyes of the pegasus. To Sunset’s surprise, the mare cringed back from them with an ‘eep’, though they were easily two yards away. Sunset glanced at Twilight, who just shrugged in response.
“We’re sorry to intrude, but we’re not here for your… Dreaming, Miss…” Sunset trailed off and smiled at her.
“It’s ummm…” The mare mumbled something incoherent.
“I'm sorry, what was that?” Twilight asked, tilting her ears forward.
“Um… my name is…” Her voice once again dropped into mumbles that sounded vaguely like squeaks.
“Didn't quite catch that,” Sunset said with what she hoped was an encouraging smile that didn’t betray her rapidly dwindling patience.
Little Song burst into the room, carrying a tray with a jug of water and three glasses on it. “Here you go, Miss Fluttershy! Fresh from the rain tank!”
Sunset’s smile shifted into a faint smirk. “So, I’m guessing you’re Fluttershy?”
The pegasus nodded meekly as she gratefully took the glass of water from Little Song. She downed half of it in one long drink.
“Do you not like your name?” Twilight asked. She adjusted her glasses to peer at Fluttershy again. “It seems very suitable.”
“Don’t mind her!” Little Song said. “She’s just shy. Probably because of her name! But she’s really nice once you get to know her!”
“Um… if you’re not here for the Dreaming… what brings you here today?” Fluttershy asked, her voice as skittish as a terrified mouse. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”
“Why would we mind you asking?” Twilight scratched her head, looking completely bewildered.
“Uh…” Fluttershy shrugged.
“We’re here to see Whispersong,” Sunset jumped in before things could get more awkward. “But it seems like she’s busy. We were told that only she can give us something that we need by dawn.”
“It’s to help us acquire a certain book,” Twilight added helpfully.
“Book?” Fluttershy’s eyes danced between the two of them. “What book?”
“We’re looking for a first-edition copy of Teahouses of Saddle Arabia,” Twilight supplied. “I don’t suppose this place would have it?”
“It would save us a lot of time and effort if it did,” Sunset said with a sigh, but not much hope. “A lot.”
Little Song shook her head. “Nuh-uh. Whispersong’s Lullabies only carries six books on teas and that’s not one of them. I have most of our catalogue memorized!”
She beamed at them.
Sunset and Twilight both groaned in unison. Only then did something tickle Sunset’s memory. Something that Desert Winds had said.
“Um… should we be talking here?” Twilight said with a glance around the room. “After all, those ponies are trying to sleep.”
What had he said? She couldn’t remember the exact words but she remembered a name…
“Whispering Sleeper…” Sunset muttered to herself.
“Oh, don’t worry about them,” Fluttershy said with a sudden odd sense of confidence—and apparently missing Sunset’s sudden revelation. “They’re deep in a Dream Weave. I really don’t even need to be singing them to sleep, but Whispersong says it helps some ponies if they slip out.”
“If you say so,” Twilight shrugged with a sideways glance at the sleeping ponies.
Meanwhile, Sunset was digging through her saddlebags, trying to find the stupid thing the lunatic had thrown at her.
“Sunset, what are you doin—” Twilight facehoofed briefly. “Sorry, I forgot to introduce ourselves. I’m Twilight and this is Sunset... who is apparently looking for something.”
“Well, um… it’s nice to meet the both of you, but—”
“No!” Sunset cried, grinning as she levitated out a golden band roughly the size of a pony’s forehoof. “Not looking for something. Found something!”
Fluttershy and Little Song suddenly both went very still. Both of them were staring at the band floating in Sunset’s magic.
“Uh…”
This hadn’t been the reaction she’d expected. Fluttershy looked utterly fascinated, but Little Song looked… expectant?
“May… may I see that?” Fluttershy asked quietly. “Please? If… if it’s not too much trouble.”
Sunset hesitated. “Well, I think Desert Winds wanted me to give it to Whispersong, but as long as you give it back, I guess?”
“I… I just want to hold it for a moment. Just a moment, then I promise I’ll return it!” she pleaded.
She’s almost as bad as Twilight with those big green eyes. I know a battle I can’t win when I see it.
Sunset levitated the band over into Fluttershy’s outstretched hooves.
The odd mare didn’t seem nearly as skittish as she’d been a few moments ago. She just kept staring at the golden band in wonder.
“I’ve never gotten to actually hold one…” she mumbled.
“Is there something special about this thing?” Sunset asked. “It just feels like a gold band to me.”
