Magic of the Heart

by Pegasus Rescue Brigade

Chapter 11

The platter of muffins in the employee lounge sat untouched. That alone was an indication that something was wrong.

As it had been since the schedule change, the room was almost empty. Only two ponies were present today as they awaited assignment. Splayed out on the couch was Ditzy Doo, lying on her stomach with her wings drooping at her sides as she stared at the wall, her bad eyes drifting in and out of focus. Cloudcover sat at the table, apparently reading the newspaper, though his frequent worried glances at Ditzy indicated he probably wasn't paying much attention to it.

There hadn't been a shipping assignment all day, and with Wishing Star in her office downstairs, and Watt, the usual conversation starter, no longer working the same days as Ditzy, the room was unbearably quiet. The ticking of the clock, the only consistent sound, seemed to echo like the rhythmic beating of a drum.

Time seemed irrelevant. Devoid of any sort of motivation, Ditzy simply lay there, feeling powerless to do anything more than simply exist.

"Ditzy... perhaps we should talk."

Ditzy's eyes drifted slowly to Cloudcover, who had finally given up the facade and put down the newspaper. She moved her upper body feebly, in a vague attempt at a noncommittal shrug.

Cloudcover stood and strode slowly across the room, seating himself on the one bit of the couch Ditzy wasn't occupying and placing his forehoof on her back.

"Ditzy, this... this can't go on," the stallion said softly. "You have every reason to be upset, but... you've hardly eaten or slept in days. I don't want to see your health start to fail."

"What does it matter?" Ditzy grunted. "Our boss is dead, the company is crumbling fast, and now the pony that was my fiance' wants nothing to do with me anymore, and the young mare who I owe so much to, the one who put herself in harm's way to save Dinky's life, has turned her back on love and friendship forever. I don't know about you, Cloudcover, but I don't see any light at the end of this tunnel."

"Perhaps not," Cloudcover sighed, "but terrible tragedy has struck before, and you've always pulled through, Ditzy. When faced with unemployment, crippling debt, or even, though I hate to bring it up, the passing of your late husband many years ago, you always found the strength to keep going. You're a tough mare, so why should this time be different?"

Ditzy mumbled something into the pillow.

"I... beg your pardon?" Cloudcover asked.

Ditzy lifted her head and turned to face Cloudcover for the first time, with tears wetting her cheeks and a scowl on her face.

"This time is different, Cloudcover. Because this time it's my fault."

The stallion shook his head slowly. "Ditzy, I've known you for quite some time now, and in that time, I've become very certain of one thing," he professed. "I know that you absolutely never act selfishly. Everything you do... everything you've done for these last five years in fact, was done to help other ponies, even if that meant putting their needs before your own. What happened last week... it put you in a tight spot. Forced you into an ultimatum. And you made the choice you did because you truly wanted to help Sparkler, and truly believed that you knew the way to do it. I know you've been comparing yourself to Cosmic Glow, but what Glow did was out of spite... while what you did was out of selflessness. You tried to help another, even knowing you might risk your personal status to do so."

"And I failed," Ditzy deadpanned. "The worst case scenario became reality when Breeze found out, and now that Sparkler realizes what's happened between us, she's lost all faith."

Cloudcover frowned. "You never strayed from your convictions, my friend," he affirmed. "You know what Dr. Candyfloss would've said. Not following the path your heart lays before you is folly. At any rate, you mustn't give up yet; you still have Dinky, and though she may be at school right now, you know she cares about you deeply, just as you do about her. For her sake, and in honor of Candyfloss's legacy as well... please, you must press on."

Ditzy heaved a sigh and slowly rose to her hooves. "You have a point," she mumbled. "At Dinky's age, shes mostly taking care of herself, but I'll always be her mother. She has enough to keep her busy at school without me burdening her with all this, but if she did know what happened, I know she wouldn't want me to just give up on the important things in my life, and she means more to me than anything in the world..."

"That's right," Cloudcover soothed. "The Ditzy I know never stays down when life knocks her over. Things have gone sour, but now it's time to decide what to do next."

Ditzy hung her head, her mane mostly obscuring her eyes. "But Cloudcover... where do I even start?"

"Perhaps we should speak with Wishing Star," Cloudcover suggested. "The poor girl's trying so hard to keep the business afloat. Let's have a little strategy meeting with her, and see if we can't come up with a way to bring in some more business."

Ditzy shrugged. "I guess that's as good a start as anything," she remarked as she followed Cloudcover into the hall.

A moment later, the two pegasi reached the office. "Wishing Star, my dear, we'd like to talk for a moment," Cloudcover called.

There was no reply. Cloudcover exchanged a curious glance with Ditzy and pushed open the door.

The office was tidy and organized, but strangely vacant. Ditzy trotted in and spotted a colorful sticky note on the office manager's desk.

Broke my last quill, so I stepped out for a second to grab some more at Quills and Sofas.

Don't worry, if anypony calls, I set the message to tell them to call back in a few minutes.

Be right back!
~Wishing Star

"I wonder if she knows Dr. Candyfloss kept a box of spare quills on the top shelf," Ditzy mentioned, fluttering up toward the ceiling. "Maybe she went though them all. Let me just check—"

Ditzy was cut off as her head hit the ceiling: a result of poor depth perception as usual. As she instinctively brought her forehoof to her head, she accidentally sent Wishing Star's saddlebag tumbling from its spot on the shelves, spilling all its contents as it hit the floor.

"Shoot," she grumbled as she quickly returned to the ground and began scooping up books and papers. "These blasted eyes, I swear. Help me gather her stuff, Cloudcover. There's enough ponies disappointed in me right now; I don't want to annoy Wishing Star too.

She continued to gather the fallen belongings, but Cloudcover didn't reply. He didn't even move. After a few moments, she slowed to a halt and glanced up at him.

"Uh, Cloudcover?"

"Ditzy dear, take a look at the books Wishing Star had in her bag," he said slowly, giving her an uncertain glance. "Does one of them look... familiar to you?"

Ditzy scrunched up her snout in concentration as she forced her eyes to align for a few seconds so she could scan the volumes. Almost every title was related to business and finance, as well as one or two books on magic and a popular novel she recognized from the year before.

"What am I supposed to be looking f—"

Her gaze fell on one particular book, and she stopped mid-sentence. Unlike all the others, this one had no title, or even any markings on the cover. It was simply a worn, battered old tome, with a deep maroon outer binding. It was utterly unremarkable.

Yet Ditzy had seen it many, many times before.

Taking a small step forward, she gingerly lifted a forehoof, and using the very edge, flipped the cover open, displaying the single line of text on the very first page.

The Journal of Dr. Candyfloss

There were several seconds of silence. Cloudcover cleared his throat nervously. "Why, erm... why would Wishing Star have that?" he asked finally. "We've been looking for it for six months."

"Well... maybe she just found it today and hasn't had a chance to tell us yet? I mean, I don't want to jump to conclusions..."

"That's fair," the stallion accepted, nodding slightly. "However, in accordance with Candyfloss's will, this belongs to us. Regardless of Wishing Star's intentions, I think we should waste no time in taking a look."

"Now that I can agree on," Ditzy replied, the prospect of her late boss's wisdom creating just a tiny glimmer of light in the dark situation before her. "Help me finish cleaning this up, and then let's take it upstairs. If there's one thing that might have even the slightest chance of pulling Equestria Speedy Shipping Services out of this nosedive, it's the words of good old Dr. Candyfloss!"

Five minutes later, the office was tidy, and the old journal sat on the table in the employee lounge. Ditzy sat in front of it, her hooves hovering over it as if it was some legendary treasure she hardly dared to touch. Cloudcover peered over her shoulder, waiting.

Taking great care not to bend or tear any of the pages, Ditzy slowly opened Candyfloss's journal and paged to the first entry. She glanced at Cloudcover uncertainly.

"It feels weird to be looking at the doc's private thoughts," she admitted.

"I know, Ditzy, I know," Cloudcover replied, ruffling his wings anxiously. "But Dr. Candyfloss wanted this to end up in our hooves once he passed. We have no reason to feel guilty."

Ditzy nodded as she peered down at the oldest entry in the book, and began to read.

Entry #01

I find myself scribbling my thoughts here, for my head is so full of them that I feel I must put them down somewhere.
In truth, I have no idea if most of these blank pages will ever feel the touch of a quill, but I suppose it doesn't matter. A collection of one's thoughts is just that, a place to store musings of enough note that they simply can't be allowed to be carried away into the aether and replaced by whatever distraction comes along next. Whether any as momentous as those I have today will come along in the future remains to be seen.

Today is an ending. An achievement of a lifelong goal. And yet, much more importantly, today is a beginning, as well.
Although at least half my life is likely already behind me, today feels like a new birth of sorts.

Since I was but a foal, I have had a single-minded fascination with one single thing. A thing more powerful than all the armies of Equestria. A thing with which even our great princesses cannot interfere. A thing before which the very forces of nature yield.

That thing is love.

Since my childhood years, I've understood the power of love. When I realized that I, a lowly, humble unicorn, can use my talents to spread love across Equestria, my cutie mark appeared. For decades since, I have done just that. I've traveled to every corner of our land, helping those who seek the bonds of love.

This experience has taught me one thing: for every pony I help, there are dozens more who are seeking that aid. And I, already in my fiftieth year, realized that I cannot continue my work forever. So I set out to find ponies who could join my cause.

And now, at last, my quest has succeeded. I've managed to purchase a small property in the town of Ponyville, and recruited three ponies to my cause: Nimbus Flight, the young, enthusiastic pegasus stallion, Open Prairie, a bighearted earth pony mare, and Retrograde, a mature and thoughtful unicorn stallion.

These ponies are very different from one another, but they have one unifying quality; they understand the true potential of love in ways that many ponies do not. Although I have only known them for a short time, I truly feel that these three are the first in a long line of marvelous matchmakers that will help me spread the miracle of love to every corner of Equestria.

