//------------------------------// // Dividing Silence // Story: Of Laurels & Lace // by WritingSpirit //------------------------------// "Twilight..." The tired unicorn groaned a little. Her vision was blurry as she muttered to the figure in front of her, slightly annoyed by the sudden wake up call: "Just... give me.... a minute...." "Twilight? Hello...?" "A minute, I said..." she shouted weakly. Her eyes slowly closed, the mare brushing her frazzled mane aside to rest her head on the table, only to be interrupted by a loud, raspy shout. "Twilight Sparkle! Get you lazy flank off my hoof!" Wait... that voice.... Twilight tried to register it in her mind, although she couldn't possibly do it due to her overwhelming fatigue from the little sleep she had last night. "Twilight!" She hurriedly rubbed her eyes, squinting through the obscurity as the pale cyan blur in front of her turned clearer. Twilight gasped as she found herself staring into a pair of magenta eyes, which glared back at her as the shouts continued: "Get. Off. My. Hoof!" "Rainbow Dash!" she exclaimed, immediately hugging the pegasus tightly. Rainbow just sighed with a smile as Twilight continued: "I was so worried about you! You scared the both of us! What were you thinking, doing the Sonic Rainboom in the lobby?! You could've killed sompony!" The pegasus bit her lip from her friend's rants, even more so from the weight on her hoof. "Twilight? Can you, like, get off my hoof now?" "...and how are we going to renovate the hotel? That would take off way too much time that we can use to help Rarity! Don't even begin to mention how Tourist is going to kill us! I'm sure he wouldn't-" "Twilight!" Twilight stopped mid-sentence, before her eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Sorry, RD!" Rainbow sighed with relief as the unicorn stood up from the bed, her aching hoof now diminished of pain. "Thank you, Twilight." "Tell me, Rainbow." the unicorn said, now glaring into her friend's eyes. "Why did you use the Sonic Rainboom?" Rainbow scratched her signature mane with uncertainty, trying to recall her encounter. "Mirror Mare. The pony. It was here..." She shuddered, looking at her sheets with a bead of sweat crawling down her head. "I was next..." Twilight held back a gasp. She sat beside Rainbow, careful not to land onto her hoof again. "But why the Sonic Rainboom? You weren't supposed to use it in somewhere small as that! You know that yourself!" "I know, I know..." she said with a flustered sigh. "It's just... when I was charging headfirst with it, the first thing in my mind... that it should not escape." Twilight shook her head with remorse, looking at the pegasus into the eye. "You shouldn't have... done it...." "Look..." She motioned Rainbow Dash to turn around, in which the pegasus did, only to gasp in horror at the sight before her. Pinkie laid onto the next bed, her body tangled with different colored wires. A monitor beeped slowly beside the pink pony, forming digital mountains on the screen with every thump of Pinkie's heart. Rainbow paled as Twilight continued: "When you did the Sonic Rainboom, you threw Pinkie... against a glass tank..." The words slowly sink into her, almost as if laughing at her tauntingly. Rainbow felt her gut sink slightly, staring at the pink pony in shock. Twilight's voice now echoed in her head. "She st-started coughing blood... she wouldn't see a doctor! She wanted to make sure you're safe!" "What have I done...?" "Twilight...?" she called the unicorn, her voice quavering from guilt. "Can you please, if you... don't mind...? I need some time..... to myself..." "Of course, Dash." Twilight slowly strode out the door, giving one last worried glance over the pink pony. "Tell me if she wakes up." "I will." As soon as the door was shut, Rainbow turned to the unconscious Pinkie, who was seemingly smiling, almost as if knowing the pegasus has awakened. Rainbow's mind whirred frantically, raising questions in her head. "What should I tell her when she wakes up? Would she even want to talk to me?" Her head hung low as her magenta eyes watered, a small tear already falling, slightly staining the white sheets draped over her body. "Would she call me her friend again...?" <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> Rarity's eyes opened with a gentle yawn, sitting up from the comfort of her bed. She stretched