“What?” Fluttershy blinked a few times before refocusing on Sunset and Twilight. “Oh! Um… not really special, I think. It just looks like an authentic Weaver anklet and after hearing so many stories from Whispersong about the zebras, I’m… well… I’m a little bit of a fan, as you can probably see.”
Fluttershy flapped her rather impressive wings and alighted down on the deck in the light, revealing the full-body dress she wore. The body and train were made of some sort of knitted dark gold fabric, with a neck and hemline made of thick green cords of wool. There were even a few silk roses along the neckline.
“That’s a very fancy dress for singing ponies to sleep,” Twilight commented. “It doesn’t… really seem practical.”
“Oh, it’s not,” Fluttershy blushed and studied her hooves. “But… I don’t get to wear my own things very often… I get really self-conscious.”
“Wait,” Sunset held up a hoof. “You made that?”
Fluttershy’s blush deepened and she nodded again. “I… um… well, I started at just knitting, but over the years it turned into… well, something I never really expected.”
“She’s like, gonna be Cloudsdale’s best designer with her freaky knowledge of sewing!” Little Song chirped.
Fluttershy’s blush almost went to her ears.
“That’s… that’s really impressive,” Sunset said, moving around Fluttershy to get a better look. The mare ducked her head in embarrassment, but seemed to also enjoy the attention, if the way her wings fluttered were any indication. Sunset almost cast a light spell to get a better look before remembering where she was. “Coco would love to get her hooves on a design like this.”
Fluttershy stiffened and her eyes slowly lifted to meet Sunset’s. “Coco? As in… Coco Pommel? As in the Coco Pommel?”
“Uh…” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. “Yes?”
“You know her?” Fluttershy squealed, biting her hooves in glee. “You actually know Coco Pommel?”
“Yeah?” Sunset replied. She’d known Coco had made a name for herself in the fashion industry, but this seemed excessive. “She’s a friend of ours.”
“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness!” Fluttershy seemed ready to fly around the room in excitement. “I’m… I’m talking to ponies who know Coco Pommel! Oh my goodness!”
“Would you… um… like to meet her?” Sunset suggested. “I’m sure we could—”
Sunset froze the moment she saw the pegasus’s reaction. Her eyes went wide and every bit of color seemed to drain right out of her face. Her wings snapped to her sides as if held by rubber bands. For a moment, she had all the livelihood of a statue.
“Or… not?” Sunset said, her headache once again making its presence known.
“No, no, no!” Fluttershy whispered. “I… couldn’t… I shouldn’t… I wouldn’t! She’s so much more important than me. She’s… she’s the biggest star in all of the Manehattan fashion scene! And um… I don’t leave… I don’t leave Cloudsdale anymore.”
“‘Anymore’?” Twilight asked. “Why anymore? Did you leave before—”
“Oh, I think that’s quite enough pestering of my little bard,” said warm but stern voice from behind them. “After all, she’s here as a guest, as are the two of you.”
Sunset turned to see the elderly mare on her hooves, rubbing her eyes.
“I’m sorry!” Twilight and Fluttershy said in perfect unison. They both froze and stared at one another.
Sunset facehoofed and laughed despite herself, then turned to the older mare. “Whispersong, I presume?”
“Got it in one, dearie,” Whispersong said as she slipped through her sleeping patrons and reached out to shake Sunset’s hoof. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Shimmer.”
“You’re… you’re…” Fluttershy’s eyes went wide. “Oh no. No, no, no!”
Her voice descended into squeaks of terror. Again.
“Calm yourself, dear Fluttershy,” Whispersong said with a gentle smile. “She doesn’t look too offended.”
“But I didn’t even recognize her!” Fluttershy protested, her wings twitching madly. “Miss Shimmer, please—”
“No, it’s fine!” Sunset laughed. “Really! You have no idea how nice it is not to be recognized.”
“I’m sure a name like yours tends to get ahead of yourself.” Whispersong winked at her. “Bet it gets old, don’t it?”
“You could say that again,” Sunset muttered with a sigh. “But… I thought you were in the um…”
“Dream Weaving,” Twilight supplied.
“Yeah, Dream Weaving.” Sunset shook her head. “Sorry, long night. Anyway, Little Song made it sound like you weren’t coming out before dawn.”
“She usually doesn’t!” Little Song hissed. “I didn’t know you three were going to talk so much!”
Whispersong chuckled, her eyes sparkling. “When you get to my age, dearie, you’ll find there’s always a trick or two to everything. Always wise to keep an ear out while on any ship.”