On this day, I have officially opened what may be Equestria's first professional matchmaking establishment: Equestria Speedy Shipping Services. And for the very first time, as I walk the endless road I travel in the name of love, I am not alone.
I have allies... perhaps even friends, by my side.

May the next leg of our journey be a wondrous one.

~Candyfloss

"Good heavens, those names he mentioned..." Cloudcover breathed. "Nimbus Flight still worked here when I was hired. He used to talk about his former coworkers, Open Prairie and Retrograde, all the time. I learned a lot from that stallion."

"He must've been here a long time," Ditzy observed, pointing at the date in the journal. "This first entry... it was written over twenty-five years ago. I hadn't even met Dinky's father yet!"

"Twenty-five years worth of Candyfloss's thoughts on love and relationships," Cloudcover said, shaking his head slowly. "Imagine the stories and philosophies that must be contained in this book."

Ditzy briefly flipped through the next few dozen pages of the journal. It quickly became clear that the little book was not so much a detailed account of events as it was a place for its owner to interpret those events, changing and updating his philosophies on the power held within the bonds between ponies. Many entries contained only the essential details of an event, in favor of Candyfloss's elation about a relationship was was born from those events, followed by a page or two of interpretation in the stallion's usual flowery language.

"It'll take us weeks to go through all this in depth," Cloudcover finally admitted. "Perhaps we should skip to a more relevant entry. Are there any dates of particular note that Dr. Candyfloss would likely have written about?"

"I can think of one..." Ditzy said softly, as she quickly flipped past years worth of writings. "Our company's most important job may have been the one we did for Princess Luna. The one that Glow nearly sabotaged. The day after that happened, Glow got fired and Breeze and I got together. I bet he had something to say about all that."

Ditzy scanned the dates at the top of each page until she found the one that matched up with the infamous assignment. As she expected, Dr. Candyfloss had written something there, and Ditzy began to read.

Entry #204

Why did I ever doubt myself? Things always work out in the end.

This success spans a full year, perhaps the longest any one job has taken. I admit at times, it was not clear what my matchmaking magic was trying to accomplish. I was concerned that I had lost my touch; that it was too dangerous for me to continue acting upon the urges of this unusual magic.

The first event that I can contribute to this pairing was when I set out to fulfill one of the many random whims that my special magic dictated I perform. It was a simple task that afternoon; switch a sign pointing to Canterlot so it faced the other direction. I assumed this action would lead to some lovesick pony stumbling into the wrong town, and by extension, meeting the mare of his dreams. Such events are common results of my work. But this time, I was wrong.

Imagine, discovering the next day, that this seemingly harmless action had caused a desperate mare, dangling on the edge of employment, to lose her way when delivering an important message. Her tardiness cost her her job.

I was dumbstruck. How could my matchmaking magic, usually so benign or even beneficial, allow such a horrible thing to happen? I seriously considered never listening to the premonitions brought on by my own special talent again.

So when, by some serendipitous turn of events, the very mare whose life I had inadvertently ruined showed up seeking employment at this very establishment, I jumped at the chance to give her a job and correct my error.

This mare is my new star employee, the pegasus Ditzy Doo. Over the course of this past year, her life has become filled with new adventures and experiences as a member of Equestria Speedy Shipping Services. But I still wasn’t convinced that my actions had been harmless, nor could I find evidence of a successful match made as a result of them.

My powers were dormant for a long time. I began to become convinced that the realization that my skills may not have been perfect had led to them being extinguished. But finally, they sprang to life again, last night. This time, they urged me to send Ditzy Doo’s daughter along to Canterlot. I was left to assume that this was necessary to help with the successful shipping of Princess Luna, and indeed it was… but by extension, it proved to be the final step in bringing together another pair.

Now, two of my employees, Ditzy Doo, the struggling widowed mare looking for a companion, and Autumn Breeze, the stallion disenchanted with the idea of love as a result of an earlier relationship gone sour, have found a new partner in one another. This was the pairing that my magic had caused me to set out to make on that fateful day over a year ago; it just took a very long time to make itself apparent.

Love is a mysterious thing. Every time I’ve convinced myself I finally have grown wise to all its tricks, it throws a new tactic my way that I never could have expected. And once again, I must consider myself extremely humbled to be able to channel its forces, and make the decisions that allow it to spread more fully among the citizens of this fair land.

Congratulations, Ditzy Doo and Autumn Breeze. I wish you both the best in the future. Also, I must consider this my latest successful mission.

And my record is still perfect.

~Candyfloss

Frantically, Ditzy scanned the page again, certain she must have misread. She began to shake as the magnitude of what was contained in the short passage dawned on her.

"My word..." Cloudcover muttered. "Ditzy, I had no idea..."

"Neither did I!" Ditzy gasped. "Cloudcover, do you know what this means? Losing my job at the mail company and getting one here... meeting and growing close to Breeze, and befriending you and Watt... giving Dinky a chance to discover her magical abilities by defending us from Glow... it was all Candyfloss. The reason my life became what it is today was all because of Dr. Candyfloss!"

"I... I don't know what to say," Cloudcover stuttered. "I knew his unique magic allowed him to make decisions that helped to unite ponies who were meant to be together, but I never considered the possibility that your relationship with Breeze was his handiwork!"

Ditzy felt a tear trail down her cheek, and quickly pushed the journal out of the way before it could fall onto the pages. Shuddering, she placed her head in her hooves.

"What's the matter?" Cloudcover asked, bewildered. "Surely this is an incredible revelation. You have even more reason to admire Dr.Candyfloss's work now."

"I know..." Ditzy mumbled, trying not to completely break down in front of her friend. "That's the problem. Now, not only have I failed Breeze, but by extension, I've failed Candyfloss too."

"Now, I'm sure it's not like that," Cloudcover countered.

"It is like that!" Ditzy sobbed. "Dr. Candyfloss's magic allowed him to know which ponies were right for each other on a level we could never comprehend. He says it right there; he never failed in his matchmaking work! But I had to go and mess it all up."

She let her head fall to the table, reaching out to the journal as if it represented her late boss. "I'm sorry, Dr. Candyfloss," she whimpered. "I never knew about this. I never knew to thank you for what you did for me. And now I've undone your work."

"Ditzy Doo, you stop this right now," Cloudcover scolded, surprising the mare with his unexpectedly sharp tone. "I understand the status of your relationship is rocky, but it's entirely possible Breeze just needs some time to cool off. You're both hurt and upset, but that doesn't necessarily mean things are over, just like that."

Ditzy sniffled. "B-but... how do you know?"

"I don't," Cloudcover said simply. "I don't know that you and Breeze can make up, but I truly believe you can."

He sat beside her and extended a wing, placing it over her back like a shawl. "Ditzy, you're such a caring, agreeable mare, and both the partners you've had were similarly wonderful stallions," he continued. "But because your first relationship was tragically cut short by your husband's death, and the one you've shared with Breeze in more recent years has been so smooth... sometimes it may be easy to forget that relationships take work. Even the most compatible of ponies will disagree, and even fight, now and again. Both may feel bitter, or angry, or perhaps depressed or regretful, and in many cases some complex combination of those feelings. But ponies who truly love each other will find, when they take the time to look deep into their hearts, that rifts such as these can be mended. So please, Ditzy, don't give up just because of this disagreement. Dr. Candyfloss would want you both to try to make it right, and perhaps you will, in time."

Ditzy nodded slowly. "You're right," she admitted. "I'm upset that Breeze didn't see the situation with Sparkler the same way I did, but I don't want to stop seeing him over a disagreement like that. I just hope that's how he's feeling right now, too..."

"Let's see if Candyfloss had anything further to say about you two," Cloudcover suggested. "He passed away only about a month after your wedding was postponed, so I recommend we look at the very last entries."

Ditzy wiped her tears with the back of a hoof and pulled the journal closer again. She turned to the very last page that bore Candyfloss's writing, dated just a day before he was admitted to Ponyville Urgent Care, and began to read.

Entry #258

Spreading love and friendship across Equestria grows no less rewarding, even after many, many years. That being said, even something as wonderful as matchmaking is not without its challenges and trials.

I thank the very forces of creation that I was born with magic that allows me to know, inherently, when ponies are right for one another, and instills in me the knowledge of how to turn that ideal match into a reality. Unfortunately, my magic cannot soothe those who may resent the relationships of others. My employees and I can bring ponies together, but we cannot always thwart the plans of those who may wish to tear them apart again. I've seen it happen many times, even within my own company, and while it breaks my heart to know that there are enemies to our cause, sometimes we must accept that even a place such as Equestria is imperfect, and press on.

I fear one such enemy is about to surface.

Occasionally, as I have oft written here before, my magic will grant me visions, either about how to bring about a new relationship, or how to prevent one being sullied by the jealousy or plan ill-will of another. I had one such vision only moments ago that I must record here immediately.

I saw a peaceful town, much like our own Ponyville, on a quiet summer night. Though it was too dark to tell their identities, I could make out the silhouettes of many ponies upon a hilltop, gazing at the starry sky. It was a tranquil scene.

For a moment, everything was illuminated as a shooting star passed overhead. In the light, I could make out the appearance of some of the ponies, but the memory grew foggy again the instant the darkness returned. Nevertheless, I saw the distant silhouettes point and shout and laugh, no doubt wishing for long life, happiness, and yes, even love.

But as the twinkle of the star faded, something began to change. Pony turned against pony. Voices were raised to shouts. Cries of rage and despair echoed through the night. I watched, powerless, as pairs of silhouettes that had clearly been the closest of partners seconds before now turned up their noses and went their separate ways.

My magic ceased then, and I'm sure what it had shown me was a metaphor, but for what? The only event separating the scene of contentment from one of heartbreak was the star that sailed by overhead. But what reason would ponies have to beware the wishing star?

I am concerned about what is coming, and I can only hope my employees will stay strong with me, even if hardship threatens the relationships we have worked so hard to build.

~Candyfloss

"What reason would ponies have to... beware the wishing star..." Ditzy repeated slowly. "Um... Cloudcover?"

