//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: A Guardian's Hope // by Last Satisfaction //------------------------------// Gamine reopened her eyes upon reaching the bottom of the lake. Immediately she leaned on her hind legs and swam to the surface. Once her head was out in the open, she looked around, while catching her breath. It was so dark that she resolved to use magic to light beyond the tip of her nose. "Kyndal?" she called, her incomprehension of her situation coming up against the hope that her mother would appear. "Your mother? Have you already forgotten? She is dead," Pepper whispered in a neutral tone, noting that the body had returned to its true form. Chrysalis couldn't believe it, yet she saw the mare alive and well. She hesitated for a second. Then, she grabbed the unicorn by the jaw and pulled her closer for a private conversation. Chrysalis bent her head down to whisper in the ear of her guest. She slipped the crystal shard she'd previously used to kill her against her throat, leaving no room for discussions. "Listen to me, Pepper, listen to me carefully. If my daughter ever asks you, you are cured of the bad blood that was in your head that you had sought treatment for. If you deviate from this simple line, I will kill you." Gamine was looking at the queen, lost. "Who is she?" asked the guardian. "Let me take control, you will learn by listening," Pepper suggested. Gamine had no choice, her memory was muddled, she remembered the south trip, the bat ponies, the long tunnel... the rest was blurry. They switched places, the guardian giving control back to the monster. "I'll take control back if you try anything I don't like," she threatened. Once the switch was made, Pepper resumed the conversation. "Given the situation, I am willing to get a little more wet," Pepper said. She magically covered the shard against her throat to wrap the edge and render it harmless before she grabbed Chrysalis by the paws with her telekinesis and threw her into the lake. "But why should I be the only one?" Chrysalis didn't expect this, she plunged by force, the splinter broke in two under the pressure of the two opposing magics manipulating it, and the changeling came back to the surface as soon as the telekinesis released her. She found herself a few metres away from a monster who was holding an improvised weapon, her nervousness growing. Pepper stared into Chrysalis' eyes. "I am not against lying to your daughter if this request comes from you, Chrysalis." Pepper looked at her before she looked at the shard she was holding by telekinesis. "You said that between predators, we could find common ground. These are my conditions: if you try to threaten my life like that ever again, you will regret it. I will play by your rules, just another predator who promises to behave, just requesting from you to answer a few trivial questions." She released the magical grip on the shard which then sank in. "Acceptable?" "It's not like I really have a choice, do I?" Chrysalis said, before swimming back to shore. Pepper also pulled herself out of the water. "I am in great shape, and the magic I was hiding behind is gone. How long has it been .... since I left for treatment?" she asked with a knowing smile. "Forty-five days," replied Chrysalis with a predatory smile. "What?!" screamed Gamine out of surprise. "Forty-five days without feeding me, would you have me believe that?" Pepper said amused before her guts growled so loudly she held the belly with one foreleg. "You were imprisoned in a cocoon on which we have the secret, the fluid it contains keeps you healthy, and can heal any wounds, but does not make amputated limbs grow back. On the other hand, you must be starving. There is only one remedy for this." "I will have to eat then." Saying this, Pepper's eyes narrowed, devoid of emotion as she tilted her face slightly to the left, the monster in all its splendour, projecting the aura of the predatory she was in the room. Chrysalis took a step backwards and raised a shield for safety. It was already cold in the room, but suddenly the temperature had dropped another notch. The queen could hardly tell if the shiver she felt was due to fear or to the freezing cold. "You only amuse yourself. Stop it at once," Gamine grunted in a breath, exasperated. Pepper cut the comedy short. "I am joking. From what I have seen, your ability to change shape is certainly better than my magic, but at the same time with those green flames, it is far too showy. You are excluded from my hunting list and that is final. I would settle for a little bowl of soup. But I have a feeling that you do not have that here," Pepper commented with a mocking smile, before hearing the sound of a gallop approaching. Chrysalis lowered the shield, a furious desire to kill her a second time crossed her mind. The young Aglowing arrived at full speed, but when she saw Pepper, she tried to slow down abruptly, skating for a moment before falling headfirst. But her fall ended up in a hand made of golden magic at the end of the false unicorn's hoof. More fear than harm, the child watched her for a moment. "Is that really you, Pepper? You weren't that tall before!" "I have eaten a lot of soup," she teased. "Seriously, I used magic to hide my true appearance." "Why?" chirped the little Caesar. "I will tell you later, FaceHugger. At the moment I would like to go back to the surface, if that is possible. It is pretty cold down here." "FaceHugger?" asked Gamine. The monster didn't need to explain, the hybrid jumped in her face to give her a hug. "I'm so happy to see you again!" "Oh, I get it now," Gamine said. Pepper sat down on the floor and used her magic hands to unhook the child before placing her on her mother's back. "I am happy too. But I really need to get out in the sun to dry my coat," she said, turning her eyes to Chrysalis. "Follow me," the queen commanded before trotting through the tunnel through which Aglowing had just arrived, the little