her hooves, letting out a content sigh. Beside her, Spike was still snoozing, the white blankets sprawled from his restless sleep. The unicorn smiled: his presence always tingles her heart. "Spike...." she whispered into the dragon's ear, hoping to wake him up. Spike only responded with a mutter in his sleep, making her giggle. Rarity strode to the window, sliding back the red curtains with ease. The rays of the morning sun immediately pierced into the room, making her shield her eyes from the sudden glare of light. Without a second thought, the unicorn trotted to the mirror, picking up a hairbrush from the table. She shook her head with dissatisfaction at her unkempt mane, lost of its signature curls. "Rarity, Rarity..." she muttered to herself, combing the strays back into place. It wasn't long before she placed the comb down, her hoof reaching for the curler. Her azure mane was now straight, flowing like a waterfall. Rarity tossed it around, slightly stunned by its state. "Not bad, Rarity...." Despite that, she started curling her hair, softly humming to herself. Spike suddenly snored from behind, making her laugh whilst trying not to wake him up. Turning to the other side, Rarity started to curl it as well, before something in her reflection caught her eye. A red bruise now aligned her neck up to her ear. Rarity held back a gasp, trying to remember how she got it. "Must be Mirror Mare's blade..." She shivered as her hoof ran down along it, feeling it sting a little. Mirror Mare's cold voice rang at the back of her mind. Rarity rubbed her hooves on her temple, trying to calm herself down. "What if we knew who you actually are?! What if we knew the secret you've been keeping?!" "Then you'll end up where the others go." Where the others go... Those words lingered in her mind. Who were 'the others'? Was it somepony she knew? She felt a pair of claws suddenly wrapped around her, nearly making her yelp. "Spike," she stared into the mirror with a smile, "you scared me a little." "Well, it pays to be a late sleeper sometimes." The dragon let out a small yawn as he continued: "like watching you comb your mane..." "You... you were awake?" Spike chuckled, taking the curler from her hoof. "You could've at least wait for me to help." Rarity turned a slight red as Spike started curling her hair. The dragon seemed to have spotted her bruise, as he suddenly asked: "Your neck.... does it hurt?" "I'm pretty fine with it." Rarity leaned back against his chest, trying not to whimper. "It's just... it was so sudden..." The dragon cupped her hooves into his claws, giving a kiss on her blushing cheek. "I promised you I won't let it touch you, and I intend to keep it." Rarity turned to him, worry growing within her eyes. "Promise me you won't get hurt?" "I don't know about that part, though..." Spike sighed as the mare looked at him, her voice turning into a slight whisper. "Please...?" With an uncertain grin, he placed the curler down. Rarity turned towards him, smiling only when Spike gave a short reply: "Pinkie Promise." <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> "And I suggest that we should go here! What do you say, guys?" Pinkie blinked her eyes in surprise. She looked around in bewilderment, her hoof clicking to the sound of a pavement. Buildings surrounded her, as if trapping her in an outdoor cavern. The afternoon sun shone brightly down on her, although the pink pony couldn't help but feel uneasy about it. "I'm not entirely sure about this. I mean, I know your family lives here, but you do realize what he would do if he found out who we really are?" That conversation.... it was vaguely familiar... Pinkie racked her brains, looking at the houses around her. "Come on, Pinkie. Think!" "They won't mind, of course! If I know them well, they wouldn't even bother finding out why we come here!" Behind her, a familiar yet faint sound somewhat echoed into Pinkie's ears, only disturbing her thoughts. Sweat tingled down her skin, though she had a feeling it wasn't from the rays of the sun overhead. "Well, at least we hope so..." Her brain snapped at that voice. "Prim?" she called out, still squinting into the foggy horizon despite the brightness of the afternoon. "Prim? Is that you?" "I mean, come on! It isn't that bad!" The other voices... she couldn't put her hoof down on it. "Think, Pinkie!" her inner voice