Good behavior was an interesting concept. When applied logically, it made sense that if one acted nicely that the odds of being treated the same was fairly high. At the same time, when one believes themselves unfit for such courtesies such acts would naturally come as quite the shock. Three fillies found themselves in one such situation as they sat in Canterlot Castle's servant's cafeteria.
"She's doing what?" Scootaloo asked, jaw slack as she stared at a faintly grinning Raven.
"As I have stated," Raven said, faint smile still in place as she stared at the three seated fillies. "Her Highness has decided to reduce your sentence to just the rooms on the same floor as the main throne room as well as said room itself. Naturally, the throne room will be saved for last with Princess Celestia observing the process herself. In addition, you will be restricted to one room a day with the remainder of the day dedicated to your studies under Princess Twilight Sparkle."
"W-Wow," Applebloom gawked. "Ah-Ah don't know what ta' say."
"Think nothing of it," Raven chuckled faintly. "The Princess took note of your hard work and dedication. Such a thing deserves some form of reward."
"I guess," Sweetie shrugged. "I'm just glad my math scores won't fall behind now."
Applebloom and Scootaloo rolled their eyes at that as they dug into what was left of their food. Out of the three of them, Sweetie was always the more studious one. They had lost count of all the times she helped them cram for a test or deal with especially tricky homework problems.
"Of course," the older Unicorn nodded. "Though it will also mean that you will have less free time from this point on. I will certainly miss our time working together Sweetie Belle."
Sweetie frowned at that and nodded.
Her friends mirrored her actions as they came to the same realization.
"Ah hadn't thought of that," Applebloom frowned. "Ah hope Miss Quail won't be too disappointed."
"Yeah," Scootaloo nodded. "Miss Crow can be a bit harsh, but she's really cool when you get to know her."
"I am sure they will understand," Raven said as she took a sip of coffee. "Though I will pass on your thoughts to them. It will certainly make their day to know that somepony thinks so highly of them, Crow Feathers especially."
"Why's that?" Scootaloo asked.
"Not many make it through her training regiments with a positive view of her."
"Wimps," Scootaloo scoffed.
"Her thoughts exactly," Raven chuckled. "That's why she makes them do it again when she catches them complaining."
Applebloom and Sweetie cringed while the young Pegasus burst out laughing.
"W-Wow," Scootaloo panted. "That's rough! Now I think she's even cooler!"
"I will be sure to let her know you think that," Raven sighed. "I only hope her head doesn't grow too big for her to fly afterwards."
"U-Um, Miss Raven?" Sweetie stammered, raising a hoof sheepishly.
"Yes Sweetie Belle?"
"I think you're cool too," she smiled.
Raven reared back a bit at that, then let a true smile slip past her mask of professionalism as she said, "Thank you Sweetie Belle."
***
Pinkie huffed irritably as she forced herself to walk, beads of sweat running down her brow as she gripped a guiding rail with her good foreleg while her bad one trembled under her weight. She knew that physical therapy would be a challenge, but it was a challenge she also knew that she had to overcome. A nurse stood nearby to keep an eye on her incase she over exerted herself or needed help getting back to her room accompanied by her cheering double. She barely registered her as she took another shaky step with her bad leg. The ones that held her attention were her double and the giant elder Phoenix watching her from an observation booth on the opposite end of the room. A determined frown grew on her muzzle as she made her leg work as best as she could.
To say that Hearths Warming was impressed with the girl's dedication would've been a massive understatement. While her magic removed most of the damage, Pinkie's limb should've been too damaged to be of much use at the moment. A common misconception about Phoenix Fire was that it healed wounds or brought back the dead. The truth was actually a lot less glamorous or miraculous. In truth, her fire simply amplifies already existing factors in everything it touched. In an object, it amplified its durability or magical output. In a living creature, it amplified the body's natural healing abilities to hyper sonic levels. Though the rate of complete recovery depended on the scale of the damage done. Just doing what she was doing right now should've only been possible after a month of bed rest at minimum. That proved promising for what was to come later. Still, she had her doubts that the girl could really fulfill her promise to her. Determination and grit could only go so far when it came to overcoming physical limits. Still, she couldn't help the small smile that spread across her beak as she thought back to her conversation with Pinkie just a few short hours ago.
***
"You want to teach me how to gapwalk?" Pinkie asked, staring up at Hearths Warming from her bed.
Hearths Warming nodded, her face unreadable as she stared down at her.
"Sure!" she smiled. "That'd be a huge help. To be honest, I've just been kind of making things up as I went along. Getting some tips from a pro should make getting home a lot easier."
"Indeed," Hearths Warming nodded. "Though that is not the only thing that I will need to teach you."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
The High Royal sighed and said, "In your world, there are creatures called Wraiths. Terrible creatures that feed off of negative emotions to the point that the victims are driven to suicide. One of these monsters has taken up residence somewhere in Canterlot City and has chosen you and your friends to be it's latest victims."
A heavy silence filled the room as Pinkie tried to process what was being told to her. Worry and shock fought for dominance on her face as she stared at the ancient bird. Hearths Warming grimaced at the sight, not happy in the slightest with what she was about to propose. At the same time, she knew it had to be done.