“Did we wake you? Oh no, don’t tell me the clients—” Fluttershy began, flying up to peer at the sleeping ponies. Her wings seemed to barely disturb the air.
“Our clients are fine, dearie,” Whispersong assured her, holding out her hooves placatingly. “But yes, I did hear you. And that’s okay. Once upon a time, zebra master weavers could conduct this ceremony in the middle of a crowded street. They could step in and out of the ceremony without disturbing a soul. With enough practice, anypony can dance on the line between dreams and reality.” Her grin became almost wolfish. “And when I was young, I could dance circles around anypony!”
“It’s true!” Little Song chirped as she bounded to Whispersong’s side. “Nana Whiserspong is amazing!”
“Hush, child.” Whispersong smiled and patted the filly on the head. “You’re going to embarrass me.”
“Hmph,” Little Song huffed. “You should never be embarrassed! Everypony else should be embarrassed that they’re not as amazing as you!”
Fluttershy let out a soft giggle and even Sunset and Twilight broke into faint smiles.
“Thank you, child.” Whispersong laughed. “However, I do not believe Miss Shimmer and her friend came here to talk about dancing.”
“We didn’t mean to interrupt,” Sunset said, suddenly feeling a lot more self-conscious before this mare. “We could easily let you and Fluttershy finish and come back later…”
Why? chimed in a familiar voice. You were ready to break down the door less than an hour ago! Now, you’re willing to let some old mare and a timid pegasus run you out?
You’re being random tonight. Sunset shot back. You haven’t said a word since Bruschetta’s.
Ugh, you just can’t pay attention, can you? It’s a wonder Celestia hasn’t booted you out of the Castle yet.
Sunset frowned. That didn’t entirely make sense, but frankly, she was too worn out to care what her little demon was up to. Meanwhile, Whispersong’s eyes had fallen on the golden band Fluttershy still held in her hooves.
“Ah!” Whispersong’s eyes danced. “The very reason I woke up. You said a name. A very specific name.”
“Desert Winds,” Sunset guessed. Except it wasn’t a guess.
“How long is that pony going to be haunting us?” Twilight’s ears went flat with annoyance and she shifted in her coat.
“Oh, a little while longer, I suspect,” Whispersong chuckled. “If I may?”
Fluttershy glanced at Sunset first.
“Go ahead,” Sunset said with a nod. “It’s supposed to go to her anyway. We’re basically just couriers.”
“And well-timed ones at that. I wasn’t expecting this for another four weeks,” Whispersong said as Fluttershy gave it to her. “Out of curiosity, did he say what the payment would be?”
Whispersong peered at Sunset, her eyes sparkling. However, it was Twilight who jumped in with the answer.
“The ‘last piece to get unlost.’” Twilight supplied. “And added ‘plus Sign to find Sunset’s treasure.’”
Sunset stared at her. “How can you possibly remember his rambling that clearly?”
“I do have an excellent memory most of the time,” Twilight informed her with a little huff.
Whispersong glanced between Sunset and Twilight in a depressingly familiar way. However, seeing Sunset’s expression, her own face went back to a casual smile as if nothing had happened.
“So, he wants me to get you ‘unlost’ and give you something to help Sunset here find her treasure.” Whispersong mused. “Desert Winds is an odd fellow. Never sends anything by mail. And it’s been quite some time since he was willing to go through leyspace himself…”
“That pony is crazy,” Sunset said with a shake of her head. “Possibly the craziest pony I’ve ever met.”
“Aw!” Whispersong entire face lit up with a knowing smile. “That’s the nicest thing anypony said about him in years. He may very well burst into tears of joy upon hearing your kind words. But before we go any further, I think I’ll deal with the matter of this anklet.”
“Wait, that’s an ankl—” Twilight stopped dead the moment Whispersong plopped down in front of them and stuck out the forehoof with the various golden bands on it.
With movements almost too fast to track—which was impressive considering the age of the mare—she swapped out one of the anklets on her forelegs with the new one. For a brief moment, the new anklet flared a soft blue. A few seconds later, the glow faded and it looked no different from the other anklets she wore.
“Ah, perfect,” Whispersong sighed in relief, almost as if she had just slipped into a warm bath. “The old one had been acting up. Desert, you scoundrel, never change.”
“What just happened?” Sunset demanded.
“Another wonder of our zebra friends.” Whispersong patted the anklet. “Alchemically treated to store a particular spell. I find it works on me a bit better than a ley crystal or a direct enchantment. In this case, something to make sure my old bones can keep up with young, spry ponies like you!”
