//------------------------------// // It's Like I Don't Exist // Story: In the Absence of Twilight Sparkle // by MyHobby //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle’s phone vibrated against her hip. She waited a moment to finish writing her most recent note, something about the date they left the school, then checked the screen for the message. A spike of adrenaline shot through her shoulder as her hand tightened. It was from Moondancer. A queasy feeling roiled around in her stomach. She didn’t think there was much room for friendly words spoken between them at the moment. The second spike of adrenaline hit her heart as the message itself came into view: SOS OUTSIDE. “Something’s wrong.” Her voice was shaky in her ears. Her legs moved her towards the door. Moondancer wasn’t one to mess around with stuff like this. She was a straightforward woman. She wore herself practically on her own sleeves. Whatever this was, something was going down right now. “There’s trouble outside.” Skyhook exchanged a questioning glance with the princess. “What sort of trouble?” “I don’t know.” Twilight reached behind him to twist the door handle. “Something really bad. Moondancer and Caution are in danger.” “I’ll come with you,” Night Glider said. When the interrogators turned questioning expressions to her, she shrugged. “What? We don’t allow weapons into the club. We know you’re all unarmed.” She was right. Twilight had left her forty-four at the Apples’, locked in Big Mac’s gun chest with his rifle and his dad’s old shotgun. Shining’s handgun was at his home. The most any of them were armed with was razor-sharp wit. Well, Twilight had her magic. Party Favor pulled a small pistol from a drawer in his desk and set it gently on the top. Night Glider slid it into a concealed holster. She glanced at Flash Sentry. “Unless somebody objects?” Flash and Shining Armor moved beside the door. Flash gave her a shallow bow. “Armed combatants take point.” Twilight pushed the door open and made way for Night Glider. Glider moved steadily, deliberately down the hall, with no hesitation to her march. Twilight couldn’t help but note a military precision to her movements, much like she’d seen at various army bases she’d lived on in her early life. Night was certainly a capable individual. Capable of what, though? She, Shining, Flash, and Big Mac followed Night Glider, with Skyhook bringing up the rear. The door she led them to was a rear exit for the Party Favor. Night pushed it open and found the alleyway between their building and their neighbor’s empty. She put a finger to her lips, then pointed upward. Magic shone across her back, bathing her in a corona of energy. Two gossamer wings appeared and carried her to the roof. Flash let out a low whistle. “Maybe I wanna go to their school.” Twilight heard a scream from around the corner. It sounded like Caution Tape. He was in pain. She slid along the wall of the Party Favor and peered around the corner. She saw the street come into view. The sidewalk held three figures: Caution struggling in hand-to-hand combat with a young woman, and Moondancer lying in a fetal position on the concrete. The green haired combatant struck Caution in the stomach and twisted his arm behind his back. She kicked the back of his knee to send him to the ground. Even from the distance, Twilight could see magic radiating from the young woman’s fingernails. The woman grasped Caution’s arm with both hands and prepared to twist. “Hey!” Twilight stepped into full view. Not out of stupidity, but as a calculated response. She could easily slide back out of sight should the woman reach for a firearm, well before she came under attack. In her mind’s eye she pictured Night Glider taking a position on the edge of the roof, away from the assailant’s scrutiny. Shining Armor hissed something that Twilight couldn’t hear. Big Mac reached for her, but paused before he could expose himself. The attacker halted before she could break Caution’s arm. Her eyes went wide when she saw Twilight. She dropped Caution and took up a solid, spread-legged stance, her right hand facing forward. The magic on her hand intensified before shooting straight towards Twilight Sparkle, on a bee-line to her eyes. Twilight sucked in a breath. She had to admit, she wasn’t prepared for this. To see somebody else using magic so casually, in the midst of a fight… The next thought was that she had no idea what the spell was capable of. Would it change her into a newt, or simply blast her to atoms? If she dodged the first strike, would the second be hot on its heels? Did it have tracking capabilities? She wished more than anything to have access to the teleportation