Caesar giving her a hug while hanging on her neck. As Pepper followed her through the galleries, Gamine whispered, "So it was from these creatures that the call came?" On the way, Chitin appeared from the darkness of the corridor, and started to follow Pepper. "They are the changelings, and the call came from this child," Pepper replied. "What do you mean it came from the child? That's just not possible," replied Gamine. "Why is that?” "But think about it! If I could feel this child's distress from so far away, I should have felt the distress of others in this world within the same range, it's just impossible to have felt only her," explained the guardian. Pepper hadn't seen it that way. "I do not care. As you can see, I have kept my word, so in exchange, you are going to give me control of my body for the day." Gamine was speechless. She tried to counter-argue, but she only had one word. "Only one condition, and it has already been stated," she replied, resigned. It didn't take long before they all reached the open air at the bend of a gallery. Pepper unfurled as much as she could, stretching every muscle in her body one after the other, ending with her wings. She took the opportunity to do a quick check-up to make sure everything was OK. She felt a gaze on her and turned to Chrysalis immediately. "What?" she said. The queen had a smirk on her lips. "You remind me physically of a certain Sun Princess." "Does she know?" Gamine asked. "Is there a problem with that?" Pepper replied to both of them as she folded her wings. "No. better question, what happened while I was away," she asked, pressing that last word. "Your departure present charged with your magic is very beneficial to us. A tree that offers us love in the form of fruits. You truly have spoiled us," Chrysalis explained half-words. Aglowing Shell jumped from her perch and landed in front of Pepper. "I've made a friend! Nightmare Moon is her name!" she said in a chirp "Oh, and I'm a Cæsar, that means Queen with a princess heart!" Pepper was frozen both physically and mentally by the first wave of information. "What?" whispered Gamine. "For all I know, Luna became Nightmare Moon when she grew jealous because of Celestia. But when you went to see her, she was herself," Pepper explained. "She was herself? You expect me to believe she used to be like that?! She tried to kill us!" screamed Gamine. "It was a poor attempt, then," Pepper replied with a smile addressed to the guardian before turning her attention back to Aglowing. "Remember how you know a potential friend when you see one? Have you noticed any of those signs?"  "Honesty, Loyalty, and Laughter!" Aglowing chirped. Pepper raised an eyebrow, surprised, but still smiling. "That's a lot of them." "Oh, by the way," said Chrysalis. "Your mane ornament, I gave it to Nightmare Moon. She was so eager to search for you that I asked her to give it back to you if you two were to cross paths. But it seems like she didn’t find you." Pepper hadn't noticed until then, how heavy was her wet mane. Gamine was horrified. “We have to recover my Mother’s gift!” “Calm down, Gamine, I will take care of that, since it seems to be so important to you,” she said to the guardian before her attention focused on Aglowing Shell. "Say, Pepper, will you stay and play with me?" "Well..." "Accept or I'll do it," Gamine threatened. Pepper sighed. "Okay. What do you want to play to? I do not know many games, and the only ones I know would not please your mother." "Usually I sword fight with my friend, but you don't have one." "Indeed, I do not have any." she replied, grinning. The child could not find an alternative. So she asked the question that had remained unanswered. "Say, why did you hide your appearance?" "I did something very bad to the Sun Princess, and now I look a lot like her. So I am hiding it, to prevent her subjects from thinking I am their princess," she explained in a simple way to make herself understood. This confession shocked the young hybrid. "Did you really kill Nightmare Moon's sister?" "Yes," Pepper replied nonchalantly. Why?" My friend told me that everypony loved her!" "What is the big deal?" Pepper said. You changelings also hunt ponies. You drain their hearts. Is that different?" "We hunt for food, we don't kill!" the child took off. "Otherwise there would be no one left to feed on," she squealed. Pepper wanted to explain her philosophy ... ... but Gamine interfered, "Move on. I wouldn't like to see her cry," she scolded. "I am wasting precious time here. Oh, I know." She used her magic to return to her average unicorn form. "Would you like to go for a walk in the forest?" "We did that yesterday. There were a lot of bat ponies by the tunnel," Aglowing said, a little sullen. Pepper frowned, and turned to Chrysalis. "When your friend is a queen, you can do a lot of things, so Aglowing and I spent an afternoon exploring the forest, and as she just said, we don't kill nice ponies like you, we just use them for food, after Chitin throws them away."   Pepper thought she understood what was being said there without the child's knowledge. "Since it took me hours to get here from Ponyville, where can I set up one of my markers to get here in a second if I ever felt the need again?" she asked while taking a quick look at the young hybrid. "Out of my hive," Chrysalis commanded in an uncompromising tone. Pepper looked around. The large rock formation nearby was to her liking. She went there and walked around it, followed by the curious child, who herself remained under the watchful eye of Chrysalis and Chitin. The unicorn stopped in front of it, at the opposite of the part facing the entrance to the hive. "What's this marker you're talking about?" "Do you know teleportation?" "No." the child admitted. "It is a long way from here to the throne room, is not it? I use magic so that I do not have to walk from here to there. It is as if I open a door and arrive the next second in the throne room. But this