“Amazing,” Twilight murmured. “Do you by chance know what sort of alchemical treatment they used? Or perhaps the precise—”
“Twilight!” Sunset said, her voice boarding on pleading. “Please!”
“Hey, you had a chance to ask a question!” Twilight pouted and Little Song laughed. Even Fluttershy giggled quietly.
“So, what are you looking for, young lady?” Whispersong asked Sunset with a wink at Twilight.
“Teahouses of Saddle Arabia,” Sunset answered, trying desperately to ignore Twilight’s pout. “I can’t even tell you what I’ve—we’ve—gone through to find this book.”
“Ah, Desert Winds, accurate as always. I’m assuming he already told you I didn’t have a copy?”
“So did I!” Little Song cried.
“Well, that’s good. The last pony he sent—Velvet something… or was it something Velvet? Anyway, the last time he used me as a waypoint, he ‘forgot’ to tell the mare. That crazy unicorn nearly blew a hole in my ship!”
“Miss Whispersong, if you don’t mind,” Sunset said, trying to keep her voice steady. “It’s been a very long night and I would very much like to be on my way before I very much lose my mind.”
Whispersong chuckled even as Fluttershy gasped and cringed away from Sunset.
“Sunset!” Twilight admonished. “We should probably try and be nice.”
“A long day jumping across the planet makes ponies cranky,” Whispersong said with another laugh. “I don’t mind.”
“What is it with the whole bookstore owners ‘always knowing more than they should’ thing?” Sunset hissed. “Seriously, it’s driving me nuts.”
Whispersong winked at her. “Narrative Causality, of course. All bookstores—and libraries—in the world are bound by it.”
Sunset facehoofed and Whispersong laughed again.
“Um… not to be rude…” Fluttershy said in that same timid voice. “But you’re… you’re getting awfully loud… and we don’t want to wake up any of the Dreamers.”
“Quite right, my dear!” Whispersong declared as she got to her hooves. She let out an explosive sigh of mirth and grinned. “Really, you should reconsider my offer to bring you on full time, Fluttershy. You have such a calm demeanor that it would do wonders for this little side business.”
“Oh, no,” Fluttershy blushed and tried to hide behind her mane, though Sunset could see her peeking out. “I couldn’t do that. I just like to help.”
Sunset shifted from side to side, trying to contain her annoyance. Twilight took a step back from her.
And Fluttershy was suddenly looking at them rather closely.
“Did you know I had to all but force her to take bits for her singing?” Whispersong shook her head, smiling fondly at the young pegasus. “But no, she’s always insisted on keeping her adorable little shop open. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a miracle worker there, but I can never get my clients to sleep as easily as she can with just a few notes.”
“Wait!” Fluttershy squeaked.
Everypony in the room—at least those who were awake—paused to look at the blushing mare. “I mean, if that’s okay?”
“What is it, dearie?” Whispersong nodded at her.
“What… h-happened to your coats, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Sunset lifted her foreleg, revealing the tear that had almost taken the entire sleeve off. It must have finally started to unravel as they’d been walking through the ship. Twilight glanced at her own with a forlorn expression.
“A lot of hard travel and harder landings,” Sunset replied with a sigh. “Don’t worry, we have others…”
“No, I’m getting this fixed,” Twilight muttered as she used her magic to examine a series of rips down the seams toward her tail. “I told you this is my favorite coat, Sunset!”
“Don’t worry about it,” Sunset replied. “We’ll be fine.”
“I could… repair them for you? While you’re talking with Whispersong? It shouldn’t take more than…” Fluttershy flew over the both of them, examining the damage and muttering the occasional ‘oh dear.’ “Twenty minutes? Maybe thirty?”
Sunset stared at her. “We don’t have much in the way of bits, definitely not enough to cover repairs to two winter coats.”
“How’d you plan on paying for the book then?” Whispersong asked with a smirk.
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Promissory note. One of the few times I like using my name.”
“It’s fine,” Fluttershy landed right next to Sunset and ran a hoof over another rip in the side. “I don’t mind helping somepony willing to introduce me to… um… Coco Pommel. And… you both seem nice.”
“This has nothing to do with Coco, does it?” Sunset guessed.
“No, it does not,” Whispersong chuckled as Fluttershy blushed again. “That’s just who she is. Best do what she says. Truth be told, I’ve never seen a pegasus handle a needle and thread like her.”
Sunset shared a glance with Twilight. It took only a moment, but without a word they came to an easy consensus.
Why not?