spell. A mass tackled her in the side and threw her bodily to the ground. The spell passed by overhead, dissipating to nothing as it impacted the brick wall behind her. Skyhook picked himself off of her just as quickly as he’d pushed her out of harm’s way. He sprinted towards the attacker in a heartbeat, his head low and his limbs pumping. It was the attacker’s turn to be taken aback. She shuffled backwards down the sidewalk, her hands outstretched towards the racing Skyhook. Flash hopped to Twilight’s side and helped her to her feet. His face twisted in confusion and anger. “Is that… Wallflower?” Skyhook moved faster than Twilight could keep track of. He rolled beneath another blast of Wallflower’s magic, coming up to strike her in the chin. The punch had little outward effect on the woman. She grasped the collar of his shirt and threw him over a shoulder. Night Glider landed with her pistol trained on Wallflower’s back. “Hands in the air or I’ll shoot!” Wallflower was inches from slamming her fist into Skyhook’s nose. She twisted her grip on him to place his body between her and the muzzle of the gun. Her back was to a running car. To one side was the aching but ready Caution, to the other was Shining Armor and Big Mac. Twilight felt her limbs shaking as the standoff continued for a couple of seconds, neither party moving a muscle. Twilight spent the moment with a glance at Moondancer, who had not moved in the time they’d been outside. Her chest rose and fell, but that was all the evidence that she was still in the land of the living. Whatever Wallflower had done… it looked serious. “Nobody else has to get hurt,” Night Glider said. “Let the man go.” Night Glider could only see the woman from head-on. Twilight still had a side-view. She saw one of the woman’s hands hiding behind Skyhook’s back. The fingernails emitted a vibrant green as she gathered magic for a sneak attack. “Skyhook!” Twilight shouted. “Spell!” His elbow struck Wallflower in the side of her stomach. He dropped to his knees, sliding out of her grasp. Wallflower’s jaw dropped as she looked straight down the barrel of Night Glider’s pistol. Wallflower reached behind her back, grasped the edge of the running car’s door, and ripped it right off its hinges. Night Glider took to the air on wings of gossamer just before the door crashed into her position. Wallflower kicked once, and the blow sent Skyhook skidding like a rock across a pond. Shining Armor had been charging her, but he stopped when he saw the sheer extent of her strength. He thrust out an arm to hold Big Mac back. “Whoa! Keep your distance!” Big Mac’s expression of strong determination melted into fear and confusion. “What the hell?” Both of Wallflower’s hands shone with power. She aimed one at Shining, one at Mac. They were close enough to her that there was no hope of avoiding the attack. The adrenaline running through Twilight’s body reached its peak. Anger and horror mingled in her heart and boiled to the surface in a shriek. She reached out towards her brother and her boyfriend, to pull them aside, to shield them, to do anything. She caught the severed car door in her peripheral vision, and knew what to do. Her fingers burned as she pushed magic through them. She wrapped Mac and Shining in a strong glow, while at the same time grasping the car door. With the same spell, she tugged the men away while propelling the door towards Wallflower. Push and pull. Give and take. The sight of Twilight’s magic caused a quizzical look to pass across Wallflower’s face, just before aluminum contacted skin. It sounded like a car hitting a dog, and Twilight hated herself for the comparison. The force of the impact slammed Wallflower into the hood of her car, just as the engine shut itself off. She slumped to the ground, her hair in disarray, her body mostly hidden by the door. Twilight could see the woman’s face through the spider-webbed cracks in the window. She was dazed, not dead. Twilight lowered her shaking hands to her sides. “Somebody needs to restrain her!” Caution rushed forward, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his side. He glanced between them and the car’s busted hinges. “Oi… Oi don’t think this’ll do it.” Flash Sentry lifted the door from Wallflower’s body. Night Glider approached his flank, her pistol trained on Wallflower’s torso. She swallowed hard. “I don’t suppose you have your sidearm handy, officer?” “Naw, just came outta the club.” Caution rubbed his shoulder and leaned against the hood. He glanced around the gathered faces and lingered on Twilight. “Sparkle.” Twilight stopped to check that both Mac and Shining were well. They were fine, save for a few bruises and