Cloudcover looked supremely concerned. "Ditzy," he said softly, "you know that, when it comes to Dr. Candyfloss, the chance of coincidence is extremely unlikely, right?"

"But then..."

Ditzy swallowed hard. "You don't think Wishing Star is somehow responsible for the company's downward spiral, do you? She seems so sincere and dedicated!"

Cloudcover's expression was grave. "I think we can't ignore the clues," he admitted. "Between finding the journal in her possession, and what's written here... I have a suspicion we've fallen into a trap, and only just realized it now. We need to confront Wishing Star and find out the truth. Let's go and round up the others."

Ditzy winced. "Do you... know where to find Breeze?" she asked.

Cloudcover shook his head. "I can't say I do. But never fear; we both know where we can find Watt."

The power station at the base of Ponyville's hydroelectric dam was not a place most ponies even knew about, let alone visited. But today, two pegasi soared toward it as fast as their wings could carry them.

"I don't understand how Watt gets to and from this place so easily," Ditzy commented, looking warily at the narrow path cut into the side of the gorge, wet with spray from the river just below. "One wrong move and the water would swallow you up."

"Watt is rather... unusual for an earth pony," Cloudcover reminded her. "Right now, I'm afraid we've got bigger things to worry about than how that old chap navigates treacherous walkways without wings."

The two pegasi alighted on the concrete deck outside the small station. Ditzy dashed forward and burst through the door, revealing the dimly lit power station, full of humming machinery, blinking lights, and one bright yellow earth pony.

"Watt!"

Taken by surprise, Watt instinctively jumped back, which unfortunately brought his back end in contact with the active power grid. There was a flash of sparks, a crackle of electricity, and a startled yelp from the poor earth pony.

"Hoo! That'll wake ya up!" he exclaimed, giving his whole body a shake as bolts of electricity arced along his coat. "What're you two doing here? It's still business hours, isn't it?"

Ditzy opened her mouth to reply, but Watt cut her off. "Wait! Don't tell me!" he squawked. "In a turn of events straight out of a daytime sitcom, a client has called in and asked to be shipped with me, but the poor soul doesn't realize that I'm a shipper myself, and also already dating somepony! Some viewers really eat up low-effort comedy like that."

Ditzy blinked. "Uhh..."

"Watt, I apologize, but we need to cut to the chase," Cloudcover cut in. "Ditzy and I made a startling discovery this morning."

Ditzy waited while Cloudcover recounted the information about Candyfloss's journal. Watt listened with what appeared to be total attention despite the fact that he continued to dart from panel to panel, adjusting settings on Ponyville's power grid.

"So, you're saying you burst in here to tell me that Wishing Star might actually be interfering with Equestria Speedy Shipping Services somehow?" Watt asked. "'Cause that was gonna be my second guess."

Ditzy rolled her eyes. "Watt, this is serious. We need to talk to Wishing Star and get to the bottom of this right away. You've been working shifts with Breeze ever since we split the schedule; do you know where we can find him?"

Watt pursed his lips and flattened his ears against his head. "Um... Wishing Star didn't tell you guys about yesterday?" he asked meekly.

"We haven't spoken to her yet today," Cloudcover admitted. "Why? What happened yesterday?"

"Well, Breeze is... having trouble putting his all into his work these last few days," Watt said. Ditzy could tell he was choosing as delicate of wording as possible for her sake. "I mean, assignments were already failing left and right and now he's... distracted... and so he told Wishing Star he's taking a leave of absence for a while. He said he needed to step back and really assess his life."

"What? Now?" Ditzy gasped. "But—"

"I tried to talk him out of it!" Watt gibbered. "I told him Equestria Speedy Shipping Services is hanging by a thread as it is, that we need to work together if we're gonna keep the place afloat, but he just seemed... so hopeless. He walked out yesterday afternoon and I haven't seen him since!"

Ditzy's shoulders slumped. "Well, even if we knew where he was, it doesn't sound like he'd be much help right now..."

Watt vibrated anxiously, causing more of the electricity trapped in his fur to flicker out into the air. "I wish he was here too, but Breeze or no Breeze, we gotta ask Wishing Star some questions right now!" he urged.

"He's right," Cloudcover affirmed, already unfolding his wings. "The three of us will have to do. Let's get back to Equestria Speedy Shipping Services."

Watt darted out the door in the blink of an eye. Ditzy and Cloudcover stepped outside just a few seconds later, and Watt was already at the top of the steep, slippery cliffside walkway.

"C'mon, slowpokes, we gotta move!" he called.

Ditzy glanced again at the precarious outcrop that Watt had apparently traversed on foot in just seconds.

"Seriously, how does he—"

"Not the time, Ditzy!" Cloudcover called, already in the air. "Come now. We need to find out what our office manager is really up to!"

Wishing Star poked her head into the employee lounge.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

Ditzy was nervous about what had to be done, but fortunately, Cloudcover took the lead.

"Yes, Wishing Star. Just for a moment, if you would."

The unicorn trotted into the room. Confused, her eyes scanned the gathered ponies and came to rest on Watt.

"Watt, what are you doing here?" she asked, tilting her head. "You're not on the same shift as Ditzy and Cloudcover anymore, remember?"

"I could ask you the same question!" Watt shouted, pointing a forehoof very dramatically in Wishing Star's direction.

"Now Watt, let's not escalate things if we don't have to," Cloudcover said quickly, placing his hoof on Watt's outstretched foreleg and gently lowering it back to the ground. "We're going to find out what happened, but I'd like to keep it civil if possible."

"Um... what exactly has happened?" Wishing Star piped up.

"Ditzy, my friend, show Wishing Star what we found, please," Cloudcover suggested.

Ditzy took a deep, slow breath and reached into her saddlebag. "We found this in your office," she announced, withdrawing the beaten book from inside. "It's Dr. Candyfloss's journal. The one we've been trying to find since before we even hired you. I don't suppose you have an explanation?"

Wishing Star stared at the book for a few moments. "That, um, must've been in with some of the business texts in the office," she said finally. "You did say I was welcome to Candyfloss's old stuff, right? I probably just overlooked it, thinking it was an old ledger or something.

"I see," Cloudcover replied. "However, Candyfloss's final entry is rather... interesting. Specifically, it says something about how ponies should 'beware the wishing star', and prophesies failing relationships. That in itself could simply be the product of unfortunate chance, but the fact that the journal ended up in the hooves of the very pony it had the potential to incriminate is... well, suspicious is putting it mildly."

"We think there's something you're not telling us, Wishing Star," Ditzy added, frowning. "Care to elaborate?"

Wishing Star's eyes darted from face to face, sizing up the three ponies staring her down. Suddenly, she gave a sharp laugh and a shrug.

"Y'know what? This little ploy was over anyway," she chuckled, casting her coworkers a playful grin. "Why am I even wasting my time trying to keep up the act? I already got what I wanted."

Ditzy's heart sank as Wishing Star's expression grew more mirthful, like a foal who had just pulled a fantastic prank. "W-what do you mean? What ploy?"

"I saw my opportunity as soon as that old codger Candyfloss passed," Wishing Star replied with a casual shrug. "It was easy to send you guys to assignments I knew were likely to fail, and overlook some of the ones that had a high chance of succeeding. Without your boss, you three are blind as bats when it comes to realizing you're being played. That journal was the only thing that could clue you in, but fortunately I had a little help getting a hold of it before you even met me, so you never suspected a thing, and if you hadn't managed to get your grubby hooves on it, you'd still have no idea anything was amiss."

Watt tapped Cloudcover gently on the shoulder. "Can I escalate things now?" he asked politely.

"I think that would be quite appropriate at this point, Watt old boy," Cloudcover growled, glaring at the defiant mare.

Watt rushed forward, but Wishing Star simply teleported out of the way, reappearing atop the meeting table where she could look down on the others.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter that you figured it out," she continued calmly. "My job is done. Equestria Speedy Shipping Services is well on its way to bankruptcy, and Ditzy and Breeze's relationship is in ruins."

"Wait, what does that have to do with any of this!?" Ditzy cried, her wings flaring.

Wishing Star laughed again, her voice full of malicious delight. "Oh, it was so much fun watching that play out," she giggled, teleporting again as Watt made another attempt to tackle her. "It took me a few months of listening in on the discussions you all were having to figure out what, or rather, who I could use to create tension. I hope that Written Script fella is enjoying his bits; I had to pay him a lot to get him to pretend he liked a mare as dour as Sparkler!"

"It was staged!?" Ditzy shrieked. "You created a situation to purposely drive Breeze and I apart?"

Watt dove headlong at Wishing Star, but only succeeded in getting a faceful of wall as she effortlessly escaped with magic again. "Boy, you're dense," she snickered. "It's kinda funny watching you finally realize what happened, now that I literally spelled it out for you."

"But why?" Cloudcover asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "What do you have against Ditzy? Against Breeze? Against Equestria Speedy Shipping Services? What could you possibly have to gain?"

"Uh-uh, Cloudcover," Wishing Star mocked, waggling a raised forehoof. "I answered the questions I cared to, but you're not allowed to know about that bit just yet! Rest assured, everything worked out fine; I went into this with a goal of my own, and I've already won this little game and taken my prize. I don't care what happens now."

Watt pried his head out of the drywall. "You haven't won anything!" he snapped, shaking chips of paint out of his spiky mane. "Now that Ditzy knows the truth, I'm sure she and Breeze will get right back together."

"Sure, whatever," Wishing Star replied boredly. "Like I said, what happens to the company or to Ditzy and Breeze is no longer my concern."

She tucked one foreleg in front of her chest and bowed low, like an actress at the end of her greatest performance. Sunlight glinted off the jewels in her headband as she did so. "With that, I believe we're done here," she said matter-of-factly. "Have fun with your silly shipping company. I've got bigger fish to fry now."