It only took them a minute to take off their coats and recinch their saddlebags. Fluttershy smiled and flew back to her corner, where she pulled out a small saddlebag of her own. In moments, she had spools of thread and a half-dozen needles out as she studied Twilight’s coat.
“Now, let me tell you about just how good she is,” Whispersong said. “Once upon a time—”
“Miss Whispersong…” Sunset’s left eye started to twitch.
Whispersong own left eye sparkled. Little Song giggled like crazy.
“Fluttershy, dear, will you watch over the dreamers?” Whispersong said. Fluttershy looked up from her work and nodded demurely. “Thank you, dear. As for you two, why don’t you come upstairs? I suspect I know what you’ll need and I might just be willing to help you get it.”
Sunset let out a sigh of relief, though it ended up being short-lived.
“I can’t imagine it should take more than three or four more bookstores to track it down!” Whispersong said over her shoulder as she climbed a nearby set of stairs that had been hidden in shadow. “Come along!”
Both of Sunset’s eyes twitched.
Twilight paused and glanced back at her. “Sunset?”
“Worst. Night. Ever,” Sunset muttered and stomped after Whispersong.
Whispersong led them up two decks and into what turned out to be her private cabin. A narrow cot lay beneath a large window illuminated by the Cloudsdale night while a sturdy dresser sat opposite a writing desk. All of this became a background to the real feature of the room.
A lifetime’s worth of memories stood on shelves and hung on walls. Many featured Whispersong laughing or smiling with other ponies of every different shape and size. Sunset recognized pictures of Whispersong with Princess Celestia, half of the Cloudsdale and Canterlot Elite, all of the Wonderbolts—with more than a few of her and Surprise—and dozens more she didn’t know. But more than anything, there were family portraits, weddings, birthday parties, and a thousand other celebrations on the walls.
For some reason Sunset didn’t want to think too much about, stumbling into this room of memories forced her to choke back a sob.
Still, she managed to get herself under control while Twilight followed her in, her eyes wide as she scanned the room’s bookshelves, giving little attention to the pictures that adorned the walls.
“Welcome to my humble home,” Whispersong said as she settled into the chair before a small writing desk. Meanwhile, Little Song—who’d followed them from belowdecks—leapt up on Whispersong’s large four-poster bed and bounced around happily. Whispersong didn’t seem to mind as she rummaged through her desk.
“Let’s see… where is it… I know it was here last week…” she muttered to herself. “I swear, by Celestia, if something happened to that book, I will be very annoyed.”
“What’cha lookin’ for, Nana?” Little Song asked amidst her bounces.
“My little red book,” Whispersong replied. “The one in pineapple leather? Have you seen it, child?”
“Nope!” Little Song replied at the top of a particularly high leap. “Unless it’s the one over here on your nightstand!”
Whispersong glanced over at the nightstand, where a small cracked leather-bound book dyed in red sat. “Thank you, child. Could you stop bounding about and bring it to your Nana?”
“Sure!”
With startling grace, Little Song leapt from bed to floor. She snatched the book and jumped back onto the bed, only take another leap that sent her flying right at Whispersong.
Sunset cried out in alarm, but Whispersong spun on her seat—using that same strange speed she’d used when swapping the anklets—and snatched her grandfilly out of the air in the space of an eyeblink.
“Yay!” Little Song cried as Whispersong cuddled her. “That was fun! Can we do it again?”
“Oh, no,” Whispersong replied, patting her on the head. “I only have one in me tonight, child. Why don’t you head back down and watch the counter while I talk with our customers? Make sure the outside lights are on, okay?”
“Just so you know,” Little Song whispered in a voice that was anything but a whisper. “I think Miss Shimmer and Miss Sparkle are in love or something! They act just like Mom and Dad!”
Sunset’s body stiffened, her cheeks burned and her brain blanked. She didn’t dare glance at Twilight.
Whispersong glanced up with a smile… only for that smile to fade upon seeing Sunset’s—and presumably Twilight’s—expressions.
“Well, why don’t you keep your little shipping games to yourself for tonight, okay?” Whispersong asked, her voice still warm. “Go on, now.”
“Okay, Nana!” Little Song replied, leaping from the chair and landing between Sunset and Twilight. With a sudden surge of speed, Little Song attacked first Twilight and then Sunset in a bone-crushing hug. “You two were great! I hope everything works out for you! No matter what, I think you’re super cute together!”
With that, the filly bounded out.
Sunset shivered as the door closed behind them. Inside her mind, something dark laughed. Another piece of her only whimpered.