magic does not allow me to see where I am going, so I put a magic light to show me where my destination is." "Tell me, how did you get to Equestria then?" Chrysalis asked. "In the ruins of the two sisters' castle, not far from Ponyville, there was a mirror that was imbued with the same kind of magic. It was through it that I came. I had trouble at first with this imposed appearance, but as I was looking for my next hunting ground, I tried my luck. What came next, it seems you know it." With those words, Pepper turned to the rock, considering for a moment how she would proceed. She turned to the child. "Go to your mother. I will tell you when you can come and see." Aglowing hesitated for a moment before she went nestling against a leg of Chrysalis, who for a moment was reassured to see her daughter away from Pepper. The latter concentrated, her horn lighting up with a golden aura, a cavity dug into the stone in a crash of broken stones, deep and high enough to contain Pepper's true form. With the marker in place, Pepper resumed, placing four protective seals one on top of the other, making sure, as always, that no incident would occur during a warp. Pepper waved at the changelings. "The creation is complete and secured." They approached out of curiosity, Aglowing arrived smiling, but when she saw the result, she was disappointed. "There's nothing there. It's just emptiness!" "Of course it is. You can not see my markers with the naked eye. But no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to get in there." Aglowing didn't want to question Pepper's words, but at the same time she found it hard to believe that it would be so difficult to enter this empty space. So she tried, but hit head first against a force field. "Ouch! What's that?" She frowned, and struck both front hooves on this invisible shield. "That's cheating!" she said as she turned to Pepper. The unicorn smiled, leaning her neck towards the child. "This hole is here because I have placed my marker, now imagine if you were in it while I use the same magic to open the passage, what do you think would happen to you?" Aglowing widened her eyes, she looked at how deep and high the hole was. She understood how dangerous it was for her and became frightened, taking a few steps back, before fleeing to take refuge on the back of her mother who was coming closer to observe.  "How flashy. You would make a killing in Las Pegasus. It's just an invisible shield tho," said the queen. "More like a closed door, leaving me with two options. The first, I teleport to it. the second, I open a passageway to it." With those words, she used her magic on the marker to open a passage leading to Fluttershy's cottage, before passing through the portal. "Well, if that is all, I am off. I am starving," she said, waving with her left hoof. "Pepper, wait!" Aglowing Shell almost shouted. "Are we friends?" The mare stopped. She remained silent as she considered the question. "Tell her yes," whispered Gamine. "No." Pepper replied in a neutral tone. "But that does not make me your enemy. If you need my help, let your despair overwhelm you, like the night we met. I will come, I promise." "Will we at least meet again?" asked the child, saddened. "It is not among my habits to visit the same place twice. I am a monster like your mother, I go from one world to another, I kill someone, I leave." "I'm a monster too. And I like you, I think." Pepper used her magic, closed the gate without uttering a word. Aglowing Shell didn’t take it well, tears coming to her eyes. Chrysalis used telekinesis to grab her and console her. "Don't worry, she'll be back soon, she's just very hungry and you know how I am when I'm hungry." The child squealed, squeezing out tears and closing her eyes tightly before nestling against her mother. At the same time, Pepper walked towards the door of Fluttershy's cottage. "Why," asked the despondent guardian. "Very simple. First, if Nightmare Moon is really her friend, she will be so jealous that she will kill us on the spot if I was stupid enough to befriend the child, if not for what I did to her sister. Secondly, I do not know what your plans are once this day is over, but I do not think you are going to stay here for the rest of your life". Gamine was stunned for a moment after the explanation. "I haven't made any plans yet. But it's true that staying in this world where you killed the local princess is not a wise choice. But then, why did you want to regain control of your body for the day?" Pepper knocked on the door. "I want to be able to say goodbye to my friend." "Rainbow Dash? The one who brought Twilight, one of those you said could kill us with their artefacts of power? Do you really think she's still your friend Pepper?" Gamine said, incredulous. "Handsome is the bearer of the element of Loyalty. She is my friend, no matter what I have done, our friendship remains. That is what loyalty is all about." Gamine remained speechless before this aberrant naivety. "You killed my mother, and I'll never forgive you." Fluttershy opened the door, but when she laid her turquoise gaze on Pepper standing in front of her, she was petrified with terror. "We are not friends, and I am willing to bet you never had any. You can not understand what loyalty is." The unicorn smiled a smile that was meant to be warm towards the Pegasus. "Hello Fluttershy, would you kindly offer me a bowl of soup? I have not eaten in a while." With all her body trembling, the mare cracked with a tight smile and clung to the exit door. "A bowl of soup, yes, right away Pepper, don't move, I'll bring it right away," she immediately stepped back before making a quick U-turn and retreating into the kitchen. Her idea was simple, open the window at the back of it and run away to warn Twilight. The difficulty lied in doing it quickly, without making too much noise to avoid arousing the suspicions of the murderer.  