Watt charged at the unicorn one last time, but she disappeared in a pink flash an instant before he reached her. He dug his hooves into the floor and skidded to a halt, narrowly avoiding another painfully intimate encounter with a wall.

"W...what just happened?" Ditzy asked finally.

"Wishing Star's been playing us for fools for the last six months," Cloudcover answered bitterly.

"I guess it's comforting to know that ol' Candyfloss was one step ahead of her," Watt mused, flicking his short tail rapidly from side to side to dust some of the bits of debris off the head-shaped hole he'd left in the wall. "He knew Wishing Star was bad news before any of us knew she existed at all!"

"But Watt, Dr. Candyfloss died," Ditzy grumbled. "He had the ability to prevent this, but there wasn't much he could do once he passed away."

"Sure there was," Watt countered. "It took a long time, but we eventually found his journal and learned the truth, right? If it wasn't for his writings, Wishing Star might've run this place into the ground before we realized she was behind any of it."

"I hate to say it Watt, but she may have already succeeded," Cloudcover muttered morosely. "All this time, we thought ponies' stress over the disappearance of two princesses was the only factor causing us to fail, but in truth, Wishing Star's been steering the company into a nosedive for months. I have to wonder if it's already too late to salvage the situation."

"Alright, let's try not to panic," Ditzy stated. "The threat is gone, and now it's up to us to steer things in the right direction. Where do we start?"

"With Breeze of course!" Watt chirped. "Once we tell him what happened, I'm sure he'll make up with Ditzy and come right back! With the crew all together again, we can still save this place."

"Then what are we waiting for!" Ditzy yelled, spreading her wings as if planning to take to the air right there in the break room. "C'mon, we have to start tracking down Breeze."

"No."

Ditzy and Watt both turned their heads, giving Cloudcover equally stunned glances. "No?" Ditzy asked.

"Breeze is the second most important thing," Cloudcover said levelly. "But I recall one other pony who was affected by Wishing Star's staged assignment. One who is in a much worse place emotionally than even Breeze, I imagine."

Ditzy's breath caught in her throat. "Oh Celestia... Sparkler."

"Watt and I will attempt to locate Breeze, wherever that stallion's gotten to," Cloudcover asserted. "I may not be quite as old or well-traveled as Candyfloss was, but I've met a few ponies over the years who might be able to help us track somepony down. But you, Ditzy, need to try one last time to get through to Sparkler. If she learns the truth, and realizes that what happened between you and Breeze was because of the manipulation of another pony, it may ignite one last glimmer of hope in her."

"What if I can't?" Ditzy whimpered. "What if she won't even speak to me?"

"Now's not the time to think about that," Cloudcover said flatly. "We still don't know what Wishing Star stood to gain from this, but we can't let innocent ponies like Sparkler suffer because of it. You're the only pony who has a chance of rekindling any hope in Sparkler's heart. Do everything in your power to bring it to life again, and whatever you do, don't let it die out once it has. If you do... I fear Sparkler may never be willing to love or trust anypony anymore."

Ditzy swallowed hard. "I understand," she said in a shaking voice. "See if you can track down Breeze and tell him the truth. I'll join you once I've made good on my promise to the pony who needs me most."

The door to the apartment was ajar. That was the first sign something was amiss.

Ditzy stepped carefully into the front room. "Sparkler?" she called.

There was no reply. Ditzy took a few more steps and peered around the corner into the next room.

Sparkler's apartment had already been rather sparse, but now it was basically bare. The furniture and other large items remained but anything and everything smaller was gone.

She took everything she could carry on her back and just... left, Ditzy realized. But to where?

She hurried back out into the sunlight, glanced around, and spotted a familiar yellow and orange mare making her way down the street. An old friend, she realized, who lived nearby and might have some idea where Sparkler had gone.

"Hey, Carrot-Top!"

There was once a time, years prior, where hearing the infamously clumsy Ditzy Doo calling her name would've sent Carrot-Top spiraling into a PTSD episode. Which was fair, Ditzy supposed; in the years after her eye injury, she'd destroyed well more than her fair share of property as she struggled to adjust to her impaired vision, and Carrot-Top's carrot cart was quite a frequent victim of that.

Things had improved over the years though, and now she greeted Ditzy with an only-slightly-nervous smile.

"Oh, hey Ditzy," the mare greeted. "Are you out on one of your shipping jobs? Because I'm afraid you won't find anypony here; the mare who lives there left it a hurry not long ago. Judging by the big bag of stuff she has with her, it didn't seem like she was coming back anytime soon."

"She left? Where?" Ditzy asked urgently. "Please, Carrot-Top, I don't have time to explain, but there's more at stake here than just a shipping assignment."

Carrot-Top's small smile faded. "I-I'm not sure," she stuttered. "I hardly even know that pony. It looked like she was headed out of town, going south, but I can't imagine why she would; there's nothing out that way for miles. If she really is still on that road, she should be easy to spot from the air, I guess."

"South, got it," Ditzy said quickly. "Thanks, Carrot-Top. Gotta go!"

She launched into the air. In her haste, she clipped the edge of a rooftop, causing a loose shingle to topple down into the street about an inch in front of poor Carrot-Top's nose. The earth pony blinked in shock for a second and sighed.

"Oh Ditzy Doo, what are you up to this time?"

The high altitude winds made Ditzy's eyes water, but she didn't waver. Pumping the muscles in her wings as hard as she could, she soared over the long, ambling roadway leading south, scanning every traveler below in search of Sparkler.

A great forest loomed on the horizon, urging her to fly faster. If Sparkler disappears beneath the canopy, I have no chance of finding her! she thought.

After several more tense minutes, she finally caught sight of a pink and purple speck far below. She tucked in her wings and dove toward the ground, squinting as the air rushed past her. She pulled up as late as she dared, slowing her descent and finally touching down on the dirt road with only a slight stumble. Her suspicions had been correct; the pony she'd seen from the air was indeed Sparkler, making her way briskly down the path.

"Sparkler!"

Sparkler paused, and looked over her shoulder, staring at Ditzy for a long moment. Then she turned away again and continued to trudge onward.

Ditzy cantered forward until she was next to the young mare. She panted for a moment, catching her breath from the flight, before she managed to speak.

"Sparkler, where are you going?"

"Nowhere," Sparkler deadpanned.

Ditzy snorted. "That's not an answer," she replied. "Where are you headed? It's a long, long walk to the nearest town if you're going in this direction."

Sparkler wheeled around and glared at the pegasus. "Mrs. Doo, I am literally going nowhere!" she shouted. "There is nowhere for a pony like me in this place. Maybe there will be somewhere else, but I'm not getting my hopes up. If there's not, I'll just keep following this road until I reach the edge of the continent, and then heck, while I'm at it, maybe I'll cast myself into the sea and wash up in some far-off land where any attempt to grow close to somepony doesn't end in betrayal and heartbreak!"

"But Sparkler, you don't understand!" Ditzy argued. "Just today we found out—"

"No. Stop. Shut up," Sparkler interrupted, the fire in her glare growing more ferocious. "You had the gall to try to get my hopes up, and then turn around and prove my damn mother was right all along. I'm not letting you or anypony manipulate me anymore. Leave, and go back to Ponyville, now."

"No!" Ditzy cried defiantly. "There's something you need to know. Something really important. You have to listen to me!"

Sparkler turned away and continued down the path. Ditzy grit her teeth and followed.

"Fine. Keep walking. I'm just gonna follow you and talk to you while you— whoa!"

Ditzy found her body surrounded by a purple aura. Sparkler's magic hurled her upwards with immense force. By the time she managed to curb the momentum with her wings, she was a hundred pony-lengths in the air.

I'm not giving up, she told herself. Sparkler needs to know the truth. I don't care how many times she tries to stop me!

She dove down again. Sparkler broke into a gallop, but no land-bound pony, except perhaps Watt, could outrun an airborne pegasus. Ditzy caught up in seconds.

"Leave me alone!" Sparkler cried, teleporting short distances over and over to try to stay ahead of Ditzy. "I don't want to end up hurting you again, Mrs. Doo! Give up already!"

She cast a shield spell to hold her pursuer back. It wasn't a particularly strong one, but then again, she hadn't expected Ditzy to ram it with her shoulder at full speed. The glittering wall of magic shattered from the force, and Ditzy, thrown off balance by the impact, tumbled through the air and right into Sparkler, causing the two mares to end up in a heap on the side of the road.

Ditzy regained her bearings first and shifted her weight, holding Sparkler down. The unicorn lit her horn, and for a moment, Ditzy expected to be attacked, or at least have Sparkler teleport out from under her.

But then the magic fizzled out, and Sparkler pressed her face into the dirt and began to sob.

Ditzy was thrown for a loop. Sparkler had been upset around her before, of course, but she always seemed to be trying to suppress her feelings as much as possible, yet here she was, letting her tears flow freely and making no move to force the pegasus off her back.

"Mrs. Doo, why?" she bawled. "There's nothing you can do for me anymore! Stop wasting your time on a pony who's beyond help!"

"Because I don't believe you're beyond help!" Ditzy insisted.

"Right, okay," Sparkler whimpered, her voice cracking as another sob escaped. "A mare like you, a s-sweet, caring pony with lots of friends, and who professionally helps p-ponies fall in love, couldn't even stay together with her own fiance. But bitter, depressed, s-socially inept Sparkler will do just fine, right? Makes perfect sense."

"That's what I came to tell you about," Ditzy replied. "It turns out there was a lot more to the story of what happened between me and Breeze than I thought."

Sparkler was in no condition to resist, so she simply lay in the dirt, sniffling and listening quietly as Ditzy told the story of how Wishing Star had manipulated her (leaving out the fact that the fabricated assignment was actually centered on Sparkler herself, of course).

"A particularly nasty pony set all this up," she concluded. "She went out of her way to force Breeze and I into a situation that would turn us against one another. That's why things went bad so suddenly. Good relationships don't fall apart for no reason, Sparkler. That's why I think it's still worth a try."