scowled. "You've heard about this before!" "There they are! I gotta go!" That voice... it sounded like... Pinkie gasped. BANG! * * * * * * * Pinkie awoke with a shock, gripping onto the white sheets fearfully. Her eyes met the white walls before her, making her sigh with relief as she realized where she was. "Pinks?" She turned to the direction of the voice, before her face widened into a smile. Rainbow was sitting on the bed beside hers, the pegasus beaming at her friend. "Finally! I was waiting all day for you to wake up." "Dashie!" she cried out, starting to stand up but tumbled back into her bed out of pain. Rainbow chuckled, lifting herself up instead. "You're still hurt from the fall from Ponyville... and, I guess, from my Sonic Rainboom." The loud explosion rang from her memory. Pinkie shrugged it off, giggling a little at her pegasus friend. "It's okay, Dashie. As long as you're perfectly safe and sound!" Rainbow laughed, a little uneasy yet relieved at her pink friend's enthusiasm. "I'm glad you are too as well." "Well, how's Tourist Trap?" The pink pony smiled cheekily, giggling as she asked: "You said sorry about his hotel yet?" The pegasus scratched her rainbow mane, ruffling and tossing it around with a little anxiousness building within her. "Maybe he would understand. I mean, the only reason I would use it is to stop Mirror Mare." The last two words echoed in Pinkie's mind. Her nightmare flashed by her again, making her whimper. "Pinkie? You alright?" "Yeah, I guess..." she replied, a little perturbed by the mention of the pony. "It's just Mirror Mare. I don't want it to hurt you..." "Hurt me? Come on, Pinkie! I'm the Rainbow Dash! The most awesomest, stupendous pegasus in all of Equestria!" The pegasus raised her hoof, imitating a few punches and uppercuts while making Pinkie laugh. "That pony wouldn't leave a single mark on me!" The pink pony snorted with laughter, making Rainbow chuckle along. It wasn't long before their laughter died down, the pink pony slumping back onto her bed. "Well, at least somepony's having fun!" the pegasus exclaimed gleefully, before stretching her hooves as well. An awkward silence filled the room. Pinkie could only stare at the ceiling, before she asked: "How's Twillight?" "She's fine. In fact, she's sleeping in that luxury room you booked for us." Rainbow groaned in annoyance, flailing her hooves into the air. "That lucky unicorn." Pinkie let out a faltering laugh, making the pegasus turn. Her magenta eyes squinted with suspicion at the pink pony. "Is it the argument you guys had?" The pink pony blinked her eyes in surprise. "H-How did you know?" "It was pretty loud, you know. And the punches you made..." Rainbow craned her neck to the large, splintered hole in the wall. Her friend's head hung low, fidgeting her hooves with regret. "Twilight told me about it: about how you wanted to protect me and stuff." The pegasus rose from her bed, her wings fluttering despite the aching pain in its roots. She looked over with concern at Pinkie, her friend's cyan eyes already starting to water. "You don't have to do it, Pinkie." Pinkie nodded as a reply, draping herself under the sheets as she muttered: "I just... want to sleep for a while..." Rainbow Dash sighed, gazing at her friend. "If you say so..." Pinkie heard the pegasus shuffling back into the covers. She bit her lip, forcing out a small whimper as the voices assaulted her, making her grip on her sheets from the stinging pain in her heart. The pink pony shivered, wanting to talk, to spill out everything, only to hold herself back. She can't tell anypony. Nopony was supposed to know... Nopony except them. "I'm sorry, Dashie..." <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> "Applejack? You really um... don't need to do this..." The orange pony couldn't help but sigh, drinking the murky contents of a vial while looking ahead at the pegasus city of Cloudsdale. The city really lived up to its name; the whole town was filled with clouds, considering the most of them were being used as homes for the inhabitants there. Already a few pegasi were looking over Applejack's way, curious about the orange Earth pony's 'foreign' presence in town. "Ah need to do this, Fluttershy." She stepped onto one of the clouds, cautiously testing it with her hoof, before letting a whistle of relief. "Zecora was right. It really worked." Fluttershy