“You’ll have to forgive my grandfilly,” Whispersong said in a rather somber voice. “Her mother is a professional matchmaker. She’s got it into her head that she can see potential matches herself. Usually, it’s harmless, but sometimes she does tend to make things a tad awkward.”
Sunset met Whispersong’s gaze—primarily because she didn’t want to look at Twilight—and saw something unspoken there. It wasn’t hard to translate.
Filly or not, Little Song isn’t often wrong about her matches, either, Whispersong’s eyes told her.
“Now, to business,” she settled her chair and appraised the two of them slowly. “Both of you have the look of ponies who have traveled far tonight. I’d like to know if you heard my name elsewhere. Aside from dear Desert, of course.”
Sunset didn’t really like the calculating look in Whispersong’s expression, but she had something they needed—possibly two things they needed—she didn’t see a way out of it.
“Out of Circulation,” she answered.
Whispersong let out a barkling laugh, slapping the armrest of her chair and looking positively delighted. “Ha! I knew it! Desert would never could make enough sense for anypony to find my boat. To get from there to here, you’d need a bit more of an edge! And if you tangoed with Book Light, that’s an edge and a half!”
Sunset glowered at her. “What, do you all do ice cream socials together or something?”
“Something like that,” Whispersong said, her eyes dancing. “You’re here for the sigil, aren’t you?”
Sunset nodded.
The old mare eyed her again. “And have you asked your friend what she thinks of this? You really sat down and asked her?”
Sunset finally glanced at Twilight, who looked as confused as Sunset.
“Why would I have a problem with this?” Twilight frowned.
“By your definition, child, you’re in a Gray Bookstore right now.”
To her credit, Twilight only twitched a little. It was mainly in her shoulders. And her left eye. And a few strands of hair made a ‘poing’ sound.
“Hm,” Whispersong tapped her chin, apparently intrigued by Twilight’s reaction. “No screaming. No fleeing. No threats. You aren’t Acquisitions, at least. Thank Celestia for that.”
“How could you possibly know I’m with the RCA?” Twilight demanded stiffly.
“Child, if you haven’t worked for Ink Method himself for years, I’ll eat this boat’s mainsail with a knife and fork.,” Whispersong replied, her eyes boring into Twilight. “The way you walk, the way you talk… everything about you screams Royal Canterlot Archives. To somepony doing this as long as me, it’s impossible to miss. Anyway, it’s a good idea to keep up with the competition.”
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but Whispersong cut her off before she even got a sound out.
“And don’t you give me that malarky about the RCA not being competition, we both know every library in Equestria takes their cues from them. RCA doesn’t like a book, then Equestria doesn’t like a book. It’s rare, but I’ve seen it happen. Ink Method’s been a good Head Archivist. And from what I’ve seen tonight, I think you’ll do great in his horseshoes.”
“You’re not the first person to say something like that tonight,” Sunset cut in. “Why do so many ponies think she’s going to run the RCA?”
“I don’t want to run the RCA!” Twilight groaned, her ears flat as she rubbed her eyes. “I just want to be there with my books! I don’t want power or control or anything like that!”
“And that’s why you’ll do wonderfully,” Whispersong said with a self-satisfied smirk. “But back to the point. I’m betting Book Light mentioned how ’The Store’ was exclusive, right? Hard to find?”
Both of them nodded, but Sunset didn’t like where this was going.
“I may run a Gray Bookstore, dabble with books that some folk don’t think I should have, but I shy away from the dangerous stuff. That stuff… well—” She stopped herself and rubbed her chin again, leaning back in her seat as she considered them. “One last question. This book. Who’s it for?”
“Why does that matter?” Sunset demanded. “What’s this all about, Whispersong?”
“I’ve been selling books for over fifty years, Miss Shimmer. You may have already heard this tonight, but selling books is a little like tending a bar. You tend to get good at reading ponies. Now, you two? You’ve been through a lot. It’s nearly three in the morning. And you’re still going. Shows me you aren’t planning on stopping.”
“What of it?” Sunset snapped, trying to keep herself from bristling any further.
The old mare chuckled and repeated herself, “Who’s it for?”
“Why do you want to know?” Sunset shot back.
“You can’t blame an old mare for being curious.”
“I can if you’re withholding the last piece of information we need to get to this place.”
“You can’t if you want me to give you the sigil to open a Black Bookstore.”
This time, Twilight did let out a squeak of shock and protest. Just the way Whispersong had said those two words sent shivers down Sunset’s spine.