scrapes. Better than the alternative, whatever that was. She pointedly ignored Caution as she sprinted to Moondancer’s side. “Moondancer? Moon? Look at me, Moon.” She shook Moondancer’s shoulder; she finally opened her eyes and looked at Twilight. Her mouth opened as if to say something, but closed in silence. She looked away from Twilight to stare at the sidewalk. Twilight touched Moondancer’s hand, but her longtime friend recoiled. “Moondancer? Can you tell me where it hurts? What do you feel? What did she do?” A whine escaped Moondancer’s throat, but there was little else to even show she was aware. Twilight waved a hand in front of her eyes. Rather than follow the movement, Moondancer shrunk away. Twilight knelt beside her, her hands balled into fists on her knees. Her breath became shallower and shallower the more her emotions stirred. This wasn’t like Moondancer. This wasn’t like her at all. She was hurt badly. “Somebody please call an ambulance.” Caution swore beneath his breath and pulled his radio from his belt. He asked headquarters for backup and a ride to the hospital. He noticed Flash Sentry helping Skyhook to sit up, and mentioned they needed two rides. Twilight reached over to the side and picked Moondancer’s glasses up off the ground. The shattered remains of her lenses had been further crumbled in the scuffle. She rose, her fist tightening around the busted frames. She looked over her shoulder at Wallflower, whose eyes had just managed to uncross. “What,” she said, her voice hoarse, “did you do?” Wallflower moved as if to stand, but stopped after a glance at Night Glider’s pistol. She remained seated, her brow furrowed. She stared at Twilight Sparkle, but made no move to answer. Twilight marched towards Wallflower, her voice rising to a shout. “What did you do to her?” Wallflower winced, but said nothing. She shook her head slightly before lowering it. Twilight stomped a foot beside Wallflower’s leg. “Answer me!” “Twilight!” Shining snapped. “Don’t get too close.” Twilight Sparkle narrowed her eyes at Night Glider. “You know how to use that thing?” Night Glider maintained her position, keeping Wallflower pinned down with the threat of a trigger pull. After a moment, she answered with a quiet “Yes.” “Good.” Twilight lowered herself until she was crouched, balancing on the balls of her feet. She tossed the useless glasses towards Wallflower, who allowed them to land on her lap. “Tell me what you did to my friend. Tell me where you learned magic. Tell me who you are or so help me…” “I know who she is.” Flash Sentry approached. He helped Skyhook walk by allowing the other man to loop an arm over his shoulders. “Wallflower Blush. We went to Canterlot High together. Didn’t know her well, but we had a few class assignments together. She was the photographer for the yearbook in our sophomore and senior years.” He shrugged. Skyhook could stand on his own, but moving was difficult because of what appeared to be a broken leg. He allowed Skyhook to lean against a street lamp and came closer to Blush. “We went our separate ways after graduation and I haven’t heard from her until now.” Wallflower glowered at him. “Figures that Flash Sentry of all people would remember me.” Flash frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “High school was years ago. I’ve moved beyond that.” She brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Ask Sunset Shimmer next time you see her.” “Maybe I will,” Twilight said, her voice dangerously low. It took all her strength to keep from punching Wallflower right in the face. “But you’re gonna tell me what you did to Moondancer. Right. Now.” Wallflower scowled. “I don’t have to tell you—” Twilight held up a hand with her fingernails blazing with lavender light. The glow drew Wallflower’s eye immediately. “Tell me what the spell you were casting does. I’m no slouch with magic, myself. I can cast lightning bolts from my fingers. I can freeze water at a touch. I’m fairly proficient at lighting fires.” Twilight’s frown bared two sets of clenched teeth. “And you’ve seen what I can do with car doors. So tell me. I’ll probably understand it.” Wallflower slowly shifted her gaze from the unrestrained magic to Twilight’s fiercely burning eyes. She let a soft sight escape her nose. “A memory-erasure spell.” The bottom dropped out from Twilight’s stomach, and her heart fell into the yawing abyss. “What?” “I erased her memories. Anything to do with the name Moondancer.” Wallflower Blush’s voice warbled as she spoke. Her eyes kept flicking back to Twilight’s upraised hand. The intensity left her expression, little by little, until fear appeared past the stubborn shell. “Look, it’s just how my spell