"The Wraith's name is Lily Bouquet, though the few that know of her also call her Lily of the Velvet Tongue. She is strong and ruthless, even by the standards of her own kind. When she feeds, she uses her words as well as the insecurities of others to push people to the brink. Then, when they are as low as they can go, she tugs at their subconscious in order to convince them to commit suicide."
Pinkie's jaw dropped as realization struck her like a bolt of lightning, only for anger to take its place a second later.
"She did all of this?" Pinkie asked coldly.
The Phoenix nodded.
Pinkies jaw clenched as anger filled her like water in a jug. A jug that quickly filled to the brim when she remembered that Sunset wasn't the only one Lily was potentially targeting. A fire raged inside her chest as she locked eyes with Hearths' emerald orbs.
"What can I do to stop her?"
The ancient Phoenix reeled a back a bit in the face of the young girls determination, a small part of her impressed by the conviction she saw in her eyes.
"Well," she started, clearing her through behind a wing. "Normally, I would try to end her myself, but as of late my magic has started to fray. As such, I was considering taking up an apprentice. A new Gapwalker with a fresh set of talents and abilities should be able to bring Lily down if given the right amount of time and training."
Pinkie paused for a moment, then said, "You said that you would teach me more than just gapwalking. What did you mean by that."
"Quite a few things," she intoned. "Hand-to-hand combat, swordplay, ballistics, knife combat, and marksmanship just to name a few."
Pinkie was unmoved by what the Phoenix Queen was saying, a determined frown etched across her muzzle.
"Of course," she continued. "Before we can even begin your training, you will need to recover. The training will be intense and a wound such as your's will hold you back far too much for you to really benefit from it."
Pinkie gave her injured leg a harsh glare, said limb held up by an over-head hanging splint attached to her bed. A roughish smile slowly took its place as she locked eyes with her future teacher.
"One week," she smiled.
"Pardon?" Hearths Warming blinked.
"That's how long it will take me to get my leg back in shape," she clarified, smile never leaving her face.
Hearths Warming chuckled a bit at that, thinking that the young woman in pony form was telling a joke.
"That's quite the boast," she smiled.
"It's not a boast," she smiled, pulling her leg free from the splint with her good one. "It's a promise."
***
From that point on, Pinkie refused to use her good foreleg for anything. If she needed to pick something up, she used her left one to do it, regardless of what anypony told her to do. At first, her attempts were clumsy or unsuccessful , but that gradually changed over time. Whether it was her body's resilience or the result of pure stubborn determination, Pinkie was regaining control of her foreleg at an alarmingly quick rate. As Hearths Warming watched her future student move back and forth, the thought that she could recover in a week didn't seem like an empty bout of confidence.
She really is remarkable, she thought as she watched her take a swig of water from a nearby water bottle. That is good. Considering what she will need to go through soon, she will need to be just to keep up.
A mangled pulse of magic flashed next, a small smile spreading across her beak as she turned her head to its equally confusing owner.
"You certainly found me an interesting student, Discord."
The Lord of Chaos waved off her comment, a golf ball appearing in his hand as he floated closer to her side.
"Oh please," he scoffed, munching on the ball as he watched the Terran force herself to move. "Did you really think I lined this whole thing up for you? Order and destiny is your thing sis. Not mine."
Hearths Warming chuckled at that.
"Then what would you call this?" she asked, gesturing towards the walking pony with a wing.
"A spectacular coincidence," he huffed, finishing off the rest of his snack.
"Is that not your domain?" she smirked.
"....Maybe," he grumbled.
"Then accept my thanks and quit being a baby about it," she laughed.
"I hate it when you use logic like that," he huffed, crossing his arms. "It sucks the fun out of everything."
"Forgive me," she chuckled. "I can't go against my nature anymore than you can, dear brother."
Discord huffed and looked away, earning another giggle from his twin.
"Whatever," he grumbled. "That thing you asked me to take care of is ready now, by the way."
Her mischievous smile shrank into one of relief at that, a matching sigh slipping past her beak as she gave Pinkie her full attention.
"Thank you for that. For what I have planned, some changes needed to be done to reduce strain."
"No problem," he smiled, nudging her folded wing with an elbow. "I'm the fun twin, remember?"
"You never let me forget," she smiled, rolling her eyes. "Speaking of fun, how goes your new relationship?"
"Who told you about Celestia?" he asked, eyes wide with dread.
"You. Just now." She said with an evil smile as she stared at him out the corner of her eye.
"You- but- I- WHOSE SUPPOSED TO BE THE FORMER VILLAN AGAIN?!" he sputtered, face turning bright red as birds and butterflies flew out of his ears, body ramrod straight as he glared at his sister.
The Phoenix just stood there with an innocent smile on her face, mentally rolling with laughter as she enjoyed her handy work. Perhaps she should plan more visits home in the near future when everything was much calmer on Terra.