Oh, this is going to be so very fun, said a voice in the back of her head.
“Mind you, that’s just what the Equestria Booksellers Association calls them,” Whispersong said with a shrug. “A great many don’t have anything special. And when they do have something special, they’re locked tighter than Celestia’s own Vaults. Anyway, it’s not like your very own teacher isn’t familiar with them. The very pony I believe this book is for.”
“That’s not true! I mean, yes, the book is for Princess Celestia, but the rest is a lie!” Twilight cried. “Princess Celestia would never deal with the likes of a Black Bookstore!”
“Why don’t you ask the owner, then?” Whispersong said with a laugh.
“No, Twilight’s right,” Sunset said. “That’s not Celestia’s style. She doesn’t deal with dark magics.”
You sure about that? said the quiet voice in the depths of her mind. You really sure that precious Princess of yours use any means necessary to protect her kingdom? Think about the things you did to protect your little kingdom in the past, Sunset. Don’t be an idiot.
You’ve been awfully quiet for a lot of this.
It’s rude to talk with your mouth full.
What? Sunset blinked as Whispersong said something to Twilight she couldn’t quite make out.
All the popcorn I enjoyed while I watched you and Twilight have your lovely little meltdown together. You had a chance to take her, Sunset. Take her as your own. She was at her weakest. All you had to do was kiss her and she would have been yours.
I’m not about to stab my best friend in the back! Sunset snarled to the evil little voice that refused to die. I’m not a monster!
Something flicked in front of her face, but it seemed a little fuzzy. It was hard to do anything except hear that damn voice.
You used to be. Didn’t Slate once call you the nightmare under the fillies’ beds? You are still naive enough to think that’s a bad thing. It’s not. It’s simple power and its applications. You even once told Minuette that you didn’t want both Moon Dancer and Twilight. But we both know that’s not entirely true is it?
Get away from me! Sunset screamed into the depths of her mind. Get the buck out of my head!
I’m here forever, Sunset. You will never be free of me. Because I’m what you really are, you softhearted idiot. And the day is coming when you finally figure out that you’ve been me all along. This nice act? It’s a joke. A pathetic excuse for one too.
No. I’ve changed. I’m not you anymore!
Soon, so very soon, you will screw up. You will screw up so badly that your friends will hate you. Your beloved Princess will disown you. You will be alone with nothing but me. And once this pathetic, weak mask is burned away, you’ll realize that the only thing beneath it has always been me. Years ago, you made a mistake. A stupid, pathetic, moronic mistake that made you weak. You picked the wrong side. That was your mistake.
For just a moment, Sunset could actually feel a presence around her. She shivered in horror as she all but felt the cold breath inside her right ear say the next words.
The day is coming, Sunset. The day is coming when I’m going to fix that mistake.
Then, something slammed into her, sending her crashing into a bookcase.
Books rained down upon her. A lot of them hurt, but there was something of more immediate concern.
Namely, Twilight was shaking her like a rag doll.
“Sunset!” she screamed in her face. “Sunset, come on! Snap out of it!”
“Twilight,” Whispersong said from the other side of the room, her body posture tense as if she were about to leap into combat. “Her horn.”
Twilight’s terrified eyes glanced up at Sunset’s horn, then she sagged with relief. After closing her eyes again, she speared Sunset with a glare of fear-driven fury.
“What is with you?” Twilight demanded. “Sunset, you could have hurt somepony!”
“What?” Sunset blinked a few more times. Her head felt like a herd of buffalo were tap dancing inside her skull. And… her horn hurt. A dull, throbbing ache from base to tip. Why did it hurt? That had never happened before.
A harsh laugh echoed up from the pit in her mind where she tried to keep her angry little pony. Strangely enough, the laugh seemed… darker somehow.
“Answer me, Sunset!” Twilight snapped. “What were you thinking?”
“What happened?” Sunset finally managed to focus on her surroundings.
Twilight stabbed a hoof at a spot above the bed. “That!”
There had been a window there, once. Now, there was nothing more than a gaping hole in the hull of the ship. Little arcs of magic energy still crackled around the smoking edges.
“What… what did I do?”
“You mean…” Twilight blinked owlishly behind her glasses. “You didn’t intentionally throw a bolt of midnight blue lightning at the door?”
“Midnight blue?” Sunset demanded, horrified. “My magic was midnight blue?”
“Or something like that. I’m not great with colors. It definitely was a lot darker than your normal teal, Sunset. Even more than the few times… well, you know.”