"Maybe for somepony else," Sparkler said hoarsely. "I'm not oblivious, Mrs. Doo. I know I've got a really unlikable personality. I don't deserve the kind of relationship ponies like you have..."

The hopelessness in her voice almost brought Ditzy to tears as well. Slowly, she shifted her weight off of Sparkler so she could sit up.

"Sparkler... you definitely deserve a little happiness," she whispered, licking the tip of her hoof and using it to clean some of the smudged dirt off Sparkler's face. "Maybe you don't like the way you react to things, but that doesn't make you a bad pony."

"What do you know about whether I'm a good pony or not?" Sparkler grumbled, flinching under Ditzy's touch. "You've only known me for a couple months."

Ditzy chuckled softly. "I know you have a history of helping other ponies, even if you don't like them," she pointed out. "You disliked Dinky when you were in school with her, and yet you risked your life to keep her safe. You might have trouble expressing it sometimes, but in your heart, I know you want to do what's right. And a pony like that doesn't deserve to have everypony turn their back on her. Maybe other ponies have, but I won't. And, if you'll just give him a chance... I don't think your old friend Presto will either."

Sparkler squeezed her eyes shut, presumably to hold back fresh tears. "After I attacked you outside the apartment last week, and after all my attempts to push you away... you still want to help me find Presto?" she asked finally.

"Well, do you still want to find him?" Ditzy asked.

"I..." Sparkler stammered, "I want to believe... that maybe you're right. That maybe my mother's strict warnings were wrong after all. That maybe, if what happened between you and Breeze wasn't what I thought it was, then even I still have a chance. But... I'm so scared, Mrs. Doo. What if it doesn't work out?"

"I know you're scared," Ditzy said soothingly. "That's why I'm gonna come with you and help you out. Maybe it won't work out, but if you don't try, it definitely won't. You don't want to keep feeling like this forever, right?"

Sparkler sighed. "I'm sorry for... y'know. Fighting with you," she mumbled. "So can we just... pick up where we left off before what happened last week, and go search for Presto?"

Ditzy smiled. "The next northbound train out of Ponyville leaves in a couple hours," she pointed out. "Grab your bag, we can still make it."

"Wha... right now? Today?"

"Forgive me for making assumptions Sparkler, but it didn't seem like you really had any other plans," Ditzy giggled.

Sparkler hesitated, wiped away the last of the tear stains on her face, and then lifted her hefty bag in her aura and set off in the direction of Ponyville at a brisk trot.

"Alright Mrs. Doo. I guess now's as good a time as any. Let's go."

The stands were more crowded than usual, even more so than they had been for Dinky's semifinal duel with Scuffle. It didn't surprise her; Tango Trot's immense popularity among the student body tended to draw a crowd.

"Man, this is gonna be a good one," Clarity somehow said through the hoofful of popcorn she had just stuffed in her mouth. "Tango won his first two matches like they were nothing; I can't wait to see what tricks he pulls out this time."

Dinky chuckled. "He's such a ham sometimes, though," she commented, eating her own popcorn somewhat more gracefully than Clarity. "I still can't believe he bought us all popcorn so we could 'more fully enjoy the entertainment he's about to provide.' He cracks me up."

"Bought you three popcorn, you mean," Scuffle complained, crossing his forelegs and slouching in his seat.

"Like you would've accepted it if he did," Clarity laughed. "If he wins today, you're facing him in the finals, and if I've learned anything about you in the last five years, it's that you're way too competitive to accept favors from rivals."

Scuffle harrumphed. A moment later, a bag of popcorn suspended in a green aura tapped against his side. He glanced at Honeydew, surprised.

"I'm not gonna eat it all anyway," Honeydew admitted, tapping the bag against the colt again. "Go on, have some!"

Dinky bit back a giggle as she watched Scuffle's pride battle with his affection for the filly beside him. After a moment, he took a few pieces from the bag and popped them in his mouth.

"Thanks Dewey."

"Anytime," said Honeydew sweetly as she continued to nibble on her snack.

A scroll appeared in a flash of dragonfire, and Dinky idly caught it with her magic. She scanned the contents for a moment and broke into a grin.

"Oh man, guys, get this," she announced. "Mom just sent me a message asking me to stay at the Academy over the weekend this week."

"What's weird about that?" Scuffle asked. "We all stay here almost every weekend these days."

"It's not what she wants me to do that's crazy, it's why," Dinky continued incredulously. "Somehow she's ended up doing matchmaking work for Sparkler, of all ponies, and is traveling with her this week to try to track down Presto."

"That's so sweet!" Honeydew gushed, pressing her forehooves against her cheeks delightedly. "I always wondered if Sparkler would ever reunite with him. I hope your mom can help, Dinky!"

"I wondered if something like that might happen," Clarity chuckled. "Sparkler is your mom's fiance's daughter after all. It was only a matter of time 'till she got involved."

"Yeah, it's about time," Scuffle added, smirking. "They were never really an item when the two of them were Overseers, but ol' Presto seemed like he mighta' been interested, at least. Maybe if Sparkler gets a coltfriend she'll finally start being a little less of a bi—"

"Shh! It's starting!" Honeydew interrupted, pointing to the arena.

Two ponies strode confidently out onto the battlefield. The first, of course, was Tango Trot, pristinely groomed as ever and greeting the audience with his usual broad, beautiful smile.

Across from him was another of Dinky's classmates: Seeker, a pale grey unicorn with a long pastel green mane not unlike Honeydew's, except it bore a sky blue stripe of color in place of Honeydew's white. She often kept her hair tied back in a ponytail, which Dinky could understand; a long mane could easily get in the way of her vision, something that nopony could afford to deal with during a duel. Unlike Dinky though, who always used a simple hair tie for her own mane, Seeker's was done up with a big blue bow. The duality in her appearance was striking; she wasn't afraid to look a bit girly, but her confidence and skill was more than enough to demonstrate that there was much more to her than a cute appearance. Dinky didn't know this particular pony too well, but she had a lot of respect for her as a duelist.

"Seeker, I wish you the very best of luck," Tango Trot said politely. "I look forward to a match with such a talented filly."

Seeker grinned. "You too, Tango! Better bring your best!" she called back.

Professor Surge turned to the audience. "Fillies and gentlecolts, our second semifinal match is about to begin!" he announced. "The winner of this battle will face off against our other finalist, Scuffle, in the championship duel next month! So prepare yourselves once more for a showdown between our two semifinalists, Tango Trot and Seeker!"

"Well, here we go Scuffle," Dinky murmured. "Time to see who your final opponent will be."

Professor Surge waited a few seconds as both competitors tensed, ready to spring into action.

"And... duel!"

"I'll give you the honor of starting," Tango Trot called. "Your move, my friend!"

Seeker snickered as the crowd cheered the colt on. "Listen to them! Sounds like you're a real hotshot around here, Tango. Allow me to cool you off!"

Seeker's hazel aura sparked to life, and a blast of snowy white burst from the filly's horn, snaking along the floor and leaving a trail of spiky icicles wherever it touched.

"Huh. Ice spells," Scuffle commented, leaning forward with interest. "Not most ponies' first choice, but Frosty has demonstrated to me over the years that they're nasty in the right hooves."

Tango Trot deftly dodged the growing patch of ice spreading over the field. Not to be deterred, Seeker increased her assault; great sweeping walls of ice burst up in Tango's path, forcing him to change direction over and over as she slowly boxed him in.

"Wow, she's got a lot of control over that!" Clarity gasped. "I don't think Tango was expecting her first assault to be quite so effective."

"Don't speak too soon, Clarity," Dinky warned. "Look at Tango's expression. You can see it from here; he's perfectly calm."

Honeydew giggled. "He's got some sort of strategy," she said, anticipation in her voice.

Tango waited until a few more walls of ice had appeared around him. He stuck the tip of his tongue out and squinted, as if thinking hard. Then, he lit his horn and fired a single, bright blue blast of energy.

Dinky watched in amazement as Tango's single attack struck one ice wall at a specific angle and reflected off it toward another, and then rebounded again and again. It seemed to be gaining momentum as it moved through half a dozen reflections, until finally it skipped off one of the icy barriers and flew directly at Seeker. Mesmerized by the bouncing sphere of light, she didn't react fast enough when it suddenly came her way, and was knocked off her hooves by the impact.

The crowd roared and stamped their hooves in applause. Dinky glanced at her friends incredulously.

"He calculated that!" Clarity cried, dumbfounded. "All his movements were intentional; he tricked Seeker into placing her ice walls in just the right configuration to create a trap for herself!"

Scuffle rolled his eyes. "Mental math in the middle of a duel," he grumbled, shaking his head. "Tango's a cocky rascal, isn't he?"

Seeker was already back on her hooves. "Sneaky!" she complimented. "You won't get a second chance to hit me though. Check out this enchantment!"

As she lit her horn, Dinky noticed a tiny glint of light above her head, and realized Seeker's enchanted gem was sewn into the center of the bow in her mane. She cast another ice spell, and Tango leapt out of the way.

"Seeker, my friend, it doesn't matter if you upgrade your ice spells with enchantments if you still can't get them to connect," Tango Trot pointed out, in a tone that sounded more instructional than taunting.

Seeker smiled. "Who said it was supposed to?"

The spell suddenly turned in midair, tracing a square border around where Tango was standing. He only had a second to glance at his opponent in shock before the square was complete. The instant the spell enclosed him, everything inside was instantaneously frozen into a large block of ice, with Tango Trot suspended inside it.

Dinky glanced at her friends, and chuckled a bit at the polar opposite expressions on their faces. Honeydew had covered her mouth in silent horror, while Scuffle was grinning ear to ear.

Seeker trotted up to the giant, frozen cube she had created, stroking the outside with a hoof. "Sure, Tango, you can burn an opening in that with a fire spell," she admitted, "but you're stuck. Without the ability to turn your head, you can only cast a fire spell in a straight line, so you can't do much to free yourself."