works—" “Give it back.” Twilight’s arm ached as magic coursed through it. Sparks flew from her fingertips. Golden lines traced themselves beneath her skin; her fairy strings at work. “Give her every single memory right now.” “I can’t.” Wallflower inched away from Twilight as much as she could without getting shot. She turned to look at the prone Moondancer. “The memories are locked away in a talisman. I don’t know how to—” “Give it to me right now!” Twilight thrust out her hand, causing Wallflower to jump. “I’ll save her myself!” Shining Armor’s hand clapped down on her shoulder. She glared at him, but her expression softened when she saw the concern in his eyes. “The ambulance is almost here,” he said. “She’ll be safer to talk to in jail.” “With that kinda strength?” Flash muttered. Twilight lowered her glowing hand. She straightened up to stand beside Shining. “She hurt Moondancer…” “I know.” Shining hugged her close. “We’ll figure it out. We always—” Wallflower slammed her fist into the concrete. A crack appeared in the ground, glowing with a sickly green. A chunk of the sidewalk zipped up to crash against the bottom of Night Glider’s gun. Her aim went wide, and the gun fired across the street. Wallflower leaped to her feet and raised her hands to cast her memory-erasure spell on Twilight and Shining both. Twilight pushed Shining away with one hand and thrust the glowing hand towards Wallflower. She cast a spell on instinct, not conscious of what it was or what it would do. All she knew was that if she didn’t do something, she and Shining would be as good as dead. Frustration, anger, sorrow, and terror sliced through the air towards Wallflower. The lavender light enveloped Wallflower from head to toe. Wallflower Blush’s eyes widened as her spell bled throughout the magic cocoon Twilight had constructed. She opened her mouth to scream as she closed her hand to silence her spell, but it was too late. She was irradiated with the memory-erasure spell down to her very bones. Her eyes glowed a blinding white. Trails of magic, looking for all the world like rolls of film, spooled out of Wallflower’s forehead. She looked on, terrified, as her life flashed before her eyes and then spiraled around her body. The memories vanished somewhere beneath her sweater. Wallflower fell back against the hood of her car. She slumped to the ground, her eyes wide but comprehending nothing. A small glimmer of awareness returned to her, just as the final memory slithered away. “If they find out, I’m dead.” She collapsed, the shock of the spell sending her into a deep unconsciousness. Twilight clasped her hands over her mouth to cut off the scream. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her stomach churned—she was almost certain she was about to puke. Shining caught her before she could fall over. He held her tight as sobs wracked her body. She’d practically killed Wallflower Blush. If the spell worked like she said, the woman was for all intents and purposes dead. The whine of sirens pulled her back to the moment. She looked on as a fire engine pulled up to the scene of the battle, followed by a number of patrol cars. Officers jumped out, some checking on injuries, some discussing how to restrain someone with the power Wallflower possessed. The first ambulance arrived. Firefighters transferred care of the near-catatonic Moondancer to the EMTs, who lashed her to the stretcher and loaded her onboard. The second ambulance loaded Wallflower, while Skyhook insisted he would be able to ride in a car to the hospital for X-rays. Before the door closed, Twilight heard the EMTs talking. “Take off her necklace so she doesn’t strangle herself.” Caution Tape brushed off his comparatively minor injuries. “Oi’m fine.” He took a seat on the hood of a nearby police cruiser. He worked to steady his breathing, his hands on his knees. He waited until Twilight met his gaze, then spoke, his voice quiet. “Oi had you wrong, Sparkle.” Twilight’s foot came down on the fractured remains of Moondancer’s glasses. She all but jumped back, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t respond to Caution. Not without blubbering incoherently. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. He rubbed his face with a meaty hand. “Oi had you wrong… but it might be time for a sit-down, yeah?” The ambulance carrying Wallflower wailed as it sped away. Captain Carrot herself stepped out of a cruiser and surveyed the scene. She swore when she saw the severed car door. “What happened here?” “Oi’ll give yah the full report soon enough.” Caution hoisted himself upright and shuffled to her side. “Long story short, oi think we just caught our key suspect.” Care Carrot crossed her arms and surveyed the gathered combatants-turned-witnesses. “I hope you all don’t mind answering a few questions?” The response was a unanimous shake of the head. *** Twilight Sparkle found herself once again sitting in Captain Carrot’s office, rubbing her hands together and wishing to be anywhere else. They were interviewing people one at a time. Taking things slowly. Methodically. Gradually building a larger picture of what had transpired that evening outside the Party Favor. The club itself had closed its doors for the rest of the week, to the chagrin of the patrons. There wasn’t much Party Favor the man could do to alleviate them. Knowing what she knew, Twilight could almost exactly guess what each of the interrogees would say about the incident. Flash Sentry would speak about his brief history with Wallflower. Shining would recount the moment-to-moment events of the fight. Big Mac… She actually didn’t know what Mac would say. The guy looked confused. Troubled. Out of his element in a way Twilight hadn’t seen before. He seemed like, for the first time in his life, he had no foundation to build his worldview upon. None of the cool, quiet confidence she found so attractive in him. He had seen the impossible, and it scared him. Beyond that, Party Favor and Lemon Zest would have little to add. Party Favor had never met Wallflower, so either she had gone to the school after he left, or she had nothing to do with Starlight’s school. The same could be said for Night Glider, but her more active role in the fight would give the police something to chew on. Applejack hadn’t been in either the club or the fight, so she was in all honesty not going to provide much info. Then it came to the princess and Little Spike. Twilight raised her head as Care walked into the room, Caution right behind her. The captain took to her desk chair and faced Twilight with a frown. The door closed before anybody said a word. “So,” Care said, “magic.” The only response Twilight could come up with was a weak shrug. “That’s what I said.” Care glanced at Caution, who took the role of note-taker for the session. “How long have you been studying it?” “Since high school.” Twilight Sparkle wrung her hands until the skin turned white. “I carried on my studies until I got sick in my sophomore year.” “What was the illness?” “Meningitis. Viral Meningitis” Twilight rubbed her forehead as the painful memory crossed her mind. “It… it takes a lot out of you. I didn’t really look into magic again until two years ago. When… when I went to the princess’ world.” Care tapped her fingers together. “Equestria.” “Yeah.” “Frankly,” Caution said, his voice even more gruff than usual, “if oi hadn’t seen what oi saw today, and then met a talkin’ dog, oi probably wouldn’ta believed a word of this.” “He’s a dragon,” was Twilight’s weak response. Care leaned back in her seat to stare blankly at the ceiling. She let out a low whistle. “What a day. I can’t even begin to think up a way to report this higher up the chain of command.” Twilight rested her head in her hands and groaned. Caution grunted. “How do we report this without gettin’ our badges laughed right off?” “Right?” Care swung her chair around. She leaned her elbows on the desk and halted her whirl. “So, Her Royal Highness Twilight Sparkle and the gol’-darned talking dog say they might know a way to get both Moondancer’s and Wallflower’s memories back, but they’ll need time. In the meantime, I think… I think we want you guys to continue the investigation.” “What?” Twilight Sparkle slid to the edge of her seat. “You’re kidding, right? Isn’t there some sorta rule that says I can’t conduct my own investigation or something like that?” “Look, the fact of the matter is we’re not equipped to deal with magic.” Care pointed her index finger. “You, Twilight Sparkle the perfectly ordinary human being, are the only subject matter expert we have on the force. You and your connection to Ponystan are our only way of making any sense out of this murder case. And from your own words…” The captain raised a sheet of paper she had on her desk; notes from the earlier Q and A session. “Wallflower’s last words were ‘If they find out, I’m dead.’ She wasn’t working alone. If we have any hope of unraveling this conspiracy… it’s in you.” Twilight rubbed her eye beneath her glasses. “No pressure.” “We’ll have your back, Sparkle.” Caution blew a light breath through his nose. “You can take that to the bank.” Care nodded. “You’ll have full use of the forensics lab, and we’ll have a cruiser parked outside the Apple residence at all times. Anything else you need, just talk to me.” Twilight Sparkle furrowed her brow. Her heart ached, but some distant part of her brain understood this to be a good thing. She wasn’t alone, she reminded herself. She didn’t have to do this solo. She had her family, her friends, and now her coworkers. “Thank you.” “Thank you.” Care stretched her arm behind her head. “I suggest we all get some sleep, if we can. We’ve got… issues to work out.” Caution bobbed his head. “I’ll say a prayer for Moony.” Moondancer. Twilight felt her ears burn hot. If she had just shared magic with Moondancer. Wouldn’t she have been able to fight off Wallflower? She couldn’t shake the thought, no matter how irrational it was. But that sensation of guilt niggled at her. *** Dr. Twilight Sparkle’s eyes opened as her phone vibrated beside her cot. She cast a quick spell on her eyes to glean clarity, then checked the contact information of the incoming caller. There was no name, but she had dedicated the number to heart. She silenced the call, slid out of bed, and slipped a robe around her body. She tiptoed towards the outside of the school. From what she could see, nobody else stirred. The hiss of the sea and the faint mist of crashing waves hailed her exit from the old warehouse. She moved a ways from the door and pressed a button to return the call. The phone rang a few times before the other end picked up. When the call connected, she spoke quietly. “The apple is rotten.” “The crystal is fractured,” came the coded answer. “Doctor, we have a severe problem.” Dr. Sparkle let out a hiss as her response. “That’s not what I wanted to hear, Neighsay.” “Indeed not, but these are the facts.” The man’s voice hissed with static as he let out a breath right on the receiver. “Not only did we not hit the target, but Wallflower was discovered by police officers investigating Raven’s death. She was caught in the open—” The doctor’s voice rose in volume and venom. “And you didn’t help her?” “And have us both captured or worse? Risked the entire operation? Given up everything we’re fighting to achieve?” Dr. Sparkle could envision Neighsay’s smug face curling up in a self-righteous scowl. “She fought tooth and nail and was still defeated. I highly doubt my skills would have been of much use in open combat.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle wanted for all the world to call the man a coward. To berate him, chastise him, cow him. She knew it was useless to do so. He was ultimately correct. With him in police custody, their plan would be set back far too much. Maybe too much to recover. “What happened?” “She attempted to use her memory-erasure spell on several of the combatants, but was thwarted by…” He hesitated, his voice taking on a degree of uncertainty. “There was another spellcaster at the Party Favor. One who bore an uncanny resemblance to yourself.” The other Twilight. Perhaps she was indeed from another corner of the multiverse. The raw power and skill required to match Wallflower spell for spell sent a shiver running down the doctor’s back. “I have heard of her. Another refugee from the worlds beyond yours.” “Alright.” From his tone, the thought did little to ease Neighsay’s discomfort. “This other Twilight used a counterspell which reflected the memory-erasure spell back at Wallflower. She was hit full-force with the effects of her magic. I believe her memory to be completely destroyed.” Dr. Twilight hissed a curse. “No. Not destroyed. Trapped in that little bauble she discovered in the garden.” “I see.” Neighsay’s voice lost its nervous edge, replaced with curiosity. “So she might be restored?” “Only with direct intervention from you.” The doctor leaned against a tree that had grown close to the wall. She stared at the moon as it hovered overhead. It was strange to see it unmarred, even all this time later. “I will send you the details. But—and I cannot stress this enough—your first priority should be to complete the mission. We need those fairy strings, Neighsay.” “I’m well aware, doctor.” Neighsay’s words came slowly, hesitantly. He was, as always, unwilling to write checks he didn’t know for certain he could cash. “I feel the task will be far more difficult without the assistance of Wallflower’s… physical and magical prowess.” “You will have to use your own wit and skills.” Dr. Twilight Sparkle gripped her phone tight. She was putting an awful lot of faith in this man. “Understand what this means for the future. For all mankind. You can’t rely on brute strength and memory-erasure for this one.” “Pioneering has never been a safe, cozy endeavor.” Neighsay grumbled lightly, then spoke with slightly more clarity. “Very well. I shall inform you when the mission is a success.” The call ended then and there. Dr. Twilight wiped the phone of