***
Canterlot Castle was a flurry of activity during the day. With staff maintaining the ancient structure and delegates helping run the country, it was rare to find a moment of peace in the castle for more than a couple seconds. At night, it was a different story. The halls were near pitch black and silent as a tomb, a chilling contrast to anypony familiar with how the castle was like during its radiant hours.
It was because of that that the Night Guard took pride in their post. With their sharper senses and thicker coats, the cold dark halls were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. As such, it was a strange moment for one lone guard as he walked through his normal patrol route. Off and on he felt like he was being followed, his ears flicking behind him every time he swore he heard the clip of a hoof or a small girlish giggle. He tried to ignore it as he went about his normal routine, sure that it was just his imagination. At the same time, his Night Tribe hunting instincts screamed at him that this was not the case. That something was hiding in the shadows, waiting for a moment to strike on him like a cat closing in on a mouse.
A bit of movement further down the hall caught his attention, the soft clipping of young hooves and girlish giggles the only sounds to follow the small figure further into the dark. The guard told the figure to freeze, but of course they refused to comply. With a grimace and faint curse under his breath, he galloped after the figure. At the same time, a small part at the back of his mind told him that something about the situation wasn't right. The same part that warned him that his paranoia was warranted.
The figure rounded a corner, the guard's sharp eyes spotting the tip of a shaggy purple tail as he continued his pursuit. His hooves echoed off of the dark walls as he ran, his target giggling sweetly as they rounded corners and darted down halls. His frustration slowly turned into worry as he started to come to a startling realization; the halls they ran through were empty. While the Night Guard didn't position themselves by doorways like their diurnal counterparts, they did try to keep a steady bit of traffic throughout the castle grounds to better make use of their heightened senses. Even so, there were gaps in the line of patrols that ran through the castle that could be exploited if one knew the timing. Clearly, the small figure was one of those few. Just as the guard realized this, his fear turned into relief. The figure took a wrong turn and found a dead end. Lightly panting, the guard closed in on his target only to freeze in confusion at what he saw.
It was a small orange Pegasus filly with a messy purple mane and tail. She stared at the wall as he approached her, an unexplainable sense of dread filling him with each step he took. It grew as the filly started to giggle to herself in a way that sent a chill down his spine. It was sweet and playful, but somehow wrong at the same time.
"What are you doing here?" the guard asked. "Nopony is permitted to be on castle grounds at this time."
"So hungry," the filly whispered, her voice rough as she slowly turned to face him.
When she did, the guard's eyes widened with shock and he took several steps back. The filly's eyes were solid gold with the whites of her eyes a solid black. A wide, near manic grin slowly grew on her muzzle as she stared into the guards soul. A pare of giggles behind him made him tear his eyes away from the creature in front of him, but all he saw were a pair of glowing golden eyes before a black dome of energy surrounded him. He wasted no time slamming himself against his confines, but all that resulted in was a bruised shoulder and a few colorful words to slip past his lips. That quickly dropped to the bottom of his concerns as the dome slowly started to shrink around him. Ignoring the pain, he desperately slammed against his confines. At the same time three fillies stood around the barrier, each giggling as the guard's muffled cries leaked past the dome's surface.
This was what they needed. The small crumbs of negative emotions they could gather during the day failing to fill their bellies in any meaningful way. Normal food was nothing but a chore to consume, none of it giving them the satisfaction or nutrients they needed. This. This was what they needed. The thrill of the hunt. The taste of pure, raw emotions. It was what they wanted, what they craved. As the barrier continued to shrink, rich, sweet fear poured out of it into their waiting open mouths. They couldn't help but laugh as they felt a rush of much needed negative energy fill them. Eventually, the barrier shrank to the point that their prey was pinned to the ground, a mere breath away from being crushed before the Unicorn among them canceled the spell. The poor guard was near catatonic, his eyes hazy and blank as they stared into the distance. His poor mind was torn with a new kind of shock, the fear center of his brain struggling to give the correct response while his other instincts short circuited under the strain of not receiving the proper signals.
The three fillies let out satisfied sighs as the guard's fear settled in their stomachs, a dreamy smile plastered across their faces as they basked in the euphoria. Then, one by one, their eyes turned back to normal as their normal consciousnesses returned, the desperate hunger of their new bodies no longer pushing them into feral states.
"Wh-What happened," Sweetie groaned, placing a hoof on her forehead.
"What?" Scootaloo moaned, doing the same as the world slowly stopped spinning.
Applebloom merely groaned as she tried to make sense of where they were. When she noticed the guard, her eyes went wide as worry gripped her heart and knocked the cobwebs out of her head.
"Hey! Are you okay?" she asked, running to the guard's head to get his attention.
When no response came, she quickly turned her head towards her friends and yelled, "Girls! Get help quick! Ah think he's hurt!"
With a quick nod, the two fillies ran down the hall to find anypony that could help the fallen guard. As they did, Applebloom sat down next to him, her heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to think of anything she could do for him.
"D-Don't worry mister," she stammered, a stiff smile marring her muzzle as she tried to keep a brave face. "E-Everythin's gonna be okay. Ah promise."