In front of the door, different animals stood in front of Pepper to prevent her from entering. Angel the rabbit was above the rest of the group, Harry the bear was behind him, several birds on his flanks, and Fuzzy Legs the spider had just finished weaving a web in the door frame. These creatures were trying to make themselves as intimidating as possible by making big eyes at Pepper. The spider would look back at each one of them, most of the time it would stare at Angel, the second in command when Fluttershy wasn't there, when he wasn't forcing her to do his every whims. "I am only here for a bowl of soup. I did not ask for meatballs. So what do you want?" In the kitchen, Fluttershy was looking for a way out, but the windows wouldn't open, and getting through, despite the urgency of the situation, was out of the question. The only acceptable solution for the mare was to hide, curled up under the table, close her eyes and wait for the danger to pass. She had only this solution, trying to convince herself that with luck, Pepper would leave sooner or later. There was a duel of stares between Angel and Pepper, the two opponents camped on their positions with the firm intention of getting their way. The contest ended abruptly as orange wisps appeared from the corner of the mare's eyes, shocking both opponents. And when she turned her gaze to the left, in the direction of the kitchen, she closed her eyes before letting out a worn-out sigh. "Do something," shouted Gamine. Pepper cleared her voice. "Fluttershy. Listen to me. Listen to my words. I understand why you are scared of me. If you want to run away, if you want to warn Twilight that I am here, you can walk by me, I will not stop you, I will not hurt you. My word must be of little value to you, but I know how much Handsome cares about you. And you know how much I like her." Her belly growled again. "Please, Fluttershy. I just want some soup." The element of kindness trembled, curled up on herself, her eyes closed, she didn't dare to look out of fear, but she couldn't turn a deaf ear to Pepper's words. And as she listened to her, she heard and felt it, the lament of this wild beast who just wanted to stop being hungry, even cracking open a word of politeness, something she had never done before. She calmed down, just enough to speak. "I-Is that all?" "Your animal friends are blocking the front door, I can not get through. If you want to run and tell Twilight, you can go out by the backdoor." She was lying, of course she could've come through if she wanted to, but she wasn't there to hurt anyone, and she wasn't there to imprison Fluttershy. The wisps were gradually fading from her eyes. Fluttershy looked towards the entrance. "Really? You won't stop me?" "I would be too busy digging food out of your pantry."   Fluttershy was almost calmed down. "So can I go?" "All you have to do is ask your animal friends to make room for you, and nothing else will stand between you and Ponyville. Tell them to let me in so I can eat in the meantime."    The Pegasus mustered all her courage, so she closed her eyes and started galloping out. Fuzzy Legs barely had time to clear a passageway, the animals and Pepper moved to make way for her. She ran down the slope to her cottage and stopped there. She was surprised when she turned her head over her shoulder. Pepper looked at her, her head down to make herself small, a faint smile that was meant to be sad, a look that didn't pay off, behind which hid the monster that she was, so as not to frighten her further. After a moment of silence, she turned her eyes away and entered the cottage without a word. Fluttershy looked towards Ponyville. she was about to leave but didn't do anything. looking at the cottage, she wondered why Pepper didn't do anything to hold her back. As Pepper watched over the cauldron heating soup in the kitchen fireplace, she suddenly felt watched and mechanically turned her gaze to the kitchen entrance. Fluttershy was standing there with only her head sticking out, and when their eyes met she immediately closed her eyes and cowered, but nothing happened. She calmed down, stuck her head back into the doorway and looked at Pepper again. She had fought alongside her friends against the enemies of Equestria. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, and Sombra. Pepper's gaze didn't seem evil to her. Gathering all her courage, she started the conversation. "Pepper, I don't understand, why did you do that to Princess Celestia?" "Should you not tell Twilight I am here instead?" "Why do you want me to? She's going to use the elements on you, shouldn't you stop it from happening? Not that I want you to hurt me," she whispered. "Why did I do this to Celestia?" She looked for a simple analogy. "Imagine two predators fighting over a hunting ground. The one who wins will be the stronger. I did this to be stronger, to defeat those who will sooner or later try to kill me." "So it wasn't so you could move the sun in your world?" Pepper opened her eyes, in shock of such absurdity. "No, of course not. Why would you think that?" "Well, Twilight said Princess Luna told her you said something like that." For her it was yesterday. "That night I moved the sun to prove I was not lying, when I told her what I did to Celestia." "I see. I thought you were a good pony, but in reality you were manipulating us." "This is how I live. I am not Twilight, I do not have artefacts of power that automatically assure me a perfect victory. I am alone, I have always been alone, and if I had stayed here in Equestria, sooner or later I would have been an easy prey to a predator far too powerful for me. And this is something I can not come to terms with." "What about Rainbow Dash? Do you have any idea how much she has suffered because of what you did?" Pepper was silent for a moment. "Prince, princess, king, queen, I have seen a lot of those during my travels. And when one dies, another one takes its place. Celestia is replaced by her sister. Maybe Luna will be replaced by Twilight. And so on, that is