wasn't keen about this, following her friend closely behind whilst avoiding the glances of the other pegasi. "Um... don't you think it's best to... you know.... leave?" Applejack turned to her friend, giving her a cold stare. "We just got here, Shy. Ah'm sure we could at least look for some answers." Her pegasus friend just looked around at the houses with uncertainty. "But there isn't much we can learn.... from here..." "Relax, sugarcube." The orange pony held onto her hat, the wind threatening to blow it off as they continued down the street. "She won't hurt you anymore." The two ponies soon stopped, right in front of a small, abandoned building. Despite its cloudy exterior, the walls were made from rotting wood. Stone columns held the cloud roof high despite its crumbling edifice. A dark, menacing aura seemed to seep from it, making Applejack shiver. She looked over to Fluttershy, who was now whimpering in fear. She had every reason to be. This was Fluttershy's home. "Remember, she ain't here anymore, Shy." Fluttershy just backed away, shaking her head with tears dripping from her eyes. "I... I-I don't..." "Fluttershy." Applejack called out, trying in vain not to draw any unwanted attention. A few of the pegasi started whispering to one another, no doubt talking about the yellow pegasus. The orange pony watched as Fluttershy started sniffling and trembling, her hooves firmly rubbing her temple. "Fluttershy!" The orange pony paled, her strides turning into a frantic gallop as realization struck her. Her friend's voice was only a mere cheep in Fluttershy's head, which was now stormed with tormenting, nightmarish shouts. She wanted to scream. So badly. In front of everypony in Cloudsdale who were now watching her in bewilderment. "Leave... leave me..." she could only mutter. "Don't do it, Fluttershy!" The faint sound of her friend's galloping wasn't enough. The voices turned clearer and clearer; by then she could hear her mother's bitter, morbid shouting, piercing into her heart and mind virulently and malevolently. The echoing crack of a whip blended in abruptly, with hazy images already filling her mind. "Leave... just leave me-!" "Miss Fallows!" Suddenly, the voices snapped, vanishing altogether from her head. Fluttershy felt a newfound strength growing into her, turning around with tears still trickling from her eyes. "Charter...? Is that you?" The pony in question nodded his head, giving her a reassuring smile. He helped her up, while shouting to the gathered crowd around them: "There is nothing to see here, fellow ponies. I'm sure you all have your daily things to do?" Sure enough, the crowd parted. Applejack eased her way out of the sea of ponies, panting and heaving as she reached the pegasus. "Shy, don't scare me like that..." she said with worry, before catching her breath. She turned to the stallion. He had a light-brown coat, his wings shedding with age. A grizzly beard covered his chin, recently shaved to sterility. He wore a dark blue uniform with pride, a golden badge clipped onto his shirt pocket. A matching-colored hat laid on his head, covering his straight, black mane. "And, you are..?" Applejack questioned. "Officer Freewings. Recently appointed District Attorney of Cloudsdale." He flashed them a smile, making Applejack wrinkle her nose as Fluttershy giggled. "You can call me Charter." He turned to the yellow pegasus, his face turning into that of concern. "What brings you here, Miss Fallows? I'm sure the doctors in Ponyville had advised you from coming here." "If Ah may interrupt," Applejack crossed in between them, giving the stallion a cold stare. "Ah believe the best way to find out what was happening to her is to dig deeper. Face her fears and all." The officer looked at her grimly, shaking his head with disapproval. "She has faced enough in her lifetime. Digging back the past isn't going to help." Applejack just ignored him, mumbling under her breath. Fluttershy stepped forward instead, giving him a smile. "Well, she's going to help me. I... um... have a lot of faith in her, I guess..." Charter just chuckled heartily, ushering them forward. "Still shy as ever, Fluttershy." Without hesitation, the two ponies trotted down the cloud road, with Charter now leading the way as he continued: "You both would have the answers soon enough, but first..." He turned back to them, giving