Seeker's aura surrounded the cube and rotated it to face the scoreboard. "So just go ahead and forfeit for me and I'll get you out of there," she continued.

Within the ice, Tango's horn began to glow. But rather than melting an opening through the ice as she had suggested, the whole block of ice began to quiver, and a low rumbling filled the room.

"W-what are you doing?" Seeker asked, backing away nervously. "You can't get out of there. J-just give up and—"

The loudest, deepest sound Dinky had ever heard suddenly filled the room, and she instinctively clutched her ears. The huge cube of ice exploded with such force that it flung Seeker backwards again, and Tango Trot landed on his hooves, looking no worse for wear.

"Marvelous work Seeker, really," he congratulated, nodding to the filly lying on the floor a few pony lengths away. "That strategy would have sealed the deal against just about anypony who wasn't capable of exceptionally strong sound magic."

Honeydew heaved a relieved sigh and slumped against Scuffle. "I thought it was over for a second there," she mumbled anxiously.

Seeker shook her head, making her ponytail flail about. "Alright, so we're breaking out the heavy artillery?" she asked once the ringing in her ears quieted. "Let's see you stop my signature move, then! They're an interesting little modification I came up with to change a basic energy attack into something really special; I call em seeker missiles!"

With several loud, electrical cracks, a group of glowing spheres were launched from Seeker's horn. Each one left a trail of hazel green energy behind it as it flew, like a cloud of miniature comets.

And as the name implied, the all immediately changed direction and rocketed toward Tango.

The colt immediately encased himself in a dome of magic, watching the spells as they struck his shield one after another, gradually beginning to weaken it. He broke into a gallop, and the shield moved with him, but the seeker missiles remained fixed on his location. Not one of them missed their mark, and it was clear that when the shield failed, Tango would be in trouble.

"Fascinating!" he called, seemingly unconcerned as more and more cracks appeared in his defenses. "How in Equestria have you given them such tracking capabilities!"

Seeker smirked and patted her cutie mark, an image of a magnifying glass focused on a diamond. "Pinpointing the location of anything and everything is my specialty!" she proudly declared. "I've got an uncanny ability to find any item— or pony— without much effort, and it was easy enough to apply that ability to my magic."

Clarity looked at Dinky and pointed to the hair clip in her mane. "It's almost like she's got my pony compass enchantment built into her," she observed. "That's definitely one of the most practical special talents I can think of."

"Very well then," Tango continued as his shield began to splinter apart. "I'll match your signature technique with my own."

The colt threw his head back, and a long projection of light extended from his horn. Dinky recognized it immediately; it was the light-blade spell he'd shown her early in the term.

Nopony in the crowd was fully prepared for what followed. Tango's shield gave way to Seeker's spells, but the next one to arrive dissipated instantly when it was cut cleanly in two by a long, sweeping swing of his head. Although the missiles approached him from every angle, and all of them were perfectly on target, not a single one actually reached him. Moving with the grace of a dancer, he leapt and twirled around the battlefield, always managing to put himself in the perfect position to use his energy blade to slice apart the oncoming spells.

The whole display took less than a minute, and in that time, Tango rendered several dozen of Seeker's missiles harmless as he slowly backed her into a corner. Soon, a swing of his glowing sword came within a few inches of his opponent's nose, making her yelp and fall backwards. At once, he was standing over her, with the tip of the blade hovering just in front of her face.

"Terribly sorry, Seeker, but I believe our duel is through," he said, smiling sympathetically. "You've nowhere left to run, and while this blade can't actually cut you, the energy is concentrated enough to do considerable damage."

Seeker rolled her eyes. "Tango, we're unicorns," she barked. "Getting backed into a corner means nothing when I can just—"

She lit her horn, but just a moment later, it fizzled out. She tried again, with no success.

"Wha... Why can't I teleport?"

"Ah, yes, I nearly forgot to mention," Tango Trot chuckled, keeping his blade in place an inch from the filly's nose, "until now, the enchantment I brought to this duel was irrelevant. But now I think it's appropriate to point out that it's a teleportation jammer. You may have noticed that I didn't teleport during this duel either, though I'm afraid that's more of a detriment to you right now than I."

Seeker's jaw dropped. "B-but... I didn't even hit you!" she lamented. "You negated all my offenses, effortlessly escaped my ice trap, almost all of your attacks connected... and now—"

"Now you're in a corner, at swordpoint, with no means of escape," Tango finished, flashing a playful smile. "So I really must insist, Seeker. Forfeit, if you would."

Seeker glowered and begrudgingly lit her horn. She sent her spell at the scoreboard, signaling her surrender.

"And that's it, everypony!" Professor Surge cried over the gasps and cheers of the crowd. "In a one-sided victory, Tango Trot wins the semifinal and will face Scuffle in the battle magic championship!"

"That was quick," Dinky laughed. "He made short work of that poor filly. Nervous yet, Scuffle?"

"Nervous?" Scuffle scorned. "I'm ten times the battlemage that guy is. You think I can beat him, right Dewey?"

There was no reply. Scuffle turned around.

"Dewey?"

Honeydew was already halfway down the stands. Dinky, Clarity, and Scuffle watched as she joined in the eager crowd trying to talk to Tango Trot. Though it was impossible to hear anything that was said through the clamor of the mob, it was easy enough to see Honeydew greet him with a hug and a vehement congratulations. When the group of ponies finally thinned, the two of them departed the arena together; Honeydew only glanced back long enough to give her three friends a quick wave before disappearing through the doors. Tango Trot glanced in their direction as well, flashed his usual gleaming grin, and followed suit.

Dinky and Clarity both turned to Scuffle. The brown colt grit his teeth and stomped the bleachers as hard as he could. "See that?" he growled. "That's gonna be me walking out of here with her next month! I'm gonna bring pretty boy down a peg!"

Clarity shook her head uncertainly. "Scuffle..."

"First, though," Scuffle continued, ignoring his friend's interjection, "he and I are gonna have a little chat."

Not wanting to risk his friends attempting to lecture him further, Scuffle lit his horn and vanished in a flash of bluish light.

It was nearly curfew when Honeydew and Tango Trot arrived at the residence towers.

"Thanks again, Tango!" the pink filly chirped. "I swear, I wouldn't have made half us much progress on my research this year without your help."

"Think nothing of it, Honeydew my dear," Tango replied. "I'm always happy to help such a wonderful friend out."

Honeydew beamed. "Well, I guess I should turn in for the night," she admitted. "Dinky and Clarity are probably getting ready for bed. Congrats again on your duel! See you later!"

Tango Trot smiled to himself as Honeydew trotted over to the fillies' tower, humming softly until she disappeared inside. He turned and entered the lobby of the colts' tower and made for the Overseer suite, not realizing at first that another pony was standing in the shadows near the stairs.

"Yo, Tango."

Tango Trot turned his head and raised his eyebrows slightly as Scuffle stepped into the light. "Why Scuffle, what a delightful surprise!" he crooned. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Cut the crap, dude," Scuffle replied, frowning. "We need to talk."

"Oh, absolutely," Tango replied, using magic to open the door to his suite. "As the Overseer, I always have time to address the concerns of my fellow colts."

Scuffle snorted and marched into the suite, pausing for a moment to look around once inside. Tango's room was lavishly furnished; he'd clearly brought numerous items not provided by the school, including blankets and curtains that matched his rich blue coat. A Maregentinian flag hung on one wall.

"Ah, Scuffle, I forgot to mention, I'm quite looking forward to squaring off with you in the battle magic finals," Tango continued as he gently closed the door behind them. "The opportunity to face off with a duelist of your caliber isn't something that comes along often, after all."

"I'm not here for small talk, Tango," Scuffle deadpanned, brushing off the Overseer's compliments. "You and me are really overdue for a little chat."

"Yes, of course. Forgive me for not getting to the point," Tango replied courteously. "What's troubling you, my friend?"

"Don't give me that," Scuffle snapped, taking a step closer to the other colt. "I'm done with this game you've been playing all year, pretending nothing's up. It's time to address this situation with Honeydew."

"Ah, Honeydew," Tango said tenderly. "What a wonder that sweet filly is. We've grown so close throughout the year that soon, perhaps, she'd even feel comfortable with the idea of, I don't know, a date? Or perhaps several..."

"Right, yeah," Scuffle grumbled. "So like, let me just make sure something's clear. You know I like her too, right?"

"Well, naturally!" Tango Trot chuckled. "Our dear Honeydew is especially appealing, even among the top-notch group of fillies we grew up with. I expect quite a few ponies like her."

Scuffle shook his head fiercely. "No, I mean like... I like her. Like, as more than a friend."

Tango nodded calmly. "Indeed," he answered, maintaining his serene smile.

Scuffle blinked. "Then what's this whole thing you're doing!?" he shouted. "Honeydew and I have been close for years. What kind of jerk muscles in on that?"

"Oh, my deepest apologies, Scuffle my friend," Tango Trot said. "There appears to have been a misunderstanding. I was merely not aware that Honeydew was already your fillyfriend. Far be it from me to disrupt something like that."

He knew the truth, and Scuffle knew he knew. But he continued to sit there, with that calm smile on his face, forcing Scuffle to admit the truth. The fact that he refused to acknowledge that he had the upper hoof only made Scuffle angrier.

"You want me to say it? Fine!" Scuffle snarled. "Honeydew's not my fillyfriend. I want her to be, but she's not."

"Then I'm afraid I don't see the issue," Tango said simply, letting his silky brown tail swish slowly behind him. "Who are we to select Honeydew's coltfriend for her? That's for her to decide. Naturally, any and all interested stallions are free to court her if she's not actually in a relationship with somepony. But I must say, she seems to be taking quite a fancy to one of us..."

Scuffle bared his teeth. "Listen, you," he barked, advancing forward until he was nose-to-nose with his rival. "I would've liked to resolve this like civil ponies, but if you want war, that's what you're gonna get. You think you can walk all over me, and steal the filly I care for out from under me, but I'll show you which of us is really in charge."