life." "But Princess Celestia was our Princess! She was Princess of Equestria for a thousand years! And she surely could have ruled a thousand years longer! You had no right, Pepper! You had no right!" Pepper shook her head. "Celestia, a princess? Maybe to you." The corner of her lips folded into a mocking smile. "Twilight is a princess in training, yes. Luna is a princess, that is for sure. To me, Celestia was just a weak, old mare." Fluttershy had tears in her eyes. "Monster! You monster!" With those words she fled in a gallop towards Ponyville. "Tears and blood, is that all you wish to leave in your wake, Pepper?" "Come on Gamine, you are the one who said giving them hope is just needlessly prolonging their suffering. I was only telling the truth, just like how you felt you had to tell Luna the truth." Gamine was silent for a moment. "What do you mean by telling the truth?" Pepper used a spoon to stir the soup before tasting if it was hot enough. "You did not see Celestia the way I did. And when I said she was just a weak old mare, I meant her soul." "How could she be weak, Fluttershy just said she could have ruled for a thousand years more! And she was an alicorn, you told me she was the most powerful race of creatures in this kingdom! And you expect me to believe she was weak?!" Pepper remained calm despite the screams that twisted her nerves. "Stop shouting. I have been feeding on souls since I was able to cast spells. I can look at a disembodied soul and tell what kind of character it belonged to. During absorption I can feel with accuracy the power that is added to mine. Celestia's was weak. I thought she was the most powerful of all the princesses, but it is almost as if her soul was fading. I gained her abilities, but this supposed power was a lie." "What, are you saying she was somehow dying?" "I do not know exactly. She was always calm, serene, but her eyes were dull, if not extinguished. The rare times her eyes lit up were when Luna was there. But also when she drank her six o'clock tea. One day at that time I caught her daydreaming, and when she realised I was there, she looked embarrassed, as if I should not have seen that." "And did it ever occur to you to tell anyone?" Pepper couldn't take it anymore, her rumbling guts were reaching its limits, not caring if the soup was lukewarm rather than hot, she drank it in one sitting. Once full, she licked her lips. "No predator cares about the mood of their prey, let alone whether orphans will be left behind. So, no, I have never talked about it, and nopony has ever remarked on it," she replied as she put out the fire. She left the cottage. Rainbow Dash's home was straight north from there, but Pepper knew the pegasus wasn't the type to stay in bed, so her best chance of finding her was a confrontation against the six mares. She set off to Ponyville, marching, for she had the day ahead of her and was in no hurry. South of Ponyville, there was a park behind the Carrousel shop, which was both the shop and Rarity's home. In this park a tent was pitched, daylight had come fifteen minutes ago, and Trixie Lulamoon slept almost peacefully, except for a few shivers that made her move to and fro. Outside, the campfire was rekindled as the hot embers were blown over the still warm embers and the dry wood became the prey of new flames to heat the travelling coffee pot. Trixie was awoken by the sudden noise. She slowly straightened up on her forelegs, as irritation and bitterness fuelled her body and lifted the veil upon her eyes as they glared towards the noise’s source outside of the tent. She traded her pyjamas for the casual magician’s outfit. "Who dares disturb the sleep of the Humble and Sorry Trixie? she asked inquisitively as she took her head out of the tent. Bitter Truth finished unpacking tea towels containing white rose petal sandwiches. "The Humble and Sorry Trixie? Oh, my apologies Miss, I thought I had come to see the Great and Powerful Trixie, real name Trixie Lulamoon." That title was like a cold shower for the mare. She looked down in shame. "There's nothing Powerful about Trixie. Trixie was lying to everypony and most of all to herself." The mere thought of what she'd done to the ponies of Ponyville last year made her feel remorseful. "I don't agree, the greatest lessons are learned in defeat. Despite what you did, even somepony like Princess Twilight has found the strength to forgive you. But your past is not what brings me here. I have a job for you. But please eat, this meal is here for you." Trixie looked at what was being offered to her. Apples peeled and cut into six, sandwiches, hot coffee, and orange juice. She hadn't had a lunch like this in ages, and didn't hesitate to start eating. "Trixie doesn't remember knowing you, sir...?" Bitter Truth smiled. "My name doesn't matter." He took out of his black pilgrimage a metal plaque depicting the Cutie Mark of Celestia, the royal seal. "The work I have to offer you comes indirectly from Princess Celestia. You will be highly rewarded, but understand that this is an unofficial mission that you will have to follow the instructions to the letter, without questioning them, without ever doubting them. The work involves no more and no less than putting your life in great danger. But if you do as I say, you will come out unscathed." Trixie was divided. It was a great honour to work for Princess Celestia. She needed the money to buy a new trailer, and she was struggling to make ends meet, but to hear him say it was more dangerous than facing a minor Ursa, was something she didn't have the strength to do alone. Was it worth it? "When you say that Trixie will be highly rewarded, how much are you talking about? "The equivalent of a monthly Las Pegasus Super Jackpot at the very least." Trixie wasn't the venal type... "And what would Trixie have to do if it was so dangerous that her life would be in great danger?" ...but with that kind of money she could afford a new, comfortable trailer. Bitter