them a warm smile. "You both have to settle in for a while." he said, before asking: "My house for tea?" <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> "Sir, I don't want to question, but are you completely sure about this?" Winter just sighed, gripping onto his suitcase. He would love to argue with the butler, but he does has a point. "Mirror Mare might strike any moment. I wouldn't want to take any chances." "But to visit the homestead of the Deniers family... isn't leaving Pendant Lakes enough an opportunity for it to strike?" "Mr. Dresden had a past with Mirror Mare," the Patriarch told Stellar, turning the golden glazed knob. "That is our biggest lead in breaking its motive wide open." Their hooves lifted from the comfort of the velvet carpet, feeling the cold, damp floors of a cavern as they stepped into the Palgiot Station. Winter and Stellar quickly strode across the chamber, trampling over a few, underground weeds overgrowing on some of the wooden tracks trailing away into a few tunnels. The white stallion sighed. It was the first time in many years that he had to leave Pendant Lakes, and he is doing so at its most dire situation. "Stellar?" he called the butler reluctantly. "Yes, Sir?" he asked with a bow. "Make sure everypony's safe." Stellar nodded with a small grin. Even before his departure, his overwhelming concern for safety is already evident. "I'll see to it, Sir." The pair continued their steady walk, ignoring the slight rumbles around the cavern. Winter held his breath as a bright, golden caboose came into view. The bars were decorated, a golden vine swirled around the handles. Black, oil lamps lit up the outside, revealing a golden door in the darkness, the surface covered in intricate and ornate designs; a dusty depiction of how Palgiot Palace and Pendant Lakes came into existence. He lifted his suitcase onto the gold platform, looking with wonder at the dusty locomotive. It wasn't in service for a long time, since the family only used it in times of both urgency and secrecy. "So, are you ready?" Stellar asked him. Winter chuckled a little, pushing the suitcase through the caboose doors. With a flick of the switch, the lights inside flickered, illuminating the luxurious room before them. The room was a bright yellow, much like the outside of the caboose. Red, pompous seats were built into the walls, just below the glass windows of the car, draped over by scarlet curtains, ruffled slightly with tassels dangling from the tip. A small cart laid in the middle; on it a bucket of champagne, recently added to suit the needs of the long journey-to-be. Behind the corner, a furnace burned bright; being the only source of fuel it has to, with sparks dancing in the coal behind a gold screen. "You know there's a chance I might not make it back in time." Winter turned to his butler, who handed him a map and a compass. "If I don't, then you'll have to notify the others." "Two weeks, got it Sir." Stellar stepped off the caboose, gripping a bronze lever right beside him as he continued: "What of Spring? Must she be notified about this?" Winter bit his lip, his sister's beaming smile flashing once more into his mind. "If possible, do it." With a pull of the lever, Stellar watched as the caboose jolted, its wheels screeching loudly across the cavern. Winter held onto the bar, his butler saluting with a warm smile. Winter smiled back, watching as the train started swerving around the corner, the bright lights of the cavern disappearing instantly. He trudged back into the train, being careful not to trip with every bump. Flipping open an iron panel on the wall, he scanned the colored buttons within it, before his hoof landed onto the grey one. With a sharp clink of gears, the floor started sliding apart, a golden pillar swirling upwards from the center of the caboose. The tip seemed to rise, with two claw-like arms gripping onto metal sheets, their color matching those of the pillar. Winter settled onto the red couch, patiently tapping his hooves as the arms swung in a circle, swishing like blades, until the sheets split into a circle, forming a golden table. The Patriarch placed the map and compass, his hoof scanning across the tattered paper. The train jolted suddenly, making him jump. He finally found it. The place he had to go; the town where the deceased witch-doctor had once lived. Fenderville