Tango didn't show the slightest hint of intimidation or anger. He gazed at Scuffle through half-lidded eyes, with that same, unshakably smug smile on his face. That unconcerned face seemed to taunt Scuffle more than any words could have.

"Well?" Scuffle yelled. "Don't you have a response?"

"Scuffle, do you recall my premonitions?" Tango asked suddenly, changing the subject entirely. "I believe I briefly explained my vague clairvoyance to you and your friends once."

"What in Tartarus does that have to do with anything?" Scuffle snapped.

"I was struck with a most interesting prediction recently," Tango continued, undeterred. "How did it go again? Oh yes... when two ponies go to market, only the shrewdest shopper will be the one to find the sweetest fruit. I suppose it could be referring to shopping, of course, but I can't help but notice that a certain two colts are both searching for one especially sweet fruit right now... and the shrewdest shopper, the one who has the knowledge to impress her and the charm to enthrall her, will be the one who eventually takes her for himself."

Scuffle scowled. "Fine then!" he bellowed. "Keep playing your little game; when duel day comes, I'll beat you into the ground and get the girl! Let's see if that smug grin is still on your face after that!"

Tango flashed a gleaming smile. "I look forward to our competition, Scuffle," he said delightedly. "Both in the arena and... elsewhere..."

He had nothing more to say. Furious, Scuffle stormed out and slammed the door to the suite, leaving Tango chuckling to himself in the silence.

It was time for Transformation and Conjuring class. Or, as Dinky had taken to calling it, "Scuffle complains to a captive audience" class. During practical lessons like today's, the room was abuzz with chatter and the sounds of spellcasting, so the two of them were able to talk freely without being overheard.

"The nerve of that guy, Dinks," Scuffle grumbled, snapping a quill in two under his forehoof. "He's so cocky, he'll openly admit he's trying to get Honeydew to favor him over me. He said it to my face!"

"Scuffle, we're supposed to be practicing our large-object conjuring," Dinky sighed, lighting her horn and grunting as she tried to force a piece of furniture into existence from nothing but the particles in the air.

"Dinks, why aren't you outraged?" Scuffle asked, shaking his head. "The guy's a scumbag. You should be outraged."

"Because I threw my two cents in on this matter months ago," said Dinky flatly. "Honeydew really likes you. But you won't tell her how you feel. You've somehow gotten it through your head that as long as Tango continues to hang out with her, you stand no chance. And even stranger, you seem to think winning the battle magic tournament is going to be the thing that fixes her attention on you instead! Honeydew doesn't care for battle magic, Scuffle. Your logic just doesn't make sense."

Scuffle gave a low whistle. "Telling it like it is, huh Dinks? I can respect that," he said, more softly than before. "You've got my motivation all wrong though. I'm not trying to win the tournament to impress Honeydew; I'm trying to win it to impress Tango."

"Wait, wait, wait," said Dinky quickly, holding up a forehoof to silence him for a moment. "You think if you win that duel, Tango will submit to your skill and stop trying to win Honeydew over? Is that what I'm hearing?"

"I know it's a long shot," Scuffle confessed. "But it's my only chance. Like I said a long time ago, I have to beat Tango fair and square. Honeydew truly believes I'm a good pony now, and I won't betray that trust no matter what. I never want to see her as upset and hurt as she was when I bullied you four years ago, ever again."

Dinky's horn glowed brighter, and she smiled in satisfaction as an entire table, complete with cute tablecloth, was conjured into existence in front of her. "I get that part, Scuffle," she explained. "Beating Tango fair and square is fine and all, but I just don't understand why you need to—"

She paused. Slowly, her eyes widened. "Scuffle," she mumbled. "Are you sure you're trying to prove to Tango Trot that you're the better stallion? Or are you trying to prove it to yourself?"

Scuffle flinched. "I, uh..."

He kicked the floor with a forehoof, not meeting Dinky's gaze. She trotted closer to him, listening for a reply.

"Dinky, I know I can make Honeydew happy," he muttered. "We've been friends for years. But... Tango Trot can do that too. And what if he... what if he can do it better than I can...?"

Scuffle's bold facade was a hard thing to break through. Even when he opened up about his feelings to Dinky, he didn't usually let his outer confidence falter. But now he looked terribly distressed.

"I told you a long time ago I don't wanna tell Honeydew the truth until I'm sure she can see that I'm better than Tango Trot," he whispered, staring at the floor. "But deep down... I don't wanna tell her until I can see I'm better, too. I said to you a couple months back that I was gonna beat Tango at his own game. But right now, I see an attractive, charming, silver-tongued young stallion, who knows all about Honeydew's intellectual passions that I don't have a clue about. And I... don't know if I can compete with that."

Dinky flattened her ears sheepishly. "Scuffle, uh, sorry for acting so annoyed with you. I didn't realize how this whole thing was making you feel."

"It's cool Dinks," Scuffle dismissed. "You know how I am. When I'm scared, I act tough. I get loud and aggressive and mouthy; it's a reflex left over from growing up with Scorch and Frosty in Fillydelphia."

"You bullied us as foals because you were scared of what your brothers would do to you if you didn't," Dinky added, nodding. "And though you aren't really bullying anypony now..."

"...It's still sort of the same thing," Scuffle finished. "I'm pissed off at Tango and I'm venting my frustrations to you and Clarity. I know I shouldn't be doing that, but... damn it, that's the only way I know to not feel just... helpless."

A bright orange, insectoid head poked down from above, startling both students. Dinky looked up at the changeling standing casually on the ceiling. "Hey, just checkin' in!" Nester chirped. "Ol' Professor Flux noticed there was a lot of chatter and not much magic going on back here, and sent me to investigate. You two alright?"

Dinky gestured to the table she had conjured. "I'm doing fine," she pointed out.

"We're good," Scuffle grunted.

Nester flitted his wings. "You sure, Scuffle?" he asked, tilting his head. "I'm gettin' some bad vibes. And us changelings are pretty good at detecting bad vibes."

Scuffle rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Nester," he insisted. "Tell Flux I'll get to work on my conjuring right away."

"Got it!" Nester replied. "But hey, feel free to let me know if something's buggin' you. Y'know, other than me."

He flashed a fanged grin. "Get it? Cause I'm a bug? Ah, that never gets old..."

Nester wandered away along the ceiling. Scuffle sighed and turned back to Dinky.

"By the way Dinks, if you repeat any of that stuff I just said to anypony, you're dead meat."

Dinky laughed. "Honestly I'm just glad you trust me enough to tell me these things," she told him. "My lips are sealed. Now come on, I know you have a lot on your mind, but your classwork matters too. We need to get back to conjuring."

The following afternoon, Dinky, Clarity, and Honeydew found a free hour to relax together in the hideout. With the end of term now just two months away, chances to hang out and talk or study together, even without Scuffle or Tango, were a precious commodity.

Honeydew was sprawled on her back at a strange angle on her beanbag chair, a book floating in her aura as she slowly paged through it. "I dunno, girls," she sighed. "It was a good attempt, but I think my research on the concept of Lifesense is just about over."

"So soon?" Clarity asked, furrowing her brow. "You can't give up yet, Honeydew. There's still some time left in the term."

Honeydew gave her braided tail an uncertain flick. "Yes, but I'm just not sure what else I can try," she explained. "Even with Tango Trot's help, I haven't made much progress in a few months now. I found a way to use the life connection spell in a weaker, more casual fashion than it's used traditionally, so I can cast it without having to shut out the rest of the world, but that doesn't matter one bit if I can't use it to connect with multiple targets at once. Every single change to the spell I've attempted to make that jump from one organism to a whole community of them has been a dud."

"Pardon the stupid question," Clarity piped up, "but you've tried splitting your attention the same way you would if you were doing something simple, like levitating multiple objects, right?"

"Oh, splitting my attention isn't the problem," Honeydew clarified, stretching out on the beanbag and staring listlessly at the earthen ceiling. "To be honest, I have actually tapped into the hearts of up to three living things at once. The problem is, I can't differentiate between the information I receive from them when I do. Imagine having three ponies talking to you at once, each with no regard for the other two. You might catch a few snippets of what they're saying, but you probably couldn't carry on a meaningful conversation with any of them. That's kind of what it's like, and adding more simultaneous targets only compounds the problem."

"That's still further than anypony else has ever gotten, as far as we know," Clarity reminded her. "Maybe you just need a different perspective to help you to your next breakthrough. Any suggestions, Dinky?"

There was no reply. Clarity and Honeydew glanced to the corner of the hideout curiously.

Dinky was sitting against the wall, holding her enchanted pendant in one forehoof. She appeared to be lost in thought.

"Dinky? You okay?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine," said Dinky quickly. "Sorry, what were we talking about? I'm a little distracted.

"Is something wrong?" Honeydew asked, furrowing her brow.

Dinky sighed. "I, uh... I haven't gotten a reply from Pipsqueak through the pendant for a while now," she confessed. "Normally, I don't let it worry me; I'm sure he's got things to do in the Navy where he can't wear it, or he's too busy to respond. After all, I always feel the warmth of his heart through enchantment eventually. But this time, I haven't felt that magic for... oh, two weeks now? Too long."

Clarity trotted over and lifted the pendant in her aura, examining is closely. "You didn't damage it somehow, did you?" she asked. "It looks fine."

"I can't see how I would've," Dinky replied. "I made sure to give it to one of you to hold onto each time I was in a duel. And last time I worked on dark counterspell research with Professor Surge, Wishing Star kept it safe for me. It's not chipped or cracked, and since diamonds hold enchantments so well, it shouldn't wear off on it's own for several pony lifetimes..."

She trailed off. Clarity picked up on her friend's unease immediately.

"You've got another theory, though," she declared. "And it's not a good one. I can see it in your face."

Dinky sighed. "Clarity, this pendant uses my magic to allow my heart to reach out to Pipsqueak's and vice versa," she explained. "So I can't help but think it would stop working if... if the magic in one of those ponies' hearts was slowly growing too faint to transmit through it anymore..."