Truth waited until she had finished drinking her coffee. "I need you to follow and assist the one who is responsible for Princess Celestia's disappearance." The unicorn was stunned by what she'd just heard. "Are you asking Trixie to help a criminal on the run?!" "Speak as loud as you want, in that bubble no one will hear you scream." Trixie looked around, and didn't notice the proofsound bubble until Bitter Truth fed it a little magic. "Yes and no," replied the oracle. "Pepper Chilly, the one you are about to help, is not actively sought by the authorities. Only a handful of ponies know the identity of the criminal, and you are now one of them. As I said, you're going to live a very dangerous life in the next few days. Princess Twilight will be your enemy again, but you've been fine with that in the past, so everything will be fine." The illusionist was becoming reluctant to accept such a mission, even if it was indirectly at the request of Princess Celestia herself. "You keep saying that my life will be in danger. What proof is there that Trixie won’t get harmed?" "The criminal believes in Loyalty. The more you put your life in danger for her, the more she will protect you in return. She gets it from Rainbow Dash, but her version of Loyalty is ridiculously absolute. Think of this work as performing the Moonshot Manticore Mouth Dive. On the surface, an omnipresent danger. In reality, I assure you, you'll be at Manehattan by the end of the week." She was more suspicious than surprised. "How do you know where Trixie was supposed to go?" "How could I not? Do you really think Princess Celestia doesn't know what's going on in her kingdom? She's keeping an eye out for promising elements at the school for gifted unicorns." "She does?" Trixie was hesitant, but almost ready to accept such an offer. One last detail was bothering her. "Trixie can't approach this Pepper out of nowhere." "That's right," he said. “That's why you're going to start by getting one of her belongings back. And then you're going to add the items in that envelope with it," he said as he took the item out of his travel saddlebag. "This will be a good start to gain her trust, and therefore, her friendship." "Does Trixie have to be her friend?" Bitter was amused by the question. "You have no idea what this Pepper could do for a friend,” he said, daydreaming as events from countless timelines passed before his eyes. “No one's asking you to be her best friend, tho." He took out two packets, one wrapped in brown paper, one in lilac paper with star-shaped stickers and another envelope from the other bag. "Here are your weapons for this journey" he said, pointing to the lilac package with his hoof. "The other contains food. The letter in this envelope contains everything you need to know to complete the work. But for the moment leave the letter aside." She followed the instructions, taking a look inside the package. It was filled with the kind of tricks she used during her performances. She looked up at the stallion. He was amused by this incomprehension. "I hire the Great and Powerful Trixie. What did you expect?" She began to smile. "What about Trixie's reward?" "I will personally deliver it to you in Manehattan." He took out of his pocket one of the smoke bombs that Trixie uses at her performances. "Any last questions?" "Why me?" "Your background, your talents and your knowledge, you have what it takes to help somepony like this Pepper. All I'm asking you to do is follow her for three days. Then you can leave for Manehattan." With those words, he threw the smoke bomb at his hooves. "As they say in the business, let the show begin." Trixie closed her eyes, coughing as she tried to scatter the smoke. When she could open her eyes again, she was alone. She took a look at the envelope containing the instructions and decided to open it to read them.   Without waiting, after throwing the letter into the flames with a piece of apple stuck between her lips, Trixie began to pack up her tent at full speed. Fluttershy arrived at the Sugar Cube Corner in a hurry, distraught and in tears. Pinkie Pie was the closest of the Mane Six from Twilight’s house. And when she saw Pegasus in that state, the earth pony lost her smile on the spot. "Fluttershy, what's wrong?" "It's Pepper." She tried to catch her breath, unaccustomed to such a gallop. "She's back, she's at my place. Do you know where Twilight is? She's not at home." Pinkie Pie's mane became totally smooth as the iris of her big azure eyes grew smaller than a grape. The last letter from Lazy Bones was running in her head, and she couldn't help but think that it was all going to end badly for Equestria. "Go and get the others, I have an idea. I don't know where Twilight is, but I know how to get her attention." As Fluttershy went to Applejack, which was the one to live the furthest away of all mane six, Pinkie went down to the cellar. What her friends didn't know, despite the fact that they'd all visited the room, was the presence of a single-piece folder hidden in a recess in the wall by another single-piece folder. In each of the drawers were recipes that Pinkie might have borrowed from those who, just like her, had the ability to break through the fourth wall. There she was, trembling with fear, standing with her head between the front legs that pressed against the one piece file. She glanced at the door, still no sign of life from Lazy, it had been two weeks now. Slowly, the right hoof grabbed the handle to open the locker, she took out a black sports bag so big that it could hold an adult pony. "You said it was too dangerous, that means you used it yourself. To protect your loved ones. You can't ask me not to do the same Lazy, I have to protect their smiles. Even if it costs me an eye." She took out a big soda can with a simple word on it. The road to Ponyville was a quick and smooth walk, Trixie reached the building without meeting any of the local guardians on her way. Still, she had a