evidence that the conversation had taken place. She tucked the phone in her robe’s pocket, shut her eyes, and leaned her back against the sturdy tree. She allowed a moment’s respite to ease her nerves. Perhaps they had not waited long enough to strike the second target. Perhaps they had gotten in over their heads. But… she was running out of time on her end, too. They needed three sets of fairy strings, or nothing would come of all they’d accomplished. “That was an interesting conversation.” The doctor’s eyes snapped open. They shimmered in the darkness as they sought out the speaker. He was easy enough to pick out, standing plain and unconcerned in the middle of the stone path. “Viscount Dulcimer.” She didn’t move to show aggression, but she didn’t need to. Power gathered at the edges of her fingertips. She ran a hundred different spells through her mind. Some to incapacitate. Some to injure. Some to kill. She waited for him to speak before passing judgement, but there would be no regret for his passing should it come to that. “Sorry to bother you, but I’ve been having trouble sleeping.” Viscount Dulcimer winked as he approached. “I suppose it’s excitement for the beginning of the new school year.” Dr. Twilight lidded her gaze. “What do you want?” “Knowledge and power in equal measure.” Dulcimer shrugged as he thrust his hands into his pockets. He turned his back to her to face the moon and the silver-soaked shore. “I suppose that’s what we’re all after, isn’t it?” He smiled, turning his head to one side so that she could just see the edge of his expression. “I particularly liked the part about memory-erasure and untold strength. Will those be on the syllabus, or do I need to apply for an extracurricular activity?” Dr. Twilight sneered. “What else did you hear?” His smile grew into a grin. He raised his eyebrows and held his hands at his sides. “I heard you talk about how you’re doing something for the betterment of mankind, of course. Trust me, Twilight, I am in service to the crown. I’m very familiar with doing terrible things for the good of all.” He paced at a leisurely rate, outwardly unconcerned with whatever the doctor was doing. “For instance, I know that right now, you’re deciding whether or not to kill me and let the sea swallow my lifeless corpse.” He chuckled. “I’d rather not. There’s no reason for us to confront each other. I can keep a secret even from the likes of Starlight Glimmer. Even—” He tapped the side of his nose. “—from the Prime Minister.” The doctor crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “You are beholden to no one, then.” “Far from it.” He presented her with a shallow bow. “I am loyal to those who deserve my loyalty. Neither Minister Fancy Pants nor Prince Blueblood have earned my fealty.” He looked up, still bent from his bow. “But you… teach me magic, my lady, and I shall follow you straight into Hell. Give mankind the ability to rise above its wretched state and I shall be by your side all the way. Murder people by the threes or the three-hundreds… I shall be there to pull the trigger.” Dr. Twilight stepped forward, which forced him to stand upright. “These are not the words of a sane man.” He scoffed, his hand over his heart. “I am sane by comparison.” “Compared to what?” “To the human condition!” Dulcimer laughed as he took a step closer to her. She did not back away. She didn’t dare to show any sign of weakness. “We have had this power buried right beneath our skin for as long as humanity has existed. It took your arrival to cast the scales from our eyes and help us reach our true potential! To usher in the next stage of evolution!” He lowered his head slightly, so that he could look her right in her glowing eyes. He quieted his voice. She could feel his breath on her face. “Future generations will adore you as the one to begin our ascension.” She didn’t know whether to admire his conviction or despise his zeal. Truly he had magic potential. Verily he had a standard in his heart that flew higher than any flag. He could be useful… if properly handled. If he meant what he said, if he was able to keep such a secret, then he could become a great asset. If he was not, then she would have to snuff him out like any other threat. “So tell me,” he said, his smile hiding the depths of his schemes, “beyond sharing magic with the world, beyond saving us from our own meager existence, what is worth the price of the lives you have taken?” Dr. Twilight Sparkle smiled in return. A more careful smile. Less outwardly friendly and reassuring than secretive and closed off. A smile that she knew said a thousand words to the perceptive viscount. But verbally, she only spoke one: “Immortality.”