Clarity and Honeydew exchanged a worried glance. "I thought Wishing Star said you shouldn't worry about that," Clarity pointed out.

"Wishing Star said our discovery about my heart probably didn't have any bad implications as long as nothing changed," Dinky corrected, frowning. "But if my pendant, which was working until a few weeks ago, has stopped, maybe that means... the magic of my heart has been slowly draining away for years, consumed by dark magic. First Honeydew discovered she couldn't detect it, and now my pendant can't either. And if the very last of it is fading... what happens to me when it's completely gone?"

A shiver ran through her. "I'm worried, girls," she admitted. "What if one day, maybe even one day soon, I start to become like... like wraiths are supposed to be?"

"You're jumping to conclusions again," Clarity scolded. "Until you finally see Pipsqueak again, there's no way to be sure about what's happening to the link between the pendants. Yours is fine, but maybe his is damaged."

"Maybe it fell into the ocean, or got snatched by a seagull," Honeydew brainstormed. "Or... well, there's always the possibility he's purposely not wearing it..."

"Which is another conclusion we're not jumping to until we talk to Pipsqueak!" said Clarity firmly. "Dinky, I can't say for sure that whatever's happening with the pendant has nothing to do with dark magic. Maybe it does. But to assume that's the cause before even investigating is just paranoid. There's just not enough evidence to have any trepidation over this yet."

Dinky nodded slowly as she placed the pendant around her neck again. "Just promise me one thing, okay girls?" she asked them.

Clarity tilted her head. "Promise what?"

Dinky bit her lip. "If I start to behave like... like I did when I was a corrupted unicorn, please point it out to me," she requested. "Back then, it was hard for me to realize how nasty and short-tempered I was being until somepony said something. Obviously I'm not gonna wake up one morning and suddenly be evil, but if some bad wraith aspects start to show, point it out so I can seek help from Princess Luna or Princess Twilight or something before anything dangerous happens."

"Dinky, we're your best friends," Clarity chuckled. "We'd do that for you anyway, you don't have to ask."

"Besides, that was scary enough the first time around," Honeydew mumbled, smiling sheepishly. "That's plenty of incentive to help make sure it doesn't happen again."

Dinky managed a smile. "Thanks, girls," she said softly. "I'm glad I can count on you two."

Clarity and Honeydew returned to their studies. Dinky picked up a book as well and tried her best to ignore the writhing darkness that her anxiety was stirring up deep inside her.

"Attention, passengers! Next stop is Trottowa station. We'll be arriving in about an hour."

Ditzy was startled awake from her light nap by the announcement. She glanced around, and was relieved to see that she hadn't missed anything. The rolling hills of northern Equestria, bearing for the most part just short, shrubby trees at this latitude, continued to pass by outside the train's window to her left. And to her right, a pink and purple unicorn continued to sit in silence, staring at the floor.

"Hear that, Sparkler?" she asked. "We'll be there soon."

"Yup," Sparkler mumbled, without turning her head.

It was curt, as always, but it wasn't quite her usual curtness. There was something different about it. Ditzy felt she knew what it was.

"You're feeling a little nervous, huh?"

Sparkler shuddered. "W-what am I even gonna say, Mrs. Doo?" she asked, looking at the mare beside her helplessly. "Oh hey, it's me, Sparkler. I haven't seen you in years but I suddenly changed my mind and traveled by train for two solid days to come see you. That greeting would certainly make me uncomfortable if I was on the receiving end."

Ditzy chuckled. "Well, lucky for you, that part's my area of expertise," she announced. "We still have a little longer until we arrive, so let's do some planning."

Sparkler nodded. "You're the matchmaker, I guess," she conceded. "What do you suggest?"

"Well, Presto clearly liked you when you two were still classmates," Ditzy pointed out. "What drew him to you? What aspects of your life did he like?"

Sparkler scowled. "How am I supposed to know?" she grumbled. "There's not exactly much to like about me."

Ditzy reached out, hesitating this time in case Sparkler decided to push her away. When she didn't, Ditzy placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Now, first we need to work on that," she suggested as gently as she could. "You're flawed, but then again, everypony is flawed. But you're not completely unlikeable, or Presto wouldn't have sought your company in the first place. So if we're going to make this work, I need you to try to push those thoughts about yourself aside for now, and think objectively. You must remember something Presto mentioned liking about you."

Sparkler drew a halting breath and closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. "W-well, we did work together on schoolwork sometimes," she said slowly. "Presto always said I had a huge talent for putting complex magical concepts into words that anypony with knowledge of unicorn magic would be able to understand."

"So he thinks you're not only smart, but good at displaying your knowledge clearly," Ditzy realized. "That's a great start. Both of you are pretty accomplished magical scholars, even by the academy's standards. Are you still keeping up with current events in modern magic now that you're out of school?"

"Of course I am," Sparkler scoffed, as if offended by the question. "Magic is all I've got right now, Mrs. Doo. What would I even do with myself if I wasn't still learning about it?"

"That's perfect then," Ditzy insisted. "It'll give you something to talk about once you two get reacquainted. You might need something else to break the ice though. Maybe something a little more personal."

Sparkler hesitated. "I don't really like to share that sort of stuff..." she said weakly, "...but I guess you matchmakers need to know your clients on a more personal level than ponies in most other lines of work."

"Exactly," Ditzy affirmed. "I'm not going to judge you or anything, I just need to know what else Presto liked about you."

Sparkler nodded slowly. "Well, when we were foals, we used to hang out together just for fun. You know, before mom... intervened. And I remember him telling me that he admired my determination. He told me that I had a... a strong spirit. That it seemed like I could accomplish anything I set out to do. He said he was sure I would do great things someday."

"And clearly he was right," Ditzy added with a wink. "You graduated at the top of your class. You're more magically adept than anypony I've ever met with the single exception of Princess Twilight. You have the combination of quick-thinking and skill necessary to handle danger and even save lives. When you talk to Presto, try to show him that you're a pony with passions. You still have the qualities he admires, you just need to let him see them."

"I... I can try," Sparkler stuttered, turning her head away a bit as Ditzy's praise brought the faintest hint of red to her cheeks.

"So, anything else? We're on a roll now."

Sparkler shrugged. "Well, he... no, never mind. That one's not important."

"Tell me!" Ditzy pleaded. "The more information I have, the more I can help."

Sparkler thought about it. Her voice quavered as he spoke.

"Sometimes he told me he... he liked my smile."

Ditzy had to take a second to process that. She couldn't recall having ever seen Sparkler smile, except in the memories she'd been permitted to view. Perhaps there had been a few ironic, mirthless grins, but never anything that conveyed real joy.

Sparkler noticed her silence. "Yeah, I get it," she said flatly. "It's stupid."

"It's not stupid!" Ditzy assured her. "I'm sure your smile is lovely. Now let's take some of these aspects of you that Presto likes and come up with a little bit of a strategy."

Sparkler pulled a notebook and quill from her belongings. "What do you have in mind?"

It felt like autumn, Ditzy noted. Though it was still early in September, there was a crispness in the air that Ponyville definitely did not have at this time of year. Had she been in the town of Trottowa on a more casual visit, she probably would've loved to take in everything that it had to offer.

Sparkler did not seem to share her interest. The unicorn kept her vision fixed only on the roads and signs, foregoing any sightseeing in favor of more efficient navigation. Ditzy decided to take the opportunity to offer one last round of coaching.

"So remember Sparkler, start with a friendly greeting and a casual reason for visiting," she recited. "Tell Presto you were visiting Trottowa and heard he lived nearby so you decided to drop in on an old friend. Make small talk about magic if that's the topic you're comfortable with, and try to reminisce with him a bit about your school days if you can. It'll get easier as you go, trust me."

Sparkler didn't respond. Ditzy glanced over to see why and found her companion had stopped walking, and was staring up at the street sign above them. Ditzy peered up at it as well, squinting and forcing her vision to focus enough to read it clearly.

Steeplechase Court.

"This is it," Sparkler breathed.

"That's right!" Ditzy chirped. "Are you ready to see your old friend again?"

Sparkler's legs quivered. "The reality is setting in," she muttered. "It's like something that until now was just a nice fantasy is suddenly real."

"And it's going to be everything you hoped it would be," Ditzy encouraged. "Come on, let's find his house."

Ditzy trotted into the circle of homes, with Sparkler creeping along behind as if she felt she was trespassing. It didn't take long for them to spot a mailbox that was emblazoned with a familiar image of a top hat and magic wand.

"This is where you take over," Ditzy said, giving her companion a pat on the back. "There's some bushes around the side of the house I can keep an eye on you from. If you need to ask me for any advice, ask Presto for a drink or something and lean out and ask me while he's out of the room."

"So it's up to me?" Sparkler asked, pursing her lips. "Mrs. Doo, what if I can't do it?"

"We've come much too far not to try," Ditzy pointed out. "I know you've got what it takes to succeed. You just need to show Presto that the pony he befriended is still inside you."

Sparkler swallowed hard and made her way up the front walk. Ditzy crept to her hiding spot, which offered an oblique view of the front step. She watched Sparkler raise a shaking hoof, hold it steady in midair for several seconds, and then finally, knock.

Then there was quiet. The afternoon breeze rustled the leaves of the big tree nearby. Nothing happened.

"He's not here," Sparkler whispered to Ditzy as loudly as she dared. "Maybe we should come back la—"

The front door's handle jiggled, and then turned, and the door swung open, allowing a young stallion with a snowy white coat and very dark mane and tail out onto the front step.

"Good afternoon! How can I—"

He stopped mid-sentence. Ditzy held her breath, watching as the two unicorns stared at each other, simultaneously too stunned to speak. From her angle, she couldn't really see the stallion's face, but she could clearly see Sparkler's expression, which had a classic deer-in-the-headlights look to it. Fortunately, she managed to steel herself and found her voice, at least long enough to speak a few words.

"Uh, h-hey there... Presto."