shiver as she entered the bookshop. Breaking and entering was something new to her, but at the same time she was just retrieving something that didn't belong to Twilight. She noticed the display case in which the elements of harmony were resting, and rather than going straight up, she went to take a closer look. Five of the six elements were there: Rainbow Dash's necklace was missing. For a moment, she wondered if she should not act on her own initiative in order to prevent the elements from being used. But on second thought, the instructions were concise, and at no time was she ordered to do such a thing. She immediately turned back and walked down the stairs. Once in the laboratory, she followed the instructions, and found the bag without the slightest trouble. She was prepared for the smell of blood, but the bloody wick of mane made her retch. Keeping the hoof over her mouth so as not to vomit, she concentrated the best she could on retrieving the hair clip. All of a sudden, the noise of the front door opened with a bang, a pony entered the bookshop, galloping from one end of the ground floor room to the other. Trixie's heart was pounding, she wasn't expecting it, she was staring at the doorknob of the door she had entered by, trying to find an excuse for her presence here. But the pony left just as she had come, the sound of the gallop returned to the door, which closed with just as much noise. An adrenaline rush ran through Trixie, her breath was quick, the muscles in her legs were boiling. Relieved to know that the threat had been averted, she finished what she had started and took the barrette out of the bag. The smell of dried blood came to her nostrils, forcing a grimace on her face. She opened the packet and looked at it. There was a bottle of water, a clean handkerchief, two phoenix feathers, and a unicorn signet ring. Trixie used her telekinesis to clean the barrette with water, rubbing it with the clean cloth before leaving the premises, taking the ornament and the signet ring with her, leaving the rest behind. On the ground floor, in too much of a hurry to leave, she did not notice that there were only four elements left in the display case. Pepper had tested the reaction of a few royal guards at the town hall by walking in front of them, ready to send them to Chrysalis if she had to get rid of them on the spot, but they didn't pay any attention to her, and thus she concluded that she was not actively sought after. She headed for the library, walking the most direct route. In the last third of the long street, there was a large wooden frame that went from one side of the road to the other, it was impossible not to cross it in order to move forward. A few steps past the frame, she had a strange feeling, as if she had just entered another world. For a moment she looked around her, the surroundings were strangely empty, she could hardly hear the birds singing. Suddenly, she had the kind of shiver she had never felt before during her stay in Equestria, a murderous aura against her, the human immediately took hold of her, and she could hardly believe the vision that had just appeared on her right. Standing against the wall, Pinkie Pie had headphones in her ears, listening to on a loop. She was wearing an outfit, a white t-shirt covered by a blue hoodie, and black pants, white slippers on the hind legs. Over the left sleeve were six odd watches. Her left eye had been staring at Pepper since she had entered peripheral vision. She turned the volume down to minimum, then took the earphones out of her ears while she still walked to stand in the middle of the street facing Pepper. With a peaceful smile on her face and a pensive look on her face, she dropped the open backpack on the ground. "What's wrong with her right eye," asked Gamine, shocked and no less frightened. "Shut up, just shut up, this is not the time. Let me focus, she has never looked so violent before," Pepper replied. "Pinkie? What is wrong with your right eye?" she asked anyway. Half hidden by the smooth mane, the orbit of the right eye was empty. The earth pony laughed again. "Not even a hello? Or how about asking how have I been after all this time?" She sighed. "Why Pepper? Life was peaceful while you were here, everything was going well, the preparations for your birthday were complete. What did we do wrong to deserve this?" Pepper shook her head, a brief, barely perceptible gesture. "I do not have birthdays, I am not like you." "Of course you do. Everycreature do." Pinkie understood then. "Wait, you don't know when you were born? I've got to say, it was a shock to me, not that it's uncommon. You were born on June 21st, Summer Sun Celebration Day." Pepper remained sceptical. "How can you know something like that?" She sobbed but kept smiling. "I'm Pinkie Pie, the one who plans birthday parties for all the people of Ponyville, it's my special talent to know these things. And for a while, you lived among us. Did you really think I wasn't going to plan anything special for you? Especially considering how important this day is to so many people?" She had an uncontrollable laugh, tears in her eyes. "The day Twilight became our friend, the day Nightmare Moon was banished, the day Princess Celestia celebrated every year. Why Pepper? Why did you have to be born on that day?" Pepper remained impassive to this detail, which was trivial to her. "I do not care about these stories. I just came to see Handsome, say goodbye, then I am leaving for good." Even though Pinkie was just an earth pony she could keep under control at any moment through telekinesis, Pepper never let her guard down. Pinkie calmed down, a peaceful smile on her lips. "You want to see Rainbow? I can bring her over here." She took a pink and white whistling rocket out of her pocket, tied a piece of paper to it, aimed it at the sky and lit it. With a long whistle, the rocket flew away from Ponyville and disappeared into the distance. "Let's have a little fun in the