Sunset nodded and rubbed her horn. It still ached.
What would cause this? Had things gone too far? Her angry little pony… she couldn’t remember the last time it had managed to drive her to do something like that. Had it ever? This… this was a bad sign.
Maybe she did need to talk to somepony about this. Not the Princess—she couldn’t bear the shame. Her closest friends… she didn’t think she could bear that either. Maybe… Raven? Raven had always been there for her whenever Celestia had been away on business. She liked the bustling aide. She imagined Raven was a little like what having a real aunt would be like.
Raven… yeah, she’d… talk to her.
“I’d like an explanation,” Whispersong informed them archly. “I don’t like it when ponies blow holes in my ship.”
“I’m sorry,” Sunset said as she gently pushed Twilight aside and stumbled to her hooves. “I… I think our time in leyspace may have messed with my head more than I thought. I got lost in my thoughts and then… it was an accident, nothing more.”
Whispersong marched over and grabbed Sunset’s head, peering into her eyes, studying her horn and checking her sides. She even checked Sunset’s teeth. She mumbled to herself for a good two minutes. Sunset glanced at Twilight, but Twilight just shrugged. She looked scared herself.
Great, now she’s scared of me. Just perfect.
“Look, I’ll pay for the damages,” Sunset said. “If you’ll get me a piece of paper, I can write an invoice with my magical signature and—”
“Shush, child.”
Whispersong leaned an ear against Sunset’s chest. However, she was there only a few moments before pulling away and looking her in the eye.
“What is it?”
“You’re fighting it,” Whispersong said with a nod. “That’s what matters most. Doing it for the right reasons, too. Mostly.”
“What do—” Twilight began, but Whispersong silenced her with a wave of her hoof.
Sunset took a deep breath, her hooves shaking beneath her.
Whispersong headed back to her desk.
“How can you possibly know that?” Sunset demanded, repressing the desire to scream. “You can’t know that!”
“Does it matter?” Whispersong asked as she began to flip through the pages of the book with one hoof, while the other pulled down some sort of disc from the top shelf of her desk with the other. “It’s true.”
“Well, yes, it’s true, but—”
“That’s what really matters.” Whispersong winked at her and slapped the disc over a page in the red leather notebook. A pink dot of light appeared above the desk. Then, it slowly began to move, leaving broad strokes of color in its wake.
“The sigil?” Sunset asked, glancing between the complex shape and Whispersong.
Whispersong nodded placidly.
It took nearly a full minute for the sigil to complete itself. It was far more complex than Sunset would have ever guessed. An intricate pattern of hard lines and soft circles, interwoven and interlocking in dozens of locations. It made Sunset dizzy just looking at it.
“Wow…” Twilight murmured after a few minutes of gawking. “Now that’s an impressive bit of spellwork.”
“This sigil,” Whispersong said, keeping the disc on the unseen page, “will dispel the illusion that protects ’The Store.’ You should memorize it, keep it in your head. You’ll need it.”
“That shouldn’t be too much trouble,” Sunset said, studying it further. “It shares a lot of—”
“There’s one other matter,” Whispersong interrupted without missing a beat. “The sigil will not protect you from the guardian constructs or any other defenses the owner may have put in place. She values her privacy and particularly dislikes members of the RCA and those things enforce her will. Her new assistant isn’t much better. Odd fellow with an accent I could never place. Wears a turban and a pair of glasses.
“A turban?” Sunset cried, then both Twilight and she demanded, “What color?”
“Not bright turquoise,” Whispersong said with a chuckle. “Don’t worry. I believe he’s actually from the Fillydelphia suburbs, but don’t tell him I said that.”
“That’s it?” Sunset asked.
“Well, there’s one other matter,” Whispersong said with a smirk.
“And that is?” Sunset groaned.
“How you’re getting to Canterlot.”
Sunset’s heart sank. So did her ears and tail.
“We were hoping…” she trailed off as she realized how audacious that sounded. The Sunset of the past might have demanded use of this airship, but not the Sunset of today. Especially not after she’d just blown a hole in the ship.
“I’m afraid that at this hour, all the ferries and other transports have closed for the evening,” Whispersong said somberly. “It’s too bad you don’t know anypony with their own private airship who can come and go as they please.”
Sunset looked up, hope sparking in her again.
Whispersong’s eyes glittered.
“Or maybe you do?”
“Do we?” Sunset asked.
Twilight glancing back and forth between them as if watching a tennis match.
“Now, that is the question isn’t it?” Whispersong grinned.
And Sunset smiled.