meantime. At the end of this path is a frame like the one you have just passed. If you cross it, you'll be able to see Rainbow when she comes." Pepper concentrated her magic, its crackling power around her horn. The earth pony pulled the soda can out of a hoodie pocket and drank it all. Her one eye was focused on the unicorn with an intense gaze. "It's a nice day, don't you think? The birds are singing, the leaves are falling from the trees." She activated the timer on the watches in succession, then pressed a button on her walkman, started playing. "You dirty Princess killer. On a day like this, a human like you, should stay six feet under." At those words, she slammed her right hindleg on the floor. In response to the seismic tremor this strike caused, a Pinata twice the size of Pinkie Pie sprang out from the gym bag. This one, made of papier-mâché, resembled Celestia's head, white eyes, mouth wide open. Pointing towards Pepper, it spat out a bluish ray of energy that crossed the street and then disappeared back into the bag. Pepper had just enough time to dodge it. Her attention was totally absorbed by the reflection that was the source of this attack, hiding in the depths of the Pinata. The element of laughter. It was impossible for her to counter, she couldn't afford to be touched by any of the elements of harmony, not now. As constrained as she was, she turned her back on Pinkie and began to gallop. In the space between the second and third houses on the street, a party cannon on each side exploded and covered the lane and the walls with sharp candy cane sticks. Pepper barely had time to move back, a second too late and one of the sticks would have gone right through her throat. "Usually the candy slips down the throat, they don't pierce through it," Gamine whispered to herself. "Shut up," Pepper shouted as she jumped over the deadly hedge. Just a few steps away, several bundles of flour fell from nowhere around her and exploded into a huge, blinding cloud. Pinkie Pie arrived at full gallop, a kitchen knife in her mouth, and without hesitation threw herself into the cloud of flour to slice the regicide. However, against Pepper's instincts, such an attack did not come to an end. Pepper used her telekinesis and threw Pinkie Pie back down to the ground, hooves and neck nailed to the ground by magic, Pinkie’s head being targeted by a hoof ready to strike. "We'd need a strong wind to get rid of that cloud," thought Gamine. And strangely enough, a gust of wind suddenly rose to sweep the flour down the street. "Did I do this?" she wondered. "Speak again Guardian, just one more word, and I will kill Pinkie Pie before you have time to stop me," Pepper threatened. Gamine didn't take a word like that lightly and kept her mouth shut. Pepper and Pinkie glared at each other. The predator could have ended it right there, but a voice came from behind her. "Pepper, did you miss me?" Pepper, still staring at Pinkie, was disturbed by the voice. Incredulous, she turned her head to see if she had a problem with her ears. Pinkie Pie stood there, a little out of breath but in great shape, next to the gym bag. "Because the explosion won’t miss you~," Pinkie Pie chirped, grinning. When Pepper looked back at the one she was holding at her mercy, only an adult pony mannequin was there, painted pink with a grotesque lipstick face, all filled with explosives, the wicks about to burn out. She had just enough time to open a portal under the model, leading to a place where she knew the blast would not hurt anyone, before she walked away from it with a roll to the side. A sheaf of flames burst out of the portal before Pepper had time to close it. "You pretend you want to leave for good. You should leave now, it's not like Rainbow wants to see you, you know. You have no idea how much you've hurt us. I won't let you hurt us any more," Pinkie Pie said before invoking the pinata again with a kick. Again, Pepper rode sideways to dodge the attack before getting up on his legs facing Pinkie: "I am not here to hurt anypony. I am just here to see my friend." She had a sudden doubt. "Is Fluttershy physically injured? When she left the cottage, she was unharmed." "You definitely don't understand anything. It's not a physical injury we're talking about. You have trampled on the harmony of Equestria, you have stolen our joy of life, the reason for our smiles! It's like breaking a Pinkie promise!" Pepper remained insensitive to these accusations. A quick glance at the surroundings and she noticed that despite the ruckus, the street was still empty. Pinkie took a deep breath before she let out a slight sigh.  "Still there? Hang on, I'll give you a reason to gallop." She put her right hoof into her hoodie pocket and pulled out a pebble, threw it at the trunk of a tree to Pepper's left, knocking over another gym bag and then did the same thing with another tree to the right. Pepper understood what was about to happen there, so she took a few steps back, then turned instantly and galloped off in a great gallop to reach the frame that the earthly had mentioned earlier as quickly as possible. "At last," Pinkie said, with a smile of sadistic satisfaction on her lips, before hitting the pavement with a more powerful kick, making the three pinatas jump higher than before. It was a never-ending race. Pepper fluttered between the countless attacks of all kinds that tried to bring her down every time she passed between two houses. Pinkie's laughter resounded, candy cane sticks flew, knife attacks rained down when they weren't directly spat out by a dozen party cannons. The unicorn dropped the magic shield once she had passed through the frame that marked out this Pinkie-only play area. As soon as she felt that same strange yet familiar sensation of having passed into another world, the people of the country town were visible again. She was back